Module 6 - Oliver by Birgitta Sif

Book Cover



Book Summary:

This picture book centers around Oliver who is a little different than everyone else. Oliver enjoys playing with his friends, which are his puppets, and going on adventures with them in his imagination. However, Oliver feels lonely, and when he ends up playing tennis with himself he finds someone else who is a bit different too.

APA Reference of Book:

Sif, B. (2012). Oliver. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. 

Impressions:

I loved this book. It is possibly my favorite picture book I have ever read. It is such a simple message but I felt that it was very well done. The illustrations matched the book in color as well as character design. The message to me is it is okay to be different, and that does not mean you are alone. I like that in the end he met a girl who was a little different, but she was in all of the illustrations where Oliver is in public places. I feel like I could look at these illustrations for hours with all of the little details that you may not have noticed the first read through. For instance, in the library illustration there is a mouse reading a book in one of the book shelves, and with another reading you notice the mouse is in all of the other illustrations. I also liked the creative way the text was written when the tennis ball bounced. This was a lovely book and I definitely want my own copy. It is a very sweet book.

Professional Review:

"The Book Review: Preschool to Grade 4: Fiction

Oliver SIF, Birgitta. illus. by author. 40p. Candlewick. 2012. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-6247-9.

PreS-Gr 1-A rhythmic narrative introduces bespectacled Oliver, a child who "felt a bit different" and prefers the company of his stuffed animals, puppets, and a mouse to that of other children. He and his "friends" have grand, imaginary adventures together, often oblivious to the many other people around them. Even so, his solitude is underscored when he swims in the pool alone and when he discovers that his pretend companions aren't necessarily interested in listening to him play the piano. Then, Oliver's tennis ball, which he hits against the wall of his house, bounces into the neighbor's yard where he meets Olivia, also "a bit different." The two children discover the pleasure of lobbing the tennis ball to each other over a clothesline-and the "best adventure" of Oliver's new friendship begins. Whimsical pencil illustrations, digitally colored in a palette of subdued greens, blues, lavenders, and browns, evoke Oliver's surroundings and his own idiosyncrasies in humorous detail. While the story line starts out engagingly enough, Oliver's development into a more companionable youngster is thin and rather arbitrary. Still, paired with Peter Reynolds's I'm Here (S & S, 2011), this picture book could be a useful tool to engender discussion about human differences and the satisfaction of friendship, especially for those who are shy or feel "a bit different." "

 (Finn, 2012

Finn, K. (2012). [Review of the book Oliver, by K. Finn]. School Library Journal, 58(11), 84. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com

Library Uses:

I think this would be a great story to read to a classroom. I think it is important for children to know that it is okay to be different.

Module 5 - Mango, Abuela, And Me by Meg Medina

Book Cover:




Book Summary:
This book is about a young girl (Mia) and her grandma (Abuela) that has come to live with her. Her Abuela does not speak English very well, and Mia does not speak Spanish very well either. Mia and her Abuela are learning each others languages together to better communicate. When they buy Mango the parrot for Mia's Abuela, he also is learning both languages and helps them learn as well.

APA Reference of Book:

Medina, M. (2015). Mango, Abuela, and Me. Somerville: MA: Candlewick Press.

Impressions: 

I liked that this book was written from the perspective of Mia and that the language used in the book is appropriate for her age. This book received an honor in the Pura Belpré awards for both the author and illustrator. I think this is a great book that bilingual children can relate to. I appreciate when books are published that can contribute to experiences children have with their extended family and other languages. I think the illustrations accompany this book very well and the overall story is inspiring. The connection between Abuela and Mia, the effort to learn another language, and the friendship all from the perspective of a young girl is wonderful. I appreciated how the language was appropriate for Mia's age and really allowed us to believe it was completely from her perspective.

