Love, Ruby Lavendar by Deborah Wiles

Another great book by Deborah Wiles. This story is about a little girl named Ruby Lavendar growing up in a small town. We are introduced to this unique character as she is liberating chickens with her grandmother. The special bond these two share transcends time and location. They are separated after Eula (Ruby’s grandmother) flies to Hawaii to visit her son. Ruby is lost without her best friend to pal around with and writes her often to tell keep her informed on the local happenings. She tells her about the baby chicks that are about to hatch, and about the quarrels she continues to have with Melba Jane, and about the new girl who moved to town (Dove). It is evident from the letters how lonely Ruby feels without her grandmother. She has no one to turn to when two of the baby chicks die after Melba Jane throws rocks into the greenhouse in retaliation for the loss of her hair after a can of paint is dumped on her head while she attempting to free herself from Beammie (one of the liberated chickens) during play rehearsals. All is well at the end of the story when Ruby finally lets go of the guilt she has been carrying around concerning her grandfather’s death, and Eula returns home.

It is apparent from the very beginning of this book that Ruby and Melba blame each other and themselves for the tragedy that caused the death of their loved ones. Ruby lost her beloved grandfather and Melba her father. They each dealt with their grief by lashing out at each other. Melba openly blamed Ruby and wanted to publicly humiliate her whenever she could, while Ruby tried her best to either avoid or attack Melba, depending on the situation at the time. These two characters remind me of Comfort and Declaration in Each Little Bird That Sings. Each of the girls seems to be subconsciously angry with the other girl and this anger causes untold misunderstandings. You want to tell Ruby to explain to Melba how she is feeling. The more she bottles up her resentment toward Melba, and vise versa, the wider the gap seems to grow between them. One characteristic of realistic fiction is that characters deal with real life situations, and this is so true for these two characters. How often do we see simple misunderstandings grow into full-blown arguments because of the lack of communication between the two parties involved. As soon as the two girls decide to forgive each other for something they had no control over, they were able to let go and begin to heal.

This story is about more than the conflict that is brewing between Ruby and Melba. There is also the strong bond that Ruby and her grandmother share. This bond is one that even the smallest readers will be able to relate to and connect with. I found myself thinking about my own grandmother and the many special traditions we share. One of my fondest memories is of helping in the garden while visiting each summer. It was not a very big garden, but we would spend hours spending time together as we went about pulling the endless supply of weeds. She taught me how to string the beans and then cook them using her special recipe. She was a big history buff, and spent hours each day researching our family history. I loved to sit and listen to her tell me stories about our ancestors as we worked in that garden together. It made me feel like we were all connected, even though many of them had passed away long ago. Ruby shares this same connection with her grandmother. It’s her grandmother that keeps her grounded as she deals with her grief and guilt in her own unique way.

I enjoyed reading this book. It is a story that even the smallest readers will be able to connect with. I would use this book to introduce the art of writing letters to my students. We would talk about the parts of the letter, and then I would have them pick either a friend or a relative to correspond with. It would be great if their relative lived in another town so that we could mail the letters to them. Students would enjoy receiving a letter of their own in the mail. I would also use this book to highlight the characters in the story. We would compare the two girls and discuss the similarities and differences between them. They have many things in common which causes the rift between them. We could also use this book as an introduction to the study of birds, chickens in particular. We could discuss the life-cycle of the chickens and talk about the changes that are occurring inside the eggs as they grow and begin to hatch. This book could also be used to teach conflict and resolution. The two girls continue to get themselves into trouble as they continually argue with each other. We could discuss other ways to solve their problems besides lashing out at one another. There are many possibilities when it comes to extending this book.

Dragons And Giants Read Aloud & Philosophical Discussion

I introduced the activity to my students by explaining to them that we were going to talk about a character trait called Bravery. It is a character trait that is often admired by other people. I explained to them that I wanted them to keep this trait in mind as they listened to the story Dragons and Giants from the book Frog and Toad Together.

I then read aloud the book to my students. I had them summarize what happened in the story and then we began our discussion. I started out by asking them to tell me how you look when you are brave? Several of the students responded to this question by making a very stern angry face, which led me into the discussion about whether or not you had a special look on your face. Calvin raised his hand and said that you can’t tell by looking at someone because Frog and Toad don’t look any different in the book. I then asked them if they thought a brave person would walk in a certain way. James raised his hand and said “yes they would.” He thought that a brave person would stomp their feet a lot because they have to be very strong. I asked if anyone else agreed with him and several students felt the same way. Jesse did not agree with James, and felt that a brave person would walk kind of funny (he demonstrated the walk for us). All of the students did feel that a brave person does look different in some way, but they’re still not sure how yet.

