Wightman Benjamin Lis534 Evaluationlog Fa2015

Wightman, Benjamin
Evaluation Criteria
Title, Author, Year
Main Category of Material
Awards
Plot Summary
Characters
Theme
Authenticity/Accuracy
Setting
Cultural group(s)
represented
Are there any aspects of

inclusiveness or diversity? and/or
evidence of stereotypes?
Illustration/Photograph Quality
- be specific, how do the
illustrations or photographs
interact and extend the story (or
not)? Share details and evidence.
You will be learning more about it
this semester.
LIS 534
#1 - Coretta Scott King Book Award (1 of 2)
Evaluation Log
I Too Am America, Langston Hughes & Brian Collier (Ill.), 2012

Picture Book, Poetry
Coretta Scott King
Collier attempts to contextualize Hughes poem with illustrations
depicting the Pullman porters, the impact of music and the written
word on African American culture, and the growing equality of African
Americans over time. A lengthy illustrators note at the back of the
book is necessary to explain these themes, but once readers are aware
of them it is easy to see how the motifs of dignity, equality,
opportunity, and personal betterment intertwine throughout the book.
Collier aims to show how they are a common thread, uniting
individuals of different time periods (from the late 19th to early 21st
century), geographic areas (from southern cotton fields to present day
New York City), and ages. The transmission of ideas from adults (such
as the porters) to children is a recurring image.
Collier is careful to note that the story is based on the authentic
historical experience of the porters, who were segregated from their
white, often wealthy passengers (They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes-Hughes), but who were integral to the
functioning of the railroad, and who promoted African American
literacy by gathering abandoned reading material from the carriages
and throwing it overboard as the train passed through neighborhoods
whose residents could not afford to buy it new.
The hope of equality, and the inclusion of Black experiences in the
American identity are both central themes. Collier symbolizes the
growing acceptance of African Americans with a recurring American
flag image superimposed on the illustrations that becomes sharper as
the story moves forward in time. White figures appear in just two of
the fourteen illustrations, but each appearance is noticeably different.
In the first illustration, depicting the nineteenth century, there is a
clear distinction between the seated white passengers and the black
porters, who are in motion as they go about their duties. In the second
illustration, depicting the present, black and white individuals sit side
by side on the train.
Colliers illustrations are the primary vehicle of the story. The
overlaying lines from Hughes poem simply provide thematic context.
The illustrations are in collage form, and the visibly distinct paper
scraps, some of which have writing on them, subtly reinforce Colliers
message about the importance of the written word in creating new
opportunities for African Americans. Together, the illustrations form a
unified narrative, showing how the porters persevered, inspired the
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Wightman, Benjamin
Share one specific idea to use this

item to foster literacy in an ELA or
STEM lesson or library program.
Roughly 5-7 sentences is fine.
Make a connection to a key point

in the textbook
Reflection on Childrens Materials
LIS 534
Evaluation Log
next generation, and created a more equal world with a future full of
potential.
The recurring American flag image is a good resource for introducing
readers to the concept of symbolism. It is present on almost every
page, but more subtle on some than others, so finding it could be a
mini-game for children. Once they are aware of its presence, the
librarian could open a developmentally-appropriate discussion about
increasing acceptance of African Americans over time, by asking the
children why they think Collier made the flag easier to see in some
illustrations than others. Prereaders would need this conversation to
say at a basic level, but older students with reading disabilities might
find Colliers illustrated symbolism more accessible than symbolism in
a written text.
Vardell (2014) encourages us to ask how illustrations complement,
extend, or highlight the text (pp. 62). In this case that question should
be flipped. To an extent, the illustrations could tell a story on their own
as a wordless book, but Collier includes Hughes poem to extend and
clarify their meaning.
The general absence of white faces in the illustrations was jarring at
first, but it ultimately helped me sympathize with what minority
readers may experience when they read a book that leaves out their
group or culture. I believe this is consistent with Colliers aims, and I
think his use and nonuse of white characters at strategic points was
intentional.
Wightman, Benjamin
Evaluation Criteria
Title, Author, Year
Awards
Plot Summary
Characters
Theme
Setting
Cultural group(s)
represented
LIS 534
#2 - Schneider Family Book Award (1 of 2)
Evaluation Log
Back to Front and Upside Down, Claire Alexander, 2012

Picture Book
Schneider Family
Stan, an elementary school student (and anthropomorphic puppy), is
excited to make an illustrated birthday card for his principal, but his
excitement turns to worry and despair when he realizes the card must
include writing. He struggles to write letters correctly, and he worries
the other students will make fun of him if he asks for help. A turning
point occurs at recess, when Jack, another student, notices him crying
and assures him that no one will laugh if he asks for help, because we
all have to ask for help sometimes. Stan does ask for help, and his
bravery emboldens Mimi, another student no one knew was struggling,
to ask for help too. With help from the teacher and practice, both Stan
and Mimi improve their writing, feel better about themselves, and
receive praise from the principal for their cards.
The setting is a generic elementary classroom, and the
anthropomorphic characters do not appear to represent any particular
cultural groups. Indeed, Alexanders decision to use animals may be an
attempt to transcend human social distinctions. Stan could represent a
struggling student of any economic or cultural background, while Jack
could be any observant classmate.
The story focuses primarily on the roles of struggling students, their
non-struggling peers, and teachers, and the interaction between these
three groups is an authentic model for readers to emulate.
While no particular character represents a distinct cultural group,
Alexander recognizes the reality of diversity by making the class a
cross section of different species. (There was also a token left-pawed
character, which I appreciate as a lefty myself)

Supporting and including exceptional peers is a major theme of the

story. The plot models both what struggling students should do when
they have trouble with a lesson (ask for help, practice), and how other
students should respond when they see a peer struggling (check-in to
see if theyre ok, encourage them to get help, provide reassurance of
support).
Alexanders illustrations generally support the narration, and rely on it
for meaning. The biggest exception to this pattern is in the middle of
the story. At the point where Stans anxiety peaks, he is depicted small
and alone, in a corner against an entirely black background. The
accompanying narration describes how he felt sick to his stomach, but
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Wightman, Benjamin
this semester.


in the textbook
LIS 534
Evaluation Log
I think that particular page could convey similar meaning with or
without the words. It is a potentially powerful tool for helping children
empathize (or in many cases sympathize) with the feelings of someone
who has trouble learning something in school.
I think this story could be utilized most effectively at the beginning of a
school year, as students are learning routines, developing study habits,
and establishing patterns of behavior. An instructor (teacher or
librarian) could use it as a model of what students should do when
they have trouble on an academic task, or when they see a classmate
struggling. In an extended program for younger learners such as a 45minute story time, it could precede a role-playing session, in which
students take turns playing both the role of the child who needs help
and the bystander.
Vardell (2014) states that anthropomorphic characters behavior
should be consistent with [the readers] ages and background to create
believability, so that the children can grow up a little with the
characters throughout the book (pp. 60). Alexander accomplishes this
with her young school animals, who are good models for little readers
on the verge of beginning school.
Wightman, Benjamin
Evaluation Criteria
Title, Author, Year
Awards
Plot Summary
Characters
Theme
Setting
Cultural group(s)
represented
LIS 534
#3 - Coretta Scott King Award (2 of 2)
Evaluation Log
Heart and Soul: The Story of African Americans, Kadir Nelson, 2011
Literary Nonfiction (Illustrated)
Coretta Scott King
The story is a narrative of United States history, told in the words of an
elderly African American woman. Major characters include the
narrators grandfather, Pap, an emancipated slave and union soldier;
grandmother, Aunt Sarah, a Native American who met the
grandfather when he was stationed in Oklahoma; parents, who moved
to Chicago during the Great Migration; various historical figures; and
the narrator herself, who participated in the Civil Rights Movement.
As the lives of the characters suggest, participation is an important
theme. The book aims to demonstrate how African Americans were
involved in all the major events of American history, and how they
have struggled and triumphed over the years to achieve greater rights
and equality.
The book is primarily about African Americans, and how they had to
work to be accepted in a culture where they were already present and
making contributions. There is also a brief summary of Native
American relocation in the chapter where Aunt Sarah is introduced.

While the relative brevity of the book forces Nelson to make some
generalizations, he frequently uses specific details to illustrate his
points (pages 26 and 54 are good examples of this), and acknowledges
different perspectives in both the African American and White
communities (page 74 is a good example).
Some might interpret the narrators dialect as a stereotype, but
Nelsons aim is to add a measure of authenticity.
this semester.

Nelsons paintings are beautiful, but easy to overlook. Most spreads

have a page of text on one side, and a full-page picture on the other.
However, there is not always an explicit connection between the text
and the picture. For example, page 36 depicts a freedom quilt, but the
corresponding text does not explain what a freedom quilt is. As a
reader with a background in history, I also found myself yearning for
actual primary source photographs, especially when I recognized
paintings that are based on famous photographs (such as the large
painting on pages 40-41).
This book is an unusual hybrid of informational text and literature.
Overall it is best described as literary nonfiction, but it lacks strong
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LIS 534
Evaluation Log
characters to drive the story from beginning to end. While it explains
what happened to different individuals, it does not always probe their
thoughts and motivations in a way that would hook readers. For that
reason, I have a hard time picturing a child reading from beginning to
end, unless he or she already had a strong interest in history. At the
same time, the structure (continuous prose) makes it difficult for
students to use the book as a reference text, despite the fact that it
includes an index and somewhat brief chapters.
If I had to use the book in a lesson, I think I would make it a jump-off
point for further historical exploration. In a class of 24 students, each
of the 12 chapters could be assigned to a pair of students. Each group
would read its assigned chapter, look at the paintings, and then search
for actual individuals whose stories and photographs reflect Nelsons
big ideas. Ultimately the students would present their anecdotes, and
in the end, the whole class would have its own story of America and
African Americans to share.

in the textbook
Vardell (2014) identifies accuracy as the most important characteristic

of an information book (pp. 275), and explains the importance of
expertise, sources, citations, and facts. In the authors note, Nelson
admits he is not an expert in history, and that the narrator is a
composite fictional character inspired by members of his own family.
Despite these limitations, he does frequently support his
generalizations with verifiable facts, and includes a bibliography, albeit
without references to specific claims, at the end of the book.
Wightman, Benjamin
Evaluation Criteria
Title, Author, Year
Awards
Plot Summary
Characters
Theme
Setting
Cultural group(s)
represented

this semester.
LIS 534
#4 - Schneider Family Book Award (2 of 2)
Evaluation Log
Anything but Typical, Norah Raleigh Baskin, 2009

Contemporary Realistic Fiction, (chapter book)
Schneider Family
Jason Blake, a twelve-year-old with autism (identified as HFA high
functioning autism) struggles to control his feelings and relate to the
people around him, but demonstrates significant strengths in certain
areas (computers, writing) and experiences many of the same
thoughts, desires, and fears as any other adolescent.
The plot is episodic in nature, with an overall arc about how Jason
must confront his fear of being rejected by a girl (PhoenixBird) he
became friends with online, and is about to meet in person.
The full portrait of Jasons character emerges gradually throughout the
story, and progresses from a limited snapshot of his stereotypical
behaviors (fixation on literal meaning of words, flapping, emotional
overload, difficulty meeting the social expectations of others) to a more
nuanced depiction of his abilities, complex perspective, insight, and
coping strategies. Jasons perspective encourages readers to examine
social conventions critically, and the distinction between individuals
with autism spectrum disorder and neurotypicals is the main
cultural divide.
Although the book encourages readers to become more inclusive, the
characters attitudes are typically static. Most never make an effort to
understand Jason, and cannot relate to him. A couple (Jason's friend
Aaron and brother Jeremy) interact with him positively throughout the
story. Only Jasons parents (especially his mother, see page 192-193
for her big epiphany) and PhoenixBird mature in their thinking
alongside the reader.
There are no illustrations. The chapter headings are decorated with a
pattern of swirling lines, and the cover depicts these same lines
emanating from the head of a white silhouette. They may represent the
complex, hard-to-describe thoughts that occur in the mind of someone
who does not appear to be thinking much at all. This visual metaphor
is easily-missed.
Im conflicted about the idea of using this book in a group that includes
a child with autism. On one hand, I think it has the potential to help the
student with autism understand that he or she is not alone, and to help
the other students include their classmate more easily. At the same
time, though, I dont want to typecast a student as Jason. His particular
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Wightman, Benjamin

in the textbook
LIS 534
Evaluation Log
strengths and perspectives are by no means constant for all individuals
with autism.
With all that being said, I think this book would fit very well in a unit
on point of view, especially if some sort of scaffolding is provided to
help students track their own changing perception of Jason as they go
along. (If theyre like me, they may find him to be self-absorbed and
unsympathetic in the first chapter, but thoughtful and similar to any
other teen by the end.) It could lead to a number of projects, including
comparative literary analysis, creative writing (try to write a short
story from the perspective of someone who is different from you), and
self-expression (Jason writes his story so we can understand him
better. What do you want other people to know about you?)
The authors progressive development of Jason from a stereotypical to
sympathetic character is interesting in the context of Vardells (2014)
comments on character. She notes that for many readers the
characters internal journey and emotional growth are far more
significant than the plot or action of the story (pp. 172). This is
certainly the case with Jasons story. As the book progresses his
narration becomes less about recalling spectacular meltdowns, and
more about struggling to articulate his anxiety over meeting
PhoenixBird, and pondering the big question of whether he can accept
himself for who he is.
Wightman, Benjamin
Evaluation Criteria
Title, Author, Year
Awards
Plot Summary
Characters
Theme
Setting
Cultural group(s)
represented
LIS 534
#5 - Poetry (1 of 2)
Evaluation Log
Outside the Box, Karma Wilson & Diane Goode (Ill.), 2014
Poetry
2014 Parents Choice Award for Poetry
This anthology does not appear to have an overarching plot or
recurring characters and setting. However, it does have topical
consistency between adjacent poems. New divisions are introduced
with an atypically-formatted poem (for example T.P. on page 111,
which one stanza of four typical lines followed by a stanza organized in
a spiral to evoke images of a flushing toilet), followed by a full page
illustration and a block of poems on a common theme. Wilson does not
explicitly identify these divisions and themes, but I would label them
as: childhood, Halloween, imagination/perspective, the senses,
animals, holidays, motion, and family.
Although the collection celebrates imagination, most of the poems aim
to illustrate an authentic truth about real life. For example, My Pet
Robot, on pages 18-19, reflects on the fact that the process of making
something is sometimes more fulfilling than the finished product,
while Baby Sis, on page 162, points out that we still love our siblings
even when they annoy us.

