Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl

Frank, Anne.(1993). Anne frank: The diary of a young girl. Bantam.
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl is a book originally written in the Dutch language by Anne Frank over a two year period while her family was in hiding during the time of the Holocaust. After the war the diary was retrieved by Anne's father, Frank. The diary kept a record of Anne's daily life while in hiding from the Nazis during the time when Hitler was dictator.
The books was first published with the title Het Achterhuis: Dagboekbrieven van 12 Juni 1942 – 1 Augustus 1944. It was first published in the United States in 1952. This book is popular and controversial in schools because of some of the language and content that it contains. I feel this book is a wonderful addition to a library or classroom library to integrate a primary source into Social Studies. Students are amazed when they think of a child their age going through situations like Anne and her family.

Two International Children's Literature Awards

Nestle Smarties Book Prize is given out by the Youth Librarian Group to recognize outstanding books published for kids each year in the United Kingdom.

Hans Christian Andersen Award is given every other year to a living author and illustrator whose complete works has made a lasting impression on children's literature. This award is the highest international recognition given to an author. The award for the author has been given since 1956 and for the illustrator since 1966.

Where the Wild Things Are- Book & Feature Film

Sendak, M. (1963). Where the wild things are. Harper Collins Publishers.
Where the Wild Things Are is a classic and a must have for every library, home, and classroom. this book balances a child's need for imaginative thinking with a sense of limits, and the pleasures of home. The illustrations in the book also make the story come to life, because it allows us to see into Max's imagination. The movie produced by Spike Jonze is not as great as the book, but is unique in it's own right. In the movie Max is sent to his room without supper and runs away to a land to become kind of the land Where the Wild Things Are. Max soon realizes that being king is not all it is cracked up to be, and quickly grows homesick. Max has to make a choice, stay with the wild things and be king, or go home and keep is behavior in check. The book and movie are both magical. I was impressed with the detail put into the movie from this children's classic book.

Holes- Book /Feature Film

Sachar, L. (1998). Holes. New York: Frances Foster Books.
Holes is a wonderful book with a twist of dark humor. Thanks to the storyline created by the author, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The main character, Stanley, is an unusual character that can demonstrate to readers the importance of staying strong in tough situations. In a world of literature that lacks strong characters and strories that appeal to boys, Holes helps to fill in the gap. Holes was released by Walt Disney Pictures as a feature film in 2003. It was a huge success and an excellent movie. Although I generally find that book-based movies are far less interesting than the book, Holes happens to be an exception. The movie follows the book very closely and does not leave the viewer dissapointed and wondering why various parts of the story were not included. Louis Sachar not only authored the book but also wrote the screenplay for the movie. I would recommend both this book and movie to anyone who likes adventure and mystery.

Surviving the Applewhites- Newbery Honor Book

Tolan, S. S. (2002). Surviving the Applewhites. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.

Surviving the Applewhites is a comical story jam-packed with interesting and unusual characters. Although I found the book to be somewhat forgettable, it was an enjoyable read. In my opinion, the quirky characters are what "make" the book. E.D. alone is fabulous - she is spunky and independent - a great role model for young female readers. Jake Semple, on the other hand is determined to be "bad". It is interesting to see Jake change throughout the story and notice his talents as they slowly begin to surface. If I were to compare Surviving the Applewhites and A Year Down Yonder I would first note that both books have several extraordinarily strong characters. I would also note that both books include humor and would likely hold equal appeal for both male and female readers.

A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck- Newbery Award Book

Peck, R. (2000). A year down yonder. New York: Scholastic.
In the book A Year Down Yonder the character Mary Alice has to leave her life in Chicago to go live with her grandma in a small town during the Great Depression. Mary Alice has visited Grandma in the past, but only for a week every summer, and never without her brother. Mary Alice is used to life in the city with her parents and when she goes to Grandma's she has to adapt to life in the country. While staying with Grandma Dowdel, Mary Alice learns many life-lessons, and comes to love her grandma more than she ever imagined.
This book is a sequel to A Long Way From Chicago. Both books include the crazy antics of Grandma and her small town life. This book teacher children about history, survival, different cultures, and ethics.

The Watson's Go to Birmingham-1963: Diverstiy

Curtis, C. (1995). The watson's go to birmingham-1963. New York: Scholastic.
The Watson's Go to Birmingham is a humorous book with an emotional twist written by Christopher Paul Curtis about an African-American family who leave their home and travel to Birmingham, Alabama to leave their trouble making family member, Byron with Grandma. The trip is quite amusing until they arrive in Birmingham during the time of the Civil Rights Movement, and witness some of the most horrific scenes in history. The family enters Alabama to see segregation first-hand and witness the hatred shown towards African-Americans during this time in history.
This book is a wonderful book to share with students from 5th grade on. I like the way this book shows the strength of a family through trials and tribulations. This book is a great way to open minds and eyes to how other cultures and races have been treated throughout history. Students are always shocked by the events that took place during the Civil Rights Movement.

