Module 6 - Verdi

Bibliographic Information

Cannon, J. (1997). Verdi. San Diego: Harcourt Brace & Company.

Summary

This is a great story about a little yellow python named Verdi.  Verdi will do anything not to grow up into a rude, boring, and lazy green adult.  Verdi lives on a tropical island in a steamy jungle.  His mother sends him out into the forest telling him to “grow up big and green—as green as the trees’ leaves.”  Verdi loves his bright yellow skin with the bold stripes and tries many things to keep his skin from turning green.  He is not in a hurry to grow up big because it looks very boring to him.

Verdi decides to look for some older snakes and ask them some questions.  He climbs up to some branches where he finds Umbles, Aggie, and Ribbon.  They are all being very lazy and don’t want to be disturbed by Verdi’s questions.  Verdi can’t imagine being in a hurry to be lazy.  He decides to move on and runs into Dozer.  Dozer is snoring, and Verdi asks him to climb some trees with him.  Dozer growls and tells him to take some laps around the jungle.  Verdi thinks that the greens are not only lazy, but very rude as well.

There doesn’t seem to be any way that Verdi can keep his skin from peeling.  He thinks that if he just keeps moving fast, he might be able to prevent his skin from becoming green.  He tries many things, even scrubbing himself in the water where he is nearly eaten by a large bottom feeder.  He slips away after he bites the fish on the nose.  He lands in some mud, and decides to leave the mud on because it looks better than green to him.  When the mud dries and cracks off, he is even greener than before.

Verdi climbs to the top of the tree and forgets he can fall down.  He gets excited when he startles a flock of colorful birds, falls across a log on the forest floor, and ends up getting injured.  The older snakes have to help him heal.  While he is healing, he turns completely green.  He learns a lot just watching things while he is healing.

When some little yellow snakes approach him one day, Verdi decides to ask them to climb a tree with him.  They try forming some fancy figure eights.  Verdi may be completely green now, but is still adventurous.  He is just a bit more careful now about his stunts.  Verdi learns that a slow, quiet life is not so bad after all.

Impressions

I thought this had an excellent storyline, and the illustrations were wonderful.  The way the author told about the things the little snake did to keep his youth made me think of how people worry about keeping their youth too.  I laughed at the description of the older snakes and how they got upset at the active younger one.  Even though Verdi grows up to be a beautiful green tree python, he remains true to himself by retaining his youthful spirit.  This is a lesson a lot of “boring and rude” adults could benefit from.

Reviews

Cannon (Stellaluna) is on a roll, her gift for creating memorable characters and scenes on glorious display in this tale of a feisty python hatchling. Vowing never to turn ""lazy, boring, or green"" like the older pythons, Verdi zips through the jungle, launching himself from tree branches in an attempt to outpace the inevitable and keep his bright yellow skin and sporty stripes. His elders fear Verdi's recklessness will be his undoing (""At this rate, he'll be lucky to make it to his first molt,"" bemoans one) and they watch his antics with alarm--and with a drop of nostalgia for their own glory days. Adulthood eventually catches up with the young hothead, of course, but in a resolution that is both wise and funny, Verdi comes to terms with maturity while maintaining his zest for life (""I may be big and very green, but I'm still me!""). Cannon's finely tempered prose is as exquisite as her luminous artwork. Here, each jewel like vista is marked by careful attention to detail and brilliant use of color--Verdi's jungle world is a symphony of green, from the delicate shade of a newly unfurled fern frond to richer tones of emerald and pine. Sharply focused foreground objects fade into slightly hazy backdrops, giving the acrylic-and-colored-pencil illustrations an almost three-dimensional depth. As a bonus, the book concludes with a graceful two-page note on snakes. Ages 4-10.

(n.d.). Verdi. Publishers Weekly. Retrieved from

http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-15-201028-7

Janell Cannon, creator of the wildly popular Stellaluna, turns her attention from bats to snakes in Verdi. In this enchanting picture book, a bright yellow python with sporty stripes decides he doesn't want to turn green. Why grow up if that means turning lazy, boring, and green like the adult pythons Aggie, Umbles, and Ribbon?

