Module 15 And Tango Makes Three

Bibliographic Citation

Richardson, J., & Parnell, P. (2005). And Tango makes three. New York:  Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Summary

This is based on a true story about two male penguins at the Central Park Zoo in New York City.  They became a couple except they could not have a baby penguin.  One day their caretaker needed to care for an extra penguin egg.  So he decided to give the egg to Silo and Roy to care for.  The egg hatched and the baby was named Tango.  So Tango was raised by the two male penguins.

Impressions

This was a controversial book when it was published.  It was on the Top Ten Most Censored Books.  I am not offended by this book and I would not be afraid to share this book with second grade and up.  I admire the caretaker of the zoo for trying to help Roy and Silo know what it felt like to be a parent penguin.  Sometimes animals are different from their other same species.  I feel like some people will look at this as a "gay" type book but I see it as trying to help the parental needs of those two penguins.

Suggestions for use in a library setting

1.  Reading to a class doing studies of penguins or artic animals.
2.  Unusual families study.

Reviews

Tango has two daddies in this heartwarming tale, inspired by actual events in New York's Central Park Zoo. Two male penguins, Roy and Silo, "did everything together. They bowed to each other.… They sang to each other. And swam together. Wherever Roy went, Silo went too. … Their keeper… thought to himself, 'They must be in love.'" Cole's (The Sissy Duckling) endearing watercolors follow the twosome as they frolic affectionately in several vignettes and then try tirelessly to start a family--first they build a stone nest and then they comically attempt to hatch a rock. Their expressive eyes capture a range of moods within uncluttered, pastel-hued scenes dominated by pale blue. When the keeper discovers an egg that needs tending, he gives it to Roy and Silo, who hatch and raise the female. The keeper says, "We'll call her Tango,… because it takes two to make a Tango." Older readers will most appreciate the humor inherent in her name plus the larger theme of tolerance at work in this touching tale. Richardson and Parnell, making their children's book debut, ease into the theme from the start, mentioning that "families of all kinds" visit the zoo. This tender story can also serve as a gentle jumping-off point for discussions about same-sex partnerships in human society. Ages 4-8. (June)

And Tango makes three. (2005). Publishers Weekly, 252(20), 61-62.

PreS-Gr 3-- When two male penguins at the Central Park Zoo form a special bond, build a nest, and attempt to hatch a rock, a zookeeper provides them with an egg in need of care, and the devoted fathers happily welcome a fuzzy baby into their lives. Based on a true story, this delightful tale about a unique and loving family is enhanced with endearing watercolor paintings. Book

And Tango makes three. (2006). School Library Journal, 52(3), 9.

PreS-Gr 3-- This tale based on a true story about a charming penguin family living in New York City's Central Park Zoo will capture the hearts of penguin lovers everywhere. Roy and Silo, two male penguins, are "a little bit different." They cuddle and share a nest like the other penguin couples, and when all the others start hatching eggs, they want to be parents, too. Determined and hopeful, they bring an egg-shaped rock back to their nest and proceed to start caring for it. They have little luck, until a watchful zookeeper decides they deserve a chance at having their own family and gives them an egg in need of nurturing. The dedicated and enthusiastic fathers do a great job of hatching their funny and adorable daughter, and the three can still be seen at the zoo today. Done in soft watercolors, the illustrations set the tone for this uplifting story, and readers will find it hard to resist the penguins' comical expressions. The well-designed pages perfectly marry words and pictures, allowing readers to savor each illustration. An author's note provides more information about Roy, Silo, Tango, and other chinstrap penguins. This joyful story about the meaning of family is a must for any library.

Roach, J., Jones, T. E., Toth, L., Charnizon, M., Grabarek, D., & Raben, D. (2005). And Tango makes three. School Library Journal, 51(7), 81.

In this true, straightforwardly (so to speak) delivered tale, two male chinstrap penguins at New York City's Central Park Zoo bond, build a nest and--thanks to a helping hand from an observant zookeeper--hatch and raise a penguin chick. Seeing that the penguins dubbed Roy and Silo "did everything together. They bowed to each other. And walked together. They sang to each other. And swam together," their keeper, Mr. Gramzay, thinks, "They must be in love." And so, when Roy and Silo copy the other penguin couples and build a nest of stones, it's Gramzay who brings a neighboring couple's second egg for them to tend, then names the resulting hatchling "Tango." Cole gives the proud parents and their surrogate offspring small smiles, but otherwise depicts figures and setting with tidy, appealing accuracy. Unlike Harvey Fierstein's groundbreaking The Sissy Duckling (2002), also illustrated by Cole, this doesn't carry its agenda on its shoulder; readers may find its theme of acceptance even more convincing for being delivered in such a matter of fact, non-preachy way. (afterword) (Picture book/nonfiction. 5-9)

And Tango makes three. (2005). Kirkus Reviews, 73(11), 642.

Module 14 My Dog, My Hero

Bibliographic Citation

Byars, B., Duffey, B., & Myers, L. (2000). My dog, my hero. New York: Henry Holt and Company.

Summary

There are eight short stories about dogs who do remarkable things that make them a hero for someone.  The book is written as if there is a contest to choose My Hero or the best dog hero and there are eight finalists.  The eight finalists tell their stories and the winner is chosen at the end.

Smiley saves a little girl from a bull.  Bear saves another little dog from the icey water.  Munchkin saves a man from the bite of a copperhead snake.  Old Dog saved twenty-six lives after a tornado struck a town.  Buster saved a baby in a stroller.  Blue went and got help when a man had a chainsaw accident.  Little Bit helped a woman in a nursing home.  Dopey saved a baby in a car.  Old Dog is chosen as the winner since he saved twenty six lives.  But the other dogs were all given special awards too. 

Impressions

I was very impressed with each short story.  The stories were based on dog stories from the three authors who were also dog lovers.  I thought when I started the book that I would see if I could chose the dog hero.  But each story was so remarkable that I could not chose the best one.  But I think they made the right choice with Old Dog since he had saved many lives. 

Suggestions For Use in a Library

1.  I think these stories would be good to use if a teacher was working on a writing unit about dogs or heros or community helpers.  I know I was always on the lookout for stories kids could relate too and how I talked to them constatly about their own stories coming from the inside of them.

2.  These stories could easily be compared to a fireman's story of rescue.

3.  Who is the hero in your life?

4. A similar contest would be done with the same dogs or different people or animals.

Reviews

Gr.3-6.  Eight people whose lives are changed by the bravery of dogs tell their stories, which range in tone from humorous to dramatic.  Full-colored illustrations perfectly capture the personalities and actins of the canine heroes.

Lempke, S. (2004). My dog, my hero. Book Links, 13(4), 40.

Gr 3-6 --Byars and her daughters set up this collection of eight stories as though a contest for the "My Hero" award were underway and they were serving as judges. A cross-section of citizens enter, each relating a story of one canine's valiant behavior, from rescuing a baby to restoring joy to a lonely person's life to finding people trapped after a tornado. Happily, not a single dog is lost in the process. The authors provide a distinct voice for each narrator and a distinct personality for each animal while highlighting the common themes of gratitude, admiration, and love. The short-story format and popular topic make this a sound choice for older reluctant readers as well as for younger children. A full-color painting and a cameo portrait of the pet accompany each selection.

