Wouldn't it be nice to be able to tell you that I have found the perfect book or books to read for St. Patrick's Day? Alas, that will not be the case today. There is not much to get excited about in terms of books for good St. Paddy. There are few stories that directly name the day and none of those that I have seen are good to read aloud.
So, we go to books of leprechauns and Irish lore. Both Tomie DePaola and Gerald McDermott have retold Irish folk lore. Depaola has two tales of Jamie O'Rourke who is said to be the laziest man in all of Ireland. These stories are good for a laugh but are long for the youngest listeners. McDermott's books can also be wordy but it is worth taking a look at Tim O'Toole and the Wee Folk or Daniel O'Rourke. If you like telling stories rather than reading, any of these would be a good choice to fit to your own style.
Clever Tom and the Leprechauns by Linda Shute is better suited to reading to younger groups (kindergarten or first grade) who are excited about leprechauns. Our first grades are visited by leprechauns at this time of the year, so I leave this book for them to share. After all, they are the ones who introduced it to me.
For older students, there is the option of looking at Irish history. While there are many lengthy informational books about Ireland and its history, the best one I can think of for reading aloud in one sitting is The Long March: The Choctaw's Gift to Irish Famine Relief by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick. This is an illustrated telling of a little known story of American aid to victims of the Irish the Potato Famine. The Choctaw Indians themselves suffered much loss and hardship in 1847, yet the group empathized with the the Irish enough to collect $170 (equivalent to about $5000 today) to send across the seas to help. It is a moving tale of giving even when times are hard.
What will I be doing with classes this St. Patrick's Day? I will pick and choose between facts about Ireland and Irish tales. A to Z Ireland by Justine and Ron Fontes offers colorful pictures and 26 interesting snippets about the Emerald Isle which is a good, quick introduction.
Then we will talk about snakes, which were supposedly driven from Ireland by St. Patrick. (Of course, most people agree that there never were snakes on the island and that the snake is symbolic of evil, but we will not let that stop me from spreading the old legend to the youngest classes.) Older students will learn about the Blarney Stone and we will play a game we call "Blarney" which is loosely based on that great old game show, "To Tell the Truth". Since our school teaches students to prepare for all kinds of careers, I figure knowing how to tell half truths convincingly may someday prove valuable for someone.
I am sad to report that I won't be wearing my giant shamrock earrings this year. I will be a conference on March 17 and my substitute will get the joy of working with the super excited children. I hope she remembers to wear green.
Showing posts with label holiday reading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holiday reading. Show all posts
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Lunar New Year Greetings
The start of the Year of the Rabbit got notice in my library classes but it has been sadly overlooked here. Of course, it is never too late to enjoy some good reading or wish you all the best in the coming year.
Most of the books you will find about the Lunar New Year will focus on Chinese customs. It might be easy to miss a beautiful story of New Year's celebrations in Korea. New Clothes for New Year's Day by Hyun-Joo Bae will first attract the reader with its lovely illustrations that delicately depict the donning of new and very special clothes. The words are spare and gentle while capturing the excitement of a child's first chance to wear these tradition-laden clothes. I was thrilled the first time I shared it with a class to have a young Korean girl bring me her New Year's clothing to show me the next day. This book is a real treasure.
One interesting Chinese New Year book is The Day the Dragon Danced by Kay Haugaard. I will concede, as one reviewer complained, that it can be wordy at times, but I will counter that it is a wonderful melding of cultures and universal worries. A young African American girl takes her grandmother to the Dragon Dance parade celebrating the New Year in their city's Chinatown. Grandmother is a bit reluctant but the girl is persistent. Then she has to watch carefully for the shoes under the long, long dragon for one of the dancer is the girl's father. She even has the opportunity to do her part to keep the dragon moving smoothly along.
For amazingly beautiful illustrations it is always a safe bet to turn to Ed Young who has many retellings of Chinese and Japanese tales as well as some that are original stories. One of the many stories of the origins of the Chinese Zodiac is the focus of Cat and Rat: The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac. The illustrations are dark, not ominous but simply set in the night or int he water, so not so great for group readings, but they are also stunning and well suited to sharing one on one. The excitement of the race to win the twelve coveted spots on the zodiac is strong. I have read many very different stories about the selection of the animals to be part of the twelve year cycle. This is a favorite for both story and illustrations.
If you want to understand the customs and traditions that surround the Chinese New Year, D is for Dragon Dance by Ying Chang Compestine may be just what what you want. It is a simple A-B-C book which offers 26 points of interest about the holiday along with bright, vivid illustrations that will keep that young person on your lap interested when the words are more than they want. Yes, this is the same Ying Chang Compestine who brought us The Story of Noodles, The Story of Chopsticks and many others. All of these books are a good jumping off point for a look at Chinese culture in general.
Finally, local author and China expert Carol Stepanchuk has compiled a collection of stories, recipes, and information about four Chinese festivals in her book Red Eggs and Dragon Boats: Celebrating Chinese Festivals.
