Module 7: Little Blog on the Prairie

Module 7: Little Blog on the Prairie

Book Summary:

          Genevieve is a typical teenage girl. She loves soccer, hanging out at the pool, eating ice cream, and chatting with her friends.  When her mom drags the family to a frontier camp in Wyoming, Gen is not happy.  While at this camp, her family is forced to experience life the way the pioneers did in 1890.  Gen finds it difficult to adjust to a life without modern conveniences and luxuries, such as indoor plumbing. She sneaks her cell phone in to the settlement and uses it to send text messages to her friends.  Unbeknownst to Gen, her friend turns her texts into a blog.  Life proves to be challenging for Gen, but she soon learns to appreciate the pioneer lifestyle. 

         

APA Reference of the Book:

Bell Davitt, C.  (2010). Little blog on the prairie. New York, NY: Bloomsbury Books for Young Readers.

Impressions:  

          This book was a delight to read.  The author did a great job making Gen feel relatable.  As I read the book, I felt like I was right there experiencing life with Gen.  Her attitude, her feelings, and her angst in having a crush for the first time while being so far away from her friends.  My favorite part was when Gen tried to use the outhouse for the first time and peed on her socks.  Had I been in Gen’s situation, I probably would have held it so long that I ended up peeing on more than just my socks.  I enjoyed reading about Gen observing the changes in her little brother, and her realization that her parents hated the pioneer experience as much as she did.  Davitt Bell really made the reader dislike Nora. I loved that each family had a member that confessed some sort of secret luxury he or she was using during their time in the camp.  I thought the secret luxuries like Crisco or mascara were such trivial items to stash, but some campers were appalled to learn that other campers were hiding things.  Little Blog on the Prairie was a fun, easy book to read. 

Reviews:

From Booklist-

Thirteen-year-old Gen and her family are spending the summer at Camp Frontier, a living history camp that is Mom’s longtime dream. Gen is less than thrilled to be milking a cow, weeding cornfields, and sharing a bed with her brother; only the presence of her surreptitious cell phone (used to text her friends) makes life tolerable. Then Gen discovers a secret cabin—dubbed the “electricity shack” because it contains a computer and a refrigerator full of diet soda—and she begins to realize that the overzealous owners of this 1890s social experiment have misrepresented their own devotion to the past. The author of Slipping (2008) offers here a comic look at modern technology dependence, especially among teens. Although Gen comes to appreciate some aspects of pioneer life, and the story demonstrates how texting can lead to loss of privacy (Gen’s friends upload her messages to a blog, resulting in national media attention), it’s also clear that Bell sees technology as necessary and often helpful. Young teens are sure to concur.

Weisman, K. (April 1, 2010).  Booklist. [Review of Little Blog on the Prairie by Cathleen Davitt Bell.] Retrieved from staging.booklistonline.com.

In the Library:

         

          After the students read this book, I would have the students research pioneer times, the western expansion, the Gold Rush, the development of the Transcontinental Railroad, or the Homestead Act.  To incorporate technology, I would create a blog and have the students journal about their research on the blog.  As a way of understanding Gen’s experience, I would ask the students to volunteer to give up technology for one week, and then share their experiences on the blog. I would be curious to discover how giving up technology impacted their lives. 

           

Module 6: The Day the Crayons Quit

Module 6: The Day the Crayons Quit

Book Summary:

Young Duncan reaches in his desk for his crayons.  To his surprise, he grabs a stack of letters addressed to him from his crayons. His crayons are feeling abused and neglected and want Duncan to be more respectful when coloring with them.

APA Reference of the Book:

Daywalt, D. (2013). The day the crayons quit. New York, NY: The Penguin Group.

Impressions:  

         

          This book is laugh aloud funny. The crayons’ letters to Duncan describe their frustration in his use of them. I enjoyed reading the reasons Duncan’s behavior so appalled the crayons. Children enjoy the dramatic expressions of the crayons and the illustrations. The peach crayon’s letter is hilarious. I was asked to read Peach’s letter repeatedly. I loved that the illustrations represent a child’s drawings.  Daywalt does an excellent job explaining each crayon’s perspective and voice.  Oliver Jeffers’ illustrations are humorous and bring the crayon’s feeling to a point.  I like that Duncan shows his appreciation for his crayons by creating a drawing showing their new use as crayons.

