Author: mrsday2018

PART I:

Picture Books / Easy Readers (4):

• Pinkalicious by Victoria Kann and Elizabeth Kann
• Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin, Illustrated by Daniel Salmieri
• Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty, Illustrated by David Roberts
• The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

Literary Awards (2):

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Evaluation:

I Love My Hair! by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley is an adorable, self-empowering, and culturally-sensitive picture book about a little girl and how she wears her hair. Tarpley’s figurative language makes an ordinary task of doing one’s hair an imaginative process leaving the reader feeling as contented and carefree as the narrator. Tarpley uses similes, metaphors, personification, and onomatopeias to communicate the girl’s feelings about her hair.

Lewis’s illustrations reinforce the text well throughout the book, following the journey the narrator takes in doing and appreciating her hair. In the beginning, the pictures show the little girl sitting with her mother, trying not to make a fuss over the pain of detangling her curls. Then the pictures follow the little girl’s imagination and wonder as she compares the different styles of hair to things like thick forests and cotton candy.

The illustrations also establish the mood of this story. The only time the little girl does not have a smile on her face is when her mother is trying to detangle her hair. For the rest of the book, she wears a smile and shows wonder in her eyes. The scenes of space and of her flying at the end leave the reader feeling peaceful and charmed by the innocence of this little girl expressing love for her hair.

Response:

I Love My Hair! is a beautiful little story of acceptance and love. I know I’ve heard before that African-American girls tend to be shamed by society for their curls. I think that is ridiculous because natural, black, curly hair is beautiful! Everyone should love and appreciate their natural look. Unfortunately, society has made many women, no matter their race, feel like something about them is not good enough. I’m really glad that little African American girls can read this book and feel the love and enjoyment of the different things that they can do with their hair. I also love the way the author and illustrator can make other girls feel normal about their hairstyles and their memories of their mothers doing their hair. I hope that this is an empowering example of embracing what you were born with instead of conforming to society’s unrealistic standards. I personally can relate only slightly to this story as I have wavy red hair. It was a struggle for me to learn to do my own hair and to accept what my hair wants to do. Sometimes I still struggle with this so I know there are African American girls who also struggle. I hope this book helps them realize that they are beautiful no matter what they choose to do with their hair.

Conclusion:

Natasha Anastasia Tarpley’s I Love My Hair! is the story of a little girl and her love for the many things she can do with her hair. This is a great example for little girls and for anyone who thinks that their natural hair isn’t good enough. I think this can also be a teaching moment for anyone who does not understand African American hair. This story is great for a read aloud to young elementary students or to anyone needing a little encouragement to love the hair they have.

Citation:

Tarpley, N. A. & Lewis, E. B. (Illustrator). (1998). I love my hair! New York, NY: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

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Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend is the first book in a fantastical tale about the young Miss Morrigan Crow who, in the beginning, is sentenced to death on her 11th birthday because she was born a cursed child. Thankfully, this does not happen as she is whisked away to another world where she is safe, but she also has to prove her worth in order to stay. Townsend’s figurative language in this story makes for a more interesting and whimsical read. Personification, imagery, simile, and metaphor are found scattered throughout the pages. An example of such personification is when Morrigan is in the midst of cheating death: “Fear had set up camp in her stomach and was having a festival.”

Townsend also masterfully wields precise vocabulary especially after the introduction of the eccentric Jupiter North. Jupiter uses words such as “demonstrably, superbly, brilliantly alive,” when making a point to Morrigan’s father about the fact that she hasn’t died yet even though the whole family acts as if she has. He also says “indelicately baptized,” when referring to Morrigan’s first impression of his arachnipod. These words could also be claimed by the amusing dialogue, more so than vocabulary in itself. Jupiter is a fascinating character with comical quips such as “I could murder a bacon sandwich.”

Most importantly, The Trials of Morrigan Crow is filled with insights both expected and unexpected. Knowing the premise of the book, the insights about fearing death are more or less expected by the reader. However, there are other insights about illegal aliens being in need of help, talent meaning nothing if one is “no honest, and determined, and brave,” and that people leave invisible trails of emotion wherever they go. There’s so much to think about and relate to one’s own life.

Response:

I found The Trials of Morrigan Crow very entertaining. I’m surprised I had never heard of it before now. It seems to me to be a mix of several other fantastical stories that I have read, heard or seen before such as Doctor Who, Harry Potter, and Jupiter Ascending. I could see parts of each of these stories shining through this book. I think if I was a middle schooler or even an upper elementary schooler, I would love to have something like this to read. I think even high schoolers would enjoy this story. I’m an adult and I enjoyed it! I might have to go read the next one now.