Professional Review:

8/15 

"When her "far-away grandmother" arrives, Mia worries. Her grandmother doesn't speak English, and Mia's "espaüol is not good enough to tell her the things an abuela should know." Mia can't talk about herself or about what happens at school; her abuela can't share with Mia stories of her grandfather and their house nestled between two rivers. What Mia knows of her grandmother comes from the items she unpacks from her suitcase, among them the red feather of a parrot that lived in her mango trees. Mia engages her grandmother in games of Hear and Say, Oyey Di, and they begin to understand each other. But it isn't until Mia spies a parrot in a pet-store window and persuades her mother to buy it, naming it Mango for its brightly colored feathers, that Mia and her abuela truly connect. With Mango, they learn each other's languages until their "mouths are full of things to say." Medina ( Tia Isa Wants a Car, rev. 7/11) tells a heartwarming story about intergenerational relationships, finding common ground, and adapting to change. Dominguez's (Maria Had a Little Llama, rev. 11/13) digitally adjusted ink, gouache, and marker illustrations capture the various emotions and moods of the characters, from shyness to frustration to happiness. The subtle tones of the wintry city, complemented by splashes of bright tropical colors throughout, convey the feeling of clashing worlds. Young readers will enjoy seeing the relationship between Mia and her grandmother develop—with the help of Mango. "

(Celia C. Pérez, 2015)

Pérez, C. C. (2015). [Review of the book  Mango, abuela, and me, by C. Pérez]. Horn Book Magazine, 91(5), 85. Retrieved from http://www.hbook.com

Library Use: 
I would like to use this book as a part of a display for Hispanic American Heritage month. I think it is a lovely addition to any collection and can help children learn.

Module 4 - The Giver by Lois Lowry

Book Cover:

 

Book Summary:

This story centers around a boy named Jonas who is coming of the age where it will be decided what his occupation will be. The Elders control the outcome of everything by censoring and deciding everything from their assignment (job), to who they will marry, and which children they will receive. They even control color. Jonas has been selected to be The Receiver. He is to be trained by the Giver who gives him memories from all of history before the world as they knew it was made. Seeing the world how it was is too much for Jonas, and this life pales in comparison, so he and The Giver plan for Jonas to go elsewhere, so when he leaves the memories will be released to the community and they will be allowed to feel again.

APA Reference of Book:

Lowry, L. (1993). The Giver. New York: NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Impressions: (My impressions usually contain spoilers)

I thought this book was very interesting, I have always been interested in books that feature a Utopian or Dystopian view and the ideas these authors have of the future. Like other novels in this genre, this one has to do with control. The control of color, love, families, assignments (jobs), everything. That is the secret to a peaceful civilization. I thought it was interesting that they were not even allowed to have their own children, or sex for that matter. They had children chosen for them to be in their family. Biological mothers gave birth but would not keep their babies. The story between The Giver and his daughter also struck a chord with me. She wished to be released because of what she knew and did not want to live in this world. I thought the love Jonas had for Gabriel was moving, especially when he went to such measures to save him when he was to be released. The end of the book was left ambiguous and I thought that was a really good, and frustrating, way to end it. I am the type of person who feels I need to know what happens afterwards, and after that, and after that. When something is left up to the reader as The Giver is, it frustrates me because my imagination is good, but I want to know what the author thought. I really enjoyed this book, even though I do not know what the fate of Jonas and Gabriel was in the end. (Edit: I have recently discovered that there is a continuation of this book with three other installments that apparently clear up the ending of The Giver. After my slight vent about the ending, I am unsure if I am totally happy that the answer was given to us by these other books. As much as I like that it is cleared up, I respected the authors decision to leave the ending up to the reader,)

Professional Review:

