Frindle Analysis -Kimberly Smith

Kimberly Smith 

EDU T&L 467

MLA: Clements, Andrew, and Brian Selznick. Frindle. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster for Young Readers, 1996. Print.

Intro
Frindle, written by Andrew Clements, is a sensational book that targets children between the ages of 8-12, especially. Clements, a former fourth grade teacher himself before going into publishing, actually incorporated his own experiences with a group of students into the novel.  As a winner of the Christopher Award and a book often used in classrooms today, the children’s novel proves itself as an outstanding piece of work. 

Summary

Frindle tells a story that primarily focuses on Nick Allen, a fifth grade boy with a huge imagination and a knack for coming up with creative ideas and then bringing them to life. Nick’s sense of creativity is somewhat challenged by Mrs. Granger, the fifth grade  language arts teacher with a reputation for ruthlessly enforcing rules, giving students a plethora of assignments and tests, and above all else, her unmeasurable love for the dictionary. When Nick’s ambitiously replaces the word ‘pen’ with ‘frindle,’ Mrs. Granger tries her best to stop the evolving idea from taking over Lincoln Elementary School, but soon realizes that the impact of Nick’s invented word is hardly limited to their local school. 

Analysis

In exploring Frindle, I realized that there are several benefits that this book comes paired with. In my opinion, this book would best fit students who are in the fourth grade or in the fifth grade. This is mainly because the book centers around students who are currently in the fifth grade, and readers would be best able to relate to the book when they are in an age group similar to the characters they are reading about. I think the book would be best assigned to the class as a read out-loud. This is because the book, though it isn’t too eccentric, does have some challenging vocabulary and concepts that students would be better able to understand with the guidance of a teacher. Reading the book out loud would allow the teacher to emphasis certain perspectives and parts of the book that may otherwise be passed over by a student who cannot fully grasp all that they are reading. I may also use this book in class as a tool to get children more comfortable with using dictionaries. In addition, as a class exercise, I would encourage students to invent words and then show the students examples in history for how words have been invented or changed over time. 

Ideally, I think that Frindle could be used to extend on a few key concepts that are important for kid’s to pick up on. First off, I think that the book can be used for something as simple as having readers get a better idea of what the purpose of vocabulary is and how words evolve. Moreover, this book highlights the idea that imagination is important and can truly influence our world. Frindle encourages readers to be creative and invent. Readers see how Nick’s decision to incorporate the word ‘Frindle’ into his life led to huge media coverage and attention and eventually, to his made-up word being added to the actual dictionary. This gives readers hope that they’re own ambitions not only have purpose, but that their outlandish ideas can be very real when they make the effort. 

Frindle also touches on other issues. The issue of rules and what it is to be a “trouble maker” is brought to light. For example, though Nick breaks academic rules at school, he is not being disrespectful to his teachers, and thus his parents do not condemn his behavior. Teachers like Mrs. Granger challenge his attempt to break school rules, but other figures of authority in the book can’t quit pinpoint why what Nick is doing should be deemed as “bad.” Thus, though at first Nick is seen to be reaping havoc, it is later explained that his idea to challenge school rules was actually something rather commendable. The idea of free speech is also a popular issue throughout the book, and is a valid reason to why Frindle’s popularity is acceptable, and as to why the reporter did no wrong in parading through Nick’s school and helping to make the word ‘Frindle’ explosive. Towards the end of the book, as it becomes clear Mrs. Granger was actually rooting for the success of Frindle the whole time, readers become more certain with the idea that Nick’s explosive idea was perfectly innocent, and moreover, that hard teachers aren’t automatically villainous teachers, but may actually want the best for their students.

Clements does an especially good job of writing in a way that students can relate to. He purposely uses clever descriptions to explain things in order to appeal to the demographic of readers who will pick up his book. For example, when describing the weight of the dictionary, Clements explains that it is “the kind of book it takes two kids to carry.” The illustrations, by Brian Selznick, also serve a valid purpose by reinforcing small details from the text. For example, on page 9, when we first see a picture of the villainous teacher, Mrs. Granger, we see her sitting amongst dictionaries, with one dictionary open to a page that defines the word “Quiz,” a concept very important to her method of teaching. 

