The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss

Over 50 years have gone by since the first introduction of the Cat in the Hat. Has the Cat ever lost his appeal to young children? Not in my lifetime. I remember the Cat in the Hat being one of the first stories that I was ever able to read completely on my own. The repeating words and rhymes made the story easy for me to read, as a child, and gives it a rhythm that I still love to read today, as an adult. Interestingly enough, it wasn't until I read this story to my own kids that I even realized that the children in this story completely overlook the fact that they are letting a stranger into their home when their mother is out.

Does this book still appeal to children today? Absolutely! Preschool to early elementary children love the Cat. In fact, it's one of most circulated books in my library, along with many of Dr. Seuss' other stories. The fact that there is a major reading celebration, Read Across America, that highlights Dr. Seuss and his famous Cat, also demonstrates the enduring love that children have with this book.

Another of my favorite Dr. Seuss books is The Lorax. This book is the didactic tale of the Lorax, a creature who speaks for the trees, birds, fish, and other living things. He lives in a town where nature's balance is being upset by the Once-ler, a businessman who is chopping down trees to make Thneeds to sell to consumers. The overall theme of this story is conservation, but I never knew it as a child. Now, as an adult, I read this book every year prior to Earth Day to reiterate the need to care for our environment. In my opinion, there is not a modern day substitute for this book. Dr. Seuss was way ahead of his time when he wrote this powerful story.

References:

Seuss, Dr. (1957). The Cat in the Hat. New York: Random House.

Amazon.com. (2008). The Cat in the Hat. Retrieved on April 27, 2008, from http://www.amazon.com/Cat-Hat-Dr-Seuss/dp/039480001x.

Suess, Dr. (1971). The Lorax. New York: Random House.

Amazon.com. (2008). The Lorax. Retrieved on April 27, 2008, from http://www.amazon.com/Lorax-Classic-Seuss-Dr/dp/0394823370/re=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209337222&sr=1-1

Goin' Someplace Special - Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney

Goin' Someplace Special is the story of 'Tricia Ann, a young black girl living in a segregated southern city, making her first trip alone to someplace special. Along the way, 'Tricia Ann encounters many reminders of racial discrimination, including a "colored section" on the bus, benches in the park for "whites only," and restaurants and hotels that do not allow colored folks to enter as patrons. However, with each adversity she encounters, she is reminded of her grandmother's words of wisdom: "You are somebody, a human being - no better, no worse than anybody else in this world." Finally, she makes it to the public library, where "ALL ARE WELCOME."

This historically accurate story is based on the author, Patricia McKissack's, own childhood experiences. This lovely story is beautifully illustrated by Jerry Pinkney, who won the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award for his work on this book.

Jerry Pinkney also completed the illustrations on The Tales of Uncle Remus by Julius Lester; The Patchwork Quilt by Valerie Flournoy; and Mirandy and Brother Wind, also by Patricia McKissack.

References:

McKissack, P. (2001). Goin Someplace Special. New York: Antheneum Books for Young Readers.

Amazon.com. (2008). Goin Someplace Special. Retrieved on April 24, 2008, from http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0014JUGKO.

The Bracelet by Yoshiko Uchida

The Bracelet, written by Yoshiko Uchida, is the story or Emi, who is a Japanese-American child living in the United States during World War II. Seven-year-old Emi and her family are being sent to live in a prison camp. Emi does not like being forced to leave her home, school, and friends behind, but she has no choice. When her friend, Laurie, gives her a bracelet to wear while she is away at the camp, Emi vows to never take it off. Later that day, when she realizes the bracelet is missing, Emi is heartbroken. To comfort Emi, her mother shares some special words of wisdom and Emi learns that her memories of the people and things that she loves can never be lost.

Yoshiko Uchida draws upon her own experiences, growing up as a Japanese American in San Franciso during a very difficult era, to write her historically accurate children's stories. Other books by Yoshido Uchida include The Picture Bride, A Jar of Dreams, and Journey to Topaz.

References:

Uchida, Y. (1976). The Bracelet. New York: Philomel Books.