There are many websites to help you delve further into the Chinese Zodiac, which is something all of my students love to do. Here is just one of them. Remember when you are assigning an animal for year of birth that the Lunar New Year by definition is not a stable date and moves from mid January to mid February. If you were born before the middle of February, be sure to find a zodiac that will tell you exactly when the New Year began the year you were born.
Whatever you zodiac sign, this is the year to be hoppy all year long.
Most of the books you will find about the Lunar New Year will focus on Chinese customs. It might be easy to miss a beautiful story of New Year's celebrations in Korea. New Clothes for New Year's Day by Hyun-Joo Bae will first attract the reader with its lovely illustrations that delicately depict the donning of new and very special clothes. The words are spare and gentle while capturing the excitement of a child's first chance to wear these tradition-laden clothes. I was thrilled the first time I shared it with a class to have a young Korean girl bring me her New Year's clothing to show me the next day. This book is a real treasure.
One interesting Chinese New Year book is The Day the Dragon Danced by Kay Haugaard. I will concede, as one reviewer complained, that it can be wordy at times, but I will counter that it is a wonderful melding of cultures and universal worries. A young African American girl takes her grandmother to the Dragon Dance parade celebrating the New Year in their city's Chinatown. Grandmother is a bit reluctant but the girl is persistent. Then she has to watch carefully for the shoes under the long, long dragon for one of the dancer is the girl's father. She even has the opportunity to do her part to keep the dragon moving smoothly along.
For amazingly beautiful illustrations it is always a safe bet to turn to Ed Young who has many retellings of Chinese and Japanese tales as well as some that are original stories. One of the many stories of the origins of the Chinese Zodiac is the focus of Cat and Rat: The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac. The illustrations are dark, not ominous but simply set in the night or int he water, so not so great for group readings, but they are also stunning and well suited to sharing one on one. The excitement of the race to win the twelve coveted spots on the zodiac is strong. I have read many very different stories about the selection of the animals to be part of the twelve year cycle. This is a favorite for both story and illustrations.
If you want to understand the customs and traditions that surround the Chinese New Year, D is for Dragon Dance by Ying Chang Compestine may be just what what you want. It is a simple A-B-C book which offers 26 points of interest about the holiday along with bright, vivid illustrations that will keep that young person on your lap interested when the words are more than they want. Yes, this is the same Ying Chang Compestine who brought us The Story of Noodles, The Story of Chopsticks and many others. All of these books are a good jumping off point for a look at Chinese culture in general.
Finally, local author and China expert Carol Stepanchuk has compiled a collection of stories, recipes, and information about four Chinese festivals in her book Red Eggs and Dragon Boats: Celebrating Chinese Festivals.
There are many websites to help you delve further into the Chinese Zodiac, which is something all of my students love to do. Here is just one of them. Remember when you are assigning an animal for year of birth that the Lunar New Year by definition is not a stable date and moves from mid January to mid February. If you were born before the middle of February, be sure to find a zodiac that will tell you exactly when the New Year began the year you were born.
Whatever you zodiac sign, this is the year to be hoppy all year long.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Happy Kwanzaa
Much like the other December holidays, Kwanzaa has few truly worthy books for me to suggest. There are those that are preachy and/or teachy but few that add a good story to that mix.
Luckily there is a new one this year that is charming, clever, and teaches a great deal about this holiday that is not well understood outside of the African American community. Li'l Rabbit's Kwanzaa by Donna L. Washington is perfect for young listeners to learn a little bit about the seven principles of Kwanzaa with a sweet text and bright illustrations leading them along. Li'l Rabbit wants Granna Rabbit to be well enough to join in the traditional feast, Karamu, but Mama Rabbit is too worried and Granna is too ill to make it happen. Li'l Rabbit sets out to find a way to cheer everyone and celebrate the way they have in years past. Of course Li'l Rabbit is successful in some joyfully surprising ways. The book includes an explanation of Nguzo Saba--The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa with instructions to look back through the story to find examples of each principle. My group of young listeners who had barely heard of Kwanzaa left the library knowing a little more about the holiday and smiling over a good story.
Seven Spools of Thread: A Kwanzaa Story by Angela Shelf Medearis is a somewhat more complex story that springs from an original African folktale. Readers will learn about the Ghanian art of weaving Kente cloth as well as the seven principles of Kwanzaa as they follow this story of a father, a weaver, who asks his sons to make gold from silk tread. They learn to work together while each bringing unique talents to the problem. The story reads like a true folktale and does not get overly preachy. I have had older students come back to request a re-reading of this story and talk about what they learned from it when they first heard it in first or second grade. The illustrations are beautifully lush with lots of red and gold. The book also includes notes about the holidays and some craft ideas.
