3 books - 3 movies

The first book I read and watched the movie is The Devil's Arithmetic. The book is a historical, but science fiction novel chronicling the adventures of a young girl, Hannah, in modern-day New York City. At her Jewish family's seder meal, she is transported through time and ultimately finds herself fighting for her life in a concentration camp in Nazi Poland. The realistic details of the camp and the related plot developments are both astounding and disturbing. Eventually, Hannah grows to appreciate her Jewish heritage and sees her immigrant relatives in a new light.

The movie is produced by Dustin Hoffman and is has some different artistic interpretations from the book. Notable differences include the following:

• in the book, Hannah become Chaya when she goes back in time; in the movie her name remains Hannah throughout
• in the book, the Nazi soldiers take Chaya and her family away before Schmuel and Fayge can get married; in the movie, the soldiers come as they are completing their vows
• in the book, Schmuel and the other men who tried to escape were shot execution style by the entrance to the cave; in the movie, they were hung in front of the rest of the camp
• in the book, Rivka is a friend that Chaya meets in the concentration camp; in the movie, she is her cousin who lives in the house to where Hannah is transported

Despite some artistic licenses taken by the producers, the acting in this movie is fabulous and the story is still communicated with accuracy and intensity.

The next book I have read and watched the movie is The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. In this book, four friends share a special ritual and decide that while they are spending the summer apart from each other, they will send a single pair of jeans to each other around the world to keep them connected. These magical jeans, which fit each girl perfectly regardless of size, are witness to family struggles, soccer camp, the Greek Isles and a tragic ending for a young girl with leukemia.

I loved this book and I liked the movie even more. I am a big advocate for the fact that a literary experience is richer than a cinematic experience. However, in this particular story, I think bringing it to life on the movie screen clarified some of the magical aspects and made more vivid the "movie" I played in my mind.

The movie has several popular young actresses and is very well-done. I especially was entranced by the scenery of Greece in this movie. I had never before seen the country as the cinematography in this film illustrates it. I now have a burning desire to visit.

Some notable differences between the book and the movie are as follows:

• Libby's guinea pig is omitted from the movie. I think this is significant because Libby loses a friend at just about the same time as her guinea pig dies.
• Libby learns of her friend's death from the mother's phone call to her in the book. In the movie, her friend's mother speaks with Libby's mother and the scene just shows Libby crying in her bed.
• One addition that the movie made was the video that is left by Libby's friend showing her when she wants to wear the magic jeans, but they do not fit her perfectly. The video includes a poignant commentary on the importance of friendship.

I think this movie is such a slight deviation from the book and I sincerly loved them both. I have loved this entire series and can say that the subsequent movie(s) in the series have not been as true to the novels as the first one. Like most readers, I want to see the movie come alive on the screen, not change on the screen.

Last, but not least, is Where the Red Fern Grows. Though this touching story is still shared sensitively through the movie, the depth of emotions that are communicated through the narrator in the book are simply not possible to emulate on screen. One difference is that the young boy's hair is red in the book and blond in the movie. In the book, Billy only has sisters and in the movie he has a little brother. Other than that, the movie omits several seemingly important or at least entertaining portions of the story. When Billy visits Telequah, he encounters several challenges. The details of this trip are not chronicled in the movie as much as the reader wants. Like many other books that have a reader's intense emotional involvement, this movie simply does not have time to go into so much background. The reader spends much of the movie trying to figure out how much of the story was skipped and what is coming next.

I still love this book and this movie, but the small differences accumulate to offer a watered-down version of this love story between a boy and his two dogs, and the dogs with each other.

The Lorax and The Cat in the Hat

Dr. Suess is truly one of the most celbrated and recognized authors in the country. His works are playful and educational, providing a balance that teachers and students alike are drawn to.

The Cat in the Hat is, for the most part, unparelleled in children's literature in the last 10-20 years. However, I feel that the If You Give a Mouse a Cookie books are similar in progression of mischief. The other books in the series are listed here:

Source: http://www.lauranumeroff.com/

• IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE (Felicia Bond)
• IF YOU GIVE A MOOSE A MUFFIN (Felicia Bond)
• IF YOU GIVE A PIG A PANCAKE (Felicia Bond)
• IF YOU TAKE A MOUSE TO SCHOOL (Felicia Bond)
• IF YOU TAKE A MOUSE TO THE MOVIES (Felicia Bond)
• IF YOU GIVE A PIG A PARTY (Felicia Bond)

The Lorax is another of Dr. Suess's famous contributions to children's literature, albeit controversial. It is didactic in that it tries to teach about the enviroment, industry growth, and property rights.

