Las Posadas de Santa Cruz de la Cañada

·   

     Las Posadas,- An Hispanic Christamas Celebration, Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith, Cultural, Photodocumentary.

·        The author has done many similar books about specific cultural celebrations.

·        The book is about a tradition in New Mexico, but takes place in a small town, Española, very near where I was grew up.

·        Some talk topics:

o       The story focuses on one girl, Kristen, who is from a small town bordering on Española. Her family is highly involved in tradition and the local church, so we get to see every aspect of Las Posadas in the community.

o       The book tells the history Las Posadas in México and the Hispanic Southwest.

o       The pjotos bring the family and their acitvities to life.

o       Las Posadas are celebrated each of the nine nights before Christmas. This community differs slightly from the traditions of México, and even from my small community just 30 miles away.

o       The tradition involves all of the generations of the community as they re-enact the nativity story of Joseph and Mary looking for shelter in Bethlehem.

o       Traditional songs are sung and lots of wonderful food is shared.

o       If students don’t know about this distinctive local tradition it would be important to share it. And, if there were children in the class who did celebrate Las Posadas it would be interesting to compare regional differences in the celebration.

o       The glossary and photographs make any specialized vocabulary more accessible. I would share this book with grades k-5, depending on whether I used it for a read-aloud, group experience, or as independent reading material.

Images taken 4/23/2013 from-

http://www.ebay.com/ctg/Las-Posadas-Hispanic-Christmas-Celebration-Diane-Hoyt-Goldsmith-2000-Paperback-/1674495

 http://www.flickr.com/photos/mccoryjames/4407056416/

http://www.migdale.com/favorites.php4?page=16

http://www.elsantuariodechimayo.us/Santuario/Posadas.html

Mayeros: A Yucatec Family

·        Mayeros, A Yucatec Maya Family, George Ancona, Non-fiction/Cultural

·        The author is of southern Mexican descent (Maya actually), grew up in New York City and now lives in Santa Fe, NM.

·        I went to school in southern Mexico for some time as a child. I love it, I miss it, and I was really touched by the intimate view into life in that magical place that this book offers.

o   The book is a photo-documentary of a festival week in a small town and it focuses on many generations of a single family.

o   The author’s familiarity with the area and culture allows him to incorporate the characters and their lives with traditional artwork in such a way that delivers a detailed and comprehensive view of these unique people’s culture.

o   In the book we begin by discovering some basic facts about one family. We then follow them out to their traditional ranch where all of the generations come together to work and play. In many cases their tools and traditions (as well as their language) pre-date European contact.

o   This book is the most touching of all of Ancona’s books that I have read because of his personal connection to the people—his family is Yucatec Maya.

o   I want to share the closing paragraph to give a sense of hiow much information is imparted in very few words

“ On Wednesday, life returns to its everyday rhythms. The fiesta is over. Grown-ups return to work; children go back to school. Armando and Gaspár’s teachers are preparing them for the future by teaching them Spanish and the skills they will need to succeed in a fast-changing world. Working alongside their father, they will continue to speak Maya and may grow up to be milperos [farmers] too, but they will also speak Spanish. Armando and Gaspár are the future Maya, a people with a rich heritage who are making a greater place for themselves in the fast-changing world.”

o   I would recommend this book for reading in any classroom that has students from southern Mexico. I give it two thumbs up as the one of the most informative books by Ancona. It would be appropriate for grades 1-4.

Images accessed 4/19/2013

http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/books/detailBook.asp?idBooks=2294

http://www2.thorn.net/~izabel/GeorgeAncona/book_mayeros.html

What Do Authors Do?

·    

         What Do Authors Do? Eileen Christelow—Nonfiction

·        Eileen Christelow has written numerous picture books, including both stories and nonfiction.  

·        I have been focusing on literacy instruction for a couple of semesters. This book could be an entertaining way to introduce young writers to the process of writing, revising, editing, and publishing. It shows the reader how long and laborious the task of writing and publishing a book is—in a way that offers encouragement to aspiring writers.

