Growing Up with Tamales

Growing Up with Tamales

Specifics

APA Citation: Zepeda, G., Ward, A., Ventura, G. B., & Cavallero, G. (2009). Growing up with tamales = Los tamales de Ana. Houston, TX: Piñata Books.

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

Lexile Level: 650L

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 first written in English and then in Spanish underneath. It starts with Ana explaining how she gets to help make tamales by mixing the dough, but her older sister gets to help by spreading the dough. Ana can't wait to be older like her sister so she can spread the dough too. We watch as Ana gets older and every year she gets to do something different to help with the tamales, but every year her sister also gets to do something different, always something better. Ana envies her sister. By the end, Ana realizes that when she is 18, she can do whatever she likes, so she wants to make her own tamale factory, and her sister can come work for her if she wants. 

Evaluation

This children's book touches on Mexican culture by having the two girls help their mom make a classic Mexican food, tamales. 

The author, Por Gwendolyn Zepeda, uses repetition throughout the whole book to show that while Ana grows, her sister will always be older.  

The illustrations are warm and loving, showing the tamales being put together, as well as the girls growing older. They support the story well. I think young students would enjoy this book, as well as the ending because it is a bit silly. 

Mini Lesson

I would have the students create their own growing up story. It can be about anything, but they have to follow the template of this story. "When I am six I will be able to ________, but when I am six I won't be eight, and when you are eight you can ________. But when I turn eight I can __________" and so on.

Another lesson could be, if I have the resources available to me, having the students make tamales as a class. This could be a cute book for middle school students who are in cooking classes to read before making tamales. 

Moja means one- Swahili Counting Book

Moja Means One-Swahili Counting Book

Specifics

APA Citation: Feelings, M. L., & Feelings, T. (1971). Moja means one: Swahili counting book. New York: Dial Press.

Meets EDU 333 Blog Requirement For: Picture Book, Bilingual

Lexile Level: Not available. Similar books by same author are at Lexile level of AD640L.

Audience: This is a children's book that is recommended to be read with an adult. 

Summary

This book not only teaches children to count in Swahili to 10, it also gives information on each page about Africa. This is a great read for students who are interested in learning new languages and about other cultures. Each page has a number with digits, then the written version of the number, and also how to pronounce it. Then the page will give an interesting fact such as, "The clothing East Africans wear includes the kanga, busuti, lapa, kanzu, and dashiki" (Feelings 6). 

Evaluation

This children's book portrays African people, culture, places, and language appropriately. It is to be used as a teaching resource, and does not portray any stereotypes. The illustrations go nicely with the text and are gorgeous. 

Before the story starts, the author includes a brief introduction about Africa, the importance of Swahili, and what makes her qualified to write a book like this. 

Mini Lesson

I think it would be fun, and good practice, to turn this into a game. First as a class we would learn and practice counting in Swahili. Then, when we get better at it, the class could play around the world. So two students compete against each other and switch off counting. The first person to say the wrong thing, mispronounce or pause would sit down, and the standing student would move on to another sitting student. This would be a fun game to play every few days to get them to really know the material. 

Sold

Sold

Specifics

APA Citation: McCormick, P. (2006). Sold. New York: Hyperion.

Meets EDU 333 Blog Requirement For: Diverse Protagonist

Lexile Level: 820L

Audience: This book could be used in a mature middle school classroom. This is a novel I'd like to read and discuss as a class, as it can have a big effect on the students reading it and I'd like for them to have the opportunity to work through it as a group. 

Summary

Sold by Patricia McCormick is about a young girl, Lakshmi, who lives on a mountain in Nepal with her mother, step father, and baby brother. Their family is poor, and they struggle to keep the roof on the house and their bellies fed, much because her step father gambles away their money. Lakshmi is sent to live in the city where she will work as a maid to help her family pay off their debt. However, it's not until she gets to the city that she is not working as a maid at all, her step father sold her to be a prostitute. The story follows Lakshmi through this difficult time and how she is able to endure and triumph. 

Evaluation

I think this story is a good read for middle school students to learn about the difficulties of living in some other countries. It will give them an idea of how lucky they are to be in America, but will also help them sympathize and hopefully want to take action to help those in need who actually go through this. 

