Book Review: Street Rhymes Around the World by Jane Yolen

General Information

Title: Street Rhymes Around the World

Author: Jane Yolen

Genre: Rhyme/Poetry

Publisher: Wordsong

Date of Publication: 1992

Illustrator: illustrated by 17 international artists

Lexile Level & Target Audience

Lexile: N/A; approx. 3rd grade level

Age Range: 6-9

Audience: boys and girls, variety of ethnicities (including: Mexican, English, German, Chinese, Danish, French, among others), variety of languages (see above)

Brief Summary

Street Rhymes Around the World is an incredible collection of rhymes from all around the world; each rhyme features its native language (along with an English translation) and illustrations that are reflective of that country (i.e. an artist from Israel created the illustrations for the Israeli rhymes included). Some of the countries included are: Brazil, Israel, Japan, Mexico, England, Greece, Denmark, Republic of Armenia, and The Netherlands.

Evaluation: Pros & Cons

Pros:

1. Incredibly diverse selection of countries. The ethnicities/countries represented in this book are refreshingly diverse; it goes beyond the typical countries often featured in American literature, including countries such as Israel, Republic of Russia, Greece, Republic of Zambia, Denmark, and the Republic of Armenia.

2. Native language before English. In each featured rhyme, the native language is shown before English––a wonderful representation of the fact that English is not the "more important" language.

Cons:

1. Un-parallel translation. In some cases, the English translation of the international rhyme doesn't have the same "ring" or "feel" to it––that is, in translation, it is difficult to convey meaning that is so specific to the native language. However, in my opinion, this book is still a wonderful tool to have in the classroom; the diversity it provides is superb.

Literary Elements

Repetition: Repetition is a major element in many of these rhymes; some examples include: "Let us go . . . Let us buy . . . Let us eat . . ," "Even when . . . Even when . . ," and "Little Ming, little Ming / Little little Ming Ming."

Text Structure: Each rhyme not from the U.S. is italicized for easier frame of reference/recognition.

Rhyme: Not all of the rhymes actually rhyme (at least not in their English translations), but many of them do. Some examples include: "Brow-bone / Eye-stone / Nose-bone" and "One, two, grow tall / Three, four, round as a ball / Five, six, reach up high / Seven, eight, don't scratch the sky."

Illustrations

As alluded to above, the illustrations are incredible; each page is vibrant with the colors and artistic representations of each country––this beautiful, distinct art is an absolutely perfect way for children to be introduced to different cultures.

Mini-lesson Idea(s)

Something wonderful about this book is its vivid representations of other cultures and countries outside of the U.S. Following this same idea of exploring other cultures, students could create a poem which represents/describes aspects of another culture/country; they would first need to do their research on this particular country (much like Yolen did). Students could then use the type of poem format that they feel would best help them describe their country (i.e. free verse, couplet, acrostic, haiku, etc.).

Cheers!

- Aubrey

Book Review: The World According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney

General Information

Title: The World According to Humphrey

Author: Betty G. Birney

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Puffin Books

Date of Publication: 2004

Cover Design: Deirdre Newman

Lexile Level & Target Audience

Lexile: 670L

Age Range: 7-12

Audience: boys and girls, hamster lovers, pet owners

Brief Summary

The World According to Humphrey is an early chapter book from the perspective of Humphrey, a hamster who lives in Room 26 (a classroom inside an elementary school). We follow Humphrey through his various escapades and "listen in" as he observes the students who take him home each weekend. Humphrey even learns to read and write, but experiences some trouble along the way with the classroom teacher, Mrs. Brisbane...

Evaluation: Pros & Cons

Pros:

1. Out-of-the-box fiction writing. Birney personifies Humphrey in a way that makes us see ourselves a bit differently; of course, animals don't have human thoughts and emotions, but the way that Birney shapes the perspective of the book makes us think about how our actions may be perceived differently by others––this is something that students can implement in their own creative writing.

2. Friendship and kindness. Themes of friendship and kindness are seen between Humphrey and Aldo (a human); these themes, even situated amongst humor, are beneficial for students to absorb and imitate in their own actions.

Cons:

1. The teacher in the story is portrayed negatively. This isn't a deal breaker, but it is unfortunate that many teachers in children and YA books are portrayed as "mean" or inconsiderate; however, this could be addressed through classroom discussion if needed.

Literary Elements

Repetition: Birney uses repetition to emphasize emotion; examples include: "she's GONE-GONE-GONE," "my life changed FAST-FAST-FAST," and "I felt SAD-SAD-SAD."

Tone: Written from Humphrey's point of view, the tone of the book is humorous, witty, and sarcastic; Birney creates a distinct personality for Humphrey that leaks out of the pages.

