The Lions of Little Rock

 

Levine, Kristin, and Annie B. Ericsson. The lions of Little Rock. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2012. Print.

ISBN:   9780399256448

Audience: Ages  9-14, Grade 4-8

Summary: It’s 1958 in Little Rock, Arkansas, and twelve year old Marlee doesn’t talk – at least not to anyone outside her family. But then she meets Liz who is brave and stands up to the mean girls. When Liz is forced to leave school because she was a black girl passing as while, Marlee has to take on the community and danger in order to keep her best friend.

Strengths:  While the historical context of this story makes it perfect for 5th grade curriculum integration, there is so much more here. The main character is a fully realized girl. Marlee shows courage and growth throughout the story, and the relationships she forms are amazing. The theme of having the courage to stand up for what is right resonates just as strongly for current times as it does in the historic setting.  Levine doesn't sugarcoat the realities of integration, but she also draws people who are not just one-dimensional. 

Weaknesses:  There are some instances of discrimination and prejudice that could be upsetting to particularly sensitive readers. Some background knowledge of the time period would probably help to make the book most accessible for readers.

Uses:  The historical elements of the book make it perfect for the TN 5^th grade standards that have to do with segregation and civil rights, but it would also be a good read aloud for other grades that are studying black history. The characters are wonderfully drawn (CCSS ELA:RL.3 Grades K-6), and the story elements would be easily identifiable (CCSS ELA: RL.5 Grades 2-5). 

Read-alikes:

·      Goin’ Someplace Special – Patricia C. McKissack (A picture book about growing up in the segregated South.)

·      A Friendship for Today – Patricia C. McKissack (A novel about desegregation in Missouri.)

·      The Watsons Go to Birmingham – Christopher Paul Curtis (A Michigan family travels to Birmingham and gets caught up in a racially charged environment.)

·      Through My Eyes – Ruby Bridges (memoir of Ruby Bridges about becoming the first black student at an elementary school in Louisiana) 

·      Ruby Bridges (movie) – Disney film about the segregation story of Ruby Bridges

Awards: 

NYT Editor’s Choice Award

Other:   Starred reviews from Kirkus, Publisher’s Weekly, School Library Journal

Resources for Librarians & Teachers:

Reader’s Guide: http://www.us.penguingroup.com/static/images/yr/pdf/LionsLittleRock_ReaderComp.pdf

The Great Migration: Journey to the North

Author: Eloise Greenfield
Illustrator: Jan Spivey Gilchrist 
Publisher:  Amistad
Publication Year:   2011
Location: Knox County Public Library- Lawson McGhee

Awards:   Coretta Scott King Award honor, Booklist Editor's Choice, ALSC Notable

Summary:  These poems are a person account of Eloise Greenfield's family as they migrated north from North Carolina to Washington DC in the early 1900s. The poems are poignant, telling the story of saying goodbye to everything they knew and then trying to have a fresh start in a new place.  The illustrations are a beautiful collage of oil paintings and actual photographs.

Classroom Ideas: A welcome addition to any classroom study of Jim Crow laws and the civil rights movement.

Extras: An author's introduction that explains her family's story and a collected bibliography of other resources on the time period.

White Socks Only

Author: Evelyn Coleman
Illustrator:   Tyrone Geter
Publisher:  Albert Whitman & Co.
Publication Year:   1996
Location: Knox County Public Library- Lawson McGhee

Awards:   1996 Notable Book for Children, Smithsonian Magazine; Pick of the Lists, American Bookseller

Summary:  A story told by an African American woman in a form of dialect. A girl sneaks off to town by herself wearing her finest Sunday outfit, including white socks. She wants to find some cement so she can test out the saying "It could get so hot you could fry an egg on the sidewalk." As she's walking, she says a water fountain with a sign that says "Whites Only." She takes off her good black shoes and hops up to the fountain wearing only her clean white socks. Of course she get caught and gets yelled at, but other people from the town start to join her and it becomes an act of civil disobedience. Although she gets whipped by a man, the mysterious "Chicken Man" rescues her and sends her home where she's praised for "doing some good."

