Bibliography
Nelson, Kadir. We Are The Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball. Illustrated by Kadir Nelson. New York: Hyperion, 2008. ISBN 978-078680832-8
Plot Summary
Using an "Everyman" player as his narrator, Kadir Nelson tells the story of Negro League baseball from its beginnings in the 1920s through the decline after Jackie Robinson crossed over to the majors in 1947.
Critical Analysis
Keeping with the baseball theme the book is broken up into innings instead of chapters.
The book is organized chronologically from the creation of the negro leagues to the their decline. The index, glossary, acknowledgements, and bibliography are included in the extra innings section. The book is told in a story format, using a narrator, to give the historical facts a more personal connection. Nelson weaves baseball, history, and the social issues of the time into a captivating story. The included quotes from real players add weight to the authenticity of the story. The highlight of this book is the wonderful, expressive, oil painted illustrations that are included on almost every page and really bring the players and story to life. Once you have read this book it is easy to see why it has earned so many awards, including the prestigious Coretta Scott King Book Award.
Awards and Excerpts
Coretta Scott King Book Award, 2009 Honor Book Illustrator United States
Coretta Scott King Book Award, 2009 Winner Author United States
Cuffies: Children's Booksellers Choose Their Favorite (and not-so-favorite) Books of the Year, 2008 Winner Book You'd Like to see Win the Caldecott Medal United States
Cybil Award, 2008 Finalist Non-Fiction Middle Grade/Young Adult Book United States
International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) Honor List, 2010 Honour List Illustrator Canada
Judy Lopez Memorial Award for Children's Literature, 2009 Winner California United States
New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books of the Year, 2008 Winner United States
Odyssey Award, 2010 Honor United States
Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children, 2009 Honor Book United States
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal, 2009 Winner United States
School Library Journal Battle of the Kids' Books, 2009 Nominee United States
Society of Illustrators Original Art Award, 2008 Silver Medal United States
Society of Illustrators' Award, 2008 Silver Medal United States
Society of School Librarians International Book Awards, 2008 Honor Book Social Studies - Grades K-6 United States
School Library Journal review excerpt “Nelson offers an appreciative tribute to the Negro Leagues. Nelson's brilliant, almost iconic paintings vividly complement his account. The artist brings to light the character and inherent dignity of his subjects. It is an engaging tribute that should resonate with a wide audience and delight baseball fans of all ages.”
BookList review excerpt “If the story is the pitch, though, it's the artwork that blasts the book into the stands. The stories and artwork are a tribute to the spirit of the Negro Leaguers, who were much more than also-rans and deserve a more prominent place on baseball's history shelves.”
Connections
Other Books by Kadir Nelson:
Heart and Soul : The Story of America and African Americans (2011)
Change Has Come : An Artist Celebrates our American Spirit (2009)
He's Got the Whole World in his Hands (2005)
Other books on Negro League Baseball:
Stars in the Shadows: The Negro League All-Star Game of 1934 by Charles R. Smith (2012)
Shades of Glory: The Negro Leagues and the Story of African-American Baseball by Lawrence D. Hogan (2006)
A Negro League Scrapbook by Carole Boston Weatherford (2005)
The Negro Leagues, 1869-1960 by Leslie A. Heaphy (2003)
Activities and Discussion Topics:
The Negro League Baseball Museum is a national treasure. If you live nearby, visit.
If you can’t visit, explore its Web site, http://www.nlbm.com/s/index.cfm
Compare the playing style of the players in the Negro Leagues with the players in the
Majors. How was the playing style the same? How was it different?
Baseball card collecting was an important part of the Negro Leagues. Choose a player
from the leagues and create both sides of the card, include a picture of the player and
statistics available at http://www.nlbpa.com/the_athletes.html
How many Negro League players were finally elected to the National Baseball Hall of
Fame? How were they selected to the Major League Hall of Fame?
http://web.baseballhalloffame.org
Athletes should show good sportsmanship, even when things are not going well. Find
some examples where the players demonstrated good sportsmanship, even when it was
difficult.
Link to Coretta Scott King Book Awards 2009 Discussion Guide
Bibliography
Simon, Seymour. Butterflies. New York: HaperCollins Publishers, 2011. ISBN: 9780061914935
Plot Summary
Award-winning science writer Seymour Simon invites readers to explore the world of butterflies and moths with fascinating facts and stunning full-color photographs. Learn where to find butterflies and moths, how to observe them in nature, and how to plant your very own butterfly garden.
