Please Bury Me in the Library

Although most of us love libraries, there are few of us who would like for the library to be our final resting place—until now. In Please Bury Me in the Library, J. Patrick Lewis shows us the silly and sometimes ghoulish side of libraries. With typical Lewis humor, he wonders aloud “What if Books Had Different Names?” (like Furious George or Mary Had a Little Clam). From the silly to the macabre, Lewis asks to be buried in the library “right next to the paperbacks…with a dozen long-stemmed proses…and bookworms in his coffin”. The rhyming poems touch on topics such as book titles, the world of books, classics, and even “Reading in the Dark”. Each rhyme will appeal to young and old alike, especially those with a sense of the ridiculous.

J. Patrick Lewis has done it again. The verses in this book are written in various forms, from haiku to acrostics and couplets. “The thickly applied acrylic paint and mixed-media illustrations” by Kyle M. Stone give “a comically grotesque air, and add comprehension to the verses” (School Library Journal, 2005). From “Flea-ting Fame” to “Ab-so-lu-tas-ti-cal”, the poems in this book will make any librarians—or book lover’s heart go pitter-patter.

I would recommend this book for students in grades 1-4.

Keywords associated with this book: books, library, reading, poetry

Fathers, Mothers, Sisters, Brothers: A Collection of Family Poems

Families come in all shapes and sizes. In Fathers, Mothers, Sisters, Brothers: A Collection of Family Poems, Mary Ann Hoberman introduces us to families—“What is a Family?” describes different types of families, while “Vacation” gives a humorous look at taking a family of five on vacation—when no one is sure where they are going. The rhyming verses cover family topics such as new babies, family reunions and being an only child. The underlying theme of family permeates each offering and reminds us that in part, we are who we are due to our family.

Through often amusing verses, Mary Ann Hoberman laughs her way through families. The rhymes are primarily narrative and are enhanced by the expressionistic illustrations by Marilyn Hafner. The collection of poems takes a different look at something that we all take for granted sometimes—our family.


I would recommend this book for students in grades K-3.

Keywords associated with this book: family, poetry, childhood, tradition, father, mother, sister, brother, vacation

Locomotion

Lonnie Collins Motion, nicknamed Locomotion by his mother is in the fifth grade class of Ms. Marcus—a young enthusiastic teacher who encourages her inner city students to write various kinds of poetry. Lonnie begins his poetry book by talking about his foster mother, Miss Edna, the proper lady who encouraged him to be quiet when she first took him in after the fire that killed both of his parents. Throughout the book, Lonnie introduces us to other people who affect his life, including friends from school, his younger sister and his big brother, Miss Edna’s son Rodney. “His reflections touch on poverty and on being African American when whites seem to have the material advantages, and return repeatedly to the pain of living apart from his younger sister” (School Library Journal, 2004).

“Today’s a bad day
Is that haiku? Do I look
like I even care?”

With these words, Lonnie continues to give readers insight into his world. With flowing free verse, haiku, sonnet, epistle poems and others, Jacqueline Woodson through the voice of Lonnie provides deep, insightful, and sometimes heartrending lyrics about the life of a young African American boy. Although the book is written in verse, it is easy to lose yourself in the life of Lonnie and to laugh and cry with him as he avoids confrontation with the unpredictable Eric in his class and tries to find God so that he and his younger sister can finally be together. Through it all, we are reminded of the difficulties of life and the resiliency of youth. The verses leave a feeling of hope in the reader as Lonnie rediscovers himself in his new life.

I would recommend this book for students in grades 4 and up.

Keywords associated with this book: school, foster care, family, fire, separation, death, verse

Do Not Open This Book!

“Do Not Open This Book!” the cover exclaims in large, red letters. Michaela Muntean has written about the process of writing a book in this humorous story that is written not only with the reader in mind, but actually to the reader. The main character is a pig who is trying to write a book. However, upon opening the book, the reader disturbs the pig and makes it almost impossible for him to complete his task. Things like staring at him interfere with his ability to think. And turning the book pages disturbs the order of the words, changing a ferocious storm into a big, ferocious mouse, which comes after the pig. Throughout the book, the pig keeps telling the reader to go away, but still creates interest by writing a story in which the reader is the main character.

Michaela Muntean and Pascal Lemaitre combine to make a witty, interesting book that talks about the writing process. The illustrations show boxes of verbs, objects and animals and even a box of “dangerous words”. All the way through the book, the pig uses pieces of paper to “write” the story. When the reader turns the page, the words get moved around by the wind, and the result is funny while making the point that you have to be careful with words. When the pig finally writes his story, he leaves blanks for the name of the main character so that readers can put their own name in the story. All in all, the book is well-written and funny and a great read for anyone who is interested in becoming an author.

