Tag: Book Reviews

Picture Book Spotlight: The Name Jar

I should probably start this post by saying that this book is a certain gem. What a wonderful concept Yangsook Choi has weaved into the fantastic vehicle of a children’s book! This book opens with a young girl making a long journey that will change her life. Unhei comes from Korea to America, and to a new school. Before she gets to her new school, kids on her bus begin to tease her about her name. How will she possibly get through the first day of school?

Choi weaves a compassionate and thoughtful cast of characters in this book. The Korean tradition is briefly touched upon, and a young child’s love of her native land is showcased with generosity of character. Unhei goes to school and decides she will not reveal her name to her fellow classmates, saying that she hasn’t picked one yet. She does not want to risk being bullied again. Her classmates, in helpful form, put together a Name Jar for her, with suggestions for what name she could pick. All except Joey. Joey takes some extra time to get to know Unhei, and the story thumps along to its heart-warming end.

This book delves into cultural identity and what it means for people to uproot themselves from familiar cultures and assimilate into new ones. It especially focuses on the struggle young children face, and the bullying that oftentimes ensues. It measures the weight of a name and what it means for every individual. It is also a warm narrative of what happens when you can find your identity in the country you came from, and the one you now call home.

Teachers, set mostly in a school, this book provides the perfect backdrop from broaching the conversation around cultural identity, bullying, family, self-identity, and what it means to be who you are. This books is also versatile in his accessibility. It can be read aloud to students from grades 1 – 6.

As an Extension Activity, you can do a Name Jar Activity with your students where you invite them to ask parents and/or guardians about how they got their names. Each student can then write his/her name and the reason for being given that name on a piece of paper, and slip it into a jar at the start of class the next day. Circle Sharing Time can be utilized to give each child the opportunity to pick a piece of paper out of the jar and the teacher can read out the contents of the paper. Such an activity would allow a better awareness of the identities and lifestyles of their peers, for each student.It can also be a great opportunity to help sow the seeds of respect, if their leaves are not already flourishing.

 

©booksnnooks.org All Rights Reserved

Extending The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry

So, this time I have given it all away in my title. I will be writing about how The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry is a FABULOUS resource for teachers as a read-aloud, and how to extend this book in at least one (very fun) way.

I have read this book several times now, and have developed a pattern for when to ask what questions and how to get the most out of it. Cherry has masterfully crafted a book where young children are walked through the process of recognizing the importance of nature, step-by-step. The book opens with GORGEOUS illustrations depicting the Amazon Rain Forest. Teachers, you can easily do an introductory lesson on geography, and get your students to look up where the Amazon Rain Forest is located, and develop a sense of the setting in this book.

The reason I like this book so much is because it breaks down the benefits of nature and the importance of preserving it, page by page. Students can also widen their knowledge of flora and fauna through the pictures of birds, animals and plants that they see. You see toucans and sloths, monkeys and anteaters, jaguars and macaws, and your students will LOVE identifying and learning about these animals.

Various concepts you can touch on briefly or extend in detail are: camouflaging, the role of trees in providing oxygen, the importance of preserving trees for future generations, the food chain, animal habitats etc. This book is a FANTASTIC jumping platform for other concepts that you want to introduce to your class. Typically, I have read this to grades 2 and 3, but this can be stretched to the lower junior grades as well, 4 and 5.

A great extension activity that we used to avail of the wonderful cross-curricular opportunities this book offers, was doing an art project with tissue paper. We used cut-up tissue paper in different tree-colours to make trees. I further encouraged my students to note down in one word or phrase, the importance of trees to emphasize the literacy component of their learning, and to help with summarizing skills.

The following materials were used:

wp-1468460188165.jpeg
For this project you will need tissue paper of yellow, red and orange, and different shades of green and brown, cut up into neat little squares, glue, pencils and blank sheets of paper with tree outlines drawn on.

I took a video to best illustrate the process, as below:

And here are some finished products. Such artists the kids are!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

So what are your waiting for? Go on! Give this INCREDIBLE book a read aloud and then do this COOL activity. You will convert even the most inattentive and hard-to-manage student in your class, as (s)he sits down quietly and completes this (almost) therapeutic project. Happy art-ing! And, you’re welcome.

