Down, Down, Down: Journey to the Bottom of the Sea

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Jenkins, Steve. 2009. Down, Down, Down: Journey to the Bottom of the Sea. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. ISBN 9780618966363

2. PLOT SUMMARY

This book takes readers on an informational and entertaining journey from the surface of the ocean to the deepest spot in the ocean floor, the Marianas trench. As indicated by the depth guide on the side, each double page spread descends further and further down to the bottom of the sea. A variety of information is presented at each location including a few interesting creatures and their habits as well as the features of the environment like water temperature and pressure. This is a great look at the ocean for all readers.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This book is an educational look at the ocean and some of the creatures within. It is organized according to ocean depth, and readers are presented with facts about these new areas with the turn of every page. The data presented and language used may not be accessible to all students, but the illustrations hold a reader’s attention regardless of age. The comprehensive bibliography included at the end of the book provides a more indepth look at various parts of the text. This is an amazing addition for anyone looking to research further.

The design and style of this book includes large two page full color spreads. Jenkins unique style of illustration provides readers with an incredibly accurate look at each creature as well as creating the sense of diving deeper and deeper as the pages get darker. Each animal is labeled, but the bulk of the text is grouped into a manageable chunk in the middle or to the side of the page. This allows early readers to enjoy the artwork and progression of the information without being overwhelmed by the complexity of some of the text.

Overall, this is a fascinating look at the ocean and ocean life. Most students, regardless of age, would be rather curious about some of this unusual sea life, and may develop a new desire to research and study the ocean more thoroughly.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

2009 NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE CHILDREN’S BOOK

2010 ALA NOTABLE BOOK

2010 CYBILS NONFICTION PICTURE BOOK FINALIST

2011 TEXAS BLUEBONNET AWARD NOMINEE

From Booklist: "In this plunge into the deep, Jenkins displays his usual keen awareness of what is fascinating about biology and imparts it without sensationalism—the facts speak for themselves . . Sophisticated cut- and torn-paper collage-work fit the alien qualities of the subjects well; it’s equally at home capturing the tiered needlepoints of lizardfish teeth as it is delivering an impressive and illuminating display of bioluminescence."

From School Library Journal, starred review: "Depicted in Jenkins's signature handsome collages, the denizens of each level swim against ever-darkening backgrounds ranging from sunny blue to deepest black . . . The bold views tend to emphasize the weirdness of these little-known species, but the repeated message that humans have much to explore and learn in the deeper ocean is intriguing and inviting."

From Kirkus: “Browsers will be delighted by the variety of species, shown in their appropriate colors although not to scale. Backmatter provides some information about the animals pictured, including sizes compared to a human body or hand, although the bibliography does not seem to include the sources used for those facts. Once again, Jenkins provides an almost irresistible entry into our natural world for the youngest readers.”

5. CONNECTIONS

Gather other Steve Jenkins books to read such as:

•                      Actual Size. ISBN 0547512910

•                      Biggest, Strongest, Fastest. ISBN 0395861365

•                      What Do You Do with a Tail Like This. ISBN 061899713X

Gather other ocean related books to read such as:

•                      Marsh, Laura. National Geographic Readers: Weird Sea Creatures. ISBN 1426310471

•                      Hague, Bradley. Alien Deep: Revealing the Mysterious Living World at the Bottom of the Ocean. ISBN 1426310676

•                      Dinwiddie, Robert. Ocean. ISBN 1465419683

Use as a science unit on ocean habitats, ocean animals, or animal adaptations.

Use as an introductory lesson for a research assignment on one of these specific sea creatures.

What To Do About Alice?

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kerley, Barbara. 2008. WHAT TO DO ABOUT ALICE?. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 0439922313

2. PLOT SUMMARY

This book is about Theodore Roosevelt’s eldest, free spirited daughter Alice. Her father believed her unruly behavior to be “running riot,” but she considered it to be “eating up the world.” She shocked most of the people around her by participating in outrageous things like driving, gambling, dancing, and making the most of every life experience. She eventually married a congressman and, being interested in politics, became one of her father’s most trusted advisers, but she never gave up her unconventional lifestyle.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This book is a fun and entertaining look at the life of Alice Roosevelt Longworth. It is organized into a light hearted narrative, providing an easy read for all ages. The facts that are included may not be her most important contributions to society but phrases like “unruly,” “inconsiderate,” and “tomboy” give readers insight into the behaviors that were frowned upon and drove her father crazy. The author's note included inside the back cover provides additional facts about Alice's life, fills in pieces of the story, and explains some of the motivation behind her antics, leading me to want to read more of her incredible life story.

