We are the Ship: Te Story of Negro League Baseball

Author & Illustrator:   Kadir Nelson
Publisher:  Hyperion
Publication Year:   2008
Location: Knox County Public Library- Powell

Awards:  Coretta Scott King Award, NYT Best Illustrated; Booklist, Publisher's Weekly, School Library Journal, Hornbook, & Kirkus starred reviews 

Summary:  This is a very text-heavy book that tells the history of Negro League baseball from its beginnings in the 1920s to the decline in the 1940s. The voice is that of someone who lived through the time period and is telling memories of the times. Each chapter is named for an inning in the game. The book is illustrated with breathtaking oil paintings that are reminiscent of Norman Rockwell's style. The emotion and affection for the game and the heroes of the League are evident in the beautiful paintings. My favorite is the full spread entitled "Night Game." 

Classroom Ideas: This book would be an excellent resource during the study of segregation and civil rights. I can see it appealing to many boys who love baseball and don't know as much about the history of the Negro League.

Extras: The book begins with quotations from famous players and a foreward by Hank Aaron. It ends with an author's note from Nelson about his interest and research along with a Bibliography and Index.

Actual Size

Author & Illustrator:   Steve Jenkins
Publisher:  Houghton Mifflin
Publication Year:   2004
Location: Knox County Public Library- Powell

Awards:   ALA Starred, Child's Magazine Best, Bccb Blue Ribbon, ALA Top Sci-Tech Books, Booklist Editor's Choice

Summary:  Including all sorts of animals from the 1/3 inch dwarf goby to just the eye of the giant squid, this book strives to show just how big or small animals actually are. The illustrations are clever paper collages that are realistic without being scary. The crocodile teeth look incredibly dangerous, but my favorite is the mesmerizing tiger eyes!

Classroom Ideas: This would be a great book to introduce different animals to the youngest readers. The perspective offers here is perfect to help kids truly understand some of the differences. And it would be a great way to encourage them to research more about these animals.

Extras: An author's note includes information about each animal pictured including its size, habitat, diet and methods of defense.

Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11

Author & Illustrator:   Brian Floca
Publisher:  Atheneum
Publication Year:   2009
Location: Knox County Public Library- Powell

Awards:   Sibert Honor, NYT Best, Society of Illustrators Silver medal, ALA Notable, Kirkus Best Books, School Library Journal Best Books, Horn Book Fanfare, Smithsonian Notable, Cybil Award Finalist

Summary:  The story tells the story of the Apollo 11 mission to the moon in very kid friendly language. It has a mood of excitement shown through lots of run-on sentences and fragments. The drawings are beautiful- on the full page liftoff spread you can practically feel the heat of the explosion. The font size is chosen carefully to match the words.

Classroom Ideas: Obviously this book could be used in a classroom study of space exploration. The word choice is perfect in this book with lots of onomatopoeia (flapping, crackling flame) and alliteration (the moon growing and glowing).

Extras: The endpapers include a cutaway diagram of the shuttle along with a timeline. there is also a sources list and an author's note on the back endpage telling more about the story.

http://www.brianfloca.com/Moonshot.html
Link to Floca's website with more resources.

Train to Somewhere

Author: Eve Bunting
Illustrator:   Ronald Himler
Publisher:  Clarion
Publication Year:   1996
Location: Personal Collection

Awards:   Kirkus & Publisher's Weekly starred reviews, Parent's Choice, ALA Booklist Editors' Choice, ALA Notable, Jefferson Cup Award Honor

Summary:  In the late 1800s, orphans were sent on trains to find families to adopt them. This is the story of the fictional orphan Marianne who believes that her mother will be at one of the stops to fin her. She carries with her a feather that she took out of her mother's hat. At each stop, the younger, more attractive children are taken until at the final stop Marianne is the last child left. An older couple is there who offer her a toy train with the words "Sometimes what you get turns out to be better than what you wanted in the first place." Marianne "crumbles" and offers them the feather as she goes off to become their daughter.

Classroom Ideas: A perfect way for children to understand the plight of the children on the Orphan trains in the 1800s. This book has a wonderful theme and Marianne is a strong character. You can't help hoping that she ends up with a perfectly happy life.

