Module 7, Book Blog 2: On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein

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Book Summary: This is the story of scientist Albert Einstein’s life.  The story beings with Albert’s birth over 100 years ago and follows him throughout his life.  Notable moments include the fact that Albert did not speak for the first few years of his life, which worried his parents, however he did wonder about the world around him.  One day, his father gives him a compass and he began to wonder how the needle of the compass could always point north.  This made Albert realize he wanted to understand more about the mysteries of the world. As Albert began his school years he began asking questions, so much so that he was considered to be disruptive.  A significant turning point came for Albert as he was riding his bike and in his mind he was racing through space on a beam of light.  Einstein began to wonder about light, gravity, magnetism, sound, and more.  He studied these things and eventually graduated from college, wanting to become a teacher.  No teaching jobs were available, so Albert began working in a government office.  It was during this stage of life that Einstein discovered that all things are made of atoms.  People began to see Einstein as a genius and invited him to become a scientist and a professor.  Albert spent the remainder of his life making discoveries about the world around him and helped people understand the universe in ways nobody else had before.

APA Reference of Book:

Berne, J. (2013). On a beam of light:  a story of Albert Einstein. San Francisco, CA.

Chronicle Books.

           

Impressions: This is a wonderful overview of the life of perhaps one of the most influential men in our history.  Einstein made some of the most important discoveries of his time that still impacts scientists today.  It is enjoyable that Berne included moments from his childhood, rather than simply focusing on the scientific discoveries that he made.  The fact that Einstein did not speak for so long is particularly interesting, and demonstrates that all children learn and develop in different ways.  If one of the most intelligent humans who ever lived did not develop on a “typical” path, perhaps this shows that everyone grows in their own unique way.

On a Beam of Light is a terrific example of an informational book and biography.  The story makes sure to follow each stage of Einstein’s life and shows readers his most significant accomplishments.  Any reader searching for a good overview of his life would be able to use this book.  Also useful, is the fact that Berne includes the impact he had on society.  This is very important for young readers who are reading these books to find the impact of important humans like Einstein.  Berne also did an excellent job of making a somewhat complex topic understandable for young children.  I would certainly recommend this book to young readers who are studying Albert Einstein.

Professional Review:

School Library Journal -

Gr K-3—This imaginative rendition of the early life of Albert Einstein captures the wonder of a child who thinks about things in ways adults simply cannot fathom. Albert is an awkward youth who doesn't fit comfortably into conventional situations. His fascination with mysteries of physics lead him to imagine that his pedestrian life is linked to profound and universal forces. Even without the print version's illustrations, the audio version, narrated by Rich Orlow, manages to convey the magic of the scientist. There aren't other noteworthy biographies of Einstein for the younger set. This one is an honorable contribution.

Source: Levin, R. (2014). On a beam of light: a story of Albert Einstein. [Review of the

book On a beam of light: a story of Albert Einstein by J. Berne]. School Library Journal.60(6). 62.  Retrieved from http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2052/hottopics/lnacademic/?verb=sr&csi=256569

Found Through: UNT Library Database – LexisNexis Academic

Library Uses: This would be an excellent book to use in a library study of biographies.  Students can watch the BrainPop video on biographies to understand the elements that a biography contains.  After watching this, at library tables the students will participate in round table discussions about how On a Beam of Light is an example of a biography.  Finally, the students will choose a partner that they can write a biography about.  The students will be provided with important questions to ask their partner in order to gather enough facts.  They will then write a short biography about that person.  If time permits, they can create a timeline using a Microsoft Word timeline template to accompany their biography.  If creating timelines has not yet been taught, time would need to be allowed for this.

Module 7 Book Blog 1: Me…Jane

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Book Summary: Me…Jane tells the biographical narrative of Dr. Jane Goodall and her interest in the world around her.  The book tells of how her passion and life work began, what inspired her, and even of her early fondness for her stuffed toy chimpanzee Jubilee.  The book begins with how her interest in animals, plants, and her natural surroundings of backyard sparked and grew, and of how her knowledge and understanding of animals guided her life.  The curiosity and passion grew into a dream she had of one day working in Africa with chimpanzees.  The book carries the reader through her transitions and accomplishments at each stage of her life.  She is particularly fond of inspiring children by helping them understand they can choose to be a positive influence on the natural world around them. 

