BIBLIOGRAPHY
Krull, Katleen. 2007. Marie Curie. Ill. Boris Kulikov. New York: Viking. ISBN 9780670058945.
PLOT SUMMARY
Marie Curie was born Maria Skłodowska on November 7, 1867. She grerw up in Warsaw, Poland which was at that time under the domination od Russia. Excelling in school, Marie became a teacher after graduation. In 1891, she moved to Paris to further her education were she earned degrees in the physical sciences and mathematics. It was in Paris that she met Pierre Curie and in 1895 they were married. Fascinated by recent discovery of radioactive phenomena, she began her own research and went on to discover radium and polonium (last one named after her native Poland). She won two Nobel Prizes for her research and became international celebrity. Her work on radium continued throughout her life and, sadly, resulted in her death. After decades of exposure to radioactive substances, Marie curie died in 1934 from radiation poisoning.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Kathleen Krull gives thorough coverage of the life of Marie Curie from her birth and school years to her fame as one of the world’s greatest scientists and her tragic death. The vocabulary of the text is adult with an occasional modern slang expression to appeal to young readers. The illustrations by Boris Kulikov are dark and claustrophobic, limning a life spent frequently in confine workrooms and laboratories. Included also are a bibliography, a list of web sites, and a comprehensive index. Krull’s book is an exellent introduction to the life of this famous scientist and should act as gateway to other resources.
REVIEW EXCERPT
“Gr 4-8 --A refreshing look at the renowned scientist, warts and all. Curie was born in Poland in 1867 to a family that valued education.(…) This enlightening portrait of Curie goes beyond the basic facts of her life. It conveys her successes and remarkable achievements, but also the affair the widowed Curie had with a married man and her workaholic nature. The scattered drawings further humanize the subject but add little to the presentation. Nonetheless, this is a realistic portrait of a flesh-and-blood woman, not just a famous name. ”
Oravec, K. (2007). Marie Curie. School Library Journal, 53(12), 154. http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2053 Retrieved October 26, 2009, from Academic Search Complete
5. CONNECTIONS
McClafferty, C. K. (2006). Something out of nothing: Marie Curie and radium. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux. ISBN: 9780374380366
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
NONFICTION
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Jenkins, Steve. Down, Down, Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Books For Children. ISBN: 978618966363.
PLOT SUMMARY
This is a young person’s introduction to marine life and the wold of the oceans. Jenkins begins by describing the oceans in general, then progresses to the birds and fish that live above and on the surface, then plunges into the many levels below to present the varied forms of undersea life.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Jenkins divides his book into separate two page spreads that cover different aspects of the subject. The illustrations combine detail with simplicity in a way that captures the mysteries of t he deep. The accompanying text provides essential information about the area covered. Each spread also has an adjunct in the back of the book where more detailed information is provided. This method presents those readers who want to learn more with the opportunity to do so without disrupting the flow of the primary text. Each section also has a helpful “depth gauge” showing to what level the information pertains. This helps to orient the reader in his explorations. “Down, Down, Down…” is an excellent place for middle- schoolers to begin their discovery of the oceans around us. Parents and teachers will find this book a useful and entertaining resource.
REVIEW EXCERPT
“With his characteristically breathtaking paper-collage illustrations, Steve Jenkins takes readers from the surface of the western Pacific Ocean, where a great white shark's splash "could empty a swimming pool," down 10,000 feet to the Dark Zone, where the Sperm Whale hunts the Giant Squid in utter darkness, to the Pacific's deepest point in the Marianas Trench, nearly seven miles below sea level. Jenkins says that the book began with the convergence of several experiences. He read The Universe Below by William Broad, watched a BBC documentary about ocean life(…)”
(2009) Down, Down, Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea. Kirkus Reviews, 77(8), 14. Retrieved October 24, 2009, from Academic Search Complete database. http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2053
5. CONNECTIONS
Jenkins, S. (1999). The top of the world: Climbing Mount Everest. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
ISBN 9780395942185
Jenkins, Steve. Down, Down, Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Books For Children. ISBN: 978618966363.
