Down Down Down

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Jenkins, Steve. 2009. DOWN DOWN DOWN. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. ISBN 978-0-618-96636-3

PLOT SUMMARY

Starting at the top of the ocean, readers plunge down through the depths of the ocean, encountering sea creatures at each level.  As the reader travels deeper into the ocean, the colors used on the pages become darker, giving the impression of darkening waters.  The journey ends with information about the ocean floor on the Marianas Trench and with the clear message that there is far more in the ocean to be discovered.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Created with paper-tear technique, the artwork in this book is truly spectacular. Added with the information that is straight-to-the-point and interesting, this book is a true joy for any deep-sea explorer.  The two page spread provides information about the creatures and the conditions in the ocean at that depth.  Very cleverly, the page darkens as the reader heads to deeper water.  A gauge on the side of each page shows the depth in feet, as well as the temperature in that area.  The end of the book provides details about each sea creature and compares the size of them against an average person. Throughout the book, the point is made that the oceans are vast and there is so much more that is needed of the ocean to be seen.  “We have explored only a small fraction of the oceans. In fact, more humans have walked on the moon than have visited the deepest spot in the sea.”

REVIEW EXCERPTS

BOOKLIST review: “Sophisticated cut- and torn-paper collage-work fit the alien qualities of the subjects well; it's equally at home capturing the tiered needlepoints of lizardfish teeth as it is delivering an impressive and illuminating display of bioluminescence.”

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review: “At the end of the book, an added paragraph about each scene takes up the matter of size. Here length is stated, and silhouettes compare each creature to either an adult human's hand or a full body. The bold views tend to emphasize the weirdness of these little-known species, but the repeated message that humans have much to explore and learn in the deeper ocean is intriguing and inviting.”

CONNECTIONS

There are videos available of deep water explorations. Having a reader watch the video may connect what was read to what he or she is seeing.

Other books about sea life:

Collard, Sneed B. III. THE DEEP- SEA FLOOR.  Ill. by Gregory Wenzel. ISBN 978-1570914027

Cramer, Deborah. SMITHSONIAN OCEAN: OUR WATER, OUR WORLD. ISBN 978-0061343834

Nouvian, Claire. THE DEEP: THE EXTRAORDINARY CREATURES OF THE ABYSS. ISBN 978-0226595665

Hitler Youth

 

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. 2005. HITLER YOUTH. New York: Scholastic Nonfiction. ISBN 9780439353793

PLOT SUMMARY

The Holocaust and World War II has been studied extensively and many of us have read a variety of books on the subject. An area that is often overlooked is roles children and young adults played during the war by being in the Hitler Youth organizations. In this book, readers learn about a number of children, some of whom were involved in the Hitler Youth, others who fought to suppress the group’s efforts, and some that suffered as the result of the war.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This book begins with short biographies and a picture of children who were involved in the Hitler Youth in one way or another. From there, the book follows individual stories, sometimes jumping back in time from one chapter to another. The accounts have background information and the reader has an overall understanding of the significance of these children and their actions.  The book has at least one black and white photograph per two page spread, in addition to a variety of map insets placed throughout the book. The author uses direct quotes to provide the emotional impact and maintains unbiased writing throughout the book. “One seventeen-year-old soldier described the impressive sight of blowing up a tank at night: ‘If you crack open a tank with a bazooka, it melts the metal. That glowing metal sprayed as high as a church steeple. It’s an unforgettable sight.'”

With a table of contents, biographies, timeline, and epilogue, this book is easy to navigate for quick reference.  Despite its length, the book is very inviting because of the layout and included photographs. It is certainly a book that needs to be made available to anyone interested in this time period.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY review:  “Bartoletti's portrait of individuals within the Hitler Youth who failed to realize that they served ‘a mass murderer’ is convincing, and while it does not excuse the atrocities, it certainly will allow readers to comprehend the circumstances that led to the formation of Hitler's youngest zealots.”

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review: “Bartoletti lets many of the subjects' words, emotions, and deeds speak for themselves, bringing them together clearly to tell this story unlike anyone else has.”

CONNECTIONS

There are modern accounts of children being involved in war fare. A discussion about child soldiers may be a worthy endeavor. In addition, research can be done regarding this concept.

Other books about children involved in World War II and the Holocaust:

Rempel, Gerhard. HITER’S CHILDREN: THE HITLER YOUTH AND THE SS. ISBN 978-0807842997
Whitman, Sylvia. CHILDREN OF THE WORLD WAR II HOME FRONT. ISBN 978-1575054841
Zullo, Allan. ESCAPE: CHILDREN OF THE HOLOCAUST. ISBN 978-0545099295

One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Sones, Sonya. 2004. ONE OF THOSE HIDEOUS BOOKS WHERE THE MOTHER DIES. NewYork: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN 9780689858208

PLOT SUMMARY
This prose-style poetry book takes the reader through the life of fifteen-year-old Ruby Milliken as she travels from her home in Boston to live with her absentee father in Los Angeles. The book follows her as she deals with the pain of leaving her home and those she loves to live with her father, with all of this happening because her mother recently died.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Without a doubt, this is the book for the readers who say they don’t like poetry. The prose-style poetry makes it unthreatening and the storyline draws the reader in.  Sones has created a poetry book that an older teen would appreciate because of Ruby’s feisty nature and the trials that come with being a teenager-in-love. The characters are fully-developed and the reader will continue to wonder how they are doing, long after the book has ended.