APA Reference of Book:

McDonnell, P. (2011). Me … Jane. New York, NY. Little, Brown and Company.

Impressions: Me…Jane provided a simple format for understanding one of sciences most well known women Dr. Jane Goodall.  The book provided an intriguing and simple concept for how passion is bred, going against the odds, and staying true to oneself.  It also provided a biographical story for kids that is easy to read and interesting.  The book gives young readers an opportunity to see how one person can make a difference and by those choices we can influence the world around us for a greater good.  The book’s simplicity, narrative, and pictures were coordinated very well and helped the reader understand why Dr. Jane Goodall is an important scientist.  The notes and images provided were impressive to see too. It also provided a more detailed biographical page for the adult reader, websites to visit if interested, and an inspirational message from Jane to young kids on making a positive difference in our world. Overall this was a creative and great read for a non-fiction children’s book.

The book is a good example of the non-fiction genre due to the historical facts provided, notes from her past, a synopsis of her early interest and future work.  It also represents the genre well because it touches on multiple subjects within the non-fiction genre.  It covers science, nature, biography, autobiographical notes, and even a self-help section from Dr. Goodall on how everyone, including children, can make a positive difference for our world.  Finally, it is a great example because it contains information and insights into an important person in history found her passion and life’s work from a simple curiosity in the world around her. This is an inspirational book with multiple formats of relaying non-fiction writing.

Professional Review:

School Library Journal -

PreS-Gr 2—In this heartwarming portrait of primatologist Jane Goodall as a young girl, author Patrick McDonnell eloquently tells the story of young adventurous Jane. She, along with her stuffed chimpanzee, Jubliee, delights in exploring the outdoors; observing animals and nature; and finding magic in such things as the discovery of where eggs come from. Children will love the simple text of this Caldecott Honor-winning picture book (Little, Brown, 2011), which carries the important message that they should follow their dreams. McDonnell's superb and warm ink and watercolor drawings are surrounded by faded ornamental engravings and stamps from the 19th and early 20th century. Animators Paul and Sandra Fierlinger have skillfully captured the tone of this delightful story by adding extra elements, such as additional etchings from Goodall's diary, to make the narrative come alive, further enhanced by Shay E. Lynch's upbeat musical score. Extras on the DVD include a conversation with Goodall and McDonnell. In this 15-minute conversation, viewers will have the opportunity to hear McDonnell describe some of the details that went into writing the book. This segment also offers children a chance to "meet" Jane and hear her talk about her childhood; sharing some of her own stories, and elaborating on the experiences touched on in the narrative.

VERDICT: This educational and entertaining tribute to Goodall and her significant legacy is highly recommended for all collections.

Source: Joslyn, A. (2015). Me…Jane. [Review of the book Me…Jane by P. McDonnell].

School Library Journal. (61)2.  Retrieved from http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2052/hottopics/lnacademic/?verb=sr&csi=256569

Found Through: UNT Library Database – LexisNexis Academic

Library Uses: Me…Jane would be an excellent book to use when teaching about biographies.  In order to make biographies exciting, I would use this book to talk about the elements of a good biography.  We would first discuss what the elements of a good biography are by creating a biography stew.  We would add the elements or ingredients of the biography stew in a big pot.  Theses elements or ingredients are as follows:

Yellow Raisins – Birth Date and Place – We come out wrinkled and see the sun.
Peanuts – Family Members – Some family members can be a bit nutty sometimes.
Goldfish – Childhood and School Life – Fish gather in a school.
Bugles – Hobbies, Interests, and Activities – Sometimes we blow our own horns.
Pretzels – Anecdotes – All lives have interesting stories, with twists and turns, just like a pretzel.
Chocolate Chips – Career – When a person makes lots of money or has good fortune, we say he or she is “in the chips.”
Cheerios – Reasons for Fame – We cheer a famous person’s success.
M&Ms – Later Life/Old Age – Stand for more mature.
Dark Raisins – Death – We become shriveled and the lights go out.

