Good Masters, Sweet Ladies!

Author: Laura Amy Schlitz                    

   

Illustrator: Robert Byrd

Publisher: Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA, 2007

ISBN: 978-0-7636-4332-4                                   

Grade Level: 5-8

Genre: Nonfiction

Plot Summary:  Includes bibliographical references (p. 82-85).;Hugo, the Lord's nephew -- Taggot, the blacksmith's daughter -- Will, the plowboy -- Alice, the shepherdess -- Thomas, the doctor's son -- Constance, the pilgrim -- Mogg, the villein's daughter -- Otho, the miller's son -- Jack, the half-wit -- Simon, the knight's son -- Edgar, the falconer's son -- Isobel, the Lord's daughter -- Barbary, the mud slinger -- Jacob Ben Salomon, the moneylender's son, and Petronella, the merchant's daughter -- Lowdy, the varlet's child -- Pask, the runaway -- Piers, the glassblower's apprentice -- Mariot and Maud, the glassblower's daughters -- Nelly, the sniggler -- Drogo, the tanner's apprentice -- Giles, the beggar. A collection of short one-person plays featuring characters, between ten and fifteen years old, who live in or near a thirteenth-century English manor.

Themes/Tags:  Middle Ages, children's literature, historical fiction, poetry, England

Reviews and Awards:  Wilson's Children 01/01/09, Wilson's Junior High School 11/01/08, Newbery Medal/Honor 01/14/08, School Library Journal starred 08/01/07, Notable/Best Books (A.L.A.) 01/01/08, Booklist starred 08/01/07, Horn Book starred 04/01/08, Book Links starred 01/01/08

Extensions: It's obvious, but impossible NOT to use this book in a performance capacity.  Using the media center, dedicate a month to study of the middle ages.  Along with books and other media on display, culminate the end of the month with a performance of Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!  Those who do not have speaking parts will assist with backdrops, audio (music), and video.

GPS: ELA6R3 The student reads aloud, accurately (in the range of 95%), familiar material in a variety of genres, in a way that makes meaning clear to listeners.

ELA6RC4 The student establishes a context for information acquired by reading across subject areas. 

Terri's Review ►►►►► 5 Bean & Cheese Nachos (out of 5)

Due to the response from a couple of fellow media specialists, I had already prejudged this book to be a head-scratching doozy.  Imagine my surprise... I LOVED it! I also love that it was written by a bona-fide media specialist! I enjoyed it was written as a series of monologues.  Each character portrays a person of various status or trade in this fictional midieval village.  Some of the monologues are written as poetry, others as lyrical prose.  The stories are those of hard times and social status -- or lack of.  Interspersed throughout the pages are footnotes on odd words and background information on unusual practices.  Several "history" pages are interspersed to give greater detail on topics such as the role of the miller or the Crusades.  Very interesting and very well-written, I will leave you with this catchy excerpt from "Otho, The Millers Son":

Oh, God makes the water, and the water makes the river,

And the river turns the mill wheel

and the wheel goes on forever.

There's no use in looking back,

for here's the truth I've found:

It's hunger, want, and wickedness

that makes the world go 'round.

Newbery Ketchup!

Catch-up, actually. Ketchup just sounded cute, and I am hungry. I digress....for a while, I've had a goal to read all the Newbery books - both winners and honors. As time marches on, a deadline for this project is needed. A year seems more than reasonable. So perhaps a nice, neat date like June 1, 2012. Yes, I like it!

What is the story behind the Newbery? ("One R! One R!", as Dr. Nancy Brown would tell her GSU grad students) Per the American Library Association's website:

The Newbery Medal is awarded annually by the American Library Association for the most distinguished American children's book published the previous year. On June 22, 1921, Frederic G. Melcher proposed the award to the American Library Association meeting of the Children's Librarians' Section and suggested that it be named for the eighteenth-century English bookseller John Newbery. The idea was enthusiastically accepted by the children's librarians, and Melcher's official proposal was approved by the ALA Executive Board in 1922. In Melcher's formal agreement with the board, the purpose of the Newbery Medal was stated as follows: "To encourage original creative work in the field of books for children. To emphasize to the public that contributions to the literature for children deserve similar recognition to poetry, plays, or novels. To give those librarians, who make it their life work to serve children's reading interests, an opportunity to encourage good writing in this field."

The Newbery Award thus became the first children's book award in the world. Its terms, as well as its long history, continue to make it the best known and most discussed children's book award in this country.

I have read a number of books on the list already - whether recently or in the past. Favorites - some of which I have already mentioned in this blog - include:

 

• Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis  2008 Honor 

• Whittington  by  Alan Armstrong, illustrated by S.D. Schindler  2006 Honor

• Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell  1961 Winner

While I try to recognize the value of each story, I can't imagine one person enjoying every single book. That is the beauty of reading...so much material for all different personalities to enjoy. So I will also recognize some of my not-so-favorites:

• The Underneath  by Kathi Appelt, illus. by David Small 2009 Honor

• Old Yeller by Fred Gipson 1957 Honor

The books above were certainly well-written, but as an animal lover, they were emotionally challenging. That said, I have no regrets on reading them and see their value to a library collection. It is good to be challenged.