Chicken Sunday-Diversity

Polacco, P.(1992). Chicken sunday. New York: Scholastic.
Patricia Polacco is one of my favorite authors of children's literature. She always addresses diversity in her books in more than one way. Chicken Sunday is just one of her many books that teaches that we can love others from different religions, ages, and cultures. In this book a young Slavic girl becomes like family to Miss Eula, an African-American grandmother and her two grandsons. The theme of this book teaches children that love can break down barriers of culture and color.
In this book, Easter is coming and the children want to buy Miss Eula a pink Easter bonnet from a local hat maker's store. The children check the price of the bonnet and realize that they can't afford to purchase it, and decide to ask Mr. Kondinski if they can pay for it by doing odd and end jobs around his store. Before they get the chance to ask, he accuses them of egging his store. Instead of getting angry they give him a gift of Pysansky Eggs. The gift makes him realize they are good children, and he allows them to sell their eggs in his store. In the end the students offer to pay for the hat, but he gives it to them instead.
This book reminds me of the community of a small town like I live in. Although, we do not have the diversity in the book, people still do good deeds for one another. This book is great to read in my school because of the lack of diversity in our town.

Martin's Big Words- Caldecott Honor Book

Rappaport, D. (2001). Martin's big words. New York: Hyperion Books for Children.

Martin's Big Words written by Doreen Rappaport was a Caldecott Honor book in 2002. This book is based on the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. and his speech, "I Have a Dream." Martin's Big Words is written with the elementary child in mind. The illustration are beautiful and bring the book to life. The book discusses how life was difficult for African-Americans and how they struggled for Civil Rights. Each page of this book contains information and a quote from Marting Luther King Jr.'s life. I have found that younger children learn an abundance of information from the pictures of this book. This books is wonderful to use in Social Studies class and to teach children that all should be treated equally.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a brilliant, loving man who helped change our country. He tried to love everyone, good or bad. I am thankful for books like these.

Olivia-Caldecott Honor Book

Falconer, I.(2000). Olivia. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.
Olivia is a wonderful story written and illustrated about the life of a dramatic, young pig and her family. This is the first book in a series of books based on this character. Olivia is a very active pig that keeps her family and friends very busy with her exaggerated stories and over-active imagination. This book is wonderful for young readers and is ideal to read with young children. Many parents can relate to the story of Olivia because their children have many of the same characteristics. The illustrations in the book aren't the most eye catching, but get the job done with detail. Olivia is now shown on Nickelodeon as a cartoon series.

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat-Caldecott Medal

Taback, S. (2000). Joseph had a little overcoat. New York: Scholastic.
Joseph Had a Little Overcoat is a book that was adapted from a Yiddish folk song. The book takes students through the transformation of Joseph's overcoat to a jacket, , vest, scarf, necktie, handkerchief, and finally a button. This books is colorfully illustrated and very eye-catching for the young reader. The reading is simple and follows a pattern. Taback also uses die cuts on his pages to give the reader a hint of what is to come next. I like this book for younger grade levels, because it teaches that you can always over come things that try and get you down. I try and teach my kids to look at the good in all situations. This book has very positive message and I truly love reading it with my little boy at home.

The Bracelet, a book by Yoshiko Uchida

Uchida, Y. (1998). The bracelet. New York: NY. Putnam.
The book I chose to critique was The Bracelet written by Yoshiko Uchida. Our school library has this book and I found it and even used it while teaching about immigrants in Social Studies. I was very impressed with the book and the way it was written. This was the first time I had ever read a book by this author.
The setting of this book takes place in the 1940's, while the United States is fighting World War II with Japan over the bombing of Pearl Harbor. This book was eye-opening for my students, because they didn't realize the way the Japanese Americans were treated at this time. The book tells the story of a little girl, Emi, who is Japanese-American, being forced from her home to an interment camp. Her father had already been taken to an internment camp in Montana leaving his family behind to await their fate. Before leaving for the camp, Emi's best friend, Laurie gives her a bracelet to remember her by.
The book reminds of The Diary of Anne Frank. I really enjoyed the way this book was written and the pictures were great.