Characterization/Personification: Humphrey is a hamster characterized as a human, with human feelings, thoughts, and emotions.

Mini-lesson Idea(s)

Writing from another's perspective is a great way for students to branch out from typical narrative writing. Students could choose from a list of household animals and write a short story from the perspective of that animal; like Birney, students would need to include the animal's thoughts and feelings, as well as what they think of humans and what humans think of them.

Cheers!

- Aubrey

Book Review: Binky the Space Cat by Ashley Spires

General Information

Title: Binky the Space Cat

Author: Ashley Spires

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Kids Can Press

Date of Publication: 2009

Illustrator: Ashley Spires

Lexile Level & Target Audience

Lexile: GN740L

Age Range: 7-10

Audience: girls and boys, cat lovers, fans of astronauts and space

Brief Summary

Binky the Space Cat is a graphic novel detailing the story of Binky, a typical house cat thirsty for big adventures. He dreams of blasting off into "outer space" (outside) to protect his humans from "alien invaders" (bugs)––but when he finally departs, he realizes he has forgotten something very important...

Evaluation: Pros & Cons

Pros:

1. Good, clean fun. There are no overly mature aspects or inappropriate themes; it's good, clean fun about a lovable character––something wonderful for young readers to engage with.

2. Humorous story with a delightful ending. Young readers will enjoy the humorous fictional elements of this book––especially Binky's obsession with warding off "alien invaders"––which are really just bugs. The ending will have readers chuckling and longing for another story from Binky's adventures.

Cons:

1. No real struggles or growth. This isn't a huge "con," but it's worth mentioning that Binky doesn't change much throughout the story; there aren't real character building or academic building opportunities to branch off with for this book, but, it is an enjoyable and comical story of adventure which could help to spark students' interest in reading. 

Literary Elements

Structure: In addition to this novel being in a comic-strip style, it also has various random artifacts of text placed outside of the comic strip altogether––such as Binky's "acceptance letter" into the "Felines of the Universe Ready for Space Travel (F.U.R.S.T.)" agency and his handwritten list comparing "alien qualities" with "bug qualities."

Dialogue/Diction: Spires uses speech bubbles within the comic strip to indicate the speech of Binky and his humans; she also includes various "sound effect" text lines, shaped to reflect the sound (i.e. "zooom" runs diagonal across the page).

Tone: Spires' tone is light and cheerful; she writes from an all-knowing narrator point of view. An example of her humor includes the lines: "Obviously, bugs and aliens are the same thing. Too bad humans aren't smart enough to figure this out. That must be why they need a cat around."

Illustrations

The illustrations follow a refreshingly distinct style; it's evident that Spires is just as much an artist/designer as she is a writer. The format of the book is organized in a unique structure, with each page feeling different from the last, and the characters themselves (including Binky) are crafted with lots of personality.

Mini-lesson Idea(s)

Spires' use of vivid imagination and a ridiculous plot line is something that young readers can apply in their own writing. Students could be encouraged to come up with something utterly unbelievable and then "normalize" it by talking about it like it's actually possible (just like Spires does). Alternatively, or in addition, students could craft their stories within a comic-style format like Spires. 

Cheers!

- Aubrey

Book Review: Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

General Information

Title: Persepolis

Author: Marjane Satrapi

Genre: Memoir

Publisher: Pantheon

Date of Publication: 2003

Illustrator: Marjane Satrapi

Lexile Level & Target Audience

Lexile: GN380L

Age Range: 14-17 (or upper middle school, as appropriate)

Audience: girls, comic book lovers, Iranian ethnicity

Brief Summary

Persepolis is a graphic novel memoir of Marjane Satrapi who grows up (age 6-14) during the Islamic Revolution in Iran. We hear her child-eyed perspective on the overthrow of the Shah's regime and the heartbreaking effects of the violent war with Iraq. Marjane experiences great tragedy and loss, but we watch as she also begins to find her footing in a war-torn world, juggling the conflicts between home life, public life, and personal identity.

Evaluation: Pros & Cons

Pros:

1. Eye-opening and empathy building for an often obscure race. Marjane's outspoken (and often humor-filled) narrative is extremely eye-opening to the dynamics of the conflict in Iran and its effects on the Iranian people. Students will be shocked at the tragedy and struggle that Marjane endures, and will be given the opportunity to empathize with her, too.

2. Humorous and relatable. Marjane's life experiences are dramatically different from the present majority of students in American schools; however, her personal thoughts, fears, and emotions, are incredibly relatable. Students will find amusement in her honest writing and will quickly grow to identify with Marjane in her humanity.

Cons:

1. Religious undertones. Marjane is quite open about her views on God, Marx, and Islamic beliefs; this topic could prove potentially challenging or confusing for students who are still working out what it is that they believe. This topic should be approached with great care, and if I were to assign this book to students (which I'm still on the fence about), I would be sure to give them the opportunity to ask questions about these subjects as they arise.

