A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Reviewed by Margo Dill, www.margodill.com, margodll@aol.com
Middle-grade fantasy novel
High school girl and five-year-old boy as main characters
Rating: A classic book (a Newberry Award Winner even) that can STILL relate to children today and get them excited about reading!
Short, short summary: Meg Murray and her brother, Charles Wallace, are a little different than everybody else. Meg has trouble getting along in school, and she knows the same will happen with Charles Wallace when he has to go. But they soon learn that their differences are actually wonderful parts of their personality and help them on the adventure of their lives. Along with Calvin O’Keefe (a POPULAR high school boy) and three “friends,” who I’ll refer to as the Misses (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, then you have to read to find out!), the children go through a wrinkle in time to another planet to save their father from IT! This book has a wonderful message because IT is powerful and gives a false sense of comfort and security, but the children and ALL humans have something that IT doesn’t. This “something” saves the day when Meg uses the “something” to save Charles Wallace. Are you confused? You won’t be when you read this wonderful book with your child or your students!
So, what do I do with this book?
1. This is a wonderful book to start the discussion with students or your child about the special qualities that EVERYONE has. Meg doesn’t fit in at school, and yet, most children love her and want to follow her on more adventures (which by the way, Madeleine L’Engle did continue the Murrays’ story in a series). However, there are probably classmates, who are treated differently because of some of these same characteristics that Meg has, in your room. A great activity to do when you are reading or finished reading this book is to start a positive comment bulletin board. Each student in the room (or you can do this with each of your family members and hang these comments on the refrigerator) picks a name of a classmate out of a hat. The student writes a positive note on a sentence strip about the student he chose. You hang them on a bulletin board or as a border around the room. You can do this activity several times a month, but students should not write about the same person twice. It is also a good idea to give examples of positive comments by using the children in A Wrinkle In Time. Examples: Meg is really good at figuring out math in her head. Charles Wallace knows a lot of words. Meg is super nice to her brother.
2. Let students be the illustrators for this novel. Madeleine L’Engle provides rich descriptions about the Misses and the planets and Aunt Beast. Assign students to illustrate a character or setting or section of the novel with the text attached to the drawing. Post these on the wall outside your classroom (or your refrigerator if you are at home) for all to see.
3. Before you read the ending of the book, let students work on their prediction skills. Can they predict what Meg has that IT doesn’t have? Using the clues in the book, have students write down their predictions in a journal or on a sheet of paper. Then read the section where Meg saves Charles Wallace. Did any of your students guess what Meg used to beat IT?
If you love children’s books and want to use them with your children or students, another great blog to check out is Jen Robinson’s Book Page, where you can sign up for a weekly newsletter with 450 other subscribers!
If you have used this book with your students or your child, please leave a comment here and tell us about it!
If you have a recommendation of a book for me to read and review, please email me at margodll@aol.com or leave a comment here.
Traction Man Meets Turbodog (Written and Illustrated by: Mini Grey)
Reviewed by Margo Dill, margodll@aol.com, www.margodill.com
Picture book for preK-3rd grade, fantasy/sci-fi
Traction Man, of course, with a little help from a young boy (as main characters)
Rating: What a creative, wonderful, fantastic book that celebrates imagination and good-old-fashioned playing.
Short, short, summary: Traction Man and his pet, Scrubbing Brush, are ready for an adventure in the compost pile, but boy, do they get dirty! While Traction Man (and his owner) are sleeping, his parents throw away Scrubbing Brush into the Bin. They present the boy and Traction Man with a new pet, Turbodog, but this dog doesn’t know how to be quiet or play in the sand. A search for Scrubbing Brush starts immediately, and it is soon discovered that the brush has been thrown into the Bin. Traction Man arms himself and goes into the trash to find his beloved pet and save the day!
So, what do I do with this book?