Conclusion:

Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend is the beginning of a whimsical and outlandish tale about a so-called cursed young lady who is whisked away to another world for safety and belonging in the Wundrous Society. Townsend’s use of figurative language, precise vocabulary in dialogue, and both expected and unexpected insights make for an engrossing read. I recommend this book to anyone who is able to read the words as it has wonderful morals in an imaginative world. It would also make a great read-aloud book.

Citation:

Townsend, J. (2017). Nevermoor: The trials of morrigan crow. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.

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Elizabeth Acevedo’s The Poet X is a powerful story of a Dominican, Harlem teenager told through the poetry she writes in her journal every day. The entire novel is written in poems so there is ample figurative language. Acevedo includes some dynamic imagery along with similes, metaphors, onomatopoeias and more. One example is from an assignment Xiomara, the narrator, submits: “I dress my thoughts in the clothing of a poem.”

Acevedo also utilizes music in language in certain pieces throughout the book. In the poem “The First Words,” she uses repetition to reveal just how often Xiomara is told, “You sure ain’t an easy one.” Words like that repeated over and over in someone’s life can shape their opinions of themselves and therefore shape their personality. She also uses repetition when Father Sean, Xiomara’s priest is lecturing her instead of trying to find out why she had an outburst in confirmation class. Then again, the repetition shows how comfortable she feels in the arms of her love interest.

Through the dialogue, Acevedo uses understatement. Much is said through what the characters don’t say when there was a chance to speak. Xiomara’s mother is a strict, religious woman and most of what she says in Bible verses. Even when Xiomara comes back to confront her mother about hitting her and burning her journal, the mother just cries, pats her back, and runs her fingers through Xiomara’s hair. Her father is also the silent type when it comes to Xiomara, until the very end when the family begins seeing Father Sean more often for counseling. His words at the end about dancing and love make so much more of an impact because of this. Even Xiomara herself holds back on what she says to people. An example of this is when she is complimenting a friend on her writing.

Response:

Wow. I can see why this has already won so many awards even though it was only published last year. The emotion just pours through this book. It was so relatable to me growing up in a strict, religious household. Thankfully my mother was never as hard on me as Xiomara’s. Her mother was downright abusive. Her father, however, reminded me even more of mine. He takes a backseat to the mother’s crazy, authoritarian parenting style. She says that he is absent even though he is still living there with the family. I identify with that more than I realized until the very end when he asks Xiomara to dance. I cried then, just like I cried when my dad danced with me at my wedding. So many young people can make similar connections to this text. It is a great book for teenagers. There is definitely some mature subject matter along the lines of violence and sexuality, but what teenager hasn’t encountered these in this day and age? The topic of rebutting against religion almost turned me off of this book, however, Xiomara goes through a lot and it’s no wonder she wants to ask questions. I love that her priest begins to work with her and allows her to ask questions. She even ends the book still not sure whether she’s for or against the church. I think this is also something that a lot of modern teens struggle with and it might be good for some to hear about others having the same doubts.

Conclusion:

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo is a novel-in-verse about a young Dominican, Harlem teen trying to discover herself and her voice through poetry. This emotional story contains all the figurative language and music in language that can make poetry so effective. The understated dialogue also packs a powerful punch. I would recommend this book to teenagers and young adults because of the themes that are so common to this age group. So many emotional connections are to be had when reading Xiomara’s poetry. I do not, however, recommend this book to anyone younger than high school because it so so mature.

Citation:

Acevedo, E. (2018). The poet x. New York, NY: HarperTeen.

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Kate DiCamillo’s The Tale of Despereaux is the fantasy story of a mouse in love with a human princess, a rat in love with the light, a girl who just wants to be treated right. This pseudo fairy tale is told in four parts and three different points of view. DiCamillo writes whimsically using figurative language all throughout the book. From onomatopoeia to idiom and hyperbole, from alliteration to simile and metaphor, the figurative language makes the story more interesting to read.

DiCamillo also draws a line in the sand at the very beginning of her tale. Despereaux’s mother goes through some terrible labor when giving birth to him and who should have been his brothers and sisters. None of the babies make it, except for Despereaux. When the father mouse asks if the mother will name the lone surviving babe, she bemoans that all the others have died and that most likely this one will too. She names him anyway even though she thinks he will die like the others. The readers, of course, know that this name she gives him is the title character and therefore he will live after all.

The vocabulary in The Tale of Despereaux is quite precise, even if Kate DiCamillo is a tad condescending about it. Words like “perfidy,” “indignant,” and ” beleaguered,” are wonderful words for anyone to practice reading and using. However, Kate DiCamillo does like to point this out and also point out that the reader should look them up in a dictionary which is debatably condescending.

