Week 4: A Dog Called Kitty

• Week: 4
• Book Title: A Dog Called Kitty by Bill Wallace

• Book Cover Image:

Copyright 1980, Scholastic Inc.

• Book Summary:  A boy who is afraid of dogs learns to love a stray.  They have adventures and save each other from a pack of wild dogs.  When Kitty dies in a bizarre accident, strangely, the cycle begins again.
• APA Reference:  Wallace, B.  (1980).  A dog named Kitty.  New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.
• My Impressions:  I expected something completely different.  This is a touching tale of a dog and boy's devotion to one another.  It is also the story of a child facing and overcoming debilitating fear.  It is a wonderful story because of the hope it gives children who have a fear of something.  Kitty makes the reader laugh and engage in the antics a happy dog performs.  I love the images of the mom feeding the cats and Kitty's interaction with them both.  There are some interesting animal rights things brought up . . . should destructive animals be killed with poisonous bait that pets could get into?  This could bring some interesting discussions to the library.  
• Professional Review:

School Library Journal ( May 01, 1997; 9780807276372 )

Gr 3-5‘Bill Wallace's story (Holiday, 1980) of the bonding between a boy and a dog is not to be missed. This presentation, read by L.J. Ganser, is so softly dramatic that it not only captures the essence of gentle emotion but essentially transports readers to the Oklahoma farm where Ricky exhibits courage beyond belief. Ricky is terrified by dogs because as a toddler he was mercilessly mauled by a rabid dog and left to die. Sixty-three stitches later with no anesthesia, Ricky is scarred with the emotional and physical memories that constantly recall his tragedy. The softness of Ganser's voice reflects the softness of Ricky's heart when a puppy is left to starve because he responds with a littler of kittens for food but is rejected. Hence, the name Kitty. Ricky musters all his courage and feeds the puppy, building a closeness that only friends realize and conquering his all-consuming fear. With Ricky, readers suffer the loss and feel the anguish when Kitty is accidentally killed at an oil rig. Hope, however, still prevails and happiness does come through sorrow. Ganser brings life and emotion to a powerful story with his dramatic rendition. This touching and encouraging story add a further dimension to the significance of boy and dog relationships, and should be high on public and school library priority lists.-Patricia Mahoney Brown, Franklin Elementary School, Kenmore, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. Brown, P. (1997, May 1). [Review of the book A dog called Kitty, by B. Wallace].  Library Journals LLC. Retrieved  from http://www.bowker.com/.

• Library Uses:  This is an excellent tale of courage and strength of realtionship between human and dog.  I would love to use this book as a start of a service dog unit.  I would include other stories about working dogs and have one of the local visiting dogs come to the library.  I would also ask our local K-9 police unit to visit and have the officer read in the library.

Week 3: The First Part Last

• Week: 3
• Book Title: The First Part Last by Angela Johnson
• Book Cover Image:

