Module 15: Olive's Ocean

Book Summary:  Martha is approached after Olive’s death and realized that they could have been great friends, but due to the extreme shyness of Olive they were not.  They both wanted to be writers and kept an ocean of secrets inside.  Throughout the summer after Olive’s death Martha begins to see how delicate life was through the stories and frailty of her grandmother and her near drowning.  She begins to realize that life could change in a single minute.  

My Impressions: When I think of books by Kevin Henkes I often think of cute little creatures with moral issues.  However, this novel by Henkes did not disappoint me when looking for a message about an issue about life and friends.  I was shocked that this book was on a banned book list.  I may have never chosen to read it with a group of students for that fact, but this helped me realize that some banned books are awesome literature!

Professional Review: School Library Journal - Gr 5-8-As Martha and her family prepare for their annual summer visit to New England, the mother of her deceased classmate comes to their door. Olive Barstow was killed by a car a month earlier, and the woman wants to give Martha a page from her daughter's journal. In this single entry, the 12-year-old learns more about her shy classmate than she ever knew: Olive also wanted to be a writer; she wanted to see the ocean, just as Martha soon will; and she hoped to get to know Martha Boyle as "she is the nicest person in my whole entire class." Martha cannot recall anything specific she ever did to make Olive think this, but she's both touched and awed by their commonalities. She also recognizes that if Olive can die, so can she, so can anybody, a realization later intensified when Martha herself nearly drowns. At the Cape, Martha is again reminded that things in her life are changing. She experiences her first kiss, her first betrayal, and the glimmer of a first real boyfriend, and her relationship with Godbee, her elderly grandmother, allows her to examine her intense feelings, aspirations, concerns, and growing awareness of self and others. Rich characterizations move this compelling novel to its satisfying and emotionally authentic conclusion. Language is carefully formed, sometimes staccato, sometimes eloquent, and always evocative to create an almost breathtaking pace. Though Martha remains the focus, others around her become equally realized, including Olive, to whom Martha ultimately brings the ocean.-Maria B. Salvadore, formerly at District of Columbia Public Library Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Library Uses: 

·       Banned Books Display during Banned Books Week

·       With students 6-8 in the library this book can lead into a discussion about family trees.  As a group, create a family tree for the Boyle family.  Have students create their own family trees and display in the library for students and families to see. 

·       On page 175 Martha tries to write a poem about her near death experience.  Reread this poem and have students create several first lines of poems about their own experiences and have them share with the group.

Ellis, S. [Review of the book Olive's Ocean by K. Henkins]. (2003,

November/December). Horn Book Magazine, 79(6), 745-

747.

Henkes, K. (2003).  Olive’s ocean.  New York: Greenwillow

Books.

Module 14: Take Me Out of the Bathtub and other silly dilly songs

Book Summary:  Katz used poems and children’s songs that most children are very familiar with and created his own “silly dilly” words to go along with the tunes.  Many real life events for children are written into the book.  Those include a food fight, stinky diapers, refusing to go to bed and more are written into the tunes of well known songs and rhymes.

My Impressions: This book has fabulous illustrations and wonderful lyrics to go along with them.  While some of the topics addressed are sometimes avoided they are appropriate for children of all ages and are a lot of fun!

Professional Review:  School Library Journal - K-Gr 3--The 14 songs from Alan Katz's book, Take Me Out of the Bathtub and Other Silly Dilly Songs (Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2001), are featured in this companion CD. The songs cover a wide range of topics, from food fights to loose shoe laces and from a bad babysitter to a tale of the tub. Because the whimsical lyrics are set to well-known tunes such as "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" ("Take Me Out of the Bathtub), "I've Been Working on the Railroad" ("I've Been Cleaning Up My Bedroom"), "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" ("Stinky, Stinky Diaper Change"), and "Home on the Range" ("Give Me a Break," about an overdue library book), listeners will quickly catch on to the silly songs. The numbers included in this collection are performed by a wide range of artists who infuse just the right amount of energy and enthusiasm into each song. Instrumental tracks are included so that listeners can perform each song on their own. A good addition to collections for young children.

