Your Name: Max McElligott

Date: 11/12/2014

Genre: Non-Fiction Childrens Literature

Literary Analysis

Bibliographic Information: Mary Kay Carson (2014) Why Does Earth Spin? And Other Questions
AboutOur Planet. New York: Sterling Publishing.

Plot:
Is it Plausible and Credible?: Earth is very real, and children will be able to understand the language in
the text. The legitimacy of the material is backed by real-world places and events that have shaped the
landscape. The astronomy part of the book is the least believable part of it for children, because the
information is about things beyond their troposphere.
Is There a Logical Series of Happenings?: Planet Earth has its place in the solar system, and this book
does a reasonable job of zooming in on the topic at hand from the big picture way out in space to specific
parts of the Earth and how they are affected by the Earths rotation. Scientific principles are all over this
book, and the text does a good job of building up background knowledge before talking about complex
topics such as how the Himalayas are still rising each year due to tectonic activity (29).

Setting:
Where Does the Story Take Place?: This story takes place on planet Earth, and highlights all of the
different geological formations that cover Earths crust and inner layers. A total 3-D view of Earth is
presented for the reader, and this book points out record holding global locations for temperature and
altitude such as Challenger Deep in the western Pacific Ocean.
How Does the Author Indicate the Time?: Readers will have a good look at the different seasons of
Earth labeled to the position of Earths axis and its location from the sun. Southern and northern
hemispheres have opposite seasons, which is something new that I never knew about. Young readers will
asked to be shown pictures of places in spring from both hemispheres and compare what this book is
talking about.

Theme:
Does the Story Have a Theme?: The theme of this book is all about the scientific inquiry as to why and
how the Earth spins in a rotational manner. Space is the cradle for our planet, and the book explains how
asteroids and space debris colliding together created a spinning mass that is now our terrestrial home
today. The effects of the Earths spin on its environments is also a theme in the book.
Is This Theme Worth Imparting to Children?: Children should be exposed to the world that they live
in with a scientific lens. If we are to be the technological superpower of the future that America is shaping
out to be, then we are going to need more scientists and Earth studiers so that we may make efficient use
of our planets resources and think of new ways to recycle old materials. Children should also be aware of
the Earth and our place in the solar system. The galaxy factoids are for children who are very interested in
astronomy, the children who dont buy into that stuff can still find plenty of realistic information about
the Earths surface.

Characterization:
Revealing Characters: The author didnt reveal any characters until basically the last page of the book.
Since the topic at hand was planet Earth and the geological features of it, being able to talk about persons
or characters was very limited due to the fact that humans dont cause wind erosion or the molten liquid
nickel and iron that make up our planets outer core. Natural science talks about the environment and the
animal kingdom instead of personal affairs.
Does the Author Avoid Stereotyping?: Yes, Mary Kay Carson does a good job of not stereotyping any
groups of people and talking specifically about our planet. The scientists that are mentioned on page 30 in
the book are portrayed as working individuals with a description of the job that they do. The text is
strictly action, and there are no stereotypical incidences with the language.

Style:
Appropriate Style of Writing: I would say that this books textual style is appropriate for intermediate
level elementary students in the fourth or fifth grade. Some of the vocabulary and fast paced information
stacking was difficult even for me. Children should be coerced to read this book at their own pace, while
applying the real world data to their own lives and schemas. The topographical diversity of this planet
will lead students from all walks of life to share out their homelands and the climate there.
Straightforward or Figurative: There is no room for figurative language in this book. All information is
up to date, accurate, and straight to the point. Non-fiction books of high quality tend to have this feature,
and it must be a staple in Mary Kay Carsons non-fiction series of scientific wondering books.

Point of View:
Enlarging Readers Horizons: Children who read this book will learn a ton of real life information
about our planet and the levels of our atmosphere that people cant breathe. Opening students eyes to
undiscovered facts about our world can spark their curiosity for science and could possibly make them
more curious and conscious about the world around them.
Why Did the Author Choose This Point of View?: The point of view is third person narration. The
author chose this point of view for the sake of the purpose of her book. She was trying to get information
about our planet across to children in an understandable, yet astonishingly fact filled way. To look at
models and photographs of the different places and climates of our Earth immerses students in an
educational session all about our planet and its place in the solar system.

