Curlee, A. (2000). Liberty. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.
Summary:
This is the story of the birth of the Statue of Liberty. The text describes the dinner party in France where the idea was conceived and the man who could not get the idea out of his head for years after the party. The book describes the process of raising money, building many models of the statue, and the trouble that went into reproducing the models on a much larger scale. It tells the reader about building the statue, transporting it to America, and also describes the restorations that it has undergone throughout the years. The book has wonderful illustrations, including cross-sections that allow the reader to look inside the statue,
Ages:
3rd through 6th grade
Credibility of Author:
This book won the Orbis Pictus award in 2001. Lynn Curlee included a list of books that he used to research before writing his book.
National Standards that this book relates to:
The Social Studies standards addressed are Power, Authority, Governance, People, Places, Environment, and Culture.
Access Features:
There is a table of specifications and costs of the statue and a timeline starting with the idea of Liberty and ending with the 1986 restoration. It also has a bibliography.
Description of the Illustrations:
Lynn Curlee also illustrated the book. He used acrylic paintings that were reproduced in full from photographic transparencies. (the photographs of the paintings were taken by Ed Peterson)
My response to the book:
I enjoyed reading this book and found it very interesting. I had never read anything about the construction of the statue of liberty, so it was all new information to me.
How I would use this book in my class:
I would probably read this book to my class on Constitution Day, when we discuss the freedoms that we have and why we have them.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Only Passing Through: The Story of Sojourner Truth by Anne Rockwell
Rockwell, A. (2000). Only passing through: the story of Sojourner Truth. New York, NY: Random House, Inc.
Summary:
This is a partial biography about a slave girl named Isabella, who would later come to call herself Sojourner Truth. It begins with Isabella, who was nine years old at the time, being sold in New York in 1806 and goes through her being sold multiple times and one of her children being sold across state lines. Isabella took the plantation owner to court and won her little boy back. This was highly unusual for a woman, especially an African American woman. This is a story about the travels of Sojourner while she went around and spoke to large crowds about slavery.
Ages:
Pre-K through 2nd grade
Credibility of Author:
In the author’s note, Anne Rockwell said she used many books that have been written about Sojourner Truth, but mostly her autobiography, although she does not include a bibliography.
National Standards that this book relates to:
The Social Studies standards addressed are People, Places, Environments, and Cultures.
Access Features:
This book includes an author’s note and a timeline
Description of the Illustrations:
The illustrations were drawn by R. Gregory Cristie using acrylic paint and colored pencils.
My response to the book:
I really enjoyed this book. I learned a lot about Sojourner Truth that I did not know. I always thought that Sojourner was her real name, not that she changed it from Isabella. She did this because a sojourner is a person who moves from place to place, not staying to long in a single place. This book would be excellent for children to learn the background of Sojourner Truth.
How I would use this book in my class:
I would use this book during black history month when we studied Sojourner Truth so that the students would have a broader understanding of who she was and why she accomplished the many things that she did during her life.
Summary:
This is a partial biography about a slave girl named Isabella, who would later come to call herself Sojourner Truth. It begins with Isabella, who was nine years old at the time, being sold in New York in 1806 and goes through her being sold multiple times and one of her children being sold across state lines. Isabella took the plantation owner to court and won her little boy back. This was highly unusual for a woman, especially an African American woman. This is a story about the travels of Sojourner while she went around and spoke to large crowds about slavery.
Ages:
Pre-K through 2nd grade
Credibility of Author:
In the author’s note, Anne Rockwell said she used many books that have been written about Sojourner Truth, but mostly her autobiography, although she does not include a bibliography.
National Standards that this book relates to:
The Social Studies standards addressed are People, Places, Environments, and Cultures.
Access Features:
This book includes an author’s note and a timeline
Description of the Illustrations:
The illustrations were drawn by R. Gregory Cristie using acrylic paint and colored pencils.
My response to the book:
I really enjoyed this book. I learned a lot about Sojourner Truth that I did not know. I always thought that Sojourner was her real name, not that she changed it from Isabella. She did this because a sojourner is a person who moves from place to place, not staying to long in a single place. This book would be excellent for children to learn the background of Sojourner Truth.
How I would use this book in my class:
I would use this book during black history month when we studied Sojourner Truth so that the students would have a broader understanding of who she was and why she accomplished the many things that she did during her life.
