Tuesdays with Morrie- Stefanie D.

“Tuesdays with Morrie”

 

Summary:

           

          Tuesdays with Morrie is a non-fiction novel which tells the relationship about the author, Mitch Albom with one of his college professors, Morrie Schwartz. The book starts off with Mitch reminiscing on his college years at Brandeis University where he met one his Professor Morrie Schwartz. Mitch states early in the book how close he was to Morrie and how he truly valued him as a teacher and role model. After graduation, Mitch moved onto pursue writing as a sports columnist. One evening Albom was watching the evening news when he saw his old sociology professor, Morrie, being interviewed by Ted Koppel on ABC nightline news. Morrie was being interviewed about his odd disease, ALS amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Albom saw this as a great opportunity to contact his old role model. The story soon unfolds to Albom visiting Morrie every Tuesday leading up to the week of his death. They simply sit, eat, and talk about life and death. Albom ends up learning a great deal about himself, Morrie, and the true meaning of living life. Morrie leaves Mitch with the aphorism, “When you're in bed, you're dead.” The story continues with life lessons being taught until Morrie’s expected death.

 

Analysis:

 

Tuesdays with Morrie exemplifies life and death and all that is in between. It is one of the greatest books with the message of how to truly live one’s life. It explains how one should constantly be striving to achieve a greater attitude towards life and our hardships as human beings. There are many applicable themes within the book which any human can relate to. Morrie discusses a range of topics from education, health, love, communication, acceptance, values, death, and many more. These topics happen to be enduring ideas, which transcend time. These ideas are not only applicable to our generation, yet they will easily be applied to the lives of people who will live in the near future, and applied to the human lives of those from 2,000 years ago. I believe that Tuesdays with Morrie nicely dives into the deeper issues which we start questioning at a young age.

            This young adult novel seems excellent for a middle school class because it is an easy read, but has so much substance and depth. I think that although many middle school aged students have not experienced some of the larger themes within the book, such as death or disease, it is imperative that they are introduced to the ideas and can accept them at a younger age.

            I read this book for the first time this year, and I am twenty-one years of age. Although I have a different interpretation of the book than my thirteen year old self would have had, I can still greatly appreciate the book and it’s universality to human existence. This book would open up a great discussion for life goals and ambitions. It could also be easily used to help students examine and develop their own set of values and sense of self. I believe that the book would be an excellent tool  to open up the idea of students interviewing older people at a nursing home or even their grandparents. I really value older people and their life experiences and think it is extremely important for young students to appreciate these people and learn from them. Students would be able to interview elders and send in a written report of life advice they learned. 

         This book explores a life on a deeper level that many young students do not have to face until they are of an older age. I believe this book would definitely help students to at least be aware of life's great turmoils. Tuesdays with Morrie not only opens up room for in depth class discussions, however, it gives many students advice and aphorisms to live by. I took a great deal away from this book and was greatly touched after reading it. I believe that many students would appreciate this book even at the middle school level and they would be able to take a lot of life lessons away from it. 

 

 

 

 

Citation:

Albom, Mitch. Tuesdays With Morrie. USA: Random House, 1997. 192. Print.

Picture Book Review- Kelsey M.

I decided to review the “How Do Dinosaurs…” series because they are great books for preschool-aged children and they teach social skills. I would love to teach in an integrated preschool classroom for students with special needs as well as typically developing peers. As I read these books I was constantly thinking of how I could use these stories in my class and the kinds of lessons that could be paired with the books.

1. Yolen, Jane, and Mark Teague. How Do Dinosaurs Go to School? New York: Blue Sky, 2007.

How Do Dinosaurs Go To School?

Dinosaurs have to go to school just like you and me. Good little dinosaurs know exactly how to get on the bus, say good-bye to their parents for the day, and go off to school in a pleasant way.

