Sleep Like a Tiger

Sleep Like a Tiger

Specifics

APA Citation: Logue, M., & Zagarenski, P. (2012). Sleep like a tiger. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.

Meets EDU 333 Blog Requirement For: Picture Book, Written in the last four years, diverse protagonist

Lexile Level: Not Available

Audience: This is a good book for younger readers.

Summary

This book is about a little girl who was not sleepy, but her parents told her to get ready for bed anyways. When she got tucked into bed, she asked if the whole world sleeps. Her parents said yes, and they began to talk about how all kinds of animals go to sleep. Then she says she still not sleepy and her parents tell her she can stay awake all night if she wants and they leave her tucked into bed with the lights off. She then falls asleep and sleeps like all of the animals they had talked about.

Evaluation

This book is not one I would read to my students, but I'd be happy to have it in my classroom. I believe this story serves better as a bedtime story than something to read with a class.

The author did a great job teaching about a few animals and how they sleep like bats, whales, and tigers. She used reptition to first teach about all of the animals, then to show that the girl slept like them too. 

This story has only three people, they are all white. There is nothing stereotypical about this book and the author does not use loaded words.

The illustrations are pretty and are a huge part of why this story is so nice. It uses darker colors to get the reader in the mood to sleep and shows sleeping comfortable animals. 

Mini Lesson

I might have the students write about what they do to prepare for bed and what they do when they can't sleep. 

Knock Knock

Knock Knock

Specifics

APA Citation: Beaty, D., & Collier, B. (2013). Knock knock: my dad's dream for me. New York: Little, Brown and Company.

Meets EDU 333 Blog Requirement For: Picture Book, Diverse Protagonist, written in the last 4 years

Lexile Level: AD780L

Audience: This book would be a great book for a read aloud for a grade school and even middle school classroom. 

Summary

This story is about a boy who loves his father and they have a special connection together, as many boys and their fathers do. However, one morning his father isn't there to play their special knock knock game. He is gone for several months before the son hears anything from him. Finally, he receives a letter full of advice from his father, saying although he cannot be there for his son, he knows he still is there in his heart. 

Evaluation

The book took a turn I was not expecting when I picked it up. However, I think this book is great for a read aloud to address situations where a parent leaves and cannot come back. This could be due to being incarcerated (as the author's father was, which inspired this story), divorce or even death. I think this is a story that children can really connect to after having gone through a separation from a loved one like this. 

The illustrations were beautifully made out of watercolor. The boy starts off happy and full of light as he and his father play their game. However, after the dad leaves, the art gets a bit darker. The sky is not as blue, "which symbolizes the boy's loss" according to the illustrator. When he gets older, we see him get a bit happier, but the father figure is still in some of the illustrations, as the boy is still longing for his dad.

Mini Lesson

For this book, I would have the children simply write about a family member. They can get as personal as they choose. This could mean a discussion of their favorite pet, or they could dig deeper and talk about their parents, grandparents, or siblings. They should also talk about what they have learned from this specific family member. They can read them out loud if they choose, but I would not force them to do it, as this can be a very personal experience. 

Pet Show

Pet Show

Specifics

APA Citation: Keats, E. J. (2001). Pet show! New York: Puffin Books.

Meets EDU 333 Blog Requirement For: Picture Book, Diverse Protagonist

Lexile Level: AD370

Audience: This is a good book for a younger audience. I wouldn't go higher than about 3rd grade. Of course, students of all ages can enjoy this book, but I wouldn't choose it as a read alowed as they get older. 

Summary

This short story is about a pet show and how Archie will find his lost cat in time to bring him to the show to be judged. As the show goes on and all of his classmates receive awards for their pets, Archie is struggling to get there on time. He finally arrives, with a pet, but not his cat. He got creative and brought a jar with a germ in it for his pet. He won quietest pet of the day. 

Evaluation

I think young readers will enjoy this book. I like that this book is just about a normal kid trying to get his pet to the pet show on time. The illustrations are beautiful and vibrant and I believe it will grasp the students' attention. The author creates a bit of suspense for the children...will Archie find his cat on time? When his cat does show up, but with another lady who won a ribbon for it, what will Archie do? In the end, it worked out and it was a cute ending with everyone's pets receiving a ribbon. 