December

Author: Eve Bunting
Illustrator:   David Diaz
Publisher:  Harcourt Brace
Publication Year:   1997
Location: Personal collection

Awards:   Kirkus & School Library Journal starred reviews, Golden Kite Honor

Summary:  Another book from the Caldecott-winning team that created Smoky Night. Simon and his mom live in a house made of cardboard boxes, but on Christmas Eve they have a tiny tree made from a throw-away branch from a tree lot. On the wall is an angel named December that they tore from a calendar. A woman with a rose on her hat comes to their house and they let her stay for the night. She gives Simon the rose and he gives her his Christmas cookie (which he's gotten by turning in 32 soda cans to be recycled). When they wake up on Christmas morning, December the angel has come to life and is singing in the doorway. After that things start to change for the little family- Mom has job and they have a small apartment. On the wall hangs December with a faded rose in her hair. Diaz's illustrations are gorgeous and December the angel glows with a palette of gold and rose.

Classroom Ideas: The themes of homelessness and generosity in this book are timeless, but the story could also be shared especially during the Christmas season.

Peter's Chair

Author & Illustrator:   Ezra Jack Keats
Publisher:  Viking
Publication Year:  1967
Location: Personal Collection

Awards:   Kirkus starred review,

Summary:  Peter, of The Snowy Day fame, has a new sister named Susie, and he is not happy about it. He has to be quiet around here, and she's getting all of his things. He decides that he and his dog Willie will take his blue chair and run away! They go in front of the house, but when Peter tries to sit down his blue chair is too small. Then rejoins the family, in a grown-up chair, and suggests that they paint his little chair pink for his sister.

Classroom Ideas: This would be an excellent story for characterization, as Peter changes during the process. A teacher, librarian, or counselor could also use this story to talk to kids about jealousy and sibling rivalry.

The Hat

Author & Illustrator:   Jan Brett
Publisher:  Putnam
Publication Year:   1997
Location: Personal Collection

Awards:   Abby Award, Publisher's Weekly Best Book,

Summary: This book is a companion book to The Mitten. In it, Lisa decides to hang up her woolen clothes to get ready for the upcoming winter when one of her stockings (socks) blows off the line. Hedgie the hedgehog gets it stuck on his head, but rather than admit that he's stuck he tells all the other animals that it's his new hat. When they make fun of him, he assures them of that his hat will keep him dry, warm, and cozy in the snow. Finally, the girl chases him down and takes back her sock. But wait- all of the other animals are now wearing her other woolens as hats. Brett's amazingly framed illustrations are full of Scandinavian details. 

Amazing author's note on her website tells about the trip she took to Denmark to research for this book: http://janbrett.com/newsnotes/the_hat_newsnotes_page_1.htm

Classroom Ideas: A great example of a circular story- kids could easily write about what happens next as Lisa tries to chase down all of the other animals. Brett's books are set in wintery climates that would be fun to research, starting with the story in the illustrated author's note.

Book! Book! Book!

Author: Deborah Bruss
Illustrator:   Tiphanie Beeke
Publisher:  Levine/ Scholastic
Publication Year:   2001
Location: Personal Collection

Awards:   IRA Best Books,

Summary:  When the kids go back to school, the animals get bored and want to get some books from the library. Unfortunately, the human librarian can't understand what the animals want until they send the hen in ("Book! Book! Book!" clucked the hen.) Everyone was happy enjoying their books except the bullfrog because he had already "read it..." Clever word play and charming watercolors.

Classroom Ideas: This book is brimming with alliteration ("the horse hung his head", "the pig pouted") and onomatopeia. There are also GREAT verbs in this book (ambled, grumbled, trotted, plodded, flapped)

The Mightiest Heart

Author: Lynn Cullen
Illustrator:   Laurel Long
Publisher:  Dial
Publication Year: 1998  
Location: Knox County Public Library- Lawson McGhee

Awards:   Society of Illustrators gold medal, Marion Vannett Ridgway Award

Summary:  The Welch legend of a faithful dog who would give his life for his master. Prince Llywelyn and his dog Gelert grew up always together and Gelert protected his master from danger. But as Llywelyn grows, he doesn't have time to spend with Gelert. When the prince marries, his new wife doesn't much care for the dog (as shown by an amazing two page spread where Gelert has been banished to the outdoors). When Gelert's son is attacked by a wolf, the dog tries to defend the infant. However, he is first thought to be the attacker and runs away. The prince searches for Gelert for years, but his final encounters with the dog are mysterious. At the end, he allows his son to have a dog with the admonition to remember that "the mightiest heart can come in the humblest vessel." The rich oil paintings bring to mind medieval tapestries with deep colors and incredible details.   

