When We Were Very Young

Milne, A.  (1924).  When we were very young.  New York, NY:  Penguin Group.

Winnie the Pooh.  Christopher Robin.  The 100 Acre Wood.  These are the words that I have always associated with stories by A. A. Milne.  So, when a friend recommended a poetry book by Milne, I was a little reluctant to read it. But trusting my friend and his knowledge of my reading taste, I tried it. I expected Tigger and Pooh to rhyme away the stories.  However, that is not what I found!
 
While the cover is somewhat reminiscent of the watercolor pictures of the stories I'm so familiar with, there is a difference.  The little girl on the front is not anyone we are familiar with, she's new, at least to us!  And of course, the little girl appears to be misbehaving.  Again, another first for me.  The drawings inside the book are simple, pen and ink drawings that let your imagination take shape.  So, I plunged in!

This collection of poems is about children, for children.  They are growing up in an ordinary world, but they have a way of seeing the world in a much more magical way than we do as adults.  The meaning in these poems describes everyday activities that children go through...going on walks, saying their prayers, going to the zoo, pretending they are kings, etc.  Milne uses narrative poems such as "The King's Breakfast" to tell a tale of asking for butter for breakfast and the chain of events that follow.   Additionally, Milne uses sound patterns in poems like "Independence", "Politeness" and "Halfway Down."  Words and phrases are repeated for effect, both to reinforce how much emphasis the reader needs to know about the action being performed or the feeling being described. 

While being a 'fun' read for children and adults alike, the poems also lend themselves to critical thinking, such different and same.  In the poem, "Halfway Down," the child talking in the poem is describing the stairs. They always stop at the one that is halfway down.

 

Halfway down the stairs

Is a stair

Where I sit.

There isn't any

Other stair

Quite like

It.

I'm not at the bottom,

I'm not at the top;

So this is the stair

Where

I always

Stop.

Halfway up the stairs

Isn't up,

And isn't down.

It isn't the nursery,

It isn't in the town.

And all sorts of funny thoughts

Run round my head:

"It isn't really

Anywhere!

It's somewhere else

Instead!"

 

 

This poem allows critical thinking questions like, "Is there a difference in the stairs?"  "Can you tell the difference?"  "Does stair location change the 'sitter's' perspective?"  This allows for identifying perspectives and acknowledging the same and different.

 

These are the types of poems that children can enjoy and appreciate as read-aloud poems.  They make great bedtime traditions, allowing for enjoyment by adults reading to their children, recalling being read to as children themselves.  The poems are well-written, easily understood and have a quality of 'real life situations' that children and adults can enjoy.





In The Beginning

Hamilton, V. (1988).  In the beginning:  creation stories from around the world.  Orlando, FL:  Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

 

 

Retold by author Virginia Hamilton and illustrated by Barry Moser, In the Beginning is a collection of creation stories from around the world.   Given the Newbery Honor award in 1989, it has received acclaim for it's beautiful watercolor illustrations and for the collection of such varied myths.  However, I was not as impressed as I had hoped to be.  Maybe my expectations were too high.  Maybe this type of 'retelling' is not my cup of tea.  At any rate, I gave it a try.

 

The book is organized by 25 narratives, or stories called myths.  The myths are about how things came to be on earth or even how the earth came into being.  They are told as truths that guide the people who have created and retold the stories.  Most of these stories are so old that we as readers cannot imagine a time before the stories began.  Regardless of how we feel about them as truths, they played an important role in various cultures around the world. The myths narrated in this book are all about creation:  creation of the world, god/gods, and human kind.  According to the author, these stories told, "how humankind learned to live upon the earth."

 

Recommended for ages 12 and up, I would only recommend this book if a student had a serious interest in creation myths or a project to research multiple myths.  It would be a convenient and efficient way to browse myths from places such as China, Africa, America, and others.  It's a one-stop shop for browsing and reviewing.  However, I would much prefer the author to have given a brief introduction of the origin of each myth before the narrative.  As you are reading, it's difficult to understand where the story is coming from; you have no point of reference for the narrative.  There is a brief comment after each story, but it feels as if it is too little too late.  I had trouble wanting to continue reading the stories.  I found myself wanting to only 'flip' through the pages.  While the illustrations are interesting, they did not interest me.  My assumption is that the expressionistic style is used to encourage the imagination of the reader.  However, it just left me with a dark, dismal feeling. 