Amazon.com. (2008). The Bracelet. Retrieved on April 23, 2008, from http://www.amazon.com/Bracelet-Yoshiko-Uchida/dp/069811390x.

Bridge to Terabithia - Children's Book & Feature Film

The Bridge to Terabithia, written by Katherine Paterson, was the Newbery Medal Winner in 1978. In this book, Jess Aarons is a poor farm boy who wants nothing more than to be the fastest runner in the fifth grade. That is, until he meets Leslie Burke. Leslie completely changes everything for Jess. She's intelligent, brave, and imaginative . . . everything that Jess is not. Jess and Leslie quickly become the best of friends and together they create a secret, imaginary city, called Terabithia, that is entered by swinging over a creek on a rope swing. In Terabithia, Jess and Leslie reign as king and queen, and act out their wildest dreams. The times they spend together are the happiest moments of Jess' life. Then, one day the unthinkable happens. Leslie unexpectedly dies when the rope swing breaks as she is entering Terabithia on her own one day. Jess is devastated at the loss of his best friend, but learns to cope with her death using the strength and courage that he learned from her while she was still alive.

In 2007, Bridge to Terabithia was made into a full-length feature film, which renewed interest in this beautiful story of friendship. The movie version of this story was absolutely wonderful, yet there were some differences from the book. In the movie, the setting is modern and the characters dress in clothing typical of children today. Instead of the tom-boyish clothes and haircut discussed in the book, Leslie wears edgey, yet stylish clothes and has a feminine hairstyle. Also, in the movie, the viewer sees the characters from Jess and Leslie's imagination as if they are actually there, as opposed to just watching the two characters playing "make-believe." Even with these changes, the movie version of this story stays true to its original found in the book.

References:

Paterson, K. (1977). Bridge to Terabithia. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.

Csupo, G. (Director). (2007). Bridge to Terabithia [motion picture]. United States: Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media.

Walden Fans Gallery. (n.d.). Bridge to Terabithia. Retrieved on April 14, 2008, from http://www.waldenfans.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=7&pos=3

Because of Winn Dixie - Children's Book & Feature Film

Because of Winn Dixie, by Kate DiCamillo, may possibly be one of my new, most favorite books. This book was a Newbery Honor Book in 2001. It's the story of Opal, a preacher's daughter, who is new to the town of Naomi and doesn't have any friends. One day, while running an errand for her father, Opal meets a stray dog in the local grocery store. She decides to keep the dog and names it Winn Dixie, after the store in which she found him. Her father, the preacher, is withdrawn and quiet, but Winn Dixie quickly earns his love and affection. Throughout the summer, Winn Dixie gives Opal the courage to meet new people in town and to talk to her father about her runaway mother. In the end, it's becuase of Winn Dixie that Opal finally feels happy and her heart no longer feels empty.

Because of Winn Dixie was made into a full-length feature film in 2005. The movie is equally as charming as the book, but there were some differences between the two stories. One major difference in the movie is that the preacher does not immediately fall in love with Winn Dixie like he does in the book. In the movie version, the preacher makes Opal hang "Found" signs around town so that the dog's real owner can be found. At one point in the story he even calls the dog pound to come get the dog. In fact, it's not until almost the end of the movie that you hear the preacher say that he actually loves the Winn Dixie.

Another major difference between the two versions of this story is that, in the movie, there are two additional characters, who play small supporting roles. One is Mr. Alfred, the trailer park owner. He does not want dogs in his trailer park, so of course, he does not care much for Winn Dixie when Opal first brings him home. The other character is a rather unintelligent police officer, who brings some silly humor to the big screen version of this story. Overall, I found both versions of this sweet story of friendship to be very enjoyable. I would most definitely recommend this book and movie to classroom teachers and students, alike.

References:

DiCamillo, K. (2000). Because of Winn Dixie. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

The Reading Nook.com. (2007). Grade Level Reading Lists: Fourth Grade. Retrieved on April 9, 2008, from http://thereadingnook.com/fourth_grade/

Wang, W. (Director). (2005). Because of Winn Dixie [motion picture]. United States: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.

