Review for "Walt Whitman: Words for America"

Bibliography: Kerly, Barbara. Ill. Selznick, Brian. 2009. Walt Whitman: Words for America. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN: 9-780439-357913

Critical Analysis

Just as Whitman's poetry exulted his being without cloying arrogance, so to does this short, illustrated biography of him. The author chose to focus largely on Whitman's involvement with the soldiers during the civil war and his feelings surrounding Lincoln and his assassination. In doing so, we are given a sweeter picture of the poets motivation, a deeper understanding of the man who sang a song of himself. After reading this short biography, the reader feels truly that Whitman sang from a love of all humanity, and served as all great artists do, as both mirror and candle.

Both author and illustrators notes at the end of the text show the deep level of research that was put into this book. For instance, Selznick writes that he visited Walt's birth home, a reconstructed house where Walt may have lived, photos of Walt held by the Brooklyn library, visited the last house Walt ever lived in, visited an old printing press, and on and on . . . it is clear that thorough research was done for this short, but inspirational and remarkable book.

The book follows a biographical style, with a storyline to ease readers along. Poignant excerpts of Whitman's poetry are featured alongside, and within the storyline, as well as excerpts of letters. All poetry and letter excerpts are taken from the appropriate time of Walt's life - to match the storyline.

This joy-filled, reverent story of Walt Whitman's life will deepen readers understanding of this amazing, spirited man.
Review Excerpts

School Library Journal: "Libraries will want to add this unabashedly glowing tribute as well for the infectious zeal both author and illustrator bring to their subject and his writings, excerpts of which can be found woven seamlessly into the text and the art."

Publishers Weekly: "With a lyricism and an ardor that echoes Whitman's own, Kerley writes of his passion for both language and for "rambling".... Selznick's versatile illustrations encompass a stark realism...and surreal whimsy.... Their enthusiasm is convincing and contagious."

Awards
Sibert Honor Book
California Book Award
ALA Notable Book
Best Children's Books - Publishers Weekly
Best Illustrated Book - New York Times

Connections

If conducting a study of the naturalists, or studying Thoreau or Emerson, Whitman's poetry may serve as a good introduction to set the mood.

This particular book lends itself perfectly to a study of the civil war. The study of any war raises issues of ethics and morality - framing the study of a war through the lens of a poet may make an interesting interpretation of war. This book would work well as an introductory tool for the study of a civil war; I would recommend it for students in middle school through high school. Students could be encouraged to keep poetry notebooks and "scribble" about the current conditions of our world, as Walt did.

Review for "Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream

Bibliography: Stone, Tanya L. 2009. Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream. Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press. ISBN: 978-0-7636-3611-1

Critical Analysis

The lift-off of any NASA space shuttle is always a huge event, but on July 1999 it was particularly emotional for a group of women dubbed the "Mercury 13." On that day, Eileen Collins became the first woman to command a space shuttle, ever. Although women had been on missions to space before, it was as scientists and specialists; July 1999 was the first time a woman actually flew a space craft. The story of the Mercury 13 is a story of thirteen women that fought for the opportunity to fly a shuttle into space, and were tested rigorously to disprove the notion that women were not fit to take part in a NASA space program.

In the pages of this book, young readers will be astounded to find a copy of an actual note from President Lyndon B. Johnson himself demanding the brakes be put on a program to send women into space, with the scrawled writing, "Let's stop this now!" More than anything, readers will feel a swell of pride in the human spirit as they read about the tenacity of these young women who endured everything from being called "astronettes," and jokes about adding a "feminine touch" to the space shuttle, to simply being blockaded altogether from the space program.

Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream, is a well-written, completely engrossing book, accompanied by interesting and appropriate photos. A story about women that were denied access to a program despite their superior skills and test responses, it serves as a reminder to us that prejudice hampers the progression of human ingenuity, but when met with determination, and turned into a story that is not forgotten, it can fuel and inspire human efforts for years to come.

Review Excerpts

School Library Journal: "Illustrated with sheaves of photos, and based on published sources, recently discovered documents, and original interviews with surviving members of the "Mercury 13," this passionately written account of a classic but little-known challenge to established gender prejudices also introduces readers to a select group of courageous, independent women."

Booklist: "The chatty, immediate style (“Picture this”) and full-page photos make for a fast read, and the crucial civil-rights history will stay with readers. The long, spacious back matter is part of the story, with detailed chapter notes and a bibliography."

Awards
2010 Sibert Medal
YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Honor
Boston Globe - Horn Book Honor
NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor

Connections

In this book, readers are introduced to cartoons that parody a females ability to perform the same duties as a male astronaut in space, and are told that the females that aspired to become astronauts were called "astronettes." If students were assigned this book in a classroom, an accompanying activity could be to critically assess the media treatment of women in contemporary society. Analysis could be taken from magazine articles and advertisements online and on television. Students could then have a group discussion on their findings.