PLOT SUMMARY
This is a young person’s introduction to marine life and the wold of the oceans. Jenkins begins by describing the oceans in general, then progresses to the birds and fish that live above and on the surface, then plunges into the many levels below to present the varied forms of undersea life.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Jenkins divides his book into separate two page spreads that cover different aspects of the subject. The illustrations combine detail with simplicity in a way that captures the mysteries of t he deep. The accompanying text provides essential information about the area covered. Each spread also has an adjunct in the back of the book where more detailed information is provided. This method presents those readers who want to learn more with the opportunity to do so without disrupting the flow of the primary text. Each section also has a helpful “depth gauge” showing to what level the information pertains. This helps to orient the reader in his explorations. “Down, Down, Down…” is an excellent place for middle- schoolers to begin their discovery of the oceans around us. Parents and teachers will find this book a useful and entertaining resource.
REVIEW EXCERPT
“With his characteristically breathtaking paper-collage illustrations, Steve Jenkins takes readers from the surface of the western Pacific Ocean, where a great white shark's splash "could empty a swimming pool," down 10,000 feet to the Dark Zone, where the Sperm Whale hunts the Giant Squid in utter darkness, to the Pacific's deepest point in the Marianas Trench, nearly seven miles below sea level. Jenkins says that the book began with the convergence of several experiences. He read The Universe Below by William Broad, watched a BBC documentary about ocean life(…)”
(2009) Down, Down, Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea. Kirkus Reviews, 77(8), 14. Retrieved October 24, 2009, from Academic Search Complete database. http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2053
5. CONNECTIONS
Jenkins, S. (1999). The top of the world: Climbing Mount Everest. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
ISBN 9780395942185
NONFICTION
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. 2005. Hitler Youth: Growing up in Hitler’s Shadow. New yourk: Scholastic, Inc. ISBN 9780439353793
PLOT SUMMARY
This is a story how the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party affected the young people of Germany. The Hitler Youth organization was formed to inculcate the proper Nazi values in the minds of the young and create the next generation of warrior – citizens for the Third Reich. The stories of several individuals unfold as they gain training in Nazi ideology and sports. Boys were taught military tactics and weapons use. Girls learned nursing and instructions in household duties and social work. Schooling was carefully regimented with an emphasis on sports and gymnastics and downplaying of academics. Hitler Youth were only allowed to study certain approved writers and subjects. Hatred of all people and things non-German was demanded of all young people. Manual labor was required of all boys. All those too young to serve in the military worked as support laborers digging foxholes and bunkers. By the end of the war, many young people were actively fighting Allied troops. The Hitler Youth existed from 1926 to 1945 and only anded with the defeat of Hitler’s Germany.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This is a handsome book on a grim subject. It is extremely well designed with print that is crisp and easy to read. The vocabulary is adult without being academic. There are black and white photographs on nearly every page accompanied with detailed captions. These supplement the main body of the text. This is a book for young adults and every young adult should read it. We all need to be constantly reminded that there was a time when light of civilization was almost extinguished forever. Totalitarian forces are still with us and the more we know of their methods the better armed we will be. Only through studying this and other books, books that tyrants would ban, will young people learn about the past and, perhaps, save the future.
REVIEW EXCERPT
“With clarity and apt quotation (scrupulously sourced), Bartoletti takes readers from the prewar beginnings of Hitler Youth, through its significant role in gaining Hitler the government, to its ultimate position as a feeder for the German war machine. (…) The power of the account is matched by the many period candid and propaganda photographs, well-married to the text by strong captions and placement and an unobtrusive but period-evocative Art Deco page design. Appended material includes capsule information about what happened to each of the young people featured in the book (several of whom were interviewed by the author), first-rate source notes, a thorough bibliography and reading list, and an index.”
Smith, R. (2005). Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow. Horn Book Magazine, 81(3), 345-346.
