Module 4 - Kira-kira

Module 4 - Kira-kira

Summary

Kira-kira follows a period in the lives of a Japanese-American family, as told by the middle daughter.  The story follows the family from their lives in rural Iowa to rural Georgia, where both parents work long hours and are frequently absent.  The narrator gives her impressions of the world around her as a new baby is born, as both parents work increasingly more, and as her oldest sister starts to grow ill.  The sister grows sicker and sicker, and finally the narrator is told that the sister has lymphoma.  The story chronicles the family's life as the sister battles terminal illness and dies.  Then, the narrator shows how the family works to recover from grief.

My Impressions

This is not a bad book or a bad story, but I didn't really enjoy reading it.  One of the points that has been made in class discussions, both this class and my storytelling class, is that the character of a book or story is the most important part of a story because the characters drive the action.  The problem with this book is it feels like it doesn't drive anywhere.  There aren't that many big actions.  The narrator talks about some of the very grown-up things she sees in her life (illness and death, union organization, poor working conditions, shame, honesty, and racism just to name a few) but because she speaks in a child's voice, these very serious things are touched on only lightly and with little analysis or exploration.  The action is a little slow, so the book feels like it is about twice as long as it needs to be.  Some books with heavy character development or delicate treatment of serious subjects at least feel like a learning experience where the main character and the reader have some kind of epiphany by the book's end.  Maybe I am just an jaded adult reader, but there were no aha! moments for me in this book.  It just felt like it went on forever with no payoff.

Reviews

Some reviewers had a different perspective on this one.  Hazel Rochman from Booklist felt that "the real story is in the small details, never self-consciously "poetic" but tense with family drama" (Rochman, 2004).  She noted the slow change in the sisters' roles as the older sister who was the caretaker becomes the cared-for.  She speaks of "plain, beautiful prose that can barely contain the passionate feelings" of the narrator (Rochman, 2004).  Other reviewers felt more as I did; this book has been cited by Anita Silvey as evidence that the Newbery award has lost its way and is being awarded to books that are more esoteric and less appealing to popular audiences.  

Use in the library

Because this book devotes much of its word count to developing its characters, it would be a good edition to a writer's workshop.  The language of the book is fairly subtle so it could be a good learning tool.  It would also be interesting to use this book as part of a multiculturalism celebration.  One of my classmates discussed how her fellow teacher focused on a different culture or ethnic group every month to make people of many different backgrounds feel included and special.  I love this idea because I think too many people treat racism like it is simple and as if it can only go one way.  It would really be interesting to look at this book as a voice from another culture, and as one that experiences racism.  It might help others to see that even though the speaker is Japanese-American, she sounds a lot like any child in America whose life is complicated and sometimes confusing.  I think that is something any reader can identify with.

References

Kadohata, C. (2006). Kira-kira. New York, NY: Atheneum Books.

Rochman, H. (2004). Kadohata, Cynthia. Kira-Kira. Booklist: 100(9-10), p. 858. Retrieved from Literature Resource Center. 

Silvey, A. (2008). Has the Newbery lost its way? School Library Journal.  Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6600688.html.

Module 4 - The Midwife's Apprentice

Summary

The Midwife's Apprentice tells the story of orphaned Beetle, who travels through medieval England living by her wits.  The midwife of a village takes her in and feeds her in exchange for work.  Beetle starts to learn the midwife's trade and even proves to be skillful at midwifery.  Along the way, she begins to gain a sense of herself, adopting the name Alyce and learning to stand up for herself.  While delivering a baby, she meets a setback and instead of facing the failure, runs away.  For a time she works in an inn.  One day, a pregnant traveler begins to labor.  Alyce helps her, and realizes that she knows more than she realizes about midwifing.  She decides that she wants to go back to the midwife, continue learning the trade, and make her place in the world.