Review for "Prehistoric Actual Size"

Bibliography: Jenkins, Steve. 2005. Prehistoric Actual Size. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN: 9-780618-53578-1

Critical Analysis

Did you know that the "terror bird" lived three million years ago, stood eight feet tall, and could run as fast as a present day horse? Or, that the largest arthropod ever to live on land was a giant millipede that lived about 300 million years ago and grew to six and a half feet? Or, that once there were dragonflies the size of seagulls? In Steve Jenkins book, Prehistoric Actual Size you not only learn these fascinating facts, but you get to see pictures of the creatures in their actual size (or at least parts of them!).

The size of this large book alone, will interest young (and possibly older!) readers; but the artwork that composes the pictures of the prehistoric creatures is compelling and worthy of notice in and of itself. The layout is simple, with papercut pictures of prehistoric animals against a white background. The information provided alongside the pictures is concise and informative, it informs without boring or being verbose. At the end of the text, the animals are presented in their entirety in smaller pictures in the same order they were presented in the book, and additional information is provided for the curious reader.

Jenkins was clever in deciding which portions of the animals to show when it came to animals that were to large to fit on the entire page. For instance, when it came to the "Baryonyx," which translates to "heavy claw," he showed a picture of a Baryonyx's claw on the double spread, with the caption, "This fish-eating dinosaur used its huge claws to help catch and hold its slippery prey." And the picture of "Gigantasauraus" is simply a double spread of the monsters enormous teeth - well, some of them!

In a world of dinosaur books, this book highlights not only the popular dinos, but also other prehistoric creatures. And the method that is used is a creative one that will help sear information into young minds!

Review Excerpts

School Library Journal: "The largest animal shown is also the most dramatic: the top and bottom teeth of Giganotosaurus fill an entire spread. Sure to elicit plenty of Wows from the 560's aisle."

Booklist: "The dramatic effect of showing creatures at their actual size is even greater this time than in the first book, which featured contemporary animals. It's certainly hard to imagine that a three-inch shark, a dragonfly with a two-foot wingspan, and a six-foot millipede once actually lived on Earth. Information about and an illustration of the entire creature (not to scale) completes this colorful volume."

Awards
Orbis Pictus Honor Book, 2005
Horn Book, Best Book of 2005

Connections

I cannot help but think of how much fun it would be to actually make some of these animals! Making the animals out of paper towel rolls, toilet paper rolls, and other recyclable materials, and then using paper mache to cover them, and finally painting them, would not only be fun, the kids could then have their own "museum" exhibit.

Review for "Button Up!"

Bibliography: Schertle, Alice; Ill. Mathers, Petra. 2009. Button Up! New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. ISBN: 978-0-15-205050-4

Critical Analysis

If you enjoy, or have a child that enjoys the personification of clothing, then this poetry book may be for you! Every poem is told from the perspective of a piece of clothing, and the accompanying pictures anthropomorphize animal characters wearing the clothing. These two factors add whimsy and silliness to the poems.

The sing-songy poems are full of playful end-rhymes, and onomatopoeia, which give the reader the feel of the experience. Consider the following poem, which contains a rhyme scheme and beat reminiscent of "London Bridge is Falling Down."

"The Song of Harvey's Galoshes

When it's raining Harvey always puts us on,
puts us on,
we're together when the sunny weather's gone,
weather's gone,
O there's mud up to our tops,
we hope Harvey never stops
making deep, wet footprints in the lawn,
in the lawn.

Sqash-galosh, squash-galosh, through the slime,
Squash-galosh, squash-galosh, bet a nickel, bet a dime . . ."

While the italicized words help the reader with the intended emphasis and beat of the poem, the accompanying picture, in acrylic, shows a pig splashing joyfully. I believe these poems have the potential to delight young readers, but I am not sure that youngsters are as interested in the possible perspectives of their clothing as they are when it comes to their toys. Although this is a more original idea, it may fall flat with children.


Review Excerpts

School Library Journal: Playful spreads and spot art suit the small, snappy verses beautifully. This whimsical little volume will make a delightful addition to poetry collections.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books: This is a collection for younger listeners, sporting pared-down language, short lines, and touches of enjoyable sound effects (“Squash- galosh, squash- galosh, through the slime” go Harvey’s galoshes), and the experiences of the clothes and their wearers will ring true to kids.

Awards
Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award recipient: 2010

Connections

Have readers choose an article of clothing from their closet to write a poem about, from the perspective of the article of clothing. Lead the readers through a short imaginary meditation, in which they imagine what the perspective of the article is. Encourage them to write spontaneously following the meditation, while touching and looking at their article of clothing as often as possible.

Review for "Flamingos on the Roof"

Bibliography: Brown, Calef. 2006. Flamingos on the Roof. New York: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN: 978-0618-56298-5

Critical Analysis

Flamingos on the Roof is a poem picture book that uses vivid acrylic painted pictures to accompany short, rhyming poems with a staccato feel. Brown often relies on alliteration, and his rhyme schemes, while sounding contemporary often sound force and awkward. Consider the following poem, in which we can see a lot of alliteration, and a strong attempt at flow and rhyme.