Leach, P. (2001). My dog, my hero. School Library Journal, 47(1), 92.

Module 13 Rapunzel's Revenge

Bibliographic Citation

Hale, S. and Hale, D. Rapunzel's revenge. New York: Bloomsbury.

Summary
A graphic novel about a little girl that grew up behind a wall for twelve years.  On her twelfth birthday she climbed to the top of the wall and looked over.  There was desolate land with mine workers.  She remembered when she saw her real mother that she had been stolen and raised by a mean woman who named her Rapunzel.  Mother Gothel's henchman carried Rapunzel for many days to a tall creepy tree.  She stayed there until she was sixteen.  With her long hair she lassoed a tree and escaped to the forest floor and lasoed a boar which she intended to ride back to Mother Gothel and make her pay for her mistreatment.  Along the way she met Jack and Goldy the Goose and they had many adventures getting back to Mother Gothel.  They became outlaws.  They met a jackalope, met indians, fought wolves, and fought a sea monster, helped some miners.  Finally they made it to Mother Gothel's.. But Rapunzel was recognized and Mother Gothel cut off her hair.  Jack plants a magic beanstalk and Mother Gothel is captured in her own magic tree.Rapunzel finds her mother, Jack kisses her and tells her he loves her and Goldy lays the golden egg.


Impressions

A great book that I think would appeal to a boy or a girl.  It is a good adventure story that keeps the reader wanting to turn the page to see Jack and Rapunzel's next ordeal.  It could be compared to the typical Rapunzel story and also all the other hints of fairy tale or tall tale similarities.

Suggestions for use in a library setting

1.It could be used during a unit of the west because many of the characters and situations depict the old west adventure.  In the library it could be shared chapter by chapter.
2. Make a list of other fairly tales or tall tales referred to in the story.


Reviews

Gr 5-8-- In this action-packed, graphic-novel reincarnation, Rapunzel escapes her tree-tower prison and winds up in a Wild West saloon, fighting alongside a goose-toting Jack (think Beanstalk). Together, the two brave danger, save the world from evil, and fall in love. Whew! BOOK

Rapunzel's revenge. (2009). School Library Journal, 55(3), 9.

The popular author of Princess Academy teams with her husband and illustrator Hale (no relation) for a muscular retelling of the famously long-haired heroine's story, set in a fairy-tale version of the Wild West. The Hales' Rapunzel, the narrator, lives like royalty with witchy Mother Gothel, but defies orders, scaling villa walls to see what's outside--a shocking wasteland of earth-scarring mines and smoke-billowing towers. She recognizes a mine worker from a recurrent dream: it's her birth mother, from whom she was taken as punishment for her father's theft from Mother G.'s garden. Their brief reunion sets the plot in motion. Mother G. banishes Rapunzel to a forest treehouse, checking annually for repentance, which never comes. Rapunzel uses her brick-red braids first to escape, then like Indiana Jones with his whip, to knock out the villains whom she and her new sidekick, Jack (of Beanstalk fame), encounter as they navigate hostile territory to free Rapunzel's morn from peril. Illustrator Hale's detailed, candy-colored artwork demands close viewing, as it carries the action--Rapunzel's many scrapes are nearly wordless. With its can-do heroine, witty dialogue and romantic ending, this graphic novel has something for nearly everybody. Ages 10-up. (Sept.)

Rapunzel's revenge. (2008). Publishers Weekly, 255(31), 63.

Gr 5 Up-- This is the tale as you've never seen it before. After using her hair to free herself from her prison tower, this Rapunzel ignores the pompous prince and teams up with Jack (of Beanstalk fame) in an attempt to free her birth mother and an entire kingdom from the evil witch who once moonlighted as her "mother." Dogged by both the witch's henchman and Jack's outlaw past, the heroes travel across the map as they right wrongs, help the oppressed, and generally try to stay alive. Rapunzel is no damsel in distress-she wields her long braids as both rope and weapon-but she happily accepts Jack's teamwork and friendship. While the witch's castle is straight out of a fairy tale, the nearby mining camps and rugged surrounding countryside are a throwback to the Wild West and make sense in the world that the authors and illustrator have crafted. The dialogue is witty, the story is an enticing departure from the original, and the illustrations are magically fun and expressive. Knowing that there are more graphic novels to come from this writing team brings readers their own happily-ever-after.

von Wrangel Kinsey, C. (2008). Rapunzel's revenge. School Library Journal, 54(9), 215.

Module 12 Home on the Range

Bibliographic Citation

Hopkinson, D. (2009). Home on the range. New York:  G.P. Putnam's Sons.

Summary

John Avery Lomax loved singing as a small boy.  He sang all the time as he did his work and chores.  He lived along the Old Chishom Trail and cowboys often stopped at his house and they sang as they did their cowboy duties..  So he started to write down the cowboy songs he heard.  Eventually John went to the University of Texas.  Finally he became a teacher and later went back to school at Harvard.  He decided to do a paper on old ballards and wrote to newspapers from the west asking people to send him their songs.  John received hundreds of replies.  He finally presented his paper to his class and everyone cheered.  So next he decided to write a book and gather the songs from cowboys actually singing them.  John traveled around and recorded and wrote down songs.. Some of these songs are some that are still sung today like Home on the Range.

Impressions

I enjoyed reading this book even if it was historical fictional.  It was based on a real person John Avery Lomx and his love of cowboy songs.  People like him are very remarable to have followed their dream of writing down the songs of those years and know that they would be saved and shared for many others to enjoy in the future.  I have always been an admirer of cowboys and love to talk and read about them.

Suggestions For Use in a Library

1. I would share this book with third and up during  rodeo time of the year.  Sometimes classes visit the rodeo during school and I might suggest that they listen to see if they heard any cowboys singing near the animals at the rodeo.

2. Try writing a class song or a little cowboy poem on your own.

Reviews

With the flair for which she is known, Hopkinson (Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek) chronicles the early life of John Avery Lomax, a pioneer of folk musicology who got his start collecting cowboy songs. The colorful narrative devotes several spreads to the song collector's childhood in Texas. Glimpses of his thoughts and emotions (e. g, "The songs went straight to John's heart, and he made up his mind to write down each and every cowboy song he heard") as well as dialogue help personalize the story. Short, chapter-like segments begin with lyrics from cowboy songs, like "Poor Lonesome Cowboy," although it may take a more sophisticated reader to connect the songs' themes with Lomax's life. Schindler's (The Story of Salt) realistic illustrations, painted with a light touch in muted hues, ably capture the expressions of skeptical cowboys ("I'm not goin' poke my face up to your blamed old horn and sing," says one at the sight of Lomax's Ediphone) or the eagerness with which Lomax goes about his work. Concluding author notes read more like a standard biography and sketch out Lomax's later years. Ages 6-8. (Jan.)

