Book #16 - Rachel: The Story of Rachel Carson

"Her name was Rachel, and she was curious and wondering."

Title: Rachel: The Story of Rachel Carson

Author: Amy Ehrlich

Illustrator: Wendell Minor

Publisher: Harcourt

Date of Publication: 2003

Genre: Biography

Readability Lexile: 930L

Summary:
This book tells of the life and accomplishments of Rachel Carson. The story starts with her childhood and shows that from the beginning of her life she had a love and a deep connection with nature and the world. As she grows older she begins to educate herself about the natural world and to collect and learn from many specimens. 

Later in her life a friend tells her about how many animals were killed off after a plane flew over the area in which she was living dropping pesticides to kill mosquitoes. Rachel went to work attempting to understand why and how this was happening. After learning that the poison was also harming farm animals and effecting humans she began to write her most famous book, Silent Spring. 

This book took her 4 years to complete and told the world about the effects of DDT, a dangerous chemical. Though many people and companies attacked her for speaking up against pesticide companies, others believed her and wanted to help her cause. It is generally agreed that today’s environmental movement is due to Carson’s Silent Spring. 

Evaluation:

Overall, I think this book would be a great book to use when talking about environmental causes and organizations.I think this would be a nice introduction to an environmental causes unit and to Rachel Carson, as her books may not be suitable for young readers. The facts presented are accurate but the author also adds a story-like element to this biography which will make it more relevant for students. The author doesn't use any offensive, degrading, or stereotypical language or illustrations in this book.

Literary Elements:

1. Theme: This book shows that anyone can educate themselves and stand up for something that they believe to have a negative affect on the world. Rachel Carson truly did have a unique connection with nature. The author writes, “Rachel, who loved the world so much, was frightened and angry. How could people cause it so much harm? Didn’t they see that everything was connected in an intricate web of life?”, after she learned about the affects of DDT. By reading this book, it may inspire students to create a connection with nature as Rachel had growing up and throughout her life.

This book also talks about how many people did not believe Rachel Carson’s findings and research because she was a woman. One passage from the book, “...and they attacked Rachel, too. She was only a woman, after all, emotional and unreliable”, shows the author’s use of sarcasm to get her point across on how absurd this idea actually was.  Therefore, book can also teach others that anyone, man or woman, can change the world for the better.

2. Timeline: This story is in the form of a timeline. Each page highlights a different time in Rachel's life. This helps to make this biography easier to understand and to split her life into manageable sections because she has done so much. 

3. Conflict: The author of this story shows the tension between Rachel and the chemical companies by explaining both sides of their stories and also explaining what Rachel did to counteract the company's false statements.

Illustrations:

The pictures in this book are very realistic, some of them almost look like photographs of Rachel herself. They show Rachel as a child, young woman, and old woman. There are also many nature drawings that help to support the text and show the reader why Rachel was so passionate about the beautiful world around her. 

Mini-Lesson Idea: 

I would use this book to teacher environmentalism and compassion for the natural world like Rachel had. I would read this book aloud and then have students research environmental issues going on in the world today. Then we work on writing persuasive text and talk about ways to make other feel the same on as issue. Eventually we would create a persuasive paper about an environmental issue.   

Book #15 - Kitten's First Full Moon

"It was Kitten's first full moon. When she saw it, she thought, There's a little bowl of milk in the sky. And she wanted it."

Title: Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse

Author: Kevin Henkes

Illustrator: Kevin Henkes

Publisher: Greenwillow

Date of Publication: 1996

Genre: Fiction

Readability Lexile: 540L

Summary: 

Kitten sees the full moon for the first time and see decides that it must be a bowl of milk. She tries many ways to get the bowl of milk. She tries licking it, springing for it, chasing it, and climbing a tree to get closer to it but nothing worked. Kitten get wet, cold, and tired and so decides to go home and there she finds a bowl of milk just waiting for her. 

Evaluation: 

This book is another sweet story by Kevin Henkes only this time it is about a cat rather than a mouse. Kitten is such an endearing character because all she wants is a bowl of milk; she tries and tries but can't reach it. I think everyone from time to time feels this way; that no matter how hard they try they just cannot get reach their goal. This book is very relatable for students and adults alike. The kitten in this story needs to work through a big problem in this book; figure out a way to get the bowl of milk in the sky. She tries and fails multiple times. She finally just goes back home and finds a nice surprise. Kitten is the only character in this story but we know that their is an owner "behind the scenes" of this story who gives Kitten the bowl of milk at the end. The character fits well with this story and its big idea. The kitten shows many positive character traits and the plot is fun and repetitive, which makes this a good story for young children, and has teaches us something about having a little curiosity. The author doesn't use any offensive, degrading, or stereotypical language or illustrations in this book. This book is meant for pre-k and kindergarten students.