One day, the zippy Verdi plummets to the ground. The elder threesome gently splint him to a branch and he listens to their stories of youthful daring with astonishment. They too were once exactly like him! In a stunning spread, Verdi listens to the forest come alive. Then he observes the moon wane and grow full again. All the while he grows healthy and green. He no longer attempts to scrape away his green skin; he discovers he can still be himself. The fun-loving python is last seen teaching two youthful yellow snakes spectacular figure eights.

The book concludes with two pages of snake notes that will appeal to teachers and parents. Children learn that a snake's skin is dry, not slimy as many believe. They learn that pythons lay eggs, the ingenious methods snakes employ to capture prey, why snakes are valued by humans, and more.

Inspired by her childhood in Minnesota, Janell Cannon recalled the hordes of garter snakes that surfaced in the springtime. She and her brother would gather up armfuls of them and bring them home to their lucky mother! Cannon was further intrigued by the perching habits and lovely color of the green tree pythons at the San Diego Zoo. She said, "The radical change of color that these snakes undergo from hatching time to adulthood also provided the vehicle for the main theme of the story -- fear of transition."

Cannon's award-winning first book, Stellaluna, celebrated bats and friendship. Her second book, Trupp, also garnered praise for its weaving of the fictional and the real. In Verdi, Cannon has crafted another treasure. Its canny evocation of what it's like to change, grow up, and grow old is memorably brought to life. This is a charmer of a book without the snake oil of artifice. Verdi grows comfortable in his own skin and remains true to himself. Great insights -- and they are rendered with poignancy. Cannon delivers yet another artful gem that is sure to appeal to readers and critics alike.

Field, Barbara. (1997). Verdi. BookPage Children’s Interview. Retrieved from http://www.bookpage.com/9705bp/childrens/verdi.html

Library Use

Librarians could use this book for use in teaching science in the library, specifically for studying animals of the rainforest.  It has a good storyline, but also teaches facts about green pythons and other animals found in rainforests.  It would be great to compile multiple books and resources about rainforest animals for students to do research on.  Students could choose an animal they want to know more about and report what they learn as well.

Module 5 - Monster

Bibliographic Information

Myers, W. D. (1999). Monster. New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books.

Summary

This is the story of Steven Harmon, a 16 year old who is on trial for murder.  He is a good kid with promising qualities of being a film producer, but hangs around the wrong people in the neighborhood.  He enters a convenience store to purchase something.  As he is exiting, he nods at some “friends” standing on the street corner.  They then entered the convenience store, committed a robbery, and ended up killing the store clerk.  They claim that he gave them a signal that the coast was clear.  He claims his innocence, but still has to go through living in jail until the trial is over.  His family is supportive, but is hurting because of the situation.  The book is written in an unusual format of conversations between the characters, as a future movie production.  It contains graphic descriptions of life in jail, as well as the feelings and fears that Steve has for the time being, as well as his future.

Impressions

This book was interesting to me, but was difficult to read at first.  I wanted to finish it to find out if he was found guilty or not, so I continued through the odd format and finished the book.  The graphic descriptions are disturbing, but if you imagine yourself in Steve’s position, you feel his fear.  I think this is a good read for high school students who might be heading in the wrong direction with others of bad influence.

Reviews

In a riveting novel from Myers (At Her Majesty’s Request, 1999, etc.), a teenager who dreams of being a filmmaker writes the story of his trial for felony murder in the form of a movie script, with journal entries after each day’s action. Steve is accused of being an accomplice in the robbery and murder of a drug store owner. As he goes through his trial, returning each night to a prison where most nights he can hear other inmates being beaten and raped, he reviews the events leading to this point in his life. Although Steve is eventually acquitted, Myers leaves it up to readers to decide for themselves on his protagonist’s guilt or innocence. The format of this taut and moving drama forcefully regulates the pacing; breathless, edge-of-the-seat courtroom scenes written entirely in dialogue alternate with thoughtful, introspective journal entries that offer a sense of Steve’s terror and confusion, and that deftly demonstrate Myers’s point: the road from innocence to trouble is comprised of small, almost invisible steps, each involving an experience in which a “positive moral decision” was not made. (illustrations, not seen) (Fiction. 12-14)

(1999, May 1). [Review of Monster]. Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved from http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/adult/walter-dean-myers/monster-4/?spdy=1999

Library Use

Librarians could use this book for students in a book group facing similar issues of environment and life in general.  Students may feel that there is no escape from the environment they are in.  Reading about Steve’s experiences might bring to their attention that they should make good choices right now.  Any decision you make today can definitely have an effect on your future.

