Rachael’s Comments (group member since Aug 19, 2024)

Rachael’s comments from the 5183 Fall 2024 Information Resources and Services for Children group.

Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reverso Poems

1. Singer, M. (2010). The sleeping beauty and the wide-awake prince. In Mirror mirror: A book of reverso poems (J. Masse, Illus.). Dutton Children’s Books.

2. Presented as a reverso poem, this classic fairy tale proposes contrasting perspectives from Sleeping Beauty and the Prince.

3. A reverso poem is such a creative way to write poetry; it can be used to inspire similar creative writing with children. This particular reverso poem uses a well-known fairy tale as its topic, but its contrasting perspectives demonstrate that there are two sides to every story. To develop oral fluency and build confidence when reading, I would pair students off to read each perspective aloud to each other. This would be followed by a class discussion on their thoughts, the reverso form, and the author’s careful selection of words. Using this poem as an example, I would then encourage students to create their own short reverso poems themed around their individual interests.

Roller Girl

1. Jamieson, V. (2015). Roller girl. Dial Books for Young Readers.

2. Twelve-year-old Astrid’s dreams of attending a summer roller derby camp with her best friend Nicole come to a screeching halt when Nicole chooses to attend dance camp instead. Committed to roller derby, Astrid must learn to navigate a track fraught with tough teammates, evolving friendships, and complex emotions.

3. Astrid is in a tough, transitional period between elementary school and junior high. While she drifts away from her childhood best friend, Nicole, she finds a new friend in Zoey. She experiences complex, confusing emotions, while she learns how to become less self-centered and more of a true teammate. She is far from perfect, but she positively represents an honest portrayal of reality for many children today. Such a portrayal offers children an important opportunity to gain an outside perspective on how to navigate similar challenges while also encouraging empathy for others. In this way, works of realistic fiction such as Roller Girl serve as beneficial learning experiences for readers.

The City of Ember

1. DuPrau, J. (2003). The city of ember. Random House Children’s Books.

2. When flickering lights and diminishing supplies threaten to forever submerge their underground city in darkness and despair, 12-year-olds Lina Mayfleet and Doon Harrow hasten to decipher a long-forgotten set of instructions believed to be their only hope.

3. The City of Ember takes place in an underground city some 200+ years into the future. Over time, knowledge about the earth above was lost. The people of Ember only know of their city, as the surrounding darkness discourages curiosity for exploration. However, elements of contemporary society are reflected in this isolated civilization. Although the storage left by the Builders is meant for all citizens, the city is still dependent on a capitalist system. In fact, people in higher positions of power are portrayed as corrupt, taking advantage of diminishing supplies at the peoples’ expense. In a further reflection of contemporary society, desperation over rapidly depleting resources feeds public distress over future survival.

The One and Only Ivan

1. Applegate, K. (2012). The one and only Ivan (P. Castelao, Illus.). HarperCollins.

2. Ivan, a silverback gorilla, begins to rethink the circumstances of his 27 years within a shopping mall enclosure when tragedy strikes.

3. Although The One and Only Ivan is an animal fantasy, it is most certainly true. First and foremost, Ivan’s journey is based off a true story. In this novel, however, readers are able to hear Ivan’s thoughts, feel his emotions, and view his perceptions. In this way, the author is able to fully explore complex universal concepts of loneliness, found family, death and grief, and freedom. Ivan has not seen another gorilla for 27 years. His closest friends become his family. And he grieves the deaths of Stella, Tag, his parents, and his childhood. At the same time, the author invites the reader to carefully examine the morality of keeping animals in cages, no matter how large.

Star Stuff: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos

1. Sisson, S. R. (2014). Star stuff: Carl Sagan and the mysteries of the cosmos. Roaring Book Press.

2. Star Stuff wonders at the extraordinary life of Dr. Carl Sagan, whose contributions to space exploration and public science education were driven by a lifelong love of discovery.

K: I did know that Dr. Carl Sagan was a scientist and author. His novel Contact and movie adaptation kickstarted my lifelong love of science fiction. From my time working at a bookstore, I also knew that he had authored several science books, namely Cosmos.

W: I wanted to know more about his contributions as a scientist.

L: I learned that Dr. Carl Sagan’s book Cosmos had a corresponding 13-episode television series of the same name. I was also surprised to find out that he worked with several space probes, specifically Mariner 2, Mariner 9, Pioneer 10, Viking 1, Voyager 1, and Voyager 2.