2. Up-front depiction of war and violence. Although the images are in comic-strip style (cartoon/black and white), the depiction of violence is still quite intense––too intense for some readers. This book could potentially be a good choice read for students who show the ability to handle these more mature themes.

3. A subjective view. Although reading from Marjane's perspective is effective in opening our eyes to certain aspects of her people, students should be aware that what they are reading is not necessarily "absolute truth" about this time period; Marjane has certainly done her research, but students should follow up this read with factual research about this people, culture, and era.

Literary Elements

Setting: Marjane's illustrations (comic style) immerse us into the setting in a way that text never could; the images are revealing of place and emotion.

Tone: The book has a mixture of dark and humorous undertones; Marjane conveys the tragedy of her situation, but does so in a quick-witted, honest, and spunky manner.

Conflict: This book is full of tension and conflict; this feeling of tension is presented through Marjane's simple narration––she never says more than necessary. This expert handle of sentence structure, grammar, and connotation is part of what encourages the reader to continue.

Illustrations

As mentioned above, Marjane's illustrations are genius; the amount of meaning conveyed through the simplicity of her art is quite astounding. Readers will get lost in the intricate details of each page.

Mini-lesson Idea(s)

Marjane offers a lot of information even in small sections of the book; she does this through a mixture of narration and dialogue, pacing the text and images in such a way that keeps readers engaged. Students could practice this form of craft by creating their own stories with an intense focus on balancing narration and dialogue just right––i.e. just enough narration to offer adequate information and just enough dialogue to move the plot along and add dimension/personality to the piece.

Cheers!

- Aubrey

Book Review: Babymouse Mad Scientist by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm

General Information

Title: Babymouse Mad Scientist

Author: Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Random House

Date of Publication: 2011

Illustrator: Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm

Lexile Level & Target Audience

Lexile: GN440L

Age Range: 8-11

Audience: girls, science lovers, science fair

Brief Summary

Babymouse Mad Scientist (a graphic novel) follows Babymouse as she dreams about becoming a famous scientist. While working on a school science fair project, she discovers a new species of amoeba named "Squish." While at first she is not so enthused about the scientific method, Babymouse realizes that even the more mundane processes of science can produce exciting results.

Evaluation: Pros & Cons

Pros:

1. Babymouse doesn't give in to negative peer pressure. Although she is initially discouraged when her school friends tease her about doing her science project on a "lame ameoba," Babymouse persists and doesn't give in to their negative comments. And as a result, she ends up thoroughly enjoying her project.

2. The language is natural sounding and engaging. This book is especially beneficial for young readers who are struggling to read at grade level; the small blurbs of text alongside images (in comic-strip format) keep the plot engaging rather than overwhelming.

Cons:

1. Babymouse is a bit irresponsible. In the beginning of the book, Babymouse's father asks her if she's cleaned her room yet, but by the end of the book (after all of her science fair adventures) she still hasn't cleaned it. Her father plays it off in a sarcastic joke, sending the message that this disobedience is somewhat humorous and rationalized.  

Literary Elements

Allusion: Various references are made to other sources of entertainment/literature, including Star Trek ("Beam me up, Scotty!") and Horton Hears a Who.

Tone: The tone here has a sarcastic, "random" nature; short sentence fragments are used to describe images (rather than long paragraphs of text description), and the dialogue between characters is abbreviated and quick-witted.

Characterization/Personification: Babymouse and her family are mice personified as humans; there are also other characters in the books personified as humans, such as a turtle, a pig, and a bird.

Illustrations

The graphic images are humorous and effective at enhancing the action of the plot; they span a variety of shapes and layouts, too, straying away from a typical comic-book style format, but still maintaining the comic-strip feel.

Mini-lesson Idea(s)

This interplay between text and illustration––i.e. their "codependence" on one another to convey meaning––would be a great option for students to explore in their own writing. Students could start small by creating a one to two page comic strip, with an emphasis on allowing the image to help interpret the text, and vice versa. This comic strip could be based on a theme that is currently being discussed in class, or it could be more of a free-write exercise.

Cheers!

- Aubrey

Book Review: Book Fiesta! by Pat Mora

General Information

Title: Book Fiesta!

Author: Pat Mora

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Date of Publication: 2009

Illustrator: Rafael López

Lexile Level & Target Audience

Lexile: AD790L/AD520L

Age Range: 5-7

Audience: boys and girls, avid readers, bilingual, Hispanic ethnicity

Brief Summary

Book Fiesta! is a bilingual book which explains a set aside day (Children's Day/Book Day/Book Fiesta) in which children read, read, read. Told from the perspective of children themselves, they explain: "We read in English and Spanish, in Chinese and Navajo . . . at the library . . . in cars . . . and planes . . . to our puppies and kittens . . . riding an elephant . . . or sailing with a whale . . ." These whimsical descriptions, alongside similarly whimsical illustrations, create a wonderful image of reading and the adventures it brings.