Book Trailer by Diana Pemberton

Module 5 - Goin' Someplace Special

Bibliographic Information

McKissack, P. (2001). Goin’ someplace special. New York: Atheneum/Anne Schwartz Books.

Summary

‘Tricia Ann is heading for Someplace Special.  That is not the real name of her destination but an imaginary name that fits the place very well.  On the way ‘Tricia Ann has to deal with segregation laws.  She rides in the very crowded colored section of the bus while the white section is almost empty.  She is not able to sit down and enjoy the fountain that her grandfather helped to build because the benches are only for whites.  Her destination is not the Southland Hotel, the nearby restaurant across the street, or even the movie theater.  She knows that she cannot go into these places simply because of the color of her skin.  All along her route she encounters things that upset her, and she feels they are unfair until she comes to Someplace Special, which ends up being the public library where the sign says “All Are Welcome.”

Impressions

The author’s note at the end of the book explains that this is her own story.  Patricia McKissack had to deal with the Jim Crow segregation laws, and all of the events in this story took place during her own childhood in Nashville, Tennessee.  She explains that she had to deal with racial bigotry and discrimination in her young life, and that it was her grandmother that made her believe the library was someplace really special.  Patricia Ann visited it often.  Although it was upsetting to read about this young girl’s experiences, I enjoyed the fact that she did find the place where she was welcome and felt comfortable.  She did not let the discrimination of others get her down.  I liked her determination.

Reviews

Every once in a while a special picture book comes along. On the shelf it calls out to you immediately. The moment you hold it in your hands you know it's a treasure you will want to read and share for years to come. Goin' Someplace Special is just such a book.

Patricia C. McKissack is one of our foremost authors for young people. Here, she tells her own story of growing up in Nashville in the segregated 1950s. Lovingly illustrated in pencil and watercolors by award-winning artist Jerry Pinkney, Goin' Someplace Special follows a girl named 'Tricia Ann as she leaves the protective comfort of her grandmother, Mama Frances, to take a big step. She is going downtown alone, to Someplace Special.

In Goin' Someplace Special we see the Jim Crow world through 'Tricia Ann's eyes. There's the sign on the bus that says "Colored Section," the bench by the Peace Fountain that reads, "For Whites Only" and the Southland Hotel's grand lobby, where 'Tricia Ann wanders in by mistake, only to be yelled at and ousted by the manager. This journey away from her grandmother's loving arms is frightening indeed. But throughout, 'Tricia Ann is supported by friends and neighbors. In the bus, Mrs. Gannell tells her, "Carry yo'self proud." And Jimmy Lee, a street vendor, helps keep her spirits up. "Don't let those signs steal yo' happiness," he tells her.

In the end, 'Tricia Ann reaches her destination. And it is only then that the reader learns that Someplace Special is the Nashville Public Library, which in the late 1950s quietly voted to integrate its facilities.

Recently I asked Patricia McKissack if she had been thinking of writing this book for a long time. She responded, "For years and years. But I did not want to write an angry book. I wanted children to feel they can make it to whatever destination they are trying to reach. I wanted this to be a book of triumph."

A book of triumph it is. With the love of family and the support of community, young Patricia McKissack did reach her destination and fulfill her dreams of becoming all she knew she could be. Children who read this beautiful, poignant story will be inspired to do the same.

Hopkinson, Deborah. (2001). Goin’ Someplace Special. Children’s BookPage. Retrieved from http://www.bookpage.com/0110bp/children/goin_someplace_special.html

In a story that will endear itself to children's librarians and, for that matter, all library lovers, 'Tricia Ann begs her grandmother to be allowed to go alone to Someplace Special.