Finally, we would evaluate the book to see if it all of the necessary elements.

Credit: www.librarystew.blogspot.com

Module 6 Book Blog 2: Henry's Freedom Box

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Book Summary: Henry has grown up a slave.  The story follows Henry’s childhood in slavery, through his time growing up, on into marriage and beginning a family.   Of course, life as a slave is rough for Henry.  One day, Henry experiences a horrible tragedy.  His wife and children are sold at a slave market.  When this occurs, he knows he will never see them again.  He decides that it is time for him to escape to freedom.  He comes up with the idea to mail himself in a wooden box to a free state.  Two friends, including a white doctor who disagreed with slavery help him to pull this off and Henry is sent to Philadelphia.  The remaining parts of the story document his journey, where he is extremely uncomfortable cramped in the box, but eventually reaches freedom. This touching story is based on the true runaway slave, Henry Brown.

APA Reference of Book:

Levine, E. (2007). Henry’s freedom box:  A true story from the Underground Railroad.

New York, NY. Scholastic Press.

Impressions: This story provides readers with a true glimpse into some of the terrible events that occurred during slavery.  At the same time, it reveals that there were people who stood up against slavery and helped people like Henry find a better future in freedom.  The illustrations by Mr. Nelson are beautiful and add to the story told by Levine.  This would be an excellent book to read to students wanting to understand more about this time period, particularly due to its factual relevance.

I believe this could be an emotional read for some children due to the sad events that occur.  Some of them might not be aware that people never saw their children or spouses again and that selling people to others was a legal act.  It would be important when reading such books to carefully discuss this topic.  At the same time, this is a story of hope and I appreciate that it shows the fact that good-hearted, brave people did exist.  Readers can see that people stood up against the horrible things happening in this time period.

This book is a particularly good historical fiction book in my opinion, because it presents students with a story of someone that they likely had never heard of.  I know that personally Henry’s story was new to me, but I enjoyed learning about this story from the past.  I think it is wonderful that readers can learn about the different ways in which people escaped slavery.  Many will have heard of Underground Railroad, but I do not think many will know that things like this happened.  I appreciate that this bit of history is available in an enjoyable way for kids to learn about.

Professional Review:

School Library Journal -

Gr 2-5- Inspired by an actual 1830s lithograph, this beautifully crafted picture book briefly relates the story of Henry "Box" Brown's daring escape from slavery. Torn from his mother as a child, and then forcibly separated from his wife and children as an adult, a heartsick and desperate Brown conspired with abolitionists and successfully traveled north to Philadelphia in a packing crate. His journey took just over one full day, during which he was often sideways or upside down in a wooden crate large enough to hold him, but small enough not to betray its contents. The story ends with a reimagining of the lithograph that inspired it, in which Henry Brown emerges from his unhappy confinement-in every sense of the word-and smiles upon his arrival in a comfortable Pennsylvania parlor. Particularly considering the broad scope of Levine's otherwise well-written story, some of the ancillary "facts" related in her text are unnecessarily dubious; reports vary, for instance, as to whether the man who sealed Henry into the crate was a doctor or a cobbler. And, while the text places Henry's arrival on March 30, other sources claim March 24 or 25. Nelson's illustrations, always powerful and nuanced, depict the evolution of a self-possessed child into a determined and fearless young man. While some of the specifics are unfortunately questionable, this book solidly conveys the generalities of Henry Brown's story.

Source: Threadgill, C. (2007). Henry’s freedom box: A true story. [Review of the book

Henry’s freedom box: A true story from the Underground Railroad by E. Levine]. School Library Journal. 176.  Retrieved from http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2052/hottopics/lnacademic/?verb=sr&csi=256569

Found Through: UNT Library Database – LexisNexis Academic

Library Uses:  This would be a great historical lesson for students.  There are several great ideas provided by Scholastic to use with this book (http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/henrys-freedom-box-storia-teaching-guide-0).  I particularly like the idea of having the students interact with the National Geographic Educational game (http://education.nationalgeographic.com/media/underground-railroad-journey-freedom/) where they are asked to make choices as they make their way north on the Underground Railroad.  I think this allows them to make text-to-self connections, as they are able to experience some of the things that people during this time experienced.  I would have them work with a partner on this activity so they could discuss and collaborate on the best decisions to make.

