Module 3 Book Blog 2: Chato and the Party Animals

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Book Summary:  Chato, a cat who likes to party, discovers that his best friend, Novio Boy, does not enjoy birthday parties because he does not know his birthday and has never celebrated.  Therefore, Chato takes it upon himself to throw a surprise birthday party for Novio Boy.  He gathers food, entertainment, party favors, and even makes a piñata to give Novio Boy the party he has never had.  Unfortunately in all his preparations he forgets to invite the main guest.  Eventually the group finds Novio Boy and they have the party of a lifetime.

APA Reference of Book:

Soto, G. & Guevara, S. (2000). Chato and the party animals. New York, NY.  G.P. Putnam’s Sons.

Impressions: This Pura Belpre winner is a likeable, joyful story of true friendship.  Readers will enjoy the characters and the kindness of Chato.  The story adds elements of humor where necessary.  It also does a fabulous job of introducing readers to elements of the Latino culture as well as basic Spanish phrases, found translated at the beginning of the book.  The illustrations are unique and give an added element to the story.  Children will enjoy this heartwarming story.

Professional Review:

School Library Review:

K-Gr 3-In this sequel to Chato's Kitchen (Putnam, 1995), the ebullient, jazzy, party-loving homecat decides to throw a surprise birthday bash for his best friend, Novio Boy, who was raised in the pound and has never had a party. Buying the provisions, inviting his friends, decorating, arranging for music-Chato thinks he has seen to everything. The guests begin to arrive and one dog raises a crucial question: "Where's the birthday cat?" Aghast, Chato realizes that he neglected to invite Novio Boy and organizes a search, which proves fruitless. The party turns wake as, certain that Novio Boy has met an untimely end, all the animals remember his good qualities and grieve. In the midst of this, who should turn up but the guest of honor with some new friends in tow. With double reason to celebrate, the party is a wild success. Rollicking language-a completely integrated and poetic combination of barrio slang, Spanish, and colloquial English-carries the story along. Guevara's lively acrylic-on-scratchboard illustrations have a verve and style that will make readers long to join the fun. A glossary of Spanish words preceding the text neatly removes any mystery, rendering this joyous celebration of friendship not only understandable but irresistible.

Source:  Welton, A. (2000). [Review of the book Chato and the party animals by G. Soto and S.  Guevara].  School Library Weekly. Retrieved from https://nypl.bibliocommons.com/item/show/15369051052907_chato_and_the_party_animals

Library Uses:  At my school we have a bilingual program, as well as a high ESL population.  I could see myself using this book to bring in some positive aspects of the culture.  My students would certainly be able to relate to many elements of this story.  This would also be a good story to use in a unit about friendship.  After reading students could write about a time they have helped a friend.  Finally, this could be used to teach students about the Pura Belpre award.  The class could work I groups to come up with reasons why this book might have won the award.

Module 3 Book Blog 1: Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal

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Book Summary:  Bad News for Outlaws, is the true story of Deputy U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves.  The story follows Reeves from his time as a slave, through his infamous years as a remarkable deputy, to his death.  Readers are told the story of his tremendous skills of finding and capturing outlaws in the Indian territory (current day Oklahoma), as well as his outstanding character traits.

APA Reference of Book:

Nelson V. M. (2009). Bad news for outlaws: The remarkable life of Bass 

      Reeves, deputy U.S. marshal. Minneapolis, MN.  Carolrhoda Books.

Impressions: This is a captivating story about an amazing man in our history.  Not only does it give an interesting glimpse into the history of outlaws and the men who aimed to capture them, but it also helps readers learn of a truly fascinating person in our history.  Reeves was a man who saw many aspects of history and defied his generation by being a respected, and feared, African American man.  Absolutely a must read story.