Mama Frances acquiesces, sending her off with instructions: " ‘And no matter what, hold yo' head up and act like you b'long to somebody.' " 'Tricia Ann's special place is not revealed until the end, but on the way there, the humiliating racism she encounters on the city bus, in the park, and in a downtown hotel almost causes her to give up. " ‘Getting to Someplace Special isn't worth it,' she sobbed." When she recalls her grandmother's words: " ‘You are somebody, a human being—no better, no worse than anybody else in this world,' " she regains the determination to continue her journey, in spite of blatant segregation and harsh Jim Crow laws. " Public Library: All Are Welcome" reads the sign above the front door of Someplace Special; Mama Frances calls it "a doorway to freedom." Every plot element contributes to the theme, leaving McKissack's autobiographical work open to charges of didacticism. But no one can argue with its main themes: segregation is bad, learning and libraries are good. Pinkney's trademark watercolors teem with realistically drawn people, lush city scenes, and a spunky main character whose turquoise dress, enlivened with yellow flowers and trim, jumps out of every picture. A lengthy author's endnote fills in the background for adults on McKissack's childhood experiences with the Nashville Public Library. This library quietly integrated all of its facilities in the late 1950s, and provided her with the story's inspiration.

A natural for group sharing; leave plenty of time for the questions and discussion that are sure to follow. (Picture book. 5-9)

(2001, September 15). Goin’ Someplace Special. Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved from http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/childrens-books/patricia-c-mckissack/goin-someplace-special/

Library Use

Librarians could use this book to discuss life in the 1950’s while segregation was still the norm.  It could be used during the month of February as one of the readings for Black History Month, not only for introducing an African American author, but also the historical events that took place in the book.

Module 4 - Island of the Blue Dolphins

Bibliographic Information

O’Dell, S. (1960). Island of the blue dolphins. Cambridge: The Riverside Press.

Summary

This is the story of a young woman who accidentally remains behind on an island when her entire tribe decides to leave.  The island, which we later learn is currently called San Nicolas, is shaped like a dolphin lying on its side.

Karana is the daughter of the chief of the tribe.  The story begins when she is twelve.  A Russian captain comes to their island with his crew of Aleuts to hunt otter.  Karana’s father bargains with the Aleuts allowing them to hunt around the island.  In return, they would be paid in beads and iron spearheads.  A battle occurs when the Aleuts try to leave the island and trick the islanders.  Most of the men of the tribe, including Karana’s father, are killed in the battle.  The new chief, Kimki, makes a new law that everyone will hunt for food, because there are not enough young men left to support the tribe.  Kimki decides the next spring, to get in a canoe and head east to try and find a new place for the tribe to live.  The following spring, a boat arrives to take the tribe to the new land.  In the confusion of the tribe packing up and leaving the island, Karana’s little brother, Ramo, who is eight, is left behind. Although the captain of the boat has promised to return for her brother, Karana decides to swim back to the island to be with her brother.  Just a few days later, Ramo is killed by a pack of wild dogs leaving Karana all alone on the island.  Although the laws of the tribe forbid women to make or handle tools, Karana is forced to become inventive and figure out how to do this to survive; not only to collect food but to protect herself from the wild dogs.

She attempts to leave the island and guide herself by the stars.  Her canoe starts leaking on the second day, and she is forced to return back to the island.  She never again attempts to leave on her own.  When she returns, she decides to build a home and use whale ribs that have washed up on the beach to build a fence to keep the predators out.  Karana eventually shoots the leader of the wild dog pack, but instead of killing him, she wounds him.  She ends up helping to heal him, and the dog, Rontu, becomes her pet.  Later in the story, Rontu fights the pack of wild dogs and after winning the battle, the pack never comes around Rontu or Karana again.

Two summers later, the Aleuts return to the island, but Karana is too frightened of them to let them know she has been abandoned and is all alone.

Several years pass and Rontu dies of old age, so Karana finds another dog, which is probably Rontu’s son, and makes a pet out of Rontu-Aru.  A tsunami hits the island and she spends one night and one day with earthquakes rocking the island, but there was not much damage.

