Mod 4: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

Summary:

The Newberry award winning novel A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle tells the story of Margret (Meg) Murry, her younger brother Charles Wallace, and friend Calvin O'keefe's adventure through time and space to save Meg's missing father(Mr. Murry). After an encounter with a strange tramp who turns out to be a celestial being named Mrs. Whatsit, and her friends Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which the trio of children use a tesseract, or wrinkle in time and space, to travel to a distant planet called Camazotz to save Mr. Murry, who is imprissoned there by a great evil that is threatening the universe. While searching for Mr. Murry Charles is corrupted in taken control of by a giant disembodied brain called IT. Meg, Calvin, and Mr. Murry are forced to flee (via another tesseract) to another planet called Ixchel where Mrs. Whatsit and her two strange friends appear as well and inform Meg that only she can rescue her brother using a weapon the evil does not have but Meg does. Meg returns to save her brother but must discover what the weapon is on her own. She realizes in the end it is love, saves her brother, and tesseracts back to earth to be reunited with her family.

L'Engle, M. (1962). A wrinkle in time. New York, NY: Farrar Straus Giroux

My Impressions:

I read this book many years ago when I was in middle school, and remembered liking it, but I had forgotten most of the story, so when I saw it on the list I felt I should read it again and see if I still found it enjoyable. It was just as good as I remembered and despite being over 50 years old, A Wrinkle in Time still holds up as a science fiction classic.

Reviews:

“This 50th anniversary production of L'Engle's Newbery-winning story introduces a new generation to Meg Murry and her younger brother, Charles Wallace, as they travel to rescue their father, a trip that truly "wrinkles time." Engaging vocal interpretations of Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which contrast nicely with the young voices Davis employs for the children. An introduction read by the late author adds to the enchantment of this classic tale. A Common Core text exemplar for grades 6-8. Common Core Standard: RL.6.3. Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution. Content Standard: Oklahoma State Department of Education (Oklahoma C3 Standards, Language Arts, Grade 6) 2. Inferences and Interpretation b. Make inferences or draw conclusions about characters' qualities and actions (i.e., based on knowledge of plot, setting, characters' motives, characters' appearances, other characters' responses to a character). ”

[Review of the book A Wrinkle in Time by M. L'Engle]. (2012). School library journal. Retrived from http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2929/DetailedView.aspx?hreciid=|683427|1765538&mc=USA#

Usage in a Library Setting:

Since Sci-Fi stories a popular these days I feel this classic could fit right in with a book talk, perhaps included alongside some other teenage sci-fi tales that are not as new and may be overlooked by some modern teenagers who would thoroughly enjoy it if they gave it a chance.     

Mod 4: The Giver by Lois Lowry

Summary:

Lois Lowry's The Giver follows the story of Jonas, an eleven-year-old boy who lives in a futuristic society that has rid itself of all fear, hatred, pain, and war.

To accomplish this everyone citizen within the community has given up their individuality and choice. At age twelve jobs are assigned based on the abilities and interests of the person. Citizens can be assigned a spouse and given exactly two children, who are birthed by birthing mothers who never meet the children, and are then raised for a year in nurturing centers. When children are fully raised they are split from their “families” and the adults live in group homes until they are too old to serve the community, at which point they are sent to be cared for in the House of the Old. Sick children and the extreme elderly are eventually “released” from the community, which is believed to be a setting free from the society to join the people in the “Elsewhere”, but unbeknownst to most it is truly death by euthanasia.

Jonas is a bit different from most other citizens in that his eyes are pale while most have dark eyes. He is also able to glimpse flashes of color, when everyone else sees only in black and white. When he turns twelve he must take place in the Ceremony of Twelve, which is when jobs are assigned for citizens. He is nervous about this event, but is given the highly honored assignment of Receiver of Memory. This means he will be tasked with inheriting and keeping all the memories of the past including those of war, pain and emotion the society gave up in favor of tranquility. He receives the memories from the societies current Receiver, an old man who tells Jonas to call him the Giver.

As Jonas begins to receive memories, starting with an exhilarating sled ride, he begins to question and dislike the way the community lives. His experiences with joyful and painful memories show Jonas that the rest of the community isn't experiencing life at all. The Giver, who has felt the same for a long time encourages Jonas' questioning of the ways of the community. He devlops a familial relationship with the Giver as the story progresses.