 

Overall, this book would not make it into my top ten list...or my top 100 for that matter.  To use a term from many of the creation myths, this book laid a "cosmic egg" or wasn't quite what it was 'cracked up' to be.

 

 

 



The Hunger Games

Collins, S.  (2008).  The hunger games.  New York, NY:  Scholastic Press.

"Oh my gosh, Christa!  Have you read The Hunger Games? PLEASE read it...and hurry up so I can have a girl to talk to about it!!"  These words came out of the mouth of my boyfriend's teenage daughter.  Was she really talking to me?  I was shocked for two reasons:  1.  She hates to read!  She had not only read this book, but the entire trilogy in record time!  2.  She also dislikes me.  Her typical greeting is an eye roll and immediate departure from the room.  So, not wanting to miss an opportunity to bond with her, I immediately found the book and began reading it.  It wasn't long before I was leaving my house at 10:00 pm, in my pajamas, to run to a friend's to get the second and third books!

Suzanne Collins has written a modern fantasy chapter book that captures readers, young and old.  Set in a future version of what was once North America, the landscape has changed drastically.  Residents of Panem, or what was the United States, live in districts and are controlled by the Capitol.  Each district produces a certain type of product or service.  Residents cannot leave their assigned district except when approved by those who govern the land.  The people of those districts are for all intents and purposes, imprisoned in their district.  Food and supplies are scarce.  Independent thought and behavior is discouraged.  We are introduced to these ideas by the female protagonist, Katniss. 

Katniss is a first-person narrator for the journey through The Hunger Games.  Seeing the land and the people through Katniss's eyes, her point of view colors the reader's vision.  As the book begins, we are introduced to Katniss's sparse surroundings, members of her household and her daily routine of finding food for her and her family. She is very matter of fact about the events that lay ahead of her on that day.  It is the day of the reaping or the human lottery that is held annually in the land of Panem.  As part of the punishment of the people in this land, there is an annual 'reaping' of people from each district.  A boy and girl from each district are selected to compete in the annual 'hunger games' where the competitors fight to the death, resulting in one winner.  Yes, children fight to the death.  The victor of these games receives immunity from any future games and the family of the victor receives food and wealth as well.  Katniss is thrown into the ring as a contender when she accidentally volunteers herself.  From that point forward, she is in conflict:  person against self, person against nature (or a manmade version of it), person against person and person against society. 

Collins uses a style that is fast paced, with enough detail to describe the situation without making it 'flowery' and over explained.  She uses a mixture of futuristic characters from the Capitol with their extravagant clothing and vibrant hair and skin colors in a contrast with the workers from the coal fields of the outlying districts.  The extreme differences between the "haves" and the "have nots" is represented in the districts themselves, as well as the competitors in the games.  The setting for the games and that of the lives of the characters offer stark images of realistic settings with futuristic items such as holograms and hovercrafts.  It uses the everyday to engage the reader and make them feel as if they could be in the story.  The emotions that Katniss experiences are those that we can all identify with:  competition, isolation, despair, fear, sadness and compassion. 

I will be the first to admit that this book was addictive.  I could not put it down.  I felt compelled to see what happened to Katniss and how she handled this unreal situation.  I cheered her on when she had successes and felt her pain when failure was imminent.  I was very surprised at how the 'weight' of this story hung with me.  Days after I finished it, I was still left with the heaviness of the issues of the story.  Could I kill an enemy?  Could I kill a friend?  How do you know who is on your side?  How do children face these issues when I cannot imagine them as an adult?  From a classroom standpoint, this book can be used in so many different ways.  It can be used for units on government and the issues of power within the government.  What kind of government do you expect there to be in the next 25 years?  50 years?  Is it possible that the United States could become like Panem?  This book and the remaining trilogy is also a study in human nature.  What are we capable of doing when push comes to shove?  Will we only look out for ourselves  Will we make sacrifices?  It can be used philosophically.  How does this compare to ancient Greece? 