We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball, Corretta Scott King Award Book

Nelson, K. (2008). We are the ship: The story of negro league baseball. New York: NY. Hyperion Books for Children.
This book is the story of determined athletes and owners to overcome the barriers of race on and off the baseball field. This book talks about the lives of the baseball players, and how they were treated and disrespected because of the color of their skin. This book tells the story of the real heroes of baseball. Actually, one of my students was reading this book and I asked to check it out after he was finished. This book makes you want to cry when you read about the lives that these men lead each day. They wanted so badly to play and to break down the walls of racism. The Negro Baseball League began in the 1920's and ended when Jackie Robinson crossed over to the major's in 1947.

The Patchwork Quilty, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney

Flournoy, V. (1985). The patchwork quilt. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.
The Patchwork Quilt is one of my favorite stories. The story is about a young girl, Tanya, who wants so badly to help her grandmother make a quilt. Jerry Pinkney one a Corretta Scott King Award for the beautiful illustrations in this book. The quilt made by the grandmother includes scraps of clothing from each member of the family. The grandmother is the glue that keeps this family grounded and she shows that she loves them by taking each day and working on the special quilt, with help from her granddaughter. This story has always touched my heart because of the relationship the little girl has with her grandmother. My great-grandmother always made quilts, and she would give those to us as gifts. I will never forget the hard work and time she put into her wonderful work.
Jerry Pinkney, is a very talented artist, who has illustrated numerous other books. Some of his works include: Mirandy and Brother Wind, written by Patricia C. McKissack. John Henry, written by Julius Lester, and The Ugly Duckling.

The Three Pigs- Caldecott Medal Winner

Wiesner, D. (2001). The three pigs. New York: Houghton Mifflin.
This book begins reading just like the traditional Three Little Pigs that I remember from my childhood, but boy does it take a turn toward something different. As I read this book I was amazed and amused at the twists the author uses during this book to take the story down a totally different path that one would expect. During the wolf's attack on the second pig's house, the pig is urged by the first pig to walk out of the story. The pigs spend the rest of the story helping characters from different stories. I must say I did not like the new take on the Three Little Pigs. For one, I thought the book was quite confusing, and I don't see most children wanting to take the time to understand it. The illustrations were well done and helped me get through the book. I must say, the book is original, but not my cup of tea!

Caldecott Award Versus Newbery Award

The Caldecott Award and the Newbery Award are both given in January by the Association of Library Service to Children. The Caldecott Medal is given in honor of Ralph Caldecott who was in English illustrator during the 19th century. According to the ALA website, the Caldecott award is given to the "artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children." The first Cladecott was given in 1938. Each year one book can receive the Caldecott Award, and others will receive Caldecott Honors. The Caldecott Award is given to only picture books.
According the ALA, the Newbery Award is given each year in January to the "author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children." The Newbery is honor of John Newbery, a British book seller from the 18th century. The first Newbery Medal was awarded in 1922. Each year one book will receive the Newbery Medal, others are given the Newbery Honor. The Newbery Award is given to short stories and novels.
While both Caldecott and Newbery Awards are very prestigious to the world of literature, neither is more prestigious than the other.
Reference:
http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/literaryrelated.cfm

Charlotte's Web- Book and Feature Film

White, E.B. (1952). Charlotte's web. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.

Let me begin by saying, I love this book. This is a true classic for children's literature throughout the world. I first read this book when I was in 5th grade. I related to Fern because I grew up on a farm and have always loved animals. My grandparents raised animals for their meat, and it was always heart breaking when that horrible time of the year came to say good-bye to those dear animals. Have you ever taken the time to play with an animal? They are much like the animals (characters) from the book. I have always wondered what they were thinking and how they felt!
Charlotte's Web is another book that is a treasure to share in the classroom. So many wonderful activities can be integrated using this book. This book is a great way to incorporate poetry and creative writing into the classroom. I think E.B. White did a tremendous job writing this book. He gave the animals such amazing personalities. The book just seems so real.
Charlotte's Web has been recreated many times as a cartoon or movie. The latest release was in 2006. The movie has a tremendous cast which included: Dakota Fanning as Fern and Julia Roberts did the voice of Charlotte. This was one movie originating from a book that I was not disappointed in. I felt that the movie had the same charm as the original book. This book is a great way to incorporate death into a difficult situation in life.

So You Want to be President?-Caldecott Medal Winner

St. George, J. (2000). So you want to be president? New York: Philomel Books.

This is a book I read to my students each year during our unit on the Three Branches of Government. I think this book brings the role of President to life for my students. The way this book was written allows students to see that Presidents live life just like they do. However, this book is becoming outdated, it does not include President Obama, which I have pointed out to my students at the present time. I really enjoy the humorous illustrations, and my students do as well. This book brings in many qualifications of becoming President and the history of our Presidents using kid-friendly language. By reading this book I lightened the mood of the classroom with fun facts presented in a way that kids can easily understand and learn from. Books like this one make presenting Social Studies content much more enjoyable for the students and the teacher!!