Copyright 2003, Simon& Schuster

• Book Summary:  This is an amazing story of a young man who finds himself the father and primary caregivier of a baby girl.  He is full of self-doubt and confusion, but keeps trying to do the right thing.  His family pulls for him and supports him, but lets him know that his childhood is over and he is the responsible party.
• APA Reference:  Johnson, A.  (2003).  The first part last.  New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.
• My Impressions:  The way the story flipped from the past to the present sometimes threw me off, but I thought the book was an excellent foray into the mind of a teenage father.  Bobby's self-doubt and guilt are troubling until you find out why.  His friends try to be understanding, but he really is in a place by himself. From free teenager to responsible adult is a big trip and  Bobby wants to escape. I liked the way that race was not an issue in the book. I don't even think it was mentioned, although the cover art made it clear.  This is a good book that I would recommend.  It could be a great wake up call for any teenager in Bobby's position.
• Professional Review:  Angela Johnson’s award-winning The First Part Last deals with an often overlooked perspective on teenage pregnancy and adulthood: that of the boy. Alternating between Then and Now, we follow Bobby, a black urban middle-class 16-year-old teen as he gets to deal with the news that his girlfriend Nia is pregnant. Before (Then) Bobby was just a typical teen, hanging out with his friends K-Boy and J.L. and playing Gameboy. Now, however, playing games and tagging has been replaced by taking care of his baby daughter Feather. The whole process is one of ‘becoming a man’, as one of the minor characters, Just Frank, jokingly states in the novel. As a new father, Bobby experiences all the typical things a young parent also has to deal with: the crying, the fatigue, the dependency, the letting go, …  only Bobby is also a teenager and a single father, the reason of which only becomes clear towards the end of this short novel. More than once, the reader feels what Bobby feels: the urge to escape, yet the strong pull of Feather who almost commands him to take responsibility. In the beginning of the book Bobby explains: “I figure if the world was really right, humans would live life backward and do the first part last. They’d be all knowing in the beginning and innocent in the end.” As such, this book does not just pull you in emotionally from the get-go, it also serves as a strong wake-up call for anyone who might potentially be in Bobby’s situation. Bobby and the reader are confronted with the grittiest of situations imaginable and it’s no mean feat to come out a man – in Bobby’s case – at the other end.
  Stylistically, The First Part Last is a very strong piece of writing: Angela Johnson writes completely realistic and confident yet equally poetic prose. All this makes the events of the book even more poignant. From a story point of view, however, the novel feels a little incomplete. But, considering that The First Part Last is part of a trilogy, this is probably only a minor squabble.

Ringo the Cat. (2011).  This Cat Can Read Blog. [Review of the book The First Part Last, by A. Johnson]. Retrieved from ringothecat.wordpress.com

• Library Uses:  In a high school library this book would be a good book club read for students about to become parents.  It is also a powerful reality check for students in relationships.  It could be used as a book talk for students who are soon to be parents or are eligible for alternative schools.

Week 3: The Higher Power of Lucky

• Week: 3
• Book Title: The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron, Illustrations by Matt Phelan
• Book Cover Image:

Copyright 2006, Antheneum Books

• Book Summary:  Lucky is having a life crisis.  Her mother died, she thinks her dad doesn't want her, her step mother is from France and Lucky thinks she wants to go back. Lucky's job lets her eaves drop on a 12 step program group. She wonders how she can find her own Higher Power. She runs away to the desert where she discovers herself.
• APA Reference:  Patron, S.  The higher power of Lucky. (2006).  New York, NY: Anthenum Books.
• My Impressions:  Although some of the subject matter could be considered objectionable, I found this to be an excellent story.  Lucky is a very interesting character going through tough times.  She manages to keep her chin up even with a bad perm and haircut.  The people living in her small desert town are all survivors, and their children are learning necessary life skills.  Lucky and her friends are interesting and likeable making this a story worth reading.  The story twists and turns make the reader really think about what is important in life, what is necessary, and what a person can live without.
• Professional Review: 
  Beautiful book, not for the faint at heart, every word relevant, February 18, 2007
  By 

  Shulamit Widawsky "Shulamit.info"
  This review is from: The Higher Power of Lucky (Hardcover)
  I bought this book for my 8 and 11 year old boys. And then I bought more for presents for my friends' kids.
  The idea that some librarians are choosing to keep this book off the shelves due to the use of the word "scrotum" right at the beginning of the book is more offensive than the word. Reality check: my boys have lots of words for that part of the anatomy, it's about time they read the proper word used in context of another boy saying it.
  Surprisingly, if it is the "word" that stuns people, then they haven't read the book and thought about how stunning it is to consider a child (Lucky) listening in on a variety of 12-step groups. But those two aspects, and all the rest of the "shocking" things that happen in this book, are all absolutely appropriate, and beautifully written, to make this book something special.
  I highly recommend "Lucky", and I fully agree with the age suggestion assigned it (9-12). My 8yo thought it was awesome, but then, he is in the 4th grade. My 11yo loved it.
  The reality is kids in this age range have all kinds of scary ideas and powerful curiosities. Being able to read about Lucky going through such things gave my kids the opportunity to think about and talk about all kinds of things. As a family, we thought this was an excellent book.
  As for the librarians and teachers who think they don't want to have to give a vocabulary lesson on the word scrotum, ask them how many times they have heard boys in the 9-12 age range yell a variety of less savory words for that part of their anatomy. The scientifically correct word is always worth teaching.
  Read it for yourself, and see.