Library Uses:  Using the traditional rhymes and Katz’s rhymes as mentor texts have students develop their own rhyme to a tune they already know.  Students will illustrate and each group who participates will have a book on the poetry display in the library for all to enjoy. 

 De Fazio, V. (2011). Take Me Out of the Bathtub and Other Silly

          Dilly Songs. School Library Journal, 57(3), 81.

Katz, Alan. (2001).  Take me out of the bathtub and other silly

dilly songs.  New York, NY: Margaret K. McElderry Books.  

Module 13: Meet Felicity An American Girl

Book Summary:  This is the first of six books about the American Girl Felicity.  Felicity is a shopkeeper’s daughter in Williamsburg.  She falls in love with a horse named Penny, but soon discovers that the owner of this horse is cruel to her.  She is then determined to find a way to save Penny, even if it means breaking the law.  She lets the horse go when the owner comes to take her back.

 

My Impressions: This book like all of the American Girl books gives us an insight into the history of our country.  The last chapter gives great information into life in 1774.  The book was beautifully illustrated throughout.  It ends abruptly without answers to many questions. 

Professional Review:  School Library Journal

Gr 2-5 – Felicity Merriman lives in Colonial Williamsburg, where her father is a shopkeeper.  She rails against the behavior expected of nine-year-old girls, and would rather be helping in her father’s store or, better yet, spending time around her horses.  She is particularly drawn to Penny, an unbroken, mistreated horse owned by an abusive alcoholic, Jiggy Nye.  Felicity visits and ultimately tames Penny, taking literally Nye’s statement that anyone who rides the horse can have her.  When Jiggy reclaims his horse, Felicity frees her, knowing that this constitutes horse stealing for which the penalty is hanging.  But Felicity manages to pull it off without getting caught.  This ending leaves a lot of unanswered questions and may be somewhat unsettling for readers who can justifiably question the morality of Felicity’s actions even as they cheer her determination.  “A Peek into the Past” gives a brief history, richly arrayed with scenes, portraits, and artifacts of the time.  Other than the too-abrupt ending, the volume is well written and attractively illustrated in full color; the full-page pictures and small vignettes effectively augment the text and provide the flavor of the period.

Library Uses:  With the American Girl books a girl’s book club could be started. 

Discussion starters could include:

·       Using the retelling hand to retell the story.

·       If you could change places with any character from the book who would it be and why?

·       How is the main character’s life different from yours?

Other activities:

·       Have ginger snaps for a snack.  Felicity brought these to her dad at the shop. 

·       If you are going to continue the book club past the Felicity series begin a map and pin the locations of each story.

Orlando, M. M., & Jones, T. E. (1992). Book reviews. School

          Library Journal, 38(2), 90.

Tripp, V.  (1991).  Meet Felicity An American Girl.  Middleton,

          WI, Pleasant Company.

Module 12: The Boy on Fairfield Street How Ted Geisel Grew Up to Become Dr. Seuss

Book Summary:  This book is a chronological story of the early life of Theodore Seuss Geisel.  The book begins in Springfield, Massachusetts when he was a boy.   It talks about the things his mom does to help him go to sleep and the bully neighbors who make his life difficult.  The book ends with Ted’s later years and a list of books written by Dr. Seuss as well as some suggestions for further reading.   

My Impressions: This is a well written biography that includes both happy times and some not so happy times.  This book can appeal to all ages, but especially to extremely creative children who are sometimes criticized for dreaming too much.  The paintings in this book are beautiful illustrations that perfectly correlate with the text on the other side of the two page spread. 

Professional Review:  Just in time for Dr. Seuss's one hundredth birthday comes this biographical tribute, an affectionate survey centered on Ted Geisel's boyhood, plus a bit on his brush with higher education (neither Dartmouth College, where he was voted "Least Likely to Succeed," nor Oxford University engaged his full attention), concluding with the first months of his career. Four additional pages summarize the high points and pivotal moments of his entire life in somewhat more detail, but the real story here is of a boy who couldn't stop doodling, who "feasted on books and was wild about animals," and who "excelled at footing around." Krull does a good job of linking such early propensities with what turned up later, visually and thematically, in Geisel's books, Johnson and Fancher provide nostalgic full-page paintings that nicely recall illustrations of the period; a wealth of adroitly chosen vignettes from Seuss's own books (listed at the end) illuminate points made in the text (teenage Ted "knew his art broke the rules," observes Krull on a page sporting a gleefully determined race car-driving fish from One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish). Fans are sure to enjoy meeting the irrepressible man behind the ever-popular books. (Long, 2004)

Library Uses:  This book could be used in a variety of ways in the library setting;

·       Read to celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday on March 2^nd.