My Impressions

I like historical fiction, so I enjoyed this book.  It is a light, easy read with a good and well-delivered message.  Readers can watch Alyce's journey of self-discovery but at no time does the telling of her growth become heavy-handed or pedantic, she just comes into her own.  I can see younger teen girls enjoying this one because the discoveries they would be making about themselves would parallel Alyce's.  I have also read Cushman's Catherine, Called Birdy and liked that one too. 

Reviews

Booklist's Hazel Rochman liked this book also, noting that "kids will like this short, fast-paced narrative about a hero who discovers that she's not ugly or stupid or alone" (Rochman, 1995).  The book is a Newbery and in this case the award is definitely appropriate.  It is a good and informative, but also pleasant story.

Use in a library

This would be fun to use in a series for younger teen girls.  I would include Cushman's other novel, Catherine, Called Birdy and books and movies about life in the medieval time period.  It would be great to get kids talking about life then as compared to now, and all of the advantages (and maybe some of the disadvantages) we have now.

References

Cushman, K. (1995). The midwife's apprentice. New York, NY: Clarion Books.

Rochman, H. (1995). The midwife's apprentice. Booklist. 91(14): p1328. Retrieved from Literature Resource Center.

Module 3 - Joseph Had a Little Overcoat.

Summary

This book tells the story of Joseph, a man with a long straggly coat.  He cuts the bottom off and wears it as a jacket.  When the jacket wears too much, he cuts it again and wears it as a vest.  When the vest becomes too ratty to wear, he cuts it into a scarf.  This goes on several more times until Joseph is left with only a button, which he loses.  He concludes at the end that "You can make something out of nothing." 

My impressions

This book is a fun read, with bright pictures and cut-outs showing the changing shape of the coat over time. I also like that this book has a good, but not preachy, message about valuing what you have.  As a (cheap) adult reader I can appreciate his resourcefulness at stretching his belongings.  I don't know if Joseph or child readers understand recessions but I sure do!  The pictures are detailed and interesting, and they tell the story as much as the text does.

Reviews

Reviewers appreciated the cheery collage illustrations, noting that "they are filled with homey clutter, interesting characters, and a million details to bring children back again and again"  (Arnold, 2000).

Use in a library

This story would be fun to use in a library craft hour.  Readers could create different articles of paper clothing and could even work in groups to show a succession of cut clothes the way this book did.  This book is busy enough that I think it would work best in a physical way.

References

Arnold, T. (2000). Review of Joseph Had a Little Overcoat. Booklist 96(9-10): p936.  

Taback, S. (2000). Joseph had a little overcoat.  New York, NY: Penguin Group. 

Module 3 - Sylvester and the Magic Pebble

Summary


Sylvester and the Magic Pebble tells the story of Sylvester, a donkey who likes rocks.  One day, he goes for a walk.  On this walk, he finds a magic red pebble.  While holding it, he makes a wish and the wish suddenly comes true.  He makes another wish as a test and it also comes true!  He knows then that he has a magical pebble.  Suddenly, Sylvester sees a lion.  He panics and wishes to be a rock so the lion cannot hurt him.  He becomes a rock but when this happens, he drops the magic pebble so he can't turn himself back into a donkey.  His family misses and worries about him, and he is very sad.  One day, his mother and father go for a picnic.  They sit at the rock that is Sylvester.  His father notices the magic pebble and remembering that his son loved interesting rocks, picks it up and puts it on Sylvester's back.  They begin to talk about missing Sylvester.  He hears and wishes to be himself again.  Because the magic pebble is touching him, the wish comes true and he is reunited with his family.

My impressions

I remember loving this book as a child, and re-reading it reminded me of how sweet it is.  As a child, I understood the deep love between Sylvester and his parents, as well as the feeling of loss on both sides when he goes missing.  Now that I am older, I appreciate even more the depiction of parental love; Sylvester's parents obviously care for him but Steig manages to express this without any of the creepy stalker undertones that some books have (i.e. Runaway Bunny from Module 1).  The pictures are very cute and tell the story as well as the text does.  I think this book would work well for both younger and older readers.