Jonas also starts to develop a relationship with a small child named Gabriel being cared for by Jonas's “father” and he attempts to help the child sleep by transmitting soothing memories to the boy, and begins to develop a relationship with Gabriel as well similar to the family memories he has received.

The Giver reveals to Jonas that “release” is death when it is revealed that Gabrieal will soon be released. This enrages and horrifies Jonas, and he decides that he and the Giver must work together to change the community. The Giver tells Jonas of the last receiver who asked to be released when some of the memories of sadness proved to be too much for her. Her death caused all the memories she had gathered to disperse into the community, which caused a many of the community members to be unable to handle the sudden intake of emotion. The Giver and Jonas planned for Jonas to acquire many more memories and then escape into the Elsewhere, which would cause his memories to disperse into the community and the Giver would help them come to terms and change society.

Jonas learns they plan to release (kill) Gabriel much sooner than expected, however, and he instead decides to steal his fathers bike and Jonas and flee earlier than planned into the Elsewhere. He finds colorful surroundings and animals with his escape, as well as changing weather, but also cold, hunger, and pain. The story ends on a mysterious note with Jonas and Gabriel finding a sled like the one in the first memory he received. He believes he sees lights and hears music of a friendly village ahead of them and is sure someone is there to help them as he races with Gabriel down the hill.

Lowry, L. (1993) The giver. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company

My Impressions:

I found The Giver to be a great book that raises some interesting societal questions. Is there truly life with out choice and pain? Can we have the good with out the bad? All these things and more are pondered in this book. Dystopian Society novels are very popular at the moment, and The Giver was a bit ahead of it's time in this regard.

Reviews:

“I thoroughly enjoyed this book because, even though it is supposed to be more of a children's book than young adult, the storyline is complex enough to hold the attention of older readers. I really enjoyed Jonas as a character because his character development from a scared boy, to someone willing to risk his future to save the community, is enjoyable to follow. This book shows the path of growing up; at first we are scared to accept that there are new responsibilities, but as we slowly get used to it we want to move more and more away from childhood.”

[Review of The Giver by Lowry, L.] (2014). The guardian webpage. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2014/sep/06/review-the-giver-lois-lowry

Usage in a Library Setting:

With the popularity of Dystopian Society stories, The Giver would be right at home alongside modern novels such as The Hunger Games, or Divergent in book talks or displays targeted at young adults. Any patron or student reading any of these new novels should definitely be pointed towards The Giver as well.

Mod 3: Golem by David Wisniewski

Summary:

Golem by David Wisniewski tells the story of a Jewish ghetto in Prague being slandered by what is known as the Blood Lie, in an effort by those who hate Jews to turn the rest of the city against them. A rabbi named Judah Loew has a dream that the only thing that can save the Jewish people is to perform a mystical Cabala ritual and create a Golem; a living clay giant that will serve and protect the Jewish people. With the help of two others the ritual is performed and a giant Golem named Joseph is created with the Jewish word truth carved into his forehead. Joseph is sent to work capturing those spreading the blood lie about the Jews and filling Prague's prisons with the criminals. Joseph begins to enjoy being alive and is enamored with sunsets and scents.

As Joseph uncovers the truth about the blood lie, the enemies of the Jews mount an attack on the Jewish Ghetto. Joseph grows enormous in size and stops the assualt, which causes the emporor of Prague to summon Judah Loew to him. He promises the Jewish people will be safe as long as the Golem is destroyed.

Judah finds Joseph, who does not want to return to Clay and wishes to keep living and refuses Judah's order, but Judah simply erases the first letter in truth, changing the word to death, which causes Joseph to crumble away. His remains are stored and sealed with funeral rites in the synagog where they may be called upon again if needed.

Wisniewski, D. (1996). Golem. New York, NY: Clarion Books

My Impressions:

My favorite part of this book is the Art. The cut-paper style is so unique and wonderfully done it adds some amazing visual interest to this classic story. It is easy for me to see why this book won the Caldecott.