Widawsky, S.  (2007, February 18).  [Review of the book The higher power of Lucky, by S. Patron]. Shulamit.info.  Retrieved from amazon.com.

• Library Uses:  I think this would be a good book for a book club with kids who have lost a loved one.  It is also an adventure story.  I might put it out with a collection of different adventure stories for students to check out. It is also a good example of living in a desert community.  In the geography/reference section I might put this out as a fiction book to go along with desert studies.

Week 2: Song of the Swallows

• Week: 2
• Book Title: Song of the Swallows by Leo Politi
• Book Cover Image:

Copyright 1949, Charles Scribner's Sons 

• Book Summary:  Swallows migrate to a California mission on the same day every year.  Juan, a young boy, and Jullian, a mission grounds worker, prepare their gardens and watch for the birds to return.  Juan and Jullian sing a song they learn in school to welcome back the swallows.
• APA Reference: Politi, L. (1949).  Song of the swallows. New York, NY:  Charles Scribner's Sons.
• My Impressions:  Being from California, and having visited Mission San Juan Capistrano, made this story especially poignant.  I like the old fashionedness of it:  the pale illustrations, the songs embeded into the story, the simple plot line.  I like the way Leo Politi included both Spanish and English. Having said that, I am not sure this book is easily related to today.  I think perhaps the use of this book may have to have some back story.  In order to relate to the story, students may need some information on California missions and their historical relevance.  
• Professional Review: I am including this review here because it offers a different point of view.
• Friday, February 11, 2011 Indians in Leo Politi's SONG OF THE SWALLOWS  Among the Caldecott Medal books I studied for my presentation at the Children's Literature Symposium at Florida State University-Sarasota last week is Leo Politi's Song of the Swallows. It won the Caldecott in 1950.
  Cover and publisher's synopsis: Every summer, the swallows leave San Juan Capistrano and fly far away, to a peaceful green island — but they always come back in the spring, on St. Joseph's Day. Juan loves las golondrinas, and so does his friend, Julian, the gardener at the mission.
  This year, Juan plants a garden in his own yard. There's nothing he wants more than for the swallows to nest there. And on St. Joseph's Day, his dream comes true.
  Based on comments and reviews at Amazon, Library Thing, Goodreads and similar sites, readers respond positively to the story. In fact, the story of the swallows is something that I, too, could respond positively to, but I'm continually pulled out of the story by what I know about the history of the missions.
  Below, my analysis is in italics. Summary and quotes from the book are in plain text.
  On the first page we see Juan (shown on the cover) on his way to school. To get there he goes through the gardens at the Mission and stops to speak to Julian, the Mission's bell ringer. That conversation takes place in the garden, and is shown on the second double-paged spread in the book. Juan and Julian stand in front of a statue, looking up at it. Julian tells Juan "the story of the Mission" as follows: "Long, long ago," Julian told him, "the good brothers of Saint Francis came to this country from across the sea. Father Junipero Serra and the brothers walked along the wild trail through the wilderness. With the help of the Indians they built many mission churches." 

