The Tarantula Scientist by Sy Montgomery

Bibliography:

Montgomery, Sy. 2004. The Tarantula Scientist. Ill. Bishop, Nic. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company. 9780618147991

Book Summary:

Did you know spiders smell with their feet? Did you know there are 30 species of tarantulas in the United States and 850 known species recorded all over the world? That is a lot of spiders! Author Sy Montgomery and photographer Nic Bishop take us on an educational journey through French Guiana as they follow scientist Sam Marshall on his quest to learn more about tarantulas.

Critical Analysis:

This book is 80 pages of exciting tarantula and spider related facts that reads like an action packed novel. The very style of writing aims to lure the readers in making it difficult for them to put the book down; children will want to continue reading. The vocabulary used in this informational book is simple enough for young readers, but interesting enough for older readers as well.

The photographs in this book are also worth noting as every image is clear, well focused and sharp. Each colorful photograph provides a caption which identifies the type of spider in the photo. Photographer Nic Bishop does a fantastic job of capturing the life of a spider in its natural habitat. 

The back of the book provides more information for curious readers. In the last few pages a reader can enjoy reading a list of spider statistics or learning "spider speak" (a glossary). The author has provided readers with an index and a bibliography in addition to a section which discusses how the book was researched. As if all of this were not enough, Montgomery provides tarantula and spider related websites, information on visiting French Guiana, and facts for future tarantula pet owners.

This book is recommended for children ages 10 and up.

Review Excerpt(s):

• Robert F. Sibert Honor Book (2005)
• Texas Bluebonnet Award (2005)
• Kirkus Reviews – given a blue star for remarkable merit – (2004) “crisp, detailed photographs and clear, lively prose.”
• Booklist (2004) “fascinating slice of the natural world.”

Connections:

• Pair this title with other great favorites such as:
         The Beetle Book by Steve Jenkins
         Animals Nobody Loves by Seymour Simon
         Will You Sign Here, John Hancock? by Jean Fritz and Trina Schart Hyman
• Provide a tarantula coloring sheet to the child(ren) and encourage them to draw their favorite tarantula from Sy Montgomery's book or create their own.
• Using an egg carton, pipe cleaners and googly eyes create an egg carton spider activity for the child(ren).

 

What to do About Alice? by Barbara Kerley

Bibliography:

Kerley, Barbara. 2008. What to do About Alice? Ill. Fotheringham, Edwin. New York, NY: Scholastic Press. 9780439922319

Book Summary:

Alice Roosevelt, daughter of Theodore Roosevelt, was always “running riot” and “eating up the world” from the very beginning of her life; Alice liked to do things her way. Alice wanted to wear pants, travel the world, dance and have a good time rather than learn how to be a proper lady. This wonderful nonfiction picture book describes the life of Alice Roosevelt and how she “broke the rules, charmed the world, and drove her father Teddy Crazy!”

Critical Analysis:

This carefully illustrated information book offers readers several interesting facts about the daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt while also supplying facts about Mr. President himself. The book starts off by stating, “Theodore Roosevelt has a small problem” and goes on to describe the difficult problems Roosevelt faced during his lifetime such as, “leading the Rough Riders as they charged up Kettle Hill” and “herding thousands of cattle across the Dakota badlands” then finishes by stating the problem is his daughter Alice who was “hungry to go places, meet people, do things.” Readers will not even realize they are learning historical facts about one of America’s most well-known presidents as they read about the life of his daughter, Alice.

The style in which the book is written offers a fun and exciting storytelling type quality. The information within is organized in a clear and fluent fashion, beginning with Alice's younger years on up into adulthood.

At the end of the book readers can enjoy the “Author’s Note” section which further lists interesting facts about Alice Roosevelt and her father. For instance, did you know "Princess Alice" was the nickname Alice's fans gave her? Additionally, the author provides a quick summary of Alice’s life after her marriage to Nicholas Longworth, followed by a list of sources used in order to complete the book.