Reviews:

Wisniewski's retelling of the golem legend varies only slightly from the traditional version recounted by Beverly McDermott in The Golem It is the tale of a clay giant formed in the image of man to protect the Jewish people of medieval Prague from destruction by their enemies. His master, the chief rabbi of Prague in the late 16^th century, was a highly reguarded Cabbalist (a mystic). In this telling the golem speaks with the simplicity of a child, and hs is destroyed when the emperor guarantees the safty of the Jewish people. A lengthy not explains the idea of the Golem and details Jewish persucution throughout history. Wisniewski has used layers of cut paper to give depth to his illustrations. Many of which have a three-dimensional appearance. A wispy layer, which begins as the vapor of creation, becomes smoke from torches carried by an angry mob of armed silhouette people and horses. The colors are browns and grays of the earth sunrise mauve, and the pumpkin and burnt orange of fire and sunset. Skillful use of perspective enhances the Golem's immense size. While the plot is stronger in Mark Podwai's retelling, Wisniewski's text lacks the power and child appeal of McDermontt's spare, well-crafted tale. Still, collections waning another edition of the story might consider this one.

Scheps, S. (1996). Golem[review of the book Golem by David Wisniewski]. School Library Journal, 42(10), 142. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/211695174?accountid=7113

Usage in a Library Setting:

This book can be used as part of a Jewsish culture program to teach patrons about the Jewish culture, religion, and history. It could be done around the time of a major Jewish holiday, such as Passover or Chanukah, or it could be used as part of a Jewish book and culture display.   

Mod 3: This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen

Summary:

This is Not My Hat is a Caldecott award winning picture book written and Illustrated by Jon Klassen that tells the story of a little fish who steals a much bigger fish’s bowler hat.  The little fish is convinced he will get away with the crime despite understanding that it was the wrong thing to do.  He spends most of the story swimming away from the scene of his crime while explaining that the big fish will not wake up, notice the hat missing, or be able to find him.  The images however show the big fish waking up, and instantly knowing his hat is missing and searching for the little fish.  The little fish is convinced he can hide in the long kelp and that the crab who sees him will not tell on him.  He is wrong and the crab tells the big fish where to find the thief and he follows him into the long grass.  The next image shows the big fish returning from the long grass with his hat and the little fish is not seen again, the implication being that the bigger fish ate him. 

Klassen, J. (2012). This is not my hat. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press

My Impressions:

I love this story and it’s simplistic art style.  The minimalist backgrounds, which is mostly just black with the occasional bubbles or seaweed help to not distract from the story, which is told just as much with pictures as it is with the words. This story is very fun and has a bit of a darker ending than most children books with the little fish dying in the end, but I feel it works very well with the story and really hammers home the message that there are consequences to actions such as stealing (possibly with some explanation of how animals do things as opposed to people).

Reviews:

PreS-Gr 1–With this new creation, Klassen repeats the theme from I Want My Hat Back (Candlewick, 2011), but with a twist. The narrator here is the thief–a small, self-confident fish who has pilfered a little blue bowler from a big sleeping fish. He wastes no time or words in confessing his crime as he swims across the page announcing, “This hat is not mine. I just stole it.” He continues his narrative with no regrets, but with a bit of rationalizing (“It was too small for him anyway.”) as he swims to his hiding place, unaware that the big fish is in quiet pursuit. Readers, of course, are in on this little secret. When the two disappear into a spread filled with seaweed, the narration goes silent, and youngsters can easily surmise what happens as the big fish reemerges with the tiny blue bowler atop his head. Simplicity is key in both text and illustrations. The black underwater provides the perfect background for the mostly gray-toned fish and seaweed while the monochromatic palette strips the artwork down to essential, yet exquisite design. Movement is indicated with a trail of small white bubbles. This not-to-be-missed title will delight children again and again.–Carolyn Janssen, Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County, Cincinnati, OH

School Library Journal. (2012).  Pick of the Day This is Not My Hat [Review of the Book This is Not My Hat, by Jon Klassen].  School Library Journal Website.  Retrived from http://www.slj.com/2012/09/reviews/pick-of-the-day/pick-of-the-day-this-is-not-my-hat/

Usage in a Library Setting:

This would be great for a story time book, possibly alongside Jon Klassen’s Other book I Want my Hat Back, where there could be discussion about what it feels like to have something taken from you and how this behavior hurts people, and possibly what the thief could have done differently if they wanted the hat. 