·       Use as a kick off to National Read Across America which is also March 2^nd.

·       On the bottom of each two page spread is a character from one of the Dr. Seuss books.  Have a contest to see which student could name the most or name them all first.

·       Use The Boy From Fairfield Street as a springboard for teaching and reviewing biographies as a literary genre.

·       Watch a video about Dr. Seuss’s life or read another picture book biography of Dr. Seuss.  Compare and contrast the information from one resource with what was provided in Krull’s book.

  

Long, J. (2004). The Boy on Fairfield Street: How Ted Geisel

          Grew Up to Become Dr. Seuss. Horn Book Magazine, 80(1),

103-104.

  

Krull, K.  (2004). The boy on Fairfield Street how Ted Geisel

          grew up to become Dr. Seuss.  New York: Dragonfly Books.

Module 11: Owen & Mzee The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship

Book Summary:  This is a nonfiction story about a baby hippo, who was orphaned after the 2004 tsunami, and a 130 year old giant tortoise whose friendship was shown around the world.  These two adopted each other and are inseparable. 

 My Impressions: This is an amazing, touching story with touching photographs that make you feel like you are a part of the story itself.  This is a happy book that reminds all of us that friendship can overcome anything if we allow it.

Professional Review: The emotional lives of animals are compelling to many children, and few stories suggest their existence more stirringly than that of Owen and Mzee--an orphaned baby hippo and a giant tortoise, whose real-world bond, formed in the wake of the Indonesian tsunami, defied naturalists' expectations. This season, two excellent books about the duo join Jeanette Winter's Mama and the New York Times best-seller Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship (both 2006), whose follow-up title is reviewed here.

Worlds away from Winter's retelling, in which the nearly wordless text and stark design offered youngsters little buffer against Owen's terrifying separation from his mother, Bauer's picture-book version closely matches its narrative and visual tones to its target audience. A rhythmic, lulling narrative smooths the barbed edges of the disaster ("The rain fell and it fell and it fell. The Sabaki River rose and it rose and it rose"), and Butler's feathery illustrations, featuring smiling, doe-eyed animals rendered in soft tones of butter, rose, and lavender, hint at the sunny outcome even during the story's troubling opening scenes. Composition choices, too, spin the trauma appropriately for the very young; for instance, even as Bauer acknowledges, post-tsunami, that Owen's mother was "lost" and Owen himself was "alone in the sea," Butler's close-up picture avoids the overwhelming, long-distance perspective of a tiny figure dwarfed by the vast ocean. Apart from a font cluttered with ornamentation, the book's large format and attractive presentation invites sharing--even with sensitive young listeners.

For somewhat older readers, Owen & Mzee: The Language of Friendship updates children on its famous subjects through crisp, immediate photos taken at the Kenyan refuge they call home. The same complicated supporting cast is featured in this book, including a father-daughter team; a naturalist from the refuge; and photojournalist Greste, whose photos here are more varied, abundant, and consistent in quality than before. Along with assuring children that the bond between Owen and Mzee is "stronger than ever," the authors chronicle the animals' system of communication, involving nudges, nips, and even a special kind of call. Libraries that own the first title will certainly want to add this title; those that don't may wish to purchase just this one, which gives the necessary context and duplicates some elements from the earlier book, while extending the information--through references to naturalists' concerns about Owen's need to interact with other hippos, and about Mzee's safety as his companion grows to his 7,000-pound size--in a way that moves beyond the pat, heartwarming aspects of the incident to ask fascinating questions about animal behavior.--Jennifer Mattson

Library Uses: 

·       Character Connections lessons focusing on Resilience.

·       Story time with a lesson focusing on recognizing and appreciating differences in people ideas and situations.  This book shows the importance of caring of others who may not be similar to us.

