Children's Books discussion
The Picture-Book Club
>
June 2011: Discuss Our "Persons Facing Physical Challenges" Club Reads HERE
date
newest »
newest »
Mod
Oh, I'm..."
It's a bit textbook-like, and I kind of sometimes felt that the author really had it in for Annie Sullivan (I was wondering at the constant negativity directed at her), but I did really enjoy the book and the photographs were gorgeous. Oh, and Kathryn, you should really really read Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller; the book is amazing, a mostly non-fiction book (in Annie Sulivan's voice) that reads like a novel. I'm loving it!!
Mod
I think the interaction between father and daughter was what made this a four star book for me instead of a three star or a three and a half star book. I know you did not like the illustrations all that much, but I really did enjoy them. But the omission of any possibility of limitations, although I appreciate the optimism and the positivity, did and does bother me a bit.
Mod
Adding it to my list! Thanks :-)
I was able to find 4 of the books for this month's discussion. Moses Goes to a Concert delighted me with its illustrations and story line. I liked that it focused in on one event, and addressed a question that I had as a child about why a deaf person would be interested in music. I loved how balloons were used to help the children feel the vibrations of the music. I loved the ending, too, as Moses excitedly told his parents that "when you set your mind to it, you can become anything you want when you grow up". That's a great lesson for any child. (Appreciated that when Moses relayed his experiences at the end of the book, sign language was illustrated).
We'll Paint the Octopus Red touched me with its simplicity. As the "big sister" asked questions about whether Downs Syndrome would mean that her new little sibling couldn't do all the things she had hoped to do with him, she and her father realized together that with love, patience, and a little help, "there probably wasn't anything he couldn't do")
My Buddy did a very nice job showing the relationship between a boy with special needs and his service dog. It was great how the book showed exactly how the dog was able to help Buddy. It was especially meaningful to me to see the psychological impact. ("Before Buddy, I didn't like to go places. People stared at me. Now people look at US - and ask about my dog."
The Secret Code was a straightforward look for an very young, early reader of how braille helps a blind person. I thought it was quite tastefully done.
My kids really enjoyed Moses Goes to a Concert (ages 8 & 6...I didn't read it to my 2 yo). My 6 yo has learned a few signs this year and my 8 yo has learned quite a lot (partly from the DVD series Signing Time...and partly because her leader in her after school program speaks ASL and has taught her quite a bit) and they loved that the book included so many signs... they were trying to imitate most of them as we read along. We all thought it was very cool and impressive that the percussionist was deaf but was able to play effectively by feeling the vibrations in her stockinged-feet! I have such poor rhythm that I have a hard time with drums and I can hear! We really liked this book.
We also read My Buddy and all 3 of my kids liked it. I thought it was a nice introduction to service animals and would pair nicely with the nonfiction Morris and Buddy: The Story of the First Seeing Eye Dog which I also just read.My two year old loves dogs and after I read this aloud to her, she wanted to "read" it to herself...focussing on the dog and that it was the boy's friend. I don't think she really caught on to the differences between her dog and a service animal, but at 2, I think that is okay. Even though our dog's name is Chester, she often calls him, "my buddy" so she loved this book.
I loved The Junkyard Wonders when we read it for the school theme. I shared it with several teachers at my school and read it to my second grade class. While I think that Cheryl is probably right that teachers and parents love this book more than kids, I do think that kids can appreciate both this and Polacco's Thank You, Mr. Falker (and other titles by her). At my school, there are many kids who struggle with reading or math and who can really relate to Polacco's own struggle. At the end of the year, I asked my students to write about 2 or 3 of their favorite books that we read this year and tell why. One of my students wrote about Junkyard Wonders and how cool it was that the "weird" kids who were teased at first found a place where they fit in and made friends.
Mod
I so enjoyed hearing your experiences with Polacco's work, Jenny. Sounds wonderful!
I read The Junkyard Wonders myself a few weeks ago and LOVED it!!! I've been waiting around trying to find time to write a sufficient review since I feel it deserves a glowing one and I want to do it justice but, as usually happens to me in the summer, I've got a bunch of other demands on my time. Anyway, just to say *something* (even if it's not adequate): I just thought it was such a great story (all the better since it was true) full of so many emotions. Wow! I think it was a *perfect* choice for this month's theme since it covered various physical challenges but also showed how the kids could overcome them and still reach their dreams when people believed in them. The comparison to the "junk" was just great--how it wasn't stuff that nobody wanted but rather things waiting to become even more than what they seemed. And, of course, I was sniffling away at the end; it was great that the dream of the Junkyard Wonders going into space came true :-) I especially enjoyed the note at the end showing that not only did the kids do well in school but also later in life and that their dreams and passions (like the one boy's love of dance) led them to their careers. Just wonderful!!!
Finally got to reading See the Ocean. For the most part, I enjoyed the book. More so the illustrations then the actual story. The brother's were a little harsh for me. I would have loved to see a touch of a softer side from them. Maybe not calling Nellie a cheater would have been enough. One part of the story about when Nellie was a baby laying in the sand actually saddened me. I am not really sure if that was the author's intention here. I did really like Nellie's description of the ocean. The illustrations are lovely and my two year old daughter loved every page and listen to the entire story. I didn't care for the fact that every picture with Nellie had her eyes covered by a hat.