I would recommend this book for students in grades 2-5.

Keywords associated with this book: authorship, pig

Bats at the Beach

The beach is a great place to spend time. There is the ocean, the sand, the surf, and most importantly, the sunshine. However, in Bats at the Beach, author and illustrator Brian Lies weaves a story about bats at the beach. The charming story written in rhyme takes the bats from dusk when they awake through the night spent in the moonshine. The bats take buckets, trowels, banjoes, blankets, books and towels for their excursion and set up to enjoy their time. What do bats do at the beach? Play with things others leave behind, bury friends in the sand and make new friends. They also find time to become kites and surf and sail in the ocean. After time for play, it is time for snacks. With edible treats like damselflies and “salted ‘skeeters”, the bats eat and then have songs around the campfire before packing up to return home.

The rhymes make this a great story for kids of any age. But it is the artwork that will keep you coming back. Bats are shown in traditional beach poses—playing volleyball, flying kites and “roasting ‘bug-mallows’ on slender sticks”. While dark colors in picture books usually make readers think of frightening scenes and creatures, Lies illustrations are both clever and funny, making readers laugh and wish they could be there for the next time the bats visit the beach.

I would recommend this book for students in kindergarten through second grade.

Keywords associated with this book: bats, beach, moon, picnic, and rhyming

Side By Side

I have always envied artists and writers. In Side by Side: Five Favorite Picture-Book Teams Go to Work, envying these amazing talents is nothing to getting to know the people behind the talent. Five well-known teams are featured—Arthur Yorinks and Richard Egielski; Alice and Martin Provensen; Jon Scieszka, Lane Smith, and Molly Leach; Julius Lester and Jerry Pinkney; and Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen. Each collaborative team discusses their method of collaboration as well as some behind-the-scenes stories of their work together. Some of these teams were successful because their team blended seamlessly. Although not all collaborations last forever, both the collaborators and we, the readers benefit greatly from talents working together.

Did you know that Arthur Yorinks and Richard Egielski were “introduced” by Maurice Sendak? How about that Jon Scieszka “disliked the ‘fuzzy-bunny pastel picture-book world’ of the children’s books he usually saw in stores? The style and language of Side By Side makes it a fascinating read for children and adults alike. I enjoyed the sketches of “dummies” that the illustrators use when they begin a new project. It was also interesting to read how the appearance of characters developed throughout the collaboration process. Anyone who dreams of becoming a children’s author or illustrator, or even those who just love books will enjoy reading the stories behind a few of children’s literature’s greatest teams.

I would recommend this book for students in grades 5 and up and to any adult who wants to learn more about the creation of children’s literature.

Keywords associated with this book: author, illustrator, collaboration, Arthur Yorinks, Richard Egielski, Alice Provensen, Martin Provensen, Jon Scieszka, Lane Smith, Molly Leach, Julius Lester, Jerry Pinkney, Joanna Cole, Bruce Degen.

Flotsam

Flotsam can be defined as material or refuse floating on water. In this Caldecott Award winning wordless book, David Wiesner takes the definition to new heights. The book takes a look at a boy who is at the beach. Unlike many children who visit the beach, the boy brings along a magnifying glass, a microscope and a pair of binoculars. He uses the magnifying glass to befriend a crab and then plans a project using a shovel, a pail and a different crab. A wave knocks him over and supplies him with a new object of interest—an underwater camera with film in it. When the film is developed, the boy finds pictures of mechanical underwater creatures and other incredible scenes. He also finds several photos of other children holding photos. Using his magnifying glass and his microscope, the boy “reads” the history of the camera and adds his own to it. The camera is then returned to the ocean to continue its journey into someone else’s history.

The watercolor illustrations in Wisener’s book are not only colorful, but detailed enough to tell many stories throughout the book. Many of the pictures are displayed in graphic novel style which is attractive to children of many ages. The beach theme of this book will appeal to young and old alike and will tell a new story each time it is opened.

I would recommend this book for students aged pre-K through 3rd grade. The book could also be used with older students in conjunction with a thematic unit.

Key words associated with this book: beach, history, landscapes, underwater, photographs, and shore animals

The Tale of Despereaux

Relationships. The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo is a sometimes heartwarming story about the relationships of a mouse, a princess, some soup, and a spool of thread (from title page). In each of the four parts of the book, DiCamillo relates the history and story behind one of the relationships—between Despereaux and the family that never quite understands him; between Chiaroscuro the rat and the royal family that live in the castle he also inhabits; and even between the characters and soup. Despereaux falls in love with the Princess Pea and is cast into the dungeon by the mouse council. In the dungeon, fate steps in and he meets Chiaroscuro the rat who has been planning revenge since he was cast into the dungeon for killing the queen. Fate takes the characters on a trip through each of their history and provides a happily-ever-after ending worthy of the Brothers Grimm.