The design and style of this book includes large colorful pictures that whimsically portray the more shocking behavior for which Alice was known such as greeting guests at the White House with a snake and sliding down the stairs on cookie sheets with her siblings “so her stepmother could get some rest.” The text is arranged in fairly small chunks with varied fonts and sizes to draw the reader’s eye, creating a captivating story with a message of staying true to oneself and not conforming to the norms of everyday society.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

2008 SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR AWARD

2009 AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION NOTABLE BOOKS FOR CHILDREN AWARD

2009 SIBERT HONOR BOOK

2009 IRMA BLACK AWARD HONOR BOOK

From Booklist, starred review: "Irrepressible Alice Roosevelt gets a treatment every bit as attractive and exuberant as she was....  Kerley's text has the same rambunctious spirit as its subject, grabbing readers from the first line....  The large format gives Fotheringham, in his debut, plenty of room for spectacular art."

From School Library Journal, starred review: "Kerley's text gallops along with a vitality to match her subject's antics, as the girl greets White House visitors accompanied by her pet snake, refuses to let leg braces cramp  her style, dives fully clothed into a ship's swimming pool, and also earns her place in history as one of her father's trusted advisers.... Fascinating."

5. CONNECTIONS

Gather other Barbara Kerley books to read such as:

•                      A Home for Mr. Emerson. ISBN 0545350883

•                      The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According To Susy). ISBN 0545125081

•                      Those Rebels, John and Tom. ISBN 0545222680

Use as a social studies lesson on past presidents and their families.

Use as a writing lesson having students imitate the text by writing about a unique person.

Use as a guidance lesson on being unique and avoiding peer pressure

Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Parrot

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Montgomery, Sy. Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2010. ISBN 9780618494170

2. PLOT SUMMARY

This book follows a team of people who are trying to save the critically endangered Kakapo parrot, a ground dwelling bird that is native to New Zealand. The story centers around a few specific birds like two females named Lisa and Cyndy and the efforts of the team to look after and care for them as well as their baby chicks. While there are some sadder moments in the book as the team witnesses the death of an old Kakapo parrot, the story is mostly one of great happiness and joy as the team protects the chicks and helps them to grow and survive. Even though information about these beautiful birds is limited, the work of this team, and others, have ultimately increased the number of living Kakapo parrots, giving hope for the survival of the species.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This book is beautifully written and filled with factual evidence from extensive field research Sy Montgomery did on location in New Zealand and with the conservation team trying to save the Kakapo. Montgomery invested five years in the writing of this book because so much is unknown about these birds and their breeding habits, and she had to wait for the right time to be able to bring readers this story. Working alongside the team, she is able to accurately document her experiences, observations, and conversations to draw the reader into the efforts used to save this bird. She also did extensive background research about these birds and includes a bibliography at the end of this book.

The organization of this book is not that of a typical informational survey book. This book falls into the category of a photo essay. The work of Nic Bishop in photographing this story and bringing it to life is both informational and highly artistic. The story picks up right away with the nocturnal adventures of this fascinating bird and continues with the work of the “nest minders” to protect the nest and the chick while mom is foraging for food. After providing various facts, the history of the Kakapo, and the events leading to its dwindling numbers, the story continues by following a few of the birds very closely to learn about their habits and behaviors through the eyes of the volunteers who are there to help. A reader will not soon forget Sirocco and his efforts to attract a mate or the heartbreak of losing Bill.  

The design and style of this book is attention grabbing and stunning throughout. The layout provides for easy readability and the photographs are truly breathtaking. Facts about the Kakapo including day to day events like nest building, mating and eating habits, as well as other behaviors are presented in a variety of ways from bulleted lists to narratives within the text and always through the amazing photography. The reader learns a tremendous amount of information, and I found myself continually wanting to read on and learn as much as I could about this bird. The author’s passion for this delicate creature is infectious, and it is obvious that this is more than just another book for her. Luckily, she leaves the reader with information about the continuing efforts to help this parrot.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

2011 ROBERT F. SIBERT INFORMATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER

2011 AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION NOTABLE BOOKS FOR CHILDREN WINNER

2012 YOUNG HOOSIER BOOK AWARD NOMINEE

From Kirkus, starred review: “As always, the photographer's remarkable and clearly reproduced photographs support and enhance the text. The book's careful design is unobtrusive: The progress of an opening egg sets off page numbers, and fern patterns provide a subtle decoration. Bibliography and a website encourage readers' further explorations. Wonderful.”

