Brothers at Bat
by Audrey Vernick

What an amazing story about a family with 16 children! Yes, 16! The setting is New Jersey in the 1930′s when families had lots of  kids.  12 of these children were boys who formed an all brothers baseball team.  The story is a true account of how these boys started out playing baseball in their yard, which led to world recognition in 1997 at the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Author, Audrey Vernick, was able to interview one of the surviving brothers who was able to recall events with great clarity. Brothers at Bat is an excellent text for your keiki to practice their inferencing skills as well as determining big ideas. Readers will realize that the Acerra brothers were able to achieve through unity, lōkahi, and lots of aloha for one another. This is a great read aloud for keiki in grades K-2, and a perfect independent read for those in grades 3-5.

Illustrator, Steven Salerno, has captured the events in vintage style which can lead to discussions about another time in US history. Your keiki will have many questions about what they notice.  Below is a video clip of the Acerra brothers playing baseball back in the 1930′s. This will provide opportunities to writing about what is happening as no sound is available.  Enjoy!

Ladder to the Moon

Ladder to the Moon is written by President Obama’s half sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, who lives in Honolulu and is a lecturer at the University of Hawai`i at Mānoa.  The lexile measure is AD830L, which translates to a 5th grade reading level.  AD means that the book is best suited for an adult to read the as book reviews and publishers have suggested interest level directed at children aged 4 to 8.  Because of the big ideas mentioned below, the content is suitable for students in middle school. The book contains wistful, colorful illustrations and totals 48 pages.

The author wrote the book as a means through which her daughter could get to know her kupuna, grandmother, who passed away before she was born.  The central theme that envelopes the story is about having compassion and empathy for others.  Big ideas that fall under this theme include: inter-connectedness, confronting challenges and difficulties of globalization, mutual respect, and the paradigm shift of thinking and learning about the world.  Suhaila journeys to the moon to spend time with her grandmother helping and healing those left on Earth.  When Suhaila returns home, she is fulfilled by knowing her grandmother and internally accepts the responsibility to mālama all people.

Ladder to the Moon could serve as a great mentor text for writing complex sentences in the upper elementary grades.  It masterfully includes dialogue in unexpected places, which can be besotting to the reader.  The book also contains intriguing prose like, “the path carved by the moon’s glow”, and “two tall towers that trembled and swayed on quaking soil”.  For these teaching purposes, the book is suited for the older child.

You’ll be happy to hear that this book is available at our very own Charles Reed Bishop Learning Center!  Come by soon to “check it out”!

Juvenile Nonfiction for ages 4-10

This true story of hope, kindness and heroism is a reminder that there are American soldiers who have provided a variety of rescues for people in other countries, a reminder that every child is important, a reminder that one caring person can change the world. It also provides a bit of insight into the effect on innocent people when two countries have been at war. The illustrations are as beautiful, sweet, and historically accurate as the text. This heart-warming story gives children a true living American hero to emulate in the Chocolate Pilot and a child to relate to in Mercedes, all while teaching history. By the way, grown-ups love this book as much as children do – when I read it, I cried!

There are two writing elements that stood out for me as I read this book. First, the book is written in narrative form – it is told like a story. Second, the author uses the actual words of the letters exchanged between Mercedes and the pilot. The author also sets up schema (background knowledge) very effectively for the reader by explaining The Berlin Airlift as a forward and closing it with an epilogue. Your keiki can experiment with these writing elements the next time nonfiction writing is requested!

If you choose to engage in this story of hope, remember our `ohana in Japan. Let’s kōkua and mālama its people – show aloha so that our keiki will naturally emulate and embrace those same actions.

Mālama pono.

The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester

Each year a committee of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) identifies the best of the best in children’s books. According to the Notables Criteria, “notable” is defined as: Worthy of note or notice, important, distinguished, outstanding. As applied to children’s books, notable should be thought to include books of especially commendable quality, books that exhibit venturesome creativity, and books of fiction, information, poetry and pictures for all age levels (birth through age 14) that reflect and encourage children’s interests in exemplary ways. The list below and above description was taken directly from the ASLC website. Below is the list of books especially for the category of “Middle Readers”, which our keiki at kula ha`aha`a fit in. Next to the title in brackets, I have listed the age levels for which the book is appropriate. Happy reading!

Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring. [6-10] By Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan. Illus. by Brian Floca. Roaring Brook/Neal Porter.
Making Appalachian Spring – Spare, dramatic text and uncluttered watercolors relay the story of the collaborative creation of a classic American ballet. Sibert Honor Book

The Bat Scientists. [9-12] By Mary Kay Carson. Illus. by Tom Uhlman. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Exceptional photography and clear text capture the lives of bats and explore the myths and threats to these amazing mammals.

Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave. [4-8] By Laban Carrick Hill. Illus. by Bryan Collier. Little/Brown.
Poetic text and lush illustrations tell the true story of an extraordinary artist living in 19th-century South Carolina.Caldecott Honor Book & ALA Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award

The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester. [9-12] By Barbara O’Connor. Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
In this summer adventure, Owen is enthralled by his conviction that something amazing has fallen from a train.

Growing Patterns: Fibonacci Numbers in Nature. [5-11] By Sarah C. Campbell. Illus. by Sarah and Richard P. Campbell. Boyds Mills.
Crisp design and clear photography introduce and depict Fibonacci patterns in nature.

Guyku: A Year of Haiku for Boys. [4-8] By Bob Raczka. Illus. by Peter H. Reynolds. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Six haiku for each season of the year, celebrating the interaction of boys and nature, combine with loose, expressive cartoons to make a winning combination.

The Hive Detectives: Chronicle of a Honey Bee Catastrophe. [9-12] By Loree Griffin Burns. Illus. by Ellen Harasimowicz. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
After beekeepers discover the strange abandonment of hundreds of hives, scientists seek to understand this catastrophic phenomenon.

How to Clean a Hippopotamus: A Look at Unusual Animal Partnerships. [4-8] By Steve Jenkins and Robin Page. Illus. by Steve Jenkins. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Animal partnerships often defy explanation; Jenkins and Page explore and clarify these relationships in concise text and glorious torn-paper collage.

Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot. [9-12] By Sy Montgomery. Illus. by Nic Bishop. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot – This book documents the successes and failures of a rescue effort in New Zealand dedicated to saving a species of flightless parrots numbering fewer than 100. Sibert Medal

Me, Frida. [4-8] By Amy Novesky. Illus. by David Diaz. Abrams.
This story of newlywed artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera in 1930 San Francisco is accompanied by paintings resembling Kahlo’s folkloric style. Belpré Illustrator Honor Book

Nic Bishop Lizards. [4-8] By Nic Bishop. Illus. by the author. Scholastic.
Using photographs so vivid and sharply focused that one can see a bit of dry scale on a glass lizard’s skin, Bishop treats readers to new appreciations of the diversity within the lizard world.

The Night Fairy. [7-11] By Laura Amy Schlitz. Illus. by Angela Barrett. Candlewick.
Flory loses her wings after a bat attack and struggles to adapt to life as a day fairy.

Ninth Ward. [9-12] By Jewell Parker Rhodes. Little, Brown.
In this story of survival, twelve-year-old Lanesha and her adopted grandmother have little choice but to stay in New Orleans and weather Hurricane Katrina. ALA Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book

¡Ole! Flamenco. [4-8] By George Ancona. Illus. by the author. Lee & Low.
In this nonfiction introduction to Spanish flamenco, the art form is described in easy, understandable language. Belpré Author Honor Book

One Crazy Summer. [9-12] By Rita Williams-Garcia. Harper/Amistad.
Three sisters find adventure when they are sent to Oakland in 1968 to meet their estranged poet-mother, who prints flyers for the Black Panthers. Newbery Honor Book

Ruth and the Green Book. [4-8] By Calvin Alexander Ramsey and Gwen Strauss. Illus. by Floyd Cooper. Carolrhoda.
Using the Green Book, a guide to find welcoming places for African-Americans, Ruth’s family travels through the segregated South of the 1950s.

Saltypie: A Choctaw Journey from Darkness into Light. [9-12] By Tim Tingle. Illus. by Karen Clarkson. Cinco Puntos.
This picture book autobiographical vignette shows a modern Choctaw family enduring and supporting each other with love, courage, and fortitude.

Shake, Rattle & Turn That Noise Down! How Elvis Shook Up Music, Me and Mom. [4-8] By Mark Alan Stamaty. Knopf.
An autobiography in graphic novel format shows how Stamaty’s love of Elvis and rock and roll, at first drove his mother crazy but ultimately made her proud.

Smile. [9-12] By Raina Telgemeier. Illus. by Raina Telgemeier and Stephanie Yue. Scholastic/Graphix.
Through artwork showing the details, the reader shares Raina’s pain as the angst of middle school is exacerbated by her disfiguring dental mishap.

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda. [9-12] By Tom Angleberger. Amulet Books.
In this hilarious tale, Tommy and his sixth grade friends must decide if the advice of an origami finger puppet can be trusted.

A Tale Dark and Grimm. [9-12] By Adam Gidwitz. Dutton.
As dark and bloody as the title suggests, these six retellings tweak the classic fairy tale as Hansel and Gretel embark on an epic journey of self-discovery.