Kellie V.- First Book Review- Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

Summary:
              Greg Heffley is a normal middle-schooler who has a very creative view of the people who surround him. He constantly is expressing his own self-interested views and comparing them to the views of the other characters. Greg finds out that he doesn't really fit into any specific social group in his school yet constantly tries to impress his peers in various comical ways. From creating his own haunted house or by writing comics for his school newspaper, Greg explores multiple ways to discover who he wants to be.

Analysis:

A Male's Perspective.
              Diary of a Wimpy Kid is one of the few novels that is directed at middle-schoolers and also has a male protagonist. Greg is ornery and unafraid of expressing his views of the middle school environment which he has leaped into.
              The beginning of middle school has Greg feeling uneasy about his size and stature. It also has him questioning his past friendships which could possibly deem him as "uncool". Through these disadvantages we see how Greg tries to prove himself  as a tough, smary, saavy guy to his peers through acts, such as: attempting to become class treasurer, gaining muscle to seem tough, and giving up home economics because he was too good at embroidery. All of these instances have caused Greg to question and prove his masculinity to his classmates.
              Whereas, if this text was from a girl's perspective, it would have a very different outlook on the people in middle school. The fact that Greg is a normal kid, if a little scrawny, has a tremendous impact on how we view the characters of his middle school. Most novels which are written from a female protagonist's view point are centered around how well their clothes look, who the new couples are, and what new romantic comedy is playing in theaters. Through Greg's eyes we can see the complete 180 of  what subjects are really worrisome to boys. Since there aren't many books with male protagonists, it is refreshing to see the silliness and the absurdities that are presented.

The Selfish Adolescent.
               In many instances in the novel, Greg is faced to make hard decisions which not only affect himself but other people around him. Oftentimes, Greg does not make the "right" decision, instead he decides on what will get him in the least trouble or what will put him in the best light.
               This is a common occurrence when considering adolescents' choices, they always seem to choose an option which makes them look good to their peers or their supervisors. Greg seems to be the king of misinterpreting other people's views and construing them to make sense when considering his own thoughts. An example: On Halloween, Greg taunts some high-schoolers while hiding out in his Grandma's house. The next morning on his way to school, Greg notices that his Grandma's house has been covered in toilet paper. He decides that it is lucky his Grandma is retired so cleaning up that toilet paper will be something for her to do that day. An adult would feel guilt over the matter, but instead Greg is optimistic about not having to clean the toilet paper himself.

Discussions.

The Stereotypes of Middle School.
              I think this book offers a great chance for students to dwelve into some of the hardships they face as new middle-schoolers. We could talk about the different cliques of middle school and if they ever feel left out of these. Also, we could talk about the pressure they feel to fit into their peers, even if they think they are "morons" like Greg does.

Development of Their Own Identity.
             Throughout the whole novel we see Greg trying to make decisions base upon who he wants to become. He is trying to decide who to be friends with and whether or not being smart is as good as being popular. It would be interesting to discuss what real middle school students think is the most important aspect of their identity.

Age.

I think this text would be perfect for sixth graders since they are facing the hardship of adjusting from elementary school to middle school. As mentioned in the above discussion topics, this text represents a great way to address many different aspects of middle school. Sixth graders would hopefully be able to read this without getting bored because it has so many pictures which could help them form ideas about the text.

Citation.

Kinney, J. (2007). Diary of a Wimpy Kid. New York: Amulet Books.

First Book Review - Kaelie C.

Wishworks, Inc. Book Review

Introduction:

            Wishworks, Inc. is a children’s novel that stood out to me while I searched for a book at the Columbus Public Library. This book has many lessons in it, especially involving social skills, and had me interested to figure out if Goldie returns to Max’s life and family. The main concepts of this book include bullying, making friends, and family. Also, Max learns how to appreciate what he has and to help his family be happy. Wishworks, Inc. had many important aspects that Max shares with the reader throughout the story.