Not really. I believe Wilsons aim is to convey universal truths, but the
cultural references that are present (Christmas celebrations, vacation
destinations) always reflect dominant, middle class American culture.
There arent any glaring stereotypes because minorities are ignored.
Goodes illustrations do not include any characters of color.
this semester.
In general Goodes pen-and-ink line drawing illustrations complement

Wilsons text In many instances there appears to be an inverse
relationship between the detail of the poem and the detail of the
illustrations. Some of the short poems, such as Shhh,on page 32,
appear with illustrations that fill the page, while poems with more
explicit imagery, such as IckGrossEw, on pages 60-61, have only a
couple sketches. There was at least one instance in which the
illustration gave away the punch line of a riddle-like poem early (The
Gymnast, page 58), but another in which the twist would have been
difficult for children to appreciate without the clarifying illustration
(Oh, Deer!, page 93).

[Note: This section will make more sense if you read it after the section
below] Virtually any poem from this collection could be used as a case
study in irony. Significant scaffolding would probably be required for
younger readers to recognize it, but identifying the twist in meaning is
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Wightman, Benjamin

in the textbook
LIS 534
Evaluation Log
the first step, and Wilsons dramatic twists are often easy to pick up.
Certain poems (such as Bear Bare Feet, page 95) could also be used
to introduce the concept of homophones, tactile imagery (Sand!, page
76), point of view (Sledding [Downhill] and Sledding [Uphill], pages
138-139) and theme (My Pet Robot, p. 19). The advantage of using
poems instead of prose works to introduce these literary elements is
that the poem can often be introduced much more quickly, and there
are fewer competing elements to confuse students. A careful librarian
might even be able to increase motivation for studying literary
elements by drawing on some of Wilsons mildly scatological poems,
such as Why I Avoid the Kiddie Pool (page 164, inferences), Baby
Sis (page 162, theme), T.P. (page 111, poetic structure), and The
Thing About Puppies (p. 98, rhythm).
Since poetry anthologies often lack the major literary elements of
prose works (plot, character, setting), Vardell (2014) encourages
reviewers to focus on poetic elements, such as rhythm, rhyme, sound
language, imagery, and emotion (p. 132). Consistent with their young
audience, Wilsons poems typically have a consistent meter (although
the specific meter varies from poem to poem) and almost always
rhyme. She does not appear to sacrifice clarity of meaning for rhyme,
as Vardell cautions some authors do. Instead, the humorous meaning is
often built around the rhyming words. One element Wilson employs
frequently that Vardell overlooks is irony. An unexpected reversal
occurs at the end of almost every poem, and Wilson uses the reversals
both to highlight humor in serious situations, and to observe
worthwhile lessons in humorous situations.
At the macro level, this collection lacks some of the organizational
features Vardell suggests (p. 135). Indices of titles and first lines are
included at the back, but there is no table of contents or subject index,
and the topical organization scheme is never explicitly stated.
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Wightman, Benjamin
Evaluation Criteria
Title, Author, Year
Awards
Plot Summary
Characters
Theme
Setting
Cultural group(s)
represented

LIS 534
#6 - Specifically Inclusive/Diverse Titles (1 of 1)
Evaluation Log
Grandmas Gift, Eric Velasquez, 2010

Picture Book
Pura Belpr Award (Illustrator)
In this autobiographical story Eric, a child of Puerto Rican descent
living in New York City, helps his grandmother, a Puerto Rican
immigrant, purchase ingredients and cook her traditional Christmas
pasteles. In return, she accompanies him to the Metropolitan Museum
of Art so he can study Diego Velasquez portrait of Juan de Pareja for a
report.
Throughout the story Velasquez depicts generational and cultural
differences in an authentic manner. The grandmothers behavior is
particularly interesting, because she acts with comfort in some parts of
the city, like the Hispanic market, but agitated discomfort in other
parts, such as the neighborhood around the museum. The climax of the
story is when she suddenly becomes able to relax at the museum
because she sees the portrait of Juan de Pareja, a colored man, and
realizes that all cultures are valued there. (It is worth noting that this
visible signal of inclusion was what made the characters feel welcome,
not outreach initiatives like pay what you want day.)
Yes. Although the main characters are all Hispanic, the story is
constructed in a way that allows individuals from many different
backgrounds and cultures to sympathize with something. For example
rural readers from non-Hispanic backgrounds, such as myself, can
sympathize with the grandmothers anxiety about being in a strange
neighborhood, full of people unlike herself, in the big city. On the flip
side, first generation urban children of all cultures may sympathize
with some of Erics experiences, such as translating for older family
members, keeping traditional recipes and holiday celebrations alive,
and seeing representations of their own culture in places that initially
seem foreign, like the museum.
Velasquez frequent use of authentic Spanish dialogue, with
translations, help both Spanish-speaking and English-speaking readers
feel included, and may make the story a good option for read-alouds in
bilingual communities.
There is no evidence of negative stereotypes. Although some of the
illustrations are ethnically homogeneous, this is an accurate reflection
of the ethnic neighborhood setting. Places where diverse people often
come together, such as the school and the subway, are shown with a
representative sample of races and genders.
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in the textbook
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Velasquez paintings reinforce the message of the book in varied,
sometimes subtle ways. For example, when the protagonists are in
familiar places their home, Erics school, or the market in the Puerto
Rican barrio the faces of the surrounding characters are depicted in
detail (unless they are far away). When the protagonists first arrive at
the unfamiliar museum, faces both near and far become blurred and
indistinct. The pattern reverses again at the moment they notice Juan
de Parejo and start to feel included, (the white usher next to the
adjacent painting is depicted in sharp detail). Minor color variations
(dark browns and yellows in the Hispanic areas, lighter grayishbrowns around the museum) also distinguish the two settings.
While this book would be somewhat long for younger readers, it is a
strong read-aloud option for mid-elementary students. It could set up a
variety of extension projects and activities ranging from personal
reflection (write, draw, or present about a unique tradition, like
making pasteles, that brings you close to an older person in your
family; tell us about something you saw once that inspired you to take
up a hobby, like the picture of Juan de Pareja inspired Eric Velazquez to
start painting) to critical analysis (if people from different cultures
walked into our library/museum would they find materials or displays
about someone like them? If not, what could we do to be more
welcoming?).
Vardell (2014) quotes Rudine Sims Bishop as saying Literature can
contribute to the development of self esteem [sic.] by holding up to its
readers images of themselves (p. 3). Velasquez experiences as a child
support that idea, and suggest that it can be generalized to all art. He
explains in his authors note that seeing a literal image of himself in
Juan de Parejas portrait showed me for the first time that my people
were part of history and not just a casualty of it [ it] inspired me to
dream of [bigger] possibilities for myself.
This book is an interesting contrast to the one I read immediately
before it, Karma Wilson and Diane Goodes Outside the Box. Although
they represent different genres (picture book versus poetry) and aims
(Velasquez theme is more explicitly inclusive than Wilsons), both
attempt to convey universal truths. The interesting part is that
Velasquez manages to do so in a highly inclusive manner, while Goode,
conspicuously neglects readers of color. In both cases I think the text
includes ideas that could appeal to readers of all cultures. Velasquez
celebrates grandparent-grandchild relationships, and confronts the
challenge of visiting unfamiliar places, while Wilson depicts sibling
relationships and imagination with considerable insight. The major
difference is that Velasquez illustrations give readers a representative
cross-section of visual characters, so that readers of many cultures
have a concrete means of picturing themselves in the story. Wilson and
Goode give only one culture that option, and in doing so create a
barrier for a whole constituency of readers that might otherwise find
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Wightman, Benjamin
Evaluation Criteria
Title, Author, Year
Awards
Plot Summary
Characters
Theme
Setting
Cultural group(s)
represented

LIS 534
Evaluation Log
the book relevant. I doubt either poet or illustrator erected that barrier
on purpose, but the contrast is a reminder that we need to actively
consider the needs of our diverse neighbors, because ignoring them
may seem like a neutral act, but it often has decidedly negative effects.
#7 - Picture Book (1 of 5)
Dancing Feet, Lindsey Craig & Marc Brown (Ill.), 2010
None Recommended by Bookworm for Kids, reviewed favorably by
Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal and Kirkus Reviews.
In a repetitive structure Craig & Brown provide hints about a dancing
mystery animal on one page, then reveal the animal on the subsequent
page. The hints include both sound imagery (stompity, slappity) in
the rhyming text, and visual details (footprints, part of the animals
body) in the illustrations.
Each creature dances differently, and appears in a different habitat, but
all are happy when they dance. This idea is connected to human
society on the last page, which depicts a diverse group of children
dancing a variety of different dances.
The six animals depicted in the story all have a wide habitat range,
making it likely that at least one or two will be locally familiar to
readers, regardless of where they are. Northern, urban, and tropical
settings are all represented. Five of the six species live in North
America, but none are exclusively limited to that continent. The story
includes at least one distinctly foreign animal, the elephant.
The children on the final page are similarly diverse. White, African, and
Asian individuals are represented, and none appear sillier or more
dignified than the others. None are engaged in stereotypical behavior.
this semester.
Browns illustrations are critical to the meaning of the story. Without

the context they provide, Craigs auditory imagery would be much
more difficult for children to access, and the clear predictive element
to the story would be lost. The illustrations are colorful and active, and
the School Library Journal reviewer notes that they are likely to
motivate children to move around and mimic the characters.

I chose to evaluate this book because I am interested in using it for my

programming project. I think it has good potential to involve my target
audience of little readers, children in the 2-6 age range that have
either not started or just started school.
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in the textbook
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Using clues from the pictures, the children can read by predicting the
animal the details describe. They can also demonstrate their
understanding of the story by mimicking the dances of the characters.
Once the story is over, they can expand their learning by either
demonstrating how they think other animals would dance (show me
how a pig would dance, or drawing pictures of dancing animals and
the footprints they would leave. Students at the upper end of the target
range might even be able to make clues by drawing only some parts
of the animals, as Brown does on the first page of every pair. This act of
extending the story is one of the ways Vardell (2014, p. 46) suggests
librarians can apply predictable books (see below) to learning.
This selection represents Vardells (2014) predictable book
subcategory of picture books. As she notes (p. 46), it is particularly
inviting for young children who can identify and imitate a pattern, but
are not yet fluent readers.
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Wightman, Benjamin
Evaluation Criteria
Title, Author, Year
Awards
LIS 534
#8 - Contemporary Realistic Fiction (1 of 1)
Evaluation Log
Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Roderick Rules, Jeff Kinney, 2008

Contemporary Realistic Fiction, Series Book, Chapter Book
New York Times Bestseller, ALA Notable Book
Fictional narrator Greg Heffley shares anecdotes and drawings about
his experiences as a middle school student. Consistent with the diary
format, there is no overarching narrative. In each entry Greg
comments on events from the current day, and makes connections to
past events as they occur to him.
Plot Summary
Characters
Theme
Setting
Cultural group(s)
represented
Gregs exact age and geographic location are ambiguous, perhaps to

increase the books appeal to a variety of readers.
Supporting characters include Gregs clueless parents, bullying older
brother Roderick, annoying younger brother Manny, and
unappreciated best friend Rowley. Adult readers will notice that all
characterization occurs from Gregs less-than-neutral point of view,
although younger readers may not recognize this.
Kinneys themes include the unpredictability of life, cultural disconnect
between adults and tweens, cruelty of adolescent society, and humor
of life. None of these is presented overtly or didactically, but they are a
consistent undercurrent in most of Gregs slapstick anecdotes.

this semester.
Not really, the narration adheres strictly to Gregs limited, somewhat

egocentric point of view, and characters who are different from him
have little voice. The lone minority character, an Indian boy named
Chirag, is bullied by Greg, and various female characters appear and
disappear with minimal development.
I would be interested to know what types of children are reading the
book, because its popularity suggests that it still appeals to a wide
range of readers, despite the fact that it is not explicitly inclusive. This
may be due to the fact that Greg is an authentic narrator, who
convincingly mimics the speech and behavior of a 10-13 year old boy.
Illustrations appear on every page, and are presented as Gregs own
work. They are meant to expand, amplify, and clarify the narration, and
to that end they appear in line with the text, usually dovetailing with it
seamlessly. One of the booklists I consulted classified the book as a
graphic novel, for that reason, but I would hesitate to go that far
because 2/3 of each page typically consists of prose text. With that
caveat in mind, the illustrations probably would help lower readers
follow the story without having to rely fully on the text, making it a
good Hi-Lo* option.
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*Phrase coined by Metametrics, the company that developed Lexile

measures, to describe books with vocabulary and sentence structure
appropriate for younger students, but content that appeals to older
students.
I would hesitate to use a popular book like this in a formal program,
not because Im a literary snob, but because I remember sitting in
grade school English classes feeling like all the extra work we had to do
was robbing the joy from reading otherwise enjoyable books. My fear
would be ruining a genuinely self-motivated reading experience with
my instant-boring teachers Midas touch.