Trickster:  Native American Tales: A Graphic Collection. [4-8] Edited by Matt Dembicki. Illus. Fulcrum Books.
This collaborative effort by more than 40 writers and artists presents 21 Native American trickster tales in graphic novel format.

Turtle in Paradise. [8-12] By Jennifer L. Holm. Random.
Sassy eleven-year-old Turtle finds her life turned on end when she is sent to live with her aunt in Depression-era Key West. Newbery Honor Book

With Valentine’s Day approaching I thought it would be fitting to give a “book talk” on one of my most favorite stories in which the theme of love and respect resonates throughout. Mrs. Katz and Tush by Patricia Polacco is available in our very own CRLBC! This book targets the interests of keiki ages 4 to 8.

Larnel, a young African-American boy, and Mrs. Katz are neighbors. They don’t know each other well. Larnel’s mother knows her though. One day, Mrs. Katz confides to Larnel’s mother that she is worried about being alone for the Jewish holidays since her husband passed away. Larnel overhears the conversation and has an idea. A neighborhood cat has had kittens, and Larnel brings one for Mrs. Katz. She agrees to take the kitty only if Larnel helps her to take care of it. He agrees. The cat’s name is Tush.

This is the basic beginning to the story by Patricia Polacco of the relationship that develops between a Jewish senior citizen who came from Poland many years ago, and a young black boy.

The two of them, different as they are, develop a wonderful and loving relationship. Larnel listens to Mrs. Katz’s stories. He learns to dance the dances from her homeland. When she goes to visit her husband’s grave in the cemetary, Larnel accompanies her. When Tush gets out, Larnel looks for her. He worries that Mrs. Katz will be worried if he can’t help her find Tush.

Slowly, Larnel’s family and Mrs. Katz become family to each other. Eventually, Mrs. Katz becomes Larnel’s bubee, his grandmother.

This book provides wonderful examples to incorporate into your keiki’s writing:

Visual details – The pictures in this book are big, bright and colorful. The detailing is well done. When we are in Mrs. Katz’s house, we see items reflective of her life: an old-fashioned sewing machine, tables covered with small cloths or doilies, candlesticks and items representative of her Judaism such as kiddush cups. Outside the house, there are pictures of the neighborhood with its brownstones, stoops, wood benches and chainlink fences that have seen better days. There is also a picture of Mrs. Katz and Larnel at the Jewish cemetery. The little details help us to understand the place from which both of these people come.

Language usage: There are lots of words to a page, and up to one fourth of every two pages is filled with text. Most of the words are familiar. Of those words that might present some difficulty, many are culturally related to Mrs. Katz’s Jewish heritage. Those words, however, are presented in a way that make them accessible. Mrs. Katz talks about baking kugel. One might not know precisely what kugel is, but the reader can determine it’s something to eat. Here your child will infer meaning, which is an essential reading strategy.

Big Ideas and themes – We aren’t born knowing how to hate. It is important we teach our children to love in all the different ways possible. This book gives a good jumping off place to discuss all the ways we can love people and all the people we can love.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Art & Max

Let me tell you a secret. The character of Arthur (Art) started off as a bear-like creature in its rough draft and evolved into a lizard! David Wiesner, a master in the art of visual storytelling, starts his stories with illustrations first. Like writing, his pictures go through rough drafts, and this is what his editor first looks at! When his illustrations are finalized he then adds his words.

His latest book, Art & Max, was released in the fall of 2010. Mr. Wiesner uses multiple media within a single text to tell this story of creating a work of art. Arthur knows how to paint and can’t wait to share it with his friend Max. Except that Max doesn’t know what he’s in for, and you’ll find yourself in the same position! Included in his illustrations are a phonograph and an old style vacuum of which ACME is the brand. (Remember the Road Runner cartoon bombs?) He uses antiquated objects such as these to open up conversations with children. The ending is an expected, but happy one.

I was fortunate to attend the Children’s Literature Assembly Annual Breakfast at the NCTE in November which featured author David Wiesner. He shared his approach to art and storytelling, which I think are very practical strategies that you can share with your child at home. First, have reluctant writers draw first reminding that adding details are important. Second, each name in the title (Art & Max) is done in a different font. The character’s dialogue is differentiated in this way, which makes the story easy to follow. Third, using one line text (ex. “7:38AM”, or “One Month Later”) on one side of the page with the facing page including the illustration adds to creativity.

You’ll also find that the jacket and book covers are different in Art & Max. A last detail to note is the original title was “Bob & Stan”. Mr. Wiesner wanted to have a contrast in the names – one more formal than the other.