• For me, several of Julian's words leap out:
  The "good brothers"
  The "good brothers of Saint Francis" were Spanish missionaries who traveled to an area of the United States that became California. "Serra and the brothers" weren't the first ones to walk along that trail in 1776. In fact, they were there in a second attempt to set up a mission. The year before, the Indians rebelled and drove "the good brothers" out of the area, forcing the brothers to abandon their missionary work. Indian men in that area had, for several years, been fighting soldiers who raped their women. Edward D.  Castillo quotes Serra who, in 1773, wrote (emphasis mine):In the morning, six or more soldiers would set out together, with or without the permission of the corporal, on horseback, and go to the far distant rancherias, even many leagues away. When both men and women at sight of them took to their heels--and this account comes from the father, who learned of it from the many declarations and complaints of the gentiles--the soldiers, clever as they are at lassoing cows and mules, would catch Indian women with their lassos to become prey for their unbridled lust. At times some Indian men would try to defend their wives, only to be shot down with bullets.

• Castillo notes, too, that male and female children in the missions were victims of sexual assaults. His article is "Gender Status Decline, Resistance, and Accommodation among Female Neophytes in the Missions of California: A San Gabriel Case Study," published in 1994 in American Indian Culture and Research Journal. So... calling them "good brothers" is, for me, problematic. 
  Father Junipero Serra
  Serra is a controversial figure amongst American Indians, especially in California. In the 1930s, the process to have him canonized began.  In "Junipero Serra's Canonization and the Historical Record," historian James A. Sandos writes that in December of 1948 in Fresno a historian and two priests testified before an ecclesiastical court about Serra's record. (Note: Sandos article is in The American Historical Review, Vol. 93, No. 5, Dec 1988, pp. 1253-1269).
  That, coincidentally, is the same year that Song of the Swallows was published. Sandos writes that, as "Father President" of the missions from 1769 to 1784 when he died, Serro "gave directions for his Indians to be whipped" (p. 254) when they failed to live according to church precepts. Sandos also states that Carey McWilliams wrote a popular history of California in which he said that the missions were like concentration camps. McWilliams' work was based on the work of a physiologist named Sherburne F. Cook at the University of California, Berkeley. 
  The Catholic Church was, understandably, not happy with any of these publications and their efforts to see the missions from the point of view of Indians. I wonder if Politi followed any of that controversy?
  "With the help of the Indians..."
  What kind of help was it? By then, there were Indians who had become Catholics and did help build the churches, but the missions were constructed primarily through forced, unpaid labor, and not through the methods suggested by "help of the Indians." 
  Still on that same double-paged spread are these words:
  

  "The Missions were like little villages," Julian said. There the Indians learned to make shoes and harness, blankets and hats, tools and pottery--many of the things they needed in their daily life."

  Does Politi mean for us to think that the Indians learned how to do all of that from the "good brothers" in the Mission? That they were shoeless and without blankets, hats, tools, and pottery before the "good brothers" arrived?! As Sandos writes, ideas about Indians as primitives had long been set aside by historians who knew that was not the case. 
  Yet, Politi gave his readers primitive Indians and the Caldecott committee either agreed with his portrayal of them, or, didn't think it was important enough to sway them from selecting the book for the Caldecott Medal. 
  In all honesty, it is hard for me to enjoy the story about the swallows. The content on the first pages gets in the way. I wonder how the book is used with children? Does anyone point to the inaccurate information at the beginning? Does anyone pause to wonder about the accuracy of that information? Do you?
  There's more to say about Serra and Indians... In the 1980s, Rupert and Jeanette Costo published Missions of California: A Legacy of Genocide in an effort to stop Serra from being canonized. It was filled with the writings, scholarship, and testimony of California Indians who did not think Serra was worthy of saint status. The pope ignored it and advanced Serra to beatification on December 11, 1987. 

Reece, D.  (2011, February 11).  Indians in Leo Politi's Song of the Swallows.  [Review of the book Song of the Swallows by L. Politi]. Retrieved from americanindiansinchidrensliterature.blogspot.com.