Describe Characteristics of this text specific to the genre:

Is the Information up to Date?: Yes, the information in the book is up to date. In old times, explores
though that the Earth was round, the deepest parts of the ocean was the Mariana Trench, and the highest
mountain in the world is Mt. Everest. The scientific discoveries in this book give real-time interpretation
of some of the myths that we thought to be true. In fact, the deepest part of the ocean is Challenger deep
almost 6 miles deep. There is a mountain in Ecuador that is closer to space than the highest part on Mt.
Everest due to divots and rises in the Earths crust.
Are Size Relationships Made Clear?: The Earths size is clearly laid out from several dimensions.
Circumference, highest/lowest points, and human scale sized comparisons to thousand mile long figures
are present in this book to help the reader understand the size relationships that this planet has to offer.

Is the Subject Adequately Covered?: The subject is covered very well in this book, and on an
intermediate readers level for children. The text is very challenging for the students in my internship
class, and I feel like they would spend more time decoding the text rather than gaining information.
Nevertheless, this book covers eighteen inquisitive questions about the Earth and why it spins on axis out
here in space.

Reflections: This book seems to be very challenging for most of the students in my fifth grade
classroom. However, my advanced readers would be able to pick up this book and learn about planet
Earth. For the future use in the classroom. I would have it readily available for students who finish any
science components they finish before everyone else. There is too much information to cover in one
sitting for a student in this situation, which makes it a perfect pick up/put down book. The insights that
I gained from this book about the world and all of the tectonic structures that I had forgotten about since
middle school were depicted very well in this book by Mrs. Carson. I also admired how each section was
addressed in the form of a scientific question. Vicarious readers would feel that they could ask this
question too, but could never find the right words or be educationally presented with the information in a
manner such as in this book.

Your Name: Max McElligott

Date: 11/12/2014

Genre: Non-Fiction Childrens Literature

Literary Analysis

Bibliographic Information: Aronson, M. & Glenn, J.W. (2007) The World Made New: Why the Age of
Exploration Happened & how it Changed the World. Washington D.C.: National Geographic Society.

Plot:
Will Children Enjoy It? Is there Action?: There is plenty of action in the story, mostly having to do
with raids and hostile takeover of newly discovered land. Pressure by royalty to claim lands drove many
explorers to sail west from Europe and become self-appointed heroes of the time period. Military battles,
and perilous adventures brim the pages of this book and teach lessons about our countrys heritage
through documented events. Children will enjoy this new and revealing version of Christopher
Columbus explorative sail to America.
Children Learning to Respect Culture: To teach children about culture in the Old World and the New
World during the age of exploration, the author had to display a plethora of civilizations to compare and
contrast. Topographical or agricultural layout of the land dictated how people lived. Living off the land is
something that a lot of kids today wouldnt be able to know how to do. By explaining the challenges that
Americans faced back then, children will learn about and respect the cultures that their ancestors belonged
to.

Setting:
Where Does the Story Take Place?: There is a giant map for students to look over at the end of the book
after they have finished reading about all of the places the explorers traveled to in the Age of Exploration.
All of the continents are given a mention with the appropriate explorers who first had influence in those
locations. Labels allow readers to read while at the same time giving them a geography lesson.
Setting Affect Characters: In the book, it mentioned how settlers who came to the New World were
more free to practice and experiment with the fabric of their lives. New religions and growing techniques
allowed for new avenues of life to be blended together and taken by mixed breeds of people. In the Old
World, people were bogged down by oppression and conformity. In the New World, it was like being
refreshed and renewed.

Theme:
Theme Overpowering the Story: The age of Exploration defines itself as the era in time when
Europeans discovered that there was a brand new land that was not Asia for them to discover and rule
over. There is no deviation from this routine approach, and the theme of forced exploration dominates the
entire story. This is accurate to history, yet there is no mention of the people who explored for the sake of
no king or queen. They often died because of lack of sponsorship, yet the theme of exploration could have
been brought about by these stories too.
Motifs or Symbols to Intensify Meaning: Religious symbols and symbols on artifacts makes the book
appear more lifelike and intense than if there were no illustrations for tools and capital. The author wanted
to bring in a rich array of artifacts from these ancient American cultures so that readers could view what
the civilizations used to survive. Constantly mentioning the pillars of the society allowed for the author to

explain just how these people lived, and how their effective way of life was snuffed out by greed and
domination.