Response:

Before reading The Tale of Despereaux, I had heard of the book and heard of the movie. I think I even own the book in my old classroom library. However, I had not ever read it until recently. I have to say that my first impression is, while it was written fairly well, that it is a weird story. I get that it is supposed to be fairytale-like, but I just couldn’t deal with that absurd ending. Absolutely nothing about this story is believable, and maybe that’s how DiCamillo meant it? I also thought it was odd to have a character so mistreated, and yet so unlikeable such as Mig. Then, to have sympathy for the villain in the end? It all just struck me as odd. I guess I’m used to more traditional fairy tales. I did enjoy the message of forgiveness and making things right though. I think that’s a nice, positive spin. Then, there’s also the abundance of opportunities for teaching both figurative language and vocabulary. Teachers love that! One thing I did not appreciate, however, was the condescension and speaking directly to the reader. I’m not usually a fan of “breaking the fourth wall,” but some might like it.

Conclusion:

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo is the fantastical story of a mouse, a rat, and a girl and how their fates intertwine. DiCamillo’s use of figurative language, drawing a line in the sand, and precise vocabulary make this book a teacher’s dream. Although the explaining of vocabulary and speaking directly to the reader limits the audience for this tale, I do recommend it for elementary school students. It would make a great read-aloud book for all of the aforementioned teaching points, but also for the many opportunities to use great voices while reading.

Citation:

DiCamillo, K. (2003). The tale of despereaux. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

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Rebecca Stead’s When You Reach Me is a realistic tale with a dash of science fiction set in late 1970s New York. It’s told from the perspective of Miranda, a preteen girl, who begins to receive mysterious notes from a stranger predicting the future. When You Reach Me is riddled with unexpected insights. Stead drives home themes about friendship, identity, social class, compassion, and forgiveness through the characters’ reactions to the events of the book. Miranda, as the narrator, has many introspective moments that the reader gets to share with her.

Rebecca Stead uses understatement occasionally throughout this book to portray those oh-so-common awkward moments in life. The reader can see this with Miranda’s inability to apologize to her mother when she insults the cleanliness of the apartment. All Stead reveals is that Miranda can’t apologize to her mother, but not why. Then again, when her friend Colin comes to the apartment and kisses her. She simply kisses him back, then there’s no more mention of Colin and Miranda’s relationship until the end when Miranda is reflecting on kissing Colin a few more times that year.

Stead’s dialogue in When You Reach Me is revealing of the different characters and their personalities. Miranda expects her frenemy, Julia, to overreact when her watch falls off and accidentally breaks. She had just been calling Miranda an idiot for not watching out for Annemarie more, but all Julia says about the watch is “Oh, great,” and mumbles about how the day “stinks.” This is showing the Julia isn’t exactly the person Miranda thinks.

Response:

I had never read When You Reach Me before until this summer and I was honestly very confused throughout a good chunk of the book. There are so many mysteries that come into play in the book early on and you keep turning the pages to find out the answers. Well, let me just tell you that the answers don’t come until very nearly the end of the book. Even some of the understatement and insights left me feeling a little confused and I had to put the book down for a bit to mull it over before continuing. I did enjoy the text-to-text connections with A Wrinkle in Time, however, I have not read that book, only watched the movie. Thankfully, I had watched the movie though or else some of the references wouldn’t have been as powerful. I will say that a lot of the time travel talk was still very confusing, but maybe it is supposed to be? The chapter titles were interesting as well. I made sure to go back and look at each subtitle after I finished the chapter in order to make the connections between them and what happened. I also adored all the themes about friendship and forgiveness. It’s true that people tend to figure life out through introspection and that’s exactly what we see with Miranda. She realizes that being kind is better than being indifferent and that to say something is better than not saying anything at all.

Conclusion:

Rebecca Stead’s When You Reach Me is a realistic fiction story about time travel and friendship in late 1970s New York. Stead’s use of unexpected insights, understatement, and dialogue come together to make a fascinating, mysterious, and thought-provoking novel. I recommend it to anyone from upper elementary up as it is appropriate and profound.

Citation:

Stead, R. (2009). When you reach me. New York, NY: Wendy Lamb Books.

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Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight is a teen sensation young adult romance involving a century-old vampire who still looks like a teenager and the new girl in town who strikes his fancy. This series exploded with popularity among women from puberty-stricken teenage girls all the way up to hopeless romantic housewives. However, Meyer’s understatement is debatably the only aspect of this book that actually makes it a good read. The thing that seems to be what garnered fame for the series is the fact that the reader can put themselves in the main character/narrator’s shoes and insert their own personality.

