2 Recent Diversity Books 1 Picture 1 Chapter

Title: Stinky the Bulldog

APA Citation for this Book: Valent, J. (2005). Stinky the Bulldog. Bloomington, Indiana: AuthorHouse.

Image retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Stinky-Bulldog-Jackie-Valent/dp/1420826972/ref=cm_lmf_img_12#_

Audience: 6 and up

Prevalent themes: diversity, judging others

This book is about a little bulldog that moves to a new neighborhood and his mother has to show him not to judge others by first impressions. This is a good read for children and as read alouds for parents to read with their children that teaches children not to be too quick to judge others at first glance.

Title: Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry

APA Citation for this Book: Taylor, M. (1976). Roll of thunder hear my cry. New York: Dial Press

Audience: 11 and up

Genre: Historical Fiction

Prevalent themes: diversity, prejudice, struggle

This book is about a young African American named Cassie and the struggles she along with her family has to endure growing up in the racist time of 1930’s Mississippi. Nightriders, burnings, hangings are just some of the horrific events she has to endure. This book shows how even the middle of all of this family loyalty along with pride and love can overcome such troubling events.

Image retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Roll-Thunder-Hear-My-Cry/dp/B001TI0FIO/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1335533270&sr=1-2 on April 27, 2012.

 

3 Children’s Books that have been Produced as Feature Films

# 1 Title: The Polar Express

APA Citation: Van Allsburg, C. (1985). The Polar Express.   New York: Houghton Mifflin.

Ages 4 and up

This book that was made into a movie is a great read as well as a movie. My husband and youngest daughter still to this day have a tradition where they say that this is their Christmas show. The book is very much like the movie. This is a story of a steam train that takes children to the North Pole on Christmas Eve. They go to meet Santa and to see him off on his annual sleigh ride. It comes from the point of view of a once youngster who had doubts about believing in Santa. The train takes children who are beginning to lose their belief in Santa to the North Pole to help them believe once again. The ringing of the bell is the symbol of belief and if you can’t hear it you no longer believe. Santa gave him one during his visit but he loses it only to find it under the tree on Christmas. He and his sister could hear it but the parents couldn’t and thought it was broke. This is a great book and movie and I would recommend it to everybody as an annual event at Christmas time.

Image retrieved from https://www.google.com/search?q=the+polar+express&hl=en&prmd=imvnsb&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=lrKaT_21AsaItwe_hdSnBA&sqi=2&ved=0CGkQsAQ&biw=1280&bih=924  on April 27, 2012.

#2 Title: Alice in Wonderland

APA Citation:  Carroll, L. (2004). Alice in Wonderland.  New York: Gramercy Publishing

Ages 4 and up

Theme: Adventure, make believe

Summary: Alice in Wonderland is a book that involves a lot of imagination. It’s a creative book about a girl and her sister in a park. However it’s mostly about Alice as her sister exists only in the beginning and ending of the book. Alice chases a white rabbit down his hole and then is suddenly in a new world where she can grow and shrink as much as she likes. Alice meets up with many interesting characters in this book. In the end she wakes up and finds that it was all a dream.

Movie poster image retrieved from  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_in_Wonderland_(2010_film) on April 27, 2012.

Book jacket retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Alice-Wonderland-Lewis-Carroll/dp/0517223627 on April 27, 2012.

 

 

 

 

 

 

#3 Title: The Hunger Games

APA Citation: Collins, S. (2008). The Hunger Games.  New York: Scholastic Press

Ages: young adult /middle school

Theme: sacrifice, loyalty

Summary: This book is based on a futuristic North America in the Panem region which was the Appalachian Mountains. Katniss is the main character and has to go through many trials just to survive. She takes the place of her sister voluntarily and has to fight for her life in an annual event called the Hunger Games. This is a fight for survival. It’s a competition that pits young people from each of the twelve districts against one another. Every move they make is watched with cameras and televised for the people to watch. The Capital tries every trick they can and are very crooked. Katniss has to struggle all throughout this book. The book is very similar to the movie. The movie was great also.

 

Movie poster image retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunger_Games_(film) on April 27, 2012.

Book Jacket picture retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunger_Games on April 27, 2012.

 

Coretta Scott King Award Book

Title: Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave

APA Citation for this Book:  Hill, L. (2002). Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave. New York: Little, Brown and Company.

Image retrieved from http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8139824-dave-the-potter

Audience: 6 and up

Prevalent themes: strength, overcoming, art

Dave was a slave in 19th century South Carolina. He showed a lot of talent and skill because he was so creative in many ways. This story tells about how it was illegal for slaves to read and write.  Dave shows that he can be poetic by writing on his pots. This is all fascinating in itself because slaves just weren’t taught such things back then. This was the most interesting part of this book to me. He was definitely a rarity for his times.

The Difference Between Caldecott and Newbery Awards

Both awards are given in honor of great children’s works.  The Caldecott is about picture books for younger kids and the Newbery is for older kids and are chapter books.  This award recognizes outstanding illustrations and is named after the illustrator Randolph Caldecott.  The Newbery award is given to the most distinguished American children’s book published from the prior year.  This award honors outstanding books in children’s literature is named for a bookseller named John Newbery.  The Newbery award is known as the first children’s book award in the world. I don’t feel either one is necessarily better than the other because they reach difference ages and audiences.