Module 6 Book Blog 1: Shoeless Joe and Black Betsy

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Book Summary: This is the fictional account of real life baseball player, Joseph Jefferson Jackson, and his infamous bat Black Betsy.  Joe quickly became known as “Shoeless Joe Jackson” for once playing a game in his baseball socks.  One day, Joe finds himself in a batting slump.  He decided to visit his old friend Charlie Ferguson who was a South Carolina bat smith.  Joe asks him to create the perfect bat for him to help get him out of his slump.  Joe comes to find that the best bat for him is a 48 ounce bat, made out of hickory, rubbed with tobacco juice to make it look mean and black.  Joe decided to name the bat Black Betsy.  Black Betsy saw Joe through his baseball career.  In return Joe took excellent care of Black Betsy, rubbing her down, sleeping in bed with her and bringing her South during the winter so she wouldn’t have to be cold.  Black Betsy and Joe ended up having great seasons together in the major leagues.

APA Reference of Book:

Bildner, P. (2002). Shoeless Joe & black Betty. New York, NY. Simon & Schuster.

Impressions:  This book is a wonderful and fun way to teach children about a legendary baseball player.  The relationship between Joe and Black Betsy is an enjoyable one.  Joe is very supersticious and particular about his bat and believes it controls how he will perform in games.  He goes to great lengths to make sure he takes care of Black Betsy in order to ensure his own success.

The relationship between Joe and Charlie is also an endearing one.  Charlie was clearly played a significant role in Joe’s life and his willingness to work with Joe, regardless of how many odd requests he made, had a hand in Joe’s success.  Throughout the book it is heartwarming to see Charlie always help Joe when he needs it and never give up on him.

Shoeless Joe & Black Betsy is a wonderful example of historical fiction.  The afterward of the book gives a short synopsis of Joe’s real life and it is interesting to compare the two.  More or less the account given in the fictional story stays true to Joe’s actual life.  However, Bilder has done an excellent job of creating and enjoyable and fun story for children to learn more about this man. 

Professional Review:

Publisher’s Weekly Book Review -

One of baseball's greats receives star treatment in this compelling book. Shortly before "Shoeless Joe" Jackson (so named for having played a game in his stocking feet) joins the minors, he falls into a slump, and out of desperation ends up in the workshop of "the finest bat smith in all of South Carolina." Joe names the bat Ol' Charlie Ferguson makes for him Betsy ("Pitchers are going to honor and respect this bat the way they respect the flag Betsy Ross created," the hero states), but the slump continues. So does the partnership between the two men as Ol' Charlie refines the bat's design—it's remade from the "north side of a hickory tree" and rubbed down with tobacco juice so it will be "dark and scary-looking"—and Joe learns how to massage it with sweet oil and keep it wrapped in cotton ("Cotton will make Black Betsy feel right at home in Cleveland," Ol' Charlie tells him). Finally Betsy takes him to the major leagues and his finest season ever. Rookie Bildner hits a home run here, zeroing in on the bat as just the right lens through which to view his picture book biography. He strews the conversational prose with appealing colloquialisms in a catchy refrain ("sure as the sky is blue and the grass is green"). Payne's (The Remarkable Farkle McBride) portraits take on a tall-tale quality suffused with nostalgia; his strong-featured characters offer a riveting blend of humor and gravity. An afterword fills in the details of Jackson's life and career, including the 1919 Black Sox scandal. Ages 5-8. (Mar.)

Source: (2002). [Review of the book Shoeless Joe & black Betsy by P. Bildner].

Publisher’s Weekly.  Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-689-82913-0

Library Uses:  The students will create a new jacket cover for the book.  Each student will work to create a front cover that includes the title, author, illustrator and an illustration that they feel best portrays the book.  The students will create these reviews themselves, but they can use their imagination to say who “actually” wrote them. The back cover will include a brief summary of the novel with at least two reviews of the book.  Finally, if time permits, they will work on the inside flaps.  Here they could include a more detailed summary of the story, a literary critique, more reviews, or quotes from the book.