1. Traction Man Meets Turbodog reminds me of a comic book. Your students (at any age–even fourth and fifth graders) can make their own comic strip about Traction Man, Turbodog, and Scrubbing Brush. Comic strips are great for working on beginning, middle, and endings of stories, sequencing story events, dialogue, and encouraging creativity!
2. This book celebrates creativity and imagination. It reminds us of what it was like to play before video games and technology took over our lives. This kind of play does still exist. I’ve seen it with my own stepson! 
Ask your students to write about (or tell you about–depending on their age) their favorite toy that is NOT electronic. What do they like to play with this toy? How do they play with this toy? Students will love to write and illustrate a journal entry about their favorite toy, and they won’t realize they are practicting writing description and maybe even a personal narrative.
3. Mini Grey’s illustrations and text are full of double meanings because they bring us into the world of pretend. Discuss these illustrations with your students or your child. When Traction Man is climbing Mt. Compost Heap, what is he really climbing? What are the swampy marshes of the pond actually supposed to be? What about the sand scene? Discuss with students why Mini Grey decided to create her book this way, instead of just telling us that the boy was pretending to climb a mountain or cross a marsh. Do they think her way of writing the story makes it better or harder to understand?
For more information on this book or other children’s books, you can also check out Menasha Kids blog. If you have read Traction Man Meets Turbodog to your child or your students, please leave a comment here to tell us about it!
If you have a suggestion of a book for me to read and review, please leave a comment here or email me at margodll@aol.com.
photo by aldenchadwick www.flickr.com
Nobody Here but Me (Written by Judith Viorst; Illustrated by Christine Davenier)
Reviewed by Margo Dill, www.margodill.com, margodll@aol.com
Picture book, contemporary, mostly for children preK-2nd grade
Young boy as main character
Rating: Everyone, young and old, can relate to this book. It is funny, clever, cute, and touching!
Short, short summary: What’s a boy to do when everyone is home, but no one is paying attention to him? That’s what the main character is experiencing in this cute and wonderful picture book. Mom is talking to Grandma, Dad is checking e-mail, and his sister Katie is playing with her friend. It feels to him like nobody is home but him. So, he does all sorts of things to get attention like paint a blue heart on the wall, make a huge mess in the kitchen, and hide. But no one pays any attention to him. . . still! So, he decides to go to bed without supper. When everyone is finished with their tasks, and they want to spend time with him, he pretends he is sleeping. His mom, dad, and sister are concerned that he is sleeping before supper and pay him a lot of attention, and he likes it!
So, what do I do with this book?
1. This is a great book to start a discussion with children about feeling like people in their families don’t have time for them. This is a common misconception children have, (although I guess sometimes it can be true, depending on the family.) Ask children if they have ever felt the same way as the main character in Nobody Here but Me. Together with your class or with your child, brainstorm some things to do when students are feeling this way. Could they write a note or draw a picture? Could they read their favorite book to their stuffed animals? Could they ask nicely when someone could play with them and then set a timer to ring when it was time? Make a list of ways to handle this situation to help children deal with loneliness and patiently waiting for other family members.
2. You can teach children about problems and solutions in stories after reading this book. There is a fairly obvious and easy problem in this book. Ask children to tell you the problem, and write it on chart paper. (If you are teaching first or second grade, they may be able to write the problem in their reading journals themselves.) Next, ask students how the boy first tried to solve his problem, but he failed. Lastly, ask students how he did solve his problem. Then ask students if they agree with what the boy did at the end of the story to solve his problem? How else could he have solved his problem? Write a new ending with your class and offer a different solution, just for fun!
3. Many social studies curriculums center on the family in kindergarten and first grade. This is the perfect book to accompany a unit on family. In this book, several family members are mentioned along with things they like to do. After reading and discussing the family in Nobody Here but Me, ask students to draw and write about their own families, depending on their age and ability level.
If you are a teacher, librarian, or parent, who believes in reading, make sure you check out this blog, Literacy is Priceless. If you have used this book with your child or your students, please leave a comment here and let us know how it went.