Summary:

Out of all the different types of children’s literature, Wishworks, Inc. stands out for its uniqueness and real-life experiences children have. Max is the main character in this novel and on a daily basis, imagines a world where he and his dog, King, conquer dragons and bullies. His mother and sister, named Polly, play a big role in his life as Goldie enters the family’s lives. Max imagines a store named Wishworks, Inc. where he buys wishes and discusses his wish dilemmas with the cashier. He makes three wishes throughout the novel: first, he wishes for a real dog, then he wishes that Goldie, aka Ratty, would go away, and finally, he wishes for the exactly right real dog. Following Max’s imagination, Goldie comes into his family’s lives, runs away, and is returned by a friend’s father. Throughout the story, he creates imaginary scenarios but comes to realize that he can share his imagination with a friend named Jerome. In the end, Max realizes that he can still have both dogs, his imaginary dog King and Goldie, and learns to appreciate family and friends.

Critical Thinking:

Bullying

            Throughout the story, Max experiences many situations involving a bully, named Nick Berger. In the beginning of the book, Max describes Nick as a powerful, intimidating person and Max would constantly imagine things happening to Nick, such as a dragon attacking him. Because of Nick, Max experiences isolation, depressive thoughts, and constantly creates imaginary scenarios involving King’s protection. Towards the end of the book, Max finally accepts and befriends Goldie and goes on a walk with his newly-made friend Jerome. During their walk, Max and Jerome run into Nick Berger and his mother. Goldie immediately defends Max and Jerome against Nick while Nick begins to cry since he is scared of dogs. Even though Nick was a powerful bully in the beginning of the book, Max ends up becoming the more powerful character because of Goldie. This approach to bullying could show students that bullying is never the answer and that even bullies have fears. When Max doesn’t take advantage of Nick’s dog fear, it shows readers a good way to not become a bully and make friends instead.

Gender Roles

            Gender roles seem to be another aspect that is implemented in Wishworks, Inc. Towards the middle of the book, Max imagines himself sleeping with King in his bed and the family cat, Ali Baba, sleeping in his sister Polly’s bed. This associates dogs with boys and cats with girls, which can be considered stereotypical gender roles. Also, Max’s imaginary dog being named King shows that this dog is very powerful and masculine. King acts like Max’s protector and defender in Max’s daydreams and does everything Max asks him to. Throughout the book, Max’s dad briefly discusses with him how to handle bullies at school. The only parts of the conversation that Max thinks about in the book involve Max stopping his daydreaming and going out to make real friends. As the reader, Max’s opinion on this seems to be that he doesn’t agree with his dad and wants to continue daydreaming. Towards the end of the book, Max seems to realize what his dad was trying to tell him and becomes a more confident with himself. With his last wish, Max becomes the hero and saves his mother and Polly, since they had both been depressed with Goldie’s disappearance, by wishing Goldie’s return back to their family.

Pictures/Illustrations

            While reading Wishworks, Inc., the reader is able to see many different illustrations depicting Max’s story. In the beginning, the illustrations show Max’s imaginary scenarios and what King would look like. When Max makes his three wishes, the reader sees pictures of the shop and cashier. When Goldie becomes the family dog, there are illustrations of Max, Polly, and her, which do not involve Max’s imaginary world. The pictures in the book seem to go along with how Max grows and learns that his imaginary world is fun, but his real world can be enjoyable as well.
Possible Class Activities

            Max and his imagination throughout the book allows for there to be many different class activities that can involve this story. One activity could be to have students create a wish list, trade with another student and discuss, and then have a class discussion about the lists. Some questions the teacher could ask would be what the students’ wishes were and how they could achieve them. Another classroom activity could be using this book as an introduction to bullying; students would learn what bullying is, what they should do in a bullying situation, and how to prevent it. This activity would help expand their social and safety skills. One last activity that a teacher could have involving this book is having the students write a story about an adventure in their imaginary world. This activity would help nurture the students’ creativity and imagination. The topics covered in this book allow for a wide variety of classroom activities and can help students learn important life lessons.