Literary Elements: 

1. Theme: I think this story is about what happens when things don't go as planned. I think the kitten in this story thought it would be easy to get the bowl of milk in the sky but she was wrong. She tried and tried and wasn't able to succeed. I don't think this story teaches children that it is okay to give up but rather that sometimes you may be lucky and sometimes a little unlucky. I think it also teaches the idea of having something to go home to. In the story the Kitten tries and tries and just ends up wet, tried, and sad. When she gets home there is a bowl of milking waiting for her. This shows that even when things don't go your way or if you don't succeed, even after trying your very best, it is okay and the people around you will still love you. 

2. Conflict: The story has conflict between the Kitten and the moon aka the bowl of milk in the sky. Throughout the story the kitten works really hard to get the milk but it always outsmarts her. In the end the kitten decides that she will end this rivalry and goes home. 

3. Setting: The story takes place on the front porch of the kitten's house and the area around it. She travels down the sidewalk, through the garden, past the field, and by the pond. The pond and tree play a large part in the setting because the kitten thinks they will help her in getting the milk but instead they make it more difficult. She falls in the pond and gets stuck in the tree. The author uses the setting to create barriers that the kitten must break through to get the bowl of milk.

Illustrations:

The pictures in this book are all in gray-scale. The author usually uses many colors in the illustrations of his other books but this one is only while, gray, and black. I think he uses these colors, along with the text and other hints from the pictures, to help us to understand that this story is taking place at night. He uses the gray and black to show the darkness. The kitten is white and so that fits in fine with the already chosen color scheme. 

The author uses framed illustrations, like a comic stripe, to show the action take place in the story. For example, when the kitten is running for the pond, which she thinks is a big bowl of milk, the author's first frame is of the kitten starting to run, second and third are of the kitten making its way to the pond, and the fourth is of the kitten leaping into the pond. These pictures are simply but still fun to look at and supportive of the text.

Mini-Lesson Idea: 

I would use this book to teach the em-dash. The author uses them a lot to connect his ideas. He even uses them to connect sentences that are on different pages. I would talk with the class about what an em-dash is used for and how it can add positive elements to one's writing. Then the students would create sentences or thoughts that link together and practice using the em-dash to connect them. 

Book #17 - Stormy's Hat: Just Right for a Railroad Man

"Stormy loved driving trains."

Title: Stormy's Hat

Author: Eric A. Kimmel

Illustrator: Andrea U'Ren

Publisher: Shearwater Books

Date of Publication: 2008

Genre: Biography

Readability Lexile: Not Found

Summary:
This is the story of a train  engineer in the early days of the railroad named Stormy Kromer. Stormy loves his job but he has one problem; he can’t find a hat that is right for a railroad man. He takes suggestions from people all over the city to figure out what kind of hat he would work the best. He tries a fireman’s hat, a cowboy’s hat, a printer’s hat but none of them seem to work. The whole time Stormy is telling his wife, Ida, not to worry and that he’ll think of something. If he would only listen to her, he would find out that she hasn’t been worry but has been thinking! When Stormy finally listens, she come up with the perfect hat for a railroad man.

Evaluation:
This story is great because it has strong characters, a funny plot, and a twist ending. While reading I didn’t think that Ida would stand up for herself like she did but I’m glad! This is such a good story for girls to read because it shows that girls can be strong, big thinkers, and have amazing ideas!  The characters, language, and style of dress portrayed in the illustrations
all historically fit with the time and setting that this story is about. The language used and the actions fit well with the characters and their personalities. Both characters work through a problem in this story; Stormy works to figure out what kind of hat is right for a railroad man and Ida also tackles that problem but has to work to make her husband listen to her first. Both problems are solved by the end of the story.  The author purposely uses degrading language in the beginning of the story to set the stage for Ida to stand up for herself and let her voice be heard which is my favorite part of the story.  Stormy says, “Aw, don’t worry your pretty little head, I’ll think of something.” whenever Ida tries to make a suggestions about the hat and finally Ida says, “My head isn’t little. It’s as big as yours and just as smart. Either listen to what I have to say or stop complaining.” She really tells him what’s what! This book would be most appropriate for kindergarten through second grade students but themes could be used in upper elementary and middles school and even beyond.  