Home on the range: John A. Lomax and his cowboy songs. (2008). Publishers Weekly, 255(50), 54

Interspersing her narrative with verses from "Home on the Range," "Sweet Betsy from Pike," "The Old Chisholm Trail" and like cowboy chestnuts, Hopkinson retraces the early career of the greatest collector and recorder of American folk songs ever. Taking minor liberties with the historical record (and compensating with a detailed afterword), she follows him from rural Texan childhood to the halls of Harvard, and then back out onto the trail, where, with a notebook and a primitive "Ediphone," he gathered verses and performances from anyone who would sing for him. In Schindler's atmospheric illustrations a dapper young man mingles comfortably with brushy-mustached, Stetson-topped cowpokes--and sits in one scene with a colorfully clad fortuneteller--in settings that are mostly wide, outdoorsy spreads of western prairie. Capped with a fuller picture of the work of Lomax and his son Alan, as well as enticing source notes, this account can't help but broaden the insight of little dogies everywhere into the histories and meaning of these enduringly popular songs. (Picture book/biography. 7-9)

Home on the range: John A. Lomax and his cowboy songs. (2008). Kirkus Reviews, 76(22), 1201.

Gr 1-4-- This lovely picture-book biography of the noted musicologist describes his youth in Texas where he enjoyed singing as he worked on the family ranch and he listened to cowboys singing as they traveled the old Chisholm Trail. Lomas taught for a few years, but his passionate interest in music won out and led him to become an extraordinary collector of folk songs. Beautiful ink and watercolor illustrations radiate warmth, charm, and humor, highlighting expressive features and striking individuality. The handsome artwork is full of energy and authenticity, and includes faithful and appealing renditions of animals and bucolic landscapes. Excerpts from some songs appear prominently. Addendum material includes additional details about Lomax, his family, and their legacy; information about the Library of Congress archival collection of songs; and a list of other sources.

Cutler, K. (2009). Home on the range: John A. Lomax and his cowboy songs. School Library Journal, 55(1), 92.

Module 11 Off Like The Wind

Bibliographic Citation

Spradlin, M. (2010). Off like the wind! The first ride of the Pony Express. New York: 
      Walker & Company.

Summary

This is the story of the first run of the Pony Express.  It is a day by day account and if a certain rider is known for his part in the ride they are named in this account.  The riders encounter stampeding buffalo, indians, wolves, snowstorms, drought, and other dangers.  Included is a map of the route and a timeline of events of the beginning history of the Pony Express establishment.  The author has written notes to explain the limited documented information.  There are suggestions for further reading, a bibliography, websites for young readers, and additional websites for more information on the Pony Express history.

Impressions

I was very impressed with the timeline and route and the extra author's notes with suggestions on additional readings and websites.  The illustrations are outstanding and colorful and for me really capture the spirit of the Pony Express.  Wouldn't those people then be amazed with how fast we send and receive email compared to their eleven days for Pony Express mail.

Suggestions for use in a library setting

1.  Short enough to read in the library as an introduction or review of what exactly the Pony Express was about.
2.  Good discussion on the riders's hardships, what kids think about being one of those riders or living during that time.


Reviews

Gr 2-5--This colorful and accessible picture book recounts the day-to-day adventures of Pony Express riders on the first transcontinental mail delivery system, from St. Joseph, MO, to Sacramento, CA. The book opens with a map of the overland route, a time line of major events in the Express's short-lived history (1860-1861), and a quote from Mark Twain's Roughing It. On the unprecedented journey, which took roughly 11 days, riders faced extremes in weather, buffalo stampedes, wolves, and encounters with Native tribes. The straightforward text in combination with the larger-than-life panoramic oil spreads capture the romance, excitement, and danger that riders experienced along the trail. An author's note explains that truth and legend are often intertwined when researching the Pony Express due to the destruction of records upon the cessation of service. Balancing the right amount of information with lively narrative, this book could easily be used in a history unit or as a general interest title.

Bryant, M. J. (2010). Off like the wind! The first ride of the Pony Express. School Library Journal, 56(2), 102-103.

In this rousing, as-historically-accurate-as-possible recreation of the Pony Express's first ride, Spradlin introduces readers to the crazy-wild brainchild of three businessmen to expedite mail over the near-2,000 miles from St. Joseph, Mo., to Sacramento, Calif. Accompanied by Johnson's artwork, which has the energy of rolling thunder and the colors of a sunset, and with an engaging sense of drama and urgency, the author follows the riders over the varied landscapes they covered, through the heavy weather they encountered and past the occasional hostile reception they received from Native Americans (though his bell-clear author's note clarifies that hostilities were rare). When he can introduce factual material--the names of riders, the number and character of station stops, the price of $5 for 1/2 ounce--he does so with a light hand to keep the pedagogy at a distance. For all its iconic status, the Pony Express lasted for only a year and a half before the transcontinental telegraph drew a sleeve across its windpipe, but it was an inventive enterprise full of bodacious frontier spirit, which this book plays to the hilt. (bibliography, further reading, map, timeline) (Informational picture book. 7-10)

Off like the wind!: The first ride of the Pony Express. (2010). Kirkus Reviews, 78(4), 156.

Gr. 3-5. Basing his book, as much as possible, on scanty historical records (the author suggests

that files may have been deliberately destroyed after the short-lived company's collapse to present

lawsuits), Spradlin re-creates the Pony Express' first rides east from Sacramento and west from

St. Joseph, Missouri-naming riders and horses when he can, and providing a composite of various

Express riders' adventures. Johnson heightens the drama with evocative full-bleed oils depicting

riders galloping away from cheering crowds and snarling wolves, ducking an arrow, trudging

through a snowstorm, and in a particularly exciting scene, struggling not ot go down amid

stampeding buffalo. For collections that don't already contain Gare Thompson's Riding With the

Mail (2007) or one of the plethora of similar titles, this makes a good introduction for budding

fans of the Old West, and provides a stimulating prelude tomore deailed histories, such as Tim

McNeese's The Pony Express: Bringing Mail to the American West (2009). An afterword, lists

for further readin, a map, and a time line round out the book.

Peters, J. (2010). Off like the wind!: The first ride of the Pony Express. Booklist, 106(10), 76.

This title serves several distinct purposes. First, and most obvious, it teaches young readers about

the Pony Express and its significance. Also, the story combined with the author's note teaches an

early lesson about academic integrity. Lastly, the problems that the Pony Express riders

encounter on their journey will teah students about overcoming obstacles. Teachers or librarians

could easily pose questions to students about what they would have done if they were the rider

that had to fight off wild animals or Indians. The inside front cover and back cover both contain

a map of the Pony Express route and a timeline of the important events surrounding the Pony

Express. Along with the author's note, readers will find suggestions for further reading, a

bibliography, and a list of websites where they can find more information.

Off like the wind! The first ride of the Pony Express. (2010). Library Media Connection, 28(4), 85.

Module 10 Hattie Big Sky

Bibliographic Citation

Larson, K. (2006). Hattie big sky. New York: Delacorte Press.

Summary

Hattie is only sixteen and has lived with various relatives most of her life.  She decided to go to Montana and take up her late uncle's homestead claim.  She is unaware of how truely hard this life was going to be with having to finish the fence and plant 40 acres before time is up.  With the help of her closest neighbors she is able to survive wolves, a snowstorm, a family trying to buy her out, death, loneliness, and just daily life.  Some of her story is told through letters she writes to a boy who is across the ocean during wartimes.  We really learn how life was like during these times of living in a soddy house and trying to start a homestead.  Hattie is a person we can admire for being brave and working hard.  She looses the homestead and has debts to pay at the end of the book. but we realize that she will survive and perhaps in time meet up with the boy she wrote all the letters to when he returns from the war.