A ship comes that is not the Aleuts, but by the time she gathers all of her possessions and goes to the beach to let them know that she is there alone, it is gone.  Two springs later, the same boat returns.  She leaves with them and goes to the Mission Santa Barbara where she learns that all of her tribe members are gone.  They sank in a great storm shortly after leaving her and that is why no one had ever come back for her.

We find out at the end that there really was a young woman called The Lost Woman of San Nicolas.  She lived alone from 1835-1853 on a remote island that is seventy-five miles southwest of Los Angeles, California.  

Impressions

The story had a lot of action.  There was never a time that the story slowed down and became boring.  It was very interesting that the author, Scott O’Dell, based this story on an actual young woman known as The Lost Woman of San Nicolas.  Karana had to endure a great deal of hardships and spent the biggest part of her life alone.  Historians believe that the real character was alone on the island for eighteen years.  We get a real sense of the fear and loneliness that Karana experienced just by the way O’Dell wrote the story.

Reviews

Finally, check your shelves to see if you need hardcover replacement copies of two collection staples. A 50th Anniversary Edition of Scott O'Dell's Island of the Blue Dolphins (Gr 5-9) is available from Houghton Mifflin. Illustrated with Ted Lewin's luscious full-page artwork (from the 1990 edition), this Newbery Medal winner has a new introduction by Lois Lowry that provides a historical note about the real-life individual upon whom the book was based ("known to history as Juana Maria" or the Lone Woman of San Nicolas) along with insights about the novel's themes and meaning for young readers..

Fleishhacker, Joy. (2011, February 1). Fresh Approaches: Not-to-Miss Anniversary Editions and Reissues.  School Library Journal. Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/mobilemoverflow/889003-462/fresh_approaches_not-to-miss_anniversary_editions.html.csp

In a gripping novel based on a true survival story, O'Dell gives us one of literature's most heroic female protagonists, a Native American girl who lives alone on an island for 18 years. A Newbery Medal winner.

 (2000, January 1). One Hundred Books that Shaped the Century.  School Library Journal. Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA153035.html

Gr 5-8 –Based on the life of a real Chumash Indian girl abandoned on an island off the coast of California in the 1800s, this story describes how Karana was self-sustaining for 18 years before rescue. O'Dell details how she made clothing from animal skins, constructed weapons to fend off wild dogs, and dried fish to augment her food supply. This remarkable heroine continues to inspire readers and teach them about Native American lore. Audio book available from Listening Library.

Reutter, Vicki. (2004, May 1). Adventure and Survival. School Library Journal. Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA413006.html

Library Use

Librarians could use this book to introduce and discuss the characteristics of historical fiction, along with how the author based the novel on a woman that actually lived. 

Module 4 - Roller Skates

Bibliographic Information

Sawyer, R. (1936). Roller skates. New York: Viking Press.

 

Summary

This story is set in New York in the 1890s.  It is about a 10 year old girl named Lucinda.  Lucinda is an unusual, independent, curious little girl who considers herself an orphan in what she says is her “loveliest year of all.”  Lucinda’s parents have gone to Europe for one year and left her in the care of Miss Peters.  Instead of feeling alone, she looks at this time as an adventure.  She is not ladylike like her aunt Emily says she should be which causes her aunt to be very critical of her.  Lucinda would rather spend time with her uncle Earle.  Uncle Earle introduces her to interesting stories in his library, which she enjoys so much better than sewing lessons that Aunt Emily insists every young lady must endure.

Even before Lucinda goes to Miss Peters’ apartment after the departure of her parents, she starts finding friends.  She meets Mr. Gilligan, who is the carriage cab driver.  She loves visiting with him in his cab and looks for him every time she needs a ride across town.  Mr. Gilligan invites Lucinda to his home, and she spends many hours visiting with him and his wife.