• Library Uses:  I think the Song of the Swallows could be used in support of a classroom unit about animal migrations.  It is interesting to note that Mission San Juan Capistrano is also the place where Monarch butterflies migrate to.  There are video conferences to support bird and butterfly migration through the Cleveland zoo which could be joined through the library.

Week 2: Click Clack Moo Cows that Type

• Week: 2
• Book Title:  Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin, Illustrated by Betsy Lewin
• Book Cover Image:

  

  D. Cronin. (2000). Simon & Schuster

• Book Summary:  Farmer Brown has a problem when his cows find a typewriter and start making demands.  When their demands are not met, the cows refuse to give milk.  All the farm animals get involved and before long the farmer is exchanging electric blankets for the typewriter.  Somehow the ducks end up with the typewriter and readers can see problems in the future for Farmer Brown.
• APA Reference:  Cronin, D.  (2000).  Click, clack, moo cows that type.  New York, NY: Simon and Schuster Books For Young Readers.
• My Impressions:  This is a silly book with fantastic illustrations.  The ink and watercolor pictures show the farm animals with great expressions on their faces.  Farmer Brown is depicted as a no-nonsense type of guy that gets frustrated and overwhelmed.  I think his character development is good.  The storyline is funny . . . of course the cows want electric blankets!  I can't wait to find out what the ducks demand.
• Professional Review:  The literacy rate in Farmer Brown's barn goes up considerably once his cows find an old typewriter and begin typing. To the harassed farmer's dismay, his communicative cows quickly become contentious:
  

  Dear Farmer Brown,
  The barn is very cold at night. We'd like some electric blankets.
  Sincerely,
  The Cows

  When he refuses to comply with their demands, the cows take action. Farmer Brown finds another note on the barn door: "Sorry. We're closed. No milk today." Soon the striking cows and Farmer Brown are forced to reach a mutually agreeable compromise, with the help of an impartial party--the duck. But this poor, beleaguered farmer's "atypical" troubles are not over yet!
  This hilarious tale will give young rebels-in-the-making a taste of the power of peaceful protest and the satisfaction of cooperative give and take. Witty watercolors by award-winning illustrator Betsy Lewin (Snake Alley Band, Araminta's Paint Box) will make this a favorite for one and all, even if words such as "ultimatum" and "neutral" throw the younger set. (Ages 5 to 8) --Emilie Coulter --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Coulter, E.  (n.d.). Editorial Review. [Review of the book Click Clack Moo Cows That Type, by D. Cronin]. Retrieved from amazon.com.

Library Uses:  All of Doreen Cronin's books would make an excellent collection for display.  It would enthrall students if a farmer came in for a reading, especially if he brought in some animals for the kids to check out.  As a lesson afterwards, students could Venn diagram animals from the story and real animals.

Week 1: Bread and Jam for Frances

• Week: 1
• Book Title: Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban, illustrated by Lillian Hoban
• Book Cover Image:



Copyright 1964, Harper & Row Publishers, Inc. 

• Book Summary:  This picture book is about a badger named Frances who has decided to eat nothing but bread and jam.  Frances says, "When I have bread and jam I always know what I am getting, and I am always pleased."  Her mother and father go along with the plan, giving Frances bread and jam for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  Frances soon discovers that a little variety is a good thing.
• APA Reference:  Hoban, R.  (1964).  Bread and jam for Frances.  New York, NY: Harper and Row Publishers, Inc.
• My Impressions:  I like the way Frances is depicted as a typical kid.  She thinks this is a great idea, getting what she wants all the time while Mother and Father are suggesting she try different things.  One thing Hoban gives Frances is poetry and singing.  I think this adds another dimension to the Frances character making her "real."  The poetry and singing show the reader what is going on in Frances's head, clueing us in on when her feeling change.  The book is well written with simple yet charming charcoal and watercolor drawings.
• Professional Review: Bread and Jam for Frances
  Book Review   by:SandraKae     Original Author: Russell Hoban
  