Hoot - Children's Book & Feature Film

Hoot, by Carl Hiaasen, was published 2002. In this story, Roy Eberhard is the new kid in town. His family has just made their sixth move in eight years, this time to sunny Coconut Cove in Florida. Within days of starting school, Roy attracts the attention of the school bully, Dana Matherson, who especially delights in torturing Roy on the bus ride to school. One particular morning, as Roy's face is being pressed into the school bus window, he spots a mysterious running boy. Roy cannot help himself from wondering about the boy, also known as Mullet Fingers, and eventually decides to track him down. The only person standing in Roy's way is Beatrice Leep, a tough soccer jock with a major attitude, who also happens to be the mysterious running boy's step-sister. Eventually, Roy finds himself befriended by both Beatrice and her step-brother. And, before long, the three of them are smack dab in the middle of a political scandal involving a protected species of burrowing owls and a major pancake corporation.

In 2006, this book was turned into a feature film. Whenever a popular book is turned into a movie I am curious to see how it turns out. In this case, I truly enjoyed it because there were only a few differences; the overall story did not change. For example, the actors who portrayed the characters Curly and Beatrice, were different in the film than the book. In the book, Curly is fat, bald and dimwitted. In the movie, he was skinny and loud. The character Beatrice, as she is written in the book, is brutish-looking and bully-like. However, in the movie she is tough but attractive.

There are other differences between the book and movie. In the book, Roy is hit on the head with a golf ball while trying to track down the running boy. In the movie, he is hit by a golf ball on two different occassions. In the book, Beatrice bites through Roy's bike tire to give him a flat, but in the movie she give him a nail to flatten the tire. In the book, Mullet Fingers sleeps in an abandoned ice cream truck, but in the movie he stays in an abandoned boat.

Perhaps the ending includes the most obvious differences. In the book, Mullet Fingers buries himself up to his neck in one of the burrows inhabited by the owls to stop the pancake company from breaking ground, but in the movie the three main characters just stand in front of the plow. Also, in the movie, Mullet Fingers actually captures and ties up an executive from the pancake company. However, this scene was not included in the book at all.

Overall, the storyline of the movie stayed relatively close to the one in the book. The differences, while they were evident, were still subtle.

References:

Hiaasen, C. (2002). Hoot. New York: Random House Children's Books.

Amazon. (2008). Hoot. Retrieved on April 7, 2008, from http://www.amazon.com/Hoot-Newbery-Honor-Book-Hiaasen/dp/0375821813

Shriner, W. (Director). (2006). Hoot. [motion picture]. United States: New Line Cinema.

Let's Talk About Race by Julius Lester

Let's Talk About Race is a powerful book with a very important message . . . we are all different, but beneath our skin we are all the same. In this book, the author, Julius Lester, shares facts about himself. He calls it his "story." Using easy-to-understand words, Lester explains that everyone has a story and that race is just one small part of that story. Then he goes on to explain that we are all made the same underneath our skin. In kid language, Lester is teaching the reader that people should not judge others by their race. I think that the most thought-provoking lines of the entire book are the last lines, when Lester states, "I'll take off my skin. Will you take off yours?" This book and especially these lines would be a great way to start a conversation about equality in an older-elementary classroom.

Julius Lester has written many other children's books, including From Slave Ship to Freedom Road, To Be a Slave, and Why Heaven is Far Away.

References:

Lester, J. (2005). Let's Talk About Race. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.

HarperCollins. (2008). Let's Talk About Race. Retrieved on April 7, 2008, from http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780060285968/Lets_Talk_About_Race/index.aspx

Hiroshima by Laurence Yep

Hiroshima, written by Laurence Yep, is a powerful historical fiction story that details the dropping of the first atomic bomb, including the events leading up to it and what happens afterwards. I remember learing about this awful part of our country's history in high school, however, I'm not sure that the details of the suffering that was incurred by the people of Hiroshima was quite as vivid as it told in this book. In this story, Yep introduces the reader to two sisters named Riko and Sachi, who are 16 and 12 years old respectively. The girls live in Hiroshima and are both in the city at the time of the bombing. Riko is killed instantly. Sachi survives but is left with terribly disfiguring scars, which cause her to become somewhat of a recluse. It isn't until years later that she is sent to America where doctors are able to repair some of her injuries and help her to feel as though she can return to her homeland to assist other survivors.