I personally feel that whatever book the movie Ferngully is basied on is the only such book that makes as strong a point. I cannot remember the name of the book, but I am somewhat positive that it was published in the early nineties. It makes a strong point for saving the rainforests.

Yoshiko Uchida - Journey to Topaz

This story is a telling tale of a part of American History that we do not hear much about: the Japanese prison camps that Japanese-Americans, largely from California, were kept in after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and the US entered World War II. The aspect of this book that I liked and did not like at the same time is the in-depth manner in which Uchida draws the reader into the characters in the story.

As soon as I began reading and realized where the plot was going, I immediately made connections with two other World War II pieces, The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen and The Diary of Anne Frank. I was saddened and overwhelmed at the reality that the same situations, though not as severe, were happening in our country. One puzzling aspect of war has always been wondering if we are on the right side. Everyone thinks they are on the right side and fighting for what they believe in, so how do we know we are right?
Not to be too deep or anything, but I really wondered about our country and its treatment of the Japanese-Americans, and I was perplexed as to how I have gotten to be 37 years old and basically knew nothing of this before reading this book. The further along I progressed in the book, the more and more angry I became. Uchida writes in such a gentle and matter of fact way, but the topic of imprisonment is awful. The verbiage used is awful - euphemisms abound.

One body of information about Uchida herself is found here:

"Yoshiko Uchida almost single-handedly created a body of Japanese-American literature for children, where none existed before. As the first Nissei writer to devote an entire career to writing for young people about her own rich cultural heritage, she expanded the range of children's reading, with important results for young readers of all ethnic backgrounds.
Uchida was born in Alameda, California, on 24 November 1921, the second daughter of Takashi ("Dwight") and Iku Umegaki Uchida. Dwight Uchida immigrated to the United States from Japan in 1903 and worked for the San Francisco offices of Mitsui and Company, where he eventually became a manager. His daughter remembered him as a cheerful man with gregarious habits and a love of gardening. Iku Umegaki, the eldest daughter of a prefectural governor of Japan, immigrated to the United States in 1916 to marry Dwight Uchida. Both were graduates of Doshisha University, one of the early Christian universities of Japan, where relationships between students and teachers were exceptionally close; following the advice of two professors at Doshisha, Dwight and Iku began a year-long correspondence that culminated in their marriage."
https://ecourses.wku.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2fwebapps%2fblackboard%2fexecute%2flauncher%3ftype%3dCourse%26id%3d_38274_1%26url%3d

The complete list of Uchida's work is here:

Source:
http://www.librarything.com/author/uchidayoshiko&all=1

A Jar of Dreams
The Bracelet
Journey to Topaz: A Story of the Japanese-American Evacuation
Journey Home (Aladdin Books)
Picture Bride: A Novel
Desert Exile: The Uprooting of a Japanese-American Family
The Invisible Thread: An Autobiography
Wise Old Woman, The: Retold by Yoshiko Uchida
The Best Bad Thing (Aladdin Historical Fiction)
The magic listening cap; more folk tales from Japan
The Dancing Kettle
THE SEA OF GOLD, AND OTHER TALES FROM JAPAN
Takao and Grandfather's Sword (The Literature Experience 1993 Series)
Samurai of Gold Hill
The happiest ending
The Magic Purse
The Two Foolish Cats
Rokubei and the Thousand Rice Bowls
Sea of Gold
We do not work alone: The thoughts of Kanjiro Kawai
The forever Christmas tree
Makoto, the smallest boy
Sumi's special happening
Sumi's prize
Picture Bride and Related Readings (Literature Connections)
The Wise Old Women
In-Between Miya
The Terrible Leak (Creative Short Stories Series)
The promised year
MIK AND THE PROWLER
The Rooster Who Understood Japanese
Wise Old Woman
Sumi & the Goat & The Tokyo Express
Magic Listening Cap: More Folk Tales from Japan
Hisako's mysteries

Laurence Yep - Auntie Tiger

Yep, L. (2009). Auntie Tiger. New York: HarperCollins.