Monday, June 25, 2007
A Picture Book of Dwight David Eisenhower by David A. Adler
Adler, D. (2002). A picture book of Dwight D. Eisenhower. New York, NY: Holiday House.
Summary:
This book does not begin at the beginning of Eisenhower’s life, but at a parade celebrating the victory of World War II in 1945. After a description of events surrounding the parade, the ext goes back and begins on the day he was born. The text describes what he and his family were like when he was young, but also interjects quotes about events in his youth in the text. The book describes Eisenhower’s efforts to get into the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, the births of his sons and the early death of one of those young sons, becoming president of Columbia University and of the United States. This book is simple to read for young children and is a complete biography that tells about the amazing things Dwight D. Eisenhower accomplished.
Ages:
1st through 3rd grade
Credibility of Author:
David Adler has written over 30 picture book biographies along with the fictional Cam Jansen series. He has included a selected bibliography of books that he used to complete his research.
National Standards that this book relates to:
The Social Studies standards addressed are People, Places, and Environments.
Access Features:
This book contains a list of important dates, author’s notes, selected bibliography, and a recommended website list.
Description of the Illustrations:
The photographs contained in the book are from the mid 1900’s.
My response to the book:
This biography was very interesting and held my attention. I believe that it would also hold the attention of young children, many of which could read it independently. It did a good job describing the life of Dwight D. Eisenhower using simple text.
How I would use this book in my class:
I would use this book when discussing presidents and their duties with my class.
Summary:
This book does not begin at the beginning of Eisenhower’s life, but at a parade celebrating the victory of World War II in 1945. After a description of events surrounding the parade, the ext goes back and begins on the day he was born. The text describes what he and his family were like when he was young, but also interjects quotes about events in his youth in the text. The book describes Eisenhower’s efforts to get into the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, the births of his sons and the early death of one of those young sons, becoming president of Columbia University and of the United States. This book is simple to read for young children and is a complete biography that tells about the amazing things Dwight D. Eisenhower accomplished.
Ages:
1st through 3rd grade
Credibility of Author:
David Adler has written over 30 picture book biographies along with the fictional Cam Jansen series. He has included a selected bibliography of books that he used to complete his research.
National Standards that this book relates to:
The Social Studies standards addressed are People, Places, and Environments.
Access Features:
This book contains a list of important dates, author’s notes, selected bibliography, and a recommended website list.
Description of the Illustrations:
The photographs contained in the book are from the mid 1900’s.
My response to the book:
This biography was very interesting and held my attention. I believe that it would also hold the attention of young children, many of which could read it independently. It did a good job describing the life of Dwight D. Eisenhower using simple text.
How I would use this book in my class:
I would use this book when discussing presidents and their duties with my class.
Akira to Zoltan: Twenty-Six Men Who Changed the World by Cynthia Chin-Lee
Chin-Lee, C. (2006). Akira to Zoltan: Twenty-six men who changed the world. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.
Summary:
This book describes twenty-six influential men in alphabetical order. The text describes painters, architects, Olympians, senators, scientists, and ocean explorers. Each page describes a different man with wonderful illustrations and a quote from the person.
Ages:
3rd grade through 6th
Credibility of Author:
The author graduated from Harvard University and had help from a lot of people in writing the book (they are listed in the back of the text).
National Standards that this book relates to:
The Social Studies standards addressed are People, Places, Environments, and Culture.
Access Features:
The book has a table of contents in the front and the men discussed in the book are in alphabetical order. In the back of the book are a selected bibliography, an author’s note, and acknowledgements,
Description of the Illustrations:
The illustrations in this book are amazing and unique. They were all created using a large variety of media.
My response to the book:
This book gave a little information about a large variety of men. It was easy to read, but did get old reading after a while.
How I would use this book in my class:
I would use this book during a social studies unit or a science unit where we are discussing particular types of jobs. I would read the page that connected to what we were discussing, but would not read it to my class in it’s entirety at one time.
Summary:
This book describes twenty-six influential men in alphabetical order. The text describes painters, architects, Olympians, senators, scientists, and ocean explorers. Each page describes a different man with wonderful illustrations and a quote from the person.
Ages:
3rd grade through 6th
Credibility of Author:
The author graduated from Harvard University and had help from a lot of people in writing the book (they are listed in the back of the text).
National Standards that this book relates to:
The Social Studies standards addressed are People, Places, Environments, and Culture.