Impressions

This book was well deserved for the Newberry Honor Award.  I felt like I was right there struggling with her as I was reading.

Suggestions For Use in a Library

1.  Read parts of the book to interest others in a historical type fiction book about learning how people of long ago lived.
2/. Read a chapter with every visit to the library with a quick discussion.

Reviews

Gr 6-8 -Larson relates a heartwarming yet poignant story about homesteading in early-20th-century Montana. Until the age of 16, orphan Hattie Brooks lived with whichever relative needed extra household help. Then she receives a letter telling her of an inheritance from her Uncle Chester, whom she had never met. Hattie is to receive his land claim, the house and its contents, one horse, and one cow. When she arrives from Iowa, she learns that she has 10 months to cultivate 40 acres and set 480 rods of fence, or lose the claim. While the story relates the hardships of frontier life and how Hattie "proved up" to the challenge, it also tells of World War I bigotry and discrimination toward German Americans. Hattie's sense of humor, determination, and optimism come through in her letters to her friend Charlie, who is serving in the military in France, and through letters to her Uncle Holt, which are published in his hometown newspaper. Larson's vivid descriptions of the harshness of the work and the extreme climates, and the strength that comes from true friendship, create a masterful picture of the homesteading experience and the people who persevered. Hattie's courage and fortitude are a tribute to them.

Morrison, S. (2006). Hattie big sky. School Library Journal, 52(11), 140.

What dreams would lead a 16-year-old to leave her safe home in Arlington, Iowa, and take a chance on a homestead claim in Montana? Hattie Brooks, an orphan, is tired of being shuttled between relatives, tired of being Hattie Here-and-There and the feeling of being the "one odd sock behind." So when Uncle Chester leaves her his Montana homestead claim, she jumps at the chance for independence. It's 1918, so this is homesteading in the days of Model Ts rather than covered wagons, a time of world war, Spanish influenza and anti-German sentiment turning nasty in small-town America. Hattie's first-person narrative is a deft mix of her own accounts of managing her claim, letters to and from her friend Charlie, who is off at war, newspaper columns she writes and even a couple of recipes. Based on a bit of Larson's family history, this is not so much a happily-ever-after story as a next-year-will-be-better tale, with Hattie's new-found definition of home. This fine offering may well inspire readers to find out more about their own family histories. (acknowledgments, author's note, further reading) (Fiction. 12-15)

Hattie big sky. (2006). Kirkus Reviews, 74(17), 906.

In this 2007 Newbery Honor title set in 1918, 16 year-old orphan Hattie Brooks inherits a Montana homestead from her late uncle.  She has less than one year to "prove up" the claim.  Through a series of letters and first person narrative, Hattie tells her story. Potter delightfully narrates the novel, which is by turns amusing, frightening, and deeply sad.  She varies her accent mildly to distinguish the characters and changes tones slightly to reflect subtle differences between Hattie the narrative and Hattie the letter writer.  Potter also does a lovely interpretation of Hattie's expressive speech patterns, easily showing the teen's emotions, ranging from sad to confused.  Filled with memorable characters and events, this is historical fiction at its best.

Miculek, S. (2007). Hattie big sky. Booklist, 104(1), 144.

Module 9 The Mystery of Mr. Nice

Bibliographic Citation

Hale, B. (2000). The mystery of Mr. Nice. New York: Harcourt, Inc.

Summary

This was a Chet Gecko Private Eye Mystery.  When the principal is nice to Chet, he realizes there is something wrong.  With the help of his friend, Natalie, they discover that the new janitor and a new teacher are fake as well.  All three were trying to turn the school into a school for crooks.  Natalie and Chet with the help of Popper find Mr. Nice the real principal.  They call the police and catch the crooks at the PTA meeting and save the school.

Impressions

Chet Gecko is quite a character.  He is not your average student, but just likes to be a detective.  Chet likes to solve some mysteries with his best friend Natalie.  They usually end up into some sort of trouble.  The book is one of other Chet Gecko books and is very kid appealing.  All the characters are animals and that makes it fun and likeable for kids.

Suggestions For Use in a Library

1. I think it could be read aloud at least in two library settings.  It would be a good book to get kids interested in mysteries. 
2. A discusion about friends, what makes a good friend.  Post sayings on bulletin board that says A friend is ......

Reviews

Gr 4-6 --Humor is the outstanding element of this fast-paced mystery set in an elementary school. Chet Gecko is a sleuth who also deems himself to be an artist. He is caught drawing in class and is sent to the principal's office for discipline. However, something is strange about Mr. Zero's behavior. Chet and his sidekick Natalie, a mockingbird, soon discover that he is an impostor who is plotting to turn Emerson Hicky Elementary into a vocational school for crime. Ultimately, the young detective and his friends save the day. Told from Chef's point of view, the story is filled with corny jokes, clever wordplay, and amusing asides. The action keeps on moving and there is lots of suspense. The droll, black-and-white cartoon drawings add to the fun. A good choice for fans of gumshoe adventures.

McNeil, S. (2000). The  mystery of Mr. Nice.  School Library Journal, 46(12), 145.

Fourth-grade gumshoe Chet Gecko and his smart sidekick, Natalie Attired, search for a missing

 chameleon in the first whodunit, and follow up their suspicions that the principal is up to

 quirky comedy." Ages 8-12. 

Zaleski, J. (2001). Fiction reprints. Publishers Weekly, 248(18), 80.

Module 8 Thomas and the Dragon Queen

Bibliographic Citation

Crun, S. (2010). Thomas and the dragon queen.  New York:  Alfred A. Knopf.

Summary

Thomas, the oldest of ten brothers and sisters, is always tending to them.  But he longs to become a knight.  Finally his chance comes and Sir Gerald takes him to the castle to train.  Thomas is mistaken for a younger age since he is so short and tiny.  But eventually he is made a knight.  The Princess is stolen by the Dragon Queen.  All the other knights are off fighting and Thomas is the only one who can rescue her.  The King sends him off on a donkey since all the horses are gone.   Along the way he must fight a lake monster and he loses his sword and his shield and his jerkin.  Finally he finds the Princess who is taking care of ten baby dragons.  Thomas assists her in taking care of them until the Dragon Queen wakes up.  Thomas befriends the Dragon Queen when she learns he killed the lake monster. Thomas continues to help the Princess care for the baby dragons. The King, the Princess, Sir Gerald and Thomas's family celebrated with the Dragon Queen and the baby dragons. 

Impressions

This was such a fun story.  It was a different type of knight and dragon story.  You are not expecting the Princess Dragon to have ten baby dragons.  There was a mystery to the making of Thomas's sword that ended up being part of the lake monsters tooth.  There was friendships made between Thomas and the stable boy.  Barthlomew the donkey is a special character in aiding in the Princess's rescue.