The author does not negatively show stereotypes in this novel, nor does he use loaded words. The book has many diverse characters in it, and all are portrayed well. This would be a good book to have in a classroom that will help to show children that there are books with children from all races.

Mini Lesson

If possible, I think it would be fun to have a class pet show and have students bring in all sorts of pets. However, it is unlikely I will get approval to turn my classroom into a miniature zoo, so instead I would have the kids make up animals! They could create their own animal species, draw pictures of them, describe them (how big, what they eat, if they are friendly, etc.) and then have a pretend pet show.  

Baby Mouse--Mad Scientist

Baby Mouse--Mad Scientist

Specifics

APA Citation: Holm, J. L., & Holm, M. (2011). Mad Scientist (BabyMouse). New York: Random House.

Meets EDU 333 Blog Requirement For: Graphic Novel, 

Lexile Level: GN440L

Audience: I would not assign this text, however I'd be happy to have it in my classroom if I teach in a grade school. This book is for younger students, and would not be very intellectually stimulating for a middle school reader. 

Summary

This graphic novel is about Babymouse and how she wants to be a scientist. She decides to do her science project on Amoebas and becomes discouraged throughout the book because she thinks they are just boring blobs. By the end she starts feeding her Amoeba, Squish, cupcakes. This is something the judges haven't seen before, and Babymouse ends up getting 2nd place on her project. She then puts Squish back in the pond where he belongs, but promises to keep bringing him cupcakes. 

Evaluation

I think this is a great book for younger readers. Holm uses allusions while referencing Marie Curie and Horton Hears a Who. I especially enjoy that she references Marie Curie, a well known, female scientist. Babymouse is also written in a unique way because the narrator, who is not a character in the story, puts herself into it and speaks to the characters, "I'm the narrator by the way. Nice to meet you (Holm 66)" "My, what a...Unique hobby your teacher has. I guess you could say they broke the mold when they made him, huh, Babymouse (Holm)?" 

I do, however, dislike how Babymouse is a bit of a space head. She often is late for class, is caught day dreaming about random things, and there are moments where as a reader we question why this is happening. I feel that too often girls are portrayed as dumb in media. On the other hand, it is not common that readers get to see a girl succeed in sciences, so Babymouse wanting to become a scientist breaks that mold a bit. 

Mini Lesson

Again, this isn't something I would read with a whole class, so it is unlikely I would have a lesson on it. However, if I did, I would have the students come up with their own science project to conduct and then have a little science fair in our classroom. We could even invite other classes to come see. 

The Complete Persepolis

The Complete Persepolis

Specifics

APA Citation: Satrapi, M., & Satrapi, M. (2007). The complete Persepolis. New York: Pantheon Books.

Meets EDU 333 Blog Requirement For: Picture Book, Graphic Novel, Diverse Protagonist

Lexile Level: GN380L-GN500L (The first book is listed at 380, the second at 500, this copy is both together).

Audience: I would probably assign this to a mature 7th or 8th grade class. I would want to make sure they can take it seriously, and also be able to maturely handle the more explicit scenes. 

Summary

This book is about a young girl, Satrapi, while she grew up during the Islamic Revolution. It follows her through school, getting sent to live in Vienna at a boarding school run by nuns, living through homelessness, eventually finding her way back to Iran to be with her beloved family, and eventually moving back to Europe. 

Evaluation

This book is a great read to teach about the Islamic Revolution. Students can connect with Satrapi and realize that children around the world have friends, parents, grandparents, school, and their own struggles.

The book is a memoir, so I believe that the characters were not portrayed stereotypically, because the author wrote the story how she saw it. I found it interesting how many allusions she used throughout the novel including Karl Marx, Marie Curie, Castro, Bruce Lee, Jimmy Carter and much more. I think she alluded to all of these people because not only did it make the story more real, it also helps readers make those personal connections through the story too. It can also give a deeper meaning to the story.

The tone throughout the novel was both funny, but also serious. She uses humor to keep the mood light, but readers know that this is also an important time in history. 

Mini Lesson

For this book, my mini lesson would be to show a the movie version of Persepolis, or maybe just a small portion of it, and have the students compare and contrast the book and the movie. It would be interesting to see which they liked more. 