Critical Analysis
Butterflies and moths have eyes that look in all directions - up, down, forward, backward, left, and right - all at the same time. They taste with their feet and smell with their antennae. The more brightly colored butterflies and moths are often poisonous. This photo essay book is filled with interesting facts and beautiful photographs of these amazing insects. The book takes you through the 4 different life stages and the migratory patterns of butterflies and moths. Seymour explains the identifying characteristics of moths and butterflies. He also touches on some of the myths surrounding them. The book also has activity suggestions, a glossary of terms, index and additional resources for more information. The books is simple enough for elementary children but the combination of colorful photos and engaging facts will appeal to all ages.
Awards and Excerpts
Booklist Book Review Stars , Oct. 15, 2011 ; American Library Association; United States
Booklist Top 10 Science and Health Books for Youth, 2011 ; American Library Association; United States
Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K–12, 2012 ; National Science Teachers Association; United States
BookList review excerpt “Simon takes on a familiar topic in children's nonfiction and makes it fresh again.“
Connections
Other Books by Seymour Simon:
Tropical Rainforests (2010)
Global Warming (2010)
Dolphins (2009)
Wolves (2009)
Other informational books on butterflies:
Inside Butterflies: Enter the Wonderful World of Butterflies and Moths by Hazel Davies (2011)
The Complete Book of North American Butterflies by Paul A. Opler (2011)
Face to Face With Butterflies by Darlyne Murawski (2010)
Design your own butterfly garden. Research what type of plants grow in your zone and create a list of plants you would like to include in your garden. Create a planting diagram. You may even want to visit your local garden center for additional ideas.
Observe the butterflies and create a scientific journal of their habits.
Many zoos have butterfly exhibits you can visit.
Bibliography
Frost, Helen. Diamond Willow. New York: Frances Foster Books, 2008. ISBN 978-0-374-31776-8
Plot Summary
The story takes place in Alaska. Willow is a 12 year old girl who is in between. She is the middle child in the family, she isn’t a little girl anymore, but she’s not grown up either. She loves to help her dad care for the sled dogs and wants more than anything to be allowed to take them on the snowy path to her grandparents house alone. When one of the dogs is hurt she sets out on an adventure, family secrets are revealed, and she also makes some discoveries about herself.
Critical Analysis
In the author’s note Frost explains that a diamond willow is a piece of willow wood that had been scarred by an injured branch that has fallen away. “the scars, and the diamonds that form around them, give the diamond willow it’s beauty, and gave me the idea for this story”
Diamond Willow is a novel beautifully written in verse. Each verse is constructed in the shape of a diamond and each diamond shape has a second verse located inside it highlighted in darker ink. I found this very clever and soon I was reading the hidden verse first as a clue to the meaning of each new verse. While each page contains its own poem they all flow together seamlessly to tell the story. This is the first time I have read a novel in verse and was very surprised with how much I enjoyed it.
Awards and Excerpts
Cybil Award, 2008 Finalist Middle Grade Novels United States
Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, 2009 Winner United States
Mitten Award, 2008 Winner Michigan United States
Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, 2009 ; Nominee; Grades 4-6; Maryland
Blue Hen Book Award, 2010 ; Nominee; Chapter Books; Delaware
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award, 2009-2010 ; Master List; Vermont
Georgia Children's Book Award, 2010-2011 ; Nominee; Grades 4-8; Georgia
Iowa Children's Choice Award, 2010-2011 ; Nominee; Iowa
Keystone to Reading Book Award, 2009-2010 ; Nominee; Intermediate; Pennsylvania
Lone Star Reading List, 2009 ; Texas
North Carolina Children's Book Award, 2010 ; Nominee; Junior Book; North Carolina
School Library Journal review excerpt “Helen Frost's book is a true work of art, using lyrical diamond-shaped poems to tell the story of 12-year-old Willow.”
Booklist review excerpt “this story in easy-to-read verse blends exciting survival adventure with a contemporary girl's discovery of family roots and secrets.”