Reviews

This book is well-received by critics also, with School Library Journal reviewers voting it on to their list of the top 100 picture books.  Several reviewers mention the engaging emotional depth of the book as one of its key attributes.  Reviewers noted that this was 9 out of 10 readers' favorite Steig title.

Use in a library

This story could be used in many ways in a library.  Because this book is so emotive, it would be fun to have children act it out.  It would also be fun to use this book as a way to teach adaptation, and have kids write their own magic object stories.  I love William Steig's work, so it would be great to use this book to open a Steig series and get kids talking about several of his books, and comparing them. 

References

Bird, E. (2012). Top 100 picture books #55: Sylvester and the magic pebble by William Steig.  School Library Journal.  Retrieved from http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/afuse8production/2012/05/25/top-100-picture-books-55-sylvester-and-the-magic-pebble-by-william-steig/.

Steig, W. (2005). Sylvester and the magic pebble.  New York, NY: Simon and Schuster.

Module 2 - Millions of Cats

Summary

In this story, a lonely old woman asks her husband for a pretty little cat so the old man sets off on a journey.  He travels until he finds a field of millions of cats.  He starts to choose the prettiest cat but each is pretty in its own way, so he eventually chooses them all.  They all journey home to the old woman, eating and drinking everything in sight on the way.  When they arrive home, the old lady points out that they will never be able to feed all the cats.  The old man asks the cat to choose who is the prettiest and will stay.  The cats begin to fight, and the old man and woman run from the noise.  Then everything grows quiet.  They go outside to see that all of the cats are gone.  Then they notice a straggly little kitten.  He was not involved in the fighting because he never claimed to be the prettiest.  The old man and woman adopt him and with much love, he becomes a very pretty kitty.

My impressions

I liked this book as a child and still do.  The illustrations are interesting.  The language seems to mirror the man's journey, rolling like his path over the hills.  I also like that this book does a good job of having a moral (the folly of pride and the benefits of humility) without the preachy tone that can accompany a moral.

Reviews

Reviewers agreed.  School Library Journal notes that when this book was initially published, it was awarded the Newbery Honor and is the longest running American picture book in print.  Reviewers noted how much fun the refrain is for kids to join in reading out loud.

Use in a library

A great way to use this in the library would be to have kids join in reading the musical refrain out loud.  Then, it would be fun to use the progression of numbers to count fun things, like jelly beans or goldfish crackers.  It would also be neat to make crafts in the shapes of either numbers or cats to help kids have fun with reading and numbers.

References

Bird, E. (2012). Top 100 picture books #21: Millions of cats. School Library Journal. Retrieved from http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/afuse8production/2012/06/11/top-100-picture-books-21-millions-of-cats-by-wanda-gag.

Gag, W. (1989). Millions of Cats. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Module 2 - Make Way for Ducklings

Summary

This book follows the adventures of Mr. and Mrs. Mallard, a pair of ducks looking for a new home in Boston.  They pass up a number of options until they land on a small island in a Boston park.  They like the peaceful lake and the peanuts that passersby feed them, but Mrs. Mallard still sees drawbacks for their potential children.  The ducks keep looking until they find the perfect place to rest.  They have ducklings and begin to teach them how to make their way in the world.  When the ducklings have grown large enough to travel, the Mallard family decided to return to the park.  The city of Boston comes to a halt, with police officers blocking roadways so that the ducks can travel safely.  Finally, they reach the park and settle there permanently.

My impressions


Make Way for Ducklings is an enjoyable classic picture book.  Younger readers will enjoy the detailed pictures; I spent as much time looking over the pictures as I did reading the story.  Older readers will appreciate the story and the dialogue between the ducks. McCloskey has made the book fun to read, with duck sounds and silly duck names thrown in for variety. 

Reviews

This book was awarded the Caldecott medal in 1942 because of the quality of the book and its pictures.  Modern reviewers of the School Library Journal agree, voting it in the top ten of their list of the top 100 picture books.  Readers love the pictures as well as the story, and generations of children have been raised with this book.