Characterization:
Behavior Consistent with Background: The more advanced Europeans thought that they could just take
what they wanted due to their superior training and firepower. This led them to believe that they could
cause savage conquest to be wrought upon the native tribes, and thus war ensued between Native
Americans and explorer groups. The peaceful land-thanking natives behaved according to their
background because they had not been shown modern day advancements. Instead, they used the land and
the animals to help them survive as long as they did.
Presenting Diverse Groups of People: All aspects of culture are talked about when the author presents
new groups of people in the story. The explorers had certain clothing on to protect them from the
indigenous people (armor). Ruler names of the American Indian civilizations are also abundant in this
non-fiction book. An image of the major/capital city for each civilization is provided for readers such as
the map of Incan and Aztec cities. An enlarged area is zoomed in on so that young readers can see where
they are located compared to other cultures of the time.

Style:
Appropriate Style of Writing: Some of the writing I found to be a bit too complex for elementary
readers. Breaking apart the aspects of the book and assigning them to different literature group members
would be a smart decision for classroom application. There is a great big amount of information, but I
worry if students will become lost in the complex structure of it all.
Author Creating Mood: There is a mysterious mood that the author creates in this book. The events are
chronologically ordered, and also very vivid with new information that usually would not be seen with
such lessons at an Elementary grade level. The spirit of exploration was fueled in the sailors, and the
authors do not forget to mention anywhere that this is applicable. They create the mood of the book, even
after they are long dead. Their willingness to brave the unknown sparks emotion in readers to this day
still.

Point of View:
Appropriate Point of View: The author selected an appropriate point of view for the purpose of this
book. Since there are over two dozen explorer names dozens more cities to talk about, the third person
approach to this story is very appropriate. Non-fiction books should be third person in narrative unless
they are autobiographies. This adds to the authenticity of the work and allows for outside resources to be
used for the sake of thoroughness and diversity.
Enlarge Readers Horizons: New information that was not included in older versions of the Christopher
Columbus legend are brought up in this book. Young readers will ask new questions based off of the
curious findings they will encounter in this book. There are multiple explorers, which are told in their
own right with facts from respective situations. To talk about these adventurous settlers thinking
differently because they moved to a different environment teachers children how to be creative and move
to a new situation or place if they want to experience something different in life. Children usually have
these kinds of spirits, and learning about how others shared this spirit of exploration can be good for their
emotional understanding of themselves.

Describe Characteristics of this text specific to the genre:

Is the Information Structured Clearly?: Yes, the information is structured clearly and in multiple
formats. Dates are labeled nicely upon the timeline, and we are able to use numbered labels for places on
the map where events happened. Subheadings also tell readers what the subject of the page is, and what
explorer is being analyzed. Captions for every picture help clarify meaning.
Are Different Viewpoints Presented?: In the age of exploration, rulers and civilizations rose and fell at
a very rapid pace. Different viewpoints as to why certain people behaved a certain way are given so that
we may view more sides of the story that just one. In the beginning of the book, it mentioned that children
are supposed to be exposed to different viewpoints and not just follow a one track lesson that could lead
to biased opinions.
Clear Distinction Between Fact and Theory: There is a disclaimer in the front of the book, since the
subject matter is of the age between 600-present day A.D. Some facts are constantly being changed by
scientists due to new discoveries or archaeological finds. Statistical numbers are more fictitious in this
book than actual events are. Events are well documented, but individual players in these events are a little
bit fuzzier.

Reflections: This book is a very informative non-fiction book to teach children about the age of
exploration and all of the famous people who helped connect the world. Being a Social Studies gold mine,
we could do activities in class where we discuss a civilization group, and the cultural practices within that
group and how they compare to what we do today in society. Geographical areas can be related to
students backgrounds since the subject matter is about European explorers coming to America and the
prerequisites for the modern worlds territorial boundaries. The timeline in the book is very educational,
and can teach students how to use map skills while they look for events and where they happened. Paths
are mapped out for students with featured keys. This is to order happenings and battles in chronological
order to make sense of the vast journeys of European conquistadores.