May your Kwanzaa and the new year be filled with the seven principles of Kwanzaa:
Umoja--Unity
Kujichagulia--Self-Determination
Ujima--Collective Work and Responsibility
Ujamaa--Cooperative Economics
Nia--Purpose
Kuumba--Creativity
Imani--Faith
Luckily there is a new one this year that is charming, clever, and teaches a great deal about this holiday that is not well understood outside of the African American community. Li'l Rabbit's Kwanzaa by Donna L. Washington is perfect for young listeners to learn a little bit about the seven principles of Kwanzaa with a sweet text and bright illustrations leading them along. Li'l Rabbit wants Granna Rabbit to be well enough to join in the traditional feast, Karamu, but Mama Rabbit is too worried and Granna is too ill to make it happen. Li'l Rabbit sets out to find a way to cheer everyone and celebrate the way they have in years past. Of course Li'l Rabbit is successful in some joyfully surprising ways. The book includes an explanation of Nguzo Saba--The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa with instructions to look back through the story to find examples of each principle. My group of young listeners who had barely heard of Kwanzaa left the library knowing a little more about the holiday and smiling over a good story.
Seven Spools of Thread: A Kwanzaa Story by Angela Shelf Medearis is a somewhat more complex story that springs from an original African folktale. Readers will learn about the Ghanian art of weaving Kente cloth as well as the seven principles of Kwanzaa as they follow this story of a father, a weaver, who asks his sons to make gold from silk tread. They learn to work together while each bringing unique talents to the problem. The story reads like a true folktale and does not get overly preachy. I have had older students come back to request a re-reading of this story and talk about what they learned from it when they first heard it in first or second grade. The illustrations are beautifully lush with lots of red and gold. The book also includes notes about the holidays and some craft ideas.
May your Kwanzaa and the new year be filled with the seven principles of Kwanzaa:
Umoja--Unity
Kujichagulia--Self-Determination
Ujima--Collective Work and Responsibility
Ujamaa--Cooperative Economics
Nia--Purpose
Kuumba--Creativity
Imani--Faith
Merry Christmas
Frankly, I find good children's books for Christmas to be few and far between. Most either try too hard and end up being schmaltzy or seem to feel that a carelessly placed Santa here and there means that there is no need to focus on plot. Therefore this list is short and has taken much more thought than is evident.
When I was a child the Christmas Eve tradition was to sit under the tree while my mother read Clement Clarke Moore's A Visit From St. Nickolas (Also commonly known as The Night Before Christmas). Now, nearly 200 years after it was first written, there are still myriad editions of this classic available. My advice to anyone looking for a copy to keep for family Christmas for years to come is to look at as many different ones and choose the illustrations that best suit your idea of what the story should include. If you are looking for video editions a quick Google search will find many. My students in grades K-2 preferred a video made in 1950 that starred marionettes but I confess that it got old quickly for me. They said the video with Wynton Marsalis was too confusing even though they giggled along with me through many of the scenes.
There are just two picture books that stick out in my mind as being worth a Christmas visit. Readers who are just getting a grasp on Christmas symbols as well as those who are older will enjoy Minerva Louise on Christmas Eve by Janet Morgan Stoeke. The curious chicken, Minerva Louise, tries to understand the lighting bugs on the tree outside the farm house. More confusing changes are found when she slips inside, like the chicken who sits atop the indoor tree and has laid colorful eggs all over the tree. Children love to point out her mistakes as she identifies the items that mean Christmas to most children, but apparently not to chickens.
Olivia Helps with Christmas by Ian Falconer will appeal to adults as well as the children to whom they read this clever book. Olivia, the young pig of great charm and energy, is eager to help her family get ready for the arrival of Christmas. As the song in Free to Be You and Me (or was it Free to Be a Family?) says, "Some kinds of help are the kind of help we all could do without." Olivia is a perfect example of this truism, but it is impossible to angry with her since she is so earnest about her efforts and her excitement.
I am not sure why there are children's novels written for Christmas. I can rarely get anyone to try to read them. Often a good story goes unread just because it is set at Christmas. That is the case with The Christmas Genie by Dan Gutman. This discussion of how a class can decide on one wish that will be fair to everyone is a worthy one, if not the best written book by Gutman. The genie arrives on the day before break begins with one wish to give fifth grade class, but only if they can decide together in just one hour. The resulting suggestions and the discussions about them are both humorous and philosophical. I wish that teachers could share it with their classes throughout the year but this emphasis on Christmas limits its appeal and its usefulness.
The Christmas Rat by Avi is another book that could be set at any time of the year and be just as good. I have gotten some people to read this at other times of the year when they request a scary book. Eric is an eleven year old boy who is home alone in the his apartment because it is Christmas vacation and waiting for the exterminator that his mother has sent to come. The exterminator turns out to be one very strange man who enjoys his job a little more than he should. Don't read this book when you are home alone.
I suggest that instead of limiting yourself to Christmas books, you reach out for a good book set any time of the year. Forget about the weather and lose yourself where ever the book takes you.