©booksnnooks.org All Rights Reserved

The Polacco Series: Gratitude

Some of you, and maybe a lot of teachers, might be familiar with the name Patricia Polacco. As educators, I think her books are essential components of our libraries. Polacco is a truly gifted author, who uses her life experiences and cultural heritage to write immensely touching books that, if you were being honest with yourself, border on a “tear-jerker”. Not only is this very talented author a moving writer, she illustrates her books with emotional sketches and tugging colours. I have done countless read-alouds with my students where we discuss her choice of colour for specific artwork, coming to the conclusion that like her words, her drawings are also bursting with meaning.

One of my favourite books from Polacco is the ADORED Thank you, Mr. Falker

This book weaves a heart-rending story of a young girl, Trisha, who faces challenges in her learning. She has dyslexia, and none of the teaching staff at her school are able to pick this up. This challenge makes our young protagonist a target for name-calling and bullying. And, unlike other children, when Trisha welcomes the chance to move to another city and start over at a new school, her hopes are met with despair, as she painfully navigates yet another school system stuffed with bullies and teaching staff who do not seem to care. Until of course she meets Mr. Falker. Mr. Falker, like a lot of teachers these days who get into teaching despite its hardships, is the teacher who makes a difference in this girl’s life. He takes a gamble on her and his gamble pays off, leading to a moment, brilliantly narrated with emotion, that changes Trisha’s life forever. Based on a true story, this narrative is packed with feel-goods.

Perfect for  grades 3-6, and abounding in themes of gratitude, compassion, bullying awareness, self-confidence issues in children, learning challenges and their effects, this book should really be read to every child out there. If nothing else, it lets children know that they are not alone in their struggles, and that they can rely on that one teacher to make a difference in their lives.

 

©booksnnooks.org All Rights Reserved

George Leigh Mallory: The First to Summit Everest?

Rating 4/5

George Leigh Mallory

For most of you, that name does not ring a bell (Unless you’re a mountaineering enthusiast of course, or just a rare brainiac). You are however, in all likelihood, familiar with the names of Edmund Hillary, a mountaineer from New Zealand, and Tenzing Norgay, a Nepalese Sherpa who made the journey with Hillary, the first 2 climbers to conquer the summit of Mount Everest in 1953. Little is known about the brave man, George Leigh Mallory, who in 1924, led the 3rd expedition from England to reach the summit of Everest. Mallory and his climbing partner, Andrew “Sandy” Irvine disappeared in June 1924, and whether they reached the summit or not has been a cause for much speculation since they disappeared 92 years ago.

Jeffrey Archer, a former British politician, has written a page-turner with George Leigh Mallory as the charismatic Protagonist, titled, Paths of Glory. Mallory is positioned as a devil-may-care gentleman who seems to scale the most domineering mountaintops with little regard for failure. Although Archer’s writing style leaves for something to be desired, he has a flair for fluffing up the facts to deliver tones of adventure,  and creating dramatic hooks that leave you hanging and hungering for the end. And while the world has yet to  find out whether George Mallory and Sandy Irvine reached the summit in 1924, Archer ends his narrative having taken a side. The facts that have been uncovered over the years are presented with much pzazz to deliver a cast of characters who are true to their roles and remain, to the very end, very convincing. Mallory’s family and friends are constructed as integral characters to the story, and Archer shows a lot of respect to Mallory’s Expedition team and his beloved wife, Ruth Mallory.

The relationship between Ruth and George Mallory provides for much heightened drama as it weaves together a roller-coaster of emotions that take the reader on the journey of a wife longing for her husband, and a man torn by the ache to be with his family and the relentless desire to achieve his ambition.

This was an adventure that spear-headed my need to research more about the 1924 Expedition to Everest, and George Mallory’s Life. There is much information out there, and most of it says the same thing, but George Mallory seems to exude a mystery and elicit desire to know what happened to him on his journey up the mountain. Mallory’s body was found in May of 1999, 75 years after he disappeared, by a team of American climbers. There is fascinating video footage shot by the team upon the discovery:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFr1KdY6aiw

And while Archer’s book is but one way to reconcile the mystery around the final moments of Mallory and Irvine, Archer leaves his readers with a feeling of awe, thoroughly honouring this fascinating and skilled mountaineer who tried to defy the limitations of his time, and conquer a giant.

If you’re looking for dexterity of writing style, this is not the book for you, but if you thrive on adventure and mystery, then this is a must-read.

©booksnnooks.org All Rights Reserved

 

 

 

 

Recognizing Teachers: Thank You, Todd Parr.