Suggestions For Use in a Library

1.  Comparison to another dragon and knight story such as Saint George and the Dragon or The Dragon and the Knight.

2. It also has a good cover for predicting what this story would be about.

Reviews

Tiny Thomas is always being mistaken for someone much younger than he. The oldest of ten children, he is used to tending to the needs of babies and toddlers and is always looking out for other people. But despite his scrawny frame and low birth (he is the son of a leathersmith), Thomas dreams of knighthood. When a visiting knight, Sir Gerald, sees promise in this little guy with the big heart, Thomas grabs onto each new challenge with gusto. Whether he is taking care of his donkey, learning his manners, showing his stuff on the dance floor, battling an ancient foe, or trying to rescue the missing Princess Eleanor, Thomas shows Sir Gerald and the king himself that he is up to the challenge. Thomas is a chivalrous knight with a modern-dad sensibility, even falling in love with an unlikely brood of dragons. Crum's story moves right along and will be embraced by young readers, despite the occasional mayhap and thence. Amusing black-and-white drawings jibe well with the rollicking tone of the tale, especially later in the book when our hero, shirtless and unarmed, faces the enormous dragon mother. A sure-fire hit as a read-aloud, this is an engaging book featuring a hero filled with bravery, quick wits, and heart.

Smith, R. L. (2010). Thomas and the dragon queen. Horn Book Magazine, 86(4), 104.

   . Gr 3-5-In this medieval tale, pint-size Thomas, 12, finds that he has been elevated from squire to knight against all odds. To put it simply, he's too young, tiny, and inexperienced for such an important position. He can't even hold a proper sword. Yet the king has requested that he liberate the princess from the clutches of the feared dragon queen: all the big knights are off battling the enemy. Thomas sets off on old Bartholomew the donkey because he's too short for a horse. He learns that he must defeat a monster along the way, one that has sent many a good warrior to his grave. In a quest that is full of peril and adventure, Thomas must face everyone's worst nightmare: Does he have what it takes? This endearing story is both heartwarming and full of surprises. Thomas learns that a boy cannot be judged by his size or his intentions, but by the decisions he makes and the trials he must overcome. What sets this story apart from other knightly tales are the unusual size of the hero, the tools -- or lack of tools -- he has for fighting evil, and the delightful events awaiting him once he finds the princess. Expressive illustrations, many of them spreads, accompany each chapter. Memorable characters enrich the realm by giving purpose to the hero's ordeal. This is a must-read.

Gioia, R. (2010). Thomas and the dragon queen. School Library Journal, 56(8), 72.

A teenage knight sets out to rescue a princess kidnapped by a dragon and discovers that compromise will (sometimes) solve more problems than violence. So eager is Crum to make this worthy point, however, that she's neglected to embed it in a tale that has much to offer beyond trite story dements and scenes more described than experienced. Stout heart beating in a pipsqueak body, Thomas rises speedily from leatherworker's son to Knight of the Realm, then borrows a donkey to chase after the dragon who has seized the aging King's only daughter. Along the way, Thomas loses his sword, donkey and much of his clothing, reaching the dragon's lair to discover that Princess Eleanor was taken to be nanny to a gang of cute-as-puppies dragon hatchlings. Being the eldest of ten siblings, Thomas expertly lands a hand--and as courage, honesty and courtesy are his only remaining "weapons," the dragonlings' huge mom obligingly limits herself to the same for their climactic competition. Fans of Gerald Morris's similar tales of knightly morality will find this one disappointingly thin. (Fantasy. 10-12)

Thomas and the dragon queen. (2010). Kirkus Reviews, 78(11), 519.



Module 7 My Louisiana Sky

Bibliographic Citation

Holt, K. (1998). My Louisianna sky. New York: Henry Holt and Company.

Summary

Tiger Ann lived with her Granny and her parents in a small town of Louisianna in the 50's.  Tiger's parents were both considered slow and Tiger was often made fun of by the other girls.  She had one good friend, Jesse Wade, but he was a boy.  Then her Granny dies and she wants to move away from her hometown to Baton Rouge with her aunt.  But in the end she realizes that she is in the right place close to her family and home.

Impressions

I think it is a wonderfully written book showing the importance of family, home, and strong ties of small town communities back long ago.  The setting is very descriptive and makes the reader want to be there too.  There is good friendship involved and embarassment felt by being rejected that is quite typical among girls.

Suggestions For Use in a Library

1.  Book talk about how communites long ago helped one another
2. Discussion about the title and why was it called that

Reviews

For eleven-year-old Tiger Ann Parker, Saitter, Louisiana, is not only the place where she has lived her whole life with Momma and Daddy and Granny, but also a place where some people think that her "Momma and Daddy should have never been allowed to get married because they're different"--or "retarded." Momma giggles and coos in front of the new rabbit-eared television from morning 'til night ("It's Howdy Doody time...") and Daddy can't even do simple math. Granny, the backbone of the household and an integral source of strength for Tiger, tells her, "People are afraid of what's different. That don't mean different is bad. Just means different is different." But for Tiger, "different" has become just plain embarrassing. Why can't her parents be more like Aunt Dorie Kay, Momma's younger sister, who wears high-heels and make-up and has a fancy job in Baton Rouge? When the death of her grandmother presents Tiger with the opportunity to move with Dorie Kay to Baton Rouge, even in her grief she can hardly leave Saitter fast enough. But after cutting her hair a la Audrey Hepburn and going by "Ann" for a while, Tiger begins to see the ways of her parents that, while not glamorous or book-smart, root her to home and to herself. Holt's languid storytelling style is as unhurried as a Louisiana summer, a soft steady breeze turning the pages. She exercises unusual restraint for a first-time novelist as she eases the action along with a low-key, unpretentious plot, never resorting to over-dramatization or sentimentality in developing her uncannily credible characters. So honest is Holt's portrayal of Tiger, Momma, Daddy, Granny, and the rest that one wonders if she wrote their story while sitting in a rocker on a Saitter front porch, under the vast promises of a Louisiana sky.

Bousquin, Marilyn. (1998). My Louisiana sky. The Horn Book Magazine 74(4). 

Tiger Ann Parker realized her mother was different when she first started school.  Folks said she was retarded.  When Tiger learns the truth about her mother after Grandmother dies, she is faced with life-changing decisions.  This heartfelt story helps readers understand the mentally challenged and the power of family love.

My Louisiana sky. (2000). Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 44(3), 286.

Gr. 5-8. Tiger Ann Parker describes her life during the summer between sixth and seventh grades in Saitter, a small town in central Louisiana, during the 1950's.  When her grandmother dies, Tiger must choose between what promises to be an exciting life in Baton Rouge with her glamorous aunt or staying at home, where she will offer support to her loving, but mentally disabled parents.

My Louisiana sky. (2004). Book Links, 13(6), 10.

Module 7 Touch Blue

Bibliographic Citation

Lord, C. (2010). Touch blue. New York: Scholastic Press.

Summary

Touch blue and your wish will come true is what eleven year old Tess thought.  Her family lived on an island off the coast of Maine and a foster boy who was thirteen was coming to live with them.  Many of the homes on the island were taking in foster children to save their island school.  When Aaron arrives he has a hard time adjusting to life on the island.  His ability to play the trumpet helps him to become accepted by the community and fit in.

Impressions

I enjoyed this book tremendously.  It showed a strong family unit being able to take into their home a boy who had been bounced around from home to home.  It was very well written and had strong characters developing the plot of helping Aaron adjust to this new family and life.