Appropriate Age/Grade Level

            Wishworks, Inc. would be a great book for children in 4^th or 5^th grade and at ages of 10-12 years old. There are many features of this book that make it appropriate for this age level. One feature is text size; the text size is larger than regular 12-point which allows for better letter recognition and comprehension. Also, chapters are generally short to medium length; this age level would be appropriate since their attention span is longer and comprehension skills are more developed than with younger children. The book language includes many big words, such as guarantee and immediately. This language can be challenging to some students, which would be great for expanding vocabulary and comprehension skills. As previously stated, the bullying and creative concepts in this book would also be great for those topic introductions, respectively. Wishworks, Inc. allows for many lessons to be learned, but the appropriate age needs to be considered when choosing this book.

Final Thoughts

            Overall, Wishworks, Inc. was a good book with some quirky qualities and definitely would be good for students to learn about bullying. Max definitely goes through many stressful experiences in the book, but ends up becoming a more confident boy; I think Max’s transition is a realistic example of childhood development for 4^th and 5^th grade children. As a reader, I could definitely relate to Max’s experiences and felt like Goldie taught him more about himself. I think that bullying is a really important topic this book addresses and could be utilized in the classroom for effective education and prevention. Wishworks, Inc. is a book that has many important lessons and is a good read for children at the appropriate age.

Citation:

Tolan, S. (2009). Wishworks, Inc. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books.

Mary Beth Z. First Book Review

Summary:
Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business is about a misunderstanding that occurs. Junie B. Jones thinks that her new baby brother is really a baby monkey, and when she shares this with her class at show and tell, the news creates excitement and inevitably trouble.

Analysis:
           I find this particular Junie B. Jones novel really informational as well as enjoyable for kids of all ages. Children who read this book can learn about the process of a family having a new baby and how it will affect people who are already in the family, including themselves. As a teacher I would incorporate a fun art project where we draw and color a nursery for a new member of our family. Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business would also be educational for children as well because if their own family is going through the process of having a new brother or sister, the child could relate with Junie B. and understand that everything will be okay in the end because Junie B. was able to conquer this experience in her book while having fun.
           In response to the illustrations (usually one per chapter), the illustrations demonstrate the perspective of Junie B. and also demonstrate the perceptions of the people around her in each particular scene. In a classroom setting if I were reading this book aloud to my kids I could ask them to reflect on how something made them feel and allow them to share with the class either in art form or in an open discussion format.
            Another idea I had is when Junie B. is describing her cute little monkey brother to her class during show and tell, to have the kids draw out how they perceive Junie B's little brother as I am reading the description aloud to the class. This would provide for creativity in the classroom by giving children the opportunity to picture this new baby in their minds and then transfer that image onto paper. Junie B. Jones books are all very comical and relatable for children. Junie B. is a kindergartener exploring her world and reporting back to her readers on it. This provides new readers a way to see themselves in her books and get lost in the world of literature. As a child the only books I truly enjoyed were Junie B. Jones books and I feel strongly about having these books in the classroom.


Works Cited:

Park, B. (1993). Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business. New York: Random House.

Blubber Book Review By Taylor F

BLUBBER




CITATION

Blume, Judy, Blubber, (New York: Random House Inc., 1974).



INTRODUCTION

For my first book review for this class, I read Judy Blume’s Iggie’s House and I liked it so much that I decided I would try another one of her books for my second review. As I had previously mentioned, I never read any of Judy Blume’s books. Blume is a hugely successful American author who has written numerous novels that span a variety of age groups and often address some of society’s most controversial topics. Blume’s books are often inspired by her own life. The previous book which I read, Iggie’s House, is focused on racism. The main theme in Blubber is bullying.



SUMMARY

The main setting for the book is a fifth grade classroom. Jill Brenner, a student in the class, is the main character. A pretty and popular girl in the class, Wendy, leads the entire class into bullying another student, Linda. Linda is overweight and is picked on both mentally and physically and is dubbed the nickname, “Blubber.” Jill follows along with the bullying until things get to a point where she decides that it’s just all ridiculous. Once that happens, Wendy, the pretty popular girl, quickly becomes friends with Linda (Blubber) and the focus for Wendy’s bullying is now on Jill.



This book would be ideal for late elementary and early middle school aged children and is probably best for students in grades four through six. It would be a great book for class discussions.