That being said, I think this book could be a gateway to a variety of

other reading and creative writing experiences. It is an exemplary,
although perhaps unrealistic example of a good journal, and I would be
interested in seeing what students could create if they were
encouraged to mimic it by looking for the humor in their everyday
experiences. It might also potentially be a good case study in point of
view and narration, particularly for readers who are old enough to
understand that Gregs portrayal of characters like Rowley is relatively
one-sided, and probably different from how those characters perceive
themselves. An interesting (albeit probably loathed) formal
assignment would be to rewrite one of the scenarios in the story from
the perspective of a different participant.
Although the storys lack of diversity is a potential problem, it can be
used as a hook to draw students attention to read-alikes that do
represent a wider range of experiences. For example, Sherman Alexies
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian uses a similar format,
and one of my first thoughts when reading it was that a Wimpy Kid fan
would feel right at home.

in the textbook
As a counterpoint to the activities I suggested above, Vardell (2014)

notes that girls generally enjoy opportunities to talk, talk, talk about
books, their responses, and their feelings, but boys generally prefer
more activity-based programs (p. 183). Given the narrators
perspective I think this book would definitely appeal to boys, but the
ideas I listed above all seem to be variations on talking. Im at a bit of a
loss for more active applications.
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Evaluation Criteria
Title, Author, Year
Awards
Plot Summary
Characters
Theme
Setting
Cultural group(s)
represented

LIS 534
#9 - Historical Fiction (1 of 3)
Evaluation Log
Soldiers Heart, Gary Paulsen, 1998

Historical Fiction, Chapter Book
Minnesota Book Award for Young Peoples Fiction (1999),
recommended by local middle school history teacher Mark Tugaw.
Charley Goddard, a fifteen year old Minnesota farm boy who
desperately wants to be treated like a man, joins the Union Army
because the people around him say its the only shooting war to come
along in a mans life and if a man didnt step right along hed miss the
whole thing (p. 2). Although initially nave, idealistic, and in awe of
the deferential treatment soldiers receive, he quickly becomes battlehardened, resentful, and fatalistic. At one point Paulsen explains he
did not like to look at people as much as he once did. He did not like to
learn about them. It was better if he didnt know them, became too
friendly with them. They died so fast (p. 65).
The major theme of the story is the development of Charleys soldiers
heart, a historic term for what we now call PTSD. Paulsen depicts the
graphic horrors Charley would have seen on a Civil War battlefield
honestly and without restraint, but in an accurate context. Consistent
with the way actual soldiers spent their time, there are more chapters
about life between battles (camp life, preparation, medical treatment),
than there are about actual battles.
Yes, although the story primarily focuses on one man with a particular
background (a young, white, northern soldier), diverse perspectives
appear as Charley comes into contact with other individuals. The most
notable example is in the chapter Town Life, when Charley trades
rations with a Confederate sentry and the two realize they have a lot in
common (youth, agricultural background, and disillusionment with
war). Overall Charleys perception of the opposing side becomes less
stereotypical and more aware of their common humanity as the novel
progresses (compare his thoughts on p. 15-16 to those on p. 100-101),
despite the fact that he becomes hardened to suffering in general.
One underrepresented group is African Americans, who were major
participants in the Civil War, but have only a brief cameo in the story
(p. 16-17), which nonetheless captures their unique perspective on the
meaning of the northern war effort, the injustice they experienced
under slavery, their active attitude of resistance, and the paradox of
slavery in Union border states.
There are no illustrations in the body of the book. The cover is a

collage of a black-and-white photograph of a soldier, an enlistment
document, the American flag, and an illustration of soldiers marching.
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this semester.

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It provides little warning of the gory action within, but reminds
readers that the story is based on the life of an actual person.
Mr. Tugaw uses the novel as a read-aloud to complement students
textbook readings on the Civil War. The two work well together
because the textbook offers a factual, big picture narrative, while the
novel gives students an opportunity to picture the events from the
perspective of the individuals involved. This approach is consistent
with Vardells (2014) strategy of using drama, guest speakers, museum
resources, and primary sources to extend learning from historical
fiction novels (p. 214-216). Indeed, Mr. Tugaws students can often
earn extra credit by attending the local Civil War reenactment and
reporting on how it coincides with Soldiers Heart and the other
materials they study in class.
In an ELA setting, this book could also be a good case study in imagery
and character development, due to Paulsens vivid descriptions of the
battles and the dramatic changes in Charleys character from beginning
to end.

in the textbook
When discussing the plot of historical fiction novels, Vardell (2014)

states The plot should not be overwhelmed by details, but should be
realistic to the time period. It should grow out of the characters (p.
208). Paulsen does this well. The book is first and foremost Charleys
story, and not a comprehensive narrative on the Civil War. Although it
includes many descriptions and references to actual people and events
(Fort Sumter, Bull Run, McClellan, Grant, Lincoln, Gettysburg), they
appear only as they are relevant to Charleys experiences. While
experts in Civil War history can easily trace the chronology of
historical events Paulsen follows, the sequence is not always explicitly
stated for readers. Transitions from chapter to chapter may skip over
long periods of time, and big questions of overall strategy, or who is
winning the war, are seldom of concern to Charley.
At first I was dissatisfied with the book because of the way it skips
from event to event, and doesnt always frame Charleys experiences in
a big picture context. For example, the Gettysburg chapter describes
his units famous charge down Cemetery Hill against 5-to-1 odds to
buy time for other parts of the Union Army to get into place without
mentioning the location, odds, or reason. To Charley its just a charge.
As I step back and look at the book as a whole, however, I see why
those details are left out. I had been approaching it as an information
book, but Vardells comments on plot have helped me see that its a
character-driven novel, and Paulsens selection of historical details had
to be made in that context. In the moment Civil War soldiers may not
have always known where they were, whom they were up against, and
why they were being ordered to do what they did, so those details can
be left out. Ultimately the book isnt an instructional asset because it
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Evaluation Criteria
Title, Author, Year
Awards
Plot Summary
Characters
Theme
Setting
Cultural group(s)
represented

this semester.
LIS 534
Evaluation Log
tells the whole story of the war, but because it helps students
understand what one person fighting the war would (and perhaps
would not) have seen, and how that experience would have changed
him.
#10 - Fantasy (1 of 1)
Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak, 1963
Picture Book, Fantasy Book
Caldecott Medal (1964)
A young boy named Max is sent to his room without supper for
wearing his wolf costume and making mischief around the house.
When he arrives a forest begins to grow, and he travels through night
and day in and out of weeks and almost over a year to where the wild
things are. Although the wild things are fierce, Max tames them,
become their king, and joins them in a wild rumpus. Afterward,
however, he begins to smell food, and leaves the disappointed wild
things to return home to his hot supper.
Sendaks style is not didactic, and he never explicitly states his themes.
However, the book celebrates imagination and wild play in a balanced
context, where the childs attention returns to the real world at
appropriate times.
Max is the only human character, so opportunities to portray various
real-life cultural groups are limited. The wild things are a diverse
bunch, with a wide range of skin and fur colors (mostly variations on a
white/yellow/brown/gray palette), and a mix of male, female, and
neutral features (such as beards and long hair). Neither the wild things
as a group, nor any individual wild thing, appears to represent a
particular person or group of people, so there are no stereotypes;
unless one considers an energetic young boy who imagines a
wilderness populated by monsters a stereotype.
The text is somewhat poetic in structure, so I think it could function
without the illustrations, but it would lose much of its appeal to
children. The illustrations expand the textual descriptions, and
supplant them entirely at the climax (during the wild rumpus). Sendak
uses subtle details to stimulate readers imaginations without
threatening them. For example, while the wild things generally have
sharp claws, horns, and teeth, their eyes are wide and doleful, their
mouths are always turned up in a smile (even when they are upset at
Max for leaving), and they make welcoming gestures (upraised or open
arms, deferential bows). As Max proceeds deeper into his imagination,
the illustrations become larger and more saturated, creating a clear,
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in the textbook
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visually rich, and somewhat paradoxical distinction between the
observable and imaginary worlds.
This is only tangentially related to literacy instruction, but Vardell
(2014) notes that the public library sector has long been a source of
parent and family support (p. 8). One issue many young children
struggle with is nightmares, and that issue has many points of overlap
with this story. Those points of overlap include the bedroom setting,
and monster-like creatures. Consequently, I think it may be a good tool
for helping children manage their imaginations, and co-opt the scary
images in their heads. Sendaks wild things appear frightening at first,
but are portrayed as friendly playmates who empower Max by making
him their king. Following up on a read-aloud, a librarian might
encourage children to draw their own wild things, and picture
themselves playing with them as Max does.
This book includes many of Vardells (2014) key characteristics for
fantasy works. The physical characteristics of the protagonist make
him the character with whom readers can easily identify (p. 237), the
plot begins firmly grounded in reality and gradually transports the
reader to the other world (p. 238), the setting is portrayed in vivid,
easily pictured detail (p, 238), and the matter-of-fact, but sometimes
nonsensical diction and style (particularly the lines quoted in the plot
summary above) frame the fantasy world as a reasonable place that is
nonetheless apart from the world we normally see.
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Evaluation Criteria
Title, Author, Year
Awards
LIS 534
#11 - Graphic Novel (1 of 1)
Evaluation Log
El Deafo, Cece Bell, 2014

Graphic Novel, Biography, Specifically Inclusive
Newbery Honor (2015), Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards for Best
Publication for Kids (ages 8-12, 2015).
In this semi-autobiographical graphic novel, the author reflects on her
experiences as a child (age 4 to 5th grade) with hearing loss. Although
the title and cover evoke the superhero genre, there is no central
villain or nefarious scheme to drive the plot. Instead, the action and
conflict revolve around character relationships. Throughout the story,
Cece struggles to overcome a bubble of loneliness (p. 36) caused by
her unusual appearance and difficulty understanding spoken language.
Plot Summary
Characters
Theme
Setting
Cultural group(s)
represented
While Cece has meaningful interactions with many characters, her five
most significant friends are:
Laura, who doesnt treat Cece differently because of her hearing
aids, but is a bossy, dominating individual who ignores Ceces
feelings in general.
Ginny, whom Ceces mother likes, but who annoys Cece by
unhelpfully exaggerating her volume and pronunciation when
speaking and failing to consider Ceces needs when choosing
activities.
Martha, who initially establishes a positive relationship with Cece,
but starts avoiding her out of guilt after accidentally hurting
her.
Mark, on whom Cece has a crush, and who helps their other peers
include Cece more easily by drawing their attention to the way
Cece can track the movements of a faraway person who is
wearing her Phonic Ears microphone.
The sign language group, whom Ceces mother insists is there to
help Cece, but whom Cece sees as a source of unwanted
attention.
Bell explicitly addresses the issues of accuracy and authenticity in the
afterword, explaining that she was more interested in capturing the
specific feelings I had as a kid with hearing loss then in being 100
percent accurate with the details (p. 236). While the ideas in the story
are authentic, she did take creative liberties with the sequence of
events, dialogue, and development of composite characters.