When I was a child the Christmas Eve tradition was to sit under the tree while my mother read Clement Clarke Moore's A Visit From St. Nickolas (Also commonly known as The Night Before Christmas). Now, nearly 200 years after it was first written, there are still myriad editions of this classic available. My advice to anyone looking for a copy to keep for family Christmas for years to come is to look at as many different ones and choose the illustrations that best suit your idea of what the story should include. If you are looking for video editions a quick Google search will find many. My students in grades K-2 preferred a video made in 1950 that starred marionettes but I confess that it got old quickly for me. They said the video with Wynton Marsalis was too confusing even though they giggled along with me through many of the scenes.
There are just two picture books that stick out in my mind as being worth a Christmas visit. Readers who are just getting a grasp on Christmas symbols as well as those who are older will enjoy Minerva Louise on Christmas Eve by Janet Morgan Stoeke. The curious chicken, Minerva Louise, tries to understand the lighting bugs on the tree outside the farm house. More confusing changes are found when she slips inside, like the chicken who sits atop the indoor tree and has laid colorful eggs all over the tree. Children love to point out her mistakes as she identifies the items that mean Christmas to most children, but apparently not to chickens.
Olivia Helps with Christmas by Ian Falconer will appeal to adults as well as the children to whom they read this clever book. Olivia, the young pig of great charm and energy, is eager to help her family get ready for the arrival of Christmas. As the song in Free to Be You and Me (or was it Free to Be a Family?) says, "Some kinds of help are the kind of help we all could do without." Olivia is a perfect example of this truism, but it is impossible to angry with her since she is so earnest about her efforts and her excitement.
I am not sure why there are children's novels written for Christmas. I can rarely get anyone to try to read them. Often a good story goes unread just because it is set at Christmas. That is the case with The Christmas Genie by Dan Gutman. This discussion of how a class can decide on one wish that will be fair to everyone is a worthy one, if not the best written book by Gutman. The genie arrives on the day before break begins with one wish to give fifth grade class, but only if they can decide together in just one hour. The resulting suggestions and the discussions about them are both humorous and philosophical. I wish that teachers could share it with their classes throughout the year but this emphasis on Christmas limits its appeal and its usefulness.
The Christmas Rat by Avi is another book that could be set at any time of the year and be just as good. I have gotten some people to read this at other times of the year when they request a scary book. Eric is an eleven year old boy who is home alone in the his apartment because it is Christmas vacation and waiting for the exterminator that his mother has sent to come. The exterminator turns out to be one very strange man who enjoys his job a little more than he should. Don't read this book when you are home alone.
I suggest that instead of limiting yourself to Christmas books, you reach out for a good book set any time of the year. Forget about the weather and lose yourself where ever the book takes you.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Happy Hanukkah
Yes, yes, I know that Hanukkah is long over for the year, but I had to share my favorite books of the holiday with students before I could readily tell folks which ones I like best. I am sticking with my favorites, all of which are by the amazing Eric Kimmel who not only writes books of stories from the Jewish tradition, but also has myriad original stories and retellings of folktales from world cultures. Simply stated, any book with Kimmel's name on it is worth a good look and probably belongs in your collection.
For the younger listeners in my group, I prefer The Chanukah Guest which features a hungry and confused bear who drops in on Bubba Brayna when he smells her latkes cooking. Bubba Brayna is a good cook but, as she nears the age of 100, her eyes and ears are failing her. She mistakes the bear for the rabbi. Kids love the confusion as they go through the rituals of the first night of the holiday.
Students in second grade and up invariably request Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins which has a little bit of humor, lots of almost ghastly goblins, and several clever tricks to suit every taste as Hershel works for eight nights to save Hanukkah. Reading it out loud is hard on my voice as I try to make each goblin from the one the size of a horsefly to the gigantic King of the Goblins have a different and appropriate voice.
Storytellers and their listeners delight in The Jar of Fools: Eight Hanukkah Stories from Chelm. Perhaps you already know how the city of Chelm came to be filled with fools when angels were sent to deliver fools, the wise, the honest, the dishonest, and so forth in even number to every city around the world. Unfortunately for Chelm (but a boon for storytellers), the angel carrying fools, tripped upon approaching the city, filling it full of fools with no room for the more clear headed. This book includes that history plus eight examples of the problems of having a city of fools. There is the story of the pitchfork that is used for a menorah, the young boy who finds something far, far better than chicken fat for frying latkes, and the stranger who rents them a magic spoon for mixing up the best latkes ever. The stories read well and are joy to tell.
Speaking of telling stories, it is one of the joys of my job to listen to the stories that the children tell. I asked them to tell me about Hanukkah. While some of the students told stories that matched very closely what I have been told and read, some were an interesting mix of stories from various holidays, not all of which were Jewish. Locusts, various kings, babies in the rushes and in mangers, and Santa Claus all made guest appearances before we got things narrowed down a bit. I was pleased to see the smiles of those who knew the story from Hebrew School and were so proud to share it. However, my favorite moment may have been when it took a Muslim and a Hindu to give the most accurate description in a class of first grade students.