We then discussed the nature of bravery. I asked them if doing something that is hard to do shows that they are brave. Calvin said that he didn’t think so because it might not be scary, and he thought that to be brave you had to do something that you were scared to do. I asked if anyone else felt this way, and Salem said that she thought you could be brave without being afraid, because you could be afraid when you first started doing something but then you could start to like it and then you wouldn’t be afraid anymore. Several students agreed with her. Jesse shared his experience of learning how to ride his bike. He was very scared at first, but after he tried it the first time he wasn’t scared anymore. He felt that he was very brave to learn to ride his bike because his dad told him he was. I asked him how his dad knew he was brave. Could other people tell when you are being brave? He said that he could tell because he wasn’t crying or anything even though he was scared and that’s how his dad could tell he was brave. I asked if anyone thought differently, and most of the students agreed that other people can tell you are being brave because you are not crying. We then talked about whether other people can be wrong when they say you are brave. The general consensus was that no, people can tell when you are brave or not.

I then led the discussion toward bravery and fear. I asked the students if Frog and Toad were brave even though they jumped away from danger. Dylan said that yes they were because they didn’t run away screaming. They only jumped out of the way. I asked if anyone felt differently and they all seemed to agree with him. I then asked them if Frog and Toad could have done anything differently. Austin said that they should have fought off the snake with a big stick (like a sword). Most of the other students felt that they did what they should have done though. We then talked about whether Toad was brave even though he was shivering, and most students agreed that he was still brave because he didn’t run away. We then discussed if being scared when you face danger shows that you are not brave. Several students said that being scared was part of being brave. They felt that brave people did things that they were scared to do. I asked them if doing something dangerous is what made us brave. This question seemed to confuse them, so I gave them the example of jumping off the top of a cliff. Sarah said that was not a brave thing to do because you would kill yourself. No one disagreed with her statement. I learned that the majority of the students felt that being scared was part of being brave and that brave people don’t intentionally try to hurt themselves.

We then talked about the concept of bravery itself. I asked students if Frog and Toad were still brave when they hid under the covers when they got home. The majority of them felt that this was not a brave thing to do. I asked them what they do after they do something really scary. Chandler said that he hugs his mom and dad real tight. I asked him if this meant that he wasn’t really brave then. He said no because he still did the scary thing. I asked if anyone felt any differently, and everyone seemed to agree with Chandler. I asked them if this meant that it was o.k. to have some time to recover from the excitement of doing something dangerous then. Sophia said that it was, because she rode a very scary ride at the fair once, and she had to sit down after she got off of it because her knees were shaking very badly, but she was still brave because she got on the ride. Everyone agreed with Sophia that she was brave. I then asked them if they felt that someone had to be brave all of the time. Salem said that it was o.k. to not be brave some of the time, especially when someone wants you to do something really, really scary, like going through the Haunted House at Fall Creek. Calvin agreed with her because he said he was too scared to do that too. I then asked them to tell me what it meant to be brave then. Calvin said that it was when you did something that made your insides feel kind of funny. Austin said that it was when you did something you were scared to do. Everyone agreed that this statement was true.

This was a very enlightening activity for me. I was nervous at first because I wasn’t sure how my students would handle this kind of discussion. What a learning experience for me though. I was amazed at how insightful young children can be. It took some coaxing to get them to understand that int his type of discussion there is no wrong answer, and that we value each of their opinions. They really enjoyed being able to open up and share their thoughts and beliefs with the other students. I am definitely going to implement this activity into my instruction next year. It opens the door for some wonderful discussions, and gives our students the opportunity to think deeply and explore their beliefs.

Freedom Summer

This book is about a remarkable friendship between two boys, Joe and John Henry. These boys have many things in common, they both like to play marbles, they both love to swim, and they enjoy getting a cold treat on a hot summer day. There is one significant difference between the two boys though, the color of their skin, which causes the boys to live very different lives. Joe can swim in the public pool and walk in the store to buy an ice pop. John Henry is not given this privilege. He has to dam up the creek to have a place to swim and he has to wait outside the store for Joe to bring him a treat. The friendship perseveres despite the prejudices of the people living in their hometown. One afternoon they get some very exciting news, the public pool is going to be open for ALL people starting the next day. They wake up early and race to the pool the next day only to find that it has been filled with asphalt. They quickly learned that the townspeople were not yet prepared to open their hearts to the kind of change that was coming.