Professional Review:

School Library Review:

Gr 3-8- Reeves is an unsung hero of the American West whose honesty and sense of duty are an inspiration to all. In a frontier brimming with treachery and lawlessness, this African-American peace officer stood out as a fearless figure of unparalleled integrity, arresting more than 3,000 outlaws during his 32 years of service as a deputy U.S. marshal, all without suffering an injury. He was a former slave who became a successful farmer and family man before accepting the appointment to serve as a lawman in the Indian Territory in 1875. While Gary Paulsen's The Legend of Bass Reeves (Random, 2006) mixes fact and fiction to great effect, Nelson chooses to keep her telling as close to documented research as possible. Selected anecdotes ranging from a humorous encounter with a skunk to an intense gunfight with an outlaw provide a sense of the man's courage and character. The text is chock-full of colorful turns of phrase that will engage readers who don't "cotton to" nonfiction (a glossary of "Western Words" is included). Christie's memorable paintings convey Reeves's determination and caring, while rugged brushstrokes form the frontier terrain. Youngsters will find much to admire here.-Lisa Glasscock, Columbine Public Library, Littleton, CO

Source:  Glasscock, L. (2009).  Bad news for outlaws: The remarkable life of Bass

Reeves, deputy U.S. Marshal [Review of the book Bad news for outlaws: The

remarkable life of Bass Reeves, deputy U.S. Marshal by V.M. Nelson].  School Library Weekly,

134.

Found Through: UNT Library Database – LexisNexis Academic

Link: http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2052/hottopics/lnacademic/?verb=sr&csi=256569

Library Uses:  This would be an excellent book to use in a variety of studies.  The librarian could do a study of Coretta Scott King award winning books and have the students create a comparison and contrast of different books.  This could be a simple venn diagram or as complex as an infographic, depending on the age of the class.  This could also be used in a study of prominent African American citizens, or simply citizenship in general.  Reeves contributed to society in a positive manner so it would be a good contribution to such a study.

Module 2 Book Blog 2: Zero the Hero

Module 2 Book Blog 2:  Zero the Hero by: Joan Holub and Tom Lichtenheld

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Book Summary:

Numbers One through Nine think they are pretty special, and that Zero really doesn’t have an important role.  He doesn’t add anything to a number, he doesn’t take anything away from a number, the other numbers can’t be divided by him, and then in multiplication he makes the other numbers disappear, which does not go over well at all.  Zero feels pretty down on himself so he decided to disappear.  The other numbers quickly realize how important Zero was after all when they can no longer add to ten, or round up and down.  They especially need him to be their hero when they are captured by the Romans (numerals that is).   Zero is finally able to prove his worth and not only rescue his friends, but find true joy in himself.

APA Reference of Book:

Holub, J & Lichtenheld, T. (2012). Zero the Hero. New York, NY.  Henry Holt and Co.

Impressions:

This book is wonderful on so many levels.  It is a wonderful piece of literature to accompany the “Zero the Hero” lessons used by many schools.  Additionally, it reemphasized important math concepts for several grade levels.  Basic rules of addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, rounding, and roman numerals are discussed. Children will love the personality of each number and the humorous approach the author brings to the story.  This is an action packed story that keeps readers wanting to turn the pages to find out what will happen.  It also provides a excellent message of self acceptance and the strengths that each “person” holds inside of them.

Professional Review:

School Library Review:

Gr 1–4—Zero believes in himself and thinks he's a superhero. But the other numbers look at him as a nothing and make fun of him. They overshadow and even misidentify him. They show him that in addition, subtraction, and division, they always "win" by being the answer to the math equation, but when Zero finds that he always prevails in multiplication, the other numbers become frightened and flee. He feels guilty for scaring them away and he disappears. The others start to miss him, and then they are captured by Roman numerals dressed as soldiers. Zero hears their calls for help and rescues them with his knowledge of multiplication. The numerals gladly welcome his return and hail him as the hero. Lichtenheld's expressive cartoon illustrations utilize ink, pastel, and colored pencils to give each number a clear identity and personality. The text is clearly written on each page, and the numbers always add their own comments or opinions in dialogue balloons. This tale not only reinforces mathematical principles, but also has a great message about friendship and personal feelings. It can be read aloud, alone, or performed as reader's theater.—Lia Carruthers, Roxbury Public Library, Succasunna, NJ

Source: Carruthers, L. (2012). Zero the hero. School Library Journal, 58 (2), 90.