CONNECTIONS
Murphy, J. (2003). An American plague: The true and terrifying story of the yellow fever epidemic of 1793. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 9780395776087
Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. 2005. Hitler Youth: Growing up in Hitler’s Shadow. New yourk: Scholastic, Inc. ISBN 9780439353793
PLOT SUMMARY
This is a story how the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party affected the young people of Germany. The Hitler Youth organization was formed to inculcate the proper Nazi values in the minds of the young and create the next generation of warrior – citizens for the Third Reich. The stories of several individuals unfold as they gain training in Nazi ideology and sports. Boys were taught military tactics and weapons use. Girls learned nursing and instructions in household duties and social work. Schooling was carefully regimented with an emphasis on sports and gymnastics and downplaying of academics. Hitler Youth were only allowed to study certain approved writers and subjects. Hatred of all people and things non-German was demanded of all young people. Manual labor was required of all boys. All those too young to serve in the military worked as support laborers digging foxholes and bunkers. By the end of the war, many young people were actively fighting Allied troops. The Hitler Youth existed from 1926 to 1945 and only anded with the defeat of Hitler’s Germany.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This is a handsome book on a grim subject. It is extremely well designed with print that is crisp and easy to read. The vocabulary is adult without being academic. There are black and white photographs on nearly every page accompanied with detailed captions. These supplement the main body of the text. This is a book for young adults and every young adult should read it. We all need to be constantly reminded that there was a time when light of civilization was almost extinguished forever. Totalitarian forces are still with us and the more we know of their methods the better armed we will be. Only through studying this and other books, books that tyrants would ban, will young people learn about the past and, perhaps, save the future.
REVIEW EXCERPT
“With clarity and apt quotation (scrupulously sourced), Bartoletti takes readers from the prewar beginnings of Hitler Youth, through its significant role in gaining Hitler the government, to its ultimate position as a feeder for the German war machine. (…) The power of the account is matched by the many period candid and propaganda photographs, well-married to the text by strong captions and placement and an unobtrusive but period-evocative Art Deco page design. Appended material includes capsule information about what happened to each of the young people featured in the book (several of whom were interviewed by the author), first-rate source notes, a thorough bibliography and reading list, and an index.”
Smith, R. (2005). Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow. Horn Book Magazine, 81(3), 345-346.
CONNECTIONS
Murphy, J. (2003). An American plague: The true and terrifying story of the yellow fever epidemic of 1793. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 9780395776087
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sidman, Joyce. 2002. Eureka! Poems about Inventors. Ill. By K.Bennett Chavey. Rookfield, Connecticut: The Millbrook Press. ISBN 0761316655
PLOT SUMMARY
This book is a tour through the history of invention told in poetic form. It is divided into four sections:
The Tapestry of the Past-
explores the discovery of clay, the invention of paper, the printing press, and the creations of Leonardo da Vinci.
The Age of Invention –
covers the early French balloonists, the chocolate bar, the dishwasher, the use of silver nitrate in medicine, and the self lubricated engine.
A light Interlude -
a poem celebrating inventors whose names have become synonymous with their inventions, such as Jules Leotard and Rudolf Diesel.
Dawn of the Modern Age –
deals with the works of Marie Sklodowska – Curie, the invention of the Velcro, Frisbee, the work of Barbara Mc Clintock, and the creation of the World Wide Web.
There are also biographical pages which provide information in support of the poetry.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Each of the poems in this collection reveals insight into an inventor and creation of his invention. The language is often both subtle and intense enough to hold the attention of young people at the upper middle school and high school levels. The mood of the individual poems varies from the serious to the whimsical depending upon the nature of the invention. The background information is essential to an understanding of many of the works. These poems are very well written; the illustrations are breathtaking and display a grainy texture reminiscent of nineteenth –century photographs. This book is guaranteed to send young readers into reference mode as they scramble for more information about these important men and women.
REVIEW EXCERPT
“Gr 4-8-From the prehistoric genius who first shaped clay into a bowl to the World Wide Web's inventor Tim Berners-Lee, Sidman celebrates the combination of sudden insight and profound patience that were behind most of the world's great inventions.”