This is a historical fiction set in the 1960’s during the civil rights movement. Wiles does a great job of blending the historical setting, events, and figures in this story (Marjorie). It is an inspiring story about friendship, fairness, peace, and tolerance. Joe and John Henry share a bond in spite of the differences in their skin color, and in spite of the beliefs of the townspeople around them. They are able to look beyond outward appearances and appreciate each other for their unique qualities. They enjoy spending time with each other much like other boys of the same race do. We get the feeling that the boys don’t even see their skin color when they are together until they encounter other people and are faced with the strict rules regarding people of color. Joe feels embarrassed at the store because his friend has to hide outside while he is able to walk freely into the store to purchase the ice pops. This reminds me of an African-American friend I had when I was in the fourth grade in Milton, Florida. We had a lot of fun playing together, but encountered problems when we got around other children and adults, especially our own families. They were not ready to open their hearts to such a friendship, so eventually we stopped hanging out together. I often wonder what came of her.

This is a historical period piece in that the historical context is the focal point for the story. We are drawn into this time period by the characters, who tell us the story about the customs, morals, and values of the historical period being discussed (Marjorie). Through this book readers are introduced to a volatile movement that was occurring in our country, the civil rights movement. It was a time when people of color were fighting to have the same rights and privileges as white people. It’s easy to see why this book won both the Ezra Jack Keats book award and the Coretta Scott King award. It portrays the universal qualities of childhood, and the multicultural nature of our world.

I would use this book as a read aloud in my classroom to cover the following objectives:
1.03 Compare and contrast similarities and differences among individuals and families.

1.04 Explore the benefits of diversity in the United States.

2.05 Identify the need for fairness in rules by individuals and by people in authority.

3.02 Describe past and present changes within the local community.

3.04 Recognize that members of the community are affected by changes in the community that occur over time.

Students will be given the opportunity to compare the boys as well as the time period vs. today. They can also write a letter from the point of view of one of the boys describing what life was like for them. The characters in this book invite us to learn more about their time period and introduce our students to a sensitive issue.

Countdown by Deborah Wiles

Countdown is a documentary novel about a little girl named Franny who is searching for peace during a troubled time. She is growing up in an era when the threat of nuclear attack is more real than ever especially since the Russians have started shipping missiles to Cuba, a mere 90 miles off the coast of Florida. Franny’s relationship with her best friend is strained, she is living with an uncle who seems to be losing his mind, and her sister is on the verge of leaving home. She begins to feel isolated and invisible, especially when her teacher begins to skip over her during class. This book tells the story about how Franny became aware of her inner strength, and her value as a person. We journey with her as she stands up for herself at a party, as she explores her first crush on a boy, and as she comes to appreciate those she loves.

This story is one that could have been told by many adults today as they reminisce about their childhood in 1962. While the story is imaginary, characters and events introduced could really have occurred. The story is based on historical facts and the story is skillfully blended with historical settings, historical figures, and historical events (Marjorie). Deborah Wiles introduces readers to the historical facts behind the story through ads, articles, and biographical inserts about historical figures. The article about building your own bomb shelter helps the reader connect to the fear that the people must have felt during this time period. The threat of attack on our country is a fear that is real for us today, although the nature of the attack has changed. This book introduces students to the Cuban Missile Crises, which took place over a span of 14 days, but must have felt like an eternity for those that lived through it. It was the closest the U.S. ever came to an all out Nuclear war.

Students in a fifth grade classroom will find it easy to connect with Franny as she tells her story. She struggles with some of the same issues they face. As they grow into young adults their friendships will evolve and change as well, and they have to cope with aging grandparents, and their siblings grow up and leave home which gives them a feeling of being left behind. Franny became so real to me as I was reading this book. The use of stories within stories also helps the reader feel like they have stepped into the book with Franny. We feel her fear as the air raid siren goes off at school, and as she sails across the gravel pit for the first time. We begin to whisper in her ear “Don’t do it Franny,” as she steals the key and breaks into her sisters hope chest. I remember a time when I envied my sister and often found myself admiring her things and dreamed of being just like her when I grew up. Deborah Wiles has given us all the opportunity to live in the 60’s through Franny. I get the feeling that although, it was scary for the residents to live with the constant fear of a nuclear attack, it was also a simpler time when people enjoyed spending time with each other more so than we do now. Our students get so caught up with their cell phones, video games, social networking, and the unlimited access to television shows that they are losing the ability to just enjoy being a kid. This book will introduce them to some of the family values that have gone by the wayside in this new digital age.

