Books…. I love books! I love the smell of new books, the feel of the books that have clearly been around the block a time or two and books for children and adults. Therefore, my passion for books I want to share with each and everyone of my students. Reading has too many benefits there is just no excuse why children at any age should be surround by stories. For today.. I have completed a few book reviews (I also have called them annotated bibliographies) on a handful of different stories that are essential to have featured within your classroom library. Let me introduce the first story,
Drumroll please……….
Title: Mixed: A Colorful Story
Topic: Race & Ethnicity
Genre:Picture Book
Author: Arree Chung
Illustrator:Arree Chung
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
(Macmillan Publishing Group LLC), New York, NY
Year of Publication:2018
Grade Level:Preschool- 3rd
Synopsis of Book:
Through humor and kindness, Arree Chung addresses a challenging topic of race that is often times avoided with children. This story is about three colors, red, yellow, and blue. Each color was special in their own unique way. All living in harmony, until one day a Red says, “Reds are the best!” Causing a color controversy, they decided that each color would all separate and live in different parts of the city. Until one day, a Yellow noticed a Blue. Their friendship kept developing until they loved each other so much that they mixed! Creating a new color, named Green. Everyone became fascinated and the colors began to see all of the new possibilities with mixing. So they mixed, and mixed, and mixed! Eventually, there were so many different colors that they all wanted to live together in the same city. “The new city was full of color. It wasn’t perfect. But it was home.” (Chung A 2018).
Illustrations:
The illustration in this book really made it the total package. The artist used black India ink with a brush as well as acrylics. My favorite part of the illustrations that Arree Chung represented exceptionally was the perfect amount of detail, yet allowing there to be some abstract elements that did not overwhelm the eye. In addition, the impeccable combination of detail and abstract of which is displayed throughout each page should be well received by the intended audience. As the title proclaims, ‘A Colorful Story’ there is just the right amount of color that is contrasted against the black India ink to make every image pop. Overall, the pictures reflect an easy to digest message by all.
Critique:
When I was looking for a children’s book that had a focus and addressed race and/or ethnicity I stumbled upon this story Mixed: A Colorful Story. I deeply fell in love with it and I knew that I had to find the nearest book store and purchase this book so I can take it with me in any direction that my educational career may lead. I enjoyed how this story was written and represented by actual colors. I think that this will help give students in younger elementary grades a clear interpretation about race and ethnicity. This topic cannot be stressed enough, and starting this conversation at a young age is setting these students to grow and develop the necessary skills they need to have in order to be aware of the importance of the different races, cultures and ethnicities. In addition to the amazing message that this book conveyed through its storyline, the illustrations made this delicate topic appealing and easy on the eyes.
Topic: Mental/Intellectual Challenges
Genre:Picture Book
Author: Holly Robinson Peete & Ryan Elizabeth Peete
Illustrator:Shane W. Evens
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Year of Publication:2010
Grade Level:K, 1 – 3rd
Synopsis of Book:
“Callie is very proud of her brother [twin] Charlie. He’s good at so many things -swimming, playing the piano, running fast. And Charlie has special way with animals, especially their dog, Harriett. But sometimes Charlie gets very quiet. His words get locked inside him, and he seems far away. Then, when Callie and Charlie start to play, Charlie is back to laughing, holding hands, having fun. Charlie is like any other boy-except he has autism.” (Scholastic). This story is told from Charlie’s twin sisters point of view and shares the commonalities and differences that they share! Callie shares the sadness that she felt when Charlie never said, I love you. She came to the conclusion that, “love doesn’t always come from what you say, it can also come from what you do!”
Illustrations:
The illustrations in this book do an exceptional job following the story line. They are done so beautifully and capture the beauty of autism. They are extremely realistic, yet have still a artistic feel to them. The images are bold and color that fills each square inch of the page. Lastly, I think that the images that are found in this book provide a strong and powerful message, just as the text does.
Critique:
I truly do not think that there could be another book that does a better job exploring the wonderful world that people with autism feel, think, and see on a day to day basis. I absolutely fell in love with this story and think that it should be found on every classroom library bookshelf. One of my most favorite things about this story is that the main characters are African American. An African American boy who has autism, talk about a diversity overload! It is crucial that these types of books are at our student’s fingertips! This story gave insight on what it is like for a twin sister, family, or even a peer growing up with someone who they love that has autism. The overall hope from reading this story and starting a discussion about autism, is that it exemplifies that yes, there are some differences that comes with loving someone who has autism, but more importantly the similarities that they share with you and I!
Topic: Bullying
Genre:Picture Book
Author: Alexis O’Neill
Illustrator:Laura Huliska-Beith
Publisher: Scholastic Press.
Year of Publication:2002
Grade Level:Preschool-K, 1-2
Synopsis of Book:
Mean Jean, is the recess queen. Nobody seem to say anything different. She controlled everything and everyone. “Nobody swung until Mean Jean swung. Nobody kicked until Mean Jean kicked. Nobody bounced until Mean Jean bounced. If kids ever crossed her, she’d push ’em and smoosh ’em lollapaloosh ’em, hammer ’em, slammer ’em kitz and kajammer ’em.” (O’Neil) Nobody had ever asked her to play. That is, until a new girl Katie Sue comes and becomes her friend that the recess dynamic changes for the better. Katie Sue was not intimidated by Mean Jean’s harsh behavior. With a fresh and unique twist on the very common issue of bullying, students will be able to see how the conflict was able to be resolved without adult intervention.
Illustrations:
The illustrations in this story are very interesting. I’ll be honest to say that they aren’t my favorite. Though, I do think that they do a great job representing exactly what the author wants the reader to feel from this story. Each page is full of big, bold and funny illustrations which leaves the reader having to see past Mean Jean’s tough exterior.
Critique:
This is a fantastic book for teachers to use to help teach their students about bullying. One of the many reasons as to why this is such a beneficial book to use, is the relevance to student’s daily lives. The entire storyline takes place outside during recess. This is typically where the most bullying happens and student’s most favorite time of day. In addition, the author does a great job using unique language that will keep the kids engaged and laughing, yet also alluding to the major problem of bullying. By the end of the story, students will be able to explain what a bully is and hat to say to a bully. They will also understand how to stand up to a bully which is an important skill set for them to know.
I hope you consider adding these few stories to your library. your kid will love them and you will love the message that they send. I have linked the titles to Amazon.com for quick and easy ordering! Consider reading Creating a Diverse Classroom Library
From Edutopia, they have touched on the significant that it can make for you and your students growth. “Students began caring for books—holding each other accountable for returning them properly and for taking care of the organizational systems of our library. The classroom library was “our library.” It was a place of pride in our individual and collective stories.”
Until next time, happy blogging
~Abby