Fun! Don’t you think? Other books by the same author include Hurricane, Tuesday, The Three Pigs, and Flotsam, three of which were Caldecott Medal winners.

Remember our friend, Scaredy Squirrel? Well, he’s back! This time with an adventure to the beach – a place where he NEVER goes! There’s just too much to worry about: seagulls, jellyfish, sea monsters, and pirates. Scaredy Squirrel is quite industrious as you might remember, and he builds his own safe beach. However, he realizes that the sound of the ocean is missing. A careful plan is devised so that he can make a stealth visit to the beach to get what he needs. But, yes, you guessed it! He comes across an obstacle – people!

I enjoyed once again how the author, Melanie Watt, uses non-fiction features to capture the reader’s attention. What a great way to teach children how to incorporate subheadings, maps, and timetables into their own stories to add that special twist! The ending is also a surprise with a turn of events that is not anticipated. You think the story is going one way, then it takes an unexpected turn! A great book to also teach strong story beginnings and endings. This book is appropriate for keiki in grades Kindergarten to grade 3.

The author also includes an explanation about her own personal feelings of the beach on the back flap of the book. You’ll find out a lot about her…she is really afraid of jellyfish!

Tell the Truth, B.B. Wolf

We are all familiar with “The Three Little Pigs”, and some of us know the rebuttal story titled The True Story of the Three Little Pigs where the big bad wolf tells his version of “what really happened”. Judy Sierra, author of Wild About Books and The Sleepy Little Alphabet, puts a new spin on some of the most recognized storybook characters in Tell the Truth, B.B. Wolf.  A review by Publishers Weekly rates interest level to suit children ages 5 – 8.

Much time has passed and now the big bad wolf is in a retirement home for villains. Still embarrassed about his past actions he makes a visit to the local library hoping to “clear his name” once and for all. Other “retired” fairy tale characters are in attendance hoping B.B. Wolf will come clean. As you can probably guess B.B. Wolf begins to provide an outrageous spin regarding his encounter with the three pigs (also now retired and in attendance).

Skeptical remarks from his audience arises. “Isn’t that wolf’s nose getting longer?” asks Pinocchio. “It’s a cooked-up, half-baked tale,” snaps the Gingerbread Boy. The three little pigs squeal, “Tell the truth, B.B Wolf!” This leaves the wolf begging for forgiveness. And, as always in fairy tales, there is a happy ending! Moral of the story? Leave your keiki to tell you!

Simon & Schuster Books, 1999

As the subtitle of “The Mary Celeste” indicates, this story of a ship whose crew disappeared while it was at sea is, indeed, “An Unsolved Mystery from History”. This picture storybook was written by Jane Yolen, an award-winning children’s author, and her daughter, Heidi. This book is a wonderful introduction to historical research and problem solving for 8 to 12 year olds. The book’s design, the illustrations by Roger Roth, and the way in which the authors present the story of the Mary Celeste are what makes this book so intriguing.

The narrator is a girl of about 10 or 11 who wants to be a detective like her father who tells her, “no mystery is impossible to solve as long as you have enough clues.” She proceeds to tell the story of the Mary Celeste with illustrations and text focused on the discovery by another cargo ship’s captain and the search for answers as to why the ship was abandoned and what happened to the ship’s crew.

Finding no one on board, Captain Morehouse decides to take the ship in for salvage.  In the 1870′s there were many theories about what had happened but no one knew for sure. Even today, no one knows for sure.

The non-fiction features in this fiction book makes research FUN! You’ll find a map, factual background information on lined pages of a spiral notebook, and vocabulary words on post-it-notes that relate to the mystery. It’s not often young readers have the opportunity to learn some history, increase their vocabulary, gain experience in problem solving, and enjoy an intriguing story all at the same time. You and your keiki will enjoy learning about the Mary Celeste and coming up with your very own theories!

by Melanie Watt

Have you ever made a choice to face your most inner fears? Squirrel never leaves his nut tree where everyday occurrences are predictable and safe. He avoids facing his fears at all costs, but just in case, he develops contingency plans for facing his fears. Part of his plans is to have an emergency kit ready with a parachute, Band-Aids, and sardines – just to name a few.

This fiction book contains large illustrations and many features you’d find in a nonfiction text.  This is what makes this book so exciting!  There are narrative pieces you’d find in a fiction book together with lists, timetables, and diagrams normally found in nonfiction books. What a different way to look at fiction and how elements of “real life” can be taught without the typical story line.

As a teacher, I particularly enjoy the features that I can use to show my students to include in their own writing.  As a parent and reader, I enjoyed the way in which the big idea of courage is addressed in a humorous way. FUN!!

You can find Scaredy Squirrel and other titles by Melanie Watt at our own CRBLC!  Enjoy.