CRITICAL THINKING

BULLYING

As mentioned, the major theme of the book is bullying. Linda (Blubber) was given her nickname because she is overweight and she presented a project to the class on whales and described the thick layer of fat on whales as blubber. The bullying is extreme. Her house is toileted papered and silly string is sprayed all over. Her sidewalks are decorated in chalk with “Blubber.” In one incident, the girls trap her in the girls’ bathroom and hold her down. They strip her clothes off of her with said intentions of removing her fat from her body. Linda isn’t allowed to leave the bathroom until she curtsies to one girl and kisses another girl’s foot. It gets worse when the school nurse weighs all the girls and openly announces their individual weights, with additional public comments for Linda that she weighs too much. After that, the girls made Linda repeat the phrase, “I am Blubber, the Smelly Whale of Class 206,” before they would let Linda use the bathroom, eat her lunch, use the drinking fountain or get on the bus.



PERSONAL CHARACTER AND ADVERSITY

Another major theme in the book is how important it is to stand up for what is right. Although Jill goes along with the bullying, she often questions what is happening. Finally, when the class decides to have a trial to decide whether or not Linda (Blubber) told on Jill for playing a prank on a neighbor, Jill gets to the point that she’s had enough. During this awful trial, Linda (Blubber) is forced into a closet and locked inside when she doesn’t want to participate. When Wendy denies Linda a lawyer, Jill realizes that Wendy really isn’t a nice or fair person and she decides to stand up to Wendy. When she does that, everything changes. Friendships are torn apart and former enemies soon become friends. Wendy is still as mean as ever, but now leads the class into bullying Jill. Even Linda (Blubber) is an eager participant and she and Wendy become best friends. Jill doesn’t regret what she has done and her long –time friendship with Tracy, who is another classroom, grows even stronger as Jill realizes that Tracy is and has always been a good person and a good friend.



RACISM

Wendy, the master at bullying, also involves race as a target. When Tracy, Jill’s friend, says something that Wendy doesn’t like, Wendy later retaliates by referring to Tracy, as Jill’s “chink friend.” This, of course, further helps Jill to realize that Wendy is not a good person and not someone that she wants to be friends with.



FINAL THOUGHTS

This book was written in the 1970s, and bullying is still an issue in schools today, nearly 35 years after it was written. When I read the book, I could relate to the main character, Jill, and even at times, to the bullied student, Linda. However, I was extremely surprised at far the bullying went, especially when it involved physical contact. It was even more shocking to me that nearly all the bullying took place at school. I can’t imagine a nurse today making announcements and public comments regarding a student’s weight. Although I am well aware, that bullying is still a hot topic today, it seems like it is much less tolerated at school and by society. It also seems like today’s bullying has taken new shapes and forms, with so much focus on today’s cyber-bullying, which of course wasn’t part of 1970’s society.

Kayley De Rovira's picture book reviews

Kayley De Rovira picture book reviews 1

1. Butterworth, Chris. Sea Horse: The Shyest Fish in the Sea. (2006). Massachusetts: Candlewick Press.

            Sea Horse is a story about sea horses, specifically the Barbour’s sea horse. In this book students learn many things about sea horses; camouflage, the way they look, food, mating rituals, birthing, swimming, and growth and development.

            This book is very helpful to young students wanting to learn more about sea horses, especially because the bottom of most of the pages gives extra information like the scientific name of sea horses. The pictures are interesting and informative; showing how the sea horse camouflages and changes color for protection and mating, how the sea horse’s eggs grow into baby sea horses, and how they use their tail to swim and hold onto coral. As a teacher you can read the book aloud as part of a lesson on sea horses or in a unit plan about sea animals.

2. Coles, Robert. (1995). The Story of Ruby Bridges. Scholastic Inc.

            The Story of Ruby Bridges is an inspirational story of the first black child to go to school in New Orleans in 1960. Through mobs of white men and women shouting for inequality, Ruby walked to an all-white school as the only student, praying for all of those who hated her. Eventually the mobs died down and the white students went back to school with Ruby, showing that faith and determination prevails.

            I read this book when it first came out, and quickly fell in love with Ruby Bridge’s story. Ruby struggles with discrimination, but sticks to her schoolwork and her faith in God to help her through it. This is a great introductory book for a lesson on racism and discrimination in America.