Okay, so I wimped out and read the smallest book by Laurence Yep. The blog assignment just said read a book by him and did not specify the size of it! This story is a Chinese version of Little Red Riding Hood. The differences are that the story begins with two sisters fighting when the mother sets off on a trip for the store. Then a Tiger who is on the prowl comes to their door after thier mother leaves and poses as their aunt. The older sister points out that the aunt's voice, paws, and other characteristics are not indicative of her aunt. Eventually, the sisters put aside their accusations of bossiness and laziness and protect each other from the terrible tiger.

Other books that Laurence Yep has written include a series that some of my students really enjoy. Dragonwings, Dragon's Gate, The Dragon's Child,The Traitor, Mountain Light, The Serpent's Children, The Earth Dragon Awakes, and Dragon Road are among them. Child of the Owl, Dragon of the Lost Sea, The Rainbow People, When the Circus Came to Town, American Dragons, The Lost Garden, The Dragon Prince, The Tiger's Apprentice, The Case of the Garden Pearls, and The Magic Paintbrush are other titles Yep has written. He has won Newbery Awards and is a widely respected Chinese American author.

Other information about Yep and his books can be found at the following websites:

http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/Kids/BookFinder/ContributorBooks.aspx?SCId=12929&ReqPId=1

http://www.bookrags.com/biography/laurence-yep-aya/

http://www.infoplease.com/biography/var/laurenceyep.html

Julius Lester - The Old African

Lester, J. (2005). The old African. New York: Dial.


The Old African, by Julius Lester and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney, is a metaphysical tale set against the historical backdrop of times when slaves were punished for trying to escape from their owners. When the Old African intervenes on behalf of a young slave receiving a whipping from his master referred to as Ol' Riley, readers learn of a special "gift" the Old African has that allows him into the minds of the rest of the slaves owned by the same master who had been assembled to watch the whipping as a deterrent to any future attempts to escape. Old African casts a spell on his people that enables them to transcend the horrific scene they observe. A story about the power of the mind, effective leadership and community escalates the degree of magical realism as the story progresses. In the tradition of Native American literature, Old African transforms himself into a hawk, to search for the Water-That-Stretched-Forever, after tending the wounds of the whipped slave who reveals that he's seen the water. Silent, the Old African communicates to those with whom he connects through a form of mental telepathy and whose other powers result in a house fire caused by lightening from a storm generated by the Old African. Riley's house is consumed by fire with Riley inside.
The reader suspends disbelief by the time the Old African offers to lead the slaves back to their home across the ocean. Not only does he walk into the ocean and lead his people to walk along the bottom of the sea, he is befriended by sharks that show him a skeletal burying ground on the bottom of the ocean and escort the Old African to the shore of their home continent. The freed slaves follow him out of the water and even the dead bones walk out of the water to the land of their ancestors in a resurrection scene that reunites the Old African with his wife and with Obasi, his mentor, both of whom died and were thrown overboard on the boat trip over to an unspecified land.

Despite the fact that this is a beautifully written story, I did not enjoy it all because it was extremely heavy and sad. The scene where Riley is whipping the young slave is truly heart-wrenching. The Old African is a deep tale that could be disturbing to young readers and should be reserved for only the most mature students.

Despite an intense respect for the artistic writing and gifted storytelling of Julius Lester, I have no desire to read any more books by him unless I can be confident that they are uplifting or lighthearted stories before commencing reading.

Other books by Julius Lester and more information is located here:

http://members.authorsguild.net/juliuslester/

Coretta Scott King Award Winner

McKissack, P. (2001). Goin' someplace special. New York: Atheneum.



Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney, this King Medalist is a beautiful story set in a segregated unnamed southern town. After reading, I realize this story is autobiographical for Patricia McKissack, who was born in 1945 and is an African-American woman. I thought that the illustrations were, of course, elegant and beautiful, with just enough detail to provide expression and just enough blurriness to promote imagination. I particularly am fond of the picture on the last page of the book of the little girl, 'Tricia Ann, looking up at the Public Library sign. After sitting in the back of the bus and having difficulty finding a place to rest, 'Tricia Ann feels that the library is a place where people are equal.



The relationship between the grandmother and 'Tricia Ann is also a touching aspect of this story. Mama Frances has spoken her wise words so often that when 'Tricia Ann finds herself lost and frightened, the loving words come to her and give her the motivation she needs to continue her first solo journey to the library. The wisdom of the older generations is truly priceless.



As a future librarian, I want this book to be in every library and read to every child. I hope that each child in my school feels that the library is "someplace special."



"Reading is the doorway to freedom."

Newbery Book # 2 - Crispin: The Cross of Lead

Avi. (2002). Crispin: The cross of lead. New York: Hyperion.