Classroom Ideas: This book has a strong theme and is an example of a traditional folk tale.

Lilly's Big Day

Author & Illustrator:   Kevin Henkes
Publisher:  Greenwillow
Publication Year:   2006
Location: Personal Collection

Awards:   School Library Journal best book, Charlotte Zolotow Award Honor, ALA Notable, Booklist Editors' Choice, Kirkus starred review

Summary:  When Lilly's beloved teacher announces his engagement, she is positive that she will be his flower girl. When she realizes that she will only be an assistant to Mr. Slinger's niece, she is devastated. But when Ginger gets stage fright, Lilly saves the day and helps her down the aisle. Henkes's illustrations are perfection, especially when Lilly (in her red cowboy boots, of course) is practicing for the big day.

Classroom Ideas: Lilly is an incredible character that many elementary girls can identify with. Students can use clues to infer what Lilly's parents are trying to say to her, what Mr. Slinger is thinking, and what Ginger is thinking while realizing that the story is only told from Lilly's perspective (perhaps a companion to This is Not My Hat to discuss unreliable narrators?).

Olivia

Author & Illustrator:   Ian Falconer
Publisher:  Atheneum
Publication Year:   2000
Location: Knox County Public Library- Lawson McGhee

Awards:   Caldecott honor, Parent's Choice, ALA Notable, Publisher's Weekly Best Books, Kirkus starred review

Summary:  Olivia is a pig like no other- she is very good at wearing people out. The story follows Olivia and her family through a typical day at the beach, art museum (where Falconer includes reproductions of actual art pieces from Degas & Pollock), and home. The amazing illustrations bring Olivia and her sass to life, as she picks out clothes (from 17 pictured choices), imagines herself as a ballerina, and imitates Pollock on her bedroom wall (Time Out). The simple black, white, and always red color scheme makes Olivia pop off the page, and readers will quickly see themselves in her personality and spunk.

Classroom Ideas: Olivia would make for an excellent character study for younger children. It also could introduce Degas and Pollock for an art teacher.

Mrs. Katz and Tush

Author & Illustrator:   Patricia Polacco
Publisher:  Philomel
Publication Year:   1992
Location: Knox County Public Library- Lawson McGhee

Awards:   Jane Adams Peace Assoc. and Women's Intl. League for Peace and Freedom Honor,

Summary:  Larnel and his mother go to visit the recently widowed Mrs. Katz. The next day he brings her a kitten (Tush) and agrees to come back and help her with him. A friendship grows between the two of them, and many parallels are drawn between the Jewish people and African-Americans. Larnel shares Passover with Mrs. Katz and celebrates the birth of Tush's kittens. "at last I am a bubee" At the end, Mrs. Katz stays a member of Larnel's family and becomes bubee to his children.

Classroom Ideas: The theme of friendship between generations, races, and love between different people is so very lovely here.

The Junkyard Wonders

Author & Illustrator:   Patricia Polacco
Publisher:  Philomel
Publication Year:   2010
Location: Personal Collection

Awards: Publisher's Weekley starred review, Volunteer State Book Award
 Summary:  In another autobiographical story, Trisha begs to stay at her dad's house in Michigan and start a new school where no one knows she was in special ed. But she gets put in a special ed class called the "junkyard" at her new school and the other kids make fun of her and her classmates. When  Miss Peterson hears that, she takes them on a junkyard field trip where they realize that the "junk" there can be used in exciting ways. Trisha and her group find a plane and the class raises money to buy a motor for it. Tragedy strikes when a member of the class passes away but the whole group comes together to launch the plane in Jody's memory. There's a wonderful update on the grown-up classmates at the conclusion of the book.

Classroom Ideas: This is a great example of personal narrative and a story with the theme of realizing that everyone has their own unique talents and nobody is "junk".

Mr. Lincoln's Way

Author & Illustrator:   Patricia Polacco
Publisher: Philomel
Publication Year:  2001
Location: Personal Collection

Awards:   Jean B. BellavanceYoung Reader's Choice, California Young Reader Medal, 

Summary: The principal Mr. Lincoln is beloved by everyone in the school except the bully "Mean Gene." Gene calls everyone names, including using a racial slur for Mr. Lincoln; but Mr. Lincoln keeps trying to find a way to reach Gene. One day he notices Eugene watching the birds outside the atrium window and gets the idea to get his help in attracting more birds . Gene has learned a lot about birds from his Grampa and he & Mr. Lincoln work together. Fighting against Eugene's father's bigotry, Mr. Lincoln tries to teach the him about accepting  and respecting of all his “little birds,” both feathered and human. When the ducklings hatch, Eugene and Mr. Lincoln lead them safely to the pond where their parents wait.

