Lori's comments (member since Jan 29, 2009)

Lori's comments from the Spring 09 LLED, Altoona group.

Lori Bower
The Pennsylvania State University, Altoona College
3000 Ivyside Park
Altoona, PA 16601-3760


March 26, 2009

The Lewis Carroll Society
50 Lauderdale Mansions
Lauderdale Road
London
W9 1NE

Dear Sir or Madam:

Please find enclosed an award, presented by The Pennsylvania State University’s Altoona College Arts and Literacy program, in honor of the work of Mr. Lewis Carroll, which I hope your society will accept on his behalf.

As part of the Arts and Literacy curriculum, students in the Elementary Education program are required to create an award that that exemplifies one or more elements of children’s literature, as designated by the award creator. Nominations are then solicited from fellow classmates, and the award creator chooses a winning book from those nominees.

The award I created celebrates the use of inventive and unusual language in children’s literature. Developing a love for language is the crucial first step of each child’s lifelong relationship with literacy, which provides the fuel for a passion for writing. As Ralph Fletcher writes in What a Writer Needs, “the writer’s fascination with words has roots in the child’s natural play with language… each new word [brings:] you into a whole new room, filled with new views and distinct, intellectual furniture.” The objective of my award was to find the book whose room may provide a view into a secret world outside the reader’s realm of experience; a room whose furniture may inexplicably cross legs and engage in lively conversation with the reader over a cup of sassafras tea – just before whirling around to swallow him whole. By flinging open wide the doors that separate fantasy from reality, books that engage in language play give our emerging readers and writers a springboard into their own imaginations, and the limitless possibilities that exist there.

Mr. Carroll’s Jabberwocky is the essence of this award. Unconventional, imaginative, and deliciously dark, the story of the Jabberwock is an evocative, multi-sensory experience that somehow prods the evolution of “nonsense” prose into a well-developed, and terrifying, story. A new language born in the mind of a gifted author becomes the vehicle for our gentle reader’s extraordinary journey into a previously undiscovered world. It is through stories such as Jabberwocky that children can glimpse the magic that is made possible only through a love affair with words, and in turn can begin to cultivate their own relationship with language -- one that we, as educators, hope will blossom into a lifelong passion for reading and literacy.

Warm regards,



Lori Bower

I nominate the book "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by JK Rowling. Imaginative and extremely well-written, this first installment in the series introduces us to our hero, Harry, who is an orphan living with wicked relatives. When he turns 11, it is revealed to Harry by Albus Dumbledore that he is actually a wizard, and Harry is shuffled off to Hogwarts, where he commences his studies on perfecting his wizardry. This book is appropriate for fluent readers of any age to read independently, and it works as a read aloud for children as young as 7.

I nominate the book "Dear Bruno" for this award. This book is in the form of a letter, written to a young boy who has been diagnosed with cancer, from a woman who has battled the disease and won. Through humor, honesty and encouragement, the book explains various treatments for cancer, the testing involved, and most importantly, the emotional impact of the disease. Due to its unique letter format, this book could be used as a read aloud for any grade level, but would be most appropriate for grades 4-6 as an independent read.

I nominate "The Lorax" by Dr. Seuss for this award. The message of the Lorax is more important now than it has ever been, and this book is an excellent way to introduce young students to the concepts of social responsibility and environmental concerns. As the Lorax persists in "speaking for the trees," he also teaches the importance of setting priorities, standing one's ground, and defending those who are unable to speak for themselves. This book could be used in Grades K-4, but its message is valuable at any age.

I nominate "Wild About Books" by Judy Sierra (Author) and Marc Brown (Illustrator). Written in rhyme, this book is about a librarian who drives a bookmobile and accidentally takes a detour into a zoo. There, the animals gather to listen to the librarian read books from the likes of Dr. Seuss, and begin coming in droves to hear about this new thing called "reading" that is happening at the zoo. This book is written for a K-4 audience, and is an interesting and unique find.

I nominate the book "Heartbeat" by Sharon Creech for this award. Written by a Newberry Award winning author, this book is written in prose, and is the story of a young girl named Annie. A girl who loves to run just for the sake of running, Annie receives an assignment to draw a picture of an apple 100 times. Annie is experiencing tremendous change in her life -- her mother becomes pregnant, her beloved grandfather is getting older and losing his memory, and her best friend, Max, has been acting strangely. Throughout the story, and as the changes in her life unfold, Annie's apple drawing changes as well. Her final drawing is of an apple seed. Annie's apple represents not only the wisdom she acquires on her journey through this time of change, but the cycle of life.

I nominate the book "Horton Hatches the Egg" by Dr. Seuss for this award. Horton, the benevolent elephant, agrees to "egg sit" while the egg's true mother leaves on a merry jaunt, leaving Horton alone, through wind and rain and snow, to sit patiently and faithfully on the egg as promised. Horton and the mother bird are juxtaposed as good vs. bad, and illustrates not only the merits of keeping one's promises, but the trappings of taking advantage of those who come to our aid in times of need. This book is appropriate for grades 1-4.