This book provides a perfect example of role-playing in a fun light-hearted manner. The dinosaurs have a hard time going to school just like many preschool aged children. The book gives example of how a child entering school for the first time might behave or might want to behave, and also shows the type of behavior that is appropriate. This book would be a perfect first day of school book. The illustrations in picture books are much brighter and more colorful than the pictures in the board books. I think that the picture books will wear out easier than the board books, but the bigger and brighter illustrations are worth the wear and tear.



2. Yolen, Jane, and Mark Teague. How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food? New York: Blue Sky, 2005

How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food?

Even young dinosaurs are very big and they have a hard time sitting at their chairs when it’s time to eat. However little dinosaurs do their very best when sitting at the table. They keep their bums in their chairs and have perfect table manners.

Table manners are something every child should have, but these skills may or may not be taught at home. This book could be used as a great introduction for a lesson about table manners. Table manners are an important social skill for preschool children to learn because within the next year they will be in school the full day and this means eating lunch at school with their peers. This book focuses on eating at home with parents and the manners children need to have at the dinner table but I think that this can easily be transitioned table manners for snack time or lunch time. The dinosaurs in the illustrations are so large it’s amusing to see them scolded by their human mothers for blowing bubbles in milk or sitting a chair that looks far too tiny. I think that the illustrations will be funny for the kids and draw them into the story and the not so secret lesson on table manners.



3. Yolen, Jane. How Do Dinosaurs Play with Their Friends? New York: Blue Sky, 2006.

How Do Dinosaurs Play With Their Friends?

Dinosaurs may have a hard time sharing their toys with their friends. They have much more fun when they learn how to play together.

Some preschool aged children who are attending school for the first time may not have social skills of their peers who have siblings or have spent time in a daycare. Learning to share and take turns are both important for children to develop friendships. This book is offered as a board book. I think that this book may need to be more durable than some of the other books because it’s a story that you can read again and again to keep especially when there needs to be a reminder about good behavior.



4. Yolen, Jane. How Do Dinosaurs Play with Their Friends? New York: Blue Sky, 2006.

How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?

Can I have another glass of water? I don’t want go to bed. Dinosaurs want to stay up all night but they act like good dinosaurs and turn off the lights. They read a book, kiss their parents and say goodnight.

Sometimes little dinosaurs have to do things that they don’t like to do, such as go to bed. There are things that we do not like to do but they are good for us. Putting things off does not make them go away. I think that this would be a great story for children to have in their homes because it’s all about bedtimes. I think that the idea of doing things when you are asked and not trying to put things off would also be helpful in the classroom. When it’s time to say good-bye or clean up toys the lesson in this story would be extremely beneficial. This could also lead to a lesson about sleep. Student can learn about why sleep is so important and what can happen to our bodies when we do not sleep enough.





5. Yolen, Jane. How Do Dinosaurs Play with Their Friends? New York: Blue Sky, 2006.

How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon?

No one likes to be sick. There are a few ways to get well and some of them are not very fun. Dinosaurs show you that the medicine might taste yucky and maybe you think the doctor is scary, but the little dinosaurs get better and you will to.

Being sick is never a good experience; it’s hard for the little dinosaurs to remember to cover up when they sneeze or to try not to whine or complain. Sometimes it takes a little extra work to get well and that means a trip to the doctor. Going to the doctor can seem like a frightening experience for many small children (and even some grown-ups to). When dinosaurs get sick they have to go see the doctor and take medicine. This book could be used at home for children and in school as well. This would be a good story to read before someone such as the dentist or the school nurse comes into to visit. This story could also lead to lessons about things we need to do to stay well like eating healthy foods and spending time exercising.

Judy Moody Goes to College- Gillian M.

Summary:Judy Moody Goes to College is about a third grade student who is sent to a college campus and is tutored by a college student in mathematics. Judy learns many lessons from her tutor, the most important being that ones attitude can make a large impact on the ability to learn in the classroom.