Classroom Ideas: The themes of tolerance and respect in this book are strong and would lend themselves well to being used by a guidance counselor. It also has strong characters in Mr. Lincoln and Eugene, and it would even be interesting to see what inferences kids could make about Eugene's family from the text clues.

Ginger and Petunia

Author & Illustrator:   Patricia Polacco
Publisher: Philomel
Publication Year:  2007
Location: Knox County Public Library- Lawson McGhee Branch

Awards:  Author/illustrator study Patricia Polacco

Summary: The elegant, flamboyant piano player Virginia Vincent Folsum, Ginger, has a pet pig named Petunia. Petunia lives under the staircase in Ginger's house. When Ginger has to travel to London, she calls a Housesitter to come take care of Petunia. But when the housesitter doesn't show, Petunia pretends to be Ginger. She cooks dinner, listens to opera, dresses in Ginger's clothes, teaches Ginger's piano students, and even takes Ginger's convertible to the grocery store! Then she heads to an art museum opening and heads off to dance with the governor. Petunia is tired of being in charge and wants someone to take care of her, but luckily when she returns home, Ginger is there to greet her! The illustrations are vibrant and gorgeous and all I can think is Auntie Mame.

Classroom Ideas: There is a great deal of alliteration here with Petunia the Pig. It would be interesting to discuss fantasy versus reality with kids and ask if a pig could really do the things that Petunia did.

Pink and Say

Author & Illustrator:   Patricia Polacco
Publisher: Philomel
Publication Year:  1994
Location: Personal Collection

Awards:  Publisher's Weekly, School Library Journal, & Kirkus starred reviews; Irma S. and James H. Black Award, ALA Notable, National Council for Social Studies Notable, Horn Book Fanfare

Summary: In this true story from Polacco's family history, a white soldier Sheldon Russell Curtis (Say) is wounded and is rescued by a black soldier Pinkus Aylee (Pink). Pink takes Say back to his home where Pink and his mother Moe Moe Bay tend to him while he recovers. While Pink is anxious to return to the fighting, Say is scared and doesn't want to go. But when Moe Moe Bay is killed by marauders, the devastated boys set off. They are captured by Confederate troops and taken to Andersonville prison. Say is released months later, but Pink is hanged immediately because he is back. Say was Patricia's great-great-grandfather and in a touching epilogue she pledges that her book stands as memory of the life of Pinkus Aylee. This is my all-time favorite Polacco book and definitely on the list of my all-time favorite books ever. I dare you to read it without getting at least a little teary-eyed!

Classroom Ideas: Obviously this book can be shared during a study of the Civil War. The themes of loyalty and friendship here are strong and the book brings home the heartbreak of war.

I Can Hear the Sun

Author & Illustrator:   Patricia Polacco
Publisher: Philomel
Publication Year:  1996
Location: Personal Collection

Awards: Author/illustrator study Patricia Polacco

Summary: This is a story of homeless people who gather at a nature preserve in Oakland, California, and Stephanie Michele who is the keeper of the animals there. An orphan named Fondo meets her and helps her take care of the a blind goose. He is happy coming there each day until he finds out that he's being send to a special-needs placement. And then the story takes it's mythic turn: With the blind goose leading them, Fondo flies off with the wild geese. Patricia Polacco blurs the lines between reality and fantasy in this self-named "modern myth."

Classroom Ideas: It would be interesting to discuss theme with this story, along with homelessness.

The Lemonade Club

Author & Illustrator:   Patricia Polacco
Publisher: Philomel
Publication Year:  2007
Location: Personal Collection

Awards:  Publisher's Weekly starred review, Volunteer State Book Award

Summary:In this true story, Patricia Polacco tells about her daughter's friend and her fifth-grade teacher. Traci's friend Marilyn has leukemia and has to have chemotherapy. Everyone is supportive and even shave their heads in solidarity with their friend. However, Miss Wichelman ends up getting her own bad news and has to battle cancer too. Through it all, the three support each other and remember to make lemonade out of life's sour lemons. This is a hopful, heart-warming story, made all the better by the positive updates on each character in the endnotes.