Sold is written in a much different way than other novels in this blog. The book is written in a series of short vignettes for each chapter. She also has chapters that are just one sentence long, "After five days with no food and water I don't even dream (McCormick 113). Some chapters are simply poetic, and it is strange for readers to find such beautiful writing in a book about such a horrifying subject. 

This book does a great job of staying away from stereotypes, as McCormick's books usually do. It portrays the culture and community in a country different from our own, and even shows how the people of Nepal see America, which may be stereotypical, however that is simply how they see us. The only stereotypical character I can imagine through the novel is her step-father. Often step-parents get a negative representation in media, and this book does the same. However, this is not necessarily just a stereotype in the novel, this is how daughters are actually treated in some other countries. 

Mini Lesson

For this book, rather than doing a mini lesson, I would have the students do a literature circle. I'd like them to be able to discuss the book in an open environment where I am also available to help with any difficult questions that may have rose and work though the horrors this book presents.

Cut

Cut

Specifics

APA Citation: McCormick, P. (2000). Cut. Asheville, NC: Front Street.

Meets EDU 333 Blog Requirement For: Diverse protagonist, Engaging middle school readers

Lexile Level: AD660L

Audience: I would recommend middle school students and up to read this book. It is not a difficult text in ways such as language, however, it deals with intense topics and should be read by a mature audience. I don't think I would assign this in a classroom, but it is a book I'd like to have on my shelf for students to read independently. If I saw a student reading it, I would let them know I'm happy to talk with them about it afterwards if they have any questions. 

Summary

Cut is about a young girl, Callie, who has been put into a mental institution full of girls with disorders, such as bulimia, because Callie cuts herself. The book deals with many different disorders, and brings up topics that are not as common in literature. In the beginning of the book, we learn that Callie is a runner, but also cuts herself, and has a sick brother. For her first bit of time at the institution, she does not speak to anybody including her friends, her therapist, or her family. She writes that she physically cannot speak, the words catch in her throat and no noise comes out. As the novel goes on, she eventually finds her voice again, resists the urge to self harm, and has an important discussion with her father, that ultimately will help her get well enough to go home. 

Evaluation

Throughout the novel, Callie is quite the observant character. She does not speak, and often finds herself tuning out of conversations and paying attention to other things. During group discussion one day, Callie cannot stop watching fly caught between the window and the screen, "I can't really make out what she is saying, though. All I hear is the zzzzzt-zzzzzt of the fly banging into the window (McCormick 10). Using onomatopoeia here shows the reader how distracting that fly is to Callie, to the point where she can't hear anything besides that.

McCormick also uses foreshadowing throughout the novel. When Callie watches Becca hide the brownie to later throw it away and is aware of her throwing up in the bathroom, readers could infer that something was going to happen to Becca later on.

She also uses a lot of hyperbole and personification throughout the novel. In times of stress, Callie describes how she feels the world is spinning or the room is closing in on her, "The door frame of the tiny booth quivers. It narrows, then expands...The floor of the phone booth pitches up, then swims away (McCormick 48). Using hyperbole and personification here created strong imagery.

There are no illustrations in this novel.

According to the criteria for reviewing children's books, I would say this is a pretty decent novel. The protagonist is a female and is going through a conflict with self. She then helps herself get better, with help from her female therapist and some friends she makes. For the criteria about the effects of a child's self and social identities, I think this book can give students going through personal struggles like this could relate to Callie, even if their situations are not exact. This book does not have pictures, and it does not specifically state the race of any of the characters, so it could be anybody. It does not portray stereotypes. 

Mini Lesson

For a mini lesson, I would have the students write about a time where they felt like things were hopeless, and how they over came them. I would like them to also consider the people who helped them as well as what others could have done to help them. This relates to the story because while struggling to read, many teachers did not realize (or did realize but didn't do anything about it) how badly she was struggling. The students in her class teased her and we get the sense she didn't have any friends. While students reflect on how others may have helped them through rough times, maybe they will realize that they can do more to help those they notice going through something difficult. 

The Book With No Pictures

The Book With No Pictures

Specifics

APA Citation: Novak, B. J. (2014). The book with no pictures. NY, NY: Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.

Meets EDU 333 Blog Requirement For: Written within the last six years (2014).

Lexile Level: 380L

Audience: This is a children's book that is recommended for ages 5-8 years old. This would be a great story for a read allowed in a classroom. 

