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

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

The winner of the Gracie's Cry Award is...
"When the Rain SIngs: Poems by Young Native Americans" edited by Francis Lee. This compilation of poetry embodied all the criteria of the award. The cry within the young writers was almost audible as one reads these spirit-filled creations. I believe that this book has several features which make it a "must-have" for middle-school teachers: 1. It contains several different types of poetry and provides excellent examples of many literary elements such as symbolism, metaphor, and allegory. 2. Every poem was written by a young person. It serves as an inspiration to students to voice their own personal feelings and experiences. 3. Pictures of Native American artifacts infiltrate the pages of the book which help the students to visualize and better appreciate the culture. This book was a project sponsored by the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian. It would certainly be a great supplement in Social Studies.
4. It increases insight into Native American traditions and sheds light on the struggles that they not only faced in the past but also face today.

Thank you, Darlene Pennington for introducing me to this amazing compilation of heart cries!

The winner of the Gracie's Cry Award is...
"When the Rain SIngs: Poems by Young Native Americans" edited by Francis Lee. This compilation of poetry embodied all the criteria of the award. The cry within the young writers was almost audible as one reads these spirit-filled creations. I believe that this book has several features which make it a "must-have" for middle-school teachers: 1. It contains several different types of poetry and provides excellent examples of many literary elements such as symbolism, metaphor, and allegory. 2. Every poem was written by a young person. It serves as an inspiration to students to voice their own personal feelings and experiences. 3. Pictures of Native American artifacts infiltrate the pages of the book which help the students to visualize and better appreciate the culture. This book was a project sponsored by the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian. It would certainly be a great supplement in Social Studies. 4. It increases insight into Native American traditions and sheds light on the struggles that they not only faced in the past but also face today.

Thank you, Darlene Pennington for introducing me to this amazing compilation of heart cries!

I nominate "Star Girl" by Jerry Spinelli. Star Girl is a strong female protagonist who overflows with kindness, to the point where some people reject her. Fearless individuality makes "Star Girl" a great read for middle school students. When I first read this book, I had to read it all at once because I couldn't put it down. I believe that Spinelli invented a character who has the power to invoke a spirit of greater kindness in the reader. I believe that for this reason alone it deserves the "Here You Go" award.

I nominate "Gillygaloos and Gollywhoppers: Tall Tales about Mythical Monsters" by Ennis Rees. This book of verse is devoted to the creation of strange and hilarious creatures through the use of inventive words. Although this book was written decades ago, I feel it still has the power to inspire young writers to try their own hand at crafting colorful works through the use of inventive language.

I nominate "Take Me Out of the Bathtub and Other Silly Dilly Songs" by Alan Katz. This book of poems are complimented by silly dilly illustrations and can be sung to the tune of familiar children's songs. Oh, they rhyme, and they will likely incite wild laughter among children; therefore, I recommend using with caution.

I nominate "Dear World: How Children Around the World Feel About Our Environment", edited by Lannis Temple and written by children all over the world. Temple calls this "a collection of letter, drawings, and photos from the heart". He compiled it from travels to many countries to visit with children and hear their feelings about the wonders of this planet and their ideas on how and why we need to protect it and appreciate it.

I nominate "Jin Woo" by Eve Bunting. "Jin Woo" is the name of the baby who young David's parents are going to adopt from Korea. David is not so sure about all of this excitement though. The text and life-like illustrations by Chris Soentpiet vividly depict some of the strong emotional responses that children can have when a new sibling addition comes along, which is why I feel that this book is deserving of this award.

I nominate "50 Ways To Take the Junk Out of Junk Food" by Julie Whittingham. This cookbook contains nutritious treats that will boost energy rather than fill kids up with sugar, fat, and empty calories. These recipes are also simple enough that most kids could prepare themselves. This book proves that eating smart can be a great thing!

I wish to nominate "A Turkey for Thanksgiving" by Eve Bunting. A whole community of woodland animals are personified in this holiday tale. One thing is missing from Mr. and Mrs. Moose's Thanksgiving Day preparations-the turkey. The forest friends go on the hunt and come back with an understandably reluctant Turkey. Turkey's emotions are humorously depicted by the illustrator, Diane de Groat. I feel that this work of personification is deserving of this award.

I nominate "Dragon Soup" by Arlene Williams. The brightly colored action-packed illustrations support the text and help the reader want to know the whole story of how the Tonlu bravely went into the clouds to seek the dragons' treasure to help her family pay a debt and keep her from being forced into marriage with the village merchant. Her craftiness and courage help her to do even more than she sets out to. I think that this book is deserving of this award due to its skillful use of Asian mythology and mythological creatures to tell a story with a moral, while depicting a strong female protagonist. Dragon Soup

I nominate "Mirandy and Brother Wind" by Patricia McKissak. Mirandy is a young African American girl in the early 20th century who desperately wants to win the cakewalk (a dance tradition of African American culture). She chases after Brother Wind, who is beautifully personified through the text and illustrations, to make him her dance partner. She ends up with an unexpected partner and they "blow away" the competition. Patricia McKissak has written several books which celebrate African American culture, including "Flossie and the Fox". I feel that she and her efforts are deserving of this award.

I nominate "My Book for Kids with Cansur: A Child's Autobiography of Hope" by 8-year-old Jason Gaes. This book is written and illustrated by a child with first-hand experience with cancer, surgery, and various treatments. He gives open and honest insight into his personal experience, offering hope and comfort to those who are suffering from cancer or have questions about it.

I nominate "Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter" by Diane Stanley. This rendition of the classic fairy tale twists all over the place. Rumpelstiltskin and the Miller's Daughter have a daughter who may not be able to weave straw into gold, but manages to prove herself quite crafty, as she tricks the king into restoring food and clothing to the people he had previously ravaged in his insatiable pursuit for gold.

"Love don't mean all that kissing like on television...", says Eloise Greenfield through the character voice of a young African American girl in "Honey, I Love...". This is a book of poetry that tells of a child's love for family, friends, neighbors, and life. I nominate this book because the theme is love, and its many different forms are portrayed so beautifully.

I nominate "The Sneetches" by Dr. Seuss. Through the use of inventive words and masterful use of end rhyme, a valuable lesson is taught about the importance of being content with who you are. The poor sneetches learn a lesson the hard way from an opportunist named McBean. Too often kids are bombarded with catch phrases like "be yourself"; some lessons just have to be learned through experience and some can be learned second-hand from yellow folk like sneetches!

Naomi Shiab Nye writes that "poetry, the most intimate form of expression, gives us a deeper sense of reality than headlines and news stories ever could". Nominations for the Gracie's Cry Award will be for a book written in poem form or prose which conveys a strong emotional response to an event which would be commonly covered as a news media headline. The books will be for readers of 2nd to 3rd grade. The event invoking the response must be clear to the reader. Nominations for this award are due by March 5, 2009.

This award is named for my new friend, Gracie, who was recently quite distraught. She explained that her reason for crying was twofold. First, she cried for the people of her native land of Palestine who are suffering great pain and tragedy linked to recent Israeli bombings. Secondly, she said that she cried because we in the Western World are unaware that any of this suffering is going on due to biased news coverage. Gracie's cry was intense and certainly gave me a "deeper sense of reality". It is to Gracie and her cry that I dedicate this award.

Work cited:
Nye, N. S. (1998). The flag of childhood: Poems from the Middle East. New York, NY: Aladdin Paperbacks (introduction)