Module 4: Newbery Winner

"I sensed it before I knew it was coming. I heard it, smelled it, tasted it. Dust". 

Out of the Dust Karen Hesse

Book Summary:
Billie Jo was fourteen in 1935, and she must endure the harshness of life during the great depression living in the Dust Bowl of the Oklahoma Panhandle. The quiet strength she displays while dealing with unspeakable loss is as surprising as it is inspiring.

This is a Newbery Award-winning story. It chronicles Oklahoma's staggering dust storms, and the environmental--and emotional--turmoil they leave in their path. An unforgettable tribute to hope and inner strength.

The picture of a young girl on the cover is a real girl, not a model. In the book, there is a section in the back of the novel that explains the girl on the cover. Her name was Lucille Burroughs, and she had lived during the Dust Bowl. She lived in Hale County, Alabama. Karen Hesse kept a photo of Lucille nearby while she worked on Out of the Dust. Lucille was her inspiration for Billie Jo's character.

Reference: Hess, K. (1997). Out of The Dust, New York. N.Y. Scholastic Press.

Impressions:
Billie Jo's whole life changed when her mother died. She was almost barely holding on before her mother's death, but with the loss of her mother and the loss of her piano [playing, she was in complete despair. The relationship with her father became almost unbearable since at first, her father does blame her for her mother's death even though it was his irresponsibility that left the fuel bucket next to the stove, what kind of idiot would do that??

She talks about not wanting to live when her mother died. However, she learns that life goes on and that you have to take it one day at a time. Billie Jo also learned that even though she wanted to escape the dust, she didn't want to leave her father. Even though they didn't talk much, being with her father and not talking was better than being all alone and not having a place to call home.

Billie Jo realized that she needed to be with her father because he was all that she had left in the world. When she finally went through with her plan of running away, it showed Billie Jo how much she needed her father and that living with him was better than being alone, which was dangerous for a young girl.

This girl finally begins to let go of her past and pain. She plays the piano again, and it is cathartic for her, and then she realizes that even though the dust has changed her, it's for the better. She's a better person because of the dust and her mother and brother's deaths. Billie Jo has finally realized and accepted who she is.

Professional Review: 

First published in the United States in 1997, and winner of the Newbery Medal the following year, Karen Hesse’s verse novel is unquestionably one of the most accomplished examples of this particular genre we have had to date: the poetry here is sufficiently impressive to be considered on its merits as poetry and not merely as a gimmicky adjunct in the construction of the plot. Set in the American Dust Bowl years of the 1930s, complete with some extremely effective use of contemporary detail and reference, the novel has at its centre, and as its narrator, 14-yearold Billie Jo Kelby, a name which should, perhaps, alert us to the story’s folksy, country and Western undertone: ‘As summer wheat came ripe,/so did I,/ born at home, on the kitchen floor./Ma crouched,/ barefoot, bare bottomed/over the swept boards,/ because that’s where Daddy said it’d be best.’ But, harrowing as the events in her young life is to prove, the novel offers no easy comforts in sentimental outcomes. The conflicts between Billie Jo and her parents, an accident (tragic in its consequences) befalling her mother and her determination to move away ‘out of the dust’ provide the material for a narrative in which moods of despair and hope, entrapment and escape, are skillful – and often poignantly – juxtaposed. The verse format gives the story a sense of brevity, of tightness and emotional restraint wholly in keeping with the spare, uncluttered style of its narrator and yet sufficiently suggestive to reconstruct a period and place with great conviction. The Newbery judges of a decade ago knew what they were doing!