"In his fiftieth book, Avi sets his story in fourteenth-century England and introduces some of his most unforgettable characters--a 13-year-old orphan, seemingly without a name, and a huge, odd juggler named Bear. At first, the boy is known as Asta’s Son, but when his mother dies, he learns from a priest that his name is really Crispin. He also quickly comes to realize that he is in grave trouble. John Acliffe, the steward of the manor, reveals himself to be Crispin’s mortal enemy and declares the boy a “wolf’s-head,” which means he is anyone’s prey. Clutching his only possession, a lead cross, Crispin flees his village into a vast new world of opportunity--and terror. At his lowest ebb, Crispin meets Bear and reluctantly swears an oath to be his servant. Yet Bear becomes much more than a master--he’s Crispin’s teacher, protector, and liberator. Avi builds an impressive backdrop for his arresting characters: a tense medieval world in which hostility against the landowners and their cruelties is increasing. There’s also other nail-biting tension in the story that builds to a gripping, somewhat confusing ending, which finds Crispin, once weak, now strong. Readers may not understand every nuance of the political machinations that propel the story, but they will feel the shifting winds of change beginning to blow through a feudal society." — Ilene Cooper

source: http://www.booklistonline.com/default.aspx?page=show_product&pid=1759382

I thought this book was very sad and depressing. I liked the suspense and the tension in the rising action of the plot, but I hated the depth of social issues and I thought it was too heavy. I would only recommend this books to students who are mature and do not have any issues of abandonment lest it be disturbing for them.

5 Caldecott Medal Winners

Henkes, K. (2004). Kitten's first full moon. New York: Greenwillow.

Kitten is a curious little kitty who thinks the full moon is a bowl of milk in the sky. She ingests a big, falls off the porch, and takes a journey through the countryside trying to reach it. When Kitten climbs a tree, she gets scared and eventually jumps in the pond after the reflection of the moon in the water. Upon arriving home, Kitten finds a real bowl of milk waiting for her.

I loved this book because I happen to be huge fan of black and white and the illustrations were bold but expressive. I loved the layout of the pictures across the pages with different combinations of light and dark and black and white areas with the text in bold black letters. I can see where some people might think these illustrations were boring, but for this type of early reader, I think they are just right.

Rohmann, E. (2002). My friend rabbit. Brookfield, Conn.: Roaring Brook.

Rabbit is a little guy who seems to get into trouble everywhere. This story, which has very little text, is largely told through the progressive illustrations. When an airlplane goes out of reach, rabbit gathers his friends (all sorts of animals) and has them build a tower with their differently-shaped bodies. The animals' facial expressions tell the tale of their dispositions during this activity. At the end, Mouse, the narrarator, proclaims his devotion to his friend despite Rabbit's propensity for mischief.

The illustrations in this book are absolutely adorable! With bright colors and bold black outlines, these animals have an appealing yet cartoonish look. Rohmann somehow creates a great deal of movement with the shape of the lines. By turning the grass on an upward slant, there is a sense of rising action throughout the story that settles at the end back to a perfectly horizontal grass base.

Taback, S. (1999). Joseph had a little overcoat. New York: Viking.

Adapted from an old Yiddish tune, this book is the author's second and newly-illustrated version of a previously published book. This story is a true lesson in recycling and truly a tale of perseverance. The pictures are colorful and cartoonish and consist of a cut-out on each page that creates the illustration on the succeeding page. Joseph, who begins with an overcoat, minimizes his overcoat to a jacket, then a vest, necktie, hankerchief, and finally a button. When he loses his button, Joseph decides to write a book!

The special aspect of these illustrations is that there are many colorful patterns and they are infused with photographed patterns. This type of artistic creation completely blow my mind. In addition, the cutouts that fit into the picture on the current page and make a focal point on the subsequent page completely blow my mind. I cannot comprehend the genius that must go into such illustrations. Even if I am too concrete and dull to understand them, I can thoroughly admire them, as I definitely do admire these.

St. George, J. (2000). So you want to be President? New York: Philomel.

Illustrated by David Small, this Caldecott Medalist title is nonfiction and teaches readers all about past Presidents of the United States. I would best describe the illustrations as characatures, but are still assumedly historically accurate. This book is full of informative facts and encouraging tidbits for young readers who may have aspirations for the White House.

Wiesner, D. (2006). Flotsam. New York: Clarion.