Review: Judy Moody is a stubborn third grade student who is not happy when she finds out her teacher is out of town. Her class substitute notices Judy is having trouble learning mathematics, so she recommends Judy get a tutor for some help outside of the classroom. At first, Judy is dreading going to a tutor and practicing mundane math problems. However, once Judy meets her hip college tutor Chloe, she begins to realize that math is everywhere and it can be fun! Soon Judy is relating math to several parts of her day in which she never realized math was involved.


I found this beginning level chapter book to be appropriate for second to third graders. Judy Moody is part of a series, and I have never read one of Megan McDonald’s books. Her character seemed very relatable to children her age, which I found refreshing. Judy did not always want to comply with the rules, which is typical of any child. I found the theme of this book to be attitude. When Judy has a bad attitude it is difficult for her to enjoy a task. However when her attitude shifts towards a positive light, she is more excited to learn material and share her knowledge with those around her.

A teacher could use this book as a lesson about the way people approach school. If one does not have good feelings on a certain subject, they may be hindering their growth by not wanting to learn. A positive attitude can make a difference for any student and help them have fun learning. An activity a teacher could use with this book would be asking the class if Judy’s attitude is beneficial in a specific scenario.

Citation:
McDonald, Megan. Judy Moody Goes to College. 1st ed. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2008. Print.

Book Review 1 - Michael C

Osborne, Mary Pope. Magic Tree House #1: Dinosaurs before Dark. New York: Random House, 1992. Print.






The book is about an eight and a half year old boy Jack and his seven year old sister Annie who discover a tree house in the woods near their home in Frog Creek Pennsylvania. They find out the tree house is magical when they find themselves in the time of the dinosaurs and have to find their way home.



The story provides an interesting case of gender roles. Jack is portrayed as a serious, bookish, thinker and his sister Annie is portrayed as wild, adventurous, and fearless. The classic idea is that the girl should stay home and help her mother not running around playing with dinosaurs while the boy is supposed to be a bold adventurer fearlessly exploring the unknown. In almost every case in the book Jack is the cautious one while Annie is the risk taker.

Jack was against going into the woods, going into the tree house, approaching dinosaurs, etc. He is contrary to the idea that males should like the outdoors and going on adventures. Instead he is almost like an adult. He does not believe in pretend and prefers real things. When he and Annie are in the time of the dinosaurs rather than enjoying the experience he is trying to act like a scientist and make detailed observations. His first instinct always seems to be caution is the better part of valor. In many ways Jack is like an adult rather than an eight year old boy.

Annie is the exact opposite, she approaches everything with the same attitude of curiosity and openness despite Jack's fears. She is always willing to push the envelope and try new things. Her motto is “Don't think. Just do it.” She exemplifies that motto throughout the story. She is not the delicate daughter who stays at home with her mother and knits. She is bold and assertive and does not heed advice she disagrees with. She ignores Jack's advice in almost every instance to pursue her own path rather than a path defined by others. Annie is the antithesis of Jack, she is bold where he is timid, she is adventurous where he is cautious, and she is fearless where he is afraid.

Mary Pope Osborne has reversed the gender roles in Jack and Annie. She pushes the boundaries of what is proper for males and females and expands the idea of what is appropriate behavior.

Book Review: Angela McKenzie

Horton Hears a Who
By: Dr. Seuss

Horton Hears a Who is whitty story about an Elephant named Horton who hears a voice in Jungle of Nool one day. He soon discovers the voice is coming from a spec of dust where there is an entire town of Whos. Early o in the story he vows to protect the spec. However, the other animals in the jungle can't hear the Whos like Horton can so they try everything they can to stop him from protecting the spec. In the end all the tiny Whos must come together as one voice to save thier town and Horton.

As a child I didn't catch all the morals in this fun rhyming book by Dr. Seuss. As an adult reading this book I notice what the true meaning behind this book is. The book finds such a creative, fun way to let children know that they are important no matter how small or big they might be. The Pictures and rhymes make it fun for children to read. This would also be a great book for a unit on rhyming. It is also a great book because the fun words make it easy to read over and over.  This is a timeless book that I believe people of all ages can enjoy. It reminds everyone that they are important.