Summary

This book is a great read simply for entertainment. As the reader reads the book out loud, the author gives them rules on how exactly to read the book, "Here is how books work: Everything the words say, the person reading the book has to say. No matter what. That's the deal. That's the rule." The book is humorous throughout, and is bound to make any child laugh at the ridiculous things the reader has to say. 

Evaluation

This book is especially cool to read out loud to a class because it uses metafiction, or breaks the fourth wall, by speaking to the audience, "Is this whole book a trick? Can I stop reading, please? No?!!" This would be a great time to introduce this lesson to students. Breaking the fourth wall is not done often, but can be very useful when done right. 

Novak also uses onomatopoeia throughout the book such as, "AiiEE! AiiEE! AiiEE!!!" or "Beep. Boop." Instead of just making the reader say silly things like "I am a monkey." Forcing them to read these sounds out loud adds a whole new level of silly to the story. Along with other literary devices, he uses consonance while forcing the reader to sing a song, "glug glug glug my face is a bug...I eat ants for breakfast right off the ruuuuuuug!" Novak uses many literary devices throughout this book, all of which help to support the humor throughout the story. 

Considering the title of the book is called, "The Book With No Pictures" it is no surprise that it does not include illustrations. It does, however, give the reader visuals with BIG words in different colors. 

Mini Lesson

For a mini lesson, I would have the students go page by page and pick out any literary devices they could find on each page. This would be done in an older classroom. In a younger classroom, I'd love to have them use this book as an inspiration for a story of their own. I might do something where each child in the room creates their own page, and then we put it together to make one big silly book. Or they could each create their own silly book and stretch the lesson out over the course of a week or so. 

Thank You, Mr. Falker

Thank You, Mr. Falker

Specifics

APA Citation: Polacco, P. (1998). Thank you, Mr. Falker. Philomel Books. Accessed online from http://www.storylineonline.net/thank-you-mr-falker/

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

Lexile Level: AD650L

Audience: This is a children's book that is recommended to be read with an adult. It specifically is about a girl with dyslexia, so those diagnosed with this disorder or knows someone who is may find it particularly relatable. I would read it to an elementary class anywhere from 1st to 5th grade.

Summary

Overall, I believe this is a great story. The main character, Trisha, is excited to learn how to read just like her older brother, mother and uncles. However, when entering kindergarten she discovers it is much more difficult than she thought. As her classmates learn to read, she slowly but surely falls behind. She begins to think she is dumb, and her classmates tease her. The story follows Trisha through her schooling, where she continues to struggle with reading, classmates bully her, and she becomes less and less confident in herself. Finally, she meets Mr. Falker, who encourages her and treats her like the other students, if not nicer. Eventually, he discovers that Trisha is dyslexic. He arranges for her to work with him and a reading specialist everyday after school. By the end Trisha learns to read. 

Evaluation

This story is a great read for students. Not only does it support a protagonist who has a reading disability, but the character is female, is raised by a single mother, is a victim of bullying, and ends up being a student at a new school after moving across the country. Readers watch Trisha grow from a confident and excitable girl to self doubting and hating school. By the end, however, we watch her overcome her difficulties and learn to read. The development of the story was plausible and natural. Many students could relate to Trisha. 

Patricia Polacco uses symbolism to show that the sweetness of honey is like the sweetness of knowledge. She then uses a simile to explain how bees have to work hard to get sweet honey, she needs to work hard to get sweet knowledge. After tasting the honey from a book and saying it is sweet, Trisha's family says, "Yes, and so is knowledge, but knowledge is like the bee that made that sweet honey, you have to chase it through the pages of a book!" Polacco also uses foreshadowing at the beginning, "Soon she was going to learn to read." Students know that this will be the journey of Trisha learning how to read. 

The illustrations, also by Patricia Polacco, are beautiful and help the students understand the story. There are times when the pictures portray clearly how frustrated or hurt she is. 

Mini Lesson

For a mini lesson, I would have the students write about a time where they felt like things were hopeless, and how they over came them. I would like them to also consider the people who helped them as well as what others could have done to help them. This relates to the story because while struggling to read, many teachers did not realize (or did realize but didn't do anything about it) how badly she was struggling. The students in her class teased her and we get the sense she didn't have any friends. While students reflect on how others may have helped them through rough times, maybe they will realize that they can do more to help those they notice going through something difficult.