In a departure from her well-known and favorably regarded realistic works, Lois Lowry has written a fascinating, thoughtful science-fiction novel. The story takes place in a nameless community, at an unidentified future time. The life is utopian: there is no hunger, no disease, no pollution, no fear; old age is tenderly cared for; every child has concerned and attentive parents. Each aspect of life has a prescribed rule: one-year-olds — "Ones" — are Named and given to their chosen family; "Nines" get their first bicycles; Birthmothers give birth to three children and then become Laborers, "family units" get two children, one male, one female. In Jonas's family, his father is a Nurturer, one who cares for the "newchildren" before they go to a family unit; his mother is in the Department of Justice, and he has a younger sister, Lily. But although their life seems perfect, the reader somehow becomes uneasily aware that all is not well. Young Jonas is eagerly waiting his Ceremony of Twelve, the time when all the twelve-year-olds in the community receive their Assignments for their lifelong professions.He can guess that his playful, jolly friend Asher will work in Recreation and that gentle Fiona will be Caretaker of the Old but he is astonished to be selected to be trained to be the new Receiver of Memories, the most respected of the Elders. As he begins his training by the old Receiver, whom he calls the Giver, he discovers that the community is spared all memories of pain and grief, which are lodged in the mind of the Giver, and now transmitted to Jonas. He learns about war, starvation, neglect, misery, and despair. He learns, to his horror, the truth about the happy release given to old people and newchildren who do not thrive. But he learns also about joys that the community never experiences: they do not see color, or hear music, or know love. In a cliffhanger ending which can be construed as allegory or reality, he asserts his new wisdom and knowledge. The story is skillfully written; the air of disquiet is delicately insinuated. And the theme of balancing the values of freedom and security is beautifully presented.

Flowers, A. A. (1993). The Giver [Review of the book The Giver, by L. Lowry]. Horn Book Magazine, 69(4), 458. Retrieved from http://www.hbook.com

Library Use: This would be a good book to discuss with a group of kids in a book club, how they see the future heading and if they believe this society was correct with their limitations.

Module 3 - Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg

Book Cover:

Book Summary:

Two kids are left home with one task: keep the house clean. Immediately they started play with their toys but soon were bored. They found a game under the tree in the park and brought it back home. It was very clear that they should read the instructions which were very short but clear. They started playing and every description they landed on became true. From lions, to rhinos, monkeys tearing up the kitchen, lava erupting out of the fireplace, etc. and they had to finish the game in order for these events and creatures to disappear. Julie, the sister, finished first and everything disappeared. They took the game back to the park, and fell asleep playing a puzzle until their parents came home with their guests. The book ends with the children seeing two other kids running through the park with the box in their hands.

APA Reference of Book:

Van Allsburg, C. (1981). Jumanji. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Impressions:

When I first picked up this book I immediately thought of the movie Jumanji. I watched that movie a long time ago and did not remember most of it, just a few expressions and actors. I was pleasantly surprised by this book, it kept me on edge with the story so I had to read it three times to fully appreciate the story and the illustrations. When I saw the book was pretty wordy I was unsure if children would be interested in the story, but when I started reading it I could see how it would keep them interested. The illustrations were more on the realistic side which I believe fit the story nicely, even though it is very much fantasy where board games make instances real.

Professional Review:

"VAN ALLSBURG, Chris, Jumanji. illus. by author. unpaged. CIP. Houghton. Apr. 1981. PLB $9.95. ISBN 0-395-30448-2. LC 80-29632.
Gr 1-4 --- Jumanji is a jungle adventure board game come to life via the magic that, in Van Allsburg's world, is always waiting to leak into the everyday. With successive dice rolls, deepest darkest Africa invades the neat, solid, formally arranged rooms of the unsuspecting players' house. The players -- a blase brother and sister home alone -- are momentarily dumbstruck but not really upset. They steadfastly go on with the game as monkeys, grinning with a wicked gleam, raid the kitchen and hunker around the game board; rhinos charge intently through the living room (and right into one's line of vision); a Python coils on the mantel, its pattern set off by a leafy slipcover design to give a jungle camouflage effect. As in The Garden of Abdul Gasazi (Houghton, 1979), which Jumaji outdoes in story terms, real and unreal rub shoulders in three-dimensional drawings extraordinary for the multiplicity of gray tones the artist achieves and the startling contrasts with brilliant white. The eye-fooling angles, looking shadows and shifting perspectives are worthy of Hitchcock, yet all these "special effects" are supplied with only a pencil. --Pamela D. Pollack, "School Library Journal" "

Pollack, P. D. (1981). [Review of the book Jumanji, by C. Van Allsburg]. School Library Journal, 27(9), 60.  Retrieved from http://www.slj.com 

 Library Use: I think it would be fun to create a board game like Jumanji and with the events we can turn them into fun things for the kids. Maybe just for fun if the lion came in, we could get a lion puppet or stuffed animal out. Just play along those lines.