Reading Journal Complete

I have enjoyed reading a variety of children's literature for this blog. I learned so much as I dove into many different books that I had never read. What a rich learning experience! I can't wait to continue reading more new books that many of my classmates have suggested as I begin my new school year.

Books by Laurence Yep

Laurence Yep is an award-winning Chinese American author who reaches out to all children regardless of their ethnic background. Many of his books focus on characters feeling alienated or not fitting into their surroundings, which is something Yep struggled with as a child.

In this story by Laurence Yep, a young boy was known for having the saddest face in the world. Because of this, the boy would wear a big straw hat that covered his face so no one could see it. When it came time for the Harvest Festival in town, the elders asked the boy's parents to keep him at home so everyone at the festival would remain happy. The boy felt bad that his parents had to stay home because of his sad face, so he ran away.

After running through many towns, the boy finally ended up on a beach too tired to walk any further. It was there that he met the caravan of giants and their elephants. The giants noticed the boy's sad face and asked what was wrong. The boy tried to explain nothing was wrong. Because he repeatedly denied this fact, the giants thought of him as being very brave. The giants gave this young boy a job in their caravan and took him as they traveled to the city of dragons. Their journey through the water was dangerous as they encountered monstrous clams, giant crabs, and even a school of sharks. As they came to the town, young dragons greeted them, but just like before, the boy covered his face in fear of making the dragons upset. The dragon elder informed the giants they could no longer get the pearls they had come looking for. The giants were concerned and therefore wanted to try and fix the problem themselves.

When the giants and boy walked to the rear of the building, they saw many scalloped bowls and dragons behind each of them. The dragons were telling sad stories, but none of them were crying because they had all heard the stories before. It was then the boy realized what he needed to do. He took off his helmet and sat in front of the dragon maidens showing his sad face. The dragons began to cry pearls instead of tears and the giants couldn't thank the young boy enough. It was in the city of dragons where his sorrowful face was finally appreciated. He went back to his home village on an elephant and they celebrated for many days after that. The people in the town learned to never ask him to smile or cover his face, but rather to appreciate what he had done for the giants.

Other Books by Laurence Yep:
The Magic Paintbrush
The Butterfly Boy
When the Circus Came to Town
The Ghost Fox
The Dragon Prince: A Chinese Beauty and the Beast Tale
The Shell Woman and the King: A Chinese Folktale

Book vs Movie

1. Polar Express
Book: Chris Van Allsburg, 1984
Movie: Warner Brothers Entertainment, 2005

The book, Polar Express, is one that I always look forward to reading to my students around the Christmas holiday. I enjoy looking at the book's rich illustrations because I believe they are what makes the book so special and real. This book tells the story of a young little boy, who is questioning whether Santa is real. On Christmas Eve, this young boy boards a magical train outside of his home called the Polar Express. The train takes the boy and several other passengers aboard and travels on to the North Pole.

When the train arrives at the North Pole, the children leave the train and find themselves in the center of the city. They are surrounded by hundreds of elves, standing around Santa's sleigh, ready to send him on his way. The conductor of the train informs the children that this is where Mr. Claus gives out the first gift of Christmas. The children move closer to the sleigh and Santa chooses the doubting, little boy to receive the first gift. Surprisingly, the boy does not choose a gift out of the bag, but rather a silver bell from the sleigh. The boy places the bell inside his robe pocket and everyone cheers as Santa lifts off into the night sky.

The children all board the Polar Express again to head back home. Later, the other passengers ask to see the bell. To the little boy's surprise, the bell is missing from his pocket and all he feels is a hole. The children offer to help look for it, but it is too late, the train had already started moving. The next morning, the boy finds a small present behind the Christmas tree with the silver bell and a message from Mr. C inside. This story truly sends the message of the power of believing!

This is wonderful story about believing in the spirit of Christmas. When I first heard they were making this movie, I couldn't wait to see it because I absolutely loved the book. However, I was very anxious to see how they would develop the movie. I think the movie does a magnificent job of staying true to the story line in the book. The movie depicts the rich illustrations found within the book. The illustrations come to life in the movie through amazing animations. The movie does extend the plot of the story by adding a few extra characters and some action/adventure scenes, but these changes only enhance the story line. I think the book and the movie are both enchanting and engaging for people of all ages, including the young and young at heart. I can honestly say I was very impressed with how well the movie truly captured the spirit of the book.