This book is written at a level that my 3rd and 4th graders could easily read, but the content and historical facts are not watered down at all. In fact, I found the information in this story to be so interesting that it prompted me to do some internet research on the aftermath of the atomic bomb and on the Hiroshima Maidens, which is the name given to the group of 25 women who traveled to America for numerous surgeries.

Interestingly enough, Yep dedicated this book to Yoshiko Uchida, another author whose books we are assigned to read, and he makes mention of Sadako, the child written about in the well-known story Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. Yep is also the author of many more books that feature Chinese characters, such as Dragonwings, Dragon's Gate, The Cook's Family, and The Tiger's Apprentice series.

References:

Yep, L. (1995). Hiroshima. New York: Scholastic Inc.

Fantastic Fiction. (2008). Hiroshima. Retrieved on March 5, 2008, from http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/y/laurence-yep/hiroshima.htm

Princess Academy - 2006 Newbery Honor Book

The Princess Academy, written by Shannon Hale, is the story of a mountain girl named Miri. More than anything Miri longs to be accepted as a valuable member of her family. She wants to show her worth by working side by side in the quarry with her father, sister, and the other members of the village, but her father will not allow it. Instead, Miri is given the job of trading goods and caring for the family goats.

When an announcement comes, stating that the prince's bride-to-be will be chosen from the mountain girls of her village and all of the eligible girls must attend an academy to train for life as a possible princess, Miri wants nothing to do with it. She would much rather stay with her family on Mount Eskel. However, when it is clear that she must go, she decides that she will demonstrate her worthiness to her family by becoming the academy princess. Her stubborn nature and decisive tactics earn her the respect of many of the girls in the academy, and when bandits attack the academy, it is Miri who discovers the way to save them all.

References:

Hale, S. (2005). The Princess Academy. New York: Scholastic Inc.

Squeetus. (n.d.). Books: Princess Academy. Retrieved on March 4, 2008, from http://www.squeetus.com/stage/books_academy.html

Rosa - Winner of the 2006 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award

Rosa is written by Nikki Giovanni and illustrated by Bryan Collier. This book was the winner of the 2006 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award and a 2006 Caldecott Honor Book . The Coretta Scott King Award is given annually to authors and illustrators who, through their work, promote cultural understanding and appreciation of all people and of their contribution to the realization of the American dream.

The book tells the true story about the brave and historic stand that Rosa Parks took on December 1, 1955, as well as how her efforts paved the way for desegregation of buses in the United States. The story is beautifully complemented by the illustrations, which are a mixture of watercolor and collage. Collier seems to intentionally keep the faces of the characters in the story realistic looking, with Rosa Parks looking near to identical in likeness. At the same time, a large part of the rest of the illustrations are made up of collages, which just adds to their interest and keeps the readers eyes engaged as completely as the words do.

References:

Giovanni, N. (2005). Rosa. New York: Henry Holt and Company, LLC.

Common Sense Media. (2008). Rosa. Retrieved on February 25, 2008, from http://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/Rosa.html.

The Hello, Goodbye Window - Winner of the 2006 Caldecott Medal

The Hello, Goodbye Window is written by Norton Juster and illustrated by Chris Raschka. This book includes a sweet little story about a grandchild's interpretation of one of the windows on her grandparent's house. She views it as the hello, goodbye window because that is where her grandparents wave hello and goodbye each time she visits. But that's not all. The window has other purposes too, including reflecting images at night and the place to say good morning to the garden. All in all, this is an endearing story about a child's love and affection for her Nanny and Poppy and all of the special times she has when visiting their home.

