Nonfiction and Biography-Review

What To Do About Alice?

By: Barbara Kerley

Illustrated By: Edwin Fotheringham

A. Bibliographic Data

Kerley, Barbara. 2008. What To Do About Alice? Ill. by Edwin Fotheringham. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.

ISBN: 978-0-439-92231-9

B. Plot Summary

What To Do About Alice? is a biography about the childhood and upbringing of Alice Roosevelt, who was the daughter of the president Theodore Roosevelt. The book explains that Alice loved to break the rules, or as Alice liked to put it in her terms, "eating up the world." The book takes the reader through the life of Alice, from childhood all the way up to the point in her life after her marriage. The book points out several major points in Alice's life where she broke the rules, or lived her life a little bit outside the box, as well as major points in her father's life Theodore Roosevelt.

C. Critical Analysis

What To Do About Alice is a funny picture book biography. The reader finds oneself laughing about all the different adventures Alice went on. The story shows how brave and courageous Alice truly was. She liked to march to her own beat of her own drum. One of the most interesting parts of the book is when Alice received her leg braces and how she dealt with wearing them. What To Do About Alice encourages readers to look deep down inside and find who they truly are, and to "eat up the world."

Edwin Fotherinham's illustrations are made from a color palette of mostly greens and blues. Alice however in a lot of the illustrations is wearing red. The expressions he places on the faces of the characters in the book lets the reader know what they are feeling.

D. Awards Won

*The Robert F. Sibert Honor Book

*Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book
*Irma Black Award Honor Book
*Parents Choice Award
*Washington State Scandiuzzi Children's Book Award
*California Collections
*A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
*A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
*A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
*An ALA Notable Book
*Capitol Choices
*New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing

Booklist Review-"Irrepressible Alice Roosevelt gets a treatment every bit as attractive and exuberant as she was.... Kerley's text has the same rambunctious spirit as its subject, grabbing readers from the first line.... The large format gives Fotheringham, in his debut, plenty of room for spectacular art."-Booklist Review

E. Connections

*Have students complete an author study over Barbara Kerley and investigate other picture book biographies she has wrote.

*Students research other facts about Theodore and Alice Roosevelt.

*Students create a timeline about Alice Roosevelt's life.

Nonfiction and Biography-Review

Move

By: Steve Jenkins & Robin Page

Illustrated By: Steve Jenkins

A. Bibliographic Data

Jenkins, Steve and Robin Jenkins. 2006. Move. Ill. by Steve Jenkins. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.

ISBN: 0-618-64637-X

B: Plot Summary

Move is an informational picture book that teaches children about the different ways animals move to get around. Words are bolded throughout the book that the reader should focus on and think about. Words such as: waddle, slide, float, dance, run, fly, climb, slither, leap, swim, dive, walk, and swing are highlighted throughout the book. For each moving action an animal is given who uses this type of movement for getting around. An animal index is in the back of the book with definitions for the different types of animals that are mentioned in the book.

C. Critical Analysis

Move appears just to be a simple picture book, but when taking a closer look the reader can learn and ponder on how and why animals move. The organization of the book is very simple with a big bold word on each page with a sentence to go along with it. The organization remains the same throughout the whole book allowing the young reader to see the repetition of the moving words.

The overall design of the book is inviting to the young reader. Steve Jenkins creates his design or illustrations from collages of construction paper. Some of the illustrations appear to be made from torn construction paper while others appear to be made from construction paper that has been cut. His pictures are simple but informative teaching the reader what animal goes along with what special type of movement.

D. School Library Journal Review-"In this eye-popping book illustrated with cut- and torn-paper collages, animals leap, swim, slide, swing, and waddle. Each spread contains one action word and two animals for whom that behavior is typical. One of the animals turns up again on the next page alongside a different creature, both of them representing another kind of motion. For example, on one side a crocodile slithers into the water opposite a snake slithering through leaves; with the turn, the snake climbs a tree and a praying mantis climbs a blade of grass. The information will pique readers' interest. Jenkins uses brief phrases as captions and provides a well-written, concise appendix. A sharp-headed, blue-eyed bird hovers over the caption, A roadrunner flies, but not too far…. On the next page, the bird, clasping a lizard in its beak, sprints away to the words, …it would rather run to catch its prey. The end matter explains where the roadrunner lives, what it eats, how large it is, and why it is more suited to running than flying. This book is gorgeous and educational."-School Library Journal

E. Connections

*Watch a video with student online about how Steve Jenkins created Move.

*Read more informational books by Steve Jenkins or his wife Robin Page

*Do a lesson on verbs and show all the different verbs in the book that show action or movement.

Nonfiction and Biography-Review

We Are The Ship

Words and Paintings By:

Kadir Nelson

A. Bibliographic Data

Nelson, Kadir. 2008. We Are The Ship.Ill. by Kadir Nelson. New York, NY: Hyperion Books for Children.