From School Library Journal, starred review: “Excellent photos and a readable, conversational text provide an intimate look at a concerted effort to save a drastically endangered species unfamiliar to most of the world outside Down Under. Readers who enjoyed this author/photographer team's The Tarantula Scientist (2007) or Quest for the Tree Kangaroo (2006, both Houghton) will gobble up this tribute to ecological science in action.”

5. CONNECTIONS

Gather other Sibert medal winners and honor books to read such as:

•                      O’Connell, Caitlin. The Elephant Scientist. ISBN 0547053444

•                      Roy, Katherine. Neighborhood Sharks: Hunting with the Great Whites of California's Farallon Islands. ISBN 1596438746

•                      Trumbore, Cindy. Parrots Over Puerto Rico. ISBN 1620140047

Gather other Sy Montgomery books to read such as:

•                      Saving the Ghost of the Mountain: An Expedition Among Snow Leopards in Mongolia. ISBN 0618916458

•                      The Tarantula Scientist. ISBN 061891577X

•                      The Quest for the Tree Kangaroo: An Expedition to the Cloud Forest of New Guinea. ISBN 054724892X

Use as a science lesson on: endangered species, animal adaptations, conservation, life cycles.

Explore Class Activities on Sy Montgomery’s website.

This is Just To Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Sidman, Joyce. This is Just To Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers, 2007.  ISBN 0618616802

2. PLOT SUMMARY

As part of a poetry unit, a class of 6th graders were asked to write poems of apology to one another. The poems were given to the intended recipient, and a response was then written back to the original person. This book compiles all of the poems, both the apologies and responses, and offers a glimpse into the lives of the students in this classroom. The students write in various poetic forms and on subjects ranging from problems at home to conflicts at school. The book even includes illustrations from one of the classmates.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This book is a topical anthology written primarily by sixth grade students, however, there are some adult responses as well. The authors employ the use of a variety of unique poetic structures including haiku, pantoum, and even snippets leading to a variance in the rhyme and rhythm from page to page depending upon the author’s chosen style. Most would be considered free verse, but the use of stanzas as well as intentional line breaks and punctuation helps the reader to feel the emotion and understand the meaning of the poems.

Many of these poems are rather light hearted and are apologies for things like stealing food or hitting someone with a dodgeball. One author apologizes “but not really.” Others are much more serious and truly tug at the reader’s heartstrings. The poem “Next Time” which was written to an absent father was filled with the emotion and angst that, unfortunately, many students have to endure. Luckily, there was a beautiful response along with a footnote in Part 2, but I would have preferred for those pieces to have been published side by side in order to maintain the power of the emotion that is written into those lines. Wanting to read both the apology and the response can become a bit cumbersome with this book because not all of the poems have a response, and, for those that do, the reader must flip back and forth to find out what is said and if forgiveness is offered.

The illustrations in this book were created by one of the students in the class. The drawings are more childlike and whimsical rather than the professional images in most picture books but still manage to convey the appropriate tone and emotion that is elicited in the poem including happiness, sadness, guilt, fear, anger, and disappointment. The colors vary from vibrant and bright to more warm and muted, adding to the genuineness of most of the apologies. What started as a simple class assignment has created a well written and incredibly enjoyable book of poems for all readers.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

2007 SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR

2009 BLUEBONNET AWARD NOMINEE

From Publisher’s Weekly: "This often humorous and touching anthology . . . successfully navigate[s] the complicated terrain for those who seek forgiveness.”

From School Library Journal, starred review: “Sidman’s ear is keen, capturing many voices. Her skill as a poet accessible to young people is unmatched . . . This is an important book both for its creativity and for its wisdom.”

From Kirkus: “. . . this series of poems was inspired by William  Carlos Williams's famous poem of the same title regarding a theft of plums. . . . Packed with the intensity of everyday pain and sorrow, kids and adults exchange the words that convey grief, delight, love and acceptance of themselves and others.”

5. CONNECTIONS

Gather other poetry books by Sidman such as:

•                      What the Heart Knows: Chants, Charms, and Blessings. ISBN 0544106164

•                      Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night. ISBN 0547152280

•                      Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors. ISBN 0547014945

Gather other humorous poetry books such as:

•                      Levine, Gail Carson. Forgive Me, I Meant to Do It: False Apology Poems. ISBN 0061787256

•                      Prelutsky, Jack. The Sheriff of Rottenshot. ISBN 068800198X

•                      Fitzmaurice, Gabriel. Do Teachers Go to the Toilet? ISBN 1856356574

Have students attempt their own apology poems and responses.