Peters, J. (2003). Eureka! (Book). School Library Journal, 49(5), 103. Retrieved October 12, 2009, from Academic Search Complete database. http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2052
5. CONNECTIONS
Sidman, J., & Krommes, B. (2006). Butterfly eyes and other secrets of the meadow. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 9780618563135
Sidman, Joyce. 2002. Eureka! Poems about Inventors. Ill. By K.Bennett Chavey. Rookfield, Connecticut: The Millbrook Press. ISBN 0761316655
PLOT SUMMARY
This book is a tour through the history of invention told in poetic form. It is divided into four sections:
The Tapestry of the Past-
explores the discovery of clay, the invention of paper, the printing press, and the creations of Leonardo da Vinci.
The Age of Invention –
covers the early French balloonists, the chocolate bar, the dishwasher, the use of silver nitrate in medicine, and the self lubricated engine.
A light Interlude -
a poem celebrating inventors whose names have become synonymous with their inventions, such as Jules Leotard and Rudolf Diesel.
Dawn of the Modern Age –
deals with the works of Marie Sklodowska – Curie, the invention of the Velcro, Frisbee, the work of Barbara Mc Clintock, and the creation of the World Wide Web.
There are also biographical pages which provide information in support of the poetry.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Each of the poems in this collection reveals insight into an inventor and creation of his invention. The language is often both subtle and intense enough to hold the attention of young people at the upper middle school and high school levels. The mood of the individual poems varies from the serious to the whimsical depending upon the nature of the invention. The background information is essential to an understanding of many of the works. These poems are very well written; the illustrations are breathtaking and display a grainy texture reminiscent of nineteenth –century photographs. This book is guaranteed to send young readers into reference mode as they scramble for more information about these important men and women.
REVIEW EXCERPT
“Gr 4-8-From the prehistoric genius who first shaped clay into a bowl to the World Wide Web's inventor Tim Berners-Lee, Sidman celebrates the combination of sudden insight and profound patience that were behind most of the world's great inventions.”
Peters, J. (2003). Eureka! (Book). School Library Journal, 49(5), 103. Retrieved October 12, 2009, from Academic Search Complete database. http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2052
5. CONNECTIONS
Sidman, J., & Krommes, B. (2006). Butterfly eyes and other secrets of the meadow. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 9780618563135
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Florian, Douglas. 2006. Handsprings: Poems and Paintings. Greenwillow Books.
ISBN 978006009280
PLOT SUMMARY
In this book , Douglas Florian presents his reader with a group of poems dealing with the coming of spring. We say goodbye to winter,, watch plants grow, do handsprings, play ball, endure rainstorms, pick berries ride bikes and engage in spring cleaning. All the common spring activieties receive their own poems.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
There is a light, breezy feel to these poems that recreates the carefree joys of childhood in spring. Joyous wordplay combines with simple vocabulary and gentle rhymes to induce a sense of peaceful relaxation in the mind of the reader. The author’s child like drawings, done in watercolor and colored pencil, reinforce the atmosphere generated by the words . This is a book for parents to sit back and enjoy with their children on a lazy spring day. Afterwards they will feel the urge to get up and take a walk together outside. The word is waiting.
REVIEW EXCERPT
“…Florian's latest collection celebrates spring and all it has to offer. From longer days and staying outdoors to thunderstorms and bee stings, Florian's clever poems and watercolor and colored-pencil paintings provide a refreshing look at this season.”
Dunne, D., & Ebeling, P. (2007). Poetry Pals: Communicating through Verse. Book Links, 17(1), 33-36. Retrieved October 8, 2009, from Academic Search Complete database. http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2052
5. CONNECTIONS
Florian, D. (2003). Autumnblings: Poems & paintings. [New York]: Greenwillow Books. ISBN 9780060092795
Florian, Douglas. 2006. Handsprings: Poems and Paintings. Greenwillow Books.