Yes, inclusion is a major theme, and the story aims to show how
relationships are the key to its success or failure. Characters who listen
and get to know Cece (Mark, p. 199-219; Martha at her best, p. 120130) are able to make her feel comfortable, while characters who try to
help before accurately understanding her needs and abilities (Ginny,
p.67-71; Ginnys other friends, p. 89-101; the sign language group,
p.107-117; Martha at her worst, p. 208) just make her feel more lonely.
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While Bell is honest about the fact that homogeneous groups are easier
to fit into than diverse ones, she concludes the novel with multiple
anecdotes that demonstrate how successful inclusion makes everyone
feel better. She also illustrates how individuals with disability
experience many of the same problems (such as overenthusiastic
parents, and dominating friends, like Laura) as other children.
Bell is careful to avoid stereotypes, and warns readers that her
perspective does not represent all individuals with hearing loss (p.
236). At the same time, she does try to clear up misconceptions about
deafness. For example, she frequently explains that understanding
articulation is her biggest challenge, and that increasing the volume of
a sound is not always an effective way to address that challenge.
this semester.


in the textbook
The novels graphic format frequently helps Bell convey concepts and
experiences more easily. For example, on page 30 she succinctly
defines visual, contextual, and gestural clues with a degree of clarity
that a text-only work might need several paragraphs to replicate.
Likewise, she simulates the experience of hearing loss using
techniques like empty speech bubbles, speech bubbles with fading
words, and garbled dialogue, which can be placed both in context and
out of the main path of the readers gaze, so as to be clear but not
distracting.
As was the case with Anything but Typical, I would be reluctant to use
this book in a context where one individual with hearing loss is
attending a program with many classmates. While I think it has the
potential to help that student articulate his or her feelings and
understand that he or she is not alone, I dont want him or her to be
typecast as Cece. As Bell herself acknowledged, his or her experiences
may be different. I would be more willing to use the book in a group
where all the students have hearing loss, perhaps as a book club
option where they could all read it and compare how well it captures
their own feelings and experiences.
I might also use the book, or at least the portion from pages 199 to
219, to prompt budding writers and graphic artists to think about how
superheroes with disabilities might be look and act. After reading the
relevant portion, the students would write their own short stories, or
draw their own pictures of how a superhero with a disability would his
or her equipment or other abilities to solve a problem in an
extraordinary way.
Vardell (2014) does not include comprehensive criteria for evaluating
graphic novels, but she does discuss the issue of censorship as it
relates to contemporary realistic fiction. She states that unsuitability
to age group is a common basis for challenges (p. 165), and that was
something I considered while reading. At several points in the book
Bell depicts female characters changing clothes and adult characters
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using the bathroom. Nothing explicit is shown, and all characters take
the form of anthropomorphic rabbits anyway, but a person with a
strict sense of propriety would probably take issue. Some individuals
might also object to El Deafos morally questionable ultimate triumph,
in which she helps her irresponsible classmates avoid being caught by
using her Phonic Ear and microphone to act as a uniquely-endowed
lookout. When using the story in a program, I would want to discuss
the moral complexity of Ceces choices with students, and I would
probably refrain entirely from using it with students who are not
mature enough to handle toilet humor. That being said, I think its
positive message about inclusion and understanding others has a place
in the library, and I think its the type of work that illustrates why
librarians need to have a process in place to address challenges.
El Deafo is a good story about inclusion, but to be honest I was a little
disappointed with what I found. I checked it out thinking it would be
an inclusive read-alike to the popular Captain Underpants series.
However, unlike that title character, Ceces superhero alter-ego never
appears in the real world of the story. The character exists entirely in
her head. In addition, the superhero interludes have no overarching
narrative. The character simply comes and goes when the protagonists
needs to show how she wanted to act differently in a particular
situation. On the whole, the mild-mannered version of Cece is
developed in far more detail than the superhero version, and the
memoir-like plot says more about feelings, relationships, and cute boys
than it does about action and fighting evil. That doesnt necessarily
make it a bad book, but I think it does limit its appeal to actionoriented, particularly male readers. Im not sure I would have stuck
with it to the end if I had tried reading it when I was ten.
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Evaluation Criteria
Title, Author, Year
Awards
LIS 534
#12 - Series Book (1 of 1)
Evaluation Log
The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones, Rick Riordan, 2008

Chapter Book, Series Book, Mystery, Low Fantasy
None See rationale below
When their grandmother Grace dies, orphan siblings Amy and Dan
Cahill, ages 14 and 11, receive a choice between inheriting $1 million
or a clue, the first in a series of 39, that promises to lead them to a
secret that will make them the most powerful and influential human
beings on the planet. Amy and Dan choose the clue, as do six teams of
cousins who will compete for the prize. The clue leads the siblings
from New England to Philadelphia to Paris, where they attempt to
retrace the steps of their famous ancestor Ben Franklin, and endure
intrigue, betrayal, and attacks from the other teams.
Plot Summary
Characters
Theme
Setting
Cultural group(s)
represented
The book does not include any supernatural elements, but I classified it
as low fantasy because it requires significant suspension of disbelief.
Two children ages 14 and 11 travel around the world accompanied
only by their babysitter, whom they hoodwink into going, and who
does not know the purpose for the journey until midway through the
book. Their budget consists entirely of money the 11 year old made by
selling his card and coin collections, and the opposing teams have
access to Hollywood-type spy equipment including eavesdropping
vans, safe houses, poison dart guns, and lots of bombs. These
exaggerations help keep the plot active, and may make it more
attractive to certain readers.
Despite its overall lack of realism, the book does attempt to include
actual historical figures and places, and any details not directly related
to the Cahills or the 39 clues are factual. In the course of their search
the Cahills learn about Ben Franklins publications, kite experiment,
and diplomatic work in Paris. The story also includes some realistic
themes. For example, when Riordan introduces Amy and Dan he
emphasizes how each thinks the other is the most annoying [sibling]
on the planet. As the story progresses, however, they begin to
appreciate how their different talents and perspectives complement
one another.

The worldwide reach of the Cahill family is a point of emphasis, and

the six villainous groups of cousins come from a variety of geographic
areas (The United States, England, Russia, South Korea, possibly India,
Canada, and Latin America.) The Russian character is a somewhat
stereotypical ex-KGB agent, but Riordan lays the groundwork for the
all six groups to develop into morally complex characters as the series
progresses.
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The action in this story occurs primarily in the United States and
Europe, but other books in the series portray non-Western locations.
Economically Amy and Dan are the least privileged of the seven teams,
but are regarded as the strongest due to their resourcefulness and
close relationship with Grace.
this semester.
There are no illustrations in the body of the body of the book. The
cover features the series logo and several skulls and bones depicted in
apparent motion. The sleek, active, macabre appearance hints at the
fast pace of the story, and may help attract tweens looking for an
action story geared toward older readers.

The series was originally published in conjunction with collectable

trading card sets, contests, and an online game. Those resources are
dated now, but may still be of some use. A better, but extremely
ambitious application would be to design a 39 Clues-themed scavenger
hunt in the local community. Such an activity could include both
references to local history, which students would have to research, and
riddles or math-based codes for students to decipher. Such an event
would almost certainly require support from parents and other public
servants in the community, and I would want to be sure there was
sufficient interest from students before attempting it, but if done
effectively it could be a gateway for introducing children to other
library or community services and programs.

in the textbook
I was interested in reading one of the 39 Clues books because I was

intrigued by the idea of a series written by multiple authors in
collaboration. Vardell (2014) states that this is not unusual (p. 162),
but the examples she lists, like Nancy Drew, The Boxcar Children, and
The Babysitters Club, involve the authors collaborating secretly under
the name of a single creator or pseudonym. I havent heard of any
other series written by a group of previously successful standalone
authors, and promoted as such. Since I read just the first book, it was
difficult to get a sense of how the style might change from author to
author, but I may try reading another outside this project.
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Evaluation Criteria
Title, Author, Year
Awards
LIS 534
#13 Picture Book (2 of 5)
Evaluation Log
Z is for Moose, Kelly Bingham & Paul Zelinsky (Ill.), 2012

Picture Book
ALA Notable Book for Children (2012)
The book opens as a board-book-style alphabet book with simple
prose (A is for Apple B is for Ball C is for Cat) However,
Plot Summary
Characters
Theme
Setting
Cultural group(s)
represented
beginning with the page for D an impatient moose begins to

interrupt, forcing itself into the illustrations to the annoyance of
the their regular subjects and the zebra, which is portrayed as
the director of the story (as if it was a stage play). When the page
for M finally arrives, it says M is for Mouse, instead of moose,
causing the moose to fly into a fit of indignation, followed by rage
and sadness that plays out over the remaining panels. The
conflict is resolved when the zebra takes pity on the moose, and
gets it into the story by revising its own (final) panel to say Z is
for Zebras friend, Moose).

The mooses desire to be included is the main driver of the story.
this semester.
As was the case with I Too Am America, the illustrations are the
primary vehicle of the story. In the absence of the zebra and moose,
with their accompanying speech bubbles, the book would be a
conventional alphabet book with very little conflict or action.
Zelinskys attention to detail allows the story to speak to children of
different ages in different ways. For example, finding the moose in
some of its more subtle hiding places (such as the pages for J, K, T, and
U) may be a game for very young readers. Older readers can try to spot
the objects and animals the moose displaces, such as the duck that
flees from the D page to the E page, and the owl driven from the O page
to the Q page. There are also extra illustrations on the flaps, title page,
and dedication pages to extend the story and establish the stage-like
setting more clearly.

I chose to add this book to my programming project a few days before

the program took place because I was afraid my main choice (Dancing
Feet, #7 on this list) might be too simple for children at the high end of
my 2-6 target age range. I thought the humor and twist on the alphabet
book formula would appeal to the older readers, while the younger
ones could still get something out of the Binghams ___ is for ___ text.
I intended to use the book as an icebreaker, but I think it could have
multiple applications, especially in a school setting. Children often
struggle with feeling left out, and sometimes their eagerness to be
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included causes them to try too hard, and behave in a way that
angers and annoys those from whom they are seeking acceptance. The
mooses actions illustrate this, and Zelinskys attention to detail in the
faces may help children analyze the feelings of the moose and zebra as
the story progresses. The librarian could guide this analysis with
questions like:
How is the moose/zebra feeling here?

Why do you think he/she feels this way?
Have you ever felt shocked/angry/sad like the moose
when youre left out of something?
What do you think the moose/zebra should do here?
Ultimately, the moose can be used as a model to help children
understand why an annoying (although the librarian wouldnt
use that word with the children little brother is one
euphemism that comes to my mind) peer may be acting that way
after being excluded, while the zebra can be upheld as a model
for how to help peers who are left out.

in the textbook
Vardell (2014) includes a detailed explanation of the basic artistic

elements we can identify in book illustrations line, shape, color,
texture, and composition (p. 56). This discussion helped me notice
another subtle technique Zelinsky uses to distinguish the moose and
zebra from the other objects and animals. Each page of the story is
framed with a one inch colored border, with a recurring pattern of
three lines at the bottom of the illustration creating the illusion of a
receding stage or platform within the frame. All the objects that
correlate with the alphabet (apple, ball, cat etc.) are confined to that
space, but Zelinsky permits the moose and zebra to break those
boundaries. This helps reinforce the impression that the moose is
breaking the rules of the story, and needs to get its behavior under
control.
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Evaluation Criteria
Title, Author, Year
Awards
Plot Summary
Characters
Theme
Setting
Cultural group(s)
represented
LIS 534
#14 Traditional Tales (1 of 2)
Evaluation Log
Princess Tales, Grace Maccarone & Gail de Marcken (Ill.), 2013

None Recommended by Bookworm for Kids. Reviewed favorably by
the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, Childrens Literature, and School
Library Journal.
Maccarone retells ten classic fairy tales (Cinderella, Thumbelina,
Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, The Princess and the Frog, The
Princess and the Pea, Rumpelstiltskin, East of the Sun, West of the
Moon, Twelve Dancing Princesses, and Sleeping Beauty) in poetic form.
The text is primarily action-oriented, succinctly describing the main
events of the story with limited character development. Although
Maccarone deals with traditional tales, she never identifies an explicit
lesson. Moral statements only appear in proverbs spoken by
characters (for example, the dwarves in Snow White warn beware
of strangers, and the Beast in Beauty and the Beast tells Beauty
things are not as they might seem. Trust what you feel, not what you
see. Your gratitude will set me free.)
One recurring motif is marriage. I didnt notice this before I read the
review, but Heidi Hauser Green, a reviewer for Childrens Literature
pointed out Note that all the tales end in marriage; there is no
creative, feminist revision work here.
(http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/princess-tales-gracemaccarone/1114205436)
De Marckens illustrations depict the action in historic settings, with
each story occurring in its own distinct time and place.

Maccarones text does not seem particularly inclusive. In addition to

the universal outcome of traditional marriage, the princesses rarely
succeed because of their own resourcefulness. Cinderella, Snow White,
Sleeping Beauty and the princesses from The Princess and the Frog,
The Princess and the Pea, and Rumpelstiltskin all rely on help from
other characters, although those characters are female in some cases.
It is unclear whether this creative choice reflects Maccarones personal
values, or a desire to be faithful to her source materials, which she lists
at the end of the book. In either case there are some strong female
characters. Thumbelina and Beauty both find happiness as a result of
their compassion, and the princesses from East of the Sun, West of the
Moon and The Twelve Dancing Princesses are shown to be tenacious
and clever.
In contrast to the text, de Marckens illustrations are highly diverse. A
representative sample of world locations (Western European, Asian,
African, Mesoamerican, and Nordic) are featured as settings, and
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white, Asian, African, and Native American princesses are included.
The final story depicts all the previous princesses coming together to
celebrate Sleeping Beautys birth. The authentic details of these
illustrations is sufficient to counterbalance any lack of diversity in the
text.
De Marcken also includes a subtly inclusive illustration opposite the
title page. It depicts two little girls dressed up as princesses, and a
young boy beside them enjoying a book of fairy tales.
this semester.