The dialogue in this book could have been what saved it, but much of what the narrator wants to say only comes out as thoughts and is never actually said. When she does speak, it’s awkward and choppy depicting her as stiff and dull. The vampires are all very quiet, stoic characters and therefore don’t say much themselves. There are a few minor characters who speak more but this is just accredited to their “bubbly” personalities.

Meyer’s vocabulary in Twilight waivers between precise and controlled throughout the book. There are pages where Meyer uses words like “shattering, thunderous” and then there are pages where it seems she’s just throwing words out there for the sake of elongating sentences. She also attempts some figurative language in the book by comparing the way the vampires look or how they act to other things, but it is too few and far between to make an impact.

Response:

I first read this book when it came out, which was when I was in high school. Of course, back then, I was more interested in love stories than in actual good writing. I had to read and analyze enough good writing in school, so when I was outside of school I wanted to read something with a topic that interested me. That topic at the time happened to be unique romance. I will give Meyer this: Twilight appeals to a societally driven desire for women to fall madly in love with handsome, mysterious, rich, young-looking, yet wise men. I loved it when I read it and bought each new book as it came out. I even watched each new movie as those premiered, though the movies were MUCH worse than the books. After a few years of college and the real world slapped me in the face, I realized that these books do not stand the test of time. They were not very well written and do not accurately portray real love, but the mere fantasy of it.

Conclusion:

Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight is the fantasy tale of young love between a painfully awkward teenage girl and a century-old vampire who at least looks the same age as the girl all told from her perspective. Meyer’s understatement, particularly when it comes to dialogue, is the only redeeming aspect and even then it does occasionally detract from the story. I do recommend this book to any lovelorn young females looking to satisfy their hormones.

Citation:

Meyer, S. (2005). Twilight. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.

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The Fellowship of the Ring: Being the first part of The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien is the first of a trilogy but the second book overall about a particular adventure focusing around good versus evil in the fantasy land of Middle Earth. It is preceded by The Hobbit and succeeded by the two other novels in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and The Return of the King. The very beginning of this book already starts out with Tolkien’s signature music in language in the form of a poem simultaneously explaining some history behind the rings and foreshadowing the future of the one ring. Tolkien frequently uses music in language in all of the books surrounding this tale. There are songs and rhymes abound, too many in fact to mention specific examples.

Tolkien’s precise vocabulary is also something of which to take note. He has made up the names for so many characters, places, and things. The idea of a Hobbit is all thanks to Tolkien. He also loves altering things from our world ever so slightly as to be fantastical and silly, such as when the hobbit Bilbo turns 111 and all of the hobbits pronounce it “eleventy-first,” instead of one hundred eleven.

The use of figurative language in all of Tolkien’s books connects the characters and events to scenes in nature. He uses similes to compare elven eyes to the sky and stars. Tolkien is also well known for his imagery, painting detailed pictures of the places the fellowship travel through. It doesn’t stop there though, he also uses personification, alliteration, hyperbole, and more. These add so much depth to his writing.

Response:

I read The Hobbit and most of The Lord of the Rings trilogy when I was in middle school. That was when I really got into reading novels. Sometime after that, probably freshman year of high school, is when I stopped to only read the novels required by class as there were quite a lot in my IB classes. The movies had also come out while I was reading the books and they kind of took the spotlight from the books themselves. Though they had their differences, the books did a fair job of representing the story. Going back now and rereading the first book, I realize how much I miss Tolkien’s style of writing. It makes me want to read the whole trilogy again and I just might. Thinking back n reading them as a preteen, I wouldn’t say that these books really appeal to that age. These are more upper high school and adult books if anything. I do also appreciate the Christian allegory in the books as well. I know some people don’t, but it really isn’t overbearing or blatant. It’s a subtle nod to the morals of Christianity. I’m glad I never had to pick any of these novels apart in high school, it would have killed them for me.

Conclusion:

J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring: Being the first part of The Lord of the Rings is the second book, first in trilogy, of the story of a good versus evil fantasy that takes place in the fictional land of Middle Earth. It is Tolkien’s use of music in language, precise vocabulary, and figurative language that have turned this book and its series into classics. While I do agree that older teenagers and adults would be better suited as the audience, anyone old enough to read and understand the words can enjoy this book and the others that follow the same storyline.

Citation:

Tolkien, J. R. R. (1954). The fellowship of the ring: Being the first part of the lord of the rings. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.