The illustrations are worth noting as well! Illustrator Edwin Fotheringham carefully and delicately depicted the life of Alice Roosevelt in a frolicking and fanciful manner. Each illustration of Alice rightfully depicts Alice with her head held high, smiling and clearly on a mission to enjoy life.

This book is recommended for children ages 7 and up.

Review Excerpt(s):

• Robert F. Sibert Honor Book (2009)
• Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards nominee (2008)
• Kirkus Reviews – given a blue star for remarkable merit – (2008) “It’s a gleeful celebration of a fully, unapologetically led life.”
• School Library Journal (2008) “…a surefire antidote for any child who thinks that historical figures are boring.”

Connections:

• Pair this title with other great favorites such as:
         Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet
         Lincoln Tells a Joke by Kathleen Krull
         The Extraordinary Mark Twain by Barbara Kerley
• Locate music from Alice Roosevelt's youth and use it to teach the child(ren) the turkey trot or other period dance moves. 
• Supply colored paints and ask the child(ren) to create the color 'Alice Blue.' After concocting the color 'Alice Blue' work as a group to write down objects which are 'Alice Blue.'

The Beetle Book by Steve Jenkins



Bibliography:

Jenkins, Steve. 2012. The Beetle Book. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. 9780547680842

Book Summary:

What is the smallest known beetle? Which beetle is the biggest of them all? How do beetles breathe? Answers to these questions and more can be found inside of Steve Jenkins’s book The Beetle Book which is packed full of fun and interesting beetle related facts.

Critical Analysis:

This fact-filled book, written and illustrated by Steve Jenkins, introduces children to the world of beetles using colorful illustrations, diagrams and text. All throughout the book children will find silhouettes of beetles which represent the actual size of the beetle being labeled. Large diagrams are presented with detailed explanations in order to further breakdown the makeup of a beetle’s body. What types of beetle related information can readers expect to find in this fact book? Body parts, diets, living environments, life cycles, movement, and sizes are just some of the facts children can learn about while reading this book. 

Jenkins provides beautiful illustrations of the various types of beetles using vibrant colors to allow the brightly colored beetles to stand out. The colors Jenkins used in his illustrations are bold and beautiful, but accurately depict the beetle's true markings. I found the jewel beetle to be the most beautiful beetle of them all. To me,  the frog beetle and the giraffe weevil had strangest looking bodies of all of the beetles in the book. What do you think? Which one is your favorite?

Overall, this book is well organized and even offers readers a beetle name index located in the back of the book. Additionally, a species-by-region list is available at the end of the book for viewing pleasure. One thing this book is lacking though, is a bibliography to support the facts found within this book.

This book is recommended for children ages 4 and up.

Review Excerpt(s):

• Booklist – starred review – (2012) “A richly varied and visually riveting introduction to beetles, both familiar and strange.”
• Kirkus Reviews – given a blue star for remarkable merit – (2012) “distinguished both as natural history and work of art.”

Connections:

•  Pair this title with other great favorites such as:                         
               Quest for the Tree Kangaroo by Sy Montgomery
               Weird but True by National Geographic Kids and Jonathan Halling
               Snakes! By Monica Molina
• Give the children a magnifying glass and encourage them to go outside on a beetle hunting expedition. Encourage the children to bring paper and crayons so they are able to record their findings.
• Create a beetle collage. Print out several different images of beetles (in all colors) as found in The Beetle Book. Glue or paste the images on a large postboard. This activity can be done as a prop or as a group activity.
   

Red Sings From Treetops: A Year in Colors by Joyce Sidman

Bibliography:

Sidman, Joyce. 2009. Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors. Ill: Pamela Zagarenski. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. 9780547014944


Poetry Book Summary:

This colorful poem picture book offers a whimsical explanation of the seasons of the year, in color. Together, author Joyce Sidman and illustrator Pamela Zagarenski present their idea of the four seasons and the season’s colors using harmonic words and beautiful artwork.