For the younger listeners in my group, I prefer The Chanukah Guest which features a hungry and confused bear who drops in on Bubba Brayna when he smells her latkes cooking. Bubba Brayna is a good cook but, as she nears the age of 100, her eyes and ears are failing her. She mistakes the bear for the rabbi. Kids love the confusion as they go through the rituals of the first night of the holiday.
Students in second grade and up invariably request Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins which has a little bit of humor, lots of almost ghastly goblins, and several clever tricks to suit every taste as Hershel works for eight nights to save Hanukkah. Reading it out loud is hard on my voice as I try to make each goblin from the one the size of a horsefly to the gigantic King of the Goblins have a different and appropriate voice.
Storytellers and their listeners delight in The Jar of Fools: Eight Hanukkah Stories from Chelm. Perhaps you already know how the city of Chelm came to be filled with fools when angels were sent to deliver fools, the wise, the honest, the dishonest, and so forth in even number to every city around the world. Unfortunately for Chelm (but a boon for storytellers), the angel carrying fools, tripped upon approaching the city, filling it full of fools with no room for the more clear headed. This book includes that history plus eight examples of the problems of having a city of fools. There is the story of the pitchfork that is used for a menorah, the young boy who finds something far, far better than chicken fat for frying latkes, and the stranger who rents them a magic spoon for mixing up the best latkes ever. The stories read well and are joy to tell.
Speaking of telling stories, it is one of the joys of my job to listen to the stories that the children tell. I asked them to tell me about Hanukkah. While some of the students told stories that matched very closely what I have been told and read, some were an interesting mix of stories from various holidays, not all of which were Jewish. Locusts, various kings, babies in the rushes and in mangers, and Santa Claus all made guest appearances before we got things narrowed down a bit. I was pleased to see the smiles of those who knew the story from Hebrew School and were so proud to share it. However, my favorite moment may have been when it took a Muslim and a Hindu to give the most accurate description in a class of first grade students.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
I Have a Dream
I have a dream that is not nearly as inspiring as Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. My dream this week is that people will use a part of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday to think about peace, justice, and equity. You could throw in a few books about King himself.
In fact, books are about King may be the easiest to find. For a first biography as well as beautiful illustrations, check out Martin's Big Words by Doreen Rappaport. This award winning book lets the story of King's life grow from quotes from his speeches. The words of the story itself are sparse. Text changes in font, size, and color to bring emphasis. Some of the concepts are not easy to grasp, so parents will want to share this book with their children for the first read. Then you can expect to see your child reading it again to fully appreciate the art and the words.
Search your library for the longer biography of King that best suits your interests and needs. There are many and I hesitate to suggest any one as my favorite. You will find many that are wonderful. You will also find some that were written to get to get on the bandwagon with little to offer in terms of writing or information. Look carefully.
If you want to address the Civil Rights Movement, there are many options.
In Warriors Don't Cry Melba Patillo Beals tells a moving story of her experiences as one of the students who integrated Little Rock High School. Young adults and adults will be touched by the courage that it took to face angry classmates and their angrier parents every day.
The brilliantly illustrated Rosa by Niki Giovanni is the most beautiful of the many biographies of Rosa Parks. Parks has also written an autobiography for middle grade readers.
Not everyone wants to read non-fiction. Luckily for all of us, there are many wonderful novels that address the inequalities that lead to the painful fight for civil rights.
For the reader in grades four and up it is hard to beat the works of Christopher Paul Curtis and the best of his works for talking about Civil Rights is The Watsons go to Birmingham--1964. As with all of the books by Curtis, its ability to capture the voice of a young boy with healthy dose of humor soon has the reader engulfed in the story. Because we are so comfortable with the characters as they travel from Flint, Michigan, to visit relatives Alabama, the ending is especially moving and meaningful. If you know what happened in Birmingham in 1964, you can already predict the event what event changes the story and the lives of its characters.
My two favorite picture books that give a poignant look at the 1960s are best shared with students in grade two or older because they include topics that require explanation and thought. Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles features two young boys who ignore the differences in their skin color because they are friends. Then the city decides that rather than integrate the swimming pool as the new Civil Rights Act decrees, they will see that no one gets to swim. The emotions of the boys are the feelings any boy on a hot summer day would feel but also bring them to the realization of how differently the world views each of them.
A Taste of Colored Water by Matt Faulkner follows two young white children into town where they hope to see the "colored" water fountain. In their minds this means rainbow colored water that probably also means wonderful flavors. What they encounter is a group of protesters and police. It is a powerful story.
Let us not dwell entirely on the African American experience. There are many other fights that continue today for justice and equality as well as many others who have worked to make change.
Demi has created a beautifully illustrated biography simply titled Gandhi. The story is detailed but the lush pictures with gold accents will draw younger readers to listen to parts of the story. There seems to be a growing interest in offering Gandhi's story to elementary and grade school readers. Keep looking for a biography that appeals to you.