I nominate the book "Socks" by Beverley Cleary, which is narrated by a family's pet cat, who is shocked by the addition of a new baby to the family. This book would be appropriate as a read aloud for an elementary classroom Grades 2-5. Presented from the cat's point of view, Socks goes through all the emotions any child would with the introduction of a new sibling to the family -- excitement, hesitation, jealousy, anger, and finally love and acceptance. This book provides a wonderful opportunity for children to talk about their feelings about their place in the family, and the addition of new siblings, past or present.

One of the finest and most prolific authors of our time, Langston Hughes' forgotten manuscript of alphabet and poetry was transformed by the incredibly talented students at Harlem School of the Arts. I nominated this book, not only because it is a family favorite, but because it was by an African-American author and illustrated by the predominantly African-American students at the Harlem School of the Arts. There is also a foreward by African-American actor Ben Vereen, who was a personal friend of Hughes.

I nominate the book "Rain, Rain, Rain Forest" by Brenda Z. Guiberson. This books talks about the importance to our environment of preserving the rainforests. Written for children in Grades K-4, students will get a glimpse of the effects of our ecological footprint, and may help inspire them to work toward protecting our most endangered species and wetlands from extinction. Beautifully written and illustrated.

I nominate "Today is Monday" by Eric Carle. Chock full of Carle's gifted illustrations, this book is all about food -- "String beans, spaghetti, ZOOOOP, roast beef, fresh fish, chicken and ice cream." The text can be read or sung, and is sure to be a hit in any K-3 classroom! It is also a great way to introduce children to the different varieties of food available, and how wonderful it can be to try new things to eat.

I nominate "Snowflake Bentley" by Jacqueline Briggs Martin. This picture book, written for Grades K-4, tells the story of Wilson Bentley, the self-taught scientist who discovered, using an old microscope given to him by his mother, that no two snowflake patterns are alike. This book not only focuses on the winter season, but on a fascinating element of the season: snowflakes. This book is a Caldecott Medal winner.

I nominate "Under the Persimmon Tree" by Susan Fisher Staples. This book, for Grades 4-6, is set in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The main character, Najmah, a young Afghan girl whose father and brother are forced by the Taliban to fight in the war, and who lost her mother and infant brother in an air raid. As she moves toward Pakistan, she meets Nusrat, an American woman married to a missing Afghan doctor.This book is beautifully written (Fisher Staples is a Newberry author), and the subject is timely, which make it an effective classroom tool for talking about one of the most controversial wars in our nation's history.

I nominate the book "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls. This is a heart-wrenching, powerful story about a boy and his beloved coonhound dogs. It is a story of love, loss, grief, and the quiet peace of acceptance and remembrance. This book is appropriate for 6th grade, and deals gracefully with the subjects of death and mourning, as well as an exceptional retelling and application of the Native American legend regarding the elusive red fern, which provides the central character with so much comfort. It would be an invaluable tool for talking to children about death, and walking them through the grieving process. Be forewarned: you WILL cry when you read this book.

I nominate the book "And Tango Makes Three" by Justin Richardson for the best children's book about love. This story of two male penguins who adopt an egg and raise the baby penguin, Tango, as their own, is a wonderful way to show children that love truly does exist in many wonderful forms. This book is appropriate for K-3 classrooms, and broaches the often uncomfortable subjects of same-sex relationships, parenting, and emphasizes the inherent nature and sincerity of love between individuals of the same gender.

I nominate "The Boy, The Bear, The Baron, The Bard" by Gregory Rogers. Written for Grades 1-4 and set in Shakespeare's London, this book is beautifully illustrated and offers glimpses of the theater, adventure, magic, and friendship. It is inventive and fun, and very different from many other wordless books on the shelves today.

I nominate "The Velveteen Rabbit" by Margery Williams Bianco for best book using animals and personification. The characters in this book are not only animals, but stuffed animals, and the author does an amazing job of bringing them to life while the child in the story sleeps. Personification is key to the themes of family ties, love, and the value giving and receiving love gives to one's existence. This story would be appropriate for a read aloud at any age, but it would be a great choice for independent reading in Grades 2-5.

I nominate the book, the Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown. This has been the favorite bedtime story in my family for almost 18 years. It is beautifully illustrated, easy to read and understand, and conveys the universal theme of the bond between mother and child, and the inevitable approach of the day they must let each other go. This book is appropriate for K-4 classrooms, but the theme reaches beyond the elementary grades.

When it came to inventing new and interesting words, Dr. Seuss was the master! From Oobleck, to Sneetch, to the Grinch himself, Dr. Seuss used words as a painter might use watercolors, never allowing the constraints of something as silly as a dictionary to get in the way of his fun. And it WAS fun -- not just for him, but for the millions of children who giggled through his books.

This award is for the author who best emulates Dr. Seuss' uncanny ability to create and use language that is, in the words of Ralph Fletcher, both "wrong and wonderful" to tell their story. Books should be written for children in K-6. Deadline for award nominations is March 5, 2009.

Works cited: Fletcher, R. (1993) What a Writer Needs. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, p. 142.