Awards and Books Published in other Countries

A. The Batchelder Award is an award presented to an American publisher for a children’s book that is thought to be the most outstanding of those books originally published in a foreign language in a foreign country that is then translated into English and published in the United States. The award is named in honor of Mildred L. Batchelder, former director of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC).
The Pura Belpre Award was created in 1996. It is given to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best shows the Latino cultural experience in an impressive work of literature for children and youth. It has been given every other year since 1996. In 2009 they began presenting it every year. The award is named in honor of Pura Belpre who was the first Latina librarian from the New York Public Library.

B. 3 Books Published in other Countries

Title: Soldier Bear

APA Citation for this Book: Tak, B. (2011 ). Soldier Bear. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Books

Audience Age: 8 and up

Image retrieved from http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11890246-soldier-bear

Genre: Polish Fiction based on true story

Prevalent Themes: war, humor, relationships, mischief

Brief Summary:

Dutch author Bibi Dumon Tak tells a fictional but true story about an orphaned Syrian brown bear cub. He is adopted by Polish soldiers during World War II.  He becomes the unit’s mascot. This bear is always getting into mischievous things. His name is Voytek which means smiling warrior.  The book tells the story of the adventures of Voytek as the unit travels from place to place during World War II.  The author writes about the soldiers and Voytek with funny references and keeps the story light especially since it’s based during war times. What intrigued me about this book is that is it based on a true story and it was a very motivational story too.

                       

#2 Title: Lily Pond

APA Citation for this Book: Thor, A. (2011 ). The Lily Pond. New York: New York: Random House Children’s Books

Audience Age: 12 and up

Image retrieved from http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10338850-the-lily-pond

Genre: Historical Fiction

Prevalent Themes: war, relationships, first love, romance, friendship, boy drama

Brief Summary:

This World War II story is about a Jewish child that’s been sent to Sweden from Vienna by her parents. This selection deals with relationships, friendships, and the dilemma of the fact that her parents are unable to leave Vienna. I thought this book would be more for children ages 10 and up but its more for 12 and up as it deals with first love and relationships that have drama in them mostly related to boys. Stephie and her younger sister Nellie have to learn to cope with life while worrying about what their parents are having to go through over in Vienna. What I liked most about this book was the strength that the girls showed through such difficult times.

 

 

 

#3 Title: Big Wolf and Little Wolf

APA Citation for this Book: Cosme, N. (2009). Big Wolf and Little Wolf. Brooklyn, NY: Enchanted Lion Books

Image retrieved from http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6772123-big-wolf-and-little-wolf-the-little-leaf-that-wouldn-t-fall

Audience Age: 6 and up

Prevalent Themes: friendship

Brief Summary:

This book was originally written and published in French, and has won the Batchelder Award for outstanding translations published in the United States. It’s a story about 2 wolves. Big Wolf likes living under his tree on the hill all by himself. Little Wolf came into the picture one day. One doesn’t know what to think about the other at first.  Little Wolf begins to follow Big Wolf around and he doesn’t like it. After a while they get used to each other and everything goes along pretty good. But then Little Wolf disappears and Big Wolf is miserable. He worries about what has happened to him.  The one day he sees a small dot in the distance. Big Wolf’s opinion about loving to be alone has changed since Little Wolf came into his life. If I had pick a favorite part of this book it would be when he sees in the distance the small dot that he just knows is Little Wolf. It’s a great read aloud for kids too. They will stay engaged to this as it has colorful illustrations.

Jar of Dreams by Yoshiko Uchida

Yoshiko Uchida

Title: A Jar of Dreams

APA Citation for this book: Uchida, Y. (1993). A Jar of Dreams. New York, New York: Simon and Schuster.

Image retrieved from http://books.google.com/books/about/A_Jar_of_Dreams.html?id=-euSm3CoLdoC on March 4, 2012.

Audience Age: 10 and up

Genre: Japanese American Fiction

Prevalent Themes: family, prejudice

Brief Plot Summary:

Rinko is an eleven year old Japanese girl who grows up in California during the depression. She doesn’t fit in. She wants to be just like everyone else but she’s not. She is made fun of because she is Japanese.Things begin to start to change for Rinko when her Aunt Waka comes to visit. She brings with her some old-fashioned wisdom from Japan and teaches Rinko the all about her Japanese heritage. Rinko learns to deal with the prejudices of others and earns she has some inner strength at the same time.

What makes this book interesting to me? The most interesting part of this book is the fact that Rinko has to endure so much from prejudices and learns to overcome them in her struggles. I love to see the underdog win and especially those that are disadvantaged for any reason.

Newbery Award Winner # 2

Newbery Medal Winner # 2

Title: Holes

APA Citation for this book: Sachar, L. (1998). Holes. Scholastic Inc: New York, New York

Image retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holes_(novel) on February 29, 2012.

Audience Age: 10 and up

Genre: adventure

Prevalent Themes: courage, happiness, self-confidence

Brief Plot Summary: This Newbery Award winner is about a young boy named Stanley is given a choice by the judge. He can go to jail or go to Camp Green Lake. He wasn’t a criminal. He was just a kid who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Nevertheless he had been sentenced to this camp and he and his parents tried to make light of it. While he is at camp he develops physical strength by digging holes. The holes are five feet deep and five feet across. While he is there he is nicknamed “Caveman” by the other inmates. This is the first time in his life he feels accepted by kids his own age. Stanley develops an emotional hardness, but then he makes a friend named Zero. He eventually finds an inner emotional strength that helps him. Soon he could care less about the opinions of the other guys. By the time he is released, Stanley has a new confidence.

What makes this book interesting to me? The most interesting part of this book is the struggles Stanley goes through at this camp. It is almost brutal in ways. His struggles force him to grow up inside emotionally and outside physically.