As far as the illustrations go I think that the book has fun and exciting pictures that would keep children engaged. However, some of the expressions on the characters don't seem to match the story. Nonetheless, Seuss does a great job at combining fun, creative illustrations with great wording to make this book a fun and exciting read.

Noodle & Lou

By: Liz Garton Scanlon

This is a book about a worm named Noodle who is having a bad day. Noodle is feeling quite negative but luckily is friend Lou is there to cheer him up and remind him how great he is.

The illustrations in this book really bring the story to life. I really like how the illustrator put expressions on the characters faces even though they are not humans. I believe the way he portrays the characters in his illustrations helps children relate to the characters. The characters where things like hat's and sunglasses that I believe helps children relate better to the characters. I also really liked the wording of this book. It was fun and witty but all the wording was at a level that children can understand and know the meaning of. It's great how the characters point out the good in both characters. I think this would be a great read for a group of young children and could easily be tied into activities such as optimists vs pessimist, a lesson on what a child thinks is good about ten or a lesson on friendship.

Round Trip
By: Ann Jonas

This is an interesting book that takes you on a road-trip. Forward, backward, and upside down. You start in a small neighborhood, take a drive through the city, then flip the book over and go back.

At first I was not sure if I liked this book or not because I was a little confused about how to read it until I go to the end. The book as words on the top and bottom of every page. However, the words at the top of the page are upside down. For how complicated the book is I was a bit disappointed after reading it because I didn't feel like the story it self had a lot of depth. On the other hand, the book would probably be really fun for children to look at and read because it is a book with really good illustrations. If you flip the book over on every page the picture goes from night to day and looks like a new picture. I did have fun really looking at each page to see what the upside down picture looked like. I'm not sure this book would be great to use for a lesson but it could be a good book to have in like a reading corner because it makes children think as they flip the book over and have to be able to depict the new picture from the picture they just saw. Over-all I think it is an interesting book but not one of my top choices

The House in the Night
By:Susan Marie Swanson


This is a simple book about things that you find, see, or hear in at night such as a key, book, light, or bed. The book takes you through a house and then back out.


This words in this book are very simple and few. This makes the book great for new readers. However, the illustrations are what make this book good, in my opinion. The book is all in black and white except for a few things on every page that are highlighted in yellow. Despite the fact that the book is mostly in black and white, each page is filled with extravagant illustrations. This makes the book appealing to children of all ages because the pages are fun to look over and try to find all the special things in each picture. I also really liked how half way trough the book the story flips and goes back to the begging. This book would be great to use for a few activities, such as, matching or activities where a child would make there own story like this one.

Into the Forest
By: Anthony Brown

This book takes you on an adventure through the woods with a boy and a big imagination. When his grandmother gets sick the boy's mother asks him to take her a cake. However, the boy disobeys his mother and cuts through the wood where he encounters all kinds of characters. In the end he finally makes it to his grandmas house where he finds his dad who he has been missing, as well as his grandma.

I found this book very creative but a little disappointing. As the boy walks through the woods he encounters several strange things. Each thing he encounters relates to a popular fairy-tale. However, I felt that the author cut the middle of the book off too soon. It gave some fun creative scenarios in the woods but I think it should have included a few more. I also felt like the ending was a little abrupt. I was left wanting to know more about a lot of things in the book.

I did like the illustrations in the book. They were all in black. and white except the boy was in color. On the way through the woods you can search each picture for all kinds of things that are hidden in the forest. Overall, I don't think an older child would enjoy this book as much as a young child. The book is a bit wordy but easy to comprehend. It would have to be used as a class. You could consider activities asking children if they have ever disobeyed or have them figure out each fairy-tale to make it fun.