Dunbar, R. (N.D.) [Review of Out of The Dust By Karen Hess] Inis Online Magazine, Children’s Books Ireland Retrieved from http://www.bing.com/images/searchq=dust+bowl+train&view=detailv2&id=BCF9EEB1E32ACE67CCD7E8816FDC936844774F48&selectedindex=14&ccid=SzVdwSR1&simid=608021474108048322&thid=OIP.M4b355dc124757fa5bf4d3475b44a1d1bo0&mode=overlay&first=1

Library Uses:

My library is in the Texas Panhandle, and this book has a special meaning for all of us who live in this part of the country. We can still see evidence of the Dust Bowl and the effects of life during that time. Abandoned homes and shacks still stand the area that people go out and photograph. Also, the changes that occurred in our area directly because of that environmental disaster are all around us. This is a great resource to use for teaching a class about the local environment. This book can be used in conjunction with a screening of the movie The Dust Bowl, by Ken Burns. It could be a wonderful springboard for discussing the history of the Texas Panhandle during the Dustbowl.

Module 3: Caldecott Winners

"He could feel the towers breathing. He was not afraid. He felt alone and happy and absolutely free". 

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers, Mordecai Gerstein

Book Summary: 
Philippe Petit was a street performer. He did tricks and rode his unicycle on the streets of New York City, but his favorite thing to do was walk a tightrope tied between two trees. He had been performing in central park, but one day he looked up and saw the Twin Towers. He thought to himself they would be perfect to walk across on a high wire. After all, he already had walked between the two spires of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

It took six years to plan the stunt. When the day finally came, he walked out on the high wire, did a little dance and even laid down on the wire. He stayed on the wire for over an hour and when he walked back to the opposite building he was arrested. When his case came to trial, the judge laughed and ordered him to perform in the park for children and never to walk between the twin towers again. The towers are no longer there, but this book and now a movie are a testament about the towers and once they were not just two buildings that were destroyed by terrorists on September 11, 2001.

Reference: 
Gerstein, M. (2003). The Man Who Walked Between the Towers. Brookfield, Connecticut, Millbrook Press.

Impressions: A wonderfully illustrated book that tells the true story of the historic walk by Philippe Petit, the man who walked between the Twin Towers in New York City on August 7, 1974. I had no knowledge of this before I read this book. I was excited to do research and found it had recently been made into a movie. 

In 1974, the Twin Towers were just being completed and seen a symbol of America's strength and wealth. Today they are seen as a symbol of sorrow, hate and terror. I liked this book because it is a wonderful way to remember that the twin towers were something other than two building destroyed by terrorists.This book won a Caldecott award in 2004 and the movie version released on September 30, 2015.

                            

Professional Review:
After the events of September 11, there was an odd movement on behalf of the children's book publishers to explain the event in picture book form for the benefit of the little ones. Some of these attempts verged on the callous (paper cut airplanes flying into paper cut buildings) while others were nice thoughts but ultimately raised more questions than they answered ("Fireboat," for example). In the case of Mr. Mordicai Gerstein, however, a happy medium was reached. Here is a book that is all about the Twin Towers, but it does not linger on their fate. A mere two years after the events of 9/11, this book is an eloquent and elegant elegy to a moment when the Twin Towers helped to bring the world a lot of wonders and joy.

The story is based on the true tale of one Philippe Petit. A French aerialist, Petit was adept at juggling, unicycle riding, and (as it happened) tightrope walking. When construction finished on the Twin Towers in 1974, Petit happened upon the crazy notion of walking between them. The man was no stranger to such a stunt. He had, after all, walked between the towers of the Notre Dame Cathedral back in his native France. After asking the Tower's owners for permission, his request was quickly declined. To be allowed would fly in the face of a million safety regulations, after all. The quick thinking Petit reasoned that all that was left was to go ahead and do it anyway. Involving some friends, a construction disguise, and a four hundred and forty-pound reel of cable, Petit successfully made it to the roof of one tower in the night and connected the line between the towers with help. Then, as the dawn broke, he did his famous walk across. Once finished, the judge sentenced Petit to perform for the children of the park as his penance; a punishment the artist suffered gladly. The book concludes the story on a wistful note. We view the space where once the towers stood and read, "Now the towers are gone". A ghost of the Two appears on the next page, and the book says, "But in memory as if imprinted on the sky, the towers are still there. And part of that memory is the joyful morning, August 7, 1974 when Philippe Petit walked between them in the air".