If you have a recommendation of a book for me to read and review, please leave a comment here or email margodll@aol.com.
And the Winner is. . .
CINDA!!
Congratulations, Cinda, you are the winner of the copy of Amadi’s Snowman.
Thank you to everyone who left comments on the post or one of my pages this week. If you want to purchase the book, click on the link above, (of course :). And check back this weekend, for another blog post on a picture book.
Until then. . .Happy Reading and Happy Using!
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Reviewed by Margo Dill, www.margodill.com, margodll@aol.com
Young adult novel, contemporary
High school guy and girl as main characters
Rating: This is one of the best YA books I’ve ever “listened” to. The story is well-told, realistically in two distinct voices. I would recommend this to anyone–young or old.
Purchase Thirteen Reasons Why
Short, short summary: Clay Jensen receives a box of audiotapes one day after school. The audiotapes turn out to be from Hannah Baker, who committed suicide a few weeks before. Clay discovers he is receiving these tapes because he is featured on one of them, along with 11 other people in his school. The tapes have been passed on from one person to the next, so they won’t be turned over for the public to hear. Hannah made the tapes before she killed herself in an attempt to explain why she did what she did and how these people played a part. Clay spends an entire night listening to the tapes, following a map left to him by Hannah, and interacting with a couple people on the tapes. The story is heartbreaking and touching and important, and what Clay does with it in the end is what we can hope all people do who hear or read this book.
So, what do I do with this book:
1. Although this book has a few “sexual” scenes, I think it is an important book for schools to use. All students, parents, teachers, and counselors should read this book and discuss it. This is an unusual book on the topic of suicide because Hannah Baker did kill herself, and so the characters can do nothing to stop it. They have to learn from it. When your students or your child finish reading this book, ask them either in a discussion or a journal assignment or both–what did they learn from this book? What can they do to make a difference in someone else’s life? What are some suicide warning signs that are mentioned in the book?
2. Suicide is a scary topic for teens, but even scarier for adults. This book can get the communication paths open and discussions started. Give students resources they can use if they feel like suicide is the only answer. Who can they call? Who can they talk to? What should they do? Make sure all students know who to turn to just like when they were in elementary school and they learned how to dial 911 in an emergency. What do they do in this emergency? What do they do if a friend is threatening suicide? The resource sheet should be typed and given to EVERY student. They should not have to pick one up in the guidance office, so everyone can see them. However, these resource sheets should also be posted on bulletin boards or maybe even on the school’s website in case someone loses his sheet. If you have a group of students in your school who are interested in helping, they could research and create the resource sheet.
3. How does Jay Asher write in these two unique, authentic voices interchangeably throughout the book? How do the characters change, develop, and evolve? Voice and character development are two writing skills that you can study along with this book. Thirteen Reasons Why is its own master’s class in creating two sensational voices and believable, realistic characters.
For an interview with Jay Asher, check out The First Book. If you have used this book with your students or your child, please leave a comment here about your experiences.
If you have a recommendation of a book for me to read and review, please leave a comment here or email me at margodll@aol.com.
picture by edvvc at www.flickr.com
Amadi’s Snowman (Written by: Katia Novet Saint-Lot; Illustrated by Dimitrea Tokunbo)
Anyone who leaves a comment on today’s post will be entered into a drawing for a free copy of this book, Amadi’s Snowman! The drawing will take place on Wednesday, November 12. Make sure you leave an email address or contact information on your comment if you want to be in the drawing, or check back on Thursday, November 13 to see if you won. Thanks!
Reviewed by Margo Dill, www.margodill.com, margodll@aol.com
Picture book for pre-K through third graders
School-age boy as main character
Rating: A beautiful book that shows a new setting and tells why reading is so important in a non-preachy way!