2. Horton Hears a Who
Book: Dr. Seuss, 1954
Movie: 20th Century Fox Animation, 2008

This classic Dr. Seuss story tells of a courageous elephant and his determination to keep the "Whos" safe. The story starts out when Horton hears a small speck of dust, in which Whoville is located, talking to him. It is Horton's mission throughout the story to save the town of Whoville from the Kangaroo as requested by the mayor. The other animals in the jungle, where Horton lives, can't hear the speck of dust and think Horton is crazy. Because of this, they torment Horton, take the speck of dust, and cage him. Horton informs the Whos that they must make a loud noise to be heard by the other animals or they will be destroyed. The Whos do everything in their might to make a loud noise, but nothing seems to be loud enough. The mayor searches for anyone in the town that can help and finally finds, JoJo, a very small Who. JoJo makes a loud noise that ends up reaching the other animals in the jungle and saves the town of Whoville. After this, the jungle animals pledge to help Horton protect this tiny town.

This classic story was recently made into an animated movie. The plot remained the same in both the book and movie. The movie has a few differences in the characters and minor development of parts of the book. The book focuses mainly on Horton and his adventure to save Whovile; while the movie introduces the viewers to the mayor of Whoville and his family. The movie also recognizes JoJo, the savior of Whoville in both the book and movie, to be the Mayor's only son. This relationship is never mentioned in the story.

Another difference I noticed was the addition of the character Morton, Horton's small mouse friend. This character has a vital role in the movie, where he was never mentioned in the book. I believe the changes that were made in the movie, definitely enhanced the message and the story's plot.

3. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
Book: Judi Barrett, 1978
Movie: Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations, 2009
The book starts out with two children sitting at the breakfast table waiting for their grandpa to finish preparing their Saturday morning pancakes. After an incident with the dog and cat, Grandpa flips a pancake in the air, but it mistakenly falls and lands on the boy's head. This event prompts the grandfather to tell the children a bedtime story about a make-believe town, called ChewandSwallow. This mythological town has been blessed with the ability to rain food for all three meals, such as cheeseburgers and sunny-side eggs with bacon and toast.

Everything in town seemed good until the weather took a turn for the worse. It began raining food that people did not enjoy and the portion sizes began to get larger and larger. Everyone in town had to stay indoors for fear of being harmed. After the sanitation department gave up, all the townspeople left ChewandSwallow on large bread boats they made and sailed to new land, where it no longer rained meals. The book ends with the children waking up the next morning to snow on the ground, which they compared to mashed potatoes and the sun on the hill to butter. This book is imaginative and humorous and one that makes the reader laugh. It truly is a wonderful example of fantasy in children's literature.

This book and movie duo has the least similarities to the ones I compared. The animated movie has a slightly different plot than the book and many different characters. However, I understand to make a full length movie from a short picture book it does require some changes. The book mainly focuses on the grandfather and two children, but the movie does not ever mention any of these characters. The movie is centered around the life of a boy genius, Flint Lockwood, and his many inventions. He grows up in a town on an island located in the middle of the Atlantic ocean known as Swallow Falls. The town is pretty boring and known for having sardines, which everyone thinks are "super gross."

The town becomes more popular after Flint's invention. He invented a machine that changes water in the sky to food that rains down on the town. Everyone in Swallow Falls, including the Mayor, loves Flint as he is now seen as the town hero who is going to make the town a rich tourist attraction. After his success with this invention, the mayor renames the town ChewandSwallow, just like the town in the book. The next part of the movie follows the book pretty closely, as different types of food fall out of the sky for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. One part that is the same in the movie and book is the pancake that falls on the school and closes it for the day. There were many more details added to the movie, but just like the book states, the food in the movie begins to get larger and is seen as a danger to the people in the town.

