So Far From the Bamboo Grove

So Far From the Bamboo Grove
Written by: Yoko Kawashima Watkins

I choose to read So Far From the Bamboo Grove before Year of Impossible Goodbyes by Sook Nyul Choi.  I found this book to be a quick read.  I actually ended up finishing the book in 2 sittings because I had such a hard time putting it down.  I wanted to know what was going to happen next! ;)

The main character, who is often referred to as "Little One', is very well developed, and because of this she very easy to relate to.  While reading this story I felt as if I was in Little Ones shoes, and this may be due to the fact that the majority of the book is written through her P.OV.  I really enjoyed the love-hate relationship that "Little One" had with her sister, Ko.  I felt as though I was really able to connect with them because my sister and I have a similar type of relationship.  With saying that, I'm sure that other siblings that may experience this same type of relationship with one another.  This is beneficial because if a reader can find a personal connection with a story, it helps improve their comprehension and overall interest in the book.  A definite plus.

So from the sounds of it, this book is read by students typically in 5th grade (or there abouts).  If I was a middle school teacher (5/6 grade) I wouldn't be opposed to having this book read in my classroom.  Now, I think it would be a different story if the book was already implemented within the curriculum or if I was bringing it in on my own.  Regardless of the situation, I think that I would feel okay about it.  I think it also has a lot to do with your classroom dynamic, teacher experience, etc.  I would probably be feeling a little 'butterflies in the stomach'-like the first time a classroom discussion began because I'd be unaware as to what questions were going to be asked by the students.  Although I'm sure with experience my confidence level would rise.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book.  The story was told from an interesting view point that really expanded my current view on WWII.  My lack of knowledge of history is pathetic, however, I feel as though I understand the end of WWII a little better now that I did before.  What a great way to bring history and reading together!

Atlantic

Atlantic
By: G. Brian Karas

All I could think of while I read this story was this:  This would be a perfect book to use when my students are learning about the Atlantic ocean!  Indeed, it would be a great book to use :)

The book takes the perspective of the Atlantic ocean.  The ocean talks about its relatives the Pacific, Indian, Arctic and Antarctic and how its water travels from continent to continent.  Many other useful and important information is given to the reader through the eyes of the Atlantic ocean.  By doing this children may be able better comprehend the information given.  This book is recommended for students between the ages of 4 and 8.  I agree with the age range, however, I may push the max. age to 10.  I can definitely imagine teachers using this book in their classrooms when discussing oceans.  Even if students are familiar with the Atlantic ocean, a refresher picture book is always a fun option.  Furthermore, the illustrations within the book are fabulous.  They are very colorful, page filling, and cartoon-like.  They definitely grab the reader's attention and will help student engagement.  Always a plus!

Cat, You Better Come Home

Cat, You Better Come Home
By: Garrison Keillor
Paintings by: Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher

I was constantly thrown off guard while reading this story because everything that happened was very unexpected.  I feel as though there is a very strong underlying message in this story direct toward those who feel as though they must be in the spot light at all times.  This message, however, is hidden beneath cat characters.  Yes, literally the pet cat you all are thinking about.  The author creatively uses cats as main characters rather than humans, and by doing this Keillor is able to sugar coat the theme... make it a little softer and hidden.

I feel as though this book would be well-suited for children in 3rd-6th grade.  The language is a little complex and it may take some experience to understand what the underlying theme of the story is.  In fact, speaking of complex language, there were a handful of times when I simply had to sound out a word or, if the word was a name, acknowledge it and then skip it all together.  Due to this tougher language, this book may prove to be beneficial to use for a vocabulary lesson.

In conclusion I enjoyed this picture book because it is unlike any other book that I have read thus far.  It is written with a rhyming scheme and flows like a poem.  The illustrations are page-filling and rather dark.  I recommend reading this book :)

Pearl's New Skates

Pearl's New Skates
By:  Holly Keller

I feel that this students would have an easy time relating to this story.  Being able to make connections to a story helps readers stay more engaged with the text while reading and also helps improve their comprehension. Due to this, I would definitely place this book in my classroom library.  I can actually seeing this book being very useful to use when teaching reading strategies.  The teacher could read the book aloud to students and then ask about any connections to the story that they might have... have they had to work really hard in order to learn a new skill?  Have they ever wanted to give up on something before?  Has a grown-up ever helped you out?  All of these questions, and many more, can be useful to ask after reading this book.

This book is recommend for students of 4+.  I agree with 4 being at the bottom age range, however, I would put a limit on the "+" to 11.  This story may be easy to relate to however the language is somewhat simple and students above 11 years old may find it to be boring.  