De Marckens detailed illustrations also extend the story in an I Spytype manner. Short lists at the bottom of each page prompt readers to
search for certain features, and the illustrations are detailed enough to
allow children to potentially spend hours discovering new and subtle
details. Most of the prompted details are easy for older children to find,
but some are subtle enough to challenge even adult readers.
I would hesitate to use this book with a large group of children,
because the detailed illustrations are best appreciated up close.
Instead I would recommend it to parents as a bedtime story. I think the
plot-oriented text is accessible to young readers (especially if theyre
familiar with the stories corresponding Disney films), but too wordy
for the children to read on their own. The illustrations are complex and
detailed enough to engage the child without boring the adult, and the
searching game gives them a good opportunity to bond over literature.
I would also probably recommend taking it piece by piece, perhaps
doing one or two stories per night, instead of the whole book at once.
If I were to use the book in an ELA class or program, I would use it in
conjunction with another traditional tales book, such as the entry
below, and have students compare and contrast them in accordance
with CC.RL.A.9. It might work well in contrast to something that
portrays less diverse characters, or something with a more modern
spin on the source material.
This book includes nearly all of the characteristics Vardell (2014) lists
as common in traditional tales, including:

in the textbook
characters [that] are not usually dynamic and changing

simple, direct, episodic, and full of action
distant past, far away setting
reflect the integrity of early retellings (p. 98-99)
Interestingly, Vardell also emphasizes the importance of staying
true to the culture from which the tale springs. I am not an
expert on any of the ten stories, however I believe de Marckens
illustrations may violate that principle. All the sources
Maccarone cites are Western European, but de Marcken sets
some of the stories in other areas. In this case I believe her
decision to depict different cultures is an asset, not a problem.
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Evaluation Criteria
Title, Author, Year
Awards
Plot Summary
Characters
Theme
Setting
Cultural group(s)
represented
#15 - Poetry (2 of 2)
Mirror Mirror, Marilyn Singer & Jose Masse (Ill.), 2010
Picture Book, Poetry, Traditional Tales
ALA Notable Book (2010), Cybils Award (Poetry)
Singer uses reverso poetry, a form she claims to have invented
herself, to retell twelve classic fairy tales. The reverso form consists of
two poems side-by-side, with the second simply being a copy of the
first with new punctuation and the lines in reverse order (For example,
Isnt / this / a fairy tale versus A fairy tale / this / isnt.) As may be
expected, the poems are all relatively short. Most assume the reader
has a basic familiarity with the source material. Rather than convey
details of the plot, the poems typically comment on the story from the
perspective of two different characters.

In some ways this book is the opposite of Princess Tales (the entry
above). Masses illustrations show little evidence of diversity. All the
human characters are white, and nearly all the outdoor scenes have a
forested, European appearance. (The Jack and the Beanstalk
illustration may be set in a desert.) However, in keeping with her
theme, Singers text sometimes approaches the story from an
unconventional perspective. For example, The Sleeping Beauty and
the Wide-Awake Prince suggests that neither the bored princess nor
prince-in-peril enjoys his or her part in the seemingly triumphant tale.
Both halves of Repunzels Locks adopt the perspective of otherwise
insignificant onlookers commenting on rumors about the story. Do
You Know My Name highlights the irony of the fact that readers of the
traditional Rumpelstiltskin story never learn the name of the princess
who is so desperate to learn Rumpelstiltskins name. Singers literal
juxtaposition of multiple perspectives challenges readers to expand
their conventional understanding of well-known stories, and implicitly
supports the themes of diversity and inclusion, although the majority
of the poems do not explicitly address the idea (Cinderellas Double
Life is the possible exception.)
this semester.
Despite the limitations stated in the previous paragraph, Masses

illustrations do extend and clarify Singers text. Masse uses the
elements of line and color to divide each illustration into two distinct
halves in keeping with the mirror theme. In many instances each half
depicts one of the characters whose perspective the poem represents.
This is helpful with poems such as Mirror Mirror and Full of Beans
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when the identity of the speaker is somewhat ambiguous in the text
itself.
I think this text would best be used as a jumping off point for a creative
writing ELA project. CC.RL.4.6 says 4th grade students should compare
and contrast the point of view from which different stories are
narrated. After reading and analyzing Singers poems with the help of
the librarian, the 4th graders could attempt to write either their own
reverso poems or their own dual compositions with contrasting
perspectives. The finished poems would make good display artifacts to
demonstrate how the students are expanding their literacy in the
library. The librarian may even collaborate with an art teacher to give
students an opportunity to illustrate their poems. Such a project would
work especially well if students are studying perspective-bending
artists, like Picasso, in art class.
This project could also be done as a creative writing program at a
public library, although it may be difficult to generate interest.

in the textbook
As I was contrasting Mirror Mirror to the previous entry, Princess Tales,

I couldnt help but recall reviewer Heidi Hauser Greens comment that
in the latter there is no creative, feminist revision work. This
adherence to simple delineations of good an evil are common in
traditional tales, according to Vardell (2014), who notes, theres
rarely any ambivalence or subtlety in folktales; the evil stepsisters
never win the princes hand [] and stories always end happily (p.
99). Through the perspective-bending lens of Singers reverso poems,
Mirror Mirror deviates from this pattern. Some of the poems, such as
The Sleeping Beauty and the Wide-Awake Prince and
Disappointment, highlight the stress and disappointment characters
may experience in their fairy tale lives, and not every good character
has a happy ending (although its worth noting the evil stepsisters still
do not get the prince.)
It was largely due to lucky ILL timing that I read Princess Tales and
Mirror Mirror back-to-back, but I think I got a lot more out of each
book by doing so. The two share many similarities in subject matter
(the stories of Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, The
Princess and the Frog, Rumpelstiltskin, and Sleeping Beauty appear in
both), poetic form, and quality of illustration. These similarities are so
acute that the differences, which are also significant, stand out all the
more. As my analysis above suggests, I especially noticed how
Maccarones traditional, close-to-the-source narration in Princess Tales
contrasts with Singers experimentation with different, more modern
perspectives in Mirror Mirror.
I think recreating for students my experience of discovering both
books at the same time may be difficult. Princess Tales appeals to
relatively young readers, and is somewhat long to use as a read-aloud
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Awards
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with a large group. In contrast, Mirror Mirror is a relatively quick readaloud, but uses small variations of sentence structure and punctuation
to create subtle changes in meaning that students may not be able to
appreciate until they are older. It may be best to put off studying the
two together until 6th grade, when students need to compare and
contrast two texts in different forms or genres (CC.RL.6.9).
#16 Traditional Tales (2 of 2)

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, Grace Lin, 2009 [Ebook]
Chapter Book, Folk Tale
Newberry Honor (2010)
Minli, a young Chinese girl, lives in a poor village with her father and
mother. Her father, Ba, is a kind and wise storyteller, but her mother,
Ma, is short-tempered and discontent. One day Minli spends one of the
two copper coins she received at birth on a goldfish which the peddler
promises will bring her family good fortune, but Ma scorns it, and
Minli, realizing the family cannot spare any food, releases it into the
river. In gratitude, the fish tells Minli the way to find the Old Man of the
Moon, a character from Bas stories who knows the fortune of all
people. Inspired, Minli sets out on a quest to find the Man and learn
how to improve her familys fortune.
Plot Summary
Characters
Theme
Setting
Cultural group(s)
represented
In the course of her journey, Minli befriends a flightless dragon, a

contented orphan, a generous king, and twin children from the
happiest family in the world. She also hears many stories about a
wicked magistrate who tried to outwit the Old Man of the Moon. These
stories ultimately intertwine with one another and with Minlis own
story. In the end Minli finds the Old Man of the Moon, only to discover
that he will answer just one question. Having made a promise to the
dragon, she sacrifices the opportunity to ask her own question in order
to discover why he cannot fly. In doing so, however, she realizes that
the selflessness and thankfulness she witnessed in her new friends is
the key to her familys own contentment.
In a side plot, Ma learns from Minlis absence that she has always taken
her daughters presence for granted, and needs to be content with
what she has rather than preoccupied with what she does not have.
The importance of kindness, contentment, and thankfulness is Lins
unifying theme. In keeping with the traditional tale genre, she
approaches it from a somewhat fatalistic perspective. Characters who
exemplify these qualities are always richly rewarded in the end,
although they may have to step out in faith first; while selfish,
ambitious characters always bring heartache and destruction upon
themselves. A secondary theme is the value of stories as conduits for
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truth. Although scoffers like Ma and the wicked magistrate scorn them,
they are always vindicated in the end. Once again in keeping with the
traditional tale genre, the extent of this vindication is exaggerated. In
the world of the novel, even the most fantastic details of Pas stories
turn out to be literally true.
The setting and cultural depictions of the story are authentically
Chinese, although filtered to some extent through the Asian-American
authors own imagination and experiences. In her authors note, Lin
explains that she combined elements of Chinese folk-tales she read as a
teen with her own ideas to create an original story. She writes, Some
things were completely my own inventions [] though many similar
elements can probably be found. [] Many times I found myself unsure
which elements were my own fabrications and which were the
traditional stories! (p. 368) This combination of inspiration and
adaptation extends to the illustrations and descriptions of the setting,
which are modeled after authentic locations in China (p. 351-356).
From my background as a history major, I recognized references to the
four major rivers of China (p. 19), and to the Western frontier as a cold,
mountainous, sparsely populated, little-known place.

The story focuses entirely on Chinese culture, although in American

schools and libraries this may still be considered an aspect of diversity.
Certainly the book would be a good option for librarians seeking to
build a collection that reflects many global traditions. It is difficult to
say whether the novel includes stereotypes. Many characters are onedimensional, but this may simply be a product of the traditional tale
genre. The character cast as a whole does not seem to portray any
particular group in a distinctly positive or negative light. Among the
good characters there are both male and female, old and young, rich
and poor, and human and nonhuman individuals. The bad characters
are equally representative, although fewer in number.
this semester.
Lin includes small illustrations at the beginning of each chapter, and

larger full-page illustrations at periodic intervals. The ebook version
conveyed these large illustrations less effectively than the print
version, because everything was scaled down and placed on a separate
page, making it easier to pass over. Since the book is a chapter book, I
think the text could stand on its own without the illustrations if
necessary, but the illustrations do help readers picture the action from
time-to-time. They also remind readers that the action takes place in
China, with ethnically Chinese characters and distinctive East Asian
architecture. The necessity of these reminders is a testament to Lins
ability to create a universally-appealing text.

I think this text would best be used as a long-term read-aloud for early
to mid-elementary school students. Lins use of cliffhangers at the end
of most chapters should leave readers eager for more at the start of
each new session, and several unanswered questions about characters
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backgrounds add a running element of mystery to the plot.
Nevertheless, I think there is some potential for older readers to
prejudge the book as lame or below their age level, due to the fantasy
elements and lack of complexity in some of the characters. Overall it
probably fits best with students in the 3rd to 4th grade range.
While a teacher might be able to connect the book to academic
assignments, I would prefer to use it as a straightforward read-aloud. I
think students will appreciate its alternate cultural perspective more
deeply if they dont feel like its being forced down their throats as a
school book. As I was going along, I noticed many elements that have
counterparts in Norman Justers The Phantom Tollbooth (Minli/Milo,
the Dragon/Tock, the quest to the Never-ending Mountain/the Castle
in the Air, friendly kings). Students or classes who enjoy one might
consider reading the other back-to-back, and the two could potentially
be analyzed together in accordance with CC.RL.7.6a (Analyze stories,
drama, or poems by authors who represent diverse world cultures.)

in the textbook
Although the story is an original work of the author, it includes many

features of the traditional tale genre. In particular the characters and
theme are consistent with Vardells (2014) descriptions. With the
exception of Ma, all the characters fall clearly on either the good or evil
side of the moral spectrum. In this respect, they serve more
symbolically as representatives for goodness and innocence or
wickedness and selfishness. (p. 98) Furthermore, the ending is
completely and unequivocally happy for the good characters, and the
opposite for the bad characters (p. 99). Even Vardells caveat that
some people have accused traditional literature of being sexist or
chauvinistic [but] there are many authentic tales with strong and
heroic female characters (p. 98) applies, as Minli is a strong female
role model who braves great danger in an effort to help her family.
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Evaluation Criteria
Title, Author, Year
Awards
Plot Summary
Characters
Theme
Setting
Cultural group(s)
represented
LIS 534
#17- Information Books (1 of 8)
Evaluation Log
Locomotive, Brian Floca, 2013

Information Book (History/Technology), Information Story Book
Caldecott Medal (2014), Sibert Honor (2014), NCTE Orbis Pictus honor
(2014)
Using second person narration, Floca chronicles a familys journey
from Omaha to San Francisco on the newly-completed
transcontinental railroad. The characters are minimally developed.
The illustrations depict them as a brother, sister, and mother traveling
to reunite with the father in California, and the text gives no further
details about their background. The plot, insofar as it relates to the
story of the characters, is equally minimal.
The primary focus of the book is the experience of riding on or
operating a nineteenth century locomotive. Floca frequently uses
visual descriptions, onomatopoeia, and other sensory details to
describe the settings the characters encounter and the stimuli they
sense as the journey progresses.
Floca demonstrates his concern for authenticity in an extensive
authors note at the end, in which he identifies his sources, clarifies and
expands debatable points from the main body of the work, and
explains how his choice of temporal setting (1869) affected some of
the details.