Mod 2: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Summary:

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Tells the story of a newborn little caterpillar that is constantly hungry, so he spends a whole week eating a variety of different foods in increasingly larger amounts.  He gets a stomach ache on saturday after eating a whole bunch of junk food.  On Sunday he feels better after eating a large leaf, and he is no longer little but very fat.  He forms a cocoon and then emerges at the end as a butterfly.

Carle, E. (1969). The very hungry caterpillar. New York, NY: Philomel Books.

My Impressions:

A very cute story that I remember for when I was a child.  The art is very colorful and simplistic and the pages actually have holes where the caterpillar has "eaten" through the picture of whatever it is he ate.  The paper cut art style is very effective in my opinion, and unlike the artwork in some older books, it retains a timeless quality to it.

Reviews:
"In the light of the moon a little egg lay on a leaf." So begins Eric Carle's modern classic,The Very Hungry Caterpillar. More than 12 million copies of this book have been sold in its original, full-sized edition, and the beloved tale of science and gluttony has been translated into 20 languages. This five-by-four-inch miniature edition is truly tiny, with tiny type, but it is a nice size for small hands to hold and flip through the pictures. Despite its diminished state, the book is complete in every detail, following the ravenous caterpillar's path as he eats his way through one apple (and the pages of the book itself) on Monday, two pears on Tuesday, three plums on Wednesday, and so on, through cherry pie and sausage--until he is really fat and has a stomachache. And no doubt you know what happens next! Kids love butterfly metamorphosis stories, and this popular favorite teaches counting and the days of the week, too. A fun gift package for caterpillar fans. (Baby to preschool)--Karin Snelson
(Cite amazon.com review: http://www.amazon.com/Very-Hungry-Caterpillar-Eric-Carle/dp/0399226907/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1424293781&sr=8-2&keywords=a+very+hungry+caterpillar)

Usage in a Library Setting:

After reading the book at a story time, there could be an activity where children cut out their own caterpillar shapes in construction paper and glue together their own very hungry caterpillar to take home.

Mod 2: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi and Ron Barrett

Summary:

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs tells the story of a family enjoying breakfast when the grandfather flips a pancake onto his grandsons head.  That evening the Grandfather tells a wacky tale about a town known as Chewandswallow where it rains food.  The town residents eat whatever comes with the weather, and everything was gray until the weather got weirder.  Unappetizing foods rained first, such as overcooked broccoli or brussels sprouts with mayo.  Eventually the weather became violent with tomato soup tornadoes and giant meatballs crushing homes and cars.  The towns folk were forced to leave and start a new life in a new town, never to return to Chewandswallow.  The book ends with the children enjoying a snowy day with their grandfather that they swear smells and looks like mashed potatoes.  

Barrett, J. (1978). Cloud with a chance of meatballs. New York, NY: Antheneum Books.

My Impressions:

A classic story that is showing its age a little, especially in the artwork.  If you compare this story based just on look alone to most modern picture books and even the movie that was (very loosely) based on this story you can easily tell that the artwork is no longer in style.  The story is still fun, however.

Professional Review:

Gr 1-3-In the town of Chewandswallow, the citizens enjoy the bounties of the skies, and open-roofed restaurants allow diners to catch their dinner. Unfortunately, the weather takes a turn for the worse, and there is no choice but to flee from the falling food. The detailed pen-and-ink illustrations begin in black and white, but as the tale progresses, colors join the black line details. A savory story to share over and over again.

Gallagher, G. (2006). Cloudy with a chance of meatballs [a review of the book Cloudy with a chance of meatballs by Judi Barrett]. School Library Journal, 52(7), 45. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/211815981?accountid=7113

Usage in a Library Setting:

Maybe this book could be read before a screening of the movie that was based upon it and discussion could be had as to how different the two stories really are and what, if anything about them is the same.