So often a Teacher’s job is berated: “You get summers off” “You get paid too much for the little you do” “You don’t know what you are doing when it comes to raising a child”.  Not a lot of people actually respect the job of a teacher. And while I am not here to dispel the falsehoods that seek to trample my kind here at home, I would like to share why exactly I am a Teacher. And in doing so, a lot of these damning falsities will crumble.

I did not come to the conclusion to be a teacher lightly. No. When I was little, sure, I played Pretend-Teacher. My momma is a teacher and like a lot of  young girls, I wanted to be just like her when I grew up. So I chalked endless mathematical equations, and grammatical sentences, and diagrams on the dark wood door of my bedroom, with an imaginary classroom paying rapt attention to my lessons. And I enjoyed it! I would explain the concepts to my invisible students and then answer their voiceless questions.

Years later, when I was graduating from university, all I wanted to do was travel the world. And I knew I couldn’t do it on my savings, so I decided to build a portfolio that would market me to the international world of employers hiring tutors and teachers of English. So began a couple of years of travelling abroad and teaching students who were 3 years old one summer, and then 18 years old the next winter. And it felt good! At the time, I thought it was just the freedom and the opportunity for self-discovery and exploration that gave me such joy. However, when I returned home, I realized that continuing teacher-like jobs still afforded me the same happiness. So, at the urgency of friends and family, I began my journey to becoming a teacher. Today, I work in the school system and no matter how hard the day stretches before me, I am content. I have the opportunity to help in a way that I have wanted to since I was a child. In what other job could I be surrounded by a classroom full of young minds hungry to learn what it is I have planned for them that day? In what other job could I smile when I see one of my students complete a task (s)he has been struggling with since the beginning of the school year? Or when I am coaching cross-country and one of my students decides she is going to push herself to be a stronger runner after heeding my encouragement? Or when I am able to deliver a book of interest into the excited hands of a student who does not really love reading? What other job is out there where I can help make such a positive difference in the life of a child?

Some of the most valued people in my life are teachers. Some of them have been instrumental in bringing me to where I am today. Such is the destiny of a teacher, and I wanted to continue that trend. For me, being a teacher is a vocation, and within that vocation, my students’ education and well-being becomes the priority.

I know the job of a teacher is difficult. With the limited, and soon-depleting, resources and supports in many school systems, that job is made harder, whether the outsider is privy to it or not. As teachers, we don’t spend our lunches and recesses coaching children who are struggling in Math or Science because we get paid more. We do this because we want that child to succeed, because we want him to know that we believe in him, and hopefully one day, he too will believe in himself. As teachers we do not offer 2-3 extra hours a few times a week to coach soccer or hockey or chess club just because it is a party and we get paid more. No, we do it because we want to inculcate a valuable skill-set within our students. A skill-set that will prepare them well for a healthy and well-rounded future. As teachers we don’t spend evenings and weekends and summers devoted to our own personal enjoyments, but devoted to planning different lessons for all the different learners within our classroom. We make sure that because Tommy is a visual learner the lesson should have pictures, and because Jane learns better with sound we should play an audio clip to illustrate the concept, or because Matthew is a tactile learner, there should be a hands-on activity to fortify understanding at the end of the lesson. And then, there are our students who need us a little more; maybe they don’t get it the first or the second or the third time, and therefore need extra time that the regular class schedule does not allow for. Or maybe we have students with autism or dyslexia or other intellectual abilities that do not allow us to teach everyone with a one-size-fits all lesson. Or maybe there are students who have severe emotional needs that no one else is meeting, and cannot learn at the same pace as their peers. We step in and play a plethora of different roles: Teacher, Instructor Therapist, Counselor, Mentor, Nurse, Cheerleader, Confidante, Disciplinarian, Coach. We do not sit behind our desks and just do paperwork. No, there is much more to the job.

Therefore, when I came across Todd Parr’s Teachers Rock!, I felt a smile edge onto my face. At first I was surprised, because really, ask a handful of teachers, they are not used to receiving much, if any, praise or recognition. However, here is an author who gets it. Parr has an accompanying beautiful illustration for everything a teacher does, and his sensitivity to the minutiae of a teacher’s job is truly heart-warming. So, thank you, Todd Parr, truly, for understanding and standing by us. And all you teachers out there, this is a copy you’ll want to own. If not for your students, then at least for yourself. You owe it to yourself to be reminded of what a good job you do for your students.