I would use this book as a read aloud in a 5th grade classroom to connect to the social studies objective concerning U.S. History. We would pull out and study the cold war, the Cuban missile crises, and the civil rights movement. I would have my students create a timeline for each event, which will help bring it into perspective for them. We would also research historical figures that were key to each event, and through literature learn more about them. There are key events that bring about the start of the cold war, the start of the Cuban missile crises, and the civil rights movement that students need to understand in order to understand the mind-set of the people living during this critical time period. We can’t just talk about the events themselves without giving our students the background knowledge they need in order to think critically about the time period. I would want them to compare the past to the present and discuss some of the similarities and differences that can be found. Has the mind-set of the American people changed since 1962? Have all the changes that have occurred been good? These are questions we would explore together.

Another extension activity would be to have my students work together in small groups to create a poster or Powerpoint about a historical event or a historical figure from this time period. They would be expected to use their own research as well as literature when gathering their facts. This would allow them to explore and build upon the knowledge they gained from this book.

Related links and videos
http://www.civildefensemuseum.com/cdmuseum2/shelter.html

http://www.coldwar.org/museum/exhibits.asp

Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves

Bio-poem
Bass
Fearless, cunning, respected and bigger than life.
Husband of Jennie, and father to eleven children.
Lover of God, freedom, fairness, and justice.
Who feels hopeful, and has a strong sense of duty.
Who finds happiness in doing his job well.
Who needs respect despite his African-American heritage.
Who brought law and order to the lawless Indian Territory.
Who fears killing out of anger, unnecessary violence, and loss.
Who would like to see peace in his time.
Who enjoys dressing up and playing a part in order to catch his man peacefully.
Who likes to wear a wide-brimmed black hat and two Colt pistols on his belt when hunting down outlaws.
Resident of the Indian Territory.
Reeves

Bass Reeves is one of the most remarkable heroes of the Old West. He began his life as a slave and gained his freedom after the Civil War. He had a strong sense of right and wrong, and decided to take a job as a deputy U.S. Marshall in the Indian Territory. He would hunt down violent criminals and bring them to justice. Bass Reeves was a larger than life lawman, and when lawbreakers heard that he had their warrant they knew they would soon be caught since he always got his man. Reeves used violence as a last resort when hunting down criminals, and often pretended to be someone else to get close to the outlaws and bring them in peacefully. Of the more than 3,000 outlaws he brought to justice, only 14 of them were killed in the line of duty. Bass Reeves was a highly respected lawman until the day he died. His story is one that inspires us all to make a difference in our world.

Do Re Mi: If You Can Read Music, Thank Guido d’Arezzo

Long ago people had to memorize music in order to be able to sing it again later. If they forgot the song it was lost forever. One man changed all of this. His name is Guido d’Arezzo. He came up with a system of notes that could be used to write the sounds in songs. This book tells the story of this remarkable mans life. People were against the kind of change that Guido was inspired to create. The music instructors felt that written music would make them obsolete because children would be able to teach themselves how to sing the songs. Because of this resistance Guido decided to move to Pomposa, where he lived with the monks. His ideas for written music was met with resistance by all of the monks except one, Micheal. With Micheal’s encouragement Guido began to toy with his ideas about how to go about writing music notes. He struggled to bring his dream to life for many years, but was finally able to come up with a system that worked. It still took many years for the idea of written music to be accepted, and it wasn’t until he began to teach the children that it finally caught on. Even the Pope came to appreciate Guido’s invention of music notes.

This is another excellent book by Susan Roth. Her collages draw us into the book, into a time long ago. The story will inspire even our youngest readers to try their hands at inventions. I especially love the amount of details and different perspectives that Roth includes in all of her collages. We get the feeling that we are sitting in the room with the children as they practice singing their songs. The use of the many pieces of paper with musical notes scattered on the floor as Guido attempts to get his many ideas down reminds me of my own struggle to get my thoughts on paper. It’s amazing the amount of crumbled pieces of paper that hit the floor as I write and then rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. Roth also uses thick frames for some of her illustrations, which gives the impression that we are following Guido throughout his day. The thick bold lines also speak to me about the strength of Guido’s character. He had to be strong in order to follow his dream in spite of the resistance he met from all of the towns people and the monks. The use of soothing colors gives us the feeling that this time period is one of peace, and that the people in the story were comfortable with life as it was.