What Gerstein has done is give us a memory of the Twin Towers that is a good and joyful one. This is no mean task, especially when you consider the horrors that were to follow. I've heard an interesting assortment of objections to the book in my time. Some people argue that no book about the Twin Towers is appropriate for children, whether the book concentrates on 9/11 or not. Such sentiments are silly. You can't ignore the past and, when done tastefully, a book about a significant event can teach more to children than a lesson plan could ever hope to. Other objections say that the book glorifies a silly stunt. Considering the fact that Petit was well trained, took all the necessary precautions, and did what he did for the love of his art, this objection is petty at best. Some say that this is not Gerstein's strongest work and that he should have won the Caldecott for another book instead. I have not read other Gerstein creations, so my experience is (like that of the Caldecott committee) limited to only his most recent creation. But to say this book is not medal worthy is patently ridiculous. Just at a glance at the book is enough to tell you that.

Look with me. The text is not only true, it is respectful. What I'm about to write here is second-hand knowledge garnered from a children's literature listserv, so I can't vouch that what I'm about to say is true. However, I believe that before this book was published Philippe Petit knew that it was being written and requested a look at the galleys prior to publication (not a ridiculous desire considering he was the book's star and hero). Such a look was not granted but just after publication Petit was allowed a copy of the story and he greatly approved of it. The only correction he wished to make was the section discussing the thickness of the cable he walked across. I believe he wished it to be changed from five-sixths of an inch to seven-eights of an inch. Future books have been published with this change, so if you happen to have an earlier printing of the story you may have a collector's item on your hands. My point with this story is the pains with which the author has taken to render everything in it factual. On top of that, it's very well written, with the viewer gasping and cheering with every close shave and near accident Petit incurs.

As for the illustrations, they are utterly lovely. From the windswept cover (note the very American bald eagle flying below Petit) to the large pull out sections showing both Petit's walk and the height at which he was walking. If you can read through this book and successfully suppress all shudders, then you're a better man than I, Gunga Din. Best of all is how evocative the tale is. The title page displays the towers being built on a snowy day, and there is a repetitive motif of parents holding up babies to look at Petit. This book is filled with delicate wonders and scintillating details on every page.

I can't imagine how anyone could dislike this story, but some do. Just the same, if you want a picture book filled with beauty and breath-taking adventure, with one happy ending and one wistful ending apiece, select Gerstein's award winning creation. It deserves its applause.

Bird, E.R. (May 2004) A man, a plan, a tower, [Review of the book The Man Who Walked Between the Towers By Mordecai Gerstein] Amazon.com Retrieved from www.amazon.in/The-Man-Walked-Between-Towers/dp/031236878X

Library Uses: This would make a nice display book about the 9/11 tragedy. We have other books concerning the attacks, but this would show the buildings before and initiate discussions about the days before 9/11. Many of our children today know nothing about life before then.

Module 2: Classic Children’s & Young Adult Literature

"George promised to be good. But it is easy for little monkeys to forget". 

The Complete Adventures of Curious George, H.A. Rey

Book Summary: 

"This is George. He lived in Africa. He was a good little monkey, and always very curious." (Rey, 1941). With these words, H.A. and Margret Rey introduced the world to Curious George, and the world has loved him ever since. The tales of this cheerful and resilient little hero have kept generations of readers enthralled and entertained. Curious George is discovered in Africa by the man with the yellow hat and is then taken back to America. This is where the real fun starts. George has so many new adventures and gets into lots of many mischiefs. This book has seven of the original stories written by Margaret and H.A. Rey.

Reference: 

Rey, H.A., & Rey, M. (1941). The Complete Adventures of Curious George, New York, N.Y. Houghton Mifflin.

Impressions:  I find this book along with any book written before 1970 quite interesting. In the politically correct world of the 21st century, so many of the illustrations, situations and references in any book over 40 years old is downright funny, rude or even considered obscene. For example today, there would be very few books illustrated showing a man or a monkey smoking a pipe. However, this book and all Curious George books are not only cute and lively with lots of full-color illustrations to engage even the youngest babies and children they portray the innocence and wonderment of childhood. This trait has been lost on many children due to poverty, the input of our every increasing violence in the media and their environment. Childhood should be fun, exciting and filled with curiosity, however sometimes it's better experienced through the fun pages of a book instead of first hand like so many of the dangers that George seems to escape unharmed. 

