Tana Hoban is a photographer. Many of her photos have been used to create books such as I Read Signs. Though this book was published just a few yearsTana Hoban is a photographer. Many of her photos have been used to create books such as I Read Signs. Though this book was published just a few years after I was born, I think it is an excellent text to include in any primary library at home or at school.
Each page contains a photograph of a sign. These are not just street signs, but also signs on trash cans, exits, storefronts (i.e. "Come In, We're Open").
This text lends itself well to introducing early readers to visualizing and inferring about where this sign might be, what might be happening around it, why the sign is posted, etc. Though you may not use every page as a resource in a lesson, there are signs from all types of communities, such as a taxi sign you might see at an airport or a bus stop, and a railroad crossing sign more common in suburban or rural areas....more
This informational text shares the diversity and abundance of bread all around the world. The photographs provide as much, or more, information than tThis informational text shares the diversity and abundance of bread all around the world. The photographs provide as much, or more, information than the words on the page. It is hard to find informational books for preschool and primary level students that contain photographs -- so I see Bread, Bread, Bread as an assit to any preK or primary classroom.
There are many instructional uses for this text. I might introduce it with some sort of essential question, such as, "How are people all over the world similar?" Then students could engage in rich discussion based on a read aloud of the text with careful attention paid to the photographs as well. I could also see pairing this with Pancakes for Breakfast by Eric Carle which I have used in the past with 2nd graders to teach an economics lesson on how pancakes gets from ground to table....more
This is a collection of poems for girls. It is different than many of Naomi's other poetry collections as the voiceAWARDS AND HONORS: ALA Notable Book
This is a collection of poems for girls. It is different than many of Naomi's other poetry collections as the voice and intended audience seem to be much younger than collections such as 19 Varieties of Gazelle or Honeybee. Despite the younger voice, we still experience many of the same themes and topics that comprise Naomi's work. The ordinary things such as ribbons and watermelon trucks connect the reader to the material world. The poems also speak about nature, animals and everyday emotions such as worry. "You're Welcome" gives a nod to Naomi's grandmother (who is often the center of her poems and prose). "Finding a Pink Ribbon on the Wilderness Trail" --in my opinion-- reflects many of the themes and issues relevant throughout Naomi's work (i.e. ordinary things, nature, the experience of loss, the connectedness of everyone on earth).
I would include this book in my middle school classroom library, I would use it as a mentor text in Writers Workshop, and I would also use it as a source of poetry read-alouds....more
AWARD AND HONORS: ALA Notable Children’s Book, Parents' Choice Silver Honor, School Library Journal Best Book, ALA Best Book for Young Adults, NationaAWARD AND HONORS: ALA Notable Children’s Book, Parents' Choice Silver Honor, School Library Journal Best Book, ALA Best Book for Young Adults, National Book Award Finalist, Horn Book Fanfare
In response to the attacks on 9/11 Naomi compiled these poems from the Middle East to help us see the connectedness we have with others. I found myself reading and rereading many of the poems in this collection over and over again. I am drawn most to her poems that use everyday objects as metaphors for other things in life, like struggle, fear, loss, and togetherness. Two examples would be "Olive Jar" and "Stain" I think using poems like these with children would be great--they provide the metaphor and allows students to visualize and infer meaning. ...more
Awards and Honors This book has received numerous honors and awards--including 2011 Coretta Scott King Author Honor, 2011 ALA Notable Book, 2011 YALSAAwards and Honors This book has received numerous honors and awards--including 2011 Coretta Scott King Author Honor, 2011 ALA Notable Book, 2011 YALSA Top 10 Quick Picks, 2011 ALA Great Graphic Novels for Teens, Booklist's Top 10 Graphic Novels for Youth, School Library Journal Best Comics for 2010
A graphic novel told through the eyes of a fictional character; yet the events are based on facts and testimonies G. Neri collected around the time that Roger "Yummy" Sandifer, an 11-year-old from Chicago's south side accidentally shot an innocent 14-year-old girl when he opened fire on some rival gang members.
This is a frightening tale, but one that resonates so clearly with many inner city youth who are surrounded by the dangers of gang violence and the pressure to join. The black and white illustrations help emphasis the dark tone of the tragic story. There are many great illustrations that bring us close to the characters and then others that pan out and make us feel like helpless bystanders. From the very beginning, readers know they are entering a harsh reality.