·       Visit www.owenandmzee.com with students.  Teach some of the sing along songs.  Show them a variety of photographs and online activities that they can use on their own time. 

·       Using the web site launch a research project about unlikely animal friends around the world.  An option for the students would be for them to create their own documentary with the tools provided on the website.

Hatkoff, I., Hatkoff, C., &  Kahumbu, P. (2006).  Owen & Mzee

 The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship.  New York:

 Scholastic Press.

Mattson, J. (2006, Dec. 15) Book Review of Owen & Mzee The

True Story of a Remarkable Friendship.  [Review of the book

Owen & Mzee The Ture Story of a Remarkable Friendship

by I. Hatkoff, C. Hatkoff, and Dr. Paula Kahumbu].  Booklist

103 (8), p51.

Module 10: Dandelions

Book Summary:  Zoe and her family are on their way from Illinois in a covered wagon.  Zoe’s mother is expecting a baby and unlike the rest of the family is having a difficult time adjusting to the changes and is often overcome by loneliness.  Soon the family reaches their new home, but there is nothing to see for miles around except for the plains.  They soon have a home and a well and everyone seems to settle in except Momma.  Zoe brings dandelions for Momma and plants them on their roof.  At the end of the book you can see the beautiful flowers creating a bright yellow roof.

My Impressions: Dandelions is a beautifully written and illustrated picture book that could be used with a wide variety of age groups for a range of activities.  The beautiful paintings that were originally were done on canvas make each page a new discovery.  The story is very well told with the illustrations supporting the story time and keeping you engrossed throughout.

Professional Review:  Zoe and her family have traveled by covered wagon from Illinois to the Nebraska Territory. As they build a sod house and meet new neighbors. Papa can barely contain his enthusiasm. Mama, on the other hand, remains quiet, thinking of the family and memories left behind. On a trip to town with her father for supplies, Zoe spots a mass of dandelions and realizes that the flowers are much like her family--they may be out of their element on the prairie, but they will survive and bloom in their new land. The gouache paintings capture the lonely panorama of the landscape, and the classically painted, sometimes faceless figures give the book a sense of universality. A solid choice for read-alouds, this may also be used with older, reluctant readers or students learning about the westward movement.

Library Uses: 

·       Begin a book talk about a variety of books about prairie life.

·       The dandelions were used in this book to by Zoe to represent caring and love for her mother.  Use a book mark to create something using a flower to show caring for someone special in your life.  This could be done around Mother’s Day. 

·       Read a novel which is set in approximately the same time and place and compare the characters and events to the ones in Dandelions.

Bunting, B. (1995).  Dandelions. New York: Harcourt Brace & Company.

Weisman, K.  (1995, Sept. 15)  Review of Dandelions.  [Review of the book        Dandelions by E. Bunting].  Booklist 92 (2), p162. 

Module 9: The Dollhouse Murders

Book Summary:  Amy is visiting her Aunt Clare at a home owned by her great grandparents and discovers an old dollhouse that is an exact replica of the home itself.  Every time Amy sees the house the dolls inside the house, who represent her relatives, have moved.  Amy keeps telling her aunt that the dolls are trying to tell her something, but her aunt says they are not.  Amy begins to research at the local library and soon discovers the family secret which has been hidden for generations.  Her grandparents were murdered.  Amy’s mentally challenged sister, Louann joins her at her aunt’s house and together they unravel the mystery and Amy begins to accept her sisiter for who she is.  

My Impressions:  This book instantly grabbed my attention and kept my interest in a one sitting read.  Although I found it a little scary for the younger reader, I felt that the pacing and characterization were wonderfully done. 

Professional Review:  Gr 4-7 – Amy arranges to spend a few days alone with her Aunt Clare in the home once owned by her great grandparents.  She is particularly relieved to have some time for herself, free of having to care for her retarded sister, Louann.  When she discovers an exquisite dollhouse in the attic, an exact replica of the family home, her aunt is unenthusiastic about her find and furious when she sees the placement of the dolls; years ago her grandparents had been murdered and the figures are now where the police found them the night of the crime.  She accuses her niece of insensitivity in reproducing the scene, but the girl denies responsibility for moving the dolls.  An emergency at home means Louann must also stay at Clare’s and at first Amy is angry at having her plans to be alone shattered, but then the two girls discover the solution to the terrible crime.  The comination of a beautiful, fascinating dollhouse, dark family secrets, ghostly events, danger and suspense are sufficient to make this a likely choice for escape reading. 