The colorful illustrations resemble a child's scribbles, which I think only add to the appeal of this book. Aside from the drawn-on facial expressions of the characters in this book and a few other outlined details on the house, the rest of the illustrations look like they were made by wet watercolor paints that are all running together. I found them kid-like and very appropriate for the story.

References:

Juster, N. (2005). The Hello, Goodbye Window. New York: Hyperion Books for Children.

Common Sense Media. (2008). The Hello, Goodbye Window. Retrieved on February 25, 2008, from http://commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/Hello-Goodbye-Window.html.

The Man Who Walked Between The Towers - Winner of the 2004 Caldecott Medal

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers is a picture book written and illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein. It is a biographical tale of the mischievious Philippe Petit, a tightrope walker who walked and performed on a wire that was strung between the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City on August 7, 1974.

This story tells about how Petit came up with the idea to walk between the towers; how Petit and some friends worked through the night to tie the cable to the tops of both towers; how he waited until the sun came up to begin his adventure in the sky; and eventually, how he was caught and sentenced to perform in the park for the children of the city. Without a doubt, this story has very special meaning to those who remember the skyline of New York City before 9-11. Gerstein's illustrations provide the reader with beautiful images, which are a wonderful way to remember the twin towers as part of our country's history.

References:

Gerstein, M. (2003). The Man Who Walked Between the Towers. New Milford, CN: Roaring Book Press.

American Library Association. (n.d.). 2004 Medal Winner. Retrieved on February 18, 2008, from http://web1.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarship/literaryawds/caldecottmedal/caldecotthonors/2004caldecottmedalhonors.cfm.

The Tale of Desperaux - Winner of the 2004 Newbery Medal

The Tale of Desperaux is written by Kate DiCamillo and illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering. I happened upon this fairytale-like story when my third-grade son brought it home from school for his group reading project. I instantly identified its ability to fill two purposes in my life, it met the requirements of this class assignment and gave me the perfect reason to spend some quality reading time with my son.

I absolutely loved this story! There are so many interesting characters, including Desperaux, a mouse who from birth is not mouse-like at all; Roscuro, a rat who is responsible for the death of the queen and the outlawing of soup and spoons in the kingdom; Miggery Sow, who is a simple-minded girl who wants to be a princess and believes that Roscuro can make her one; and the Princess Pea, the sweet, good-hearted young royal. This story has a hero, a villain, action/adventure, and, of course, like any good fairytale, the story ends happily!

DiCamillo used such an interesting approach to telling this story. This story is told through the voice of a narrator, and throughout the book, the narrator directly addresses the reader with questions and thought-provoking comments. The soft, black-and-white illustrations also add to the appeal of this book. I loved the fact that Icould see what the main characters looked like.

References:

DiCamillo, K. (2003). The Tale of Desperaux. New York: Scholastic.

Kate DiCamillo. (2008). The Tale of Deperaux. Retrieved on February 14, 2008, from http://www.katedicamillo.com/books/tale.html

Kitten's First Full Moon - Winner of the 2005 Caldecott Medal

Kitten's First Full Moon is written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes. Being a cat lover and owner of many kittens throughout my life, helped me to really enjoy this story. Kittens do silly things, and the kitten in this story is no exception.

The main character of this story is a kitten who has mistakenly identified her first full moon as a bowl of milk -- and, of course, she desperately wants a little lick. The illustrations in this book are done in black-and-white, perhaps in an effort to give a "night-time" feel to this story. Kitten's expressions in this book are absolutely delightful. My kindergarten daughter giggled at each of kitten's failed attempts to get to the little bowl of milk in the sky and loved repeating the words, "Poor Kitten!" throughout the story. She and I were both tickled to see how the story ended for "Lucky Kitten!" This has definitely become one of my favorite picture books to read aloud.

References:

Henkes, K. (2004). Kitten's First Full Moon. New York: Scholastic Inc.