Reviews:

From Bulletin the of Center for Children’s Books-

"One day in class, Duncan went to take out his crayons and found a stack of letters with his name on them." What follows is a hilarious epistolary tale wherein each crayon, in childlike printing on lined paper, shares something with Duncan. Some feel overworked ("Gray crayon here. You're KILLING ME! I know you love Elephants. And I know that elephants are gray . . . but that's a LOT of space to color in all by myself "), some feel underappreciated (writes Beige Crayon, "The only things I get are turkey dinners (if I'm lucky) and wheat, and let's be honest—when was the last time you saw a kid excited about coloring wheat?"). Some crayons are caught up in disputes (Orange Crayon and Yellow Crayon both insist they are the true color of the sun, as evidenced by pages from coloring books that Duncan completed), while others have entirely unique issues ("It's me, peach crayon . Why did you peel off my paper wrapping?? Now I'm NAKED and too embarrassed to leave the crayon box"). Each spread includes a reproduction of the actual letter (written in crayon, of course) on the verso, facing an appropriate composition such as a childlike crayon drawing or a colored-in page from a coloring book. The crayons themselves, with deceptively simple line and dot faces, are rich in [End Page 13] emotion and character, and it's entertaining to consider each crayon's representation in light of the voice in its letter. While potential lessons in inference, point of view, and persuasive writing abound in the crayons' letters, this is guaranteed to see just as much use for being just plain fun. Move over, Click, Clack, Moo (BCCB 9/00); we've got a new contender for most successful picture-book strike.

Morrison, H. (September 2013). [ Review of The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers.] Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books 67(1), 13-14. Available from Project Muse at http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2124/article/519619

In the Library:

         

          Of course, this book lends itself well to letter writing or perspective.  As a librarian, I would have the students listen to the story and then write a persuasive letter arguing whether yellow or orange should be the color of the sign.  I could use the book to introduce point of view as well.  The students could write letters to the crayons from Duncan’s point of view. 

           

Module 5: Help Me, Mr. Mutt!

Module 5: Help Me, Mr. Mutt!

Book Summary:

          Readers will enjoy this hilarious story about a dog advice columnist.  Dogs write to Mr. Mutt in hopes that he will help them solve their problems with their owners.  Mr. Mutt offers words of wisdom and diagrams for how the troubled canines can deal with their unreasonable owners. Mr. Mutt closes each response by reminding each dog that they are “Top Dog.”  Trouble ensues when Mr. Mutt makes some disparaging remarks against feline pets.  The Queen Cat retaliates by writing rebuttals.  

        

APA Reference of the Book:

Stevens,J. & Crummel Stevens, S.  (2008). Help me, Mr. Mutt!: Expert answers for dogs with people problems. Orlando, FL: Harcourt, Inc.

Impressions:  

         

          I laughed the entire time I read this book.  I love that the illustrations show animals portraying humans.  The diagrams and graphs that Mr. Mutt draws to illustrate how dogs should act are hilarious.  My favorite part was the response Mr. Mutt wrote in regards to a famished dog.  As a dog owner, I witnessed my own dogs jumping on the table or counters to steal some delicious human food.  One of my former dogs used to drink out of the toilet. I found Mr. Mutt’s advice to troubled dogs hysterical.   I like the unsolicited advice Mr. Mutt offers to dogs regarding feline pets.  I think the Stevens sisters show an understanding for how dogs think in regards to human behavior.  I truly enjoyed reading this book to my children and students. 

Reviews:

From Booklist-

Sisters Stevens and Crummel, dog lovers both, share their affection for canines in this oversize picture book that both adults and kids will like. Bespectacled canine counselor Mr. Mutt dispenses advice to dogs suffering clueless humans and “spoiled rotten” cats. When Famished in Florida (whose tummy is a mere inch from the floor) moans about too little kibble, Mr. Mutt offers strategies: hang around a baby’s high chair. It’s “raining food.” As Mutt tippy-taps advice on his typewriter, tiara-wearing Queen the cat pens snarky responses to those who disparage her species. Finally, having suffered one too many canine cuts, Queen gives “Muttface” his due. Art and text work seemlessly, with plenty of visual and verbal jokes (including goofy sketches and graphs) to entice repeated readings. Even the endpapers are part of the fun, and as usual, Stevens’ animals have so much personality, kids will find themselves wanting to take them home. . . well, maybe not Queen. — Stephanie Zvirin

Zvirin, S. (March 15, 2008).  [ Review of Help Me, Mr. Mutt: Expert Answers for Dogs with People Problems by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel.] Booklist. Retrieved from staging.booklistonline.com.