Library Uses:  The Dollhouse Murders could be used in a library to allow students to build their own replica dollhouse.

This book could also be used in a genre study to teach elementary students the components of a good mystery novel.  This book has the components of realistic characters, the reader is able to follow the clues and make predictions throughout the story, the plot is engrossing.  The reader wants to read to the end to find the truth.

Wright, B.  (1983). The Dollhouse Murders, New York: Apple Paperbacks.

Harris, K., & Gerhardt, L.N. (1983).  The Dollhouse Murders

          [Book Review].  School Library Journal, 30 (3), p84.

Module 8: James and the Giant Peach

Book Summary:  James has to go live with his two mean aunts after his parents are killed in an accident.  James is very unhappy there until he meets a man who gives him some magic tongues from crocodiles.  That begins a domino effect of events when James drops the tongue; it turns into a giant peach.  A centipede, an earthworm, a ladybug, a grasshopper, a spider and a glow worm live inside that peach.  James decides to join these creatures and they begin to travel the world until they land in an ocean where sharks attack until James catches a seagull to carry the peach away.  They end up in New York City where they become famous and find jobs for themselves.  James makes many friends and becomes happy with his life.

My Impressions:  This book begins very slowly and was very difficult to get into.  The aunts were so cruel, locking James in the basement, not allowing him to attend school, to play with other children and were denied food.  However, when James becomes friends with all of the insects in the peach the book begins to get more intriguing.  I love Dahl’s word play throughout the book including “But don’t forget to sprinkle them with a pinch of grime.”

Professional Review:  Horn Book starred (September, 1996)

The text in this new edition remains unchanged, but the book is updated with Smith's black-and-white pencil sketches. His interpretation of the fantasy -- which contemporary young readers will recognize from Disney's film version -- is not quite as magical as Burkert's delightful renderings in the original edition. The new edition will suffice, but readers shouldn't skip the first. 

Library Uses:  Dahl does a great job with word play.  A librarian could do an ongoing lesson on idioms using the book James and the Giant Peach. 

Dahl, R.  (1961).  James and the Giant Peach, New York: Puffin

          Books. 

Parrish, O.  (1996, September) Book Review for James and the

       Giant Peach.  [Review for the book James and the Giant Peach by

       R. Dahl].  Horn Book 72 (5), p 75.

Module 7: Because of Winn-Dixie

Book Summary:  Opal, who is ten years old and the daughter of a pastor, comes home with a stray dog which she names Winn-Dixie.  At this time many things began to change in the town of Naomi.  Winn-Dixie and Opal make friends with many people that are outcasts in the town.  The theme that revolves around these friendships is not to judge people, but to accept them for who they are.  Opal has to apply this to her own mother, who had abandoned her. 

My Impressions: This book can make you laugh and bring tears to your eyes in the very real storyline.  It is a very deserving winner of the Newbery Honor award.  The theme is something that we frequently need to revisit with this generation and manages to get that point across very clearly. 

Professional Review:  "He was a big dog. And Ugly. And he looked like he was having a read good time. His tongue was hanging out and he was wagging his tail. He skidded to a stop and smiled right at me. I had never in my life seen a dog smile, but that was what he did. He pulled back his lips and showed me his teeth. Then he wagged his tail so hard that he knocked some oranges off a display, and they went rolling everywhere, mixing in with the tomatoes and onions and green peppers."
Because of Winn-Dixie, 8
And, that is just how ten-year old India Opal Buloni meets this dog for the first time in a Naples, Florida, supermarket -- a dog who will change her life forever. Because of Winn-Dixie is a heartwarming and unforgettable story of family, friendship, feelings, change, summertime, the South, and, of course, a very special dog.
Published in 2000 and written by Kate Dicamillo, Because of Winn-Dixie was named a 2001 Newbery Honor Book for distinguished writing (Candlewick Press, 184p. ISBN 0763607762). Many techniques to connect with this outstanding book for young people follow.

