Yoshiko Uchida - Journey Home

Journey Home tells the story of Yuki, a young girl whose Japanese ancestry forced her and her family into an internment camp during World War II. Journey Home depicts the feelings and hardships faced by Yuki and her family as they are permitted to return home to California from internment. The bombing of Pearl Harbor caused many Americans to fear and distrust the Japanese Americans living among them. Yuki is scared and saddened by this fact. She feels unwelcomed at the place she once called home and unwanted by even her friends.

Although Yoshiko Uchida was a second generation Japanese American, she lived in America during World War II. Like many Japanese Americans at this time, the bombing of Pearl Harbor forced Japanese Americans into internment camps. Uchida taught school in the internment camps for three years until she was released to attend graduate school. Uchida based many of her writing on her own experiences.

Other books by Yoshiko Uchida include:

• New Friends for Susan
  
• The Magic Listening Cap: More Folk Tales from Japan
  
• The Promised Year
  
• Journey to Topaz: A Story of the Japanese American Evacuation

Laurence Yep - Hiroshima

The book Hiroshima describes the aftermath of the atomic bomb that hit Hiroshima, Japan. The story describes two sisters. One of the sisters dies along with her father. The sister who survived was badly burnt and disfigured. In 1955 she traveled to the United States for plastic surgery to correct the disfiguring burns. This book would be helpful to use in understanding the devastation that occurred in Hiroshima. Both the American and Japan sides are explored and related to one another.

Laurence Yep is an award winning Chinese-American modern author. Yep is known for writing about race, ethnicity, culture, war, peace, families, and challenges. Yep writes realistic fiction, science fiction, and fantasy for children, young adults, and adults.

Other Books Yep has written include:

• Golden Mountain Chronicles
• Dragon Series
  
• Chinatown Mysteries
• The Magic Paintbrush
• The Dragon Prince: A Chinese Beauty and the Beast Tale
• The Butterfly Boy

Jerry Pinkney - The Ugly Duckling

The book I read that was illustrated by Jerry Pinkney was called The Ugly Duckling. The illustrations were very realistic and detailed. It was obvious that Pinkney spent endless amounts of time on each illustration. Even the most basic item such as a shirt someone was wearing had intricate detail. The reader was able to see each and every dot that he made to fill in the color of the shirt. The feathers on the duck were composed of I'm sure tens of different colors. His use of color and detail make the illustrations come to life. Some of the pictures also look like he used watercolors, they all blend together nicely. Jerry Pinkney's eye catching illustrations are unique and absolutely priceless.

Other Books he has illustrated include:

• Songs of the Trees by Mildred Taylor
• Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor
  
• The Man Who Kept His Heart in a Bucket by Sonia Levitin
• In for Winter, Out for Spring by Arnold Adoff
• John Henry by Julius Lester
• Mirandy and Brother Wind by Pat McKissack
  

Julius Lester - Shining

Julius Lester is a wonderful storyteller and has written books based on folktales, true stories, and legends. Shining is a wholly imaginative creation of Lester's. Shining is a story about the journey of a soul who learns that our most important connection to others is not in talking but in listening. The story begins in a mountain village where a black girl was born and named Shining. Shining was silent and did not cry, laugh, or speak. All she did was listen. The villagers feared and shunned her. Shining remained silent and waited for the right moment, that won her place as their leader of the village. This story is much like the story of the ugly duckling who is rejected by the other ducks but then becomes a leader.

Other books by Julius Lester include:

• How Many Spots Does a Leopard Have and Other Tales
  
• The Long Journey Home
• John Henry
• The Knee-High Man and Other Tales
  
• All Is Well
• Black Cowboy Wild Horses
• This Strange New Feeling
  
• Sam and the Tigers

The Cat in the Hat and The Lorax

The Cat in the Hat, is one of most well recognized books ever written by Dr. Seuss. Children can relate to the constant tension created between good sense and bad sense in the story. The tension continues to escalate throughout the story as more and more things go wrong and chaos is caused by the Cat in the Hat.

A contemporary book with similar tension is If You Give a Moose a Muffin, by Laura Numeroff. In the story, the moose starts out with a simple request which continues to escalate with each page. Each time the moose asks for something, a bigger mess is made, or more problems occur. Chaos continues to escalate until the story comes full circle once more.