ISBN 978006009280
PLOT SUMMARY
In this book , Douglas Florian presents his reader with a group of poems dealing with the coming of spring. We say goodbye to winter,, watch plants grow, do handsprings, play ball, endure rainstorms, pick berries ride bikes and engage in spring cleaning. All the common spring activieties receive their own poems.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
There is a light, breezy feel to these poems that recreates the carefree joys of childhood in spring. Joyous wordplay combines with simple vocabulary and gentle rhymes to induce a sense of peaceful relaxation in the mind of the reader. The author’s child like drawings, done in watercolor and colored pencil, reinforce the atmosphere generated by the words . This is a book for parents to sit back and enjoy with their children on a lazy spring day. Afterwards they will feel the urge to get up and take a walk together outside. The word is waiting.
REVIEW EXCERPT
“…Florian's latest collection celebrates spring and all it has to offer. From longer days and staying outdoors to thunderstorms and bee stings, Florian's clever poems and watercolor and colored-pencil paintings provide a refreshing look at this season.”
Dunne, D., & Ebeling, P. (2007). Poetry Pals: Communicating through Verse. Book Links, 17(1), 33-36. Retrieved October 8, 2009, from Academic Search Complete database. http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2052
5. CONNECTIONS
Florian, D. (2003). Autumnblings: Poems & paintings. [New York]: Greenwillow Books. ISBN 9780060092795
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hesse, Karen. 2003. Aleutian Sparrow. New York: Margaret K. Mc Elderry Books. ISBN 0689861893
PLOT SUMMARY
In this verse novel for young adults, Hesse tells of the forced relocation of a young girl named Vera and people from the Aleutian Island after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Their homes no longer safe due to the nearness of the Japanese forces, they are moved to sites on the Alaskan mainland. Surrounded by a strange and unfriendly culture, the Aleuts struggle to survive. Some, weakened by hunger, succumb to illness. Vera and her friends encounter prejudice as they try to fit into this strange world while maintaining their own cultural identity. At the war’s end, they find their villages destroyed but are determined to start over.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
“The best verse novels are built on poems that are often stand-alone works of poetry. A narrative unfolds poem by poem, often with multiple points of view and in colloquial, conversational language.” (Vardell, p116) Hesse tells her story in a series of vignettes in verse. Each poem provides the reader with a glimpse into the word of Vera and her people. The poems are free verse and conversational in style. Evoking the feeling of being right on spot observing events of each providing a base for what follows. Hesse creates an atmosphere of sadness which never gives way to despair. Her young heroine finds the strength in her community to face anything and carry on. Ultimately, “Aleutian Sparrow” provides inspirations inspiration to all who read its words and hear its song.
REVIEW EXCERPT
“Some of the poems are quite graceful, conveying much in just a few lines, but in general, the format of this novel-in-verse doesn't serve the author well, resulting in meager characterization and, despite its elemental story of oppression and survival, a surprisingly unaffecting plot.”
Brabander, J. (2004). Aleutian Sparrow. Horn Book Magazine, 80(1), 82. Retrieved September 26, 2009, from Academic Search Complete database. http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2052
5. CONNECTIONS
Hesse, K. (1997). Out of the dust. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 9780590376198
Hesse, Karen. 2003. Aleutian Sparrow. New York: Margaret K. Mc Elderry Books. ISBN 0689861893
PLOT SUMMARY
In this verse novel for young adults, Hesse tells of the forced relocation of a young girl named Vera and people from the Aleutian Island after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Their homes no longer safe due to the nearness of the Japanese forces, they are moved to sites on the Alaskan mainland. Surrounded by a strange and unfriendly culture, the Aleuts struggle to survive. Some, weakened by hunger, succumb to illness. Vera and her friends encounter prejudice as they try to fit into this strange world while maintaining their own cultural identity. At the war’s end, they find their villages destroyed but are determined to start over.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
“The best verse novels are built on poems that are often stand-alone works of poetry. A narrative unfolds poem by poem, often with multiple points of view and in colloquial, conversational language.” (Vardell, p116) Hesse tells her story in a series of vignettes in verse. Each poem provides the reader with a glimpse into the word of Vera and her people. The poems are free verse and conversational in style. Evoking the feeling of being right on spot observing events of each providing a base for what follows. Hesse creates an atmosphere of sadness which never gives way to despair. Her young heroine finds the strength in her community to face anything and carry on. Ultimately, “Aleutian Sparrow” provides inspirations inspiration to all who read its words and hear its song.