Evaluation: Pros & Cons

Pros:

1. A diverse selection of cultures are represented. The illustrations represent children and families from a large variety of races and cultures, emphasizing reading as a part of cultures worldwide.

2. It's enjoyable and exciting to read. A book which tries to convey the adventure and wonder of reading should be an adventure and wonder to read, right? Well, this book is just that. It contains rhyme, assonance, carefully crafted phrasing, and elements of humor and surprise––successfully reflecting in its own structure that reading is fun and worthwhile.

Cons:

1. English, then Spanish. It would be ideal for Spanish to be listed first, helping to emphasize its value and importance; however, if teachers choose to read this text aloud, they could easily read the Spanish lines before the English ones.

[No other real cons.]

Literary Elements

Assonance: Examples of assonance in the text include: "Hooray! Today is our day," "and planes and trains," and "sailing with a whale." This technique works to create a poetic flow amidst the pages, even without a rhyme scheme.

Phrasing: Traditional sentence structures are split up into phrases, spanning across multiple pages before coming to the sentences' "ends." This technique helps to keep the pages moving, with new illustrations every couple of seconds, and increases the attention span of young readers.

Repetition: The words "we read" are repeated a total of nine times throughout the book, creating a clear theme.

Illustrations

As mentioned above, the illustrations work alongside the text exquisitely; they feel magical, whisking readers away to exciting "destinations"––a representation of what reading itself can be like.

Mini-lesson Idea(s)

The technique of repetition is evident throughout this book, and would be a wonderful skill for students to develop. Students could consider themes/topics that center around an action they are passionate about, such as running, singing, or drumming; students could then use two words to repeat throughout their piece of writing (i.e. "I run," "I sing," or "I drum") which center on their action (just as Mora uses the two words "we read"). This activity could be especially useful in writing poetry, although students could have the option of using free verse or rhyme.  

Cheers!

- Aubrey

Book Review: Water Rolls, Water Rises by Pat Mora

General Information

Title: Water Rolls, Water Rises

Author: Pat Mora

Genre: Poetry

Publisher: Children's Book Press

Date of Publication: 2014

Illustrator: Meilo So

Lexile Level & Target Audience

Lexile: AD930L

Age Range: 7-10

Audience: boys or girls, science lovers, bilingual, Hispanic ethnicity

Brief Summary

Water Rolls, Water Rises is a bilingual book which flows in free verse poetry, describing the many forms of water––from rolling waves to gentle fog to winding rivers. These elegant descriptions appear in both English and Spanish, alongside gorgeous illustrations which represent the descriptions given. 

Evaluation: Pros & Cons

Pros:

1. Exquisite use of action verbs. Mora writes how water "weaves," "sails," "slithers and snakes," "hums," "sloshes," and "quenches," among others! These tangible verbs make the seemingly simple subject of water come alive, and also give students a superb example of a technique for their own writing.

2. Contains multicultural elements. With each page comes a new setting/culture in which water exists; these illustrations provide students with a wonderful opportunity to see people from a diverse range of race and culture, who are all connected by the common element of water.

Cons:

1. English, then Spanish. This subtle structure suggests that English is the "more important" language, which is unfortunate. However, in read-alouds of this text, teachers could choose to simply read the Spanish lines first.

[No other cons. This book is one of my all-time favorites now.]

Literary Elements

Poetry: Mora's free verse poetry glides effortlessly across the page, much like water itself might. Especially vivid lines include: "Swirling in wisps, water twists then it twirls" and "In storms, water plunges in thunder's brash roar."

Personification: Mora personifies water throughout the book, writing that, among other things, it "strokes an old cat," "sails high," "slithers and snakes," and "hums in the dark."

Alliteration: Examples of alliteration include: "cloud plumes curl," "twists then it twirls," "silence shimmers," "murmur of marsh wind," "frog feet," and "careening down cliffs."

Illustrations

So's breathtaking illustrations beautifully show what water is "doing" (according to the text) on each page. In addition, these images take readers to international destinations, including China, Holland, the Sahara, and Mexico.

Mini-lesson Idea(s)

This book provides students with a perfect opportunity to work on their personification skills. Students could ask the question: "What does [insert element of nature here] do?" They could choose from a provided list of natural elements or come up with one of their own. Along the way to answering this question, students could observe the techniques Mora uses to describe water, including poetry, alliteration, assonance, and action verbs.

Cheers!

- Aubrey