The Lorax, was considered by Dr. Seuss to be his best work. The story is controversial today because of its didacticism. It is considered didactic because of the way environmental and ecological issues are pushed on the readers. The book teaches children how important it is to take care of the environment.

I believe there are very few didactic children's books today. More current books are not as forceful. They voice all sides and allow the reader to make a decision. Today, more learning is done by self discovery. We want students to be presented with information and to be able to make their own decisions.

Children's Book to Feature Film # 3- Matilda

The book Matilda by Roald Dahl is a story about a gifted young girl who taught herself to read and strive to do more than her dishonest and self-centered parents. Matilda's father sold second-hand cars for high prices and did not follow the law. Matilda' s mother also did not pay any attention to her. When Matilda was six, her uncaring and rude parents sent her to school at Crumchem Hall Primary School. The principal of this school, Miss Truchbull hated Matilda and all 0f the other kids. Miss Honey was Matilda's loving and caring teacher. She recognized all of Matilda's strengths. Eventually, Matilda discovered that she had special powers that allowed her to move things with her mind. Miss Honey supported Matilda and loved her as her own daughter. Matilda was able to scare Ms. Trunchbull out of town using her powers. Lastly, Matilda's parents allowed Miss Honey to adopt her and they lived happily together.


In 1996, a feature film was made. This movie was modernized and Americanized retelling of the book. Instead of taking place in England, Matilda was raised in the United States. Also, more modern foods and settings were used then in the book. I also noticed that the violence that Ms. Trunchbull forced was not as harsh. When she threw the girl out the window she landed on her bottom unlike the book where she fell on her face and was hurt. The book was definitely tweeked and changed in a way that would appeal to the American consumer without dramatically changing the story line to make the feature film.

Children's Book to Feature Film # 2- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was written in 1964 by Roald Dahl. This story is about a young boy by the name of Charlie Bucket from a poor family and how he became the luckiest boy in the entire world. Willy Wonka opened the largest chocolate factory in the world. He decided to allow 5 children to visit his secret factory. To be able to enter the children would have to find one of the five golden tickets hidden beneath the wrapping paper of Wonka bars. Charlie found a Wonka bar and won tickets and visit the factory. Once in the factory, all of the other four children made greedy mistakes and ended up in trouble at the factory. Charlie was the last one left and had won the prize. Wonka offered the factory to Charlie. He told Charlie he could live there with his family and when he was old enough he would be able to take over and run the factory.

In 1971, Roald Dahl's story was made into a feature film. There were some small differences in the film. The film was not a musical but did have six musical numbers where were not included in the book. Also, in the film Charlie's father did not appear and was assumed dead, and the children were accompanied by only one parent throughout the factory. In addition, the personalities of the children were dramatized and explained in much more detail than in the book. Besides these small changes and additions the film was very similar to the book. This film is solid and is one I would definitely share with my students to make comparisons to the book.

In 2005, Tim Burton released another film version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. This film was different in that it greatly expanded Willy Wonka's personal backstory and the descriptions of the personalities of the other four children. It has a more futuristic, up to date, and imaginary feel and setting.

Children's Book to Feature Film # 1- The Polar Express

In the story The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg, a young boy boards the Polar Express on Christmas Eve night to journey with other children to the North Pole. The tradition is that the boys and girls get to see Santa leave the North Pole for his Christmas Eve activities. Then, Santa will choose one boy or girl to receive the first gift of Christmas. Santa chooses the boy in the story to receive the first gift. The boy asks Santa for a bell off his sleigh. Santa gives the boy the bell, which he puts into the pocket of his robe. Somewhere along the way home, the bell falls through a hole in the boy’s pocket. When the boy and his sister are opening presents on Christmas morning, the boy had a surprise waiting for him. Santa delivered the bell that the boy had lost.

In 2004, Chris van Allsburg’s story was made into a feature film. While the storyline remains very similar, scenes and characters are added to make the story into a full length feature film. The conductor has a much larger role in the movie than he does in the book. Some scenes, such as when the children are severed hot chocolate, were shown as a musical number in the movie. The movie also included a new problem - a ticket to the Polar Express was lost. Even though the movie is slightly different than the book children love it just as much and are always mesmerized by the story pages that seem come to life on the big screen.

Newbery and Caldecott - What is the difference?