Library Uses:  This book could be used in a variety of ways in the library setting;

·       Discussions about the writer’s craft and DiCamillo’s use of vivid language including similes and the images they evoke.

·       Character sketches to display in the library could be made by dividing the class and having them choose different characters within the book.

·       As a group or individually letters could be written to Opal’s mother describing all that had happened throughout the summer “Because of Winn-Dixie.”

DiCamillo, K. (2000).  Because of Winn-Dixie. Somerville,

          Massachusettts, Candlewick Press.

Brodie, C.S.  (2007, March) Book Review for Because of Winn-Dixie.
     Review of the book Because of Winn-Dixie by K. DiCamillo]. 
     School Library Media Activities Monthly23 (7), p55-56.

Module 7: Stargirl

Book Summary:  Stargirl had been homeschooled for most of her life and lacks the trends of modern teenagers.  She is extremely kind to all and becomes instantly popular in her new school.  However, the differences which kept everyone so interested in her soon become the very things that turn her friends against her.  Stargirl soon has a boyfriend (the narrator) and he likes her the way she is, but hates the pressure from his friends.  He asks her to change.  She tries, but it does not change the way that people treat her. After she wins a huge contest and people do not show up to congratulate her she goes back to her old ways.  Leo no longer speaks to her and does not invite her to a dance.  She goes and once again wins people over.  Then, Stargirl disappears or “vamooses”.

My Impressions: I think many of the issues faced in the book are faced by students today.  Today’s society has a very high mobility rate.  Students are new to a school every day in our country.  I am not sure that many of them are as absolutely determined to stand out as Stargirl seemed to be.  In every school there is a “mean kid” who is determined to make other students miserable.  Spinelli uses figurative language that gives the reader great mental images.

Professional Review:  Jerry Spinelli Stargirl 186 pp. Knopf 8/00 isbn 0-679-88637-0 15.95 (g) Library edition isbn 0-679-98637-5 17.99 (Intermediate, Young Adult)

Cynics might want to steer clear of this novel of a contemporary Pollyanna, whose glad-game benevolences include singing Happy Birthday to her classmates, dropping change in the street for children to find, and--to her downfall--joining the cheerleading squad and rooting for both teams. High school junior Leo is at first nonplussed by Stargirl's not-so-random acts of kindness, but he really loves her from the start. After Stargirl is shunned for her disloyal cheerleading, Leo persuades her to go along with the crowd, and she even reclaims her birth name, Susan. Predictably, this doesn't work for Stargirl; on the author's part, it occasions much heavy-handed moralizing about conformity. While it is true that we are meant to see Stargirl as larger-than-life ("She seems to be in touch with something that the rest of us are missing"), there are no shadows to contour her character, and thus her gestures seem empty. While Spinelli's Maniac Magee was on the run for a reason and Pollyanna needed something to be glad for, Stargirl has nothing to lose. But as a story of high school outsiders and light romance, this will find an audience, and the book does bear many strong similarities to Maniac Magee, offering a charismatic female counterpart.

Library Uses:  In the library Stargirl could be used for bringing together new students in the form of a book club.  Those students would build a support group, a group of friends who are new to a school.  The book will encourage these students to be true to themselves and not give in to the peer pressures of fitting in at a new school. 

Spinelli, J. (2000).  Stargirl. New York: Harper Trophy.

Sutton, R.  (2000, July/August) Book Review for Stargirl. 

          [Review of the Book Stargirl, by J. Spinelli].  Horn Book

          Magazine 76 (4), p465-466.

Module 6: Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse

Book Summary:  Lilly loves school and everything about school including her teacher.  Lilly brought her new purple purse full of special treasures to school and does not want to wait until sharing time to show everything in it.  Mr. Slinger takes up her purse and all that was in it that she was so proud of.  At first Lilly is very angry, but then she is very sorry and does her very best to make it up to her teacher.

 My Impressions:   Lilly is a character that many young students and their teachers can make connections to.  It has an ending that all will love.