Connections
Other books with similar themes you might enjoy:
Great Bear Lake by Erin Hunter (2009)
The Ruby Key by Holly Lisle (2008)
Other books by Helen Frost:
Keesha’s House (2003)
Spinning Through the Universe (2004)
The Braid (2006)
Monarch and Milkweed (2008)
Crossing Stones (2009)
Hidden (2011)
Step Gently Out (2012)
Bibliography
Singer, Marilyn. Footprints on the Roof: poems about the earth. Illustrated by Meilo So. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2002. ISBN 0-375-81094-3
Plot Summary
This is a collection of 19 free verse poems about the Earth, written by Marilyn Singer. Singer’s subjects cover caves, volcanoes, ice, plants, natural disasters, and the seasons. There is even a poem about viewing Earth from outer space.
Critical Analysis
The title of the book comes from a line in the poem Burrows. It’s about the animals who make their home under the Earth’s surface and that we are “Footprints on the Roof” of their homes. Dormant Dragons is my favorite poem in the collection. The poem is about volcanoes and how they compare to dragons. They lie dormant for years until they finally erupt “furious they breath fire and smoke”
Singer’s words are carefully chosen for their impact and meaning. You can almost picture the sun bursting across the desert in pinks and golds or the absence of light in the caves. Every poem is accompanied by an illustration. Meilo So’s India ink drawings on rice paper appear organic and are a perfect match to the earthy theme of the book.
Awards and Excerpts
Children's Books of Distinction, 2003 ; Riverbank Review; United States
Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, Supplement, 2003 ; H.W. Wilson; United States
Children's Catalog, Nineteenth Edition, 2006 ; H.W. Wilson; United States
Choices, 2003 ; Cooperative Children's Book Center; United States
School Library Journal Review excerpt “harmony is achieved between text and image with no extraneous words or strokes. A welcome addition to nature-poetry collections.”
Booklist review excerpt “The poems in Singer's latest collection are deeply earnest celebrations of the natural world.”
Connections
Other poetry books by Marilyn Singer:
A Full Moon is Rising : poems (2011)
Twosomes : love poems from the animal kingdom (2011)
Central Heating : poems about fire and warmth (2005)
How to Cross a Pond : poems about water (2003)
Bibliography
Hoberman, Mary Ann, and Linda Winston. The Tree That Time Built: a celebration of nature, science, and imagination. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks, Inc, 2009. ISBN 978-1-4022-2517-8
Plot Summary
Mary Ann Hoberman and Linda Winston have compiled a collection of poems in this anthology that centers around the theme of evolution and nature. The book also comes with a companion CD that has 44 oral performances of the poems. I would recommend this book for middle school age children.
Critical Analysis
I think the strength of this anthology is in the arrangement of the poems. They range from the beginning of time, through the ice age, and into the modern world. They are grouped together into sections that relate to the order of evolution; poems about the ocean, prehistoric times, trees, insects, small animals, and animals with wings. A couple of my favorite poems were For Rent: One Moon Snail Shell about how a hermit crab doesn’t grow its own shell so it must find one to live in, and The Termite, which made me laugh when the aunt fell through the floor. Another element of the book that I liked was the little informational facts about the time, subject, or author listed at the bottom of the pages.
Awards and Excerpts
Cuffies: Children's Booksellers Choose Their Favorite (and not-so-favorite) Books of the Year, 2009 Winner Favorite Poetry Book United States
Cybil Award, 2009 Finalist Poetry United States
Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, 2010 Honor Book United States
School Library Journal review excerpt “From the playful to the profound, the poems invite reflection and inspire further investigation.”
Booklist review excerpt “this attractive, accessible anthology collects poems that celebrate both the facts and the mysteries of the natural world.”
Connections
Other poetry books about nature:
The Sun In Me: Poems About the Planet by Judith Nicholls (2003)
Stone Bench in an Empty Park by Paul B. Janeczko (2002)
Other books by Mary Ann Hoberman:
Forget-Me-Nots : poems to learn by heart (2012)
Fathers, Mothers, Sisters, Brothers : a collection of family poems (1991)
Strawberry Hill (2009)
The Llama Who Had No Pajama:100 Favorite Poems (1998)
Bibliography
Kimmel, Eric. Three Samurai Cats, A Story From Japan. Illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein. New York: Scholastic, Inc., 2004. ISBN 0-439-69256-3
Plot Summary
A rat has made himself at home in the castle. The daimyo, or lord, tries to poison the rat, trap it, and even the guard dogs can’t scare it away. The daimyo rides to the shrine asking the docho for help. The docho sends him a samurai cat skilled in fighting to defeat the rat. The rat outwits the samurai cat and he leaves in disgrace. The docho sends another samurai cat, this one ever bigger and a better fighter, but the rat wins the fight again. Next the docho sends the third samurai cat. This one, he claims, is the greatest living master of martial arts. The most decrepit cat the daimyo has ever seen arrives. He states that he can get rid of the rat but the daimyo must not interfere. The cat ignores the rat. The rat gets bolder and bolder, disrupting and taking over even more of the castle. The cats patience finally pays off when the rat gets himself stuck under a giant rice ball. The samurai cat agrees to help free the rat but the rat must agree to leave the castle. In the end the rat’s greed was his own downfall.