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Louis Sachar’s Holes is the realistic story of a boy who finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Stanley Yelnats and his family have had a long history of bad luck up until it lands Stanley in a correctional camp for troubled young boys. There he discovers his family’s history and breaks the curse causing all of that awful luck. The unexpected insights provided by Sachar are what makes this tale so outstanding. The characters grow and develop throughout the story, learning life lessons about loyalty, fate, acceptance, forgiveness, and friendship.

Sachar also uses quite a bit of figurative language in this novel. A fine example of this is his comparison of a character’s face: “Zero’s face looked like a jack-o’-lantern that had been left out too many days past Halloween–half rotten, with sunken eyes and a drooping smile.” Another example would be when the main character thinks to himself exaggerating the amount of holes left to dig.

The dialogue in Holes also reveals much about its characters. An example of this is when the reader learns more about Stanley’s family history. Stanley’s great-great grandfather wanted to marry a girl so he brought a (stolen) pig to the girl’s father in exchange for her hand in marriage. As he did so, he learned from her words what everyone had warned him: she was a spoiled brat and not very bright. He also learned that she did not love him. The dialogue in this situation proved the girl’s character and that Stanley’s great-great grandfather wasn’t very bright himself.

Response:

I first read this book just after it first came out. I was about 10 or 11 and I absolutely loved it. It’s an imaginative story so I was surprised to see that it is labeled realistic fiction. Though I can see it because of the world they live in outside of Camp Green Lake. The twist at the end is one of my favorites. It’s a silly, adventurous tale with twists and turns that keep you turning each page to see what happens next. This was a book that really got me into reading novels as a kid. The movie adaptation wasn’t bad either. I like Shia Labeouf as Stanley. He portrayed the awkward innocence of a poor boy with bad luck pretty well. I think the messages about keeping your word, not judging others, and friendship are great for anyone. I think this book was definitely aimed at upper elementary to middle school students, but it is becoming a classic in its own right and anyone older can enjoy it too. I wouldn’t recommend it to younger children though as it does have some violence and mature themes.

Conclusion:

Louis Sachar’s Holes is the story of an adventure involving betrayal, bad luck, and friendship. It’s an excellent read with unexpected insights, figurative language, and great dialogue. I would recommend it for anyone nine years old and up who is looking for an adventure with a happy ending.

Citation:

Sachar, L. (1998). Holes. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

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World Make Way: New Poems Inspired by Art from The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a book of art and poetry by various artists and authors edited together by Lee Bennett Hopkins. The beautiful, flowery, musical language that accompanies the artwork in this book entrances the reader. The very first poem, “Paint Me,” by Marilyn Singer, uses an inconsistent yet present rhyme to stress the girl’s impatience with her painter. One can lose themself in the poetry of this collection. Each poem is as different as each painting.

A rarity it would be to find this much poetry without any figurative language. Figurative language is to poetry as texture can be to paintings. It isn’t necessary but it adds style and charm. The poem “Dancing,” by Alma Flor Ada, uses simile to compare everything forgotten when one is lost in the music to “scattered litter strewn on the dance floor.” This accompanies the 1980 oil on canvas painting by Fernando Botero titled, “Dancing in Columbia.”

The paintings in this collection mostly reinforce the text that they accompany. Since the poets were asked to produce a poem with the inspiration of a certain piece of artwork, it only makes sense that they reinforce each other. One without the other is still a fine work of art, but “mesh both together, and magic happens” (Hopkins, 2017, p.5).

Response:

Already being a major poetry and art fan, this book was a joy for me to look through and read. The art itself is something to spend time examining, but add the poetry to it and just like Hopkins said, “magic happens.” I love that he included information about each poet and each artist at the end. It’s always fascinating to read about the creative people behind the art. I don’t know that young readers would appreciate it as much I do, but I hope. You never really know if someone is going to enjoy something until they read/look at it for themselves. I taught in a district that would take their 5th graders to the Dallas Museum of Art once a year and I just love that. The more kids are exposed to art and poetry at a young age, the more they are likely to discover that they enjoy it and might want to pursue a career in one of those arts.

Conclusion:

World Make Way: New Poems Inspired by Art from The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a collection of poems and the art by which they were inspired. Lee Bennett Hopkins beautifully edited this collection into a fine book. It is hopeful that young readers would pick this book up and be inspired themselves. It definitely should not be limited to just young readers though as I am an adult and enjoyed it thoroughly.

Citation:

Hopkins, L. B. (Ed.) (2017). World make way: New poems inspired by art from the metropolitan museum of art. New York, NY: Abrams Books for Young Readers.