  • Summary rating: 5 stars (3 Ratings)
  • Visits : 1458
  • words: 300
    Frances is a badger cub who loves bread and jam. Mother badger cooks delicious meals for her family, and Father badger enjoys how each dish looks on the plate, and every day baby Gloria tries new foods. But Frances is quite content to eat bread and jam; in fact, at school she even trades her delicious lunches that Mother packs for her for—bread and jam. Finally, her mother decides to provide bread and jam for her at every meal, and she considers herself to be quite lucky. However, this does not last long. As she watches those around her enjoying a variety of foods, she realizes that she is tired of bread and jam… Throughout the story, Frances sings a little made up song about bread and jam, and as the story progresses, her song changes, indicating her altering feelings about her affinity for bread and jam. Eventually, at the sight of her plate of bread and jam, she begins to cry as her family enjoys a delicious spaghetti dinner, and she sings a sad little song about being tired of jam. Each scene in this story is vividly and beautifully written, making the story especially appealing to young children. When her schoolmate Albert prepares to eat of his lunch consisting of a cream-cheese-and-tomato sandwich on rye, a pickle, a hardboiled egg with a little cardboard salt shaker, grapes, a tangerine, custard, and milk; we can sympathize with her as she watches him enjoy his lunch, while all she has is bread and jam. Originally published in 1964, Bread and Jam for Frances approaches the common childhood issue of trying new foods in such an appealing and humorous way, it has been a family favorite of ours for many years.

  Published: June 06, 2005  

  
  
• Kae, S.  (2005, June 6).  Bread and jam for Frances.  [Review of book Bread and Jam for Frances, by R. Hoban].  Shvoong Summaries and Reviews. Retrieved through shvoong.com.

• Library Uses:  Bread and Jam for Frances could be used as a jumping off point for a nutrition lesson or unit.  An activity students could do is make jam sandwiches, try them, and then write a food review.  Students could try different jams, vote on their favorites, and graph the taste test results for a bulletin board in the library.

Week 1: The Runaway Bunny

• Week: 1
• Book Title: The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Clement Hurd
• Book Cover Image:



Copyright 1942 by Harper & Brothers Publishers

• Book Summary:  In this picture book a little bunny tells his mother he is going to run away.  The mother bunny replies, "If you run away, I will run after you, for you are my little bunny." The little bunny's imagination takes him places and turns him into things with his mother always following.  At the end the little bunny decides he might as well stay and be his mom's little bunny.
• APA Reference:  Brown, M. (1942). The runaway bunny. Harper and Brothers Publishers, New York, NY.
• My Impressions:  This is one of my favorite picture books from my childhood.  I rediscovered it when I had children.  I love the pictures, a combination of black and white as well as watercolors.  It always makes me smile when a child is reading another of Margaret Wise Brown's books Goodnight Moon  recognizes pictures from The Runaway Bunny hanging in the great green room.  This story is one of a mother's love and patience which inspires me as a mother of three.  It is a story of an adventure that ends with the comfort of home.
• Professional Review:
  The Runaway Bunny
  by Margaret Wise Brown, Clement Hurd (Illustrator)

  The Runaway Bunny 410  ·  rating details  ·  15522 ratings  ·  344 reviews

  First published in 1942, this classic has been enjoyed by generations. Hurd has redrawn some of his original pictures for this new edition of the comforting story of a bunny's imaginary game of hide-and-seek and the lovingly steadfast mother who finds him every time. Full color.

  Hardcover, 48 pages

  Published January 18th 2005 by HarperCollins Publishers (first published 1942) 
  

  Reference:  

  Chandler, O.  (2012, January 18). The runaway bunny. [Review of the book The Runaway Bunny, by M. Brown].  Goodreads Inc. Retrieved from goodreads.com
• Library Uses:  In spring I might put this out with other bunny books as part of a theme collection teachers or students might check out.  I might use it at Mother's Day to jump start book marks for the library or card making and other art for students to use as gifts for their mothers.