Flint and Sam, an added character in the movie, go inside a giant meatball to try and save the town. This part of the movie was somewhat long and lose my interest. The two end up saving the town of ChewandSwallow with the help of Flint's dad, who had lost touch with his son. At the end of the movie, Flint finally gets the girl and falls in love with Sam, the town's meteorologist. Flint's father also finally tells him how proud he is of all his accomplishments. I enjoyed the movie, however, I think the additional material added to film loses some of the minimalist simplicity which was originally found in the book.

Internationally Published Children's Books

Night Noises is a story written by famous children's author Mem Fox. This book was originally published in Australia before making its debut in the United States. The text in this book reminds me of a mystery where the reader wants to keep going to see what is going to happen at the end. Being an adult, I had this same childish feeling and couldn't wait to discover who or what was making the noises.

Night Noises is a story about Lily Laceby, an older woman who lives in a small cottage with her dog. One winter night, the two of them doze off and fall asleep in front of the warm, cozy fireplace. Butch Aggie, the dog, begins to hear different, "night noises," such as car doors closing, voices whispering in the nearby woods, and fists quietly knocking at the front door. The author does a wonderful job of using the literary element of onomatopoeia to describe the different noises heard by the dog. This clever technique makes the book come to life. During all of these noises, Lily is never awakened or startled, but rather continues dreaming of her bygone days. She is only aroused when the dog begins to bark loudly. She slowly moves to the front door to find many of her family members and friends there to celebrate her 90th birthday!

I had never read a book by Mem Fox but feel in love with this story and wanted to read another title by her. I believe children of all ages would enjoy the story Night Noises because it sets the tone of being a mystery book, yet has a warm message of always remembering to love your friends and family.

Just like I promised, I read another internationally published children's book by Mem Fox. Th story, Possum Magic, was also originally published in Australia and then brought to the United States later. In this story, Grandma Poss has magical powers. One day, she uses these magical powers to turn Hush invisible to make sure she will always be safe from snakes. While invisible, Hush has many exciting and wonderful adventures.

Although she has fun being invisible, one day Hush decides she wants to be visible again. Grandma Poss can't remember the magic used to make her be seen again. Therefore, the two go on a tour of different Australian cities and taste a variety of "people" foods to try and find the right magic to make Hush visible again. They end up discovering the right foods to do this and Hush stays visible forever.

The most memorable part of the story is when Grandma Poss and Hush go on their tour of several cities to find the right food to make Hush visible again. At each stop, they sample some food and parts of Hush begin to appear slowly starting with her tail. This tail is one that sends a message to keep trying and never give up.

The last internationally published children's book I read was titled Big Wolf & Little Wolf by Nadine Brun-Cosme. This book was originally written and published in French and was chosen as a 2010 Batchelder Honor Book. This books tells about a friendship between the two main characters, Big Wolf and Little Wolf. The tale starts out with Big Wolf feeling threatened by a new wolf, Little Wolf, who has come along and started following him around and copying him. Over time, the annoyance wears off and Big Wolf learns to care for Little Wolf. The reader can tell by the time they spend together that they have become quite fond of each other. One day, Little Wolf suddenly disappears. Little Wolf's disappearance makes Big Wolf realize how much his friendship really meant to him. Big Wolf waits for his return and finally one day he sees him traveling back over the hill. I feel like all children can connect with these two characters and the plot of this story.

Both the illustrations and text in this book convey a strong message of how new friendships may be scary at first, but are worth taking the risk because they can enrich your life with a true lifelong friend.

Books that Address Diversity

Both of the books I have chosen, address diversity through the African American race. One looks at a family that travels down South during the time of segregation. The other book looks at Martin Luther King Jr., the famous man who ended segregation and fought for equal rights.


The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963

The Watsons Go to Birmingham is a historical fiction book written by the famous author, Christopher Paul Curtis. This story focuses on an African American family who lives in Flint, Michigan. The first part of the story introduces the reader to the members of the family, including Dad (Daniel), Mom (Wilona), Byron, Kenny, and Joetta. Wilona originally grew up in Alabama and has a southern accent which becomes thicker when she gets angry. Byron is the oldest child and has the reputation of being a juvenile delinquent because of all the trouble he gets into. Kenny, the middle child is the narrator of the book. He is very smart and this trait causes him to be harassed from classmates and his older brother. Joetta, the youngest child, is well-mannered and very religious. She loves her family and this is seen with her strong emotions portrayed throughout the story.