Suggestions For Use in a Library

1. Each chapter has a little saying that would be fun to tell each one to use in promoting the book. Different students could tell what it means and what they think might happen in that chapter as an introduction to this book.
2. The family often plays monopoly in this book and on the cover is depicted three of the tokens.  What token have you played with in the game of monopoly and which characters do you think will be the ones on the cover and why did they choose that one.  Just use this discussion as an introduction to this book.

Reviews

As she did in the Newbery Honor winning Rules, Lord introduces a plucky articulate girl from coastal Maine.  When Tess’s best friend’s family moves away and there is no longer enough students to keep her island school open, her family is among those that offer to take in foster children to boost enrollment.  Awaiting the arrival of Aaron, her teenage foster brother, Tess—an avid collector of good-luck talismans—is thrilled to find a piece of blue sea glass, since blue is especially lucky.  “Touch blue and your wish will come true.”  Lord, interlaces themes of loss, luck, superstition, family, and belonging, but at the heart of this tightly woven stories is Tess longing to help Aaron overcome his hurt and anger at having to make him feel like he’s part of her close-knit family.  His mother’s unannounced appearance (at Tess’s bold, clandestine invitation) at a talent show in which Aaron plays the trumpet adds tension and pathos to the finale of this stirring novel. Ages 9-13

Touch blue. (2010). Publishers Weekly, 257(31), 53

G 4-7-Tess Brooks, 11, believes in luck, wishes, and superstitions.  When the state of Maine threatens to close her Bethsaide Island School because there aren’t enough students, she and her family will be forced to move to the mainland, and Tess loves her island life.  Reverend Beal comes up with an idea to expand the school population, and the Brooks family does its part by taking in a 13 year foster child.  Tess doesn’t give up hope even though Aaron is unhappy on the island and longs to return to his mother.  Tess grows significantly throughout the novel as she learns that things that they still have the capability of working out.  Each chapter opens with a different saying that is used in the context of the story, which keeps readers guessing about its significance.  They will have an enormous amount of hope as they read Tess and Aaron’s story.  It delivers the message that everything happens for a reason, and that sometimes all you need to do is believe.

Webster, R. (2010). Touch blue. School Library Journal, 56(9), 157.

When the Hamiltons and their five children moved off Bethsaida Island, the state of Maine said the school had too few children to make it viable and gave the residents until summer to come up with a solution. Reverend Beal suggested a win/win proposition: Island families could take in foster children. Eleven-year-old Tess Brooks hopes her family's child will be like Anne of Green Gables…but, despite his red hair, 13-year-old Aaron is a sullen, quiet boy who misses the mother he was taken from seven years previously. Tess fears that if Aaron doesn't acclimate, her family--lobsterman dad, teacher mother and Monopoly-mad little sister--will have to move away from everything she loves. But will her secret plan to make Aaron feel at home backfire? Lord's sophomore effort about a Maine island girt with a big heart who pays a bit too much attention to her superstitions and doesn't always make the best decisions will not disappoint fans of her Newbery Honor--winning Rules. Realistic characters, humor and a charming setting make this a great choice for collections of all sizes. (Fiction. 9-12)

Touch blue. (2010). Kirkus Reviews, 78(13), 625.

Module 6 The Great Fuzz Frenzy

Bibliographic Citation

Stevens, J., & Crummel, S. (2005). The great fuzz frenzy. New York: Harcourt, Inc.

Summary

Violet, a large brown dog, drops her green fuzzy tennis ball down a hole which was the home of many prairie dogs.  Little Pip Squeak was the first to touch the ball and a piece of fuzz got caught in his claw and so he put it on his head.  This started the frenzy of all the prairie dogs having to have some green fuzz.  The fuzz news spread to the other prairie dog homes and soon the tennis ball was naked.  Then their was a battle and all the prairie dogs became exhausted and fell sleep except one.  Big Bark had stolen all the fuzz and jumped out of the hole.  An eagle swooped down and picked Big Bark up, but he wiggled free from the fuzz.  All the prairie dogs caught him when he fell and they all escaped into the hole.  They were happy the green fuzz was gone.  But Violet is returning with an orange fuzz ball to drop in the prairie dog hole.


Impressions

This is a great picture book with great illustrations.  If a child did not know what a prairie dog was they could tell much about the kind of homes they have.  There were several pages that pull down so the reader can tell that the homes go way down in the ground.  Of course the prairie dogs are fictional since they talk and fight about the green fuzz.  It is a great way to show how a writer can imagine what might happen to prairie dogs if their home was invaded by just a ball.

Suggestions For Use in a Library

1.  It is great for discussion on how many ways the prairie dogs used the green fuzz.
2.  If a class was studying desert areas and what kind of animals might live in a dry climate.
3. Count the prairie dogs
4. Exclamation words and good vocabulary such as frenzy.

Reviews

PreS-Gr 2-- It all begins innocently enough, when Violet the dog drops a fuzzy green tennis ball down a prairie-dog hole on the title page. When it finally lands deep in the underground tunnels, dozens of little dogs are gazing at it with trepidation. The biggest prairie dog of all, the bully Big Bark, comes to take a look, but before he can get close enough, Pip Squeak runs up to the ball and exclaims, "'It's fuzzy!'" "'Oooooooh!'" gasped the other dogs. Soon, they all begin adorning themselves with pieces of lime-green fuzz, ignoring Big Bark's commands that they stop this foolishness. Prairie dogs come from all over to help themselves until the ball is plucked bare. War breaks out, leaving Pip Squeak feeling rather guilty for starting it all. While the embattled dogs collapse in exhaustion, Big Bark steals all of the fuzz, proclaiming himself "king of the fuzz," which makes him an easy target for an eagle, who swoops down and grabs him. Pip Squeak rallies the others to come to Big Bark's aid. The marvelously rendered mixed-media illustrations, with vivid blues, earthy browns, and that luminescent green, capture the true fuzzy nature and greenish glow of the ball. As in the author's popular Tops and Bottoms (Harcourt, 1995), this book employs both horizontal and vertical spreads, effectively taking readers deep into the underground realm. A wonderful addition for storyhours, this title will be requested again and again.

Kropp, L. (2005). The great fuzz frenzy. School Library Journal, 51(9), 186-187.

What would happen if a dog of the canine persuasion were to drop a green tennis ball down a prairie dogs' burrow? Why, the prairies would pick it apart, fashion all sorts of finery out of its fuzz and then get territorial about it when neighboring prairie dogs demanded their share. It's inevitable that a frenzy would ensue. After rescuing one of their own from an eagle's clutches, the prairies in this story finally realize that fuzz just isn't worth it. But along comes Violet the mutt again, this time with a red tennis ball, and then.… The energetic art and layout are the real standouts in this cute yet thin story. The dogs--both of the canis and burrow varieties--are expressive and hilarious, and readers can open up double-paged spreads and occasionally turn the volume vertically, a Stevens trademark. Dramatic font changes and words like Swoop! and Boink! add to the read-aloud fun. (Picture book. 3-7)

The great fuzz frenzy. (2005). Kirkus Reviews, 73(15), 859.