It is interesting that the author is blind and I enjoyed reading that she believes "Our barriers are only in our minds. Whatever we can conceive we can achieve."
Mod
The brothers were a bit harsh, but I think they were just being typical nasty older brothers who did not want to be outdone by their little sisters. And the father intervened right away once they became nasty.
I actually thought the book was a bit strange in that one really does not know of Nellie's blindness until the very end. That being said, the author does leave many little clues throughout the main text of the book that show that Nellie is blind (she does not want to join in games, is content to sit in the middle car seat, is more concerned about the sound of the ocean and the feel of the sand etc.). I knew that Nellie was blind because I had read the synopsis, but I wonder if a young child having this book read to him/her, might catch all of the clues. On the other hand, I really loved how the family did not make Nellie into a "special" a "handicapped" child; she is simply another member of the family. But you also realise, that the parents, the brothers stimulate Nellie's sense of touch, they bring her shells and little fish to touch, she is encouraged to explore the beach with her hands and feet (it is always said that blind people often develop a very sharp sense of touch, taste and sound, that is definitely true with Nellie, although her parents and her brother also contributed to stimulating her senses).
Mod
Mod
I'm glad to know that you were able to get some signs from the book. I wasn't sure how well they would come across especially for kids so that is great to hear! :-) I agree they were very well shown.
Mod
Very interested to hear your review, and Gundula's, as this is a book I was not able to get. Sounds very interesting!
Gundula wrote: "Crystal wrote: "Finally got to reading See the Ocean. For the most part, I enjoyed the book. More so the illustrations then the actual story. The brother's were a little harsh for me...."I also think if a child did not know what the book was about they wouldn't know she was blind until the end, possibly missing the details without a reread. I like that the family helped stimulate her senses at the ocean.
I am going to the ocean next month. I should experiment with closing my eyes and taking it all in.
Mod
Oh, perfect! And just in time for our theme next month :-)
Kathryn wrote: "Crystal wrote: "I am going to the ocean next month. I should experiment with closing my eyes and taking it all in. "Oh, perfect! And just in time for our theme next month :-)"
lol, I didn't even think about that! =)
Mod
As I mentioned in my review, while I like the fact that Buddy is easily accepted at school, I do think that the ease of acceptance was a bit overly optimistic. It would have been better if there had been some obstacles to overcome (as these obstacles do exist), like for example, a teacher or student who is seriously allergic to pet hair or perhaps students who won't heed the warning of not petting Buddy while he is on the job.
Mod
I just loved that book. I hope that my review is sufficient, but what an inspiring story not only of special, wonderful students, but also of a really special wonderful teacher. I have to admit I was not keen on having Tricia's class named the "junkyard" but in the end, both the students and the teacher were indeed wonders (and I loved the fact that even with the bullying, the unsympathetic principal who listen to the tales told by a bully, Mrs. Peterson and her class had enough support, enough friends etc. to realise their dream of launching the model airplane from the school roof). A wonderful story about following your dreams, of being "special" in the best, most positive sense of the word. And, yes, I was crying as well (especially when Jody died, that was so sad).
Mod
Indeed! Over the weekend we went to see a community theater production of the musical "Annie" and the dog playing Sandy was actually trained to be a guide dog but failed the "final exams" (so to speak). It's still a gorgeous, intelligent, sweet and responsive dog but just didn't quite make it all the way. Amazing when you think how exemplary those dogs really have to be to do that sort of work. (Though, of course, I love pretty much any dog and think they're all great!)
Kathryn wrote: "the dog playing Sandy was actually trained to be a guide dog but failed the "final exams" (so to speak). It's still a gorgeous, intelligent, sweet and responsive dog but just didn't quite make it all the way. Amazing when you think how exemplary those dogs really have to be to do that sort of work. (Though, of course, I love pretty much any dog and think they're all great!) "Oh, I love Annie! And it's very difficult for guide dogs to pass. The great news is the puppy raisers get first choice to adopt a dog that hasn't made it to guide dog status. Oh, and I love most dogs too.
..."
Yes, most guide dogs that fail to become guides are labeled " career changed". This is a polite way to say failed, but we don't want to hurt their feelings :)
Mod
I'm all for not hurting sweet doggie feelings ;-)
I read The Secret Code It was a nice, simple, easy to read story about reading in braille. I would have loved it if the book included actual raised braille. The story is about a little boy named Oscar who teaches Lucy his secret code. Children will have fun deciphering the message in braille at the end. I especially enjoyed reading the author's note and the about the author section. I found it interesting that the author's brother is blind and what in particular she boast about that her brother can do that people with sight can not. Oh, how I wish I had that ability. My two year old may not understand the concept of being blind, but it held her interest and she enjoyed the story and the illustrations of the children coloring, reading, and the abc's.
Gundula wrote: "I really did NOT like the fact that while the braille alphabet is shown, it is not shown in braille's standard raised dots. I think it would have been much more interesting and certainly more educational to have the braille alphabet, the braille letters and examples shown using raised dots so that sighted children would get a real "feel" for braille letters"I agree with you 100% and really wish I could have had the braille experience and shared that with my daughter too.