Access Features:
The book has a table of contents in the front and the men discussed in the book are in alphabetical order. In the back of the book are a selected bibliography, an author’s note, and acknowledgements,
Description of the Illustrations:
The illustrations in this book are amazing and unique. They were all created using a large variety of media.
My response to the book:
This book gave a little information about a large variety of men. It was easy to read, but did get old reading after a while.
How I would use this book in my class:
I would use this book during a social studies unit or a science unit where we are discussing particular types of jobs. I would read the page that connected to what we were discussing, but would not read it to my class in it’s entirety at one time.
Theodore Roosevelt (Getting to Know the U.S. Presidents) by Mike Venezia
Venezia, M. (2007). Theodore Roosevelt, twenty-sixth president. New York, NY: Children's Press.
Summary:
This is the biography of Theodore Roosevelt written in a way so that children will easily understand the text. It concentrates quite a bit on his childhood and the things that he liked to do and how he spent his time.
Ages:
2nd through 6th grade
Credibility of Author:
While writing this book, the author had a reading consultant from University of Indianapolis and a historical consultant from University of Virginia.
National Standards that this book relates to:
The Social Studies standards addressed are People, Places, and Environments.
Access Features:
There is a list of all past President’s on the back cover of the book.
Description of the Illustrations:
This book has great illustrations! There are political cartoons from the early 1900’s, photographs of Roosevelt, and cartoons created by the illustrator/author.
My response to the book:
This book is very well written for children. It would be a good text for some of my high level readers. The mixture of current and historical illustrations really pull the reader in!
How I would use this book in my class:
I would use this when we study about the president and his job. My kids always love learning about past presidents in a fun way!
Summary:
This is the biography of Theodore Roosevelt written in a way so that children will easily understand the text. It concentrates quite a bit on his childhood and the things that he liked to do and how he spent his time.
Ages:
2nd through 6th grade
Credibility of Author:
While writing this book, the author had a reading consultant from University of Indianapolis and a historical consultant from University of Virginia.
National Standards that this book relates to:
The Social Studies standards addressed are People, Places, and Environments.
Access Features:
There is a list of all past President’s on the back cover of the book.
Description of the Illustrations:
This book has great illustrations! There are political cartoons from the early 1900’s, photographs of Roosevelt, and cartoons created by the illustrator/author.
My response to the book:
This book is very well written for children. It would be a good text for some of my high level readers. The mixture of current and historical illustrations really pull the reader in!
How I would use this book in my class:
I would use this when we study about the president and his job. My kids always love learning about past presidents in a fun way!
Dragon Bones and Dinosaur Eggs by Ann Bausum
Bausum, A. (2000). Dragon bones and dinosaur eggs: a photobiography of
Explorer Roy Chapman Andrews. Washington D.C.: The National Geographic Society.
Summary:
This is a biography of explorer Roy Andrews. The book begins with Andrews as a young boy who would sit for hours and observe wildlife and document it in a journal that he kept with him at all times. It describes his hunting skills and the unique ability for taxidermy. After college, Andrews went to the American Museum of National History, where the only job he could get was cleaning floors in the taxidermy department. Over time, his duties grew to include little jobs like writing labels and mixing clay for models. The book describes his progression from floor cleaner to general assistant to being sent to excavate whale bones. The director was so impressed with the job that Andrews had done in recovering the complete whale skeleton that he was sent on expeditions. Andrews accomplished many things on these expeditions, from taking the first photograph of a whale to traveling to Mongolia and finding never before seen dinosaur bones and eggs. After his many, many years of expeditions, Andrews returned to America to become the director of the American Museum of National History.
Ages:
Grades 5th through 9th
Credibility of Author:
The author was assisted in writing this biography by the National Geographic Society, the American Museum of National History and its Special Collections Library, Beloit College and archives, Beloit Historical Society, Beloit Public Library, Logan Museum of Anthropology, George Borup Andrews, and Charles Gallenkamp.
National Standards that this book relates to:
The Social Studies standards addressed are People, Places, and Environments. The Science standards addressed are Science as Inquiry and Life Science.
Access Features:
This book has a foreward written by Roy Andrews son, George Borup Andrews. It also contains an afterword, a chronology of events in Andrews’ life, a resource guide that can be used to find additional articles, books, videos, etc, and an index.
Description of the Illustrations:
The photographs are actual photos taken of Andrews and during his expeditions. They are black and white and do a wonderful job documenting Andrews’ life. The photographs came from the American Museum of National History.