Classroom Ideas: Such a great example of dialect. ("And child, was it hot! On that kind of day a firecracker might light up by itself.")
Also, the figurative language here is amazing, and the descriptions are wonderful. If I was reading this with kids, I'd read the narrator's description of herself without letting them see the illustration and then have them draw her.
Obviously, the content fits perfectly with a discussion about segregation and Jim Crow laws. It is especially interesting to think about the awakening of children to the prejudice that was all around them and would be a great companion to the book Goin' Someplace Special.

Extras:

The Butterfly

Author & Illustrator:   Patricia Polacco
Publisher:  Philomel
Publication Year:   2000
Location: Knox County Public Library- Halls

Awards: School Library Journal & Kirkus starred reviews, Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People

Summary:  Monique lives in France during the Nazi occupation when she discovers that her family has hidden a Jewish family with a young daughter named Sevrine. Although she is scared of the Nazi soldiers, she does not let on that she has discovered Sevrine's existence and the two girls become friends. Monique brings Sevrine gifts from the outside - flowers, earth, and even a butterfly. When the next door neighbor sees Sevrine, the family must run taking Monique's beloved pet with them and leaving a gold Star of David necklace in return.  One day months later, tens of butterflies visit Monique in her garden and she is sure that they are a sign from Sevrine of her family's safety.

Classroom Ideas: A beautiful addition to any class study of World War II and the Holocaust, as well as a story of bravery and friendship.

Extras: In the author's note, Polacco explains that this is a family story of her great-aunt Marcel and her aunt Monique. Sevrine and Monique continue to be friends.

Just in Time, Abraham Lincoln

Author & Illustrator:   Patricia Polacco
Publisher:  G.P. Putnam's Sons
Publication Year:   2011
Location: Knox County Public Library- Halls

Awards:   School Library Journal starred review

Summary:  Patricia Polacco combines time travel with a fictionalized accounting of Antietam, the bloodiest one day battle of the Civil War (23,000 dead & wounded). A grandmother takes her two world-weary grandsons on a "no electronics" trip to Harper's Ferry, West Virginia to a Civil War exhibit. The two boys try on some Union uniforms and then head off through a giant wooden door. On the other side, they find themselves in the middle of Antietam right after the battle in 1862. They accompany the photographer Matthew Brady and Abraham Lincoln as they visit the encampment and battlefield where thousands of soldiers fought. They tell Lincoln to stay strong, that one day a black man will become president, and they show him a 2007 penny. They run back to their own time and their grandmother who assures them that it was an reenactment....or was it?

Classroom Ideas: An addition to a class study of the Civil War.

Extras: Author's note explaining the realities of Antietam and the areas in which Polacco fictionalized the battle, Bibliography

January's Sparrow

Author & Illustrator: Patricia Polacco  
Publisher:  Philomel
Publication Year:   2009
Location: Knox County Public Library- Lawson McGhee

Awards:   SC School Book Award, Sequoyah Award, Charlotte Award,

Summary:  Eight year old Sadie "Sparrow" Crosswhite is a slave. She and her family watch in horror as a runaway slave, January, is drug into the year and whipped. Sadie is devastated as she remembers January giving her a carved sparrow when he told her that he was "fixin' to fly." After learning that the master was planning to auction of Sparrow's brother, her family flees on the Underground Railroad. They finally make it to Marshall, Michigan, where the whole town is part of the railroad. Sadie makes a new friend named Polly, but the family is still worried that the slave patrols are tracking them. One morning, Sadie's carved sparrow turns up on their doorstep and soon the master's soon and other trackers show up to drag the Crosswhite family away. The whole town rallies around them, but the white men quote the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 that the family can be taken back to their rightful owner. January even shows up to back the family but they are brought in front of a judge, Polly's father -- who jails the men for attempting kidnapping so the family has time to flee to Canada. After the war, Sadie returns to Marshall for good. With Polacco's typical marker and pen sketches, this 94 page picture book tells a true story from the town where she lives. 