ISBN: 978-0-7868-0832-8

B. Plot Summary

We Are The Ship is a nonfiction story informing the reader about Negro League Baseball. Negro League Baseball was played for 50 years during the period of segregation when black baseball players were not allowed to play professional baseball with white players. So the Negro Baseball League was formed. The book takes the reader through the timeline of the league, starting with how the league was formed. The book talks in detail about the life of a player in the league, and also highlights famous players and their accomplishments. The book closes with a chapter about the big move when Jackie Robinson joined the professional league and became the first African American to integrate and play with white players.

C. Critical Analysis

We Are The Ship is an amazing story and teaches a lesson of history that has appeared to be forgotten. The organization of the book is broken up into 9 chapters, which are titled innings instead of chapters. The display of bibliographic information in the back of the book lets the reader know they are reading about information that is accurate. The style of the book is written in 1st person making the reader to believe that a player in the league actual wrote the book or is telling the story.

The overall design or paintings in the book is what makes it so extraordinary. Nelson's paintings are unbelievable in capturing the attitude and emotions of the players. When thumbing through the book you are captivated by these detailed emotional pieces of artwork displaying the players in the league. We Are The Ship is much more than a nonfiction book about history, it is a book about perseverance and teaches the reader that change is not always a bad thing.

D. Awards Won

*Coretta Scott King Award

* The Robert F. Sibert Medal

Horn Book Review-"Imagine listening to baseball legends Willie Mays and Ernie Banks swapping stories about their Negro League days as they sit in the stands, munching on peanuts and watching Ken Griffey Jr. launch a curve ball into the stratosphere. That kind of easygoing, conversational storytelling is exactly what Kadir Nelson achieves in this pitch-perfect history of Negro League baseball. “Seems like we’ve been playing baseball for a mighty long time. At least as long as we’ve been free,” the narrator says. Nelson’s collective “we” honors “the voice of every player,” as he explains in an author’s note, and it also works to draw readers into and through the text’s nine “innings.” Nelson’s extensive research (including interviews with former players) yields loads of attention-grabbing details: how much money players made; where, when, and how often games took place; who the standout owners, managers, and players were; and so on. And not surprisingly, he often returns to the impact of racism on the leagues, teams, and individual athletes. His grand slam, though, is the art: Nelson’s oil paintings have a steely dignity, and his from-the-ground perspectives make the players look larger than life. The book also includes a foreword by Hank Aaron, an Extra Innings section identifying Hall-of-Fame Negro Leaguers, a bibliography, endnotes, and an index."-Horn Book Review

E. Connections

*Students create and display a timeline about the Negro Baseball League.

*Students can research and present individual reports about an individual player in the Negro Baseball League.

*Study and observe other books and artwork by Kadir Nelson.

Poetry-Review

The Simple Gift

By: Steven Herrick

A. Bibliographic Data

Herrick, Steven. 2000. The Simple Gift. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.

ISBN: 978-0-689-86867-2

B. Plot Summary

The Simple Gift is a novel in verse. The book is about a young teenage boy named Billy who runs away from home because of an alcoholic and abusive father. Billy settles in a town and lives out of an abounded freight train. Billy meets and falls in love with a rich girl named Caitlin. He also meets and befriends an older runway. Billy calls the older friend Old Bill. Through the friendship of Old Bill a great opportunity is presented to Billy when he is in trouble. Billy learns the lesson of life that nothing is as it seems.

C. Critical Analysis

The Simple Gift is a novel, however written in verse or with poems. The book moves quickly as the reader becomes very interested in the characters found in the story. Steven Herrick does a profound job of weaving the characters thoughts and actions through poetry. The books aides in reader in understanding what life is like for a runaway and the sacrifices that are made when hard decisions have to be made. The novel also teaches the valuable lesson of nothing is as it seems, and we never know what people have been through or are going through when we meet them face to face. It also teaches how we should never judge someone based on their social status. The Simple Gift is written in easy to understand poetry, however the message and meaning behind the story runs very deep.

D. Awards

*Vision Australia Library Awards (2001)

*The Childrens Book of the Year Awards (2001)

Notable Australian Childrens Book - Older Readers

*Childrens Peace Literature Award (2001)

School Library Journal Review-"A free-verse novel told in three voices. Billy, 16, says good riddance to his abusive father and hops a freight train. Settling in a small town in Australia that has a friendly librarian and a train yard with abandoned cars to call home, he adjusts quickly to life, figuring out how to eat and keep clean. Intelligent and mature, the teen thinks about cruelty, compassion, and what his life has become–"I'm poor, homeless, but I'm not stupid." He meets and falls in love with Caitlin, a rich and dissatisfied girl who quickly sees there is more to Billy than a starving bum grabbing leftovers off the tables in McDonald's. He also befriends Old Bill, a homeless drunk who teaches him a few things, including how to earn money. Billy has little to offer but compassion, and that's what these two people so desperately need. All three of them are able to give the simplest gifts to one another in this beautiful, subtle, and sensitive story. Tough language is occasionally and appropriately used, and the sexuality is indirectly portrayed, sweet and full of love. A dramatic and compelling story that will appeal even to reluctant readers, this book exceeds Herrick's pair of verse novels, Love, Ghosts, & Facial Hair and A Place Like This."-School Library Journal Review

E. Connections

*Read and introduce other novels in verse to students.