REVIEW EXCERPT
“Some of the poems are quite graceful, conveying much in just a few lines, but in general, the format of this novel-in-verse doesn't serve the author well, resulting in meager characterization and, despite its elemental story of oppression and survival, a surprisingly unaffecting plot.”
Brabander, J. (2004). Aleutian Sparrow. Horn Book Magazine, 80(1), 82. Retrieved September 26, 2009, from Academic Search Complete database. http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2052
5. CONNECTIONS
Hesse, K. (1997). Out of the dust. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 9780590376198
BIBLIOGRAPHY
George, Kristine O’Connell. 2001. Toasting Marshmallows: Camping Poems. Ill. By Kate Kiesler. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 061804597X
PLOT SUMMARY
This book of poetry, like “In my Tent” by M. Singer, is a sequence about a young girl and her family’s experiences on a camping trip. They set up a large orange tent and observe several animals, including a deer, chipmunk, and moose. They build a campfire, struggle with sleeping bags, go exploring and discover the remains of and old cabin, endure a storm, and mosquitoes, go fishing and rowing, explore the cave and hear an owl in the night. At the end of this trip, the girl promises to return next year.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The poems in this collection, while covering the same themes, are more structured then those in Singer’s book. The language is simple and yet successfully communicates its message to young readers. The act is appealing and varied with some scenes being more detailed than others. The poetry and the illustrations are melded together, with the poems themselves frequently printed on the art. This provides the structure that combines the two elements into a verbal – visual work. The poem “Owl” is a prime example, its words describing the girl’s hearing of the owl in the night as it majestically flies across the bottom of the page. Children will love the words and pictures and their parents will enjoy sharing them.
REVIEW EXCERPT
“The poems are varied and inventive, replete with marvelous images and universal truths. There's even a selection devoted to the "Mosquito Song." Each one is accompanied by a well-executed and evocative acrylic painting. Some of Kiesler's artwork sweeps across double pages to provide a dramatic vista-a meandering hiking trail, a field of wild mustard, a star-studded night sky-while other pictures reveal small, but equally telling details. In "Flannel," the child is shown holding her pine-, smoke-, and moss-scented camping shirt to her face, paired with the words, "I keep it hidden/in my bottom drawer-/where no one will find it/and wash away/my memories." A terrific idyll for summertime sharing, even for confirmed couch potatoes.”
Jones, T., Toth, L., Charnizon, M., Grabarek, D., & Larkins, J. (2001). Toasting Marshmallows (Book Review). School Library Journal, 47(7), 93.Retrieved September 26, 2009, from Academic Search Complete database. http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2052
5. CONNECTIONS
George, K. O., & Kiesler, K. (1997). The great frog race and other poems. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 9780395776070
George, Kristine O’Connell. 2001. Toasting Marshmallows: Camping Poems. Ill. By Kate Kiesler. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 061804597X
PLOT SUMMARY
This book of poetry, like “In my Tent” by M. Singer, is a sequence about a young girl and her family’s experiences on a camping trip. They set up a large orange tent and observe several animals, including a deer, chipmunk, and moose. They build a campfire, struggle with sleeping bags, go exploring and discover the remains of and old cabin, endure a storm, and mosquitoes, go fishing and rowing, explore the cave and hear an owl in the night. At the end of this trip, the girl promises to return next year.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The poems in this collection, while covering the same themes, are more structured then those in Singer’s book. The language is simple and yet successfully communicates its message to young readers. The act is appealing and varied with some scenes being more detailed than others. The poetry and the illustrations are melded together, with the poems themselves frequently printed on the art. This provides the structure that combines the two elements into a verbal – visual work. The poem “Owl” is a prime example, its words describing the girl’s hearing of the owl in the night as it majestically flies across the bottom of the page. Children will love the words and pictures and their parents will enjoy sharing them.