Most of the time, Lucinda is traveling on her roller skates.  This is how she is able to go around town and meet so many interesting people.  She becomes friends with Patrolman M’Gonegal, who works the block down from where she is staying.  She enjoys spending time with Tony, whose father owns a fruit stand.  She meets an interesting lady she calls “Princess Zayda.”  She helps Zayda because she cannot speak English very well.  She also meets a tiny little girl named Trinket who lives in the apartment above her.  Trinket is very poor, so Lucinda finds little ways to help her.

Lucinda never seems to be afraid.  One day she and Tony have a picnic on a vacant lot.  They make baked potatoes using charcoal and tin cans.  Along comes a rough character called the “rag man.”  They share their lunch with him.  He is very dirty, but he tells them how he is going to be rich by picking up all the trash in the city because he finds a lot of treasures hidden there.

Everyone enjoys Lucinda, but she does get in trouble in school.  She sometimes runs over people with her skates if she is late.  She is always upsetting her aunt with her adventures.  Miss Peters just tries to watch Lucinda the best she can, but she is worried about her.

It is a very interesting year for Lucinda.  She celebrates Christmas without her parents and finds ways to entertain herself.  She grows two inches and learns a lot about friends, death, and cruelty.  Her little friend Trinket gets very sick and dies, then Princess Zayda is murdered.  Uncle Earle helps during this time, and she accepts these events very well for a 10 year old child.  Lucinda keeps a diary and a little box with all her treasures hid away in her room.  When it is time for her parents to return, Lucinda isn’t ready.  She wants to stay there, enjoy her freedom, and stay 10 years old forever.  She knows that this was the most, magical time she would ever have in her life.  This was the year she would never forget.

Impressions

I thought this was a very unusual book.  I enjoyed reading it, but felt like the things Lucinda did by herself were very dangerous.  She put herself in harm’s way many times by the things she did.  She loved being allowed to skate all over the place and sometimes got into trouble.  Reading about life in the 1890’s was interesting, but I’m not sure if I would recommend this book for a young child.  There were tragedies in the story that were difficult to understand, as well as the use of language and slang that might be confusing for young readers.

Reviews

In this 1937 Newbery Award winner, Lucinda's parents leave on a trip to Italy, and she is shipped off to the suitably kind and satisfactorily inattentive Misses Peters. Free of parental oversight, Lucinda begins her adventures. Narrator Kate Forbes overcomes the somewhat leisurely construction of the plot by maintaining a lively, enthusiastic pace. Because this is so entirely Lucinda's story, Forbes distinguishes the minor characters by only the slightest of variations, and settles instead for gently underlining the vividly graceful images that are the hallmark of Sawyer's narrative style.

(2001, November/December). [Review of the audio book Roller skates]. Horn Book. Retrieved from http://www.flr.follett.com/search?SID=42e5dc3481488075420b538b7f4b4518

Gr 4-7-This recording of the 1937 Newbery Award-winning book by Ruth Sawyer (Penguin Putnam, pap. 1986) is read by television and stage actress Kate Forbes. The story takes place in New York City in the 1890s, during the year of 10-year-old Lucinda's "orphanage." That's Lucinda's term for her situation when her parents go to Italy and leave her in the care of Miss Peters and Miss Nettie. Lucinda, enjoying her freedom, explores the city on roller skates and makes friends wherever she goes. She reads Shakespeare with her uncle, puts on her own production of The Tempest, creates a magical Christmas for a little girl from an impoverished family, helps a family protect their fruit stand from attacks by rowdy boys, and has picnics in a vacant lot, among other adventures. Forbes does a good job with the reading, conveying Lucinda's enthusiasm but not becoming overly dramatic. However, the story suffers from age. Certain expressions and references are likely to elude most children (and even many adults). The obligatory tragedies (the death of Trinket, the unexplained murder of a woman Lucinda befriends) seem a little maudlin. There is also some ethnic stereotyping, typical of the time, which is unacceptable today. However, in libraries where Newbery books are always in demand, this audio- book will help make an older book a little more accessible to young readers.-Sarah Flowers, Santa Clara County Library, Morgan Hill, CA Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Flowers, Sarah. (2002, April 1). [Review of the audio book Roller skates]. School Library Journal. Retrieved from http://www.flr.follett.com/search?SID=42e5dc3481488075420b538b7f4b4518

Library Use

Librarians could use this book to introduce older students to our predecessors’ way of life.  I would recommend use for 5^th or 6^th grade students in relation to the 10 year old character in the book.