Critical Analysis
This is a cultural folk tale from Japan. It is a trickster tale in which the third samurai cat used patience and wit to outsmart the rat. The third samurai cat doesn’t fight the rat but waits for the rat’s greed to get him in trouble and then uses it against him to make him leave the castle. The story has a japanese zen like theme, sometimes fighting isn’t the answer and patience and brains can win in the end.
The illustrations are pen and ink with oil paint on heavy vellum paper giving is an almost watercolor effect. This book was published in 2003 but it has an old feeling to it to make it fit in with the ancient japanese folk tale. I thought the illustrations were a little too jagged and busy.
Awards and Excerpts
Great Lakes Great Books Award, 2005 Honor Book Grades 2-3 Michigan
Best Children's Books of the Year, 2004 ; Bank Street College of Education; United States
Children's Literature Choice List, 2004 ; Children's Literature; United States
Booklist review excerpt “the characters in Gerstein's colorful, detailed drawings are irresistible.”
Kirkus review excerpt “A sophisticated story designed to stimulate unconventional thinking.”
Connections
Additional japanese folktales:
The Samurai's Daughter : A Japanese Legend by Robert D. San Souci
Once Under the Cherry Blossom Tree; An Old Japanese Tale by Allen Say (1974)
A collection of international fairy tales:
A World of Fairy Tales by Andrew Lang
Other books by Eric Kimmel:
Jack and the Giant Barbecue, 2012
The Three Little Tamales, 2009
The Fisherman and the Turtle, 2008
Suggested Activity:
The author credits The Mythology of Cats : Feline Legend and Lore Through the Ages by Gerald Hausman (1998) as his inspiration for this story. Review this book and compare the two stories. What elements of the original work did Kimmel use is his story? What elements did he leave out?
Bibliography
Wiesner, David. The Three Pigs. Illustrated by David Wiesner. New York: Clarion Books, 2001. ISBN 0-618-00701-6
Plot Summary
The story starts out in the traditional manner but soon the pigs escape the story. They fold a page of the story into a paper airplane and fly about until they crash land into another fairy tale. They enter and exit a couple of additional tales until finally making their way back to their original story bringing the cat and his fiddle, and a dragon with them. The dragon scares off the wolf and the pigs and company live happily ever after.
Critical Analysis
The illustrations are genius. Wiesner uses different mediums to illustrate and differentiate the different sections of the book. The beginning of the story starts off with traditional fairy tale illustrations. When the pigs escape the story they are drawn in a more realistic, almost photographic style. When the pigs enter into other fairy tales they take on the graphic style of that story, cartoon like in Hey Diddle Diddle, and simple, sketch drawing in the dragon story. When they finally return to their own story they are drawn in the original style used at the beginning of the book.
While inside a story the text follow the expected script. When the pigs are outside of a story Wiesner uses text balloons to vocalize the pigs. The story is creative and imaginative and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Awards and Excerpts
ABC Children's Booksellers Choices Award, 2002 Winner Special Subjects United States
Borders Original Voices Award, 2002 Finalist Children's Picture Book United States
International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) Honor List, 2004 Winner Illustration International
Irma S. and James H. Black Award for Excellence in Children's Literature, 2001 Winner United States
Randolph Caldecott Medal, 2002 Winner United States
White Ravens Award, 2002 Winner United States United States
School Library Journal review excerpt “Witty dialogue and physical comedy abound in this inspired retelling of a familiar favorite.”
Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices review excerpt “Children, young teenagers, and adults, too, will find great pleasure and humor in the unexpected turns of this tale.”
Connections
Other books by David Wiesner:
Art & Max, 2010
Flotsam, 2006 - A Caldecott Medal book
Tuesday, 1991 - A Caldecott Medal book
Suggested activity:
Pair reading this book with a traditional version of The Three Little Pigs and compare and contrast the similarities and differences.