Professional Review: 
KidLitCrit (Feb. 22, 2014) [Review of the book The Complete Adventures of Curious George, By H.A. Rey] Retrieved from http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/1f001522f6/the-complete-adventures-of-curious-george?_cc=__d___&_ccid=drqelq.nwndhq

Library Uses: Curious George is one of the kids favorite story time programs. We have a whole themed program that can include just monkeys, all types of animals or even just circus animals. We make headbands for the kids that has the different type of animal ears; we read about animals, including Curious George and we sing a song or two about animals and learn about the different sounds animals make. We usually bring in the most exotic animals we can find, once we had a zebra, but so far we have not found a monkey! Once we had a person from the local Public Broadcasting Services come in to visit all the kids dressed as Curious George. 

Module 1: Introduction to Youth Literature

"I can make the reader say a word" 

We Are in a Book!, Mo Willems

Book Summary:
Piggie discovers that she and Gerald are in a book, and she can make the reader say a funny word out loud, they both are excited and think this is hilarious. But then Gerald realizes that the book is going to end soon! What will happen then? Gerald just wants to be read!! As always, Piggie has a great

idea: she will ask the reader to start the book again.

Reference:
Willems, M. (2010). We Are in a Book! New York, N.Y. Hyperion.

Impressions:
LOVED IT!!!!! A great interactive book and so cute, very reminiscent of The Monster at the End of this Book by Jon Stone. While it was my first experience reading a Mo Willems book, I now I understand the draw of his books for young readers. The humour carefully scripted text and comic book, conversational style make the Elephant & Piggie series a fabulous beginning reader series.This book can be read over and over and with many different voices and personalities. My daughter and I both laughed several times at this, and it never got old.  An engaging book for readers of all ages and so many great uses to incorporate into a classroom lesson. This book so interested me I decided to look him up to see what kind of background he had with children. I found a quote from him that struck me. "Always think about your audience, never for your audience". Mo Willems

YouTube Video: Piggie and Gerald - We Are in a Book by Kyle Kaufman

Kaufman, K. (June 22, 2012) Piggie and Gerald - We Are in a Book, Retrieved from https://youtu.be/X93c86EYnco

Professional Review:
Stalwart friends Piggie and Gerald, the elephant, push the metafiction envelope in a big way when they realize that "someone is looking at us." Is it a monster? Worries Gerald. "No," replies the squinting Piggie. "It is... / a reader! / A reader is reading us!" How? Wonders Gerald. Piggie drapes herself on a word bubble to demonstrate: "We are in a book!" "THAT IS SO COOL!" Joy leads to a little bit of smart, practical joking—Piggie figures out how to make the readers say "banana" out loud, and hilarity ensues—which gives way to existential angst: "The book ends?!" exclaims an appalled Gerald. Emergent readers just beginning to grapple one-on-one with the rules of the printed codex will find the friends' antics both funny and provocative: Just who is in control here, anyway? As always, Willems displays his customary control of both body language and pacing even as he challenges his readers to engage with his characters and the physicality of their book. The friends' solution to the book's imminent end? "Hello. Will you please read us again?" You bet.(Early reader. 4-8)

Kirkus Review (2010, September) [Review of the book We Are in a Book, By Mo Willems] Kirkus Media LLC New York, N.Y. Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/mo-willems/we-are-book/

Library Uses:
November is National Picture Book Month. In conjunction with a display of great picture books, our library could set up a picture taking designated area with a large handmade frame with the words, "I am in a book" written around the edge. Kids would have the opportunity to take a picture pretending to be in a book. The printed photo would be given to patrons as soon as the image was uploaded to the printer. A staff member would run the photo area, so this would only be a one-day activity.