Cheryl in CC NV wrote: "Just one question, and please forgive my ignorance, but why does Oscar's book have pictures? "
Thanks for mentioning that, I didn't even notice.
Re the pictures: Well, if both Braille and text are used, the book can be read to a mixed group. Also, for blind kids who are listening/having the book read to them, the pictures can be described by the reader. I once went to a play and a blind man's companion told him what the people were doing on the stage. (I feel guilty but I found it somewhat annoying because I missed quite a bit of what the actors were saying, but I understood the man needed that description to get the full experience of the play. This was years ago and I'm wondering if they have productions that do this, kind of like the supertitles they seem to have at every opera I've been to in the last few decades.)
Lisa wrote: "Re the pictures: Well, if both Braille and text are used, the book can be read to a mixed group. Also, for blind kids who are listening/having the book read to them, the pictures can be described b..."Thank you for the insight. Also, I have never been to an opera. I find it interesting that they use supertitles.
Mod
Lisa, I would have found that very distracting as well (I already find it distracting and sometimes hard to follow spoken speech, especially many people speaking at once or people speaking dialect etc.). I also understand the need for providing that description to get the full experience of the play, but if you end up missing a lot of what the actors are saying, then you yourself are missing a huge part of the play. There must be a way to accommodate both needs. Special productions that provide verbal descriptions, like you mentioned, would be a good idea, perhaps by providing a tape recorder with headphones for the visually challenged with a running descriptive commentary of the play/opera. That way, there would be less distraction for the other patrons.
We've read all of the stores except for Moses Goes to a Concert. That one just came in at our library, so we should get to read it in the next week. My favorite story was probably The Junkyard Wonders, but our girls loved My Buddy. All of the books were great for opening our eyes to people with different abilities and challenges.
Mod
I do sometimes wonder if adults like and/or feel more emotionally connected to [book:The Junkyard Wonders|7692533] than children. I just loved the story and felt both inspired and saddened by it, but children might find a story like My Buddy more interesting and easier on their emotions (although I would have loved The Junkyard Wonders even as a child, it would have been very helpful against bullying and feeling different).
Gundula wrote: "I do sometimes wonder if adults like and/or feel more emotionally connected to The Junkyard Wonders than children.Our girls enjoyed the story and they really liked how the teacher made the children feel special, but they didn't quite get why I practically burst into tears while reading it. I had to explain that it was a bit of a tearjerker, but that I loved the story.
I totally agree with the comment RE: "...wonder if adults like &/or feel more emotionally connected ... than children." I've just finished writing ms VII (it won't be out for ages; this is not a promo) & within the plot I'm in tension about a character with a disability. I've made her seamlessly integrate in the protagonist's life. There's no 'special circumstances' between the young main characters. My tension is with whether this is realistic or not. Do other kids ignore/not notice their friends' differing abilities? Am I being insensitive? Or is it just as Gundula implies, meaning we adults place more emotional value in inequalities than the young reader. For all I know, my readers will accept the plot as if it's their general modus operandi & I am over-thinking the whole issue.
Mod
Now this addresses friends and familiar classmates. Different schools have different atmospheres of bullying, though, among children who don't know the disabled child well enough to see the person behind the disability. Some schools have almost no bullying or teasing, due, I think, to especially effective kindergarten and 1st-grade teachers and active & sympathetic yard monitors at recess. Some have more, often due, I think, to pressures on the teachers from a more authoritarian school board or fear of budget cuts or loss already of aides, monitors, and art & library periods.
(Btw, thanks for all the wonderful discussion I missed; somehow I lost track of this thread until just now - I won't try to respond but I did read every post. :)
Finally got to read Moses Goes to a Concert. It was a very good story, but my favorite hands down is still The Junkyard Wonders. I put Moses Goes to School on hold to read as we get closer to the beginning of school. I think our girls would like to hear more about this character.
Mod
The Junkyard Wonders was/is my favourite as well. I wonder if rereading the book with your girls when school starts might be an idea, Mrs. Peterson is such an amazing teacher.
Children's Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Moses Goes to a Concert (other topics)The Junkyard Wonders (other topics)
The Cape Cod Fish & Seafood Cookbook: From Basic to Gourmet (other topics)
Moses Goes to a Concert (other topics)
Moses Goes to School (other topics)
More...
...
I did enjoy the back and forth between father and daughter, how both Emma and her father comfort and support one another. And Emma is not kept in the dark about baby Isaac's Down Syndrome. Emma''s father approaches his daughter as a person with feelings and questions, questions that require answers and are answered (there is never a sense of Emma being "too young to understand" no secrecy about the fact that Isaac has Down Syndrome)."
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Gundula. I felt a little bad that I wasn't more wowed and completely enthusiastic about this book so it's good to know I was not alone. However, I, too, really loved the aspect you pointed out about how the father talks to his daughter like she is a thinking and feeling human being and is so honest with her. I forgot to mention that in my comments but, you're right, it's very refreshing to see.