The Stevens sisters (Cook-a-Doodle-Doo) prove that there's a lot of mileage to be gained from a wacky premise and some roly-poly prairie dogs. When Violet the pooch accidentally drops a tennis ball into a prairie-dog town, the rodents discover the malleable properties of the ball's light green fuzz and go wild: "They fuzzed their ears, their heads, their noses." In her full-bleed spreads (sometimes extending into a gatefold to play up the depth of the tunnels), Stevens likens the furry crowd to kids playing dress-up. The prairie dogs fashion Mohawks, tutus, superhero outfits and big fuzzy slippers from the stuff. Only one prairie dog seems immune: Big Bark, a blowhard with a bottle-cap hat. But Big Bark's disdain is just a front; when the other prairie dogs collapse from exhaustion ("Fuzzled out"), he steals all the fuzz--and turns himself into a blob of green that catches the eye of a prey-seeking eagle (in a bravura spread, its mass of black feathers morphs into a maelstrom of menace). Not surprisingly, the prairie dogs put aside their fuzz-based differences, and Big Bark finds a useful purpose for his belligerence. Stevens's watercolors make heroes of these curious critters. She plunges readers into an animated, earthy underworld, endows her furry cast with winning goofiness and turns the winged symbol of America into a figure of fear. Ages 3-7. (Sept.)

The great fuzz frenzy. (2005). Publishers Weekly, 252(28), 204.

Module 5 Chato's Kitchen

Bibliographic Citation

Soto, G. (1995). Chato's kitchen. New York:  G. P. Putman's Sons.

Summary

Chato the cat and his best friend decide to fix dinner for the new neighbors.  A family of five mice have moved in next door, and he wants to eat them.  He cooks all kinds of mexican food for them.  The mice want to bring along one of their friends, who turns out to be a dog.  Chato ends up not being able to eat the mice after all and they all enjoy his meal of mexican food.

Impressions

This book was filled with lots of spanish vocabulary for young ESL readers to understand from their language.  It is also about moving to a new home, meeting new firends, and getting along with all kinds.  The two cats are depicted as cool indivduals that hispanic boys could easily identify with.

Suggestion For Use in a Library

1.  Good to read around Cinco de Mayo or another hispanic holiday or during hispanic month.

2.  Practice some spanish vocabulary

3.  Survey of favorite mexican food that the animals had.

Reviews

K-Gr. 2. In this Pura Belpré Illustrator Medal winner, Chato and his friend Novio Boy plan a dinner for the new mice next door, hoping that their neighbors will become one of the courses. But the mice bring a surprise guest named Chorizo, a truly low-riding dachshund. This humorous story is perfect for sharing and features Guevara's lively, expressive illustrations. Also see the sequel, Chato and the Party Animals (Putnam, 2000), another Pura Belpré Illustrator Medal winner.

Gonzalez, L. (2009). Chato's kitchen. Book Links, 18(3), 36. 

K-Gr. 4. Chato and his best friend are the coolest cats in the barrio of East Los Angeles. When a family of five fat mice moves in next door to Chato, he invites them for dinner-but he secretly plans for them to be dinner. All day, the two cats labor in Chato's kitchen preparing a feast to eat with the mice; however, plans change when the mouse family arrives, escorted by an unexpected guest. Spanish words peppered throughout the text add culturally authentic flavor to this mouth-watering comedy.

 Bedford, A.,  & Cuellar, R. (2006). Chato's kitchen. Book Links, 15(3), 26. 

Gr. 3-6. Soto captures the Latino flavor of Hast L.A. through the voice of Chato, a cat with barrio flare. When a family of mice moves in next door, Chato invites them for dinner with hunger pangs, not hospitality, in mind. The humorous storytelling and clever dialogue enhance this situation comedy, marked by Guevara's zany illustrations.

 Halls, K.  (2003). Chato's kitchen.  Book Links, 12(5), 54. 

Preschool-Gr. 3. Visions of a three-course dinner dance in the head of Chato, a streetwise cat, when he invites his new neighbors (a family of mice) to his home. Guevara's detailed, dark-lined city scenes add a razor-sharp edge to Soto's attitude-saturated text. Young children will be delighted to see the little mice outsmart their new feline friend at a meal full of surprises.

Carger. C.,  (2002). Chato's kitchen. Book Links, 12(3), 38. 

Gary Soto's use of Spanish embedded within an English rendition provides a supportive context for understanding both Spanish terms and the story in Chato's Kitchen (P-M). Chato, a very "hip" cat, is overjoyed that a family of mice have moved in next door, and he invites them for dinner hoping, of course, they will become the main course. The mice, however, have their own surprise for Chato and arrive for dinner on the back of their friendly dog, Chorizo, thereby limiting the menu to cheese quesadillas brought by the mice and side dishes prepared by Chato and his friend, Novio boy. A glossary of Spanish terms and Chato's menu precede the story. Susan Guevara employs various perspectives in her paintings to accentuate the size differences between the cats and mice and the tensions of the evening.

Freeman, E., Lehman, B., & Scharer, P. (1997). Chato's kitchen. The Reading Teacher, 50(5), 426.  

Module 5 Goin' Someplace Special

Bibliographic Citation

McKissack, P. (2001). Goin' someplace special. New York:  Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Summary

Tricia Ann was all excited to go someplace special by herself for the first time.  Her excitement dwindered as she had to sit on the colored section of the bus, couldn't sit on the park bench, and couldn't go in the restaurant or hotel.  Finally Blooming Mary helped her to remember her grandmother's words about determination and holding her head high.  She made it to her Someplace Special which turned out to be the library which was where everyone was welcomed. 

Impressions

I thought this was an excellent book to read to children to help them understand about how it felt during Martin Luther King's time of growing up.  Many children do not understand discrimination and exactly what Martin Luther King was fighting for.  Since it was written from the view of a child I think it will lead them to a greater inderstanding.

Suggestion For Use in a Library

1.  Good introduction book on first day for emphasing that the library is a special place for everyone.

2.  Good to use during Black History Month.

3.  Write how you might have felt if you were not allowed to go to a restaurant, playground, or school.

Reviews

Follow ’Tricia Ann on her poignant journey in Coretta Scott King Book Award winner for excellence in illustration. Mama Frances empowers her granddaughter ’Tricia Ann to triumph over deep

prejudice in the 1950s segregated South. ’Tricia Ann travels with perseverance on her first solo trip through Nashville to a uniquely liberating “Someplace Special,” the public library. The recollection of Mama Frances’s model of confidence, respect, and steadfastness keep ’Tricia Ann walking on to her final destination. As a parenting grandparent, Mama Frances equips ’Tricia Ann for the reality of the world with the strength of independent learning and autonomous thinking. “Those signs can tell us where to sit, but they can’t tell us what to think,” she tells her granddaughter. Watercolor and pencil illustrations capture ’Tricia Ann’s big steps in the world, which the author notes, parallel events of her own childhood. This book has also been recognized as an ALA Notable Book and received a Parents’ Choice Award. Ages 4–8.

Leonette, C. (2009). Goin' someplace special. Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, 7(2), 350.