3. McGrath, B. B. (ed.). (2006). The Storm: Students of Biloxi, Mississippi Remember Hurricane Katrina. Watertown, Mass: Charlesbridge Pub Inc.

            Through The Storm, students, teachers, and faculty of Biloxi share their experiences of Hurricane Katrina. They express their grief, anger, acceptance, and thankfulness through stories and illustrations that McGrath compiled.

This book would be beneficial for students of any age, as the children in the book are from grades 1-11. For those not living in an area affected by Hurricane Katrina this book provides an insight into the lives of the victims. One teacher said, “What was once a faceless storm all of a sudden became personal” (16). This allows students who didn’t feel the storm was personal to see it from different perspectives. At the end of the book, some students and faculty express their thanks to everyone around the world that helped the Biloxi community restore it’s homes and schools. This book provides hope to victims of natural disasters while showing how important it is to help out others in a time of crisis.

4. Mortenson, Greg, & Roth, S. L. (2009). Listen to the Wind: The Story of Dr. Greg & Three Cups of Tea. New York, NY: Dial Books for Young Readers.

            Listen to the Wind is the story of Greg Mortenson’s first building project in Korphe, Pakistan. Mortenson ended up cold, sick, and hungry in Korphe, Pakistan on his way to climb the mountains. In order to repay the village for it’s kindness he came back a year later to build a school; first creating a bridge to carry supplies across, and then building the school with the help of men, women, and children of Korphe.

            The pictures in the book are collages, created by Susan Roth, which moves the story along. They show the interactions between the villagers and Mortenson through the use of various textiles. A teacher can use this book to show the differences between our cultures.  An open discussion about how there are many people who are less fortunate can help the students understand the world better. Community and helping others are themes that can be discussed further as well.

5. Penn, Audrey. (2004).  A Pocket Full of Kisses. Indiana: Tanglewood Press.

            A Pocket Full of Kisses is a story about the reassurance and love a mother Raccoon gives her son after he becomes jealous of his new baby brother. Chester Raccoon becomes very sad when his mother gives his brother a Kissing Hand, his Kissing Hand, but she explains to him that his brother isn’t taking over his territory, and that her love and kisses will never run out for Chester and his brother.

            This book is a great way for students to learn about the feelings that come with a new addition to the family. Chester feels hurt when his mother gives his brother a Kissing Hand, a kiss the mother places on the palm of his hand, afraid that if she gives the baby a Kissing Hand her kisses will run out. The mother Raccoon explains that every night the sun’s rays touch all the stars, and that no matter how many stars are in the sky the sun won’t stop reaching out it’s light to each and every one of them. She explains that when someone loves you their kisses are always there, like the sun’s rays, and that she will never run out. This will help students understand unconditional love.

Iggie's House Book Review By: Taylor F

CITATION


Blume, Judy, Iggie’s House, (New York: Antheneum Books for Young Readers, 1970).

INTRODUCTION

As a kid, I never read any Judy Blume books, but my mother had always suggested that I read them, as they were popular books when she was a middle school student and a teenager. Judy Blume is an American author who has written numerous books that have gained world-wide recognition and have generated revenues in excess of $80 million. Most of Judy Blume’s books were written in the 1970s and they often deal with controversial topics such as divorce, bullying, religion, teen sex, and menstruation. Many of Blume’s books have been met with censorship in school libraries.

Iggie’s House focuses on racism. It is a book written for mainly for middle-school children or older elementary aged children, and mainly for children aged nine to twelve. The book was written in the late 1960s and published in 1970. It was written during a tumultuous time in the country. It was a time when there were multiple race riots in the United States, when schools were desegregating and when Martin Luther King Junior had been the victim of a horrific assassination.

The book deals with racism through the eyes of its main character, Winnie Barringer, as she works to befriend a black family who has moved onto her street in a white suburban neighborhood.

The book jacket pictures a girl, presumed to be eleven years old, with dirty blond hair and blue eyes, positioned between two similar aged black boys.

PLOT SUMMARY

The book deals with an eleven year old girl who is excited when a black family moves into their suburban white neighborhood. The book deals with a range of emotions and situations that develop as a result of the family’s move into the neighborhood.