©booksnnooks.org All Rights Reserved

 

Making an Eternal Case for the Printed Word

The printed word, such as a hard copy book, is not a gem that is appreciated by all. My fellow book-lovers, you will understand when I talk about the absolute euphoria I feel when I open a new shipment from Chapters and Indigo to find beautiful hard copies of some of my favourite titles.

Now, commercial giants, and those looking to create new and inventive technology have, over the last decade or so, tried to reinvent the way we read. And, while I have no real dual to enact with the Kobo or the Kindle or the other what-have-yous out there, I feel it is completely necessary that I champion the printed word as the best invention ever. Yes, I will concede that e-books are able to make accessible reading in ways we could not have imagined before, such as what do I do when the lights go out and it’s dark and I still want to read? Cue headlines: Order is restored with My New Kobo Amidst a Frenzy of No Electricity! Or, Kindle Solves Space Issues: Every Title I Ever Wanted in One Compact Device! Now, while these reasons are all great to catapult stories into the 21st century, and let’s not forget, make millions of dollars, there is something to be said about a plain and simple paperback or hardcover that you house on a shelf. Never mind the intoxicating smell of a brand new book, or, for those of us more sentimental readers, the concreteness of the page to flip back and forth, the option to pen down your thoughts and ideas in the margins for someone else to find a few years from whence you last held the book. Never mind all of these. Imagine now if you will, a society where all is destroyed. Where human beings remain, but all the inventions and luxuries that make our lives easier are demolished because of war or natural disasters. Now, imagine that the only thing left behind is a large edifice stocked with some of the world’s best books. Such is a world created by Jeanne DuPrau in her City of Ember Series. Jeanne skillfully brings front and centre the problem of a world with no electricity or technological invention with which to learn or communicate. Instead, our merry band of characters finds a way to pull themselves out of a slump of human intellectual degradation by, in various ways, using the printed word. Be it letters passed between people, or journals left behind for the new blood to read, or just books about space and electricity, the printed word is an invention that helps to bring back a generation groping in the dark for evolution.

In his book, It’s a Book, Lane Smith illustrates with candour and cheekiness, the merits of a book. He juxtaposes the characteristics of a book with the mobile devices of our current lives, and through it, showcases the simple, yet everlasting quality of the printed word. Maybe Smith happened upon this idea in an attempt to leave behind a memoir of the printed word should it ever fall into an abyss of non-existence, but I don’t think such will ever be the case. Not merely because as human beings we are a sentimental lot, but because there is sheer practicality inherent in prolonging the lineage of hard copy books everywhere. Hard copy books are a way for generations to communicate with each other. They are a way to reach beyond the dead and continue with the evolution of our species in the absence of the inventors of scientific, literary and other advancements. They are a way to learn new things to further our own minds and a means of finding connections to each other regardless of barriers in race, intelligence, creed, or gender. They are doors to new worlds that we may never visit. They are sanity-keepers for those of us who enjoy unwinding with a good book. They are worlds to escape to when our lives get messy and too hard to live.

Working in the school system, I have seen and heard of initiatives to move toward a more Learning Commons way of education. And while marrying technology with books is great, some administrators have the wrong idea when they champion only laptops and iPads over books on shelves. Not all students have access to laptops and iPads beyond the school grounds, but every child can, and should, have access to a book from the school or public library.

The printed word will never go out of style, and so pushing toward a paperless world where we undervalue the contribution of the hard copy book is not the wisest course of action. Technology will advance, and maybe someday be completely obliterated because of a man-made or natural calamity. Maybe a universal blackout will wipe out all means for us to communicate with each other via our mobile devices. Either way, the printed word, hard copy books will remain permanent means of education and communication and wonder.

 

© booksnnooks.org All Rights Reserved

 

The Munsch on a Lesson in Selflessness

No really, who doesn’t love Robert Munsch? Robert Munsch is one of those timeless Canadian authors who makes me proud to be Canadian. His books are always based on real-life people, and every now and then, amidst the hilarity and the true-to-form made-up sounds, there is a moral. Cue entry of this book, easily one of my favourites from the Munsch.