Found Through: UNT Library Database – LexisNexis Academic

Link: http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2052/hottopics/lnacademic/?verb=sr&csi=256569

Library Uses:

Zero the Hero could certainly be used when collaborating with classroom math teachers.  In the lower grades, it could be used to understand the importance of counting by tens, as well as simple addition and subtraction concepts.  Learners could practice these skills with manipulatives after the story is read.  When working with upper grades, the librarian could use this book when multiplication, division, and rounding are being taught in the classroom.  Again this could be practiced after a read-a-loud, but the students could create story problems that use zero. 

As mentioned in the professional review, this story would also serve as an excellent readers theater.  Students could take on the different parts of the numbers, Zero, and the Romans.  If there was time for a technology component to be added, students could make a short iMovie for the story too.

Module 2 Book Blog 1: The Day the Crayons Quit

Module 2 Book Blog 1:  The Day the Crayons Quit by: Drew Daywalt, Pictures by: Oliver Jeffers

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Book Summary:

One day, Duncan arrives at school to find a stack of letters from his crayons.  The crayons have decided to quit until Duncan is willing to meet their demands.  Each crayon has written Duncan a letter to let them know what it is they need from him.  Red wants a rest, gray wants to color smaller pictures, white needs to feel less empty, pink just wants to be used, and the list goes on.  Duncan must come up with a solution is he wants to draw any more pictures!

APA Reference of Book:

Daywalt, D. (2013). The day the crayons quit. New York, NY.  Philomel Books.

Impressions:

This book was a New York Times Bestseller for a reason.  It is creative, witty, and unique.  Children will love the humor and the distinctive characteristics each crayon brings to the story.  The illustrations are kid friendly and the story is captivating.  Teachers will love sharing this story with their students and readers of all ages can find something to enjoy in the book.

Professional Review:

School Library Review:

K-Gr 2—In this delightfully imaginative take on a beloved childhood activity, a young boy's crayons have had enough. Fed up with their workload and eager to voice their grievances, they pen letters to Duncan detailing their frustrations.

Energetic and off-the-wall, the complaints are always wildly funny, from the neurotically neat Purple ("If you DON'T START COLORING INSIDE the lines soon… I'm going to COMPLETELY LOSE IT") to the underappreciated White ("If I didn't have a black outline, you wouldn't even know I was THERE!"). Daywalt has an instinctive understanding of the kind of humor that will resonate with young children, such as Orange and Yellow duking it out over which of them represents the true color of the sun or Peach's lament that ever since its wrapper has fallen off, it feels naked. Though Jeffers's messily scrawled crayon illustrations are appropriately childlike, they're also infused with a sophisticated wit that perfectly accompanies the laugh-out-loud text; for example, a letter from Beige, in which he bemoans being tasked with drawing dull items like turkey dinners, is paired with an image of the crestfallen crayon drooping over beside a blade of wheat. Later on, Pink grumbles about constantly being passed over for less-feminine colors while the opposite page depicts a discomfited-looking pink monster and cowboy being derided by a similarly hued dinosaur. This colorful title should make for an uproarious storytime and may even inspire some equally creative art projects.—Mahnaz Dar, Library Journal

Source: Holland, A. (2013). The day the crayons quit. School Library Journal, 59 (7), 59.

Found Through: UNT Library Database – LexisNexis Academic

Link: http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2052/hottopics/lnacademic/?verb=sr&csi=256569

Library Uses:

This book could be used in a variety of ways.  I saw a creative post on the discussion board about tying this book into a science lesson about how crayons are made.  In my response to this post, I mentioned that this would be a great tie in for me since science is part of our specials rotation.  I could see myself collaborating with our science teacher to coordinate a lesson.  In schools without a specific science teacher, the librarian could still incorporate the science aspect by collaborating with classroom teachers.

Also, the children could work on creating a picture using the demands the crayons in the story have given to Duncan.  This would allow them to show their creativity, while also showing their comprehension of the book in a more enjoyable way.   The Day the Crayons Quit certainly allows for endless opportunities to create, engaging and fun library lessons.