Biographies of Caesar Chavez, Nelson Mandela, and many more have found their way into juvenile literature. Explore libraries and bookstores to find stories of your favorite leader of change.
Ultimately, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is about working for peace and understanding. With beautiful photographs from around the world, A Little Peace by Barbara Kerley offers simple ways to find peace around us all and to spread the message to others.
The Peace Book by Todd Parr is an even simpler, brightly colored discussion of peace. It strives to show very young readers that peace can be as simple as appreciating the right to wear different clothing or that not everyone likes the same things.
World Book has collected essays and thoughts on peace and human rights in Stand Up for Your Rights. Not all of these will appeal to everyone but it will not take you long to find something that appeals to you.
Look also for a book called We Are Born Free--The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Pictures which, as the title indicates, offers a variety of illustrations to help everyone more clearly understand the intent of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Find your own way to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. and celebrate his day by finding a way in which you can work to make a positive change in the world.
In fact, books are about King may be the easiest to find. For a first biography as well as beautiful illustrations, check out Martin's Big Words by Doreen Rappaport. This award winning book lets the story of King's life grow from quotes from his speeches. The words of the story itself are sparse. Text changes in font, size, and color to bring emphasis. Some of the concepts are not easy to grasp, so parents will want to share this book with their children for the first read. Then you can expect to see your child reading it again to fully appreciate the art and the words.
Search your library for the longer biography of King that best suits your interests and needs. There are many and I hesitate to suggest any one as my favorite. You will find many that are wonderful. You will also find some that were written to get to get on the bandwagon with little to offer in terms of writing or information. Look carefully.
If you want to address the Civil Rights Movement, there are many options.
In Warriors Don't Cry Melba Patillo Beals tells a moving story of her experiences as one of the students who integrated Little Rock High School. Young adults and adults will be touched by the courage that it took to face angry classmates and their angrier parents every day.
The brilliantly illustrated Rosa by Niki Giovanni is the most beautiful of the many biographies of Rosa Parks. Parks has also written an autobiography for middle grade readers.
Not everyone wants to read non-fiction. Luckily for all of us, there are many wonderful novels that address the inequalities that lead to the painful fight for civil rights.
For the reader in grades four and up it is hard to beat the works of Christopher Paul Curtis and the best of his works for talking about Civil Rights is The Watsons go to Birmingham--1964. As with all of the books by Curtis, its ability to capture the voice of a young boy with healthy dose of humor soon has the reader engulfed in the story. Because we are so comfortable with the characters as they travel from Flint, Michigan, to visit relatives Alabama, the ending is especially moving and meaningful. If you know what happened in Birmingham in 1964, you can already predict the event what event changes the story and the lives of its characters.
My two favorite picture books that give a poignant look at the 1960s are best shared with students in grade two or older because they include topics that require explanation and thought. Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles features two young boys who ignore the differences in their skin color because they are friends. Then the city decides that rather than integrate the swimming pool as the new Civil Rights Act decrees, they will see that no one gets to swim. The emotions of the boys are the feelings any boy on a hot summer day would feel but also bring them to the realization of how differently the world views each of them.
A Taste of Colored Water by Matt Faulkner follows two young white children into town where they hope to see the "colored" water fountain. In their minds this means rainbow colored water that probably also means wonderful flavors. What they encounter is a group of protesters and police. It is a powerful story.
Let us not dwell entirely on the African American experience. There are many other fights that continue today for justice and equality as well as many others who have worked to make change.
Demi has created a beautifully illustrated biography simply titled Gandhi. The story is detailed but the lush pictures with gold accents will draw younger readers to listen to parts of the story. There seems to be a growing interest in offering Gandhi's story to elementary and grade school readers. Keep looking for a biography that appeals to you.
Biographies of Caesar Chavez, Nelson Mandela, and many more have found their way into juvenile literature. Explore libraries and bookstores to find stories of your favorite leader of change.
Ultimately, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is about working for peace and understanding. With beautiful photographs from around the world, A Little Peace by Barbara Kerley offers simple ways to find peace around us all and to spread the message to others.
The Peace Book by Todd Parr is an even simpler, brightly colored discussion of peace. It strives to show very young readers that peace can be as simple as appreciating the right to wear different clothing or that not everyone likes the same things.
World Book has collected essays and thoughts on peace and human rights in Stand Up for Your Rights. Not all of these will appeal to everyone but it will not take you long to find something that appeals to you.
Look also for a book called We Are Born Free--The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Pictures which, as the title indicates, offers a variety of illustrations to help everyone more clearly understand the intent of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Find your own way to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. and celebrate his day by finding a way in which you can work to make a positive change in the world.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Happy Holidays
The holidays can be a tricky time for a school librarian. While it seems impossible to not mention the holidays, it is important to attempt to give equal emphasis to the various practices of my students. This year I headed for the safety of the connection of light that in some way ties the major holidays of this time of year. We touched briefly on Divali despite the fact that came very early this year. The other holidays we discussed were the winter solstice, St. Lucia Day, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Three Kings Day. As you have noticed, that still tips the balance toward Christianity. I try to include other religious and secular holidays throughout the year and hope that this offers a better balance by the end of the year.