·        Some talk topics:

o       The story follows two neighbors as they each start with an inspiration to write a book about their pets. One is a man who wants to write about his dog, and the other is a woman who writes and illustrates a book about her cat.

o       They each struggle through the process of creating, revising, and editing until they are ready to submit their work to a publisher. At first they are both rejected, but that only spurs them to work harder on their stories until they each find a someone who will publish their books. But that’s only about half-way through the book. They continue to work with editors, designers, and illustrators until their work is finally published. A couple of years after the initial inspiration they are able to see their books in stores and on shelves. But that is not the end of their stories as writers—you’ll have to read it to find out what is next for them!

o       The illustrations are cartoon-y and lighthearted. The writer’s pets are on every page commenting on the writing process.

o       One thing that I noticed from the first page is that the characters are a black man and a white woman. At first I assumed that they were a couple. Within a few pages, however, I could tell that they were neighbors and that the woman was married to a white man and the man was married to a black woman. I appreciated that the main characters were of different races, without any attention being drawn to this fact, but would have appreciated a less divided racial mixture.

o       I liked this book because it showed how much of the writing process is not just getting an idea and developing it. It shows how long and hard each part of writing and publishing is-- but does so in a way that makes it seem worthwhile. It is intended to enourage young writers to work hard, knowing how long it can take and how satisfying it can be to publish a book.

o       I would recommend this book for 2^nd through 5^th graders. It could be used to talk about every aspect of the writing process. It is a graphic-novel style story that would be engaging for a broad age range of kids. 

Bread Is For Eating

·        Bread Is For Eating, David and Phillis Gershator, Fiction/Song

·        Phillis Gershator has written a variety of picture and story books, her husband David is a songwriter and poetry translator—he helped Phillis with the musical/poetic aspect of this book.

·        I am bilingual and have often used music when teaching both English and Spanish as second languages. This book would be a lovely choice for the multilingual classroom.

·        Some talk topics:

o       The story begins as a boy tells how his mother encourages him to finish his food with a simple song in Spanish that conveys how precious bread is for life and that it should not be wasted.

o       There are beautiful borders of illustrations that relate to the theme of that page.

o       Each page shows a different aspect of life as it relates to the production and consumption of bread—showing the reader how important each part of the process getting food is for the sustenance of our families.

o       The illustrations are colorful but not too bright. They give a feeling of comfort and joy to the story. The song is repeated throughout the book, imparting a sweet, musical quality to the whole book. At the end of the book you can find the musical score so that the song can be performed.

o       Music is such a wonderful way to engage children and for many people it makes learning languages easier. This book would be a great resource for the multilingual classroom.

Here's a video of this book featured on Reading Rainbow- It's great to hear the song played! http://vimeo.com/6494890

Photo credit (4/2/2013) http://jacketupload.macmillanusa.com/jackets/high_res/jpgs/9780805057980.jpg

Red-Eyed Tree Frog

·        

        Red-Eyed Tree Frog, By Joy Crowley, Non-Fiction-- Natural Science

·        Joy Crowley has written over 600 children’s books! She is from New Zealand.

·        I liked the way the information is presented—it would be a fun, informative book for young children.

o   The story takes place in a swampy rain forest in Central America. It is a photographic journey on which the reader follows one red-eyed tree frog over one night (because the frogs are nocturnal).

o   The photographs are very close-up, and the few words that are used describe exactly what is shown in the pictures.

o   The red-eyed tree frog is hungry, but there are many animals that it can’t eat for different reasons, and some animals that want to eat it!

o   If it finds a meal It will be time to find a safe place to sleep through another day

o   The book is suspenseful because each page only one or two new pieces of information.

o   The photographs are larger-than-life—offering the reader lots of details to explore visually—most of the information is presented in the photographs. This allows new vocabulary to be understood directly. If you don’t know what a katydid is, you won’t spend much time wondering because the page that says “It will not eat the katydid.” has only one large photo of a katydid.

o   The book has a couple of informational pages at the back—which could be read afterwards to reinforce the concepts and answer questions.

o   I would recommend this book for use as an informational text in emergent and early literacy classrooms. 

Image from-- http://deskarati.com/2011/10/27/red-eyed-treefrog/  and http://www.tuesdaysfrog.com/2011/09/on-our-shelves-vol-73-nic-bishop/

Atlantic

·        Atlantic, G. Brian Karas, Natural Science

·        G. Brian Karas has written scores of children’s books.

·        I grew up by the ocean and consider it to be one of the best elements of our planet.

·        Some talk topics:

o       The book is narrated from the point of view of the Atlantic Ocean.

o       The reader is taken on a tour through the ocean systems and the water cycle in a clear, understandable way.

o       The book shows how humans affect the oceans and how  much responsibility we have to care for them for our own good and the good of the planet.

o       I liked how the importance of the oceans was shown on so many different levels.