Purchase Amadi’s Snowman
Short, short summary:Amadi is a young boy who lives in Nigeria. He wants to be a businessman when he grows up because the marketplace is exciting. He thinks he does not need to learn how to read if he is going to be a businessman, so he blows off his lesson with this reading tutor, Mrs. Chikodili, and goes to the market. While at the market, he runs into his friend, Chima, who is reading a book about a snowman. Amadi is immediately interested in the white creature with the carrot nose in the book and asks Chima questions about what he is reading. Chima tells Amadi that he reads to learn things, and this information gets Amadi thinking about reading and about snow. In the end, Mrs. Chikodili has quite a surprise for Amadi, and he has a change of heart.
So, what do I do with this book?
1. Part of Amadi’s Snowman is about what Amadi learns when he is watching over Chima’s shoulder while the older boy is reading. Ask your students to make a list of things they have learned when reading a book or even a magazine article. If you have young students, you can include information from books that parents have read to them and make the list of facts on a piece of chart paper for your students. If you teach second or third grade, once students have a list of things they learned from reading books, ask them to write a paragraph about why they think reading is important. If you are reading this book at home with your children, have a discussion with them about their favorite books and what they learn from them.
2. Amadi lives in Nigeria. Do your students or your children know about the country, Nigeria? It might be helpful to do a KWL chart about Nigeria before reading this book. The K stands for Know, which means writing down facts your students know about Nigeria. The W is for Wonder, which means that students should ask questions about Nigeria. The L stands for Learn, and this is when students write down facts they learned about Nigeria and answers to their questions from the Wonder column. A good website to find information for your students is The Nigerian Page.
3. Many of the illustrations in Amadi’s Snowman have interesting backgrounds without a lot of specific details, but the main characters in the forefront are painted with more details. Ask your students why they think Dimitrea Tokunbo created the illustrations this way. What was she doing to help tell Amadi’s story? Have your students draw and paint an illustration for one of their stories in Tokunbo’s style.
For more information about the illustrator of this book, please visit Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast. If you have used this book in your classroom or with your child, please leave a comment here and let us know how it went!
If you have a recommendation of a book for me to read and review, please leave a comment here or email me at margodll@aol.com.
photo by MG Shelton at www.flickr.com
The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke
Reviewed by Margo Dill, www.margodill.com, margodll@aol.com
Middle-grade fantasy novel, but not fantasy with faeries or dragons or witchcraft–good-old fashioned storybook fantasy
12-year-old boy and 5-year-old boy as main characters
Rating: Delightful book in an unusual setting (for children’s books) with loveable characters
Purchase The Thief Lord
Short, short summary: Prosper and Bo are two orphans, who go to Venice to escape their Aunt Esther. They join up with a gang of misfit children and teens, who live in an old movie theatre and survive with help from The Thief Lord. The Thief Lord is actually a 13-year-old boy named Scipio, who has plenty of his own secrets. The plot really gets going when two events occur around the same time: a loveable detective finds Prosper and Bo, and a wealthy client hires the gang to steal a broken wooden wing, which is the key to a magical merry-go-round.
So, what do I do with this book?
1. There are quite a few characters and twists and turns in this novel. One way for students to keep track of the characters and plot is for them to make a story map. A story map helps students work on finding main events and sequencing skills. For more information on story maps and how to use them in your classroom, check out this link: Story Mapping.
2. The Thief Lord is set in Venice. Many of your students or your child might not understand the waterways in Venice and how many people are traveling by boat and not car. This fact is crucial in understanding many parts of this book. Find a movie at the library, ask students to research Venice on the Internet, check out nonfiction books with photos of Venice, or go to this website: Venetia.
3. Many of the events that happen in this book could happen in real life, yet this book is a fantasy. After students are finished reading the book, ask them to make two columns on a piece of paper. On the top of one column, they should write “Realistic.” On the top of the second column, they should write “Fantasy.” Tell students to write events that could happen in real life on the realistic side and the fantastical events on the fantasy side. Ask students to think about the following statement and how it applies to this book: “If any part of a statement is false, then the whole statement is false.”