The family decides to take a trip to visit Grandma Sands in Birmingham, Alabama. The main reason for this trip is to deliver Byron to his grandmother's house so he will straighten up and learn how to correctly behave. Once they arrive, Byron's attitude changes very quickly and Kenny seems to assume the role of troublemaker.

One of the most critical events in the story is the bombing that occurred one Sunday morning while Joetta was at Sunday School. This event in the book truly represents the differences between the North and the South during a time period when African Americans were not viewed as equal. The Watson family goes to try and find their young daughter, but return home unsuccessful. To their disbelief, they find Joetta already back home, safe and sound. Joetta claims that Kenny was the one who called her away from the church, saving her life.

The entire family, including Byron leaves and returns home to Flint, Michigan. When they arrive home, Kenny seems to fall into a state of depression and spends most of his time behind the family couch. In the end, Byron helps Kenny out of his saddened state by supporting him. Because of this, Kenny promises to start living a normal life again!


my brother Martin

This book is a true reflection of Martin Luther King Jr.'s childhood days written by his sister, Christine King Farris. This story is different from most other books you will read about King because it shares some funny moments where Martin, his brother, and his sister participated in mischievous acts just like all other children. I think it is good for children to see this side of a famous hero in history and be able to connect with him.

The best part of the book is where Martin makes a promise to his mother. He told her, "I'm going to turn this world upside down. " He made this oath because he did not understand why he could no longer play with the "white boys" from across the street. This book shows children exactly how Martin Luther King Jr. followed that promise to make sure that Blacks and Whites had equal rights and could live together peacefully.

Julius Lester / Jerry Pinkney

John Henry
Julius Lester and Jerry Pinkney teamed up to recreate the African American folk ballad of John Henry. The two did an outstanding job of bringing the tale of a "steel-driving man" to life. The story begins with John Henry's birth and all the presence of the animals to see this miraculous event. The story moves along quickly to tell of other wonderful works of wonder Henry completes including an addition to his parent's house, a race with the meanest man in town, and the removal of a large boulder. John Henry's greatest win was his battle against the steam drill to cut through a huge mountain. In the end, John Henry died doing this because he hammered so long and hard his big heart burst. The message at the end of this story is not about dying but rather about how well you do your living. After his death, everyone in the town met together along the sides of the railroad track to say goodbye to John Henry as he was taken to Washington, D.C.

Both the text and illustrations are so well crafted and they make this book a must read and a wonderful addition to any folklore collection in a school's library.

Other books either written or illustrated by Julius Lester or Jerry Pinkney include:
Black Cowboy, Wild Horses
Sam and the Tigers
Little Match Girl
What a Truly Cool World
The Ugly Duckling

International Awards and Literature for Children

The Pura Belpre' Award: This award is presented to a Latino/Latina author and illustrator whose work best portrays and celebrates the Latino cultural experience and heritage in an outstanding work of literature for children. It was established in 1996.

The Hans Christian Andersen Award: This award has been presented every two years since first established in 1956 by The International Board on Books for Young People. It is given to an author and illustrator in recognition of his or her entire body of work. David Almond from the United Kingdom was the winner of the 2010 Writer Award. Jutta Bauer from Germany was the winning illustrator.

The Mildred Batchelder Award: This award is presented annually to a U.S. publisher for a children's book believed to be the most outstanding book originally published in a foreign language in a foreign country, and then published in the U.S.

Carnegie Medal: The Carnegie Medal is an award given in Great Britain and was established in memory of Andrew Carnegie. During his lifetime, Carnegie set up over 2,800 libraries across the English speaking world. The Carnegie Medal is awarded annually to an outstanding writer of a children's book.

Other International Awards include:
Kate Greenway Medal (Great Britain)
Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Medal (Canada)
Australian Children's Book of the Year for Young Reader's Award (Australia)