Ribbon Rescue by Robert Munsch is one of those books that leads readers on a journey to discover their inner selflessness. Based on a character who is of Indigenous origin, this book really gives voice to the culture of our Indigenous brothers and sisters in a light-hearted and compassionate way. It is true, a lot of books written by, or based on, Indigenous characters tend to be heavier, with sadder, and often horrific, undertones. While that entire breadth of literature is essential for our Canadian Literary Canon, to ingrain in our minds the requisite components of our Canadian history, Robert Munsch goes off on a lighter tangent to showcase the grace and kindness of this beautiful culture.

Our main character, Jillian, is a young girl who dons a traditional Ribbon Dress and throughout the story, she selflessly offers ribbons to different people who cross her path and seem to need them. Eventually, she is left with nothing and this puts her at a disadvantage, but is her selflessness enough to overcome that disadvantage?

Munsch weaves a compassionate story-line that allows parents and teachers alike to pose questions to young learners about what Jillian is doing. Teachers, your young students might describe Jillian as “kind”, and “nice”, and “sweet”, but herein lies a fantastic opportunity to teach them how to exercise the kinder and selfless side of their everyday selves. This picture book is ideal for a bedtime story or read-aloud with children aged 4-8, and offers plenty of invaluable teachable moments. So pick up a copy of Ribbon Rescue today, and like me, you’ll discover how much young readers (and YOU) will love it!

 

© booksnnooks.org All Rights Reserved

Picture Book Spotlight: Educating Our Children about Homelessness

Homelessness is a growing concern in our society in North America. As Canadians we sign off on millions of dollars in relief aid to the needy in other countries, and as we should – because we are a generous lot and generosity helps make everyone a little richer, but what of the homeless in our own country? The poverty-stricken men and women, or worse still, children? No, to this problem we turn a blind eye, a deaf ear, we walk quicker. And I think that stems from a culture that is lacking in education around this concept of homelessness. What is homelessness? What does it look like? Whom does it affect? These are questions we need to ask ourselves before we as adults make quick judgments about homeless people we see, and then pass these judgments off to our children. Children feed off the exemplars in their lives. They practice what they see, not what is preached.

So, when I came across Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting, two things happened. For one, it broke my heart, and then, it provided me with an Aha! moment. I could use this book to teach my young students a little about what homelessness looks like! And so, I did a Read-Aloud using this book with students in Grades 1-3.

Told from the perspective of a 5 year-old boy who is homeless and lives in an airport with his father, this story is delivered with compassion and sensitivity. The facts are laid out for us to see. The day-to-day lives of the father and son, as they struggle to outwit airport security by blending into the travelling consortiums that hustle and bustle through the airport, are shown to us. The little boy learns a lot of wisdom at a young age, and this book nudges in a couple of really good metaphors to help understand the mindset of a homeless child better. Teachers, you can pause at various moments in the story and ask your students why the father and son are doing the things they are, or what certain things mean. Their answers will surprise you, and in turn you will be able to surprise them with yours. Among other themes that Bunting weaves into this delicate tale, are those of family and survival. The things you do to stay together and stay alive and well. There are sad moments to this story too, but there are moments of hope and positivity, where students can learn that people can still shine bright their candles of hope in the bleakest of situations. When you have finished reading this with your students, you will find they adorn a new-found appreciation for the homeless and their difficult lives. And in doing so, you will help to make them more sensitive to the aches of society around them.

 

©booksnnooks.org All Rights Reserved

 

Jeanne DuPrau, Junior Novel Genius: Citizenship Education

So, I don’t use the term “Genius” very often. Sure, Einstein was a genius and your dog might be a genius because he’s figured out which one of your twin nieces is Judy and which one is Jenny before you have, but in a world saturated with people trying to achieve the ultimate, my concept of genius is reserved for a scant few.

Jeanne DuPrau however, is a genius. With her The City of Ember Series, she not only captures the imaginations of young and adult readers alike, she uses her compassionate voice to galvanize our kinder selves. Here’s how:

 

Book#1: The City of Ember

wp-1464191728722.jpeg

I happened upon The City of Ember, DuPrau’s first book, when one of my colleagues decided to do it as a novel study with his students. He meant to simply delve into the genre of Science Fiction with his class. A pilot project of a different genre, if you will. The result was not just his entire class yanking the books off every shelf to continue the series, but I too checked out this entire series from the local library.