I enjoyed learning about this fascinating man and came to appreciate his gift to our world. It is especially important for my daughter Amber who plays the saxophone in the high school band. She amazes me as she picks up a song that she’s never seen before and plays it beautifully. Without Guido’s contribution this would not be possible. I would definitely use this book as a read aloud in my first grade classroom. We would discuss how Guido’s invention of music notes impacted the world we live in. I would ask them to describe some other inventions that have impacted our lives in a positive way. We would then choose some of them to research, and then we would use our new found knowledge to write a class book.

Great Big Guinea Pigs

Did you know that Guinea Pigs the size of Buffalo used to roam the earth? This book is full of facts about the history of the lovable pets that children all over the world have come to love. A mother Guinea Pig shares the story with us as she puts her baby to bed. We learn that the small Guinea Pigs of today have huge ancestors that once roamed swampy areas in Venezuela. They were herbivores that grazed on the thick lush grass found there. We also learn that their ancestors used to walk upright and balanced themselves with their long tails. They lived in harmony with giant turtles, giant alligators, tall birds, and other large animals. The size of the animals was due the limited amount of predators located in the area as well as their access to the vast food supply. Guinea Pigs began to evolve into the small cuddly pets of today after the land bridge between South and North America appeared. This land bridge became an access route for many of the fiercer predators found in North America as they traveled south to search for food. The large mammals in South America had to adapt in order to escape. They became smaller and quicker than their ancestors.

I was very interested in this book. Susan Roth presented the facts in this story in a way that all readers can relate to. The story is told from the perspective of a mother telling her child a bedtime story. The use of collages gives us the feeling that we are in the cage with the mother and her baby as they get ready for bed. Once again I’m amazed at the smallest details that Roth is able to include in her illustrations. The sharp teeth of the giant Guinea Pigs makes them appear more fierce than their small counterparts. The placement of the text as well of the illustrations aides in the creation of page turns which invite the reader to explore more about these awesome creatures. Roth uses diagonal lines to depict the active lives the ancient creatures led in their swampy home. Roth uses full bleeds in her illustrations to clue the reader in to the vastness of the swampy area being described.

I was inspired to learn more about the fascinating history of these wonderful creatures after reading this book. I immediately researched them using Google and couldn’t read enough about them. My first thought was “No Way!” I soon found out that there was truth to this story as I read all about the fossil that was found long ago. They really were that big! I can’t wait to read this book to my students. After reading this book we would research more about the giants we read about. We would talk about how they had adapted, and I would introduce them to other extinct animals. I would have them pick an animal that is extinct today or one that had adapted over the years and have them write a “Wow” nonfiction book about their animal.

The Biggest Frog in Australia

This is a story about a very thirsty frog who drinks up all of the water in Australia. It is based on an Aboriginal myth that takes place at the time of creation or “Dreamtime.” All of the other animals are upset with the greedy frog as they begin to wilt away from thirst. They come up with a plan to trick the frog into releasing the water supply. The idea is to make the frog laugh, which will cause him to release the water as he opens his mouth wide. Each of the animals takes a turn telling a joke or performing a funny action, but the frog is uninspired until he sees some thirst crazed eels dancing around. Their antics saved the day as the water supply was returned and the animals were finally able to quench their thirst.

Susan Roth uses text placement to illustrate the movement of the animals as they attempt to make the big frog laugh. The collages used in the illustrations add depth to the animals and gives the impression that they are about to jump off the page. Ross uses vibrant colors to depict the heritage of the setting in the story. The use of diagonal lines also gives the impression of movement as the animals pitch in to accomplish the task at hand. The use of real eucalyptus leaves gives the story an added dimension and makes them appear to be real.

I would use this book as a read aloud in my classroom. We would talk about the myth found in this story, and also discuss the significant change the frog made after he drank up all of the water supply. We would explore other myths about animals. I would then have my students try their hand at writing a myth.

Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah

This book introduces children to Hanukkah. The book is written in verse and the actual song is included in the back of the book. Readers are introduced to the vocabulary and symbols associated with the celebrated holiday. It is written from the perspective of a family of mice as they participate in the celebration.

Susan Roth uses collage to depict the many symbols and characters found in this story. The complex and detailed illustrations are packed with essential elements that aid in the telling of this story. Roth uses full bleeds and diagonal lines to depict the activities associated with Hanukkah.

Students will enjoy reading this book and trying their hand at singing the song. I would use this book to launch a discussion about Hanukkah, and what it means to Jewish people. We would then discuss and research other holiday celebrations around the world. We would use the knowledge we gain from our research to write a class book on holiday celebrations.

Questions for Susan Roth

1. What drew you into creating collages rather than using another artistic media?

2. Who do you think is the most influential illustrator today?