A unique aspect of the book is that the title of each poem often serves as the opening line. The poem, “I’m Heading into the Cafeteria” begins with “When for some unknown reason/ Colette grabs my hand/ and leads me away from the throngs/ to sit together on a bench by the pot garden.” Without reading the title, the poem is unclear. What makes this book so appealing is that some poems are very heavy emotionally while others are downright funny.  “Three thousand miles away from my mother/ and my mother’s grave/ where she lies in a wooden box/ under six feet of dirt/ just beginning to rot” is powerful writing whereas “‘Yep,’ Max says, with a mile-wide smile/ spreading across his face./ ‘This is Ripley. Believe it or not’” has just the right element of humor for the storyline.  ONE OF THOSE HIDEOUS BOOKS WHERE THE MOTHER DIES is an excellent introduction for a reluctant poet.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review: “Her depth of character is revealed through her honest admissions, poignant revelations, and sensitive insights. This is not just another one of those gimmicky novels written in poetry. It's solid and well written, and Sones has a lot to say about the importance of carefully assessing people and situations and about opening the door to one's own happiness.”

BOOKLIST review: “It's Ruby's first-person voice--acrimonious, raw, and very funny--that pulls everything together, whether she is writing e-mails to her deceased mother, attending Dream Analysis class at a private L.A. high school, or finally learning to accept her father and embrace a new life. A satisfying, moving novel that will be a winner for both eager and reluctant readers.”

CONNECTIONS

Interested readers can always try their own verse poetry, just like Sones.

Other Sonya Sones books:
Sones, Sonya. WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN’T KNOW. ISBN 0-689-85553-2         
                                                                                                                                        Sones, Sonya. WHAT MY GIRLFRIEND DOESN’T KNOW. ISBN 0-689-87602-5      
                                                                                                                                         Sones, Sonya. STOP PRETENDING: WHAT HAPPENED WHEN MY BIG SISTER WENT    CRAZY.ISBN 0-06-028386-6

Remember the Bridge: Poems of a People

 

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Weatherford, Carole Boston. 2001.REMEMBER THE BRIDGE: POEMS OF PEOPLE. NewYork: Penguin. ISBN 0-399-23726-7

 PLOT SUMMARY
In this topical anthology, multiple poems follow the journey of African Americans from enslavement to Civil Rights.  There are poems that detail events and some that focus on a specific person.   Each poem is also coupled with a photograph, fitting for the poem on the opposite page.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The poems are coupled with black and white photographs that correspond to the time period or person described in the poem. This creates a perfect balance between the visuals and the verse. Each poem is very different, so that there is no unifying style in the writing.  The photographs are very powerful, some even haunting.

The history detailed in the poems is, by far, the most enjoyable part. A history buff would enjoy connecting the verse to the real-life event.  In the poem “The All-Time, All-Sport, All-Star Team,”the reader follows a trail of sports stars and begin to understand how each on  influenced a later athlete. “We’d better get a pitcher; so round up Satchel Paige/ Then, he’ll call Jackie Robinson from the batting cage/ May all-stars light new stars and never bid farewell.”Because of the nature of the poems and advanced style, this book could easily be used in a classroom for middle schoolers through college. Weatherford has created a very powerful book which is sure to stay with its reader.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review: “Weatherford searched for two decades for photos to illustrate her poems celebrating African-American heritage, she also began to write poems to accompany some of the powerful images she encountered. Thus text and art flow through this volume, each having its voice.”
BOOKLIST review:  “The stories of basket weavers, family farmers, cowboys, Civil War soldiers, quilt makers, and cooks are celebrated along with those of more famous figures in African American history in this powerful collection of poems that implores readers to learn and remember the past.”

CONNECTIONS

Children can try their hand at connecting a poem to a picture and vice versa.

Readers who enjoyed the historical element of this book can find other historical poems here:

Meltzer, Milton. HOUR OF FREEDOM: AMERICAN HISTORY IN POETRY. ISBN 1590780213
Hopkins, Lee Bennett. HAND IN HAND: AAN AMERICAN HISTORY THROUGH POETRY. ISBN 067173315X

Mirror Mirror

 

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Singer, Marilyn. 2010. MIRROR MIRROR. Ill. by Josée Masse. NewYork: Dutton Children’s Books. ISBN 978-0-525-47901-7

PLOT SUMMARY

This colorful book of poems takes classic fairy tales like “Little Red Riding Hood” and “Rapunzel” and provides an opposite take on the traditional tales.  The original story is written in verse on the left hand side of the page, with the exact poem reversed on the right side. With the new poem comes a whole new twist to the story!

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This book of poems is beyond witty. It gives the reader an opportunity to think about the opposite point of view of well-known fairy tales. The split page makes it easy for the reader to distinguish between the two tales. The gorgeous painted illustrations all split in the same way as the page, which helps give the reader a clue as to which speaker is talking. For children, it will be exciting when they understand the second poem, allowing them to feel like they solved a puzzle and unlocked a whole other world. 

This book is a perfect combination of visuals and verse.  One of the greatest poem twists is “In the Hood” which details the story of Little Red Riding Hood.  “But a girl mustn’t dawdle/After all, Grandma’s waiting” clearly details Red’s feeling about her trip through the woods. “After all, Grandma’s waiting/mustn’t dawdle…/ But a girl!”  With the same words, but reversed, the reader sees how Wolf feels about his trip through the forest. This book would definitely be an enjoyable way to show point of view and work with poems with a twist.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review: “This is a remarkably clever and versatile book that would work in any poetry or fairy-tale unit. A must-have for any library.”

BOOKLIST review: “It is a form that is both challenging and fun—rather like creating and solving a puzzle.”

CONNECTIONS

Children can create their own reverso poems from their own original poems or from well-known works.

Other poems that may be of interest:

Dahl, Roald. REVOLTING RHYMES. ISBN 0140375333

Singer, Marilyn. FOLLOW FOLLOW. Ill. by Josée Masse. ISBN 978-0-525-47901-7