My response to the book:
I really enjoyed this book and learned a lot by reading it. I had never read a book about the actual expeditions that were taken to find dinosaur bones. This book did a great job detailing how the people made it through the expeditions. It talked about how their things were carried, what they ate, what the camels ate during droughts, what they did during their spare time, etc.
How I would use this book in my class:
Because I teach the lower grades, I would probable not read this entire book to my class, but would definitely read the excerpts about the expeditions and that process that it took to get the bones that long ago. I would also allow them time to view all the great photographs.
Explorer Roy Chapman Andrews. Washington D.C.: The National Geographic Society.
Summary:
This is a biography of explorer Roy Andrews. The book begins with Andrews as a young boy who would sit for hours and observe wildlife and document it in a journal that he kept with him at all times. It describes his hunting skills and the unique ability for taxidermy. After college, Andrews went to the American Museum of National History, where the only job he could get was cleaning floors in the taxidermy department. Over time, his duties grew to include little jobs like writing labels and mixing clay for models. The book describes his progression from floor cleaner to general assistant to being sent to excavate whale bones. The director was so impressed with the job that Andrews had done in recovering the complete whale skeleton that he was sent on expeditions. Andrews accomplished many things on these expeditions, from taking the first photograph of a whale to traveling to Mongolia and finding never before seen dinosaur bones and eggs. After his many, many years of expeditions, Andrews returned to America to become the director of the American Museum of National History.
Ages:
Grades 5th through 9th
Credibility of Author:
The author was assisted in writing this biography by the National Geographic Society, the American Museum of National History and its Special Collections Library, Beloit College and archives, Beloit Historical Society, Beloit Public Library, Logan Museum of Anthropology, George Borup Andrews, and Charles Gallenkamp.
National Standards that this book relates to:
The Social Studies standards addressed are People, Places, and Environments. The Science standards addressed are Science as Inquiry and Life Science.
Access Features:
This book has a foreward written by Roy Andrews son, George Borup Andrews. It also contains an afterword, a chronology of events in Andrews’ life, a resource guide that can be used to find additional articles, books, videos, etc, and an index.
Description of the Illustrations:
The photographs are actual photos taken of Andrews and during his expeditions. They are black and white and do a wonderful job documenting Andrews’ life. The photographs came from the American Museum of National History.
My response to the book:
I really enjoyed this book and learned a lot by reading it. I had never read a book about the actual expeditions that were taken to find dinosaur bones. This book did a great job detailing how the people made it through the expeditions. It talked about how their things were carried, what they ate, what the camels ate during droughts, what they did during their spare time, etc.
How I would use this book in my class:
Because I teach the lower grades, I would probable not read this entire book to my class, but would definitely read the excerpts about the expeditions and that process that it took to get the bones that long ago. I would also allow them time to view all the great photographs.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
I Pledge Allegiance by Bill Martin Jr.
Martin, Jr., B., Sampson, M., & Raschka, C. (2002). I pledge allegiance. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.
Summary:
This book is a great way for teaching children the meaning behind the Pledge of Allegiance. The words to the Pledge are written in bold throughout the book, but there is also text that tells what the words mean, what the colors mean, what to do when saying the pledge, and other helpful things. The text discusses why the Pledge was written for children, who wrote it, and how many students said the pledge on the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Christopher Columbus to America.
Ages:
Pre-K through 2nd grade
Credibility of Author:
This book has won the ALA (American Library Association) Notable Children's Books award and the Chicago Public Library Best Books for Children and Teens award.
National Standards that this book relates to:
The Social Studies standards addresses are Power, Authority, and Governance.
Access Features:
The text in this book is in various sizes and colors making it a little easier to distinguish the different things that you are reading.
Description of the Illustrations:
The illustrations were created with ink and torn paper.
My response to the book:
I loved this book. It is definitely kid-friendly and explains what each part of the Pledge of Allegiance means and why we say it. This is something that a lot of children probably do not know, but is very important for them to know!
How I would use this book in my class:
This would definitely be a book to use around Flag Day, Citizenship Day, or during a citizenship unit.
Summary:
This book is a great way for teaching children the meaning behind the Pledge of Allegiance. The words to the Pledge are written in bold throughout the book, but there is also text that tells what the words mean, what the colors mean, what to do when saying the pledge, and other helpful things. The text discusses why the Pledge was written for children, who wrote it, and how many students said the pledge on the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Christopher Columbus to America.