In sharing books with the students, my goal is to offer those with little religion and lots of holiday customs. The library owns books that describe the religious stories of the holiday. I put these on display and hope that families will find the books that best serve their own beliefs and practices.
There are hundreds of books about Christmas. Some of them are good and some are just plain awful. Here are a few of my favorites for sharing with my students or personal enjoyment. All of the books on this list are picture books.
When I was a child, the Christmas Eve ritual was for my mother to read Clement C. Moore's The Night Before Christmas. I still can recite long portions of it from memory. Bookstores abound with different illustrations for this classic. What appeals to you may be all wrong for someone else. Jan Brett did some beautiful illustrations a few years ago, but I have heard people grumble that they are too busy. You will have to be your own judge.
Another classic is How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss. This is not as much fun to read to children any more because they all think about the movie and think they know the story. They do not relax and enjoy the rhyme as well as the true scoop on the Grinch.
Also affected by the movie is the beautiful Polar Express by Chris Van Allsberg. Don't think you know the charm of this book if all you have done is watched the movie. This is a good book to read with a child snuggled on your lap.
The favorite book for my youngest listeners this year was clearly Minerva Louise on Christmas Eve by Janet Morgan Stoeke. If you have not met this very literal chicken, Christmas may the best time for an introduction to the many books with this winsome protagonist. Minerva Louise sees fancy fireflies on the tree outside her farmers' house. Then she spies a farmer in a red hat on the roof. He falls down the brick well up there so Minerva Louise follows to offer help, soon finding herself inside the house. There are many more confusions as Minerva Louise tries to understand things through the eyes of a chicken. The illustrations are bright and bold and the simple one or two sentence per page text draws even very young listeners into the book as they eagerly correct her mistakes.
Alan Say always uses beautiful illustrations to convey a cross-cultural story. Tree of Cranes takes the reader to Japan where a young boy's mother is remembering Christmas when she lived in the United States. The boy doesn't understand exactly what is happening but appreciates the beautiful tree that his mother makes.
A familiar message is conveyed in The All-I'll-Ever-Want Christmas Doll by Pat McKissack. We all remember that perfect gift that we wanted so desperately that we were willing to make all kinds of deals for it, like promising to never ask for anything else ever again. The young girl in this story wants a doll that is beyond the family's budget but she is very convincing and her mother acquiesces. Her sisters want to play with this perfect doll, too, but she is not about to share. That is when she learns the lesson of this story. Adults with laugh and cry with this story and most children will find themselves nodding knowingly at the conclusion.
The surprise ending is just a small part of the fun in Three French Hens by Margie Palatini. Three French hens are sent to a true love, but get lost in the mail and end up not in Paris but in New York City. These three girls want to fulfill their duty so they seek out Phillippe Renard, settling for plain, old Phil Fox whose only friend is the cockroach who shares his apartment. When the hens arrive Phil sees breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but these hens are too kind to ever be eaten. Palatini is a master of puns. Read this and laugh.
For sheer goofiness around the tree, try Where Did They Hide My Presents? by Alan Katz which sticks some new words into familiar Christmas songs.
Books about Hanukkah are not as easy to find. The best stories for this holiday seem to be all be written by Eric A. Kimmel who also writes great picture books about many other topics. Three of my favorites by Kimmel are The Chanukkah Guest in which a grandmother thinks that the Old Bear who comes to her house is the rabbi, Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins which is full of magic and trickery, and Jar of Fools: Eight Hanukkah Stories from Chelm which presents the humorous tales of Chelm in a very accessible format. The last of those three books is not a picture book, but an enjoyable story collection with a few illustrations.
Another Hanukkah story that my first and second grade students enjoy is The Inside-Out Grandma by Joan Rothenberg. Rosie notices that her grandma is wearing all of her clothes inside out and asks why. This leads to a long list of memories that finally lead to remembering to buy enough oil to fry latkes for the entire family. My classes follow up the story with good discussions of how to remember things and what is important things to remember.
Kwanzaa has even fewer good books. There are only a handful of books that I have found that explain this uniquely American holiday. Of the ones in our school library, the best is Seven Candles for Kwanzaa by Andrea Davis Pinkney. Because there is so much to explain about the holiday, the students are soon bored with all of the wordiness required. This would be great to read one night at a time so that the new Swahili words as well as the difficult concepts are fresh in the reader's mind.
Seven Spools of Thread: A Kwanzaa Story by Angela Shelf Medaris is a good story from Africa that makes the principles of Kwanzaa more easily understood. The story is one of the few that I have had older students come back to re-read. They are impressed by the cooperation of the brothers involved in the story and clever solution to their problem.