This first book starts off with two very strong characters who find themselves partners in a journey to save their people, the Emberites, from total destruction. Young Lina is a fireball of energy and she has her conscience ground on tight. Young Doon has a few lessons to learn along the way, but he surprises everyone with his bravery at key points. The setting of the City of Ember unfolds a fantastic tale of an underground city built to survive destruction. The Emberites are not aware that they exist below the surface, they do not know what the sky or the sun are. Their daily existence is dictated by the timing of the floodlights that line their buildings and streets, lights that have been going on and off on schedule for nearly 200 years…until they start flickering. Can the people of Ember escape before the electricity that powers their daily lives gives out? Or will they be lost forever in an abyss of fatal darkness? This first installment explores themes of courage and perseverance. It explores themes of friendship and loyalty. It explores familial bonds and doing what is right. It explores our human need for survival even if severe risk-taking is the only option. This first book will leave you clamouring for the next three until the final, satisfying finish.

Book#2: The People of Sparks

wp-1465321629118.jpeg

The second book in the series, The People of Sparks unveils what happens when different communities are forced to live side-by-side. It teaches readers of all ages the valuable lesson of how anger and violence can decimate relationships and entire societies. It promotes non-violence and peace, no matter how much hardship must be endured to find that peace. It brings forth the human desire for being good and giving good to our fellow human beings. However, it also shows our primal nature for self-preservation in the face of impending danger. Above all, it teaches the reader that there is a fine line between that choice, and making the wrong one can have catastrophic outcomes for all of mankind. Lina and Doon are back, but this time in a different place than their native Ember. This new world is strange and hard, but Lina and Doon, along with a whole lot of other characters are not crushed.

It is in this book, that the reader is made aware of the Great Disaster that nearly demolished all of mankind. Themes of human greed and kindness, wisdom and violence are explored with very compassionate conclusions. In many ways, DuPrau weaves morality and better ways of being into her books. And this is where her genius shines brightest, in her sensitivity to the evil that exists in our world, and her ability to find a way to take a strong stance against it. All this, with a non-violence the likes of Mahatma Gandhi. In this second book, readers are, or maybe just I was, moved to tears at the goodness of humankind. Cue #faithinhumanityrestored.

Book#3: The Prophet of Yonwood

wp-1465321723384.jpeg

The Prophet of Yonwood is perhaps my least favourite of the series (if it is possible to have a least favourite in this series). It attempts to explain the existence of the riveting events in the first book, and guide along any predictions for the last and final book that the reader might have.

In this one a very flimsy story is built around a lady named Althea Tower and her “prophecies” as reasons for the way things are in a small town called Yonwood. We meet new characters in this book, because this one in chronological order, precedes The City of Ember and exists hundred of years before those events. Much of the story seems like a filler to explain minute details that I think the reader could have put together for him/herself with the help of a brief preface from DuPrau, in possibly the last book.

We meet the characters of Nickie and Grover, characters very similar to Lina and Doon in The City of Ember and The People of Sparks. These characters seem to slosh about in this book, biding their time until the very end when things are revealed to the reader. They plunge along sans meaning many at times, and they seem to know this as they take on bonds with animals to fill in their time in this book. Stories branch out of the woodwork and take on weak tangents before finding a quick and slightly bewildering path to an end.

However, this book is not all a waste of its 289 pages. It brings about the questions surrounding faith and how one comes to develop a sense of right and wrong. It is very profound in its exploration of this multi-faceted conundrum, and DuPrau manages to do this in a manner that does not patronize. The main character, Nickie, is plagued with her notions of what faith is and what is right and wrong in relation to what she believes and what other people tell her. Nickie trundles through the book and arrives a much-changed character at the end of the book where we see she has grown herself a strong foundation of morality and her own faith.

The question of the existence of God is put on the table, and even though much of this entire series has a strong Science-Fiction element to it, it is equally acknowledging and respectful of religion and faith. And this is one of the many things that makes DuPrau a must-read author. She offers always, both sides to the coin, not a biased version of just one perspective. In doing so, she positions her books in a very powerful position to help growing minds too, to see both sides to each coin.

Book#4: The Diamond of Darkhold

wp-1465321671687.jpeg

The Diamond of Darkhold is the final book in the series, and what a joy it is indeed! It brings full circle with absolute brilliance, the journey of not just Lina and Doon, but the entirety of humankind. The very final secrets are revealed, and humankind seems to find herself back to the very threshold of the powerful beginning when things were simpler and war and disease did not devastate.