This picture book has no text. Wiesner creates a story through his incredibly realistic illustrations which are pictures and pictures of photographs. When I got to this book, I decided to let my 8-year-old son "read" it to me, to see it from a child's point of view. I typed exactly what he dictated and it is as follows:

Kid at the beach, seeing the bug. He drops the bug and looks at a sandcastle. It looks like he goes down and tries to build another sandcastle. Then he finds a crab. He goes by the sand and starts looking at the crab, then a big wave comes up and it washes him and the crab and the shovel all out. Then he finds a whatever that is...an old camera and he's like, "What is that?" He picks it up and reads what it says. It says Melville underwater camera. He looks around and then runs back to his mom and dad holding the camera. He shows it to his mom and dad and then the lifeguard. He doesn't know what it is. So he takes it out, opens it up and looks inside and he finds a battery or a roll of film. He examines it. He runs back out of the beach down the road, into a store named, "One Hour Photo." He shows the film to the lady and it looks like the lady is on the phone. Then she grabs the same kind of film as he had in the camera and she shows it to him. He's waiting and waiting and waiting. He runs out of the store with the photos. Then he runs back to the beach with the camera and the photos and he looks at the picture of the photos and he notices something. He looks really close. It shows some bionical fish and he looks and finds an octopus and some fish and a light fish - it's under the sea and it's like a living room where people have gotten chairs washed away. Then he sees a picture of a blowfish with three fish in it and they are above the ground and the blowfish is the hot air balloon and the three fish are the people of the thing and one fish fell and he's falling back into the sea. Then he looks at a picture of sea turtles with a bunch of shells as homes. Then he sees a picture of miniature people that are green and have air bubbles that have seahorses around them and there are - air helmets - and fish looking inside a hovercraft in the sea that have a little home and they have caught a fish and killed it for food. Then he looks at a picture of starfish with islands on them and little whales that are smaller than the starfish and if the starfishes lay down then they have islands.

At this point he lost interest a little so we narrated the rest of the book together. It is such a cute and creative story of time and progression. It was a special experience for me as a mother to hear the narration from his point of view. I love this book.

Jerry Pinkney, Amazing Artist

Jerry Pinkney published his first illustrated children's book in 1964. Since then he has won many awards including the prestigious Caldecott Medal in 1995.

Personally, I think his style is truly distinctive and I love the manner in which he depicts the facial expressions of children. An African-American himself, Pinkney's illustrations are laden with cultural details of the stories and times he is bringing to life on the page.

My two favorite Pinkney-illustrated works are Mirandy and Brother Wind by Patricia McKissock and The Patchwork Quilt by Valerie Flournoy.

The first book is about a bright little girl, Mirandy, who wants Brother Wind's help in a dancing contest, so she tricks him into helping her by closing him in the barn. Pinkney's illustrations are nothing short of precious in this book.


A complete list of Pinkney's children's books can be found here http://www.jerrypinkneystudio.com/frameset.html.

Newbery and Caldecott Awards

Few differences exist between the Caldecott Awards and the Newbery Awards. First and most obvious is the art which each honors. The other main differences are the person for whom each is named and year in which they were first awarded.

The Newbery Medal is given to an author who makes the most significant contribution to American literature for children published in the previous year. Awarded by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), the criteria for eligiblity include fiction, nonfiction or poetry that is an original work. The writing must be published in English, in the United States, and be specifically designed for children up to the age of fifteen. In addition, the author must be a citizen or a resident of the United States. The work cannot be a reprint or a compilation of other previous publications. Other facts about the Newbery Award include that it is named after British publisher John Newbery and has been awarded each year since 1922.

The Caldecott Medal is also awarded by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) but differs from the Newbery in that the Caldecott is given for children's book illustrations. Named after English illustrator Randolph Caledcott, the Caldecott Medal has been given out each year since 1938. Like the Newbery, the award must be given to an illustrator that is either a citizen or a resident of the United States. The book also has to have been published in English in the United States.

Personally, I think that a literary experience is richer than a visual art experience. Therefore, if I had to determine that one honor is a better award than the other, I would say the Newbery. However, since I have absolutely no artistic ability beyond knitting, which may not even count, I have to say that I have a higher respect for the Caldecott Medal. When I read a Newbery book, I tend to think, "I want to win that someday. That would be such an honor." When I read Caldecott books, I think, "Wow, what incredible talent! I could never achieve that."

While I intensely admire the artists who create Medal-worthy works of both types, I would only aspire to achieve the Newbery.