Mod 1: Bats at the Library by Brian Lies

Summary:

Bats at the Library by Brian Lies tells the story of a group of bats spending the night in a library, which left its window open.  The bats spend their time reading books, playing games, and using the copier to make copies of themselves.  Eventually a group of bats stages a storytime for the other bats, and the bats find themselves engrossed in their stories as they become part of the book they are reading.  It all comes to an end with the sun begins to rise and all the bats leave the library before daybreak with the hope that the librarian will leave the window open again for them some time soon.

Lies, B. (2008). Bats at the Library. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Co.

My Impressions:

A very fun book with a simple rhyme scheme.  The bats are all very cute and mouse like in appearance, which makes certain that these creatures of the night are in no way scary.  The bats all seem to find a love of reading, and it does a good job of illustrating how they loose themselves in their story, which is important for new readers to engage in.

Professional Review:

Bats at the Library BY (BRIAN LIES 32 pages. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2008. (Ages 5-8)

Awards: International Reading Association Children's Choice; Book Sense 2009 Book of the Year Award; Bill Martin, Jr. Picture Book Award, Kansas Reading Association; Indie Choice Picture Book Award; Number 3 Picture Book of 2008, Time Magazine/CNN.

Following his delightful book, Bats at the Beach (2006), Brian Lies continues to offer readers a unique perspective of the world, the sometimes-upside-down view of a bat. This beautifully illustrated picture book, set in a library, conveys the pleasure of being lost in a good book as older bats teach their young offspring the power of stories.

[Written in gracefully rhyming couplets, this is the tale of a colony of bats that has grown bored with its nightly routine and is anxious for new experiences. Suddenly, word is sent out that a window in the local library has been left ajar. Swooping into the darkened building the older bats immediately lose themselves in the joys of the library. The bats settle down to read about their interests (such as fancy foods) or gather in clusters to talk about the ideas in the books they have read.

However, the younger bats have never been to a library. They invent games to play that include everything but engaging with books. They create shadow puppets using overhead projectors, make photocopies of their little bat bodies, play within the confines of a pop-up book, and raucously splash one another in the drinking fountain. The older bats must intervene to show their little ones the most splendid and powerful resources of the library -- the books. As the baby bats settle down for story time (some of them hanging upside down from the ledge of a table), they find themselves lost in the story. Lies speaks to the magic that occurs when readers are engrossed in a book: "everyone -- old bat or pup -- / has been completely swallowed up / and lives inside a book instead / of simply hearing something read" (p. 21). Before any of the bats can believe it, the sky has turned pale; morning is coming soon; and they must leave the library before they are discovered. All the bats depart with the hope that the librarians will leave the windows open again so that they can continue to experience the joy that immersing oneself in a book can bring.

Lies' illustrations bring the Bats at the Library to life. With subdued colors meant to represent the bats' nocturnal habitat, Lies humanizes the bats, complete with glasses, smiles, and for one baby bat, arm floaties, much like a young child might wear in a swimming pool. His illustrations also show bats engaging in real bat-like behaviors; for instance, during story time, the bats are surrounding a book that has been placed upside down, the better to accommodate the positioning of the bats hanging from the table ledge. In what are perhaps the most inspired pages of this creative book, Lies gives readers several text-free pages where bats are reimagined as the central figures in classic children's stories. The illustrations have even been designed in the style of the original illustrations in these classic works of children's literature. A bat with red, Pippi Longstockinged braids cartwheels across the page. A policeman halts traffic to "make way for bat-lings." A bat wearing a red cloak, hood pulled tight, hurries to grandmother's house. And a young girl studies a suspiciously cat-like bat with an enigmatic, Cheshire-grin hanging upside down from a tree. These exceedingly clever illustrations speak to all of us who have found ourselves so drawn into a story that we become a part of it. Lies' reimagining allows his readers to envision bats as the central characters in familiar stories.

The young bats squeak with excitement at finding themselves in the unfamiliar surroundings of a library. However, it is only with the older bats' assistance that they are able to grasp the true treasures this building holds. As is the tradition with human children, adults have the privilege of introducing the young to the power of stories.

Bats at the Library. (2011). Journal of Education, 191(2), 75.

Usage in a Library Setting:

This book could be used as part of a lesson or program for smaller children on what there is to do in the library, or how to use a library.  The book could be read as a fun way to start the program.