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Friday, March 9, 2012
The Wizard of OZ
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Charlie Bucket, a boy from a family of little wealth, was lucky enough to win one of the five golden tickets for a tour of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, the greatest in the world. When the day for the tour comes, Charlie’s Grandpa Joe goes with him and together they are the only two who follow Mr. Wonka’s rules, making it through to the end of the day and winning the factory. The chocolate factory is now Charlie’s, and they enter the glass elevator and fly to Charlie’s house. This story is very light-hearted and humorous. The main theme I got from this book is that good things come in small packages; and with this, when you think about Charlie being less fortunate than others for most of his life, living in poverty, he finally catches a break finding the golden ticket. The book contains cartoon-like illustrations in black and white, possibly with water paints. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory would most likely be best fit for children between age 8 and 12.
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Bridge to Terabithia
The classic novel, Bridge to Terabithia, a Newbery Medal Award winning book, is about fifth grader Jesse Aarons’ goal to be the greatest runner out of all his classmates, but when new student Leslie Burke comes, she is faster than everyone. However, Jesse and Leslie are able to form a friendship, and shortly after they uncover a magical kingdom in the forest, which they claim for themselves as their secret hiding place, Terabithia. Ruling over Terabithia as king and queen, their friendship prospers, ending tragically with the death of Leslie. The tone of the story is informal and somewhat conversational. The main theme is friendship, but also childhood and individuality come up. One motif seen throughout the reading is gender roles, how there are expectations of Jesse. Bridge to Terabithia is a good book for children between the age of 9 and 12, although I liked it and I am 20! It teaches a valuable lesson through friendship and the power of Terabithia; after Leslie dies, Jesse is challenged to find his true identity. There are a few black and white illustrations spread throughout the pages of the book that help trigger your imagination as you read the book.
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The Borrowers
Mary Norton’s The Borrowers narrates the story of a family of little people who have built their home below the floor of a weakening country home. Pod and Homily Clock love and take care of their audacious daughter Arrietty by ‘borrowing’ what they must to survive, and a bit more, from the human “beans” who reside right over them. So that they don’t stir any suspicion, they take no more than the things which will not be missed, such as sheets of blotting paper and old cigar boxes. It is with these objects that the borrowers build a home and go about this certain way of life. One of the stronger themes found in this book is that of smallness and vulnerability, but another theme I got from the book is that it is okay, rather it is good to explore the world, however, at all times you must be careful. In the book, Arrietty’s dilemma includes exploring the world a little more then she ought to have. The illustrations are fun to look at, and in black and white, they show the difference in size between the human and the borrowers. I would suggest this book to children between the age of eight and twelve.
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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland is about Alice’s venture in Wonderland, precisely what the title tells you. In short summary, a white rabbit catches Alice’s attention as he says “Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!” and jumps down a rabbit hole, which she then goes down too, finding herself in Wonderland. She meets different creatures throughout her adventure, some whom are hard to get along with, and during her journey she changes size after eating or drinking different things she comes across. Eventually, Alice wakes up back at the riverbank where the story began. This book would best suit children ages six and up. The tone of this story is mostly straightforward and the main theme is the coming of age. Connected to the theme is the motif of identity; shown in this book through Alice’s struggles with the importance and instability of her personal identity. The characters are interesting and strange adding to the captivating dialogue. Black and white illustrations are dispersed throughout the book, in moderation. The book is very engaging and I believe most children will enjoy the story.
Purchase:Friday, March 2, 2012
Children's ABC Books
Hosie's Alphabet
Hosie’s Alphabet, written by Hosea Tobias and Lisa Baskin and illustrated by Leonard Baskin, is another beautiful abc book and awarded the Caldecott Honor. There is a creature representing every letter of the alphabet with a short detailed description and illustration. Here are a couple examples; “ghastly garrulous gargoyle, and quintessential quail.” The illustrations in this book are done with water colors and some pen detailing. There is a wide range of colors, captivating and grasping the reader’s attention. Hosie’s Alphabet would appeal to 6 to 8 year olds. I personally enjoyed this book; the pictures and the text complemented each other. I think this would be a good book to have in the classroom.
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http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hosies-alphabet-tobias-baskin/1012804877
Geography From A to Z: A picture glossary
Geography from A to Z: A picture glossary is written by Jack Knowlton and illustrated by Harriett Barton. A basic glossary of geographic terms, this book incorporates the alphabet starting with “archipelago” all the way to “zone”; and defining the Earth’s features this book serves a dual purpose of teaching the alphabet, as well as teaching geography. Starting in the beginning of the alphabet and working its way to the end, the terms are defined and illustrated, allowing a child to find meaning in words and henceforth letters. Throughout the book, most of the pictures are illustrated with earthy tones. It looks like mixed media; perhaps watercolor and black pen for texture. The appropriate age for this book is about 7 to 10 years old. Twofold, teaching both alphabet and geography, I think this book is great for the classroom. Teachers can use this book to introduce children to geography’s vocabulary. In my opinion, the layout of this book makes it fun to read, and learning the alphabet through geography is interesting and motivating.
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Caldecott Honor Book Alphabatics is written and illustrated by Suse MacDonald. This abc book is delightful and fun to read, as you see the letters of the alphabet transforming into the words depicted on the page. The letter “m” becomes a mustache, and “k” turns into a kite. There are a variety of colors in the book and creative pictures to go along with the text. The medium used is computer-generated images reproduced in full color. It is a very creative and captivating book for children learning the alphabet. Alphabatics is a good book for children between the age of 3 and 6. It is a cute book; one I believe is perfect for a kindergarten teacher to read to her students as they are learning their abc’s. Purchase:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/alphabatics-suse-macdonald/1102954129?ean=9780689716256&itm=1&usri=alphabatics
The Graphic Alphabet
The Graphic Alphabet is written and illustrated by David Pelletier and is a Caldecott Honor Book. This alphabet book is simple to read, with only one word on each page, and extremely visual pictures help distinguish each letter in the alphabet. The book is appropriate for children between the ages of 4 and 8. The illustrations in this book are computer-generated images reproduced in full color. While the illustrations embody the meaning of the word, they also take the shape of the letter being represented. In a classroom setting, younger students just now learning the abc’s may not grasp the concept as well as that of a student already studying the alphabet. This book may relate more to children in the first and second grade, where teachers can also use it to teach vocabulary. In my opinion The Graphic Alphabet is a sophisticated book for a child and brings a new element to learning the abc’s.
Purchase:
http://www.amazon.com/Graphic-Alphabet-Caldecott-Honor-Book/dp/0531360016
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/graphic-alphabet-david-pelletier/1101097839
Animalia
Animalia, written and illustrated by Graeme Base, is an intriguing alphabet book bringing animals to life through the incredibly vivid pictures. Beginning with the poem on the first page, this book is very inviting and opens up a child's imagination. This classic book captures the interest of the child with a number of animals on a single page and the letter featured through a short phrase, as well as hidden objects to find. Animalia would best suit children between the age of 4 and 8. I remember my father reading this to me as a child, and always asking him to read it again. I personally love this book, and though it may be challenging for younger children, when read by a parent to a child, there is truly so much to be learned from it. This could be a fun book for a teacher to read to a class as the alphabet is being introduced, taking it one letter at a time.
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