“First I was discovered

(even though I was here first)

and then conquered

by men in big ships

who named me

I’ve been crosses and probed,

charted,

studied,

dirtied."

o       I would recommend this book for young children (K-3) and would use it as a resource for science lessons.

images taken from- http://tomakeaprairie.wordpress.com/2011/11/ and http://greenslibrary.wordpress.com/2008/03/13/atlantic-by-g-brian-karas/

To The Top- The Story of Everest

·  

            To The Top 

     By Stephen Venables, 

     Natural Science/History

·        The author is an avid mountaineer from Britain. He has scaled the tallest peaks on most of the continents on Earth. He was the first Briton to ascend Mt Everest without supplementary oxygen.

·        I also love outdoors adventure and mountain-climbing. It is a great look at the perils of mountain climbing, in one of the worlds most extreme environments, and the extents that humans will go to in the name of exploration.

·         

·        Some talk topics:

o       Venables provides a historical account of Everest expeditions as well as his own ascent of the mountain in 1988.

o       The reader gets a great feel for the personalities of the explorers.

o       The severity of these “adventures” is staggering.

o       Many lives were lost and many fortunes were made in the attempts to climb Mt Everest.

o       The story is riveting at times, while giving the reader a lot of historical and scientific facts related to the topic.

o       One emphasis of the book is on the people who live in the high valleys around Mt Everest in Nepal, the Sherpa people. Venables also takes care to mention women climbers who have ascended the peak.

o       I loved the authors description of his own experience climbing Mt Everest.

“The work was fun, because we were exploring. No human being had ever touched the rock, snow, and ice where we made our route. Because the climbing was very steep and complicated, we sometimes made only about 1,000 feet in a day . . . The scenery was incredible and we found ourselves in amazing places. There were immense striped walls of rock. Huge snow gullies. And an incredible ridge of gleaming ice towers, like giant crystal vegetables, which we called the Cauliflower Towers.”

o       I would recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure, exploration, history, and accounts of great human achievements.

 

 Image credit- http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/61403000/jpg/_61403353_stephenvenablesonthematterhorn.jpg

Carnaval

• Carnaval, George Ancona, Social Studies
• Other books by George Ancona include: Mayeros: A Maya Yucatec Family, Capoeira, Earth Daughte, Piñata Maker, and Barrio: José’s Neighborhood

·         I’m obsessed with Brazil: its culture, language, geography, and history. I loved to see the vibrant pictures of this cultural phenomenon. Curiously, my brother just came home from Brazil this week and told me that he had visited Olinda, that he liked it a lot, and that he heard it is the best place to go for the authentic Carnaval experience!

·         A lot of Portuguese vocabulary is included in the text which I would have a great time exploring with my students.

Some talk topics:

o       This book takes a documentary-style look at the carnaval festival in Olinda, Brazil.

o       It is mainly a photo exposition (with explanations) of many of the townsfolk and their preparations for the festival, as well as of the festival while it is happening.

o       Through the pictures and discriptions we get an intmiate view of the city’s customary music, costumes, handicrafts, and festivities that surround the carnaval season.

o       I loved the sense that I was looking through a spyglass at a fascinating culture that is so different from my own.

o       It’s always good to learn about other people, cultures, and places!

Here are a couple of pictures of Olinda!

Photos taken  on 2/7/13, from http://www.costadoatlanticotur.com.br/canal.php?codigo=20 and http://penaestradacom.blogspot.com/2010/09/olinda-pe_25.html

The Journey of the one and only Declaration of Independence

• The Journey of the one and only Declaration of Independence, Judith St George, History

·         I am interested in history and took a US history course last semester. I enjoyed the way the narrator's lens is used here to look at well known events. It has an immediate, human perspective on events normally presented engraved in white marble (so to speak).
Some talk topics:

o       This is a humorous telling of a United States’ history between 1776-1950.

o       The explicit plot line follows the actual document of the Declaration of Independence; from inception to its placement in the National Archive in 1952.

o       The narrator intimates that at some point the Declaration of Independence may be put away and not needed anymore, but that social and national upheaval continually call it back to protect the rights and freedoms of Americans.

o       This is an interesting and funny book by the way that it shows well-known historical events from a very human perspective.

o       The great historical events and figures carry the document through history, always reminding the reader what it would be like to weather history as a piece of parchment.

o       This book could be the basis for dozens of small group activities, such as research projects, art projects, and literature circles. 

Other books by Judith St George include: Haunted, The Halloween Pumpkin Smasher, In the Shadow of the Bear, The Brooklyn Bridge: They Said It Couldn't Be Built, and The Mount Rushmore Story. Also, So You Want to Be President?, winner of the Caldecott award.

Image taken from http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration.html 1/30/13