Wiil Waal--A Somali Folktale

Wiil Waal--A Somali Folktale

Specifics

APA Citation: Moriarty, K. M., & Amir, A. (2007). Wiil Waal: a Somali folktale. Saint Paul, MN: Minnesota Humanities Center/Somali Bilingual Book Project.

Meets EDU 333 Blog Requirement For: Picture Book, Bilingual, Diverse Protagonist

Lexile Level: Not available. 

Audience: I think students of all ages could read and enjoy this book due to it's interesting storyline and the meaning behind the text. Although, I beleive the best age for students to read and truly grasp the meaning behind it, would be about 4th grade and up. 

Summary

This book is a retelling of a Somali Folktale about a man named Wiil Waal who tells the men in a village to bring him the part of a sheep that can symbolize something that can divide people, or unite them. The villagers are puzzled over this riddle, so they head back to their homes and butcher their finest sheep in hopes of discovering the answer. The daughter of a poor man says to bring the gullet, the part of the sheep that they usually throw away. This is the part that connects the throat to the stomach of the sheep. The father listened to his daughter, but was not confident in it. The next day, when he presented the gullet to Wiil Waal, the leader was ecstatic, this was what he was looking for! The poor man then brough Wiil Waal to meet his daughter, and the daughter ended up ruling the land in the end. 

Evaluation

This book is first written in English, and then is translated into Somali on the next page. The author of the book has worked with many language and literacy programs around the world, the illustrator was born in Somalia, and the translator was also born in Somalia and now lives in Minnesota as an academic and cultural consultant. 

The illustrations go great with the text and help bring the folktale to life. The characters are portrayed accurately, and dress as they would when this story takes place. This story started off great, but got even better when it was a woman's idea to bring the thing that the leader was seeking, and in the end she ended up ruling the land with him. It was a female who was the wisest of them all. 

Mini Lesson

This story is supposed to teach the people a sort of lesson, that greed or generosity either divide or unite people. For a mini lesson, I would find an American folktale and read that to the students as well. Then I would have them compare and contrast the two stories. 

Grandma and Me at the Flea

Grandma and Me at the Flea

Specifics

APA Citation: Herrera, J. F., Lucio-Brock, A. D., Rohmer, H., & Cumpiano, I. (2002). Grandma and Me at the flea = Los meros meros remateros. San Francisco: Children's Book Press.

Meets EDU 333 Blog Requirement For: Picture Book, Bilingual, Diverse Protagonist

Lexile Level: Not available. 

Audience: This is a children's book that can be read in both Spanish and English. Students could read this to get an idea of Mexican culture and traditions. 

Summary

This book is switches off which language is first, Spanish or English. It is about a young boy who goes to the flea market, or remate, with his grandmother who is selling things there. Throughout the story readers can feel how busy the market is, with voices everywhere, and Juanito running around doing errands for his grandma and others along the way. He enjoys the flea market and the day he spends there. 

Evaluation

This book is filled with Mexican culture, from the language, the vocabulary words, the photographs, and what is going on throughout the story. The illustrations are colorful, have Spanish words on them, for example boxes labeled "Novellas" and "Ropita". This is one of the first books I've noticed the illustrations having Spanish words instead of English. 

The author, Juan Felipe Herrera, uses a lot of dialogue in the story which gives the readers a sense of urgency and how busy the flea market is. 

I would absolutely use this book in my classroom to talk about Mexican culture and traditions. Out of the book options I have seen thus far, this one is the most well done. It does not portray stereotypes, and the author is qualified to write it, as it is him writing from his own experiences. I think this story could have a powerful but positive impact on students, and realize that every family has their own traditions and although they might be different than yours, they are special to that person. 

Mini Lesson

For a mini lesson for this book, I would have the students simply share stories about traditions they have with their families that mean a lot to them, and why. Then, I would have them illustrate a picture to show this tradition, and assign them to give it to one of the family members that is a part of the tradition.

I would also consider offering extra credit to any student who went out on their own time to visit a flea market and then write up a quick one page summary about the experience: what they saw, what they heard, the kinds of people there, if they bought anything, etc.