Not so much in the main text as in the supplementary materials. At the

beginning of the story Floca does depict crews of Chinese and Irish
immigrants constructing the railroad, but nonwhite characters are
largely absent from the rest of the body. The crowds in Omaha and San
Francisco each have a single black man in the background, and one
illustration shows a pair of black porters preparing the sleeping cars
for use. There is also a passing reference to the bison and Native
Americans that used to occupy the plains, but this aspect of the
railroad is covered in much less detail than the mechanical operation
of the trains (which to be fair is Flocas primary purpose).
Floca does discuss the railroads impact on diverse groups more
extensively in the authors note. He includes a substantial paragraph
about how Native Americans both supported and opposed, benefitted
from and were displaced by the railroad. He also acknowledges the
role, and unique history of African American porters working for the
Pullman Company. (He claims the porters are not featured more
extensively in his story because railroads were still using their own
crews for passenger service in the early days of the transcontinental
railroad.) In addition, he explains that the railroads offered three
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classes of service, although the book depicts only the middle one for
simplicity.
Children who are interested in trains may enjoy reading this book in
conjunction with Brian Colliers I Too Am America (#1 on this list).
Both books appeal to children in a similar age range, and have just
enough overlap for the connection between them to be clear. Their
different, but complimentary emphases can give readers a more
comprehensive view of nineteenth century railroads than either book
can provide on its own.
this semester.
In contrast to some of the works above, in which the illustrations

clarified the text but were not essential to understanding it (Where the
Mountain Meets the Moon, Outside the Box, Heart and Soul), or vice
versa (Z is for Moose, Dancing Feet, I Too Am America), I think this book
relies equally on Flocas text and illustrations to convey its message.
The illustrations help bring the descriptive imagery in the text to life,
while the text explains key details in the illustrations, and is the
primary means through which Floca conveys factual information. This
complimentary interplay is especially evident on the pages where
Floca explains what happens inside the cab of the train as it prepares
to leave the station (the pages are unnumbered, but they are the 11th
and 12th pages after the title page). The text identifies what particular
crew members or instruments did to get the engine started, and the
illustrations depict and identify those crew members and instruments
in context.
This book would be a good resource for a train-themed program. It
could lead to multiple applications depending on the age and interests
of the children in attendance. For younger children it might simply be a
read-aloud to build background knowledge, but older children could
apply some of the factual information to models or dioramas of
historical trains.

In communities with access to preserved locomotives or train cars the

book may also be a good primer for a field trip. The text identifies
many technical features of nineteenth century trains, which students
could find and describe when they visit the real thing. The New York
Museum of Transportation in Henrietta is accessible to groups in the
Rochester area, and Syracuse-area students can visit the Central New
York National Railway Historical Society Museum in Central Square.
My own hamlet of New Woodstock has a caboose maintained by the
local historical society, and many other small towns have preserved
their historic train depots for visitors and history students.
The book may also be of use to an ELA teacher due to its descriptive
imagery and effective use of onomatopoeia. In my experience students
can often define onomatopoeia relatively easily, but struggle to explain
how it contributes to the development of a literary work. Flocas
illustrations and framing of the text make it easier to see how the
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sound-replicating words connect to the stimuli characters would have
experienced. One possible extension of this lesson would be for
students to write their own descriptive stories about the sights,
sounds, and smells they encountered on one of their own memorable
journeys.
Vardell (2014) explains how to discern between historical fiction
stories and informational storybooks. Two important pieces of advice
are:

in the textbook
The book should be considered informational, rather than

creative, Only if the story elements [] are indeed
skeletal, so that they do not distract from the authors
primary and basic purpose (which should be to inform
the reader). (Note that Vardell quotes this statement
from Patricia Cianciolo, p. 260)
For clues that it is an informational book, look for a
foreword, afterword, text notes, source notes, or
acknowledgements (p. 260).
Locomotive is a good example of both points. The minimal

development of the characters and plot can indeed be considered
skeletal, and Floca includes both an afterword and source
notes/acknowledgements.
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Evaluation Criteria
Title, Author, Year
Awards
Plot Summary
Characters
Theme
Setting
Cultural group(s)
represented
LIS 534
#18 Information Books (2 of 8)
Evaluation Log
How Much is a Million?, David Schwartz & Steven Kellogg (Ill.), 1985
Information Book (Math), Picture Book
ALA Notable book, Reading Rainbow Feature Selection, Boston
Globe/Horn Book Honor Book for Illustration.
Schwartz and Kellogg use comparisons to help children picture and
understand the magnitude of large numbers like 1 million, 1 billion,
and 1 trillion. There is no plot or literary theme. Groups of children and
an adult/mentor/teacher identified as Marvelosissimo the
Mathematical Magician appear in the illustrations, but are not
developed as characters. The setting is a grassy open field near, or
possibly within a city that appears to be modeled after New York City
(natives will recognize landmarks like the Brooklyn Bridge and Empire
State Building in the illustrations).

Yes, the large group of children includes individuals with AfricanAmerican, Hispanic, and Asian-American appearances. A core group of
four children that appears more frequently in close-up illustrations
consists of two white boys, one white girl, and one black girl. While
there do not appear to be any stereotypes, all cultural depictions are
superficial, as the numbers are the main focus of the book.
this semester.
Kelloggs illustrations occupy most of the space on the pages, and

present explicit pictures of the comparisons Schwartz text describes.
Any insight readers may infer about the characters personalities is
derived from Kelloggs illustrations of their faces. Schwartz main ideas
would still be clear without the illustrations, but they would be more
like a handout than a book, and would almost certainly be less
accessible to children.

The book appears to be intended for young children who are just
beginning to conceptualize large numbers, and who may still need
concrete ways of visualizing them in order to do so. However, I would
be more interested in using it with older students who are learning
about ways to apply multiplication and division (perhaps 4th to 5th
grade when milti-digit multiplication and division first appear in the
Common Core standards). Schwartz describes his method for
developing the comparisons in the afterword, and multiplication and
division are both at the heart of them. Students who are able to
understand the methods should be able to replicate them.
I would challenge students to develop their own comparisons to help
younger kids visualize the concept of 1 million. The basic form would
be A million __________ would __________ and the students would have to
apply appropriate measuring and calculation strategies to fill in the
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in the textbook
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blanks. For example, if a group of students chose the word books for
the first blank, they could count the number of books on a typical
library shelf (or measure the length of the shelf and the width of a
typical book spine), then divide 1 million by that number to determine
the number of shelves the books would fill. Afterward, they would
illustrate their findings, and display them on a bulletin board for their
younger peers and the rest of the community to see.
Vardell (2014) states that accuracy is the number one quality to look
for in an information book (p. 275). At one point as I was reading I
found myself questioning one of Schwartz claims. He said it would
take 23 days to count from 1 to 1 million. That seemed to clash with
what I had heard before, so I got out a calculator and conducted my
own investigation. I found that counting for 1 million seconds would
take 11 to 12 days (1,000,000 / 60 / 60 / 24). I found out why
Schwartz said 23 when I read the afterword. He pointed out that larger
numbers, like 711, 499, probably require more than one second to
count aloud. Accordingly, he decided to base his calculations on the
person taking two seconds, rather than just one, to count each number.
That doubles the counting time from 11 days to 23 days. The point
of this story is that readers need about the facts they find in nonfiction.
literature It also illustrates why it is important for authors of
informational books to include notes about their sources and
methodology at the end. I might not use this particular anecdote to
convey that lesson to students, because it requires so much
mathematical reasoning to explain properly, but I think its an option I
can keep in my back pocket.
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Evaluation Criteria
Title, Author, Year
Awards
LIS 534
#19 Historical Fiction (2 of 3)
Evaluation Log
Number the Stars, Lois Lowry, 1989

Newberry Medal (1989), Jane Addams Childrens Book Award
Nominee (1990)
Ten-year-old Annemarie lives in Nazi-occupied Denmark with her
mother, father, and younger sister. Her best friend Ellen, who is Jewish,
lives in the same apartment building. At the beginning of the story both
families attempt to lay low and avoid the attention of the Nazi
authorities, However, Annemarie and her parents are forced to take
action to protect Ellen when the Nazis begin to actively seek out Jewish
families. They first try to hide Ellen in their home, posing as
Annemaries deceased older sister Lise, but when the Nazis become
suspicious the family decides their only option is to smuggle Ellen and
her parents across the sea to Sweden.
Plot Summary
Characters
Theme
Setting
Cultural group(s)
represented
They enlist the help of a smuggling ring that includes Lises former
fiance Peter (a member of the Danish Resistance) and Annemaries
uncle Henrik (a fisherman). On the night of the attempt Annemarie
stays behind at Henriks house, but at daybreak her mother returns
with a sprained ankle and news that a package critical to the escape
has been left behind. As the oldest person at the house still capable of
movement, Annemarie must bring the package, hidden in a basket of
food, to the waterfront. Along the way she is stopped by three Nazi
officers, who eat most of the food and open the package, but let her
continue on her way when they discover it contains only a
handkerchief. She delivers the handkerchief to Henrik, and after he
returns with news that Ellen and her family made it safely to Sweden,
he explains that it was soaked in a drug that disables the Nazis dogs
sense of smell. Had Annemarie failed to deliver it, the Jews would have
been discovered before the ship could escape Denmark.
Friendship and courage are both major themes. Early in the novel
Annemarie expresses the sentiment that she was glad to be an
ordinary person who would never be called upon for courage (p. 26).
Ultimately, however, she shows extraordinary courage in taking a
personal risk to save a friend in peril. In the afterword, Lowry
comments on the authenticity of this action. While the specific
characters are fictional, the key points of the plot really did happen:
The Jews [] fled the first raids. They fled into the arms of the Danes,
who took them in, fed them, clothed them, hid them, and helped them
along to safety in Sweden (p. 135).

Danes, Germans, and Jews are the three main cultural groups
represented, and the novel consistently emphasizes how the Danes
thought of the Jews as different, but equal and natural members of
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their society. Lowry portrays this attitude most explicitly early in the
story, when Annemarie first learns of the Nazis plans to persecute the
Jews. She asks her mother, how will [the Jews] earn a living? Friends
will take care of them Mama said gently. Thats what friends do. []
Well, Annemarie said slowly, now I think all of Denmark must be
bodyguard for the Jews as well. So we shall be, Papa replied (p. 2425). Lowry comments on the authenticity of this exchange in the
afterword, explaining that the Danes really did smuggle nearly all of
their 7000 Jewish neighbors over to Sweden using a drug unknown to
the Germans to fool the pursuing dogs.
In contrast to the well-rounded protagonists, the exclusive German
antagonists are portrayed somewhat stereotypically. With one
exception early in the novel, all the Nazi characters are cruel, brutish,
and easily-fooled.
this semester.


in the textbook
There are no illustrations in the body of the book. The cover is a blackand-white picture of a young blonde girl (which matches Lowrys
description of Annemarie) and a Star of David necklace. These images
hint at major plot points, but otherwise do little to extend the novel.
This is a versatile book with enough action and suspense to succeed as

a read-aloud, and enough character development and moral
complexity to serve as a book club option. I would probably use it in
conjunction with other WWII or Holocaust-themed units or events. A
logical extension would be for students to research the stories of actual
Holocaust survivors and their allies, and perhaps retell those stories
through paraphrases, illustrations, and dramatic reenactments.
Vardell (2014) explicitly praises Number the Stars for its exemplary
plot. She notes it is both thrilling and believable that a child might be
thrust into a brave and dangerous act by simply taking a walk with a
basket to deliver a handkerchief (p. 208). This believability, she
argues, should be present in all good works of historical fiction. There
are many extraordinary events in history, but authors must be careful
not to shoehorn larger-than-life characters into an illogical historical
role.
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Title, Author, Year
Awards
Plot Summary
Characters
Theme
Setting
Cultural group(s)
represented
LIS 534
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Goodnight Moon, Margaret Wise Brown & Clement Hurd (Ill.), 1947
Picture Book
None (classic)
A young anthropomorphic bunny says goodnight to the surrounding
objects as he or she drifts off to sleep. The only character other than
the youngster is his or her apparent caretaker, characterized as a
quiet old lady who was whispering hush. Setting is the dominant
literary element. The first few pages highlight notable objects in the
room around the protagonist, and as he or she drifts to sleep he or she
says goodnight to them beginning with the most distant (the titular
moon), progressing to the nearest (the comb and brush on the bedside
table), and finishing with the most pervasive and ethereal (stars, air,
noises).
The goodnight ritual is the primary theme, and children who have the
story read aloud to them may be able to recreate it using their own
surroundings.

As was the case with Back to Front and Upside Down (#2 on this list),
the use of anthropomorphic animals instead of human characters may
be a deliberate attempt to help the story transcend cultural
boundaries. However, there are some lingering cultural clues. The fact
that the protagonist has his or her own room, and the size and
furnishing of that room, suggests a middle to upper class background.
Children who sleep in more modest, more cluttered, or shared
environments may notice some disconnect, although the basic premise
of saying goodnight to a variety of surrounding objects translates to
many different settings.
this semester.
Hurd effectively uses contrasting artistic styles to evoke different

moods. His illustrations alternate between snapshots of the big,
brightly-colored red and green bedroom and greyscale drawings of
particular details within the room (such as the moon shining through
the window). The bright, saturated colors of the former group may
grab young readers attention, and help them notice the objects (which
are colored with contrasting colors) more easily. Meanwhile, the softer
illustrations of the latter group, along with the gradual darkening of all
the colors as the book progresses, evoke the feeling of fading out of
consciousness as one falls asleep in a dark room. Alert children may
enjoy searching the whole-room illustrations and pointing out the
various objects mentioned in the text, while focusing on the simpler,
less cluttered greyscale drawings may help sleepier children empty
their minds as they prepare to go to sleep.
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Because this book applies so specifically to a particular time of day,

which is often a relatively intimate time for families, I think I would be
more likely to recommend it to parents as a one-on-one resource than
I would be to use it in a group read-aloud.