Use in a library

A fun idea to incorporate the auditory and visual aspects of this book in a library program would be to have readers act it out.  Kids could make the quack noises and play with character voices.  They could even make paper sets of some of the book settings.  This would be a great way to engage kids.

References

Bird, E. (2012). Top 100 picture books #6: Make way for ducklings.  School Library Journal. Retrieved from http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/afuse8production/2012/06/20/top-100-picture-books-6-make-way-for-ducklings-by-robert-mccloskey.

McCloskey, R. (1966). Make way for ducklings.  New York, NY: Penguin Books.

Module 1 - The Plot Chickens

Summary

This book shows the writer's process and teaches the parts of a story by following the writing adventures of a chicken named Henrietta.  She is a voracious reader; through her reading, she has uncovered a formula for crafting a well-written story.  She uses this formula to write her own story, which becomes a favorite among the children at her local library.

My impressions

I liked this book.  I think it is a fun way to teach what can be a fairly dry topic.  It is also a good way to teach younger readers the mechanics of a story, so that they can begin to analyze what they are reading.  The story focuses on breaking down the parts of a story, but there is enough chicken humor that readers will not be bored.

Reviews

A reviewer with the School Library Journal notes that this book is humorous and includes busy, colorful pictures.  She notes that it is "a funny picture book that could be used as a manual on writing" (Bates, 2009).  The word order there is no doubt deliberate - the book is fun enough to stand on its own, but is also a great teaching tool.

Use in a library

A great way to use this in a library is part of an ongoing writer's workshop.  Students could start by being read this story and using it to analyze other stories.  Then, after the audience has a firm grasp of the parts of a story (and how an author might differ from this formula), they can write their own stories.  Students would really enjoy if it were possible to have the stories bound at the conclusion of the program.

References

Auch, M. J., & Auch, H. (2010). The Plot Chickens. New York, NY: Holiday House.

Bates, I.  (2009). Preschool to Grade 4.  School Library Journal, 3.  Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6641313.html.

Module 1 - The Runaway Bunny

Summary

This book is an exchange between a mother bunny and a baby bunny.  The baby bunny is planning grand adventures that lead him away from his mother bunny.  He tells her what he will become or do to get away and see the world.  In response, she tells him how she will join him in his adventure so that she can always be with him.  In the end, he decides it will be easier to stay by his mother's side as a bunny.

My impressions

Personally, I did not enjoy this book.  I feel like the little bunny is trying to grow and make his way in the world, and that his mother's intent to join him is a hindrance to his exploration.  This is probably colored by personal experience - my own mother tends to hover which I find frustrating.  It was hard for me to read this book without putting myself in the little bunny's shoes.

Reviews

School Library Journal includes the book on its list of top 100 picture books but notes the tension between people who find the book comforting and reassuring, and people who are uncomfortable with the mother bunny's infringement of the baby bunny's growth.  Because this book was originally published in 1942, current reviews were difficult to locate.

Use in a library

Whatever my personal feelings about this book, I think it could work well in a library.  This book could be part of a program for Mother's Day, with a  craft session for kids to make cards or homemade gifts for moms.  It could also be used as a silly way to end a program on rabbits, maybe in a series about animals.  Kids could be shown non-fiction books on rabbits and then this fiction treatment of rabbits.  Not only would it finish the program on a lighter note, but it might be fun to ask the kids to compare the behavior of the non-fiction rabbits to the fiction bunnies.

References

Bird, E. (2009). Top 100 Picture Books (#71-75). School Library Journal.  Retrieved from http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/afuse8production/2009/04/07/top-100-picture-books-poll-results-75-71/.

Brown, M. W. (2005). The Runaway Bunny. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

Welcome!
My name is Melody and I am working on my Master's in library science.  One of my favorite classes this semester covers youth literature.  I have created this blog to share what I have been reading.  I will explore how I think different books can be used in the library.  If anyone has suggestions, I would love to hear them.  Thanks for joining me on this foray through youth literature!