The courage of Lina and Doon make a comeback in this book, but DuPrau has become braver and she has reckoned that so has her audience, and as a result she plunges her readers into terrifying depths with this last installment.

Selflessness and the desire to contribute in a meaningful way are two ideas that are thoroughly championed throughout this book. So is the very important concept of forgiveness. Lina and Doon risk their lives to help their people lead a better life, and in doing so provide hope for the future. In this book too, DuPrau gets more creative and technical in her understanding of various scientific elements, specifically Electricity. She champions solar energy and clean living, other lessons that I believe are crucial to growing minds everywhere.

All in all, DuPrau offers hope amidst a destroyed civilization, always with the caveat to be good to each other and not live greedily. As she paints the pictures of evil and destruction and hardship, she places in all her readers the knowledge that our existence (with our inventions and lifestyles) are but mere grains of sand that can be wiped out in the event of major catastrophes. Extremely fragile. DuPrau attempts to instill a humility in a society too plagued with the self and airs of entitlement.

Conclusion

Throughout the series, you will laugh with, and cheer on the main characters, Lina and Doon. You will grow to revere Doon’s father and Mrs. Murdock and develop a sibling-affection for little Poppy. You will even feel a fondness of Maddy, the at-first gruff, but finally gentle-hearted roamer. Jeanne DuPrau’s books seek to explore the human psyche and the forces of evil and good that bubble just below our surfaces. She experiments with different scenarios to determine which force will rise to the forefront at any given moment. And she does this without the  jargon associated with many psychologists, both past and present. DuPrau allows us glimpses of our world’s outcomes depending on the decisions we make.

Until now, the only series that has really thrilled me has been Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. However, in many ways, this gem of a series by Jeanne DuPrau has the potential to go even further in being, not just stellar literature for young children (and adults) everywhere, but purposeful reading that can seek to bring positive change to our world. This entire series is a MUST-READ for students at the Junior Level (Grades 4-6), so teachers, take note! It helps with their Citizenship Development, making them into more responsible leaders for our future. I vow to teach this to my junior students someday, but until then, these four books will be making their way to the shelves of my personal library.

© booksnnooks.org All Rights Reserved

 

Michael Wade: Making Readers out of Non-Believers

And then it happened… is a Canadian Adventure Series taking young readers by storm! The books are full of imaginative ploys that pull in our mischievous side and leave us chuckling heartily.

Author, Michael Wade, came in for a visit today, and what a lot of people don’t know, is that being a writer is Mr. Wade’s second career. What he did before is something you will find out if you invite him to your school, but let’s just say that it isn’t at all what you might expect. What a fantastic time our students had! The students could barely sit still as he talked about his writing and his life experiences, infusing laughter into every single narrated event. For those of you who have not seen Mr. Wade before, he is quite a bit different than what one might imagine a writer to be. And that is where his central message of “Anyone can be a writer” rings poignant. Mr. Wade showed our students that writers are not people who always dress a certain way or enjoy only reading all the time. They are not people who rarely leave their home and find being around other people exhausting. And even though a couple of these things might ring true for some writers, a lot of writers share just one thing above all else, in common: their meticulousness with reworking their writing to achieve the best possible draft. Mr. Wade stressed on the importance of the power of words. He showed students that words can be used in signs to affect people’s behaviour, that they can be used to teach and even communicate powerful ideas. He showed them that anybody really, is capable of doing this, as long as he/she works hard at the rewrite process.

Now, I have read a lot of Mr. Wade’s stories – they are brilliant! Each one is well-thought-out with a plot that trots along with purpose until the main event is revealed; the And then it happened portion. Students remain riveted in their seats and often, even their breathing is inaudible as they hold their breaths to avoid missing the climax of the story. Mr. Wade’s stories are not just a great way to engage a lot of our young boys who are not specifically drawn to reading, but also our young girls who thrive on the adventures of kids their own age. His books are chapter books, and best suited for grades 3-6, with room for those of you teachers or children with strong readers in grade 2. What I like best about Mr. Wade is that he makes his books accessible to his audience. He uses ordinary words to turn everyday events into moments sparking with excitement and humour. And children love both of these!

So, if you have a selection of Mr. Wade’s books on your shelf, begin a read-aloud with your class for starters, then, sit back and watch the rest of that selection fly off the shelf! You’ll make readers out of non-believers!

© booksnnooks.org All Rights Reserved