If you are homeschooling your children, another good website to check out is Guilt-Free Homeschooling. If you have used this book with your children or your students, please leave a comment here and tell us about your experiences!
If you have a book for me to read and review, please leave a comment here or email me at margodll@aol.com.
photo by word virus at www.flickr.com
Jake’s Best Thumb (Written by: Ilene Cooper; Illustrations by Claudio Munoz)
Reviewed by Margo Dill, www.margodill.com, margodll@aol.com
Picture book, contemporary, for preschool to first grade children
Kindergarten boy as main character
Rating: This is an issue book–if you have a child who sucks his thumb, is attached to a stuffed animal or blanket, or has another “comfort” habit, this is a PERFECT book to start a discussion with beautiful, exciting illustrations.
Short, short summary: Jake sucks his thumb. Everyone wants him to stop, but he can’t. The only person who seems to understand him is Uncle Matt. When he starts kindergarten, he sucks his thumb, and a bully, Cliff, teases him, calling him a “thumb sucker.” Jake is worried and doesn’t want to be teased, but he can’t seem to stop sucking his thumb, although he really tries. He meets a nice girl, Nell, who is attached to a stuffed animal, and they become friends. While on the playground, Jake and Nell discover that Cliff also has an attachment to his baby blanket. At first, Jake bullies Cliff, but then he realizes that he doesn’t like to be teased about sucking his thumb, and Jake stops teasing Cliff. The story ends with a realistic conclusion, which you will have to read to find out!
So, what do I do with this book?
1. This is one of those perfect discussion-starter books. When you talk to your child or your students about any of these attachments they may have, don’t point it out to them that they are like Jake, Nell, or Cliff. Let them tell you about their habit or attachment, and let them do most of the talking. When they are finished, ask your child or your students what they thought about the ending of the book and if they could solve their problems at school or with friends in the same way the three characters did.
2. This is also a great book to talk about teasing and bullying. Cliff is mean in the book, but why is he mean? Ask students why they think he is acting like that. Is it because he is insecure about his blanket in his pocket? Then talk to students about how to solve their problems if someone is teasing them. Ask students to make anti-bullying posters. If you have young students, they can draw the pictures, and you can write the words for them.
3. Jake is scared when he first starts kindergarten. If you are working with a preschool or kindergarten class or child, make a list of things students are looking forward to about kindergarten and things they are worried about. Talk to students about both sides of the list, but you can try to reassure them that the “worried” side will be all right. Maybe share some of your stories from your school years. You can also invite older children such as fourth or fifth graders into your classroom to talk to younger students about their school fears.
If you have used this book with your students or your child, please leave a comment here about what you did.
If you have a suggestion of a book for me to read and review, please leave a comment here or email margodll@aol.com.
Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox by Eoin Colfer
reveiwed by Margo Dill, www.margodill.com, margodll@aol.com
But first a word from our sponsor. . . Winners of the prizes for the Halloween Trick or Treating are Donis Casey: she wins the free TWILIGHT book, and Ruth wins the 10-page edit from Editor 911.
Middle-grade novel, contemporary fantasy (part of a series)
14-year-old boy as main character
Rating: Artemis Fowl books are always filled with action and plot and great characterization. This one is great, although you may have to be as smart as Artemis to figure out the paradox.
Short, short summary: This book has a complicated plot that I was just discussing with an 11-year-old boy the other day. I will attempt to provide a short summary here. Artemis has returned from his last adventure and finds he has twin baby brothers. His mother is also sick again, and no one can figure out what is wrong with her. Artemis calls on help from Captain Holly Short and his other magical friends to figure out what is wrong with his mom. He discovers she will die unless they find a certain kind of lemur and inject some fluid from the lemur into his mother. (Gross, I know.) Anyway, the problem is that in the past, 10-year-old Artemis sold the lemur to a crazy group of people who like to kill endangered species and make them extinct. So, what’s a boy to do? Well, when you are Artemis Fowl, you travel back in time and capture the lemur from your 10-year-old self and bring it back to the present. And that’s where I’m going to stop. 1. I don’t want to ruin any surprises that Colfer has in store for you. 2. This is supposed to be a short summary.