When I finished this book, I immediately talked to the eye-rolling teenager.  She was squealing with questions.  The one thing that stuck with me was  her surprise when we really talked about the age of Katniss.  In the book, Katniss was only one year older than my friend.  She could not imagine being sent out on her own, armed with very little in the way of defense, and expected to kill for victory.  Another issue was the sadness that we both felt, especially after finishing the entire set of books.

Since this book deals with some more adult issues, older readers will most likely relate better to this book.  It does deal with some dark issues of human nature and some gruesome scenes.  I would recommend this to mature middle schooler students and high school students, as well as adults.

After seeing the interest this book generated among teenagers, I am thoroughly convinced that it's a great read, especially for those that may not normally take an interest in reading.  I'm all about any book that creates conversation and no eye-rolling!

 
 

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears

Aardema, V. (1975).  Why mosquitoes buzz in people's ears.  New York, NY:  The Dial Press.

As I've mentioned before, I like to review the Caldecott Award winners.  Maybe it's pure curiosity about what it takes to win this award.  Perhaps I'm a literary snob.  But either way, I enjoy searching for these books, both new and old.  The most recent search led me to an African legend about mosquitoes.

In this vividly illustrated book, color and line combine to depict animals of the jungle.  The pages are full of color from top to bottom.  While the animals are not scientific representations of the animals, they are graphic and almost hieroglyphic-like. 

As the story opens, we immediately encounter the mosquito who is gossipping to iguana.  Iguana wants no part of the mosquito's nonsense and proceeds to put sticks in his ears to prevent hearing anymore.  This action sets off a chain of events that lead to disaster throughout the jungle.  When the King Lion is finally aware of the trouble, he calls a meeting to clear the air.  But because of the sticks in his ears, Iguana doesn't even know about the meeting.  Eventually all the drama is resolved.  However, the mosquito develops an even more annoying habit of buzzing people's ears to ask if anyone is still mad at them! 

The story is a great example of Pourquoi tales.  They are explanations of how things came to be, simple myths.  It is suggested that these tales were developed by early humans to explain the "why" questions.  This tale explains why mosquitoes buzz in people's ears, a simple explanation to an annoying problem.

This story is a good read, reminding me of the old lady who swallowed the fly.  The series of events are a chain reaction that is repeated several times at the end of the story.  It's humorous and earthly.  It is recommended for ages five and up.  It could be a very useful example in the classroom of how gossip can cause dramatic problems.  It can also be used as a discussion of how one event can drastically effect another.  How would things have been different if the mosquito hadn't gossiped?  Would we be annoyed by mosquitoes today? 

While I don't want to give away the ending, it definitely ends with a WHACK!  And, it just makes you smile!

The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!

Scieszka, J.  (1989).  The true story of the three little pigs!.  New York, NY:  Penquin Books USA.

Oh my goodness!  This book is witty, whimsical and incredibly illustrated.  As a parent and a lifelong reader, I often tire of the "cute" children's book images with the same old song and dance stories.  This is a breath of fresh air! 

Upon first glance at the cover, your attention is drawn to the newspaper style headlines and "photo" of the wolf.  It uses a collage type format of newspaper print and appears to be held by a pig foot.  This cover makes you want to start turning pages.  It's an excellent opening!

As you may have guessed by the title, Mr. A. Wolf wants to tell the story, HIS story.  He proceeds to explain the tale we have all heard.  However, according to the wolf, we have been misinformed and a simple explanation exists for all of the bad press he has received.

The illustrations used in this book are a mixture of expressionistic and cartoon.  The animals are somewhat natural looking, however they have been assigned human qualities, such as using a chalkboard and baking a cake.  The colors are earth-tones that lend themselves to the 'outdoor' elements of the animals' lives.  Illustrator Lane Smith even uses the letters as art in this book as seen here in the "E" at the beginning of the story.  He uses all the elements of the pigs' houses to create the first letter of the story.

Getting to read the "other side" of the story is a great way to incorporate a unit on being aware of different views.  How would our view of the wolf had been different had we heard his story first?  Would we think about pigs differently?  What about wolves?  Have we ever had a situation where we didn't consider someone else's view before making a decision?  We could also use it for a unit on foods and what various animals eat.  Would we think about people differently if cheeseburgers were as cute as pigs?  The wolf asks that question and it's one we could use in class.  These are just a few ideas of how to use this book.  For the ages of five and up, this story is a funny, appropriate read for school age children. 