Cry, Heart, But Never Break

1. Ringtved, G., & Pardi, C. (2016). Cry, heart, but never break (R. Moulthrop, Trans.). Enchanted Lion Books. (Original work published 2001)

2. In this 2017 Mildred L. Batchelder Award winner, Death arrives for the grandmother of four children. Seeking to ease the children’s fears, Death shares a story that imparts the importance of appreciating life, allowing grief to be a part of that process.

3A. The book’s primary subjects of death and grief are what drew me to this book in the first place. These are matters that many children, regardless of nationality, do have to deal with, unfortunately. Death and grief are very delicate subject matters, and this book handles them with care. Death personified leaves his scythe outside so as not to frighten the children, he gives them time to come to terms with the inevitability of their grandmother’s passing, and he tells a story to help them understand the relationship between life and death. Death also imparts a message of hope: Allow the emotions felt in grief to drive appreciation for life lived. This book, although originally written in Danish, carries universal relevancy for all children.

The Hidden Folk: Stories of Fairies, Dwarves, Selkies, and Other Secret Beings

1. Lunge-Larsen, L. (2004). The hidden folk: Stories of fairies, dwarves, selkies, and other secret beings (B. Krommes, Illus.). Houghton Mifflin Company.

2. This timeless collection delves into the northern European realm of the hidden folk, complete with descriptions and stories of flower fairies, gnomes (nisses), the hill folk, elves, dwarves, water horses, river sprites, and selkies.

3. The Hidden Folk most definitely falls into the first category: the model source note. In the Introduction, author Lunge-Larsen provides a quick origin story for the hidden folk as well as their known general characteristics. This is also where she states she is from Norway. Although she acknowledges the existence of hidden folk in other countries, she states that this specific collection is based off stories from northern Europe, within her realm of expertise. In the Source Note at the end of the collection, the author informs the reader that these stories were passed down to her generationally, with slightly more detail added here for entertainment’s sake. Following the Source Note is the References page, which consists of nine citations.

The Princess in Black

1. Hale, S., & Hale, D. (2014). The princess in black (L. Pham, Illus.). Candlewick Press.

2. Princess Magnolia is not just any princess! She is also the Princess in Black: the super-secret, monster-fighting, goat-protecting hero that her kingdom needs.

3. The Princess in Black is an exceptional transitional book for readers progressing from picture books into chapter books. The text is on the larger side, with clear spacing between each line. Simple sentence structure is used throughout. Watercolor illustrations adorn nearly every page, aiding the text and the more advanced vocabulary words. The storyline is light and funny, and the illustrations contain humorous details, as well. Although there are 15 chapters, each one is fairly short and singular. Young readers would definitely be able to independently read, comprehend, and enjoy this book.

We Are Water Protectors

1. Lindstrom, C. (2020). We are water protectors (M. Goade, Illus.). Roaring Brook Press.

2. In this Caldecott award-winning book, text and narration flow seamlessly together in a call to protect the Earth’s water, and therefore life, from harm.

3. The illustrations in this book took my breath away. The illustrator uses watercolor, heavily relying on cool blues, greens, and purples to convey a sense of tranquility and reiterate the book’s message that water is life. Flowy brushstrokes and a lack of black lines suggest an inner connectedness among people, animals, and the land, all made up of and nourished by water. The exception is the Dakota Access Pipeline, painted as the black snake as foretold in Anishinaabe prophecy, surrounded by a striking red background. This disrupts the book’s tranquility and invokes a sense of injustice. This book is successfully able to bring awareness to the destruction oil pipelines wreck on the natural environment, calling its readers for climate action.

El Deafo

1. Bell, C. (2014). El deafo. Amulet Books.

2. El Deafo won the Odessey Award in 2024, the Newbery Medal honor in 2015, and the Young Reader’s Choice Award in 2017.

3. In this graphic novel memoir, author Cece Bell relates navigating a childhood with hearing loss in the 1970s while learning to embrace that which makes her truly super.

4. El Deafo most definitely deserves every award it has won for its contribution to children’s literature. This graphic novel memoir exemplifies diversity at its finest. By providing Deaf representation, Bell encourages new understandings of experiences still relevant today. Because of this, I would absolutely recommend this book to children and adults alike. One of my childhood classmates used a product similar to the Phonic Ear in school. If I had read El Deafo back then, I would have had a higher awareness of how he experiences the world. Ultimately, this book is a wonderful celebration of diversity that transcends age and time.