If I were to use it in a program, it would be as a formulaic model for a

creative project. In the plot summary section I mentioned that
children listening to the book may be able to recreate the goodnight
ritual using their own surroundings. I would try to make that
connection explicit. First, I would highlight for the children how all the
objects the protagonists bids goodnight are objects he or she can see in
the room. Then I would encourage them to think about the furnishings
of their own rooms (which may be a challenge in memory and abstract
thinking for some), and come up with their own goodnight lists.
Once they generate the lists, they can record them, using the
goodnight formula, and add their own illustrations. With sufficient
time, children in the 5-6-year-old age range might be able to construct
an entire book, which may be a first for some, which they could take
home for their parents to read them at night.
Hurds visibly different illustration styles may also make the book a
useful exemplar in an ELA lesson on mood.
Vardell (2014) invokes Goodnight Moon in her discussion on the
themes of picture books, stating Kids are generally rather resistant to
sermonizing, and enjoy stories for their own sakes. Deeper meanings
are gleaned subtly, implicitly, through understanding of how the world
works, how people behave, and how stories reveal those truths. What
is the theme of Goodnight Moon for example? Does the story have a
theme? Is it an opportunity for a child to find comfort in the familiar
before night comes? (p. 61).

in the textbook
After reading the book I suspect Vardell intended those questions to be

rhetorical. The story includes very little action, and no apparent
moments where a character must make an explicit moral decision. The
only theme that seems to fit is the one Vardell identifies, which is that
the experience of falling asleep is something people other than the
reader can understand, and that the ritual of saying goodnight to ones
surroundings is something other people have done that the reader may
find applicable to his or her own life. Young children are unlikely to
understand this message of sympathy explicitly, but if they succeed in
trying out the protagonists ritual for themselves they may begin to
subconsciously understand that books and other people can be a
source of ideas that work.
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Evaluation Criteria
Title, Author, Year
Awards
Plot Summary
Characters
Theme
Setting
Cultural group(s)
represented
LIS 534
Evaluation Log
#21 Information Book (3 of 8)

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, Bill Martin Jr. & Eric Carle
(Ill.), 1970
Board Book, Information Book, Picture Book
None (classic)
The narrator asks a succession of animals what do you see? Each
animal replies with the color and species of the animal it sees. That
animal then appears on the subsequent page, and the cycle repeats. At
the end of the book all the creatures in the sequence are reviewed.
The text follows an easy-to-discern pattern, so readers (or listeners)
can predict the next animal to appear in the illustrations based on the
text. The characters (animals) are not developed beyond the two traits
on which the book focuses, and the setting is an ambiguous, minimallydistracting white background.

Yes, the penultimate creature is a class of students, whose members

have a diverse range of hairstyles, and skin, hair, and eye colors.
this semester.
Carles illustrations of the animals help readers visualize the text,

which is important since the book is designed for very young children
who may struggle to engage in abstract thinking. The connection
between the text and illustrations is accentuated by the fact that Carle
includes no extraneous detail beyond the two characteristics the text
emphasizes (color and species). The colors are bright and clear, and
the animals are easily-distinguished. Prereaders who cannot decode
the words may still read the book for themselves once they
understand the pattern and memorize the order of the animals.

As was the case with Goodnight Moon, readers in the 5-6 age range may
be able to illustrate and, with support, record their own versions of the
story by following the pattern and drawing on their own experiences.
The book is also a good read-aloud option for children in the 1-4 age
range because the predictable structure allows them to read along
with an adult. My approach would be to read it through once to prime
the students, then encourage them to say the words with me the
second time through. Even children who are in the early stages of
learning to speak may benefit from the repeating pattern of colors and
animals. I would encourage such interaction by reading the book to the
44
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toddler, then going back to the beginning and prompting him or her
with questions like whats this [animal]? and what color is this?
This book may work well with many of Vardells (2014) suggested
picture-book-sharing strategies (p.68), including:

in the textbook
Predicting In this case, asking what will we see on the

next page is an extremely simple form of prediction, but
that may be what children need when they are just
beginning to learn that readers can anticipate what will
come next in a book.
Building visual literacy as stated above, the story is
simple enough that children can recite it on their own
using the pictures as a guide. Vardell emphasizes that this
form of reading, taking cues from illustrations, is not
cheating, but an important element of literacy for both
children and adults (p, 69).
Interactive read aloud the repetitive structure facilitates
participation, which Vardell advises librarians to promote
explicitly. She states: Sometimes we want a quiet
audience to build engagement and even suspense, and
sometimes we want a participatory, lively experience. We
need to teach children the difference and set the stage
before reading so theyll know which is which (p. 69). I
find that advice helpful because when I teach I often try to
engage my students in dialogue, but I sometimes struggle
to get them to listen quietly when I need them to. In my
mind it is clear that different lessons and activities have
different standards of behavior, but until reading
Vardells comments I had never stopped to think about
whether or not my students understood that distinction.
As she states, it is something that children need to be
taught, not something they should be expected to infer on
their own.
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Evaluation Criteria
Title, Author, Year
Awards
Plot Summary
Characters
Theme
Setting
Cultural group(s)
represented
LIS 534
#22 Historical Fiction (3 of 3)
Evaluation Log
Chains, Laurie Halse Anderson, 2008

Scott ODell Award (2009), National Book Award Finalist (2008)
In May 1776, Isabel, a 13-year-old African American slave, and her 5year-old sister Ruth expect to be freed by the will of their late Rhode
Island mistress, but are instead unjustly sold to a loyalist New York
merchant named Lockton. Lockton is largely indifferent to his slaves as
long as they do not attract notice, but his wife is a cruel mistress who
verbally berates Isabel, beats her, and attempts to change her name.
One day, as Isabel is drawing water, she meets an attractive young
slave named Curzon, who serves a patriot master and has bought into
the ideals of the American Revolution. Through a combination of
kindness and charm, he persuades the practical Isabel to spy on the
Locktons, though she agrees to do so only in hope of securing passage
back to Rhode Island, as she feels little loyalty to either side in the
conflict. She delivers incriminating evidence of Locktons subversive
activities to the local rebel colonel, and is told he will personally look
into her case. However he takes no action to support Isabel and
Lockton escapes to the British lines. Although Mrs. Lockton never
discovers Isabels betrayal, she sells Ruth to a man from Charleston out
of spite, and Isabel, enraged, attempts to run away. She is captured by
the rebels who, despite the colonels agreement, feel bound to uphold
the law. They brand her on the cheek and return her to the Mrs.
Lockton.
Shortly afterward the British invade and capture the city. Having heard
they will free any slave who assists them, Isabel seeks out an officer
and offers her services, but is rebuffed when she admits her master
and mistress are loyalists. She remains with the Locktons through the
winter, and eventually discovers Curzon in a British prison. He
explains that he was captured while serving in the rebel army, and that
conditions in the prison are extremely desperate. Unwilling to allow
him to die, Isabel begins smuggling the Locktons table scraps into the
prison for Curzon and his comrades. Even in prison Curzon is treated
like a second class soldier, but the mens reliance on Isabel allows her
to secure him better treatment from his comrades. In gratitude for her
help, a printer friendly to the rebel cause gives her a copy of Common
Sense, which she reads secretly. She continues to clandestinely assist
the prisoners until Mrs. Lockton discovers her actions, beats her, and
locks her in a cellar. Feeling the time has come for drastic action, Isabel
breaks out of the cellar, steals travel papers from the British officer
lodging with the Locktons, smuggles Curzon out of prison by disguising
him as a dead body, and crosses the Hudson in a stolen rowboat.
Although Isabel and the characters closest to her are fictional she
witnesses or hears rumors of several actual historical events, including
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the hanging of traitor Thomas Hickey, the signing of the Declaration of
Independence, the battles of Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Mount
Washington, the great New York fire of 1776, and Washingtons
crossing of the Delaware. As a slave with a myriad of personal
struggles, and no particularly strong advocate on either side, Isabel
responds to these events with an authentic combination of interest,
indifference, and opportunism. Despite her own skepticism, she cannot
help but find solace and hope in the words of Curzon and Thomas
Paine (p. 41, 162), yet she is consistently thwarted by authorities on
both sides in her quest for justice. The irony of American patriots
continuing to uphold the legality of slavery while claiming to fight for
freedom and equality is particularly striking on pages 137-148, when
Isabel and Mrs. Lockton present their competing interpretations of
Isabels escape attempt to an American officer and court. Historians
furiously debate the extent to which black slaves resisted and accepted
their fate, but in her characterization of Isabel Anderson demonstrates
how both were possible at various times. On the whole, Isabel is a
strong-willed individual who is willing to resist her mistress openly (p.
134-135, 280-281) and secretly (p. 97-104, 226-227), but there are
moments when the injustice and cruelty of her position overwhelm her
into a state of stupefied submission (p. 157). Anderson also
authentically portrays the deplorable conditions of British prisons in
the winter of 1776-1777, and the potential for overlooked African
American servants to become valuable spies.
Yes, Andersons decision to give voice to a narrator from a group of
individuals whose perspective on the American Revolution is often
overlooked and ignored is itself an inclusive choice. As was the case
with Soldiers Heart, some of the big picture events that historians
emphasize are of little to the consequence to the protagonist, who is
more concerned about her own goals and challenges.

Although few of the individuals around Isabel fully support her, they
are generally portrayed in a complex manner that illustrates their
well-meaning intentions, unjust errors, skewed moral judgment, and
individual need to look out for themselves in a chaotic time. Only the
primary antagonists, Mrs. Lockton and the man who sold Isabel to her,
are cast in an irredeemably bad manner that could be considered
stereotypical. (Although in my experience, the indignation-inducing
actions of those unequivocally bad characters is one of the features
that keeps readers emotionally engaged in the story.)
this semester.
There are no illustrations in the body of the book. The cover

symbolically hints at Isabels race, position, and feeling of being caught
between two sides, but otherwise does little to extend the story.
It is worth noting that Anderson does extend the story with word
illustrations primary source epigrams at the beginning of each
chapter that foreshadow upcoming events and shed thematic or ironic
insight on major plot points. As is the case with illustrations, I have
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in the textbook
LIS 534
Evaluation Log
noticed that older students tend to overlook these epigrams unless
they are explicitly encouraged to think about them.
Mark Tugaw, a 7th grade teacher in my local school district, uses Chains
as the centerpiece of his literature circle unit on the American
Revolution. His classes meet every other day, so the students read the
book in five sections over a two-week time span. They read primarily
outside of class, and engage in book-club-type small group discussions
during class. Five roles within the group discussion leader,
illustrator, connector, illuminator, and word-definer are explicitly
defined, and each student rotates through all five positions over the
course of the unit. Having worked with Mr. Tugaw in the past, Ive
found that participation varies from group to group. In general, 7th
graders struggle to sustain a conversation that goes beyond superficial
observations. It also tends to be a challenge for them to keep one
another on track. However, I have seen deep, thoughtful discussions
take place, and I have noticed that they usually happen when the
students come well-prepared, and have thought seriously about ideas
in the book beforehand. I think this pattern will probably hold for
future book-club-style programs. Giving students opportunities to get
together and discuss literature is helpful, but unless they have the
interest and will to think deeply on their own the program probably
will not accomplish much.
Vardell (2014) states even though [a historical fiction] story is set in
the past, and may even include famous people from history, the reader
should still be able to identify with the storys protagonist and other
major characters (p. 207). Emotion tends to transcend barriers of
time and space, and I believe Anderson does a masterful job presenting
Isabels story to readers in a way that invites emotional investment.
The antagonists cruel, callous actions sting without Isabel always
having to say so. Particularly poignant examples can be found on pages
9-11 and 55.
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Evaluation Criteria
Title, Author, Year
Awards
LIS 534
Evaluation Log
The Sneetches and Other Stories, Dr. Seuss, 1961

Picture Book
None (personal favorite, see programming idea and reflection)
The book consists of four short stories:
Plot Summary
Characters
Theme
Setting
Cultural group(s)
represented
The Sneetches the bird-like Sneetches are identical in

every respect except that roughly half are born with green
stars on their bellies. The star-bellied sneetches look
down upon the plain-bellied sneetches, and exclude
(segregate) them from their activities. Then one day an
entrepreneur named Sylvester McBean arrives with
machines that can alter the Sneetches appearances. He
offers the plain-bellied individuals the opportunity to add
stars at a cost of three dollars. When they all do so the
original star-bellied group is horrified, and eagerly pays
McBean ten dollars to remove their stars and maintain
their exclusivity. The copycat star-bellies respond in kind,
sparking a free-for-all in which the Sneetches run backand-forth between McBeans machines until he collects all
their money and leaves town mocking their ignorance.
Nevertheless, the experience teaches the Sneetches that
the superficial differences between them are meaningless,
and their society becomes fully inclusive from that day on.
The Zax a north-going and south-going Zax (hairy,
human-like creatures) encounter one another as they
travel in their respective directions. Each expresses pride
in its own resolve (Never budge! Thats my rule. Never
budge in the least!) and refuses to stand aside so the
other can pass. As a result, both stay locked in place while
the world around them continues to progress.
Too Many Daves a mother regrets that she named all
23 of her sons Dave when she calls for one and they all
come running.
What Was I Scared of? an unnamed narrator has three
terrifying nighttime encounters with a mysterious pair of
pants. Each time he flees successfully, but on the fourth
night the two unexpectedly come face to face, and the
narrator is shocked to discover the pants weeping in fear
at the sight of him. Suddenly feeling sorry, he puts his arm
around the pants and comforts them. From that time on,
the two cheerfully greet one another when they pass by.
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All four stories prompt reflection on the theme of inclusion in a

different way. The Sneetches encourages readers to think
critically about the true importance of superficial differences.
The Zax comically warns of the dangers of being unable to
change, while Too Many Daves suggests that being the same is
not always the best outcome. What Was I Scared of? closes the
book with a fantastical, but accurate model of how fear can give
way to compassion when strangers take time to get to know one
another.

this semester.