Module 3 - Smoky Night

Bibliographic Information

Bunting, E. (1994). Smoky night. Orlando: Harcourt Brace & Company.

Summary

This is a story about a little boy and his mother watching a riot taking place down below on the streets in their neighborhood.  They are sitting in the dark and seem to be afraid to turn on the lights.  There is so much noise with angry looking people smashing everything.  It looks like fog outside with smoke, and they see flames in the distance.  While he is holding tight to his cat, Jasmine, he asks his mother what is happening.  She states, “It can happen when people get angry.  They want to smash and destroy.  They don’t care anymore what’s right and what’s wrong.”  The boy and his mother continue to watch and see people taking TVs out of an appliance store.  They break into Mrs. Kim’s market across the street and start throwing cartons of food outside.  The little boy says that he and his mother don’t go to Mrs. Kim’s store because “Mama says it’s better if we buy from our own people.”  Mrs. Kim also has a big, fat orange cat that fights with Jasmine all the time.

Later that evening, the streets start to get quiet.  Jasmine, the little boy, and his mother sleep together.  Suddenly the boy wakes up with his mother shaking him and telling him to get up.  He smells smoke and hears someone yelling that there is a fire in the building.  He immediately looks for Jasmine, but he cannot find her.  They have to leave the building and the little boy is very worried.  Everyone is telling him not to worry because cats are very smart.  He tells a fireman to look out for Jasmine.

They walk away from their building, and it is very scary because of the sights they see outside.  They go to a church where they are sheltered for the night.  A fireman shows up with Jasmine and the big orange cat that belongs to Mrs. Kim.  They aren’t fighting now.  The fireman tells them they were found under the stairs in the building sitting side by side.  The little boy makes a statement “They aren’t fighting.  They probably didn’t know each other before, now they do.”  Everyone gets very quiet.  After that, the mother and Mrs. Kim start to talk.  The experience of the fire and the riots brings a change in the attitude from the little boy’s mother and Mrs. Kim showing how important it is to get along with everyone, no matter what background or nationality you are.

Impressions

I enjoyed reading this book and could almost feel just how scared the characters were as I read about the things taking place.  The noise, the stealing, and the voices of the people were vividly described by the little boy, and the fire in the building added to the excitement.  The illustrations were excellent, which is no surprise considering it is the 1995 Caldecott winner.  I also liked that the author used a cat in the story to break down the racial barrier between the little boy, his mother, and their neighbor, Mrs. Kim.  I would recommend this book for older children to better understand the underlying racial issues.

Reviews

Ages 5-9. Bunting says she wrote this story after the Los Angeles riots made her wonder about what riots mean to the children who live through them. A boy and his cat look down from the window at people rioting in the streets below. His mother explains that rioting can happen when people get angry: "They want to smash and destroy. They don't care anymore what's right and wrong." The boy says that they look angry, but they look happy, too. He sees them looting Mrs. Kim's grocery store across the street; his mother never shopped there. That night, the apartment building burns, and everyone has to rush out to the shelter. The boy's cat is gone, and so is Mrs. Kim's cat, but a kind fire fighter finds both animals; they were hiding together. Then Bunting overstates her message: maybe the people, like the cats, need to get to know each other, so the boy's mother and Mrs. Kim agree to visit. Diaz's art is powerful--pulsating and crowded; part street mural, part urban collage. In each double-page spread, the background is a photograph of found objects and debris in a variety of textures and jagged shapes. On the right-hand page is an acrylic painting like a view through a heavy window, with thick lines and bright neon colors showing a multicultural cast. In fine contrast, the story is told quietly from the child's point of view, safe with his mother despite the fear, reaching out to the neighborhood community within the chaos.