Whatever holidays you will be celebrating this year, my best wishes go out for them to be happy for one and all. My holidays will include travel, family, and friends and several good books.
In sharing books with the students, my goal is to offer those with little religion and lots of holiday customs. The library owns books that describe the religious stories of the holiday. I put these on display and hope that families will find the books that best serve their own beliefs and practices.
There are hundreds of books about Christmas. Some of them are good and some are just plain awful. Here are a few of my favorites for sharing with my students or personal enjoyment. All of the books on this list are picture books.
When I was a child, the Christmas Eve ritual was for my mother to read Clement C. Moore's The Night Before Christmas. I still can recite long portions of it from memory. Bookstores abound with different illustrations for this classic. What appeals to you may be all wrong for someone else. Jan Brett did some beautiful illustrations a few years ago, but I have heard people grumble that they are too busy. You will have to be your own judge.
Another classic is How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss. This is not as much fun to read to children any more because they all think about the movie and think they know the story. They do not relax and enjoy the rhyme as well as the true scoop on the Grinch.
Also affected by the movie is the beautiful Polar Express by Chris Van Allsberg. Don't think you know the charm of this book if all you have done is watched the movie. This is a good book to read with a child snuggled on your lap.
The favorite book for my youngest listeners this year was clearly Minerva Louise on Christmas Eve by Janet Morgan Stoeke. If you have not met this very literal chicken, Christmas may the best time for an introduction to the many books with this winsome protagonist. Minerva Louise sees fancy fireflies on the tree outside her farmers' house. Then she spies a farmer in a red hat on the roof. He falls down the brick well up there so Minerva Louise follows to offer help, soon finding herself inside the house. There are many more confusions as Minerva Louise tries to understand things through the eyes of a chicken. The illustrations are bright and bold and the simple one or two sentence per page text draws even very young listeners into the book as they eagerly correct her mistakes.
Alan Say always uses beautiful illustrations to convey a cross-cultural story. Tree of Cranes takes the reader to Japan where a young boy's mother is remembering Christmas when she lived in the United States. The boy doesn't understand exactly what is happening but appreciates the beautiful tree that his mother makes.
A familiar message is conveyed in The All-I'll-Ever-Want Christmas Doll by Pat McKissack. We all remember that perfect gift that we wanted so desperately that we were willing to make all kinds of deals for it, like promising to never ask for anything else ever again. The young girl in this story wants a doll that is beyond the family's budget but she is very convincing and her mother acquiesces. Her sisters want to play with this perfect doll, too, but she is not about to share. That is when she learns the lesson of this story. Adults with laugh and cry with this story and most children will find themselves nodding knowingly at the conclusion.
The surprise ending is just a small part of the fun in Three French Hens by Margie Palatini. Three French hens are sent to a true love, but get lost in the mail and end up not in Paris but in New York City. These three girls want to fulfill their duty so they seek out Phillippe Renard, settling for plain, old Phil Fox whose only friend is the cockroach who shares his apartment. When the hens arrive Phil sees breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but these hens are too kind to ever be eaten. Palatini is a master of puns. Read this and laugh.
For sheer goofiness around the tree, try Where Did They Hide My Presents? by Alan Katz which sticks some new words into familiar Christmas songs.
Books about Hanukkah are not as easy to find. The best stories for this holiday seem to be all be written by Eric A. Kimmel who also writes great picture books about many other topics. Three of my favorites by Kimmel are The Chanukkah Guest in which a grandmother thinks that the Old Bear who comes to her house is the rabbi, Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins which is full of magic and trickery, and Jar of Fools: Eight Hanukkah Stories from Chelm which presents the humorous tales of Chelm in a very accessible format. The last of those three books is not a picture book, but an enjoyable story collection with a few illustrations.
Another Hanukkah story that my first and second grade students enjoy is The Inside-Out Grandma by Joan Rothenberg. Rosie notices that her grandma is wearing all of her clothes inside out and asks why. This leads to a long list of memories that finally lead to remembering to buy enough oil to fry latkes for the entire family. My classes follow up the story with good discussions of how to remember things and what is important things to remember.
Kwanzaa has even fewer good books. There are only a handful of books that I have found that explain this uniquely American holiday. Of the ones in our school library, the best is Seven Candles for Kwanzaa by Andrea Davis Pinkney. Because there is so much to explain about the holiday, the students are soon bored with all of the wordiness required. This would be great to read one night at a time so that the new Swahili words as well as the difficult concepts are fresh in the reader's mind.
Seven Spools of Thread: A Kwanzaa Story by Angela Shelf Medaris is a good story from Africa that makes the principles of Kwanzaa more easily understood. The story is one of the few that I have had older students come back to re-read. They are impressed by the cooperation of the brothers involved in the story and clever solution to their problem.
Whatever holidays you will be celebrating this year, my best wishes go out for them to be happy for one and all. My holidays will include travel, family, and friends and several good books.
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