Cynthia’s Comments (group member since May 22, 2014)

Cynthia’s comments from the Reading Rams Summer I, 2014 group.

I have mixed feelings about this story. I have enjoyed other Judy Blume books in the past, but had never read Freckle Juice. The first thing that struck me was how outdated it was. Freckle Juice was originally published in 1971, and it is very evident within the text. When Andrew discusses the value of fifty cents, I do not see students being able to connect to that on a personal level. I have students in Kindergarten telling me stories of getting five dollars from the tooth fairy for their lost teeth! I also wonder if students have a concept of what exactly an allowance is. The fact that Andrew spends five weeks of allowance is crucial to the story, and if students cannot connect to that on a personal level, the message of the story might be lost on them. However, I liked the message that the grass is always greener on the other side, but I did not care for the characters. The young girl, Sharon, is such a jerk of a character. The main character, Andrew, desperately wants freckles and Sharon uses that as a way to make extra money. At the end of the story, when Sharon is trying to weasel money out of Nicky, I was screaming at the book. It made me so angry that a little girl would be so selfish that she would take another child’s hard earned money, and for what? The picture at the end of the book also makes me seethe. Sharon has her hand on Nicky’s shoulder and she is looking back with the smuggest expression on her face. It seems insane that such a small gesture would anger me so much, especially since it is a character in a book. I suppose I should take that as a mark of good writing, when you are angry at a character for their hideous behavior. I wonder why Andrew did not speak up. His frustration at what Sharon had done led him to put blue Sharpie dots on his face, yet he is going to stand by and let her do that to another student? I believe that is the crux of my irritation with this book, the characters did not seem to learn any type of lesson or better their character during the journey of the story. The only difference in Andrew is that he does not want freckles anymore. Not because he truly believes he is better without them, but because he was tricked by an unscrupulous classmate.

Patricia Polacco is one of my favorite children’s authors. She is such an inspiration to the students I work with, and I often use her as an example to demonstrate that dyslexia does not have the power to stop you from pursuing your dreams. There are several reasons why Patricia Polacco is a favorite author of mine. Primarily, she always seems to write very personal stories. Each picture book she writes is a window into her life, and I love being a part of it. Secondly, she uses rich and descriptive language that challenges the reader. All of this is true of Pink and Say. I love how Polacco put a short prologue setting up the story, and a short epilogue explaining who Sheldon was at the end of the story. It wraps the story up quite nicely, and it lends credibility to what you have just read. I loved how she used the language in which the original storyteller told the story. It might cause some confusion with younger students, however student exposure to new vocabulary is highlighted throughout this book. As many of her stories do, this one expresses a message of acceptance and tolerance. The scene when Pink finds his mother is utterly heartbreaking. The artwork is a stunning supplement to the text. The facial expression on both characters faces perfectly illustrates the pain and suffering they both feel. Though this is not one of my favorite Patricia Polacco books, I still love it because she finds ways to evoke emotions in me, even in the smallest ways. Every time I read a book, I am chasing the feeling I get every time I read Thank You, Mr. Falker. Each time I read it, I am emotionally overwhelmed when she finally reads for the first time. The language she uses and the way that she phrases the story gives me goose bumps every single time. That is the feeling I am chasing every time I read any book. Patricia Polacco has given me that feeling more than most authors, and though it was only small points, rather than the whole book, Pink and Say did that as well.

V. wrote: "Before I began reading this story, my eye caught the dedication of the illustrator ML -Mike Litwin. We know these people! Stan & Jan Berenstain of The Berenstain Bears. Mercer Mayer, author of t..."

V- I love how you talked about how you thought of the characters as friends. I feel the same way. When I truly find a book that I love, I feel like the characters are a part of me. I think that is why I find myself leaning more towards series now. I enjoy the story and the characters so much that I want to have the opportunity to continue being a part of their lives.

Smoky Night has such a great voice! I love how the author uses the voice of a child. This makes the story more accessible to children. She has included such amazing description as well. Each page includes such vivid description; I can see the story unfolding before my eyes as if it were a movie. The rich and detailed artwork alongside the story written in the voice of a child makes this a story that would interest most children, especially struggling readers. I believe that the author’s use of young language will make it easier for them to understand. Students do not have to spend time wondering how to comprehend a plethora of unfamiliar words, but can focus their attention on the story and the true meaning behind the words. What I love most about this story is the beautiful message it sends. It is very subtle in its delivery. The author does not hit you over the head with the message she sends, but gently leads you to the idea and allows you to take away what you will from the story. It begins as a story about riots and ends with a stunning lesson in acceptance and tolerance. I love the childish innocence in which the moral of the story reveals itself. When Daniel makes his statement about how the cats did not know each other before and now they do and then he observes, “Everyone looks at me, and it’s suddenly very quiet.” I got goose bumps and tears came to my eyes. It is so striking yet so innocent in its delivery that it breaks my heart! There are multitudes of activities that can enrich the experience of this story. Incorporating history into a well-written story can be a great way to catch the attention of struggling readers. Many of my students with dyslexia relish the opportunity to research an interesting topic that reveals itself to them through picture books. I would love to allow students to create their own research projects based on the story and see the various lessons they have taken away from the story. One of the things I find so amazing about books is how individualized an experience it becomes, especially in stories like Smoky Night. It creates a unique dialogue between the reader and the author, which, in my opinion, is the reason that reading is such a rich and rewarding activity.

The first thing that drew my interest and attention to Isabella Star of the Story was the cover art. I loved that there was a girl sitting on a pile of books because I connect to it on a personal level. I believed that this could be a story about me, as I am an avid reader. I also loved the sub-title: Just How Much Can a Little Girl Dream? It caught my interest and made me even more excited to read the story. As I read the story, the aspect that I truly loved and was the most apparent to me as a reader, was the art. I loved how Isabella became part of each scene. The details that were included for each story were so captivating and I can see how children would be motivated to read these stories if they have not already. I truly enjoyed the vocabulary the author used, and again, the details of each story that was included. Thinking of this story from a teacher’s perspective, the question that popped into my head was, “How do I cultivate this kind of love for reading with my students?” I have always been a reader. I love to lose myself in stories, and there are times when I have been reading a book and when I put it down, I forget that I have been reading a book and think that I have to get back to the movie I was watching. That is how you know you have found a great story! Working with students who have dyslexia, I have learned that a love for reading is not a guarantee with students, even if you love it, especially with struggling readers. I want to discover how to translate my love and passion for reading into something that will motivate my students to be passionate about reading as well. This amazing story may be a way to show students, through beautiful pictures and great teasers to classic novels, that books are an adventure that are worth diving into!