Literary Elements:
1. Onomatopoeia: Since this is a book about trains, you can imagine that there would  be lots of train sounds like WHOOO! WHOOO!, chug-chug, and poketa-poketa to describe the sounds that the train makes as it is riding the rails. This makes the book come to life because children reading it can practice they best train sounds.
2. Repetition: The author uses a repeating story element to make this story good for young readers and to build up the tension between Stormy and Ida. Stormy always goes to find a new hat to wear, tries it out, decides it doesn’t work and complains to Ida, who has had a good idea all along but Stormy won’t listen her and then it starts all over again. We see Ida getting more and more frustrated with Stormy until she can’t take it and speaks her mind.
3. Theme: I think this book has three themes; one is that you shouldn’t give up because if you keep trying you will solve your dilemma, two, you should listen to those around you because they might have some great ideas that you never thought of, and three, one must stand up for themselves and let their voice be heard. The themes are super important for children to know and this book would be a great choice to introduce them.

Illustrations:
The illustrator uses water color to create the pictures for this book. They are more realistic, show a lot of emotion, and help to tell the story.  The pictures are very colorful and add so much to the story. On the pages where Ida finally tells Stormy what’s on her mind, you can see how angry and frustrated Ida is and how scared Stormy is. Without the illustrations the reader might not get the idea that she is really standing up for herself.

Mini-Lesson Idea:
I would use this book to teach about railroads, trains, good ideas from history, great women from history, standing up for one’s self, and never giving up. There are so many ideas that can be pulled from this story about a railroad man and his wife, Ida. I could also use this book to teach theme because it has so many good, worthwhile themes that children should be exposed to. I could have my students read this story, we can discuss theme and why it is so important to a good story, and how they can add a meaningful theme in a story of their own. They we can try it!

Book #14 - Julius: The Baby of the World

"Before Julius was born, Lilly was the best big sister in the world."

Title: Julius: The Baby of the World

Author: Kevin Henkes

Illustrator: Kevin Henkes

Publisher: Greenwillow

Date of Publication: 1990

Genre: Fiction

Readability Lexile: 460L


Summary: 

Lilly’s parents are expecting a new baby soon and Lilly is very excited... until the baby actually arrives. Lilly becomes very jealous of all the time her parents are spending with her new little brother, Julius, who they call the baby of the world. Lilly begins to act out and be very naughty. She tries scaring Julius, making him disappear, and ignoring him but nothing works and all she earns is time in the uncooperative chair. Her attitude toward her little brother doesn’t change until her cousin says mean things about him. Then her family pride and love kicks in. Lilly learns that she really does love her little brother. This book is best suited for kindergarten through second grade students. 

Evaluation:
This is a good story and once again is very relevant for children, especially those with new babies at home. This book helps parents and children to adjust to having a baby at home when before there was only one child. The events in this story could and have actually happened in real life. I always here about the first born getting very jealous and naughty when a new baby comes home. This book might help those children to realize that  its okay to be upset but that one’s family is super important.  The characters fit well with  the plot and the language used by the character fit well with both the plot and the characters. The setting is at home with Lilly and her family. The setting fits well with this story because usually the first born child tends to act out when at home or just around the new baby in general. The author doesn’t use any offensive, degrading, or stereotypical language or illustrations in this book. 

Literary Elements:
1. Theme: The author uses theme to wrap up the story and make it meaningful to students. The theme of  this story is about the importance of family and how, even thought sometimes we may not want them, they are always there for us and stick up for use when we need them too. Lilly learns that her family , including her new baby brother, Julius, are important and care about her.
2. Juxtaposition: On several of the pages in this book, the author uses this literary element to contrast the same kind of action but done differently by different people. The author places these actions side by side and has pictures to further the meaning and humor of the text. There is one page that shows Lilly’s mother and father saying that they love Julius and that he is beautiful. Right below that picture and description is one of Lilly’s telling Julius that she hates him and that he’s ugly. Places these two actions side by side makes  it funny and shows how different her feelings are than her parents.
3. Onomatopoeia: The author uses sound words to give baby Julius some dialogue. All he says in this book is Ga-a-a-a Maa-ooommoo which fits with the fact that he is a newborn baby and not an older child like Lilly.