Barnes & Noble. (2008). Kitten's First Full Moon. Retrieved February 9, 2008, from http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?WRD=kitten%27s+first+full+moon&z=y

The Invention of Hugo Cabret - Winner of the 2008 Caldecott Medal

The Invention of Hugo Cabret, written and illustrated by Brian Selznick, is the winner of the 2008 Caldecott Medal. In this story, Hugo Cabret is an orphaned boy, who lives in the Paris train station where his uncle was the official Timekeeper until disappearing months earlier. Alone and afraid of being discovered by the Station Inspector, Hugo keeps the train station's clocks running in perfect harmony. In his free time, he steals mechanical parts from the station's toy booth so that he can repair a mysterious mechanical man, called an automaton. Hugo is sure that the automaton, once fixed, will relay a hidden message to him from his late father.

When I first picked up this book to read, I was thoroughly surprised! I guess I have always considered Caldecott books to be picture books with simple texts, like the ones housed in the "Everyone" section of my library. In contrast, this book is a 5oo+ page chapter book, filled with black-and-white illustrations and upper-elementary text. The illustrations in this book are truly unique looking. They are roughly sketched out and made to look like a movie storyboard, so that as the reader is flipping pages it resembles viewing an old-fashioned still movie where the action is portrayed in a series of well thought-out photos. Interestingly enough, the illustrations in this book play an important part in the telling of the story. In fact, the reader really must pay attention to the illustrations, or else some of the meaning will be completely missed.

References:

Selznick, B. (2007). The Invention of Hugo Cabret. New York: Scholastic, Inc.

Barnes & Noble. (2008). The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Retrieved on February 9, 2008, from http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&EAN=9780439813785&itm=1

Flotsam - Winner of the 2007 Caldecott Medal

Flotsam by David Wiesner was the 2007 Caldecott Winner. The story in this wordless picture book is cleverly told through vibrant, water-color pictures.

In this story, an inquisitive young boy arrives at the beach for a day of discovery-making. While closely examing some of the living creatures that are on the shore, the ocean waves knock him down and bring with them an old-fashioned camera. Running to a local one-hour photo shop, the boy is able to develop the film from the camera. The processed photos reveal mysteries from below the surface of the water, including mechanical fish swimming alongside real fish and tiny aliens living among seahorses. Also included in the treasury of photos are pictures of children all over the world, who have found the camera in the past. In the end, the boy decides to take his own photo with the camera and then return it back to the sea for the wonderment of future "finders."

I was so impressed with the story in this book, I gave it to my third-grade son and kindergarten daughter to read. They both loved the book! Of course, the level of comprehension was quite different between the two of them. My daughter delighted in the amusement of some of the photos and wondered aloud if they were real. My son delved into the deeper meaning behind the story and immediately saw the cycle, or pattern, within it. In fact, I practically had to pry it out of his hands at bedtime because he was so interested in examining the illustrations more closely.

References:

Weisner, D. (2006). Flotsam. New York: Clarion Books.

Booksamillion. com. (2007). Retrieved on February 9, 2008, from http://www.booksamillion.com/ncom/books?pid=0618194576.

The Newberry and Caldecott Awards

The Newbery and Caldecott Awards are quite arguably the most well-known awards for children's literature. Both awards are given annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, or ALSC.

The Newbery Award was the first children's book award in the world, first given in 1922. The award is presented to the author of the most outstanding American children's book published in the previous year. Each year, Newbery Honor Books, or "runners-up" for the award, are also recognized.

The Caldecott Award, first given in 1938, recognizes the illustrator of the most distinguished American picture book published for children in the previous year. The award must be given to a citizen or resident of the United States, whether or not he/she is the actual author of the book being recognized. Originally, a book could not be considered for both the Newbery and the Caldecott Award, however in 1977 that changed. Any book published in the previous year is eligible for both awards. Similarly to the Newbery Award, each year Caldecott Honor books are also recognized.

The differences between these two awards makes it impossible to judge one as superior the other.

References:

Association for Library Service to Children. (n.d.). Retrieved on February 2, 2008 from http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/caldecottmedal/aboutcaldecott/aboutcaldecott.htm.

Association for Library Service to Children. (n.d.). Retrieved on February 2, 2008 from http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/newberymedal/aboutnewbery/aboutnewbery.htm.