*Have students write and discuss about what it means to belong or have a home.

*Conduct an author study over Steven Herrick and his homeland Australia.

Poetry-Review

Turtle in July

By: Marilyn Singer

Illustrated By: Jerry Pinkney

A. Bibliographic Data

Singer, Marilyn. 1989. Turtle in July. Ill. by Jerry Pinkney. New York, NY: Macmillan Publishing Company.

ISBN: 0-02-782881-6

B. Plot Summary

Turtle in July is a individual poet compilation by Marilyn Singer. All the writings in the collection offer poems about animals. The animals range from a deer to a snake to a dog. As the reader reads through the book the reader notices that the four seasons are also involved within the book. The season of winter starts the book with four poems about animals in winter. The spring follows with four poems about animals in spring. Summer is next with four poems about animals and summertime. The poem "Turtle in July" is found in this section, where the book obtained its title. The last section contains poems with animals and autumn. There are five poems in this section.

C. Critical Analysis

Marilyn Singer offers a enjoyable book with information about animals and the four seasons. It is very interesting how she joins the two concepts. As the reader reads the poems the reader is learning about how animals feel and adapt to the weather as it changes throughout the year. Adding the seasons in the book gives the book a good flow, and the poems all join together to deliver the same concept. Singer's poems are mostly free verse, but the imagery she delivers allows the reader to visualize what is happening in the poem.

Jerry Pinkney does a wonderful job with his illustrations. His illustrations appear to be mostly paintings. Each poem has its own illustration to go along with the poem. Bright colors of nature are used throughout the paintings, allowing the reader to get a true feel for nature, the seasons, and the animals that enjoy them.

D. Publisher Weekly Review

"From the "January deer so swift and light" to the November beaver chanting "Mud, more mud, add mud, good mud . . . ," this collection of nature poems progresses through the year. Singer divides the year with four seasonal poems featuring the bullhead, a type of catfish which is usually found "belly down in the shallows." Other animals narrate their view of the months or time of year, while apt pairings of animals with months demonstrate the intangible link between them (a Canada Goose flying south in October, a dragonfly in August). The verse rhythmically echoes the actions of a sleepy March bear or a skittish deer mouse foraging in winter. Whether nose to nose with a busy beaver or in the muddy shallows with that bullhead, Pinkney illustrates these works with his splendid watercolors and a unique flair for patterns and textured spaces; his art is perfectly wedded to the verse."-Publisher Weekly Review

E. Connections

*Further science study on how animals adapt to the seasons to prepare for the changes coming.

*Students research their own animal and write a poem about their animal and share.

*Author study over more poems by Marilyn Singer

Poetry-Review

The Llama Who Had No Pajama

By: Mary Ann Hoberman

Illustrated By: Betty Fraser

A. Bibliographic Data

Hoberman, Ann Mary. 1998. The Llama Who Had No Pajama. Ill. by Betty Fraser. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace & Company.

ISBN: 0-15-200111-5

B. Plot Summary

The Llama Who Had No Pajama is a collection of 100 favorite poems by Mary Ann Hoberman. The poems travel through the book with a special grouping. Most of the poems that are similar in subject can be found grouped together in the book. There are silly poems about people, poems about weather, lots of poems about all different types of animals, and poems about play. Some of the poems cover two whole pages, while some poems may be only a couple of lines.

C. Critical Analysis

The collection of poems titled The Llama Who Had No Pajama is a delightful collection of poetry for children. I found myself smiling as I read through this collection of poetry. The author Mary Ann Hoberman does a great job with the rhythm and rhyming for every poem. Every poem presented within the book delivers a great beat and the word choice. Language of the poems are great for children to understand. Finally, the overall emotion of the poems leaves the reader happy and smiling at this funny silly collection of poetry.

Betty Fraser the illustrator adds to the element of imagery with her illustrations. For every poem in the book there is an illustration. It may be only a small bug of animal, but there is an illustration for every poem found in the book. Often the illustrations are humorous just like the poems.

D. Awards Won

*Gold Award Winner-1998-National Publication Awards (NAPPA)

*Best Books of the Year-Child Magazine

Horn Book Review-"This collection of some forty years of Hoberman verse is a charmer. The poems - peppy verses immediately identifiable as Hoberman's by their use of alliteration and repeated words and lines - seem to cover every subject under the sun; all are dependably child-centered."-Horn Book Review

E. Connections

*Conduct a poetry real aloud with this collection of books.

*Read and display other silly poems about animals from other various authors.

*Have students write, illustrate, and share their own silly animal poem.