Reflection Statement

My experience with the class thus far has been a positive one.

I have really enjoyed getting the opportunity to explore a wide range of children's literature.  When we started blogging the first week of the semester I randomly went into the curriculum lab and pulled any children's book I saw off of the shelf... now I go into the curriculum lab and take more time in deciding which book(s) I should blog about.  This class has taught me that some children's books are "better" (for lack of a better word) than others.  A picture book isn't merely a picture book... picture books offer a variety of characters, cover a wide range of topics, explore touch to teach topics, etc.  And in reality, some picture books are better than others depending on the purpose of the literature that you have in mind.

I also enjoyed the genre presentations.  The presentations were a perfect way to kick off the semester.  It opened my eyes to an variety of genres that my future students will more than likely be reading from.  I had no idea before this class that ABC books and wordless books were considered genres in children's literature.  Obviously this information is important for one to have and I am grateful that I was informed of this while taking this course.

Overall, the first half of the semester went well for me.  I look forward to watching my blog grow within the next month or so, and I look even more forward to the day when I'm a teacher and I can use this blog as a resource.  :)

Something Beautiful

Something Beautiful
Written by: Sharon Dennis Wyeth
Illustrated by: Chris K. Soentpiet

This a very sweet story about a young girl that lives in a place that is not "beautiful".  The streets are filled with garbage and the letters "D-I-E" are sprayed painted across her front door.  The pages of this book are filled with words and colorful illustrations that takes the reader on an adventure with the young girl to find something beautiful.

I would recommend this book to my students as a individual read and I would also consider reading this book aloud to the class.  I feel that this story could easily be placed on a 1st-4th grade classroom shelf.  The words are rather simple, however, the passages on the pages are sometimes rather lengthy.  Therefore this may book may appeal to an wide array of students.

The illustrations within the book are page-filling and quite detailed, and they do an excellent job of capturing the reader's attention.  I found this story to be a rather quick read, and this characteristic of the book may prove to be beneficial to students who are reluctant to read.

Grandfather's Journey

Grandfather's Journey
By: Allen Say

Grandfather's Journey is an award-winning and very sweet story about a Japanese man who immigrated to America, more specifically to the San Francisco Bay, Ca area.  The story takes you through his journey across the ocean and through the lands of America and then back to Japan again.  Whenever Grandfather is one location (Japan or America) he begins to miss the other.

This book would make for an excellent story to read aloud to a class during the study of Japanese-Americans.  Japanese culture is strongly prevalent throughout the book and the illustrations help aid the story.  I would recommend this book to my students and place it in my classroom library.  I feel that students in grades 3-6 would find this book most useful/meaningful.  Students in 2nd may be able to read this story however they may not comprehend the meaning behind the written word.

Overall I really enjoyed reading this book.  I feel that I will actually be able to use this book in my future classroom.  It's a cool feeling when you know that you discovered something really "good".  :)  The author, Allen Say, writes a hand-full of books that focus on Japanese-Americans.  Great topic to incorporate into your social studies class.    

Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum
By: Kevin Henkes

I was originally read this book to by my Block A teacher.  I hadn't read any of Kevin Henkes work before this, however, after I heard this story I decided to focus my author study on him.  He writes a bunch of different books that range in topic and age appropriateness.  Out of all 5 books I blogged about, this is my favorite.  The main character, Chrysanthemum, is well developed.  Her story is easily relatable to and one can easily put themselves in her shoes.

I would recommend this to all my students.  In fact, I would highly consider reading this book a loud to my students.  The main message of the story is an important one to share, and all students should be exposed to it:  Be happy with who you are and what you have been given.  You are unique and special.  

A writing prompt could easily be pulled from this book... write a passage in your Writer's Notebook about your name.  Do you like your name?  What do you know about your name?  Do you know where it came from?  Etc.  My Block A teacher this semester used the above prompts on our class and it was quite affective.        

Owen's Marshmallow Chick

Owen's Marshmallow Chick
By: Kevin Henkes

This book is intended for children 2 to 3 years old.  The language of the book is simple, and I feel that children over the age of 3 may be unchallenged by this book and find it to be boring.  The plot of the story is almost inexistent.  Perhaps inexistent isn't the correct word... a story-line does take place, however, it's rather simple and very unexciting.

I more than likely wouldn't offer this book in my classroom for 2 different reasons:  1.  It has a religious element to it (it mentions the Christian holiday Easter) and 2.  It's simple language would more than likely not be something my students would find interesting.  The only way I may have this book as a option in my classroom is if some students really struggle with reading and need a simpler book to read (I can see this being a possibly in a Kindergarden classroom).