'Tricia Ann is ready to go "Someplace Special" by herself for the first time. But it is the 1950s in a southern town, and 'Tricia Ann still has to sit in the back of the bus. A series of situations confront her as she travels on her way, including seeing a "Whites Only" sign on the park bench and getting shooed out of a hotel lobby. She begins to cry about the unfairness of the Jim Crow laws when she hears her grandmother's advice in her head, "You are somebody, a human being-no better, no worse than anybody else in this world." 'Tricia Ann holds her head up high and heads to "Someplace Special"-the library where all are welcome.

 Scharer, P., Armstrong, K., Bushner, D.,  Pavonetti, L., & et al. (2003). Goin' someplace special. Language Arts, 80(4), 314. 

'Tricia Ann-an African-American preteen-feels she's ready to go across town all by herself, but Mama Frances knows that her granddaughter's journey through 1950s Nashville is likely to challenge 'Tricia Ann's moral compass as much as her navigational ability. However, she lets the girl go with one last reminder-"hold yo' head up and act like you b'long to somebody"-and with that 'Tricia Ann skips out of the idealized verdure of Jerry Pinkney's impressionistic landscape into the sober reality of back-of-the-bus seating and whites-only park benches. The reader follows her turquoise yellow-flowered dress all the way to the mysterious "Someplace Special," the increasing drabness of the people and surroundings thrown into relief by 'Tricia Ann's vitality. The expressive narration and soft-focus illustrations of this forthrightly purposive picture book sometimes become oversweet, but there is a solid core of experiential detail in both the pencil sketches that underpin Pinkney's watercolors and the social (and personal) history that undergirds McKissack's story. And you'll be especially glad to know that 'Tricia Ann's "favorite spot in the world" turns out to be ... the public library, which a brief afterword by McKissack says "was one of the few places where there were no Jim Crow signs and blacks were treated with some respect." While a little lengthy for the youngest listeners, this shows the pervasiveness of segregation and celebrates the strength of mind of those who said to African-American children, "Don't let those signs steal yo' happiness."

Fern K. (2001). Goin' someplace special. Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 55(1), 28. 

Module 4 Walk Two Moons

Bibliographic Citation

Creech, S. (1994). Walk two moons. New York: Harper Collins Publishers.


Summary

Sal begins a journey with her grandparents from Ohio to Idaho to follow the route her mother took when she left home. Sal wants to reach her by her mother's birthday which is six days away. Along the way she tells the story of her move from Kentucky and her new best friend Phoebe, whose mother also left home and about a lunatic that appeared in their neighborhood.  Her father is seeing a woman that lives next door to Phoebe that Sal does not like.  But eventually Phoebe's mother returns home and explains that the lunatic is her son from her past.  During the trip Sal and her grandparents visit Native Americans, Old Faithful, Mount Rushmore, and grandma gets bitten by a snake.  Grandma has a heart attack on the day that Sal wants to find her mother.  Sal continues the journey alone leaving her grandparents at the hospital and finds the bus crash where her mother died and her grave.  Her grandmother dies at the hospital. Sal and her grandfather return home where they eventually move back to Kentucky along with her dad.

Impressions

This was a emotional book for me because as I read toward the end I felt there was a reason why her mother could not return home.  I thought it was very well written especially since it was a story about Sal telling a story to her grandparents on a trip to bring her mother home.  It demonstrates well the emotions that teenagers might experience when moving, young love, or losing a loved one.

Suggestions For Use in a Library

1.  As reading the journey made by Sal and her grandparents map the route.
2.  Discussion abou the name Indians versus Native Americans.
3.  Draw and write about your soul.

Reviews

Gr 6-9 An engaging story of love and loss, told with humor and suspense.  Thirteen-year-old Salamanca Tree Hiddle's mother leaves home suddenly on a spiritual quest, vowing to return, but can't keep her promise.  The girl and her father leave their farm in Kentucky and move to Ohio, where Sal meets Phoebe Winterbottom, also 13.  While Sal accompanies her eccentric grandparents on a six day drive to Idaho to retrace her mother's route, she entertains them with a tale of Phoebe, whose mother also left home.  While this story-within-a story is a potentially difficult device, in the hands of this capable author it works well to create suspense, keep readers' interest, and draw parallels between the situations and reactions of the two girls.  Sal's emotional journey through the grieving process-from denial to anger and finally to acceptance- is depicted realistically and with feeling.  Indeed, her initial confusion and repression of the truth are mirrored in the book; even readers are unaware until near the end, that Sal's mother has died.  Phoebe's mother does return home, bringing with her a son previously unknown to her family, who is accepted with alacrity.  Overall, a richly layered novel about real and metaphorical journeys.

Burns, C. (1984). Book review:  Junior high up. School Library Journal, 40(10), 142.

Gr. 7--9. Thirteen-year-old Sal Hiddle can't deal with all the upheaval in her life. Her mother, Sugar, is in Idaho, and although Sugar promised to return before the tulips bloomed, she hasn't come back. Instead, Mr. Hiddle has moved Sal from the farm she loves so much and has even taken up company with the unpleasantly named Mrs. Cadaver. Multilayered, the book tells the story of Sal's trip to Idaho with her grandparents; and as the car clatters along, Sal tells her grandparents the story of her friend Phoebe, who receives messages from a "lunatic" and who must cope with the disappearance of her mother. The novel is ambitious and successful on many fronts: the characters, even the adults, are fully realized; the story certainly keeps readers' interest; and the pacing is good throughout. But Creech's surprises--that Phoebe's mother has an illegitimate son and that Sugar is buried in Idaho, where she died after a bus accident--are obvious in the first case and contrived in the second. Sal knows her mother is dead; that Creech makes readers think otherwise seems a cheat, though one, it must be admitted, that may bother adults more than kids. Still, when Sal's on the road with her grandparents, spinning Phoebe's yarn and trying to untangle her own, this story sings.

Cooper, I. (1994). Walk two moons. Booklist, 91(6), 590. Retrieved from    http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA15925338&v=2.1&u=txshracd2679&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w

Thirteen-year-old Salamanca Sugar Maple Tree Hiddle is a natural storyteller. As her grandparents drive her from Kentucky to Idaho, Sal entertains them with a story of her best friend, Phoebe, whose mother disappeared shortly after receiving mysterious letters. The trip is urgent to Sal. She believes she must get to Idaho for her mother's birthday. If there is any chance to bring her mother back home, it will happen on her birthday. Sal interweaves Phoebe's story with events in her own Life. One year ago, her mother left home, depressed after giving birth to a stillborn baby. She planned to return, but died in a bus accident in Idaho. Sal refused to accept her mother's death. Then her father rented his farm in Kentucky, and they moved to Ohio, where he befriended a widow. Sal's and Phoebe's stories are woven together to reveal both girls' agony at losing their mothers. Gran and Grams infuse the story with lively dialogue. Wading in a stream, Gran is bitten by a water moccasin, and although she recovers, she later dies of a stroke--just short of their destination. With her grandfather's blessing, Sal sets out alone to complete the journey and visit her mother's grave, where Sal at last accepts her mother's death. Sal's stories-within-stories are spiced with humor and sensitivity. Readers will demand a sequel with these lovable, irascible characters. Highly Recommended.

Litherland, T. (1994). Reviews: Fiction. Book Report, 13(3), 42.