I would recommend this graphic novel to any middle school or high school student who can relate. I might also use it in the classroom to introduce teens to the dangers of gun violence....more
Andrea Pinkney's version of the historic "Greensboro Four" sit in that began on February 1, 1960. The story is told in a poetic, song-song verse. TheAndrea Pinkney's version of the historic "Greensboro Four" sit in that began on February 1, 1960. The story is told in a poetic, song-song verse. The text plays off of the lunch counter setting (i.e. "At first they were treated like the hole in a doughnut -- invisible" and "Those kids had a recipe, too. A new brew called integration."
Award/Honor: A 2011 Jane Addams Peace Honor Book for Younger Children
In the classroom this book would be an excellent addition to lessons on the Civil Rights Movement. It would pair nicely with "Freedom on the Menu: the Greensboro Sit-In" by Carole Boston Weatherford. Students could analyze the similarities and differences between the authors tone, central message/theme, illustrations.
The language also lends itself as a model for the use of literary devices in good writing. Lots of additional information and resources about the sit-ins and the Civil Rights Movement provided at the end of the book. ...more
I reread this familiar tale for the first time in decades. The story itself seems a bit didactic. The moral of the story is good things come to "goodI reread this familiar tale for the first time in decades. The story itself seems a bit didactic. The moral of the story is good things come to "good little boys and girls" and those who do not follow the rules miss out on the reward.
The story is relatable for young readers. They can identify with Peter and his desire to do the one thing his mother reminds him not to do. As children exploring the forbidden is very tempting. Students could make connections to this text--it would work particularly well as a read aloud. This text could also be used to model story structure in the primary setting....more
This is a clever story about a mouse dentist, Doctor De Soto and his assistant wife. They run a dental office out of their home, but only accept patieThis is a clever story about a mouse dentist, Doctor De Soto and his assistant wife. They run a dental office out of their home, but only accept patients that are not dangerous to mice. I mean what mouse wants to work inside the mouth of a hungry carnivore? There is even a sign hanging outside the office warning cats and other dangerous animals to stay away.
Of course, along comes a fox in terrible need of a dentist's attention. Dr. De Soto and Mrs. De Soto have to make a potentially life threatening decision, to treat the fox or not?
This fantastical story touches on the themes of trust, compassion, and taking risks to help others.
I would read this text to my own child, or to a classroom of primary students. It would also make a good addition to any human dentist's office waiting room reading material. :)...more
AWARDS AND HONORS: 2008 Arab-American Book Award, School Library Journal Best Book, Cooperative Children's Book Center Choice OVERALL RESPONSE "Honeybee"AWARDS AND HONORS: 2008 Arab-American Book Award, School Library Journal Best Book, Cooperative Children's Book Center Choice OVERALL RESPONSE "Honeybee" made me want to start writing poetry again. I haven't written a poem since last October when I taught poetry as part of a unit about discovering "Who am I?" in my 6th grade language arts class. The introduction was key in bringing the entire book of poems together. Though this is a collection of poems, some previously published elsewhere, by the time I read the last words on the last page, I felt as if I spent a few years inside Naomi's mind. She made me think deeply about the way the world works and the way people relate. She also made me laugh and smile a number of times! Of course, a reader can also see how her love and concern for Honeybees developed through a linguistics course in college. I can imagine Nye sitting on her front porch, drinking lemonade or tea and pondering the lives of creatures great and small...then picking up a pen and spilling her thoughts onto a page.
Bill Teale said we were all reading "Novels in Verse" this week, but I don't think Honeybee is a novel in the way Love That Dog or Locomotion are.
SPECIFICS Honeybee is a collection of free verse poetry; some of it leaning more towards short vignettes. (i.e. Museum and Gate A-4). Her poems include an abundance of imagery and insight.
Examples of clear imagery through word choice and metaphor: Password There Was No Wind Companions Broken
Examples of Insight (poems that really made me think, or laugh, or experience an "ah-ha" moment): Museum Communication Skills Taverne du Passage Missing It How We Talk About It Lion Park Broken The Cost The Dirtiest 4-Letter Word Gate A-4
Though her poetry does not rhyme, she does use sound to create the pace and tone of many of her poems:
Examples of Alliteration: Broken A Stone So Big you Could Live in It We Are Not Nothing
Example of Onomatopoeia: We Are the People
Examples of Line Breaks: Communication Skills Password Girls, Girls What Happened to the Air
CURRICULAR CONNECTION Honeybee is a good resource when trying to move middle school students away from the idea that all poems have to rhyme or be silly/humorous. I would use her poems as mentor texts to help students understand that poetry can be so much more than an ABAB rhyme pattern; that most importantly, poetry is an outlet for expressing how we feel and think about life and the world around us....more