The Newbery and Caldecott Awards are both distinguished honors in the world of children’s literature. They both celebrate monumental contributions to children’s literature. Each award is very different as so one cannot be viewed as being the greater award as the criteria for receiving each award is different. The John Newbery award celebrates the contribution of the author, while the Caldecott award celebrates the contribution of the illustrator. These are both major contributions to the creation of a book but yet are entirely different and deserve different recognitions and awards.

The Newbery Award was the first children’s literature award in the world. The Newbery Medal is named for John Newbery, an eighteenth-century English bookseller. Every year, the Newbery Medal is awarded to the book published the previous year that was the most distinguished American children’s book. The Newbery Award primarily focuses on how the story is told and how well it is presented through text. The two Newbery books that I chose to read for this blog clearly demonstrate those qualities.

The Caldecott award began because people were concerned that the illustrators of the books were not getting as much recognition as they deserved. The Caldecott Medal, named after the nineteenth-century illustrator Randolph J. Caldecott, was established. The Caldecott Medal serves to honor the illustrator of the most distinguished picture book from the previous year.

Newbery Medal Book Review #2 - The Tale of Desereaux

The Tale of Despereaux
By Kate DiCamillo
2004 Newbery Medal Book

I was excited to read this book just because my students love it so much and I was curious as to what this book was all about. Kate DiCamillo did such a wonderful job writing this book and I would say that it is now my all time favorite. DiCamillo wrote this book in a somewhat different way. She was literally telling a story to the reader and even spoke to you throughout the book and referred to the reader as the "reader." I really enjoyed this style of writing or narrating you may call it.

I also loved that this book had many different characters and several storylines going on that appealed to both genders. Medival times, King, mice, rats, would appeal to boys, and the Princess, Queen and Mig Sow would be appealing to the girls. I'm sure this is why ALL of my students have raved about this book. I plan to use it in the classroom this year.

This book told the story of a mouse (Despereaux) that from birth was labeled as an outcast. He did everything a mouse didn't do. One day, Despereaux followed music he heard in the castle. He then met Princess Pea (who was a human) and fell in love. Despereaux got in trouble by the other mice for touching a human and he was sent in the dungeon to be eaten by the rats. The second part of the book introduces us to a rat called Chiaroscuro and Roscuro. Roscuro loves the light and then found himself in the Queen's soup and she died of shock. The princess gave him an evil look and since then Roscuro wanted revenge. Another important character in the book would be Miggery Sow who was sold when she was a child. Her father was poor and traded her for a hen, a red tablecloth and some cigarettes. Eventually, Mig was collected by royal staff because keeping slaves were illegal and then she was put to work in the castle. Her dream was to become a princess one day. The reader then learns how all of these characters are related towards the end of the book. Roscuro convinces Mig to kidnap the Princess and lead her into the dungeon. Despereaux saves the princess and they become great friends (because a mouse can't marry a human!).

I also loved the last page of the book where the author asked the reader to think of her voice as a mouse telling you a story to save you from the darkness. "Stories are light." And then the author says that she hopes that the reader has found light in her story. I thought that was very powerful.

The Tale of Despereaux is must read for children and adults of all ages. Kate Dicamillo never lets us down! Her writing style is so unique yet powerful in this unforgettable book!

Newbery Medal Book Review #1 - The Graveyard Book

The Graveyard Book
By Neil Gaiman
2009 Newbery Medal Book

While searching through all of the Newbery Medal books to find which to buy I found this one the most recent winner. The description of the book intrigued me because I am a sucker for a scary story. As my stack of books arrived at my door I was most excited to read this one. As I began reading I first thought this book was exactly what I was looking for, but after the first few pages the book turned from a scary story to more of a story about a young boy's journey and attitude about life while being raised by ghosts in the graveyard.

The story begins by a man killing a family in their house. The young baby (main character) escapes the house before he is too killed. The boy ends up in the graveyard and sees the ghosts there. This ghost man and wife see the boy's mother who was just killed and she asks the couple to take care of her son for her. The ghosts of the graveyard vote and end up allowing this young boy who they named Nobody or "Bod" for short to be raised by the ghost couple (Mr. & Mrs. Owens) . The book explores Bod's adventures that he has throughout his upbringing in the graveyard. In the end, Bod leaves the graveyard to be able to experience life.