Ages:
Pre-K through 2nd grade
Credibility of Author:
This book has won the ALA (American Library Association) Notable Children's Books award and the Chicago Public Library Best Books for Children and Teens award.
National Standards that this book relates to:
The Social Studies standards addresses are Power, Authority, and Governance.
Access Features:
The text in this book is in various sizes and colors making it a little easier to distinguish the different things that you are reading.
Description of the Illustrations:
The illustrations were created with ink and torn paper.
My response to the book:
I loved this book. It is definitely kid-friendly and explains what each part of the Pledge of Allegiance means and why we say it. This is something that a lot of children probably do not know, but is very important for them to know!
How I would use this book in my class:
This would definitely be a book to use around Flag Day, Citizenship Day, or during a citizenship unit.
My Season With Penguins by Sarah Webb
Webb, S. (2000). My season with penguins. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Summary:
This book is set up in the format of a diary written by the author while spending two months in Antarctica. The entries are very detailed and provide visual images and new information about being on a research trip. This book allows readers to get a wonderful insight into the life of a penguin that they probably have never experienced before. The illustrations in the book show the different movements of the penguins and the rituals that they go through.
Ages:
It is recommended for children between the ages of 4-8 years, although it would probably be more appropriate for older children.
Credibility of Author:
To create this book, Sophia Webb spent two months living among the penguins during the Antarctic summer. She kept a diary during the trip and also painted what she saw. This book is a Robert F. Sibert honor book.
National Standards that this book relates to:
The Science standards addresses are science as inquiry, life science, and earth science.
Access Features:
The author begins this book with acknowledgements to those that contributed to helping make the book possible. It also contains a little blurp about why she had the opportunity to live with penguins. At the end of the book is a glossary that contains words used in the text that the reader might not be aware of, such as krill, radio telemetry, and brood pouch.
Description of the Illustrations:
The illustrations are paintings that were created by the author in watercolor, gouache, and graphite. Each illustration comes with a description of the painting, so that readers are not confused by the multiple illustrations and text.
My response to the book:
I learned a lot about penguins by reading this book. It discussed the birth of the baby penguins, how they eat, stay warm, and are protected from predators. It is an excellent book that is accompanied by so many illustrations!
How I would use this book in my class:
This would be excellent to compare and contrast various animals and their habitats. It would also be great to start an inquiry about penguins or Antarctica.
Summary:
This book is set up in the format of a diary written by the author while spending two months in Antarctica. The entries are very detailed and provide visual images and new information about being on a research trip. This book allows readers to get a wonderful insight into the life of a penguin that they probably have never experienced before. The illustrations in the book show the different movements of the penguins and the rituals that they go through.
Ages:
It is recommended for children between the ages of 4-8 years, although it would probably be more appropriate for older children.
Credibility of Author:
To create this book, Sophia Webb spent two months living among the penguins during the Antarctic summer. She kept a diary during the trip and also painted what she saw. This book is a Robert F. Sibert honor book.
National Standards that this book relates to:
The Science standards addresses are science as inquiry, life science, and earth science.
Access Features:
The author begins this book with acknowledgements to those that contributed to helping make the book possible. It also contains a little blurp about why she had the opportunity to live with penguins. At the end of the book is a glossary that contains words used in the text that the reader might not be aware of, such as krill, radio telemetry, and brood pouch.
Description of the Illustrations:
The illustrations are paintings that were created by the author in watercolor, gouache, and graphite. Each illustration comes with a description of the painting, so that readers are not confused by the multiple illustrations and text.
My response to the book:
I learned a lot about penguins by reading this book. It discussed the birth of the baby penguins, how they eat, stay warm, and are protected from predators. It is an excellent book that is accompanied by so many illustrations!
How I would use this book in my class:
This would be excellent to compare and contrast various animals and their habitats. It would also be great to start an inquiry about penguins or Antarctica.
Through Georgia's Eyes by Rachel Rodriguez
Rodriguez, R., & Pashckis, J. (2006). Through Georgia's eyes. New York: Henry Holt
and Company, LLC.
Summary:
This book tells the simple story of Georgia O’Keeffe’s life. It begins when she was young with her first memory. It tells the story of how she became a painter despite the fact that during her time, women were not artists. It is written in very simple sentences and is easy to understand. The illustrations that accompany the text seem to tell a story within theirselves.