REVIEW EXCERPT
“The poems are varied and inventive, replete with marvelous images and universal truths. There's even a selection devoted to the "Mosquito Song." Each one is accompanied by a well-executed and evocative acrylic painting. Some of Kiesler's artwork sweeps across double pages to provide a dramatic vista-a meandering hiking trail, a field of wild mustard, a star-studded night sky-while other pictures reveal small, but equally telling details. In "Flannel," the child is shown holding her pine-, smoke-, and moss-scented camping shirt to her face, paired with the words, "I keep it hidden/in my bottom drawer-/where no one will find it/and wash away/my memories." A terrific idyll for summertime sharing, even for confirmed couch potatoes.”
Jones, T., Toth, L., Charnizon, M., Grabarek, D., & Larkins, J. (2001). Toasting Marshmallows (Book Review). School Library Journal, 47(7), 93.Retrieved September 26, 2009, from Academic Search Complete database. http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2052
5. CONNECTIONS
George, K. O., & Kiesler, K. (1997). The great frog race and other poems. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 9780395776070
Poetry
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Singer, Marilyn. 1992. “In my tent”. Ill. By Emily Arnold McCully. New York:
Macmillian Publishing. ISBN 0027827011
PLOT SUMMARY
In a series of poems, Marilyn Singer tells of a little girl’s camping trip with her family. They load up the car and head for the woods where she has her own orange tent to sleep in. Se watches the golden firefly in the night, gets lost in the woods, with her mother, listens to ghost stories, observes a gang of raccoons, goes canoeing, and gets caught in a storm. Later in the year she visit her boxed tent in the cellar before going out to play in the winter snow.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This story of a family outing unfolds in a series of discrete episodes, with each vers libre poem enchantingly complemented by one of McCully’s rustic, almost impressionistic, paintings. The combination creates a joyous serenity in the mind of reader, inviting parents who share this book with their children to wax nostalgia about the days of their own youth. Young reader themselves will catch a glimpse of the simple pleasures still available to those who journey to the country an become involved with the nature. The total effect is to create a yearning for more; an unsatisfied desire that leads one to start over once having finished the trip. A fun book to visit again and again.
REVIEW EXCERPT
"A young girl experiences the pleasure of camping with her family -- canoeing, telling ghost stories by firelight, wading in the river, discovering a squirrel's nest -- in this evocative collection of verse. Impressionistic watercolors complement the poems." - Horn Book Magazine, 1992
5. CONNECTIONS
George, K. O., & Moser, B. (2004). Hummingbird nest: A journal of poems. Orlando: Harcourt. ISBN 9780152023256
Singer, Marilyn. 1992. “In my tent”. Ill. By Emily Arnold McCully. New York:
Macmillian Publishing. ISBN 0027827011
PLOT SUMMARY
In a series of poems, Marilyn Singer tells of a little girl’s camping trip with her family. They load up the car and head for the woods where she has her own orange tent to sleep in. Se watches the golden firefly in the night, gets lost in the woods, with her mother, listens to ghost stories, observes a gang of raccoons, goes canoeing, and gets caught in a storm. Later in the year she visit her boxed tent in the cellar before going out to play in the winter snow.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This story of a family outing unfolds in a series of discrete episodes, with each vers libre poem enchantingly complemented by one of McCully’s rustic, almost impressionistic, paintings. The combination creates a joyous serenity in the mind of reader, inviting parents who share this book with their children to wax nostalgia about the days of their own youth. Young reader themselves will catch a glimpse of the simple pleasures still available to those who journey to the country an become involved with the nature. The total effect is to create a yearning for more; an unsatisfied desire that leads one to start over once having finished the trip. A fun book to visit again and again.
REVIEW EXCERPT
"A young girl experiences the pleasure of camping with her family -- canoeing, telling ghost stories by firelight, wading in the river, discovering a squirrel's nest -- in this evocative collection of verse. Impressionistic watercolors complement the poems." - Horn Book Magazine, 1992
5. CONNECTIONS
George, K. O., & Moser, B. (2004). Hummingbird nest: A journal of poems. Orlando: Harcourt. ISBN 9780152023256
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