Classroom Ideas: Obviously there is a lot of historical content here about the Underground Railroad and slavery. There is vocabulary from the time period as well (paddy rollers= slave patrols that captured runaways). The story is told in slave dialect and contains many instances of figurative language ("You lovin' one of the white folks is like a dog lovin' the hickory what beats it.")

Electric Ben: The Amazing Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin

Author & Illustrator:  Robert Byrd
Publisher: Dial Books
Publication Year:  2012
Location: Knox County Public Library- Powell

Awards:  Sibert honor, Horn Book Best Nonfiction, Kirkus Best Book,

Summary: A biography of the founding father Benjamin Franklin with a great deal of text, obviously intended for older readers. In the four columns per spread, the story of Franklin's life and accomplishments is told in details. The writer tries to capture Franklin's personality and character through the anecdotes and events from his life. The layout of the book is referential of early newspapers  of the Revolutionary time with inset quotations from Franklin's writings and full-color captioned sketches. There are so many places here for young readers to stop and stare and study the details.

Classroom Ideas: Class study of the American Revolution, founding fathers, and Franklin.

Extras:The endpapers contain many of Franklin's famous sayings, an author's note with information about how Byrd chose the stories in the book and how he would create the pictures, a comprehensive timeline, and a bibliography

America is Under Attack

Author & Illustrator:   Don Brown
Publisher:  Roaring Brook Press
Publication Year:   2011
Location: Knox County Public Library- Powell

Awards:   School Library Journal Best Nonfiction, Horn Book Best Nonfiction, ALA Notable

Summary:  The book tells the story of the 911 attacks on the United States, geared towards younger readers who are too young to remember the day.  Told in a simple straightforward tone, the book includes many quotes from people who were actually present. Even though the book never seeks to dwell on the horrors, it also respects young readers well enough to not pull any punches about what truly happened. The line and watercolor illustrations add the perfect detail.

Classroom Ideas: Every intermediate classroom should have this book available when the anniversary of 911 comes along.

Extras: Author's note that explains what happened after the attacks and the numbers of lives lost; a bibliography; and Source Notes crediting the people interviewed.

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.

Smoky Nights

Author: Eve Bunting
Illustrator: David Diaz  
Publisher:  Harcourt Brace & Company
Publication Year:   1994
Location: Personal Collection

Awards:   Caldecott Medal, ALA Notable, School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, Parent's Choice Award Winner

Summary:  Daniel and his mother watch during the Los Angeles riots and are forced to flee as their building begins to burn.  They discover that their cat and that of their Korean neighbor are both missing.  The community gathers in a shelter to escape the fire and the looting and the cats are found. The book does touch on sensitive subjects, but it ends hopefully with the two cats teaching the humans a lesson about getting along. Diaz's collage art is incredible incorporating real objects with paintings.

Classroom Ideas: This book could be used in a discussion about late 20th century history and riots. It also touches on problem solving and tolerance for difference. An art teacher could use it talk about collage.

Snowflake Bentley

 

Author: Jacqueline Briggs Martin
Illustrator:  Azarian
Publisher:  Houghton Mifflin
Publication Year:   1998
Location: Knox County Public Library- Powell

Awards:  Caldecott Medal

Summary: This is a biography of Wilson Bentley, who grew up on a farm in Vermont and loved snow.  He spent his lifetime studying snow and eventually was the first person to be able to photograph snowflakes. The woodcut illustrations evoke the perfect historical feel for the story.

Classroom Ideas: In my 5th grade classroom, I used this to study the scientific method. The scientific facts included in the sidebars make it fascinating for older students to read the book in more detail on their own.