Ages:
Pre-K through 2nd grade
Credibility of Author:
To write this story, the author read many books and bibliographies written about Georgia O’Keeffe.
National Standards that this book relates to:
The Social Studies standards addressed are people, places, and environments.
Access Features:
This book begins with an author’s note (this tells about what the author did to help her be able to write this story), and illustrator’s note (this note talks about how the illustrations were created and why they were done this way), and a bibliography of texts that the author used to become familiar with Georgia O'Keeffe's life. It also contains a more descriptive biography of Georgia O’Keeffe at the end.
Description of the Illustrations:
The illustrations in this book manage to tell a story by themselves. They give the reader insight into the types of paintings that Georgia O’Keeffe painted. The illustrator's note at the beginning of the book says that the illustrations were creating using paper cut collages that had been painted using acrylic paint and then glued down in layers. The illustrations are definitely worth spending time with in this book!
My response to the book:
This book told the story of Georgia O’Keefe’s life simply and elegantly. It is written so that the children in the lower grades will be able to read it independently and understand the events in her life.
How I would use this book in my class:
This book would be good to study different kinds of paintings or maybe the background of the painter and why different aspects in their life lead to the way that they paint. It also proves that you can be what you want even if it is not socially acceptable because when Georgia O'Keeffe wanted to be a painter, there were no women painters.
and Company, LLC.
Summary:
This book tells the simple story of Georgia O’Keeffe’s life. It begins when she was young with her first memory. It tells the story of how she became a painter despite the fact that during her time, women were not artists. It is written in very simple sentences and is easy to understand. The illustrations that accompany the text seem to tell a story within theirselves.
Ages:
Pre-K through 2nd grade
Credibility of Author:
To write this story, the author read many books and bibliographies written about Georgia O’Keeffe.
National Standards that this book relates to:
The Social Studies standards addressed are people, places, and environments.
Access Features:
This book begins with an author’s note (this tells about what the author did to help her be able to write this story), and illustrator’s note (this note talks about how the illustrations were created and why they were done this way), and a bibliography of texts that the author used to become familiar with Georgia O'Keeffe's life. It also contains a more descriptive biography of Georgia O’Keeffe at the end.
Description of the Illustrations:
The illustrations in this book manage to tell a story by themselves. They give the reader insight into the types of paintings that Georgia O’Keeffe painted. The illustrator's note at the beginning of the book says that the illustrations were creating using paper cut collages that had been painted using acrylic paint and then glued down in layers. The illustrations are definitely worth spending time with in this book!
My response to the book:
This book told the story of Georgia O’Keefe’s life simply and elegantly. It is written so that the children in the lower grades will be able to read it independently and understand the events in her life.
How I would use this book in my class:
This book would be good to study different kinds of paintings or maybe the background of the painter and why different aspects in their life lead to the way that they paint. It also proves that you can be what you want even if it is not socially acceptable because when Georgia O'Keeffe wanted to be a painter, there were no women painters.
Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges
Bridges, R. (1999). Through my eyes. New York, NY: Scholastic Publishing.
Summary:
Through My Eyes is the story of Ruby Bridges integrating into an all white school in New Orleans, LA. Seeing what Ruby Bridges, a six-year-old African American, went through is heart-wrenching. The mobs of people standing outside the school doors were screaming horrible things, including death threats, as she did exactly what a child is supposed to do, go to school. But yet, Ruby stood strong and kept going each day, even though almost all of the parents had pulled their white children out of the school.
Ages:
2nd grade and up
Credibility of Author:
This book is an autobiography written by Ruby Bridges. Therefore, it is a credible story. It also has many photographs, quotes, and newspaper clippings to back up the validity of the text. This book has won the Carter G. Woodson Award and the Orbis Pictus Award.
National Standards that this book relates to:
The Social Studies standards addressed are Culture, Time, Continuity, and Change, People, Places, and Environments, Individual Development and Identity, and Civic Ideals and Practices.
Access Features:
This book has a dear reader in the front written by Henry Belafonte. It also has a preface that was written by Ruby Bridges to explain what else was going on during the time of her integration. In the back is a timeline of some major civil rights movements and where Ruby’s integration fits in. In the back is also a section that brings you up to date about what has happened in Ruby’s life since her first grade school year.
Description of the Illustrations:
This book contains photographs from the time of integration. They are all in a sepia tone. There is one painting in the book completed by Norman Rockwell. It was published in the 1964 issue of Look Magazine. This painting shows Ruby being escorted by three men wearing U.S. Marshall armbands. It also has one drawing that was a self-portrait completed by Ruby Bridges during first grade.