(1994, March 1). [Review of the book Smoky night].  Booklist, 93, 13. Retrieved from http://www.flr.follett.com/search?SID=616e74f355cfb5db34db451a5da0eb44

Bunting addresses urban violence in this thought-provoking and visually exciting picture book inspired by the Los Angeles riots. Although they're neighbors, Daniel's cat and Mrs. Kim's cat don't get along. Nor do Daniel and his mother shop at Mrs. Kim's market. ``It's better if we buy from our own people,'' Daniel's mother says. But when Daniel's apartment building goes up in flames, all of the neighbors (including the cats) learn the value of bridging differences. Bunting does not explicitly connect her message about racism with the riots in her story's background, but her work is thoroughly believable and taut, steering clear of the maudlin or didactic. Diaz's dazzling mixed-media collages superimpose bold acrylic illustrations on photographs of carefully arranged backgrounds that feature a wide array of symbolic materials--from scraps of paper and shards of broken glass to spilled rice and plastic dry-cleaner bags. Interestingly, Diaz doesn't strongly differentiate the presumably Asian American Mrs. Kim from the African American characters--even the artwork here cautions the reader against assumptions about race. Ages 5-up. (Mar.)

(1994, January 31). [Review of the book Smoky night]. Publishers Weekly. Retrieved from  http://www.flr.follett.com/search?SID=616e74f355cfb5db34db451a5da0eb44

Library Use

Librarians could use this book to discuss the lesson that people may be different colors, have different beliefs, and be from different cultures, but inside we are all human.  We must treat each other with respect and live in peace to avoid such incidents that happened in the story.

Module 3 - The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses

Bibliographic Information

Goble, P. (1992). The girl who loved wild horses. New York: Scholastic.

Summary

A young girl from an Indian village has a special bond with the village horses.  During a thunderstorm she jumps onto the back of a horse and is taken far from home with the frightened herd.  A spotted stallion told her he was the leader of the wild horses and asked her to stay with them.  A year later, two hunters found her riding with the wild horses and leading a colt.  She was taken back to her village, but she was not happy there and decided to go back and live with the wild horses.  The girl received gifts from her parents and gave them the colt in exchange.  Each year she came back and gave her parents a colt.  One year she did not return and hunters saw a beautiful mare with the spotted stallion.  The hunters decided that the girl had turned into the mare.

Impressions

This is a very good story that allows children a glimpse at the past Indian lifestyle.  Any child with affection for horses will be delighted with this story.  The illustrations are colorful and interesting too.

Reviews

This is a children's book that is based on the Lakota legend of where a girl who loves horses finally becomes one of them. This is a story that was more than likely told to children around a campfire. There were many stories that were told around campfires. Some were fictional, while most were events that actually happened. It was up to the individual to determine which ones were real and which ones were not. Each one had meaning. In my opinion, this is a variation of an actual event. Since symbolism is a big part of our oral culture, I believe that this story is a prime example.

Watts, Linda S. (n.d.). Book Reviews: The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses, by Paul Goble. Helium. Retrieved from http://www.helium.com/items/1475552-the-girl-who-loved-wild-horses-by-paul-goble

There are many parallel legends--the seal women, for example, with their strange sad longings--but none is more direct than this American Indian story of a girl who is carried away in a horses' stampede. . . to ride thenceforth by the side of a beautiful stallion who leads the wild horses. The girl had always loved horses, and seemed to understand them ""in a special way""; a year after her disappearance her people find her riding beside the stallion, calf in tow, and take her home despite his strong resistance. But she is unhappy and returns to the stallion; after that, a beautiful mare is seen riding always beside him. Goble tells the story soberly, allowing it to settle, to find its own level. The illustrations are in the familiar striking Goble style, but softened out here and there with masses of flowers and foliage--suitable perhaps for the switch in subject matter from war to love, but we miss the spanking clean design of Custer's Last Battle and The Fetterman Fight.

(n.d.). The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses.  Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved from http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/childrens-books/paul-goble-2/the-girl-who-loved-wild-horses/

Library Use

Librarians could use this book to introduce legends and myths from different cultures.  Books from other cultures could be read and students could compare and contrast the similarities and differences between the books.  This activity could be used as a whole group or in small groups with discussion and sharing.