This author was inspired by the story "The Jungle Book," where the young boy was raised by animals. This book also reminds me of the movie, "Elf," where the young baby is raised by elves in the North Pole with Santa. The boy learns and lives his life just as the elves do but yet he is unable to preform all of the same tasks as them, he knows he is different. He also feels different when he is with his own kind because he was not raised the way they were. The story of "The Graveyard Book" is very similar in those ways.

His adventures were not scary, just strange, or shall I say different. I think this book won this award because it is so much different than any other story you've ever read. Even though the story is so far fetched I think that students will be able to relate to Bod. Students (ages 9-12) may also feel like they are so different from their parents and/or the people around them. The fantasy in this book will also appeal to and keep young readers interested.

Coretta Scott King Award - Bud, Not Buddy

Bud, Not Buddy
Written by Christopher Paul Curtis
2000 Coretta Scott King Award
2000 Newbery Medal

This book takes place in 1963 during the Great Depression. The main character is a ten year old boy named Bud Caldwell. Bud lives in an orphanage in Flint, Michigan. He lived in the orphanage since he was six years old when his mother died. After numerous attempts of living in foster homes, Bud escapes this life and starts on his own. His mission is to find his long lost father and his only clue is some old fliers that advertise a famous band his mother left behind. Bud eventually finds this band and the man he believes to be his father, but after unveiling all of Bud's clues that man was not his father but his grandfather who had been waiting for his mother to come back some day...Bud finally had the family he had always wished for.

I enjoyed reading this book. It is hard not to love this boy who has been through such trouble at such a young age. The way Bud acts and thinks is similar to many young boys.You feel for him and really want something good to happen to Bud. Bud's list of Rules and Things to Have a Funner Like and Make a Better Liar of Yourself are humorous and so very true. Students cannot help but to love this easy to read story that will keep them interested and wanting to read more. Many students will be able to relate to Bud and with the troubles he faces along the way and that with the fact that he never knew his father. Also, the relationship and bond between Bud and his grandfather is something many students can relate to.

Although this book is fictional it teaches children about what the Great Depression was like during the 1930's. Even some of the characters were based on real people.

Another great book by Christopher Paul Curtis is The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963.

Caldecott Medal Book Review #5 - The Three Pigs

The Three Pigs
By David Wiesner
2002 Caldecott Medal Book

This story begins with the original story of the three little pigs. Then as it goes on the pigs start to come off the story pages to escape the wolf. The story is then told in speaking bubbles from the talking pigs.The pigs fold up the story pages and begin flying on the paper plane they made from the story page. They then find different common childhood stories and jump into the illustrations. The pigs then decide to go back into their own story but bring with them a dragon they met along the way. The dragon then scares the wolf away and the three pigs (and the dragon) live happily ever after together.

The illustrations in this book are unique in that they mesh many different styles together into one publication. The illustrations range from very basic to very detailed. This style used helps the reader believe that the pigs are really jumping into different books or stories.

I think that although the storyline is not very "deep," children will love reading this silly story. Children are very familiar with the story of the three little pigs so to see the pigs come off the page and change the outcome will excite them. This book should definitely be used in a unit that compares and contrasts the different three little pig stories. Finally, a three little pig story that is controlled by the pigs!!

Caldecott Medal Book Review #4 - The House in the Night

The House in the Night
Written by Susan Marie Swanson
Illustrated by Beth Krommes
Caldecott Medal Book 2009

This book makes for a good bedtime story. It tells a story of girl who reads a story about a bird and then imagines herself flying on the bird throughout the night. It is in a poem format and was inspired by classic nursery rhymes. The words are very simple and are good for young children or beginning readers. I was not impressed or moved by the story. Although, the illustrations are very unique and detailed. The illustrations tell most of the story, there are few words. The illustrator created these images by using a scratch board. I am sure the intricate detail done in each illustration was the reason why it won this award.

I am interested to see a child's reaction to this book. In my opinion I think the book was dreary and unexciting. I am not sure that it would capture the attention of a child or become one of their favorite books. The illustrations are unique but not eye-catching. The book does have a very calming feel and would serve very well for bedtime reading.