Illustrations:
As I said before with the juxtaposition of the illustrations and text to create humor and an extended meaning works well in this story because it shows the contrasting attitudes of the parents and of Lilly. They illustrations are fun to look at and find all of the cool details. The illustrations in this story add a humorous aspect to the book that would not be captured if not for the pictures.

Mini-Lesson Idea:
I would use this book to teach juxtaposition with text and illustrations.  The author does an excellent job of showing the differences between the characters by using this literary element. I would have the students think of an event that could be seen in very different ways for two people or two groups of people. Then they could illustrate that part of their to make the juxtaposition more obvious.

Book #13 - Owen

 

"Owen had a yellow blanket. He'd had it since he was a baby. He loved it with all his heart."

Title: Owen

Author: Kevin Henkes

Illustrator: Kevin Henkes

Publisher: Greenwillow

Date of Publication: 1993

Genre: Fiction

Readability Lexile: 370L

Summary: 

Owen had a fuzzy yellow blanket that he had since he was a baby. Owen brought this blanket everywhere and did everything with it. Owen’s neighbor kept telling Owen’s parents that he was too old to be carrying his blanket around and told them tricks to help Owen get rid of the blanket and not need it anymore. Owen’s parents tried and tried but none of Mrs. Tweezer’s tricks worked. Owen was going to start school soon and his parents knew that Owen couldn’t bring his blanket with him so Owen’s mother comes up with a great idea! She cuts up Owen’s blanket and makes handkerchiefs out of it. Everyone, Owen, his parents, and Mrs. Tweezers are happy. This book would most interest and relate to kindergarten through second grade students.

Evaluation: 

Like all of Kevin Henkes' books, Owen tells us a sweet story about growing up. This is a good story because it is relatable, funny, and describes the characters and events really well. This story could definitely happen to a child in real life. I think a lot of times parents are persuaded by others that their child is doing something that is not "normal". Owen grows during this story - he starts out as a little boy who needs his blanket all the time and decides he will never give it up to a big boy who still needs a little security every now and then but allows it to take a different form. The language and actions of all the characters in this story fits well with their personalities. The setting of this story is Owen's house and backyard, which fits well with a story about a little boy who needs his blanket. This story doesn't use any offensive, degrading, or stereotypical language or illustrations.

Literary Elements:
1. Theme: One theme of this book is that growing up can be hard but sometimes it has to happen. This theme is very related to young children go through the years before they go to school for the first time.
2. Characterization: The author does a good job of  developing Owen in this story. We really get to know what kind of kid he is by the end of the story. Owen changes and grows as the story goes on.
3. Descriptive Words:  The author uses many adverbs and adjectives to describe the experiences of Owen and his family.  The rich word choice will make this, and Kevin Henkes’ other books, great books to use for vocabulary lessons.

Illustrations:
Kevin Henkes uses many framed illustrations to  show different aspects of a similar thought and to show a sequence of events in the story. The pictures are colorful, full of details, and fun to look at.

Mini-Lesson Idea: 
I would use this book to teach coming-of-age stories. This book is a great example of a coming-of-age themed story.  In these kind of stories, the main characters go through many changes and by they end they have learned something important, have become more mature, or have grow in important ways that affect the characters personality and relationships. I would have students develop they own character and figure out a way that they can grow and change throughout the story.  

Book #12 - Wemberly Worried

"Wemberly worried about EVERYTHING."

Title: Wemberly Worried

Author: Kevin Henkes

Illustrator: Kevin Henkes

Publisher: Greenwillow

Date of Publication: 2000

Genre: Fiction

Readability Lexile: 170L

Summary 

Wemberly worried about big things, little things, and things in between. When Wemberly was going to start school she worried more than ever before. Her parents and grandmother told her not to worry and that she would love school but she didn’t believe them. On the first day of school the teacher introduces Wemberly to someone who is just as worried as she is, Jewel. At first both girls were not too sure about the other but soon enough they became best friends. Wemberly learns that she doesn’t have to worry about everything; that things usually turn out just fine… or better! This book would most interest kindergarten through second grade students but I think the theme in this book can be relevant for students of all ages. 