My response to the book:
I enjoyed reading this book. I learned a lot of things about Ruby Bridges’ journey that I did not know. The photographs were also wonderful to look at and they brought on very powerful emotions.
How I would use this book in my class:
During black history month, we focus on different African Americans. We read various books that have been written by them or about them and watch videos about them. My students are absolutely fascinated by Ruby Bridge’s because they are the same age that she was during integration. They would love listening to this story or reading it themselves and perusing the pictures!
Summary:
Through My Eyes is the story of Ruby Bridges integrating into an all white school in New Orleans, LA. Seeing what Ruby Bridges, a six-year-old African American, went through is heart-wrenching. The mobs of people standing outside the school doors were screaming horrible things, including death threats, as she did exactly what a child is supposed to do, go to school. But yet, Ruby stood strong and kept going each day, even though almost all of the parents had pulled their white children out of the school.
Ages:
2nd grade and up
Credibility of Author:
This book is an autobiography written by Ruby Bridges. Therefore, it is a credible story. It also has many photographs, quotes, and newspaper clippings to back up the validity of the text. This book has won the Carter G. Woodson Award and the Orbis Pictus Award.
National Standards that this book relates to:
The Social Studies standards addressed are Culture, Time, Continuity, and Change, People, Places, and Environments, Individual Development and Identity, and Civic Ideals and Practices.
Access Features:
This book has a dear reader in the front written by Henry Belafonte. It also has a preface that was written by Ruby Bridges to explain what else was going on during the time of her integration. In the back is a timeline of some major civil rights movements and where Ruby’s integration fits in. In the back is also a section that brings you up to date about what has happened in Ruby’s life since her first grade school year.
Description of the Illustrations:
This book contains photographs from the time of integration. They are all in a sepia tone. There is one painting in the book completed by Norman Rockwell. It was published in the 1964 issue of Look Magazine. This painting shows Ruby being escorted by three men wearing U.S. Marshall armbands. It also has one drawing that was a self-portrait completed by Ruby Bridges during first grade.
My response to the book:
I enjoyed reading this book. I learned a lot of things about Ruby Bridges’ journey that I did not know. The photographs were also wonderful to look at and they brought on very powerful emotions.
How I would use this book in my class:
During black history month, we focus on different African Americans. We read various books that have been written by them or about them and watch videos about them. My students are absolutely fascinated by Ruby Bridge’s because they are the same age that she was during integration. They would love listening to this story or reading it themselves and perusing the pictures!
Flight by Robert Burleigh
Burleigh, R, & Wimmer, M (1991). Flight. New York, NY: The Putnam & Grosset
Book Group
Summary:
This book told about the Flight of Charles Lindbergh in third person. It described his Journey, alone, from New York to Paris, France. It is very descriptive and pulls the reader in, as if they were in the plane. It describes his journey using entries from the diary that he kept during the flight and pictures that put you in the cockpit with Charles Lindbergh. While reading this story, you learn of the thoughts and fears that he had during the thirty-three and a half hour flight.
Ages:
Pre-K through 2nd grade
Credibility of Author:
The author sites using the book that Charles Lindbergh wrote about his experiences during flight The Spirit of St. Louis. This book has won the Orbis Pictus Award.
National Standards that this book relates to:
The Social Studies standards addressed are Culture, People, Places, and Environments.
Access Features:
This book has an introduction written by Jean Fritz, a well-known children’s author. Thy typography is clear, easy to read, and either white or black depending on the illustration it accompanies. The typography seems to make you think that what you are reading is fact.
Description of the Illustrations:
The illustrations are always full page or double page illustrations that manage to put you right into the picture. The text is superimposed on top of the paintings.
My response to the book:
I loved this book. I learned a lot that I did not know about Charles Lindbergh. It was amazing to know exactly what he was doing and what he was thinking during the flight, even though he was alone! The illustrations are amazing. You feel like you were in the plane with Charles Lindbergh!
How I would use this book in my class:
I like to connect real people to things that we are studying in any subjects. I also like to do a mini-study on people during their birthdays or on the day of their honor (this might be the day that he took off or landed).