"Angus

Angus dressed as best he could,
but all his clothes were gray.
Either that or olive drab,
the colors of the day.
So Angus sewed a snazzy suit,
with better brighter cloth.
Not half bad.
Completely plaid.
He never takes it off."

The poem follows a scheme of: a b c b a d e e d, but barely. The words sometimes stretch in rhyme - "could" and "suit," for instance. And, the lines vary in length, giving the poems a jilted feeling.

Although I often wonder at the things children find amusing, I think I would safely bet that this book would not be one of those things. The colorful and expressive pictures are the best part of the book, and at times seem to overtake the poems.

Review Excerpts

School Library Journal: "Packed with amusing details, the paintings consistently expand upon the text. Read aloud, these poems are sure to delight listeners. They also provide a great impetus for inspiring youngsters to write nonsense poetry of their own."

Booklist: "One of the best poems is "TV Taxi," in which the words say there's nothing much to see, but the pictures show a taxi driver on his cell phone as a volcano, a dinosaur, a flying saucer, and a unicorn vie for attention. Words and pictures manage to be both clear and weird, an enjoyable mix."

Awards
Parent's Choice Award recipient, 2006

Connections

This poetry book may be a positive way to help students begin to attempt rhyming poetry. The poet often uses imperfect rhyme and original rhyme scheme, and the slightly silly, and somewhat mundane nature of the poems may help students feel less intimidated when beginning to attempt rhyming poetry.

Review of "Naked Bunyip Dancing"

Bibliography: Herrick, Steven. Ill. Norling, Beth. 2005. Naked Bunyip Dancing. China: Allen & Unwin. ISBN: 978-1590784990.

Critical Analysis

This verse novel written in free verse, with a mellow rhythm is appropriate for early middle school and older elementary readers. The language is intimate and informal, at times the reader feels like they are hearing a secret for the first time, at other times it is clear the reader has access to the characters inner thoughts and feelings. Individual poems are short, usually a page, and are titled with the character's name. At times the title of a poem is the name alone, at other times the title includes the character's name, an example is, "Micheal's Quiet Lunch."

The loose structure and intimate tone lend themselves well to addressing issues that adolescents usually feel stress around. Consider the following excerpt -

"Micheal's Secret

Emily and Jason
have done it.
They've kissed.
Yeah - lips,
open mouth,
spit and teeth everywhere . . ."

The drama and angst of the situation is well-balanced with the casual language - "Yeah." Additionally, the humor of the situation is highlighted by the detailed description, by a character (Micheal) that seems to enjoy his secret, but does not seem to have enjoyed the sight - "open mouth, spit and teeth everywhere."

Not all of the poems that address adolescent anxiety inducing situations are treated humorously, however. "Alex, on holiday" is a poem that looks at the anxiety of divorcing parents and the dreaded "What I did on my Summer Vacation" essay. The following is a short excerpt of the poem.

"Alex, on holiday

I'm sure glad Mr. Carey
didn't ask us to write
about our holiday.
How do you write an essay
on helping your dad move out
to go and live in a little flat
around the corner?"

Throughout the the text Herrick validates the emotional turmoil that accompanies adolescence while using humor to avoid both dreariness and a pedantic tone. The tone of Naked Bunyip Dancing is validating, humorous, and loose, much like the new teacher, Mr. Carey, who, "has long hair and a beard . . . wears flared trousers and beads" and opens the class by singing along to Bob Dylan. Throughout this verse novel, the character of Mr. Carey leads the class with compassion, encouragement, validation, and humor. The story culminates in a class talent show in which all of the students feel celebrated for the person they are.

Although some of the references are Australian, "Bunyip" for instance - the text is still highly accessible, and the characters presented will elicit laughter, feelings of comfort and intrigue, and validation to the adolescent reader.



Review Excerpts

Booklist: "The characters are fun (Peter is allergic to sports, and he farts even when the class does yoga), as are the angry insults (“uglier than a hippopotamus”) and the emotional dramas (“Ring her and say I’m sorry?”). Decorated with occasional ink cartoons, including 24 small portraits of the kids, this book will be a good choice for readers’ theater and for creative-writing classes."

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books: "Christmas vacation is over and it's back to school in the sweltering heat for this class of Australian sixth-graders. They have a new teacher who has long hair, a beard, and a fondness for Bob Dylan and poetry, but they prove that they have fondnesses of their own as they organize a school concert to showcase their various talents—rap, dance, poetry, and punk performance art, to name a few highlights."

Awards
Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Award for Language Development recipient, 2006, upper primary readers category

Children's Book Council of Australia Award recipient, 2006, younger readers category

Connections

This text is perfect for a class of adolescent aged readers as an introduction reading at the beginning of the year. It can help set a positive, safe tone for the entire class. After reading the verse novel as a class, lead students in their own free-verse poetry. Consider encouraging students to keep private journals to write their poetry in if they want to tackle difficult subjects in their poetry in a safe environment.

The book Diamond Willow by Helen Frost is another verse novel written in free-verse that tackles the issues faced by adolescents.