Book Review - Maggie D.

Junie B. Jones Is (almost) a Flower Girl

By: Barbara Park

Summary:

In this book Junie B. Jones wants to be a grown-up lady. She invites herself to become the flower girl of her Aunt Flo’s wedding; however, Aunt Flo already had a flower girl picked out. Junie B. Jones becomes the alternate flower girl. She attempts to steal everyone’s attention and prove that she is a lady.

Review:

The perspective I would like to use to consider this text is the discussions it would open up for students. I found this Junie B. Jones book to be a great read for younger females. They would find it both enjoyable and humorous, while also learning a few lessons from the text.

I would probably make this book a read aloud among a small book club of females. I think Junie B. Jones books are very entertaining to read aloud because of the attitude Barbara Park gives the characters when they are speaking. This also gives the reader a chance to practice reading aloud and using different, fun voices. I know I enjoyed looking at the pictures throughout the book, so I would want the reader to make sure to show each picture throughout the story. These pictures are not in color; however they give the reader a great image of what is happening in the story. I would want my students to have a discussion about each picture and what is happening in them.

I would also like my students to discuss what Junie B. Jones is doing wrong throughout the text. In the beginning she uses force and causes her “boyfriend” to break up with her. Then she refuses to go inside after recess. Later, Junie B. Jones invites herself to be in her Aunt Flo’s wedding. During the wedding she grabs the flower basket away from the real flower girl. There are many mistakes Junie B. Jones made and I would like my students to discuss these situations, the outcomes, and what would have been a better way for her to handle them.

The last part of the discussion I would open up for my students is to discuss how they felt about the book. I believe it is important for students to express their opinions, whether they are positive or negative. I feel like some students would not enjoy the book as much as others if they did not pick up on all the small jokes. For example, Junie B. Jones’ parents were teasing her at the dinner table and she did not notice. Barbara Park uses a lot of humor around Junie B. Jones without her noticing it. I also want my students to try to make a personal connection with one of the characters in the story. This could be Junie B. Jones, her mother, her aunt, her boyfriend, etc. I think it is important for students to learn from characters and examine them.

I really enjoy Junie B. Jones books because they are entertaining for most people. Using this text as a tool for discussion is something I would consider in my classroom. Having a discussion about the story is a great learning opportunity while it also lets young readers reflect and comprehend on what they read.

 Citation:

Park, Barbara. Junie B. Jones Is (almost) a Flower Girl. United States of America: Random House, 1999. Print.

Maleah O'Neal: First Book Reviews

For my review, I wanted to focus on picture books that identified with the African American culture. African American-cultured books tend to be written by African American authors, have black characters, and are created around a particular aspect or common experience African Americans have endured.

The Secret Olivia Told Me, N. Joy

Joy, N. (2007). The Secret Olivia Told Me. East Orange, NJ: Just Us Books.

The Secret Olivia Told Me by N. Joy, is a picture book written for elementary-aged children. It depicts what may happen when a secret cannot be kept, and how the message of the secret can be discombobulated into something that it is not. It is a Coretta Scott King Award- winning book, and contains a valuable moral lesson.

I consider this book to be an African American-cultured reading because the main characters are African American. The plot of the story is not based on a cultural experience, but many African American children may enjoy the book because they can physically identify with some of the characters.

The design and illustrations of the book are very interesting to me. The characters have visible features of a human, but everyone appears in the color black. One can make out each characters hair style, face and expressions and style. The reader can distinguish the race of each character, but I believe the author was trying to stress that the race of the characters were unimportant. The background of each picture is also in black and white, except for the red balloon, which is hypothetically the message or “secret” being passed around. I enjoy the way the illustrations are designed to represent the message of the story- because the “secret is in red, and everything else in the book is in black and white, the colors stress the importance of the characters keeping certain messages private from their peers. This is an excellent way to display this moral to the targeted age group because it productively teaches children the importance of secrecy in a fun, and interesting manner.