DiCamillo’s book has elements of fairy tales and animal stories, combined into a Newbery Medal-winning story that readers of all ages will enjoy. Throughout the story, the author addresses comments to the reader which I found distracting but not so distracting as to lose the thread of the story. Several plots are developed throughout the book, linked in unusually unpredictable ways to the other plotlines that are woven throughout the story. The pen and ink drawings by Timothy Basil Ering are worthy of any Disney fairy tale and draw the reader into the mood of the story.

Due to the events in the book (death, dungeons and an overall feeling of evil and despair), I would recommend this book for students in grades 4-8

Key words associated with this book: Fairy Tales, mice, rats, Newbery Medal, castle, dungeon, princess

The Toughest Cowboy

The Toughest Cowboy, written by John Frank and illustrated by Zachary Pullen takes the old west of traditional story time and brings to it a touch of humor that will catch the attention of readers of all ages. “Grizz Brickbottom was the toughest cowboy ever to drive a herd of cattle across the open range.” Grizz decides that he and his gang of cowboy buddies should have another kind of companionship—a dog. When Grizz goes to town and returns with a miniature poodle named Foofy, the roughest, toughest cowboy gang learns new skills that change the face of them all.

The humor in this story is at times unexpected and predictable and will entertain even the most reluctant readers. The characters’ expressive language lends itself well for a read-aloud but also makes it a great read for independent readers. The detailed illustrations take readers directly into the wild west of yesteryear. The humorous way the author tells the story inspired me to laugh and grin, even through multiple readings.

Although the book is written on a reading level more appropriate for fourth or fifth graders, the book is entertaining as a read-aloud for younger children—grades 1-5.

Keywords associated with this book: cowboys, Wild West, dogs, humor

The Princess Academy

Romance, intrigue, danger, princesses and the chance to meeting Prince Charming at a ball—The Princess Academy by Shannon Hale has all the elements guaranteed to make a young girl’s heart go pitter patter. Miri is a small-for-her-age 14-year old girl who has lived on Mount Eskel for her entire life. One day, Lowlanders visit her quarry home to announce that the Prince’s bride will be chosen from the girls of Mount Eskel. All the girls are taken to the Princess Academy, where they learn the true values of education, home, family and friendship.

Shannon Hale, author of The Goose Girl and Enna Burning has written a novel with characters that mirror real life teens. Miri, the main character struggles with self-doubt and life without a mother but still somehow remains true to herself. The touching scenes between Miri and her father illustrate the difficulty that many girls face in trying to establish a cross-gender relationship. Miri and the other princess trainees discover how to stand up to unfair adults and even how to communicate telepathically through their mountain home. The happily-ever-after ending directly appeals to my optimistic self. The book reminded me that if I am true to myself and do the right thing, things will ideally work out well in the end.

I would recommend this book for grades 4-7.

Keywords associated with this book: prince, princess, schools, mountain

Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds

“In America you can achieve anything if you set your heart to it.” These inspiring words are repeated throughout the book Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds—The Sammy Lee Story by Paula Yoo. In this picture book biography about the Olympic medal winning diver, Sammy Lee, Yoo relates the experiences of a young Korean boy whose parents moved to America for a better life. Sammy experiences the hardships of being non-white in the 1930s and 1940s and is faced with discrimination daily. Despite the biases shown him, Sammy decides that he wants to be a diver and works hard to achieve his dream. In addition to becoming an Olympic gold medalist, Sammy also becomes a doctor, his father’s dream for his life. Although Sammy’s father did not live to see him win the gold medal, his words—“In America you can achieve anything if you set your heart to it”—echoed in his ears and in his heart throughout the rest of his life.

Paula Yoo brings Sammy Lee’s passion for diving into this biography of a great American. I loved the illustrations by Dom Lee and Paula Yoo’s exceptional writing style made me feel the frustration of the young boy who grew up to achieve great things. This Bluebonnet Award nominated book is a wonderful read for boys and girls alike and will cause all of us to cheer when Sammy achieves his lifelong ambition of becoming an Olympic diver. Thank goodness that “In America you can achieve anything if you set your heart to it”.

I would recommend this book for students in grades 2-5.

Key words associated with this book: diver, Olympics, Korean-Americans, courage

a>