Kirstin's comments
(member since Jun 26, 2008)
Kirstin's comments from the Children's Literature Awards, LLED Fall 08 group.
(showing 1-20 of 22)
Free to Be You and MeThe Southpaw is a book that appears in Free to be You and Me, a collection of stories compiled by Margo Thomas. In this story, two long-time friends, Richard and Janet, fight (via torn scraps of notebook paper) about whether or not girls should be allowed to play baseball on Richard's all-boy team. While it is clear throughout the story that Richard knows he needs Janet, as she is an excellent pitcher, he has a difficult time admitting it. Finally, logic prevails, and Janet becomes a hero for girls' rights.
Merry-Go-Round: A Book About NounsMany books about grammar and language are dry and uninteresting, but not Ruth Heller’s Merry-Go-Round: A book about nouns. Each page brings a new surprise, and the lessons are presented in such a lively and colorful manner that even plural constructions become interesting. The extensive and unusual choices in vocabulary will challenge its readers, whether child or adult.
The Magic Carousel.In Dorothy Levenson’s The Magic Carousel, New York City becomes a fantastic adventure-land, as the Central Park merry-go-round horses come to life and take the children on a tour of their favorite New York places. Ati Forberg’s magical illustrations bring the city to life in another way, heightening the effect of this fantasy story.
Antics!Antics! By Cathi Hepworth is a surprisingly creative ABC book with words that not only follow the alphabet but also include the word “ant.” Besides being a fun and flexible use of language and sound, the book uses over-the-top illustrations to emphasize the humor.
Starring mirette & belliniRyan: Starring Mirette & Bellini, by Emily Arnold McCully. Mirette is a young girl; her mentor is the great Bellini. He has promised to teach her to walk the tightrope and to include her in his shows. They perform many times together as a team, always surprising the crowds with their daring feats. When they are invited to perform in Russia, they run into some trouble, and only their teamwork can save them.
One of ThreeOne of Three, by Angela Johnson, is a sweet story of the youngest girl in a family who enjoys hanging out with her two older sisters. She describes their many activities and her feelings, and she expresses her sadness when she’s left out. The illustrations by David Soman emphasize the warmth of home and the love of the family members for one another.
Alexander, Who's Not (Do You Hear Me? I Mean It!) Going to MoveFor the Hearts award, I’d like to nominate Judith Viorst’s book, Alexander, who’s not (Do you hear me? I mean it!) going to move. As the rest of Alexander’s family prepares to move, Alexander refuses to accept the inevitable, and does everything he can think of to resist. As he thinks of various plans for how to stay behind, his brothers make fun of him. Eventually Alexander finds a way to say goodbye to the people and places he loves, but not without asserting his independence.
Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World's Fastest WomanFor the Rosa award, I’d like to nominate Wilma Unlimited: how Wilma Rudolph became the world’s fastest woman, by Kathleen Krull and illustrated by David Diaz. This is the true story of an energetic young African-American girl who is suddenly stricken with polio. Her doctor predicts she will never walk again, but Wilma refuses to give up. This book illustrates the incredible perseverance and strong will of Wilma Rudolph, who eventually wins three gold medals at the 1960 Olympic games in Rome.
Mrs. Katz and TushMrs. Katz and Tush is a story of international adoption, but not like you may think. Mrs. Katz is an elderly widow, a Jewish woman who had escaped from the Nazis of Poland many years ago, when she is adopted by the child, Larnel. She remains a part of Larnel’s family even as he grows up and has children of his own. Early in their friendship, Larnel gives Mrs. Katz a cat, whom she adopts, and the cat’s children and grandchildren become part of this extended family as well. Larnel is African-American, and has he gets to know Mrs. Katz, he relates to the many of the problems of discrimination that Mrs. Katz describes to him. They share their cultural traditions and family joys over many years, becoming a family because of their love and concern for one another.
Jenny's Magic WandJenny’s Magic Wand, by Helen and Bill Hermann, with photographs by Don Perdue. This is a lovely story about Jenny’s transition from a school for the blind to a school for all public school children. While at the school for the blind, Jenny learns many practical things, including how to use her “magic wand,” which is how she refers to her cane. One of my favorite sections of the book is when each child tells a story about his or her experiences of learning. When Jenny begins her narration, she says that she will tell how she became a hero, and this heroic story later becomes the highlight of the book: it is the moment when her sighted classmates realize that Jenny has special talents of her own.
The Bicycle ManIn The Bicycle Man, by Allan Say, a Japanese child tells the story of a spring day at school, about a year after the end of World War II, when the children are celebrating their field day. Suddenly two American soldiers appear to watch the festivities, and one of the soldiers impresses the children with his acrobatic skills on a bicycle. Why does this book demonstrate fearlessness and courage? This was a time of great distrust between the Americans and the Japanese, and so these soldiers take quite a risk by showing up at the school, and the school children and faculty take a risk when they welcome the soldiers. It’s interesting to note that the child notices that the soldiers are not carrying guns. Even though the strangers cannot speak to one another, the gifts of kindness that they exchange represent their feelings of goodwill and humanity in spite of political tensions.
Way HomeWay Home, written by Libby Hathorn and illustrated by Gregory Rogers, is a surprising story of a quiet hero. A young boy promises to keep a stray cat safe, and it is not until the end of the book that we realize the sacrifices that the boy will have to make to keep his promises.
Goin' Someplace SpecialTricia Ann is determined to go to the place she calls "Someplace Special," and this time she wants to go alone, without her grandmother. While her grandmother is worried, she realizes that Tricia Ann is beginning to grow up and agrees to let her go. Once out in city, Tricia Ann becomes frightened because of the Jim Crow laws that discriminate against her, but she finds that even when she is alone, she can call upon her grandmother's love to help her through.
In the GardenWe’re not sure why Joyce’s grandmother has died, but we’re sure of Joyce’s daily sadness in missing her grandmother. _In the Garden_ is a book full of tensions and resentments, both spoken and unspoken, and the child is suffering a great deal throughout the book until her dying grandmother’s gift, a gift Joyce doesn’t understand at first, provides a way for Joyce to make a valuable contribution to her community and honor her grandmother.
Oct 13, 2008 10:29AM
Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That TypeDoreen Cronin is from Clearfield, Pennsylvania. Her very amusing book is about some farm animals who use their typing skills to make requests of their farmer. They'd like the farmer to improve their living conditions, and until he does, they'll go on strike.
Rosie and Michael
Rosie and Michael are best friends, even though it’s not always clear why. They aren’t always nice to each other, yet they remain friends no matter what. This is a wonderful story of a boy and a girl who are true friends because they will always defend each other and because they are always willing to forgive (and they both need a lot of forgiveness).
Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters
John Steptoe's Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters provides a wonderful example of a girl who becomes a queen because of the beauty inside her. The king, Nyoka, wants to marry, but he know that he will have a difficult time finding a sincere partner because of his position in society. Through a series of transformations, he discovers that Nyasha has the kindest heart and therefore the greatest beauty.
We Share Everything!
It's the first day of Kindergarten, and the children are pretty excited. With all of the fun and exciting things to do in the classroom, the children need to learn one very important thing: how to get along by sharing the toys and games. Thanks to their lovely and enthusiastic teacher, they finally get the point.
William's Doll
Charlotte Zolotow's book, William's Doll, is a lovely book that celebrates a young boy's need for a doll of his own to care for. After his family and friends humiliate him because of his wish for a doll, his kind grandmother defends him and buys the perfect doll. William learns to care for the doll, and as his grandmother says, prepares to care for his own future children.
Sep 16, 2008 08:05AM
Children's Literature Award...