I loved this book and the humor that it brings to a classic story.

Mirandy and Brother Wind

McKissack, P.  (1988).  Mirandy and brother wind.  New York, NY:  Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.

After reading McKissack's Flossie and the Fox, I wanted to read more of her work to see this style again.  Mirandy and Brother Wind is a continuation of the family tales told by McKissack about the stories she remembers hearing as a child.

In this story, the title character, Mirandy, is interested in winnning a cakewalk dance contest.  After giving the problem considerable thought, she decides to enlist the help of the wind, referred to as Brother Wind in the story.  McKissack develops characterization through Mirandy and her interaction with her grandmother, neighbors and her friend, Ezel.  Through her dialogue with Ezel in particular, you can see that Mirandy's personality is head-strong, opinionated and determined to reach her goal.  In the beginning, Mirandy's conflict is person-against-nature; she is trying to capture the elusive wind.  Later, she also experiences person-against-person when she enters the cakewalk contest.

Once again, McKissack does not disappoint with this story.  It is full of the familiar dialect and the nature sounds abound in this telling.  The colors are molded together to form a gorgeous landscape that is somewhat secondary to the story.  However, the drawings of the wind are incredible.  They are shades of blue and gray, complete with a top hat to give the best-dressed look to Brother Wind.  It is visible, but still somewhat elusive as the wind itself.  Children ages 4-8 would enjoy the book, especially the chasing the wind sections.  All children chase those things that are most difficult to catch, birds, butterflies and of course, the wind.  The cakewalk itself is less exciting, however it does give some insight to Mirandy's character as she chooses an unlikely dance partner at the last minute.

As I read this book, I enjoyed the conversations and questions that Mirandy posed of her family and friends.  I was reminded of my daughter asking WHY and HOW when she was younger.  In considering this book for classroom use, I would want to use it to discuss bullying and standing up for one's friends and their own beliefs.  What would have happened if Mirandy hadn't defended Ezel?  How would the story have been different if she had just resigned to not being able to catch the wind? 

Overall, this was a beautiful book that told a lovely family memory.

Where the Wild Things Are

Sendak, M.  (1963).  Where the wilds things are.  New York, NY:  Harper Collins Children's Books.

"And now," cried Max, "let the wild rumpus start!"

I still remember these words from when I was a child.  Many, many years later, they still bring a smile to my face.  I chose this book to see if it still resonated with me as it did so many years ago.  It did.

From the first pages where there are blank pages with minimal words, you are already prepared for Max and his rambunctious nature.  Using words like "mischief" readies you for Max to get into trouble.  As he frowns and scowls his way through the first pages, the stark colors and limited text the tone for Max to be isolated.  As he is banished to his room without dinner, most of us can sympathize with Max's punishment, as either a recipient or a deliverer of the sentence.  Almost immediately, Max's imagination begins to paint the setting for the remainder of the book. It becomes integral to the story.  Without the knowledge of Max being sent to his room and then the 'forest' that develops there, the story would not be as effective.  Knowing that Max is creating his world, complete with monsters, is central to the plot of this story.  Sendak uses imagery of forests, oceans and creatures to show the depth of imagination of a child in his room.  He even goes as far to give Max a sense of smell when his food has arrived near the end of the story.

The use of color in the "wild" areas of Max's kingdom, give the monsters depth and humor, while giving the landscape detail and texture.  The multicolored monsters and the varying types of skin, scales and feathers offer a wild look without being too scary.

The book is recommended for children ages 4 and up.  I think this is completely appropriate as it is not all that scary and Max "tames" the wild things' behaviors.  The beauty of this book, for young and old, is that it reminds us of several things.  One, there are consequences for our behavior.  If we act outside the rules, we can be banished.  Two, in our imaginations, we can create any world we want.  Max became king of his domain and he could make all of the rules.  However, at the end, we remember there is no place like home...and of course a good, home cooked meal.  This is a book to be enjoyed by all generations!