Caldecott Medal Book Review # 3 - Flotsam

Flotsam
By David Wiesner
2007 Caldecott Medal Book

When I first began reading this book I immediately thought this would be a book for younger students because it was lacking text. Boy, was I wrong. This story which is interpreted entirely by illustrations leaves so much to the imagination. I will use this in my own classroom to encourage "outside" of the box thinking and analyzing. This story is packed full of detail and meaning without saying one word. I do not think kindergarten or preschool students would be able to comprehend the meaning or lessons that this book is trying to convey. It requires more complex thinking skills. Each page is full with so much detail. The reader could study each page and its meaning for hours.

The story begins by showing a boy (the main character) studying a small sea creature with a magnifying glass on the beach with his family. The boy then spends time looking at other creatures around the beach. As he is doing this he finds a box that is washed up on shore. He picks up the box and discovers it is an old underwater camera. He then asks others if they know how to use it. He pulls the box apart and finds the film hidden inside. He takes the film to be developed and discovers the hidden pictures. The pictures (which are so hard to describe in words) include images of strange underwater life. One is of a mechanical fish swimming with real fish and another is of octopuses reading a book together on a couch. These pictures he finds are very imaginative but all include sea life in the ocean. The next picture is of a girl holding a photo and the photo is of a boy holding another photo which is of another boy holding a photo and so on...He uses his magnifying glass to look further into the photograph. Then he uses his telescope to look even further into the photo and it reveals children from many many years ago. You can tell this by the clothes they are wearing and because they are now black and white pictures. Then, the boy sets the camera up and takes a picture of himself holding up the photo of the girl which is holding all of the other past photos. Lastly, he throws the camera back into the ocean and the sea creatures carry it away to an imaginary place in the ocean. Then you see the camera being flown by a bird to a very cold and antarctic place in the world and in the next illustration it is then in a warm and tropical place and is washed up onto the shore where a little girl finds it on the last page.

This story is very difficult to explain in words. You must "read" it yourself to understand the true interpretation!

Caldecott Award Book Review #2 - My Friend Rabbit

My Friend Rabbit
Written and Illustrated by Eric Rohmann
2003 Caldecott Medal Book


This book is a simple read for pre-school - first grade students. The story is narrated by a mouse who has a friend rabbit. This rabbit friend of his always seems to find trouble. When the rabbit angers all of the other animals the mouse still stands by his side and continues to be a good friend because he knows rabbit means well. The story ends with rabbit getting mouse into another mess and it leaves the reader to predict how rabbit will try to get them out of the tree this time...

I think this story teaches students at a young age what it means to be a true friend. Through the colorful and humorous illustrations students will be drawn into this story of friendship. This book would be very helpful for children who are just learning to read because the illustrations describe the majority of the story and the words are secondary. I think that is what makes this book unique. When reading this book I realized how important the illustrations really are to a story. If you read this book while only looking at the words you would have an entirely different perception of what the book was about. It is amazing to me how illustrations can make such a large impact on the story and how it is portrayed by the reader.

In primary school nothing is more fun and exciting than a book about funny animals! I plan to buy this book for my classroom library.

Caldecott Honor Book Review #1 - Henry's Freedom Box

Henry's Freedom Box
Written by Ellen Levine and Illustrated by Kadir Nelson
2008 Caldecott Honor Book


This book is based on a true story about a young African American boy who was born into slavery. In the beginning, Henry hoped that his master would set him free when he died but instead he was given to the master's son. As Henry grew he fell in love, got married, and had children of his own. Then, one day his worst nightmare came true and his wife and children were sold at the slave market. Henry knew he would never see them again. He decided to put himself in a box and mail himself to Philadelphia where there were no slaves. His plan worked and he arrived to Philadelphia. The author fails to address Henry's life after or if he finds his family. It leaves much open to the imagination. This would be a great text to use when teaching the comprehension skill of prediction.

Anyone who reads this book will be intrigued by this true and unique story. The thought of mailing yourself anywhere seems so unrealistic but yet it was how Henry was able to escape a lifetime of slavery. This story also does a good job of portraying how life was like during the times of slavery. The author and illustrator were able to help the reader understand how sad Henry was feeling and what a huge accomplishment it was for Henry to escape to Philadelphia - in a box! The life-like illustrations draw the reader even closer into the reality of the story. The colors used in the illustrations are dark and neutral which correctly set the mood.