Evaluation 

This is such a sweet story about a little mouse girl who is always sick with worry. I can relate to this character and I know other children can too. The plot and characters of this story are very believable because it is the classic tale of a shy student on their first day of school. Wemberly overcomes some of her shyness and worry by the end of the story. She is still a worrier but now has someone, her new best friend, Jewel, to worry with. The setting, like so many others of Henkes' books, is at school and at home; the two places that children spend most of their time. A story of the first day of school is a great plot for a character that worries about everything because school can be exciting and scary for new students. The language and setting fit with the characters and the main character's actions and language fit with her personality. 

Literary Elements: 
1. Theme: The theme of this story is very worthwhile for children. This story teaches us that its okay to worry sometimes but it should take over your entire life and that sometimes the things we worry about turn out just fine or actually really good. Wemberly learns this when she meets her new friend, Jewel, who is just as nervous as she is. She was very worried about school but then it turned out to be fun. 
2. Alliteration: This book is full of alliteration since Wemberly is always worried. This would be a fun book to use when teaching the W sound or when teaching alliteration. 
3. Conflict: This book is a good example of self-conflict. Wemberly struggles with her own emotions and fears in this book. She is so busy worrying that she can't have any fun. By the end of the story she is feeling a little better about herself now that she knows school isn't as scary as she thought and that she has new friend, Jewel. 

Illustrations: 
The illustrations in this book are really fun because the author/illustrator uses difference ways of framing his pictures. On the pages that say, "Wemberly worried about everything. Big things, small things, and things in between.", the illustrator shows an example of the things that Wemberly is worrying about. Without the pictures here the text would be confusing and boring for students.

Mini-Lesson Idea:
I would use this book to teach the W sound. Its a fun book with great word choice and an important theme. I think students would enjoy reading this book and would like the name Wemberly and all of the alliteration that goes along with it. As a class we would find all of the W words and practice saying them out loud and then spelling them. We could even write a poem or story using many W words. 
 

Book # 11 - Lilly's Big Day

"One day Lilly's teacher, Mr. Slinger, announced to the class that he was going to marry Ms. Shotwell, the school nurse."

Title: Lilly's Big Day

Author: Kevin Henkes

Illustrator: Kevin Henkes

Publisher: Greenwillow

Date of Publication: 2006

Genre: Fiction

Readability Lexile: 660L

Summary:

Lilly’s favorite teacher, Mr. Slinger is getting married and Lilly is convinced she is the flower girl in his wedding. She practices and practices for the big day until she finds out that Mr. Slinger’s niece will be the flower girl. To make Lilly feel better Mr. Slinger lets Lilly be the assistant to the flower girl but that is not enough for Lilly. This book would most interest kindergarten through second grade students. The grade level equivalent for this book is 3.6.

Evaluation:

This is a great continuation of the life of Lilly the mouse. If readers liked Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, they will love Lilly's Big Day. Again, like so many of Henkes' books this story is very relatable for all children. Lilly learns that she can't always get her way but that she can still be helpful which is something that every child goes through in life. Lilly's personality is one of a kind and definitely matches her actions in the story and what we know about Lilly from other stories. Lilly grows and becomes a more mature little mouse by the end of this story. She realizes that she can still have a fun time even if she everything doesn't follow her set plan. Lilly and the other mice from this story fit in well with the setting; home, school, and Mr. Slinger's wedding.The language in this book is appropriate for the character portrayed and it does not use any offensive language.

Literary Elements: 

1. Theme: the theme is this story is very important. By reading this book to children you are showing them that one does not always get their way and that when they don't get their way, things can still turn out great. Lilly learns a lot during this story about being helpful, caring for others, and stepping in when someone needs her. 

2. Characterization: Lilly is quite a unique little mouse and so it takes a lot to develop her as a main character.The author does this by including her personal writing and illustrations, and by adding side comments in his illustrations of Lilly.
3. Irony: In this story, you expect that Lilly will be the flower girl's assistant and then that's it but instead, she still gets to walk down the aisle only this time she is carrying the flower girl. It is a twist in the ending that I think many young readers would not suspect.

Illustrations: 

The pictures in this book are very similar to those in Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse. They show Lilly's feelings really well and help to tell the story by furthering explaining the text. They add so much to this book, are colorful, and show Lilly's unique personality. 

Mini-Lesson Idea:

I would use this book to teach the addition of emotion to one's characters while writing. The author does a great job of creating characters that wear their emotions right on their sleeves. While reading you can see the illustrations and the words used and know exactly how the character is feeling. I would have students talk about emotions in class and record all of the emotions that Lilly has in this story and then explain how the author tells or shows that Lilly is feeling that way. They then would go on to create their own story.