In the Library:

         

          During different grade levels letter writing unit, I would use this story to introduce letter writing or to reinforce this type of writing craft.  I would begin my lesson by reading Mr. Mutt.  I would find various print sources of advice columns or find some student friendly advice columns on the Internet.  After the students had ample time to explore advice columns, I would present each partner group with either a problem card or a solution card. One student group would write a letter explaining a problem that the students were having while the other student group would write a response that offered a solution to the problem.  Another idea is to use this book to introduce data analysis and graphs. 

           

Module 4: Holes

Module 4: Holes

Book Summary:

Stanley Yelnats is unlucky, and his luck has been passed down from generation to generation starting with his great-great grandfather.  The males in his family always seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.  After Stanley is wrongly accused of stealing, he is sent to Camp Green Lake to be serve out his punishment.   At this camp, Stanley and his campmates are forced to dig holes in the hot Texas sun to improve their character.  While at camp, Stanley makes a deal to help a campmate learn to read in exchange for help with digging holes.  Through a series of coincidences, the boys discover their luck is about to change and fate has brought them together.

APA Reference of the Book:

Sachar, L. (1998). Holes. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Impressions:  

         

          Once I started reading this book, I had a hard time putting the book down. The way Sachar presented the story was like a puzzle- one piece at a time, yet the connecting pieces were mixed in a big pile.  Immediately, I felt sorry for young Stanley and wanted to know how his story connected to Kissin’ Kate Barlow’s and Sam’s story. Sachar did a good job making me feel vested in Stanley’s and Zero’s story. As I read, I kept wondering how is everything going to turn out okay? Though I must admit, I was a little disappointed that the Warden did not get bit by a yellow-spotted lizard.  The way Sachar described the Camp Green Lake and the desert, I could really get a good visual image in my head. I could picture how hard and dry the ground was as Stanley was digging his hole.  I could see the peach trees and the lake when Sam was an onion salesman and Kate was a school teacher.  Overall, this book was very enjoyable and a great read.

         

Reviews:

From Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Stanley Yelnats (yes, that's a palindrome) is sent to Camp Green Lake Juvenile Correctional Facility for a crime he didn't actually commit. Once there, he discovers that the inmates' days are spent digging holes out in the Texas desert, with the bait of getting a day off if they find something the Warden considers "interesting or unusual." Stanley forms a bond with an expert hole-digger named Zero, whom he teaches to read, and when Zero runs away into the desert, Stanley, after initial hesitation, follows him. The two boys then struggle for survival, aided by lore and leftovers from their ancestors, who sowed the seeds for the drama that's being enacted now. This reads much more clearly than it explains: Sachar has cunningly crafted his fiction, precisely placing snippets of historical backstory within the chronicle of Stanley's travails, so that the focus of the book is the coming together and resolving of the manifold strands of karma (including Stanley's nogood-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing great-great-grandfather, the feared nineteenth-century bandit Kissin' Kate Barlow, a cheated gypsy, a gentle onion fancier, and more). Sachar's dry, wry tone assists in making the book's aim something other than gritty realism; though there is indeed wicked villainy and triumphant virtue, the point is less the struggle of the individual characters than their place in the working out of the larger pattern. Though this isn't as much a puzzle book as Raskin's The Westing Game, readers who appreciated that book's detailed construction as much as its story will enjoy watching Stanley's saga unfold and fold together again.

Stevenson, D. (September 1998). [ Review of Holes, by Louis Sachar.] Bulletin of the Center for the Children’s Book, 52(1), 29. Available from ProQuest http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2087/docview/223710347?pq-origsite=summon

In the Library:

         

          After reading Holes, I would break the students into groups and they would study palindromes and then try to create their own palindromes.  I could also teach a lesson on cause and effect.  In partner groups, one student could discuss and write about the cause while the other student discusses and writes about the effect.  The story line spanned several generations, so the students could also create a timeline that would trace each character and the major events in the character’s life that lead up to the conclusion of the book.