Yes, all four stories promote inclusion. As was the case with Back to
Front and Upside Down and Goodnight Moon, the use of
anthropomorphic characters, and in this case fantasy settings, may be
a deliberate attempt to present a universal message without
referencing or excluding any particular culture.
Like some of the other entries on this list, I think the text could still
convey its message without illustrations, but would lose much of its
appeal to children. Dr. Seuss stylistically-distinct illustrations bring
both the action and emotion of the story to life, and do so in a way that
stimulates the imagination. While some of the finer points would be
lost, I think a child could predict the exclusion-hope-exclusionsadness-inclusion sequence of the Sneetches story just by looking at
the facial expressions of the characters. In fact, it might be an
interesting experiment to go through the pictures with a prereader and
see what type of narrative he or she constructs to explain them.
As with Eric Carles illustrations in Brown Bear, I noticed the
backgrounds of Dr. Seuss illustrations are generally clean, with few
extraneous details to distract from the characters and action. The
colorful characters typically stand out in a sea of white space
surrounding them. The exception to this pattern is What Was I Scared
of? which has dark blue backgrounds and more detailed settings
throughout (although Dr. Seuss still manages to work in a lot of empty
space in the areas around the characters). This may be because the
message of the story relies more on changing moods than the
messages of the other stories, and additional details about the setting
are necessary to establish those moods. Again, I think it would be
interesting to see how frightening the disembodied pants are to a child
experiencing the story for the first time.
I think this book would be a good fit for any diversity or inclusionthemed program. For a holiday like Martin Luther King Day it might
make a good warm-up reading to subtly prepare readers for the
themes of something more historical, but it could also stand on its own.
It would be especially useful in a lesson that addresses both the
literary elements of theme and symbolism and the topic of inclusion.
50
Wightman, Benjamin

in the textbook
LIS 534
Evaluation Log
Ive heard of high school teachers (usually history teachers) revisiting
Dr. Seuss stories like Yertle the Turtle, The Sneetches, and The
Butter Battle Book to explore how he made ideas relevant to adult
issues (Hitlers rise and fall, discrimination, The Cold War) accessible
to children, and I would be interested in doing something like that with
young adult patrons interested in writing for children. I was an
undergraduate when I read The Sneetches for the first time, and I
was enthralled by the simultaneous simplicity of the stories and
complexity and applicability of the core ideas. I think reading or
rereading it could be similarly eye-opening for adolescents. (Or
presidential candidates, or Congress, or voters I think the book has a
lot of potential.)
Vardell (2014) notes that it is important for childrens books to
present their messages without being didactic (p. 61), Of all the shorter
works I evaluated, this one probably comes closest to conveying an
explicit moral lesson. However, I noticed Dr. Seuss uses several tactics
to soften the impact of the message. First, he never states the moral
outright, or uses loaded phrases like you should or we should
Each story ends with a concrete action, and overall the action is
allowed to speak for itself. He also uses fantasy characters and settings
to put the story in a stimulating context. A cynic might call that tactic
an intentional distraction, but I think Dr. Seuss would consider it a
fundamental part of the story. One lesson Ive learned from teaching is
that good communication takes more than a solid message. The
method, execution, and appeal of the delivery also matters.
In general I have tried to stay away from evaluating books Ive read
before. Goodnight Moon, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See,
and Where the Wild Things Are were all classics I never encountered as
a child (my mother favored books with a more active plot, and Im not
sure she approved of Maxs disobedient attitude in Where the Wild
Things Are), but this is a longtime favorite and I couldnt resist the urge
to do something academic with it. As I said before, I discovered it as an
undergraduate, but I never had the opportunity to incorporate it into
an assignment because I was taking all adolescent-oriented classes.
Tempering my positive bias while evaluating a favorite book was a
challenge. I had to rely on Vardells text and observations from other
works to help me stay neutral. I never realized how explicit Dr. Seuss
moral lesson truly is until I compared the Sneetches to other wellreceived picture books. Looking back, the clear morality was probably
one of the characteristics that attracted me, because I like seeing my
values validated in print, but I can see how it could be a turn-off for
other readers. I consulted some of the books negative reviews on
Goodreads, and, sure enough, most of them mentioned preachiness as
one of the reasons for disliking the story.
I think my experience highlights both the potential and pitfalls of using
a personal favorite in a program. Its easier to be enthusiastic and
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Wightman, Benjamin
LIS 534
Evaluation Log
creative with something we like, but theres also significant potential
for disappointment. At least one person in attendance will probably
appreciate the book far less than we do, and it may be for reasons we
never considered. When that happens we need to resist the temptation
to take it as a personal affront, and remember that different readers
appreciate literature for different reasons.
52
Wightman, Benjamin
Evaluation Criteria
Title, Author, Year
Awards
LIS 534
#24 Information Book (4 of 8)
Evaluation Log
One World, One Day, Barbara Kerley, 2009

Information Book, Picture Book
None Recommended by Bookworm for Kids
(http://www.bookworm4kids.com/NonFiction.html)
Kerley juxtaposes photographs of children from around the world to
illustrate the different ways they go about doing fundamentally similar
daily activities such as eating breakfast, going to school, doing chores,
playing, eating dinner, spending time with their families, and preparing
for bed.
In accordance with the needs of its relatively young target audience,
the text is minimal. Kerley briefly describes the main idea of each
picture (typically in five words or less), but does not clutter up the
body of the book with information about geographic locations. Those
setting-related details are confined to the source notes. Older readers
should consult those notes. They reveal the full geographic extent of
Kerleys diverse subject matter, and provide additional context via
comments from the photographers.
Plot Summary
Characters
Theme
Setting
Cultural group(s)
represented
In some instances the photographers comments reveal the degree to

which Kerley reinterprets complex, sometimes negative situations. For
example page 9 depicts a boy pouring tea into a set of teacups. Kerleys
accompanying text says Hot sweet tea with plenty of milk / Lots of
things taste good for breakfast. The corresponding note from the
photographer explains that the Bangladeshi boy in the picture dropped
out of school after 4th grade, and now works full time at the restaurant
in the picture to help support his family.
This reinterpretation presents a challenge for evaluators attempting to
gauge the books authenticity. On one hand it is clear that Kerleys
narrative simplifies, and sometimes even distorts the full story of the
photographs. A critic might say she does her subjects and readers a
disservice by concealing the harsh experiences of the former from the
latter. However, the children in Kerleys target audience are just
beginning to learn about the world beyond their own communities,
and may not be ready to consider some of the photographers abstract
insights. In her afterword Kerley states that she is aware of the
complexity, but interested in conveying the simple, concrete message
that all of us around the world have much in common, and the more
we can embrace our commonality the more tolerant we can be of our
differences. In that context one could argue the text is authentic. None
of Kerleys statements is untrue; they all just represent a strictly
limited perspective. The extent to which that limit is appropriate
depends on the age of the reader. Young learners, who have yet to
appreciate that children around the world undertake similar activities
in different ways, may need Kerley to filter out some of the excess
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Evaluation Log
detail in order to see the connection between the images. However, it
would probably be inappropriate for older readers to ignore the added
context of the photographers comments if they are able to
comprehend it.
Yes, Kerleys theme is explicitly inclusive, and her selection of
illustrations includes individuals from a wide variety of cultures and
geographic locations. Readers can use a number of highly visual cues,
such as skin tone, clothing, accessories, and natural setting, to
recognize these cultural differences.

The locations of Kerleys subjects are precisely plotted on a map at the

end of the notes section, which allows readers to assess the relative
representation of different areas. Each of the six continents appears in
at least two illustrations, although on a strictly geographic basis the
United States, South Asia, and Southern China (33 combined
illustrations) are somewhat overrepresented, while Africa, Europe,
Latin America, East Asia/Eastern China and Oceania (20 combined
illustrations) are underrepresented. This may be because the United
States and South Asia are both highly populous, and internally diverse
areas.
The internal diversity of the United States is somewhat reflected in the
sample of images. European-Americans, African-Americans, Amish
children, and a Muslim family are all represented, but Asian-Americans
and Native Americans are absent.
The illustrations are the primary substance of the story. Kerleys text
mainly serves to highlight key details and clarify the theme. While a
few of the illustrations are simply stock photos, the majority were
thoughtfully composed by professional photographers, who explain
their methods and reasoning in the notes section.
this semester.
In general the photographs focus on their human subjects. The

background is typically a uniform object (such as a wall, floor, field, or
open sky) that gives limited information about the geographic context.
This may be a deliberate effort on Kerleys part to maintain a clear,
simple focus on the subjects and their activities. A few of the larger
half-spread and full-spread photos defy this pattern, but they comprise
a minority of the illustrations in the book.
The size of the illustrations varies from page-to-page. There are 5 fullspread photos, 14 half-spread photos, and 14 pages with 2-4 smaller,
tightly-cropped photos. The competing colors and symmetry of the
smaller illustrations can sometimes be overwhelming, especially when
five or more images appear on both sides of the spread (as is the case
on pages 8-9, 12-13. 14-15, 22-23, and 28-29).

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Wightman, Benjamin

in the textbook
LIS 534
Evaluation Log
This book has logical extensions for children of all ages. For the
youngest learners it may simply be an introduction to the idea that
they share common experiences with children around the world.
Kindergarten or first grade readers might build on this idea by
photographing themselves doing various activities throughout the day
and, as a class or reading group, combining them into their own One
Community, One Day book or display, which would illustrate how
families and friends in a single town can still approach similar
activities in different ways. Upper elementary or middle school
students could go deeper into the global theme of the book by
researching and presenting on different ways people around the world
engage in one particular activity, such as breakfast or school. The book
may even be of use to high school students, who could explore the
complex stories photographs tell, and how different textual comments
(such as Kerleys and the photographers) can cause readers to
interpret the same image in very different ways. They could apply this
idea by writing captions for their own selection of images, and
attempting to see how they can influence one anothers thinking.
Vardell (2014) supports my contention that this book, and similar
photo essays may appeal to readers of different ages in different
ways. She writes, most of us use books such as these to gain an
overview of a topic or to see visual representations to supplement our
text-based knowledge. For this reason, photo essays transcend grade
levels so long as the topic is appropriate to the readers maturity level.
55

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Are there any aspects of

I Too Am America, Langston Hughes & Brian Collier (Ill.), 2012

Share one specific idea to use this

Make a connection to a key point

Reflection on Childrens Materials

Back to Front and Upside Down, Claire Alexander, 2012

Are there any aspects of

Supporting and including exceptional peers is a major theme of the

Share one specific idea to use this

Make a connection to a key point

Reflection on Childrens Materials

Are there any aspects of

Share one specific idea to use this

Nelsons paintings are beautiful, but easy to overlook. Most spreads

Make a connection to a key point

Vardell (2014) identifies accuracy as the most important characteristic

Reflection on Childrens Materials

Are there any aspects of

Anything but Typical, Norah Raleigh Baskin, 2009

Make a connection to a key point

Reflection on Childrens Materials

Are there any aspects of

In general Goodes pen-and-ink line drawing illustrations complement

Share one specific idea to use this

Make a connection to a key point

Reflection on Childrens Materials

Are there any aspects of

Grandmas Gift, Eric Velasquez, 2010

Share one specific idea to use this

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Reflection on Childrens Materials

Are there any aspects of

Browns illustrations are critical to the meaning of the story. Without

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I chose to evaluate this book because I am interested in using it for my

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Reflection on Childrens Materials

Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Roderick Rules, Jeff Kinney, 2008

Gregs exact age and geographic location are ambiguous, perhaps to

Are there any aspects of

Not really, the narration adheres strictly to Gregs limited, somewhat

*Phrase coined by Metametrics, the company that developed Lexile

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That being said, I think this book could be a gateway to a variety of

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As a counterpoint to the activities I suggested above, Vardell (2014)

Reflection on Childrens Materials

Are there any aspects of

Soldiers Heart, Gary Paulsen, 1998

There are no illustrations in the body of the book. The cover is a

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Reflection on Childrens Materials

When discussing the plot of historical fiction novels, Vardell (2014)

Are there any aspects of

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Reflection on Childrens Materials

El Deafo, Cece Bell, 2014

Are there any aspects of

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