Book Group
Summary:
This book told about the Flight of Charles Lindbergh in third person. It described his Journey, alone, from New York to Paris, France. It is very descriptive and pulls the reader in, as if they were in the plane. It describes his journey using entries from the diary that he kept during the flight and pictures that put you in the cockpit with Charles Lindbergh. While reading this story, you learn of the thoughts and fears that he had during the thirty-three and a half hour flight.
Ages:
Pre-K through 2nd grade
Credibility of Author:
The author sites using the book that Charles Lindbergh wrote about his experiences during flight The Spirit of St. Louis. This book has won the Orbis Pictus Award.
National Standards that this book relates to:
The Social Studies standards addressed are Culture, People, Places, and Environments.
Access Features:
This book has an introduction written by Jean Fritz, a well-known children’s author. Thy typography is clear, easy to read, and either white or black depending on the illustration it accompanies. The typography seems to make you think that what you are reading is fact.
Description of the Illustrations:
The illustrations are always full page or double page illustrations that manage to put you right into the picture. The text is superimposed on top of the paintings.
My response to the book:
I loved this book. I learned a lot that I did not know about Charles Lindbergh. It was amazing to know exactly what he was doing and what he was thinking during the flight, even though he was alone! The illustrations are amazing. You feel like you were in the plane with Charles Lindbergh!
How I would use this book in my class:
I like to connect real people to things that we are studying in any subjects. I also like to do a mini-study on people during their birthdays or on the day of their honor (this might be the day that he took off or landed).
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges
Before I began reading this book, I decided to take a picture walk. As I flipped through the pages looking at the illustrations and photographs, I tried very hard not to read the quotes that accompanied some of them just yet. This was very hard to keep from doing, so occasionally I gave in and read them (I wanted to spend time looking at the pictures before I began because they were so intriguing).
I learned many new things reading this book. This book is the first one that I have read that gives background information on Ruby Bridges’ parents and grandparents. It also talks about why she was the child chosen to go to the all-white school. After she did well on the academic exam that was required, the NAACP visited her parents to convince them to let Ruby attend William Frantz, the all-white school. I could never imagine having to make that difficult decision. There is a quote on one page from Lucille Bridges, Ruby’s mother. In this quote Lucille talks about how she thought that it would be a wonderful opportunity for Ruby to go to a new school. Not until she had taken Ruby to school the first morning, returned home, and began watching television did she see how serious things really were just because a six year old had received a wonderful opportunity. She said that after seeing that the world was watching Ruby she was afraid.
After reading this, I wonder that if they knew what they were really going to be getting themselves into, would Ruby still have attended William Frantz. They had no idea that very angry protestors and federal marshals would surround them during their walk into the school. This book went into detail describing what happened before, during, and after integration. The photographs and paintings were absolutely amazing. The pictures were able to tell the story for themselves.
To be able to hear about integration from a person that played such a major role was amazing. Ruby's ability to recall what happened and draw the reader in was wonderful. This is a wonderful book for a variety of ages. I would give it to my first graders during our study of Ruby Bridges. Even if they did not have the ability to read the text yet, the pictures are able to tell a lot of the story by themselves. Students can learn a lot from this great book!!!
I learned many new things reading this book. This book is the first one that I have read that gives background information on Ruby Bridges’ parents and grandparents. It also talks about why she was the child chosen to go to the all-white school. After she did well on the academic exam that was required, the NAACP visited her parents to convince them to let Ruby attend William Frantz, the all-white school. I could never imagine having to make that difficult decision. There is a quote on one page from Lucille Bridges, Ruby’s mother. In this quote Lucille talks about how she thought that it would be a wonderful opportunity for Ruby to go to a new school. Not until she had taken Ruby to school the first morning, returned home, and began watching television did she see how serious things really were just because a six year old had received a wonderful opportunity. She said that after seeing that the world was watching Ruby she was afraid.
After reading this, I wonder that if they knew what they were really going to be getting themselves into, would Ruby still have attended William Frantz. They had no idea that very angry protestors and federal marshals would surround them during their walk into the school. This book went into detail describing what happened before, during, and after integration. The photographs and paintings were absolutely amazing. The pictures were able to tell the story for themselves.
To be able to hear about integration from a person that played such a major role was amazing. Ruby's ability to recall what happened and draw the reader in was wonderful. This is a wonderful book for a variety of ages. I would give it to my first graders during our study of Ruby Bridges. Even if they did not have the ability to read the text yet, the pictures are able to tell a lot of the story by themselves. Students can learn a lot from this great book!!!
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