What are some of your favorite Newberys? Some you are still scratching your about? Any oversights?

Time to get started. Here is my first batch, courtesy of Atlanta's Buckhead Library:

And for the record, a shot of the Buckhead Library. Architecture fans: talk amongst yourselves!

 

READ.GOV

A couple of years ago, I visited the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. I was traveling by train from Atlanta to Salt Lake City and had a layover of several hours at Union Station. This gorgeous station is in the heart of our nation's capital, so the Library of Congress (LOC) was just a short walk away. Due to time limitations, I was only able to do a quick self-guided tour, but enjoyed every moment. While it is a spectacular place, even more impressive (and easily accessible) is the LOC website. A veritible abyss of information, the site offers historical photographs, audio recordings, film clips, manuscripts, maps and so much more. Today I would like to invite you to visit one of my favorite offerings:


http://www.read.gov/

Categories for online reading include classic options for kids, teens, adults and educators/parents. The children's books are especially gorgeous. Books of a time gone by, but preserved for us to share with kids today!

And because you are interested (right?!), here are a few amateur shots from my trip!  

You should know this one!

Finally here! Hooray!

The exhibition featured Herbert Block's editorial cartoons.

View from LOC steps.

In the "lobby".

Breathtaking! Too bad my photography skills are not!

Beauty everywhere.

The entrance in the background.

Bad-hair-day at LOC. I've been sleeping on a train folks (thus, NOT sleeping)!

I liked these guys.

Amtrak: fun, adventurous, and not very glamorous. This is it. You just walk on!

An Old Classic is the New Favorite!

This summer, while keeping the kids of some friends, I decided to use an old classic for the much revered potty-reading duties:

 

The Terrible Thing that Happened at Our House (author: Marge Blaine, illustrator: John C. Wallner) is the story of what happens to a "normal" family when mom decides to go back to work. Ok, so they are privileged kids who had a stay-at-home mom, but most kids these days can relate to the situation. Suddenly both parents are very busy, game night is no more, and now the kids must eat in the dreaded lunchroom! With great illustrations and funny lines, this story provides insight into working out problems with your family, talking and connecting. Even with a copyright date of 1975, its is a timeless tale and I encourage you to find a copy!

George Washington Carver

Author: 
Tonya Bolden                                               

Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers, New York , 2008
ISBN: 978-0-8109-9366-2 

Interest Level: Grades 3-6


Genre:  Noniction, Dewey 630.92


Plot Summary: Includes bibliographical references (p. 39-40). A biography of American botanical researcher and agronomy educator, George Washington Carver, whose work to promote alternative crops in the post-war South played a major role in revolutionizing Southern agriculture.


Themes/Tags: biography, George Washington Carver, agriculture, Alabama

Awards and Reviews: Wilson's Children 01/01/09, School Library Journal starred 04/01/08, Booklist starred 02/01/08, Book Links starred 03/01/08, Kirkus Review starred 12/15/07, Horn Book 10/01/08, Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 03/01/08, Library Media Connection 08/01/08
Library Media Connection (August/September 2008) A fresh biography from Tonya Bolden, this title retraces the turbulent life and celebrated accomplishments of the famed "Peanut Man" through chronological photographs, original works of art, and thought-provoking text. Bolden takes the reader back to George Washington Carver's birthplace and leads him through his life from enslavement as a child, on his quest for new knowledge and becoming a successful environmentalist, to being honored for his contributions in agriculture by way of a museum erected in his name. Her use of historical photographs, artifacts, and drawings depicting Carver's love of nature and his scientific explorations is reminiscent of walking through a museum with the book as the tour guide. Although suited for older readers, this selection would be a valuable addition to any biography collection. Recommended. Suzanne Buza-Snead, Librarian, Maverick Elementary, San Antonio, Texasu

Extensions: Introduce students to George Washington Carver as presented in this particular text.  Then, using additional online media center resources, have teams of two students write their own short biography of Carver.  Using Bolden's text as an example, have student's create their own collage-type presentation using printed photographs, magazine and other mixed media provided by the librarian or students (fabric, sticks, soynuts, etc).  The biographical text will be displayed among the collage in a format suitable to the students.  The final projects will be displayed on the media center showcase table at the end of the month.

GPS SS5H3: The student will describe how life changed in America at the turn of the century. b. Describe the impact on American life of the Wright brothers (flight), George Washington Carver (science), Alexander Graham Bell (communication), and Thomas Edison (electricity).