Critical Analysis: 

Sidman leads readers on a journey through the seasons with poetic color descriptions for each season: “Green is queen / in summer. / Green trills from trees, / clings to Pup’s knees, / covers all with leaves, / leaves, leaves! / How can Green be / so many different Greens?” Readers will not be able to help having a sense of happiness and curiosity from reading and viewing this poem picture book.  

This is yet another wonderful book of poems which begs to be read aloud to an audience full of young eyes and ears. The natural rhythmic beats of this work of art uses rhymes at the end of lines for added effect. Even without the beautiful, scrapbook-like images done by Pamela Zagarenski, the imagery in the poems speak for themselves. Each color poem paints a vivid picture of vibrant blues, reds, greens, purples, oranges and yellows in an effort to fully describe each season to the fullest. Many of the descriptions are so dramatically stated that the reader can almost imagine the smell of the season such as when the author describes spring’s white color: “White / can be quiet, too: / delicate petals fill with light / smell / White.”  

In honor of the month of October I would like to post my favorite poem taken from this beautiful book of poems. Reading this poem makes me think of pumpkin bread baking in the oven and warm apple cider on the stove. See if you can guess what the poem is describing:

(This poem is taken from the “Fall” poems section)
“Orange ripens in
full, heavy moons,
thick with pulp and seed.
Orange flickers,
all smoke and candles.
Orange eyes.
Orange cheeks.
Orange teeth.” 

Give up? It is a carved jack-o-lantern!

This book is recommended for children ages 4 and up.


Review Excerpt(s):

• Caldecott Honor Award (2010)
• Claudia Lewis Poetry Award (2010)
• Kirkus Reviews – Given a blue star for remarkable merit – (2009) “Fresh descriptions and inventive artistry are a charming inspiration.”
• Publishers Weekly (2009) "The regal elegance is sure to charm." 

Connections:

• Pair this title with other great favorites such as:
         I Am the Book by Lee Bennett Hopkins
         The Tree That Time Built by Mary Ann Hoberman, Linda Winston, and Barbara Fortin 
         Bookspeak! by Laura Purdie Salas and Josee Bisallon 
• Use a large poster board to section off four equal boxes to write the four seasons in. Write each color listed in Sidman’s book associated with each season and ask the child(ren) to list things which fit under each season’s color (under Fall and Orange they might say pumpkins, leaves, decorations and so on).
• Create a matching game! Using card stock, print pictures which are often associated with each season (for example: spring and flowers or butterflies or winter and snowflakes or scarves) and encourage the children to match the picture card to the correct season card.
  
  

The Firefly Letters by Margarita Engle

Bibliography:

Engle, Margarita. 2010. The Firefly Letters. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 978-0805090826

Plot Summary:

Fredrika Bremer, a Swedish native and world traveler, journeys to Cuba to learn more about its beauty; once there she decides to write and draw what she sees. The Swedish Consulate places Fredrika in a mansion (as a traveling guest) in Matanzas where she meets Elena, the daughter of a rich sugar mill owner and Cecilia, a slave belonging to Elena’s father. This verse novel switches between the voices of the three main characters (and occasionally Cecilia’s husband, Beni) to describe the beautiful journey made by Cecilia and Fredrika as they traveled together across Cuba’s gorgeous country side, giving Cecilia a small and temporary taste of freedom.

Critical Analysis:

This poem may lack the typical rhyming scheme many traditional poems have, but that does not mean this poem is not poetic or lyrical. Engle’s use of free verse rhythm beautifully describes Cuba’s societal culture, especially for women, as it was in the 1850’s. Engle’s use of narratives in this novel switches between the voices of three oppressed women providing the reader with the ability to feel as though they know the personal thoughts of each character speaking. This encourages the reader to grow attached to each character and develop strong emotions for each as well.