Professional Review:  PreS-Gr. 2--[In Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse,] Lilly loves everything about school--even the squeaky chalk and the cafeteria food. But most of all, she loves her teacher, Mr. Slinger, who is a sharp dresser and greets his students with an uncharacteristic "Howdy." The little mouse will do anything for him--until he refuses to allow her to interrupt lessons to show the class her new movie-star sunglasses, three shiny quarters, and purple plastic purse. Seething with anger, she writes a mean story about him and places it in his book bag at the end of the day. But when she looks in her purse, she discovers that he has written her a kind note and even left her a bag of treats. Filled with remorse, Lilly sets out to make amends. Rich vocabulary and just the right amount of repetition fuse perfectly with the watercolor and black-pen illustrations. With a few deft strokes, Henkes changes Lilly's facial expressions and body language to reveal a full range of emotions. When she realizes how unfair she has been, Lilly shrinks smaller and smaller. When all ends well, she leaps for joy in her familiar red boots right out of the picture's frame. Clever dialogue and other funny details will keep readers looking and laughing. As the cover and end papers attest, Lilly emerges once again a star. 

Library Uses:  Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse can be used at the beginning of the school year in an elementary school or preschool library to teach expectations for story time.  Librarians would like for young children to focus on the story at hand and not be focused on the trinkets they so often like to bring with them. 

Henkes, K.  (1996).  Lilly’s purple plastic purse.  New York:

       Greenwillow Books.

Saccardi, Marianne.  (1996, August).  [Review of  “Lilly’s Purple

          Plastic Purse” by K. Henkes].  School Library Journal 42 (8),
        p. 122.

Module 5: Esperanza Rising

Book Summary:  Esperanza and her mother were forced to leave their home of riches and luxury in Mexico after her father died.  They went to work in migrant labor camps in California just before the great depression.  Her mother becomes very ill and Esperanza has to pull from her great inner strength.  She never regains all of her material riches, but she has many family and friends. 

My Impressions:   Esperanza Rising was a touching story about a young girl who went from being the daughter of a rich and powerful family in Mexico to a migrant worker in California. This book has won a variety of awards including the Pura Belpre award because once you start reading you get caught up in the story and it is difficult to put down. It is a very well written novel that shows how many hispanics lived on both sides of the Rio Grande River.

Professional Review:  At times Esperanza Rising, although it takes place in Depression-era Mexico and the United States instead of Victorian England, seems a dead ringer for Frances Hodgson Burnett's A Little Princess. Both are dramatic riches-to-rags stories about girls forced to trade fancy dolls and dresses for hard work and ill-fitting hand-me-downs after their beloved fathers die. Thirteen-year-old Esperanza even possesses a touch of Sara Crewe's romantic spirit. The daughter of an affluent Mexican rancher, she had been taught by her father to believe that the "land is alive," that she could lie down beneath the arbors in her family's vineyards, press her ear to the ground, and hear a heart beat. Yet can this still hold true for Esperanza when she no longer reigns as queen of the harvest but labors in the fields of a foreign country, picking grapes on someone else's land for pennies an hour? The transition does not come easily for her, and thus her story ultimately diverges from The Little Princess's fairytale script to become a poignant look at the realities of immigration. Political as well as personal history inform the sometimes florid narrative (loosely based, we are told in an afterword, on the experiences of the author's grandmother). Esperanza's struggles begin amidst class unrest in post-revolutionary Mexico and intersect with labor strikes in the United States, which serve to illustrate the time period's prevailing hostility toward people of Mexican descent. In one of the more glaring injustices she witnesses, striking workers, who were born American citizens and have never set foot on Mexican soil, are loaded onto buses for deportation. Through it all, Esperanza is transformed from a sheltered aristocrat into someone who can take care of herself and others. Although her material wealth is not restored in the end, the way it is for Sara Crewe, she is rich in family, friends, and esperanza--the Spanish word for hope. 

Library Uses:  This book allows many opportunities for curriculum support through the library.  The study of the Great Depression can be shared through the eyes of the Hispanic culture.  It would also be interesting to study what students learned about child labor in the migrant worker camps.  That could be extended through further research into many different writing methods.

Ryan Munoz, P.  (2000).  Esperanza rising. New York: Scholastic.

C.M.H. (2001, January). Book Review. [Review of the Book

Esperanza Rising, by P. Munoz Ryan].  The Horn Book Magazine 77 (1), p 96.