Terri's Review: ►►►►► 5 Bean and Cheese Nachos (out of 5)  True story:  I picked this book up and did not put it down until I finished.  Wow, what a wonderfully written, presented, informative addition to any library collection!  I personally did not know much about GWC, other than he was a scientist who did wonders with peanuts.  There was so much more to this genius of a man from such humble beginnings, who made great strides at such a turbulent time in American history.  Wonderful colors, photographs and drawings accompany the tale of Carver from his birth, to his early knack for horticulture, to art, to science, ultimately being recognized by Congress at the height of racial tension for his accomplishments.  He was always a bit dismayed to be the "peanut man", because his true and most interesting passion by far was sustainability.  He was actually one of the grandfathers of "green".  In another year and time, I could imagine him on a commune wearing hemp shirts and sporting dreadlocks.  He was the ultimate conservationist, and thought that everything we needed from clothes to medicine were attainable from nature.  Interestingly, he received some flack from his peers for his lack of involvement in the African-American movement at the time.  An absolute must-have for any library collection.

Martina the Beautiful Cockroach

Author: 
Carmen Agra Deedy                                                               

Illustrator: Michael Austin

Publisher: Peachtree Publishers, Atlanta, Ga, 2007

ISBN: 978-0-7614-5172-3, 0-7614-5172-2

Interest Level: Grades K-3

Genre:  Nonfiction - Dewey 398.2

Plot Summary: A humorous retelling of a Cuban folktale in which a cockroach interviews her suitors in order to decide whom to marry.

Themes/Tags: cockroaches, folktales, Cuban culture, love

Awards and Reviews: Library Media Connection starred 01/01/08,Publishers Weekly 08/27/07, Booklist 10/01/07, Criticas starred 08/15/07, Wilson's Children 01/01/09, Notable/Best Books (A.L.A.) 01/01/08, School Library Journal 10/01/07, Book Links (A.L.A.) 01/01/09

Library Media Connection (January 2008) With vivid illustrations on every page, this retelling of a Caribbean folktale with a Cuban twist will appeal to the intended audience. The story of Martina, her quest for a suitor, and her decision to choose a mouse named Perez, is usually attributed to Puerto Rican folklore. The traditional tale has Martina, the cockroach, looking for an animal who can woo her with song. In this retelling though, Martina is a green cockroach whose Cuban grandmother advises her to spill coffee on the pretenders' shoes, knowing that their reactions will reveal their true personalities. The tale was originally written in English and translated to Spanish. Although there are some subtle differences, both are well-written, with humor, some repetitive phrases, and a sparkle that will make this book as much a delight to read aloud as it is for the children listening. The large, full page illustrations show the animals in realistic detail, although they have human gestures and facial expressions. Martina is truly beautiful and desirable, unlike our conception of cockroaches. Either title would be a natural addition to any library's collection of folk literature, picture books, and Hispanic tales. Highly Recommended. Sharon Gonzalez, Library Media Specialist, Harris Middle School, San Antonio, Texas

Extensions: Read Martina to the students and discuss the origin of folktales.  Introduce students to Dewey section 398.2 and have them all check out a book.  On the next media center visit, have students share their folktale with the rest of the group and discuss the lessons that are taught.  Assess on comprehension and participation.

GPS ELA2R4: The student uses a variety of strategies to gain meaning from grade-level text. The student a. Reads a variety of texts for information and pleasure. m. Recognizes the basic elements of a variety of genres (e.g., poetry, fables, folktales).

Terri's Review: ►►►►► 5 Bean and Cheese Nachos (out of 5)  I had seen this book in passing and was interested in it due to the subject matter - my personal shriek-inducing nemesis - the cockroach. Wow, what a joy when a book like this is discovered!  Instant classic: charming, funny and teaches a lesson.  Gorgeous & bright illustrations accompany the retelling of this traditional folk tale, which is also mentioned in The Storyteller's Candle.  Martina, the cockroach is 21 days old and ready to give her leg in marriage (how is this not already funny?!).  Per the advice of her grandmother, to find a suitable mate, she must "accidently" spill cafe cubano - or coffee - on his shoes to see how he will react.  This will be a lesson to see how a potential suitor responds when he loses his temper.  After going through several disagreeable interviewees, Martina is surprised to discover what happens when she meets Perez, the mouse...he puts her to the test.  The English version of this book is interspersed with Spanish terms, whose meaning can be derived from the surrounding text.  And to potential brides everywhere: Starbucks.

Literacy Needs of African American Transitional Readers

I just read a great article on the website for the journal Teacher Librarian: "Supporting the Literacy Needs of African American Transitional Readers" (Oct 2010, S. Hughes-Hassell, E. Koehler, & H. Barkley). The authors discuss how research reveals reading scores for African American children are consistently lower than those of white children, but if kids have access to stories and books that reflect their own lives and experiences, it may foster a better appreciation for life-long habits. They go on to suggest strategies to help motivate readers at this transitional stage. And what I really liked was the list of suggested titles - an excellent source of information for any media specialist or librarian who needs to diversify their collection.

Some titles include:
Barnes, Derrick D. Ruby and the Booker Boys series.
DeGross, Monalisa. Donavan’s Double Trouble
Draper, Sharon M. Sassy series 

To see the rest of the article and recommended books click here and enjoy!