Engle’s use of imagery paints a beautiful picture of the place Cecilia used to call home. This becomes evident in the opening verse of the novel when Cecilia states: “I remember a wide river / and gray parrots with patches of red feathers / flashing across the African sky / like traveling stars / or Cuban fireflies.”

Emotions of despair, longing, and loneliness with a hint of gentleness pour out of every page as Engle writes of Elena’s forced solitude: “Do they know that I feel / like I could go mad / cooped up in this house / like a songbird / in a cage?” Signs of such sadness appear throughout the entire novel, but done so in such a gentle and melodic manner as not to overwhelm or divert the reader’s interest.

The novel's end might surprise many readers and draw out a sense of joy and sadness at the same time. If anything, this novel teaches the readers to understand their freedom or freedom to roam should never be taken for granted, while also teaching of Cuba's little known historical past. The “Historical Note” at the end of the novel explains Fredrika Bremer was a real person with real letters, diaries and sketches on a real journey to Cuba, the characters however, are part of Engle’s imagination.

This title is recommended for children ages 10 and up.

Review Excerpt(s):

• Pura Belpré Honor Book for Narrative (2011)
•  Kirkus Reviews (2010) "Another fine volume by a master of the novel in verse."
• Publishers Weekly (2010) “This slim, elegant volume opens the door to discussions of slavery, women's rights, and the economic disparity between rich and poor.

Connections:

• Pair this title with other great favorites such as:
            Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
            T4: A Novel by Ann Clare LeZotte
            May B.: A Novel by Caroline Starr Rose
• Have the children take turns reading each narrative section aloud or pick four volunteers to play as the voices of the narratives and allow those four children to recite the novel for all.
• Create a paper diary to hand out to the children and encourage them to write a poetic journal entry describing one or more of their travel experiences.

Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings by Douglas Florian

Bibliography:

Florian, Douglas. 2007. Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings. Orlando: Harcourt, Inc. 9780152053727

Poetry Book Summary:

Using silly rhyming schemes, Douglas Florian offers his readers a poetic look at the universe, the planets, our sun, constellations, black holes and more. This book of poems pairs perfectly with curriculum relating to planets, stars and the like. Florian's book centers on the subject of cosmic bodies as you have never seen them before.

Critical Analysis:

Florian’s book focuses on the celestial heavens and absolutely begs to be read aloud with its fun and catchy rhyming words such as in Pluto: “Pluto was a planet. / But now it doesn’t pass. / Pluto was a planet. / They say it’s lacking mass. / Pluto was a planet. / Pluto was admired. / Pluto was a planet. / Till one day it got fired.” Readers won’t be able to contain their giggles as they read each poem aloud. Of the 20 poems offered, none have forced rhymes and each poem flows with natural a beat. Each poem is short enough to keep children focused and interested - children would be surprised to find out they were not simply reading silly words on a page, but actually learning about planets and stars as well.

This poem picture book, illustrated by Douglas Florian, boasts not only exciting poetry, but beautiful paintings to go along with each poem. Some of the paintings offer stamped letters/words and cut-out images to provide texture and visual stimulation.  Additionally, the author provides “a galactic glossary” at the end of the book which further explains each of the planetary bodies found within the book.

This book is recommended for children ages 7-12.

Review Excerpt(s):

• Texas Bluebonnet Award Nominee (2008-2009)
• Kirkus Reviews – Given a blue star for remarkable merit – (2007) “Glorious.”
• School Library Journal (2010) “This title is sure to get prospective astrophysicists asking questions about our universe and its planetary inhabitants.”

Connections:

• Pair this title with other great favorites such as:
        Countdown to Summer: A Poem for Every Day of the School Year by
        J. Patrick Lewis
        It's Raining Pigs & Noodles by Jack Prelutsky
        A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein 
• Create a word search activity using the 20 poem names from Florian's poems (comet, skywatch, universe and so on).
• Pre-cut several planetary body shapes from Florian's book and allow the child(ren) to write their favorite Florian poem on each cut out or encourage the child(ren) to create their own poems.