Running the Road to ABC, Denize Lauture

Lauture, D., & Ruffins, R. (1996). Running the road to ABC. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Running the Road to ABC vibrantly describes the details of its plot using poetic and intriguing verbs, and adjectives to express simple nouns. For example, “They run over the sweet-potato mounds like fish dancing with the sea waves” (Lauture, 1996). The book energetically expresses a group of young children’s morning trip to the schoolhouse. This would be a fun read for elementary- aged children, as a free-time reading, or a group reading with a teacher. The story is poetically written, and could assist in teaching children the aspects of creative and fictional writing. I love the title because it details the story in a short, creative sentence (“Running the Road”  the trip taken to; “ABC”  the schoolhouse).

Running the Road to ABC is culture-inspired mainly through the illustrations and plot of the story. The pictures are soulful and depict scenery of crop farms, portraying an older African community.

Tree of Hope, Amy Littlesugar

Littlesugar, A., & Cooper, F. (1999). Tree of hope. New York, NY: Philomel Books.

This is a reading for older elementary-aged children, probably best for fourth and fifth grade students. It would also be a good read for sixth grade students. The story is based around the time of the Great Depression, depicting the lifestyle of Harlem residents in the 1930s. The author bases the plot around a play, Macbeth, written by Shakespeare, but in the book, she puts a cultural, African American spin on it. There is strong reference to racial issues that were prominent in that era. The tree in the story is symbolic for dreams and hope. It was used for Florrie and her father to make wishes during the hard times of the Great Depression.

This book would be perfect to open a discussion about the Great Depression, and segregation. I consider this book to be culturally written and illustrated because of the African American characters and the theme and plot of the story. I enjoyed the pictures because the style of clothing, hair and choice of words perfectly depicts the style of the 1930s. 

Keisha Ann Can! By Daniel Kirk


Kirk, D. (2008). Keisha Ann can! New York, NY: G. P. Putnam's Sons.

Keisha Ann Can! Is a great reading for students who are learning to be productive and successful throughout the school day. I would recommend this book for preschool- and kindergarten- aged students. Keisha Ann, the main character, can count, spell, clean up, eat lunch, nap, and more, with confidence, and while learning. This is an inspirational reading that teachers could use to assist in teaching children to be successful in the classroom, throughout the school day. The pictures are fun and energetic, illustrated with bright colors and realistic, human characters. This book would also be great for beginning readers because the text throughout the book is short and brief, but the vocabulary used is important for a student to know (ex: “lunch”, “classroom”, “pencils”, etc.) I would use this book to teach my students or children the importance of performing well in school, and how it can be fun and exciting at the same time.

This book is culturally inspired because the main character is African American. African American students, particularly young girls, can experience self-efficacy- evaluating how well they could perform a particular action, because they identify with the character. Children can identify with the success the character is experiencing in school because they are familiar with the physical aspect of the character, and may be able to successfully apply it to their own lives.

This Little Light of Mine illustrated by E.B. Lewis
 
Lewis, E. B. (2005). This little light of mine. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.


This Little Light of Mine identifies greatly as an African American-cultured book. The text of the book is an African American spiritual that dates back to the days of slavery. The illustrations tell a story of a young African American boy having a good day, no matter the trials or tribulations put in his way. The author applies each individual line to a picture of the boy enduring in various events throughout the day- helping the elderly, playing with other children in the neighborhood, and even eating dinner. This book would be a good read for students during free-time, and when teaching the lesson of staying positive. My Mother read this book to me while growing up, and I always wanted to be happy just as the main character was in the book. He kept a smile on his face no matter what was going on throughout the day, and I mimicked this action because the book portrays him staying happy. “This little light of mine” is referring to the happiness of the character, and “I’m going to let it shine” refers to staying positive and happy no matter what issues one may experience. This is a great story for discussing this moral during a group reading session, or for an assignment of analyzing the main themes in the book.