Grandfather's Journey

 

Author & Illustrator:  Allen Say
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Publication Year:  1993
Location: Knox County Public Library- Powell

Awards:  Bulletin Blue Ribbon, Caldecott Medal, ALA Notable, Booklist Editors' Choice, Horn Book Award, School Library Journal Best Book, NYT Best Illustrated  

Summary: Through the story of his Grandfather's life in both America and Japan, Say tells the story of immigrants and immigration. His poignant words and beautiful watercolors explain the feelings of love for two different countries.

Classroom Ideas:This book could be used to teach mood through a discussion of both Grandfather and the narrator's feelings. It would also be a good example of point of view. I used it in my 5th grade classroom in our study of immigration as well as referring back to it when we talked about World War II.

The Gardener

Author:  Sarah Stewart
Illustrator: David Small
Publisher: Farrar, Straus, & Giroux
Publication Year:  1997
Location: Knox County Public Library- Powell

Awards: Caldecott Honor, NYT Notable Children's Book of the Year 

Summary:  Lydia moves to the city to stay with her Uncle Jim and work to help her family. She brings her love of gardening with her and transforms the roof of her uncle's building. This epistolary story is told through Lydia's letters home to her family. The extraordinary illustrations use color and detail in unexpected ways to accentuate the themes of the story. I loved this book!

Classroom Ideas: The setting of this book is the depression era, and it would add to a study of that time. It could also be used to talk about the themes of bravery, determination, and generosity. Lydia's character comes through what she says and does, and the author never tells the reader anything directly which would be wonderful for teaching characterization in writing. It would also work well for teaching friendly letter form.

Tar Beach

 

Author & Illustrator:  Faith Ringold
Publisher:  Crown Publishers
Publication Year:  1991
Location: Knox County Public Library- Powell

Awards:  Parent's Choice Award, Caldecott Honor, Coretta Scott King Award, Reading Rainbow Feature Selection, New York Time Best Illustrated Book


Summary: Cassie Louise Lightfoot, an eight year old who lives in the New York City dreams of flying over the city. She imagines being able to claim it as hers and being free to belong anywhere she goes. The combination of painting and quilt-making makes for exquisite illustrations that invite the reader to examine them in great detail.

Classroom Ideas:  Set in the 1930s, this book would be an excellent resource for teachers to introduce the ideas of prejudice and the problems of immigrants. My 3rd grade daughter used this book as an inspiration in art class for a quilting project.

Peppe the Lamplighter

Author: Elisa Barton
Illustrator: Ted Lewin
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Year: 1992
 Location: Knox County Public Library- Powell

Awards:  Caldecott Honors Books, ALA Notable Children's Books

Summary: Peppe is an Italian immigrant who gets a job lighting street lamps in order to help his ailing father support his family. His father disapproves but his job ends up helping to save his younger sister, and he makes the whole family proud. The way the illustrator depicts light is truly beautiful.

Classroom Ideas: This would be a perfect book for discussing early 20th century immigration and child labor. An art teacher could also use it to teach about using shading and color in illustrations.

The Cats in Krasinki Square

Author: Karen Hesse
Illustrator: Wendy Watson
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication Year: 2004
Location: Personal Collection

Awards: Sydney Taylor Book Awards Honor Book 2004 Older Readers, ALA Notable Book for Children 2005

Summary: This is a book about a  Jewish girl living in Warsaw during the Nazi occupation. The girl and her sister and friends use stray cats to trick the Nazi gestapo to smuggle food into the Ghetto. This book could be used with young children as a lesson in bravery.

Classroom Ideas: I used this book in my 5th grade classroom each year when teaching about World War II and the Nazis' treatment of other Europeans. The washed out colors of the illustrations perfectly convey the sadness of the time period without delving too deeply into the horrors of the Holocaust. The factual information in the afterward gives details about the true story that forms the basis for the book.