So, what do I do with this book?
1. Ask students to write a story or journal entry about time travel. Start with the journal prompt, “If I could travel back in time, I would go to _____________________, and here’s why:” If you want your students to write a story, ask them to use story charts first to make sure there is a beginning, middle, and end to their stories.
2. The plot of this Artemis Fowl book is confusing. It would help students to plot out the story using a story map. If students or your child have not read other Artemis Fowl books, they will probably get lost in the characters and the plot of this book. If you think your child or your students would love this series, then help them find the first Artemis Fowl book to introduce them to the series.
3. Compare and contrast 10-year-old Artemis Fowl and 14-year-old Artemis Fowl with a Venn Diagram. What are some of the characters’ similarities? What are some of the differences? Which character would your students or your child want to be friends with?
If you have used this book with your students or your child, please leave a comment here about how it went!
If you have a recommendation for a book for me to read and review, please email me at margodll@aol.com or leave a comment here.
Ida B by Katherine Hannigan
Reviewed by Margo Dill, www.margodill.com, margodll@aol.com
Middle-grade novel, contemporary, realistic fiction
Fourth-grade girl as main character
Rating: The imagery, voice, and creativity in this book are absolutely amazing!
Short, short summary: Ida B. has a great life–she has trees and a brook for friends, and she is homeschooled by her adoring, loving parents because her kindergarten experience was not so great. However, Ida B.’s life is turned upside down when her mom discovers she has cancer. Because her daddy has to do all the farm work and her mom is too tired to teach her, Ida B. must go to school, and she doesn’t want to. To solve her problem, she decides she will be miserable at school and make her heart cold no matter what. She will show no excitement at home and just be pretty much unbearable to everyone. Things get worse when her father tells her that they have to sell some of the land with the apple trees on it because they need the money. Ida really gets angry then. But thanks to constant love from her parents and a wise teacher, Ida’s heart starts to melt. Ida works hard to stay mad and angry and be mean, but guilt tugs at her insides until she makes some smart decisions that change her life for the better.
So, what do I do with this book?
1. This is a great read-aloud. At first, students may think it is strange how Ida B. names the trees, talks to them, and they talk back to her. But, you can use this as a teaching tool in two different ways. First, you can talk about personification and how authors use it as a literary technique when they write. You can also use it to discuss with your students or your child (or have them write about it in a journal) when they talk to objects or animals that can’t talk back to them and why they do it. For example, I always talk to my dogs, and I even say things in a different voice that I think they may be saying back to me. When I am sad, I talk to my dogs and tell them what is wrong. It makes me feel better, and I know they listen to me because they always give me kisses when I am finished.
2. Ida B. uses a lot of similies, metaphors, and exaggerations when she talks. Ask students to find these in the text, write them down, and explain what they mean. Why does Katherine Hannigan use these images when Ida is telling the story instead of just saying what she means? Ask students if they can include imagery like this when they write stories.
3. Cancer is a disease that has probably touched the lives of some, if not most, of your students. If they haven’t been touched by cancer, then they may have family members with other serious illnesses such as heart disease or diabetes. This topic of cancer in the book can be upsetting to some students, especially if it has touched their lives. Talk to your students or your child about survival rates and modern medicine. Answer any questions they may have about cancer and their fears associated with the disease. Ask students to write about their feelings in a journal entry. Ask them to explain why Ida acts the mean way she does for a while. Do they understand her behavior? How could they help her?
If you have used this book with your child or in your classroom, please leave a comment here and let us know how it went!
If you have a suggestion of a book for me to read and review, please email margodll@aol.com or leave a comment here.
(photo by fauxto_digit www.flickr.com)