CRITICAL THINKING

RACISM

First and foremost, the book presents the topic of racism. The book does a wonderful job of displaying both racist and race based feelings from multiple perspectives. It shows a girl, Winnie, who is enamored with the fact that the Garber family is black. It shows a white suburban housewife who has banned her child from playing with “colored” children and whose feelings lead her to outwardly expressing her feelings in efforts to push the Garber family out of the neighborhood. It shows the how Winnies parents, Mr. and Mrs. Barringer, work through their own personal feelings.

The book also shows how the Garbers dealt with the racism. It explained how Mrs. Garber was devastated and up crying all night and how she ultimately wanted to pack up and move. It showed Mr. Garber, who decided to stay put, as he worked hard for the promotion that had brought the Garber family to this new city. Most importantly, it showed how the three Garber children dealt with race. Herbie, the middle child, who was just starting the fifth grade was the most out-spoken about his feelings. Herbie was very vocal with his negative thoughts towards Mrs. Lanthorn and wished that he could outwardly hurt her, as she had hurt him. Moreover, Herbie was often very cynical with towards Winnie, especially when Winnie had difficulty understanding their feelings, even though Winnie’s main objectives and actions were positive.

PERSONAL CHARACTER AND INDIVIDUAL VALUES

Another major theme in the book is how important character and personal value systems are to humanity. The book demonstrated a person with strong personal character and individual values within the main character, Winnie. Winnie’s dealt with a series of situations where displayed her willingness to be accepting, her courage, her confidence, and mostly importantly, her determination. Her strong values helped her work through a series of events during a one week time span that she’d never experienced before.

The two main male father figures in the book both had minimal roles, but also provided us with a look into how their own personal values helped them make the right decision for their families. In Mr. Barringer’s case, it was his personal determination and independence that lead him to redirect Mrs. Lanthorn when she tried to push the Barrigners to leave the neighborhood. It was these same values that were the foundation for him also standing up to Mrs. Lanthorn when she came to the Barringers in efforts to get Winnie in trouble for circulating a race based questionnaire.

Again, although Mr. Garber’s role was limited it the book, it was her perseverance and hard working principals that provided him with the foundation to keep his family put, although his wife was having a difficult time dealing with the unwelcoming communications that she had received from some of the neighbors.

Mrs. Lanthorn provided us with a source of a value system that should be questioned. Mrs. Lanthorn was a woman who lacked in moral value and demonstrated a series of negative traits, including cowardice, inconsiderateness, thoughtless. She was a woman void of compassion and was very close-minded and hurtful.

DIVERSITY AND FRIENDSHIP

We all know that diversity helps us to understand that individuals are unique creatures and that we should all be recognized for our individual differences. The exploration of our differences, especially as it relates to race, can create both negative and positive outcomes. This book provides both negative and positive elements. By focusing to the positive, and understanding that we are all different, we are able to begin to embrace some of the diverse elements which have traditionally kept us apart.

Winnie was excited to have a black family on the street. She was drawn to the unique and unknown and her desire to become friends with the Garber children lead her to make new friends. A turning point for Winnie was when she noticed that the Garber children ate the same type of peanut butter as her. Shortly thereafter, she realized that same type of parental structure and communication obstacles that existed in the Barringer family also existed in the Garber family. As Winnie began to indentify commonalities between the children and herself, the initial excitement about having new black friends evolved just into an excitement of having new friends period.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I loved reading this book. It kept me engaged and once I started to read it, I didn’t want to put it down. There were numerous elements to the story line that I could personally relate to. I am amazed that over forty years since the book was written, that some of the major themes of the book are still pertinent in today’s world. It helps me to understand how controversial this book must have been when it was written and first published.

I believe that this would be a wonderful book for children to read today. It was extremely well written and deals with multiple topics that are important for children to understand. I believe that although we have made great progress in our country in regards to race based issues, that there is still much work to be done. I believe that if children can understand that diversity is an important and essential element of our society, that they’ll be better equipped to deal with the various situations that they’ll be experience during their life time and that this book can help to reinforce a positive personal value system.