Classroom Ideas: This is another personal narrative from Polacco's life which could be used as a mentor text. The themes of friendship and the topical subject are important ones, and this book could easily be used by a guidance counselor.

The Bee Tree

Author & Illustrator: Patricia Polacco  
Publisher:  Philomel
Publication Year:   1993
Location: Personal Collection

Awards:   School Library Journal starred review

Summary:  When Mary Ellen gets tired of reading, she and Grampa go off to follow a bee to a bee tree. Along the way lots of members of the community join them. When they finally reach the tree they work together to smoke the bees, collect the honeycomb, and then go back to the house for biscuits, tea, and honey! But at the end, Grampa uses the honey to show Mary Ellen that the joys of reading have to be pursued just like they ran after the bees to find the honey.

Classroom Ideas: There some great examples of onomatopoeia as they all chase after the be (slap, bump, honk, tweddle-tweddle-squeak fump!) The theme is well-explained at the end. ("There is such sweetness inside of that book too!")

Aunt Chip and the Great Triple Dam Creek Affair

Author & Illustrator:   Patricia Polacco
Publisher:  Philomel
Publication Year:   1996
Location: Knox County Public Library- Lawson McGhee

Awards:   School Library Journal starred review

Summary:  In Triple Creek they love TV so much that they've forgotten what books are for. They use them to hold up roofs, mend fences, stuff potholes, and even fix the dam. Aunt Chip is appalled by these changes and tells her nephew Eli about books and the library.  She teaches him to read and he starts reading to the other kids. The kids start grabbing up all the books and then moving them makes the dam explode. When books rain from the sky, kids start teaching their parents to read again and the town rebuilds the school and library.

Classroom Ideas: This would be a good book to teach problem and solution. There is also good vocabulary (vowed, consequences, eiderdown) and dialect ("Now Eli took to reading like a beaver takes to gnawing wood, or a flea takes to a dirty little yella dog.")

My Rotten Red-Headed Older Brother

Author & Illustrator:   Patricia Polacco
Publisher:  Simon & Schuster
Publication Year:   1994
Location: Personal Collection

Awards:   ALA Notable, School Library Journal Best Book, American Bookseller Pick, Publisher's Weekly & School Library Journal starred reviews

Summary:  Tired of always losing to her brother, Patricia makes a wish upon a star that she can be better than him at something. The next day the carnival comes to town and Tricia rides the merry-go-round longer than her brother. But when she goes to get off, she falls, hurts herself, and he has to carry her home! From then on, her relationship with her brother gets a bit easier as she realizes what he will do for her.

Classroom Ideas: Another memoir from Patricia Polacco's life that kids could use as a mentor text and write a story about their own siblings. Polacco also draws strong characters. There's a stated theme: "Be very careful what you wish for....It just may come true!" but there are also strong themes of love, family, and competition.

Chicken Sunday

Author & Illustrator:   Patricia Polacco
Publisher:  Philomel
Publication Year:   1992
Location: Personal Collection

Awards:   Kirkus, School Library Journal, and Booklist starred reviews; Golden Kite Award for Illustration; ALA Notable, Booklist Editor's Choice, IRA Children's Choice Book

Summary:  After her beloved babushka's death, Patricia adopts her neighbors as new brothers and takes on their gramma as her own. The kids want to buy a special Easter hat for Gramma but they don't have enough money. The owner of the store where the hat is thinks that they vandalize his shop by throwing eggs at it, so to pay him back (even though they didn't do it) they make him Russian psysanky (painted) eggs. He offers to sell some in his shop to make money for the hat. In the end, he gives the hat to the children who are so proud to give it to Gramma.

Classroom Ideas:This is another book based on Patricia Polacco's life and an example of personal narrative. There are strong characters of different ethnicities. There's also some strong figurative language here- "a voice like slow thunder and sweet rain" "You'll be as flat as a hen's tongue")

Thank you, Mr. Falker

Author & Illustrator:   Patricia Polacco
Publisher:  Philomel
Publication Year:   1998
Location: Personal Collection

Awards:   Parent's Choice Award

Summary:  This is the autobiographical story of Patricia Polacco's fifth grade teacher. Tricia was unable to read because of dyslexia and was teased by the other kids. Her teacher, Mr. Falker, recognizes her challenges and her strengths and helps her learn to read.

Classroom Ideas:This could be a mentor text for a personal narrative about a student's own challenges or about someone who's made a difference in their life. Both Patricia and Mr. Falker are strong characters.