Module 4: Julie of the Wolves

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Book Summary: 

Julie of the Wolves is the story of Miyax, known as Julie to the outside world, and her survival in the Alaskan wilderness. Julie, a young Eskimo girl, runs away from her village when arrangements are made for an undesirable marriage. To escape her fate, Julie strikes out on her own, heading for San Francisco. 

Julie's understanding of, and interactions with, the natural world are impressive for a young girl. She "reads" the earth, from lemming life cycles to bird migration patterns to plant growth. Based on the small changes she observes around herself, she is able to find enough food to stay alive and make her way across the unforgiving tundra. Along the way she encounters a small wolf pack, and over time, befriends them and becomes a member of their pack. This relationship saves her life multiple times, and she is eventually able to arrive at the small village from which her father disappeared.

Julie finds strength in herself, and from this experience, she knows she is capable of surviving on her own. She no longer needs to rely on others for her survival. 

APA Reference of Book: 

George, J. C. (1972). Julie of the wolves. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

Impressions:

Julie is a wonderful heroine. Her strength and determination to survive, along with her almost innate understanding of the world around her, are such great characteristics to promote among young girls. Her story was similar to that found in Island of the Blue Dolphins, another tale of survival, though in a very different climate.

Julie reads as a much older girl in her behavior and thoughts. This point would be a great discussion topic with younger readers about the difference a person's culture has on their attitude, personal bearing, and life skills. Julie learned from a young age how to perform all manner of life skills, from food gathering, hunting, and preparation to shelter building to interacting with the elements around her.

I really enjoyed reading about Julie and meeting her. I'm looking forward to continuing her story in Julie and Julie's Wolf pack.

Professional Review: 

“Jean George has captured the subtle nuances of Eskimo life, animal habits, the pain of growing up, and combines these elements into a thrilling adventure which is, at the same time, a poignant love story.”

Bregman, A. (1973). Julie of the wolves [Review of the book Julie of the wolves by J. George].

School Library Journal, 75.

Library Use:

As the winner of the 1973 Newbery Award, this book can be used as part of a Newbery or "Award Winning Books" display. It could also be used for a survival display. This would be a great book to use as a book club read with younger teens to discuss culture and survival skills. There are many different points that can be brought out in a discussion, all valuable educational moments for today's youth.

Module 3: The Man Who Walked between the Towers

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Book Summary:

"Once there were two towers side by side. They were each a quarter of a mile high; one thousand three hundred and forty feet. The tallest buildings in New York City." -- p. 1

The Man Who Walked between the Towers is the wonderful story of Philippe Petit and his desire to walk on a tightrope between the towers of the World Trade Center, the tallest buildings in New York in 1974. Petit was an acrobatic aerialist who loved to perform. He could juggle and ride a unicycle, but he loved to walk high above the earth. Before his feat at the WTC, he had walked on the tightrope between the steeples of the Notre Dame Cathedral.

Petit knew that if he asked permission to walk over ¼ mile above the city, he would be told no. He took matters into his own hands, and one night he, along with a couple of good friends, managed to secure a cable between the two towers. It took them all night, and early the next morning he walked out across the cable between the towers. Once he was spotted, police officers were waiting for him on the far side, so he took his time and spent over an hour out on the cable, dancing and performing for those far below.

Now that the Twin Towers are gone, this tale is just one of thousands of memories about the WTC.

APA Reference of Book: 

Gerstein, M. (2003). The man who walked between the towers. Brookfield, CT: Roaring Book Press.

Impressions: 

I was not expecting to like this book much. Most of the historical stories I have read in children’s picture books have not been very engaging or attention grabbing. The first few pages of this were not super fantastic, but once the background was set, the story was intriguing. Though it was several decades ago that this event took place, it is amazing that someone would be able to pull off a scenario such as this and do it with such grace and aplomb.  

The level of detail included in this story is perfect for children to understand and see the incredible actions that had to take place to cumulate in the dance in the sky high above the city. Hauling that bundle of cable to the roof of the building up all of those stairs could not have been easy. Petit must have had great friends who valued him and their relationship and were willing to go to a lot of work to help him accomplish his dream.

The illustrations in this book add quite a bit to the feel of the written story. The use of fold-out pages give great depth to the images and provide readers with an added feel for the height at which Petit performed.

Professional Review:

School Library Journal: Kindergarten-Grade 6-As this story opens, French funambulist Philippe Petit is dancing across a tightrope tied between two trees to the delight of the passersby in Lower Manhattan. Gerstein places him in the middle of a balancing act, framed by the two unfinished World Trade Center towers when the idea hits: "He looked not at the towers, but at the space between them and thought, what a wonderful place to stretch a rope-." On August 7, 1974, Petit and three friends, posing as construction workers, began their evening ascent from the elevators to the remaining stairs with a 440-pound cable and equipment, prepared to carry out their clever but dangerous scheme to secure the wire. The pacing of the narrative is as masterful as the placement and quality of the oil-and-ink paintings. The interplay of a single sentence or view with a sequence of thoughts or panels builds to a riveting climax. A small, framed close-up of Petit's foot on the wire yields to two three-page foldouts of the walk. One captures his progress from above, the other from the perspective of a pedestrian. The vertiginous views paint the New York skyline in twinkling starlight and at breathtaking sunrise. Gerstein captures his subject's incredible determination, profound skill, and sheer joy. The final scene depicts transparent, cloud-filled skyscrapers, a man in their midst. With its graceful majesty and mythic overtones, this unique and uplifting book is at once a portrait of a larger-than-life individual and a memorial to the towers and the lives associated with them.

Lukehart, W., Jones, T. E., Toth, L., Charnizon, M., Grabarek, D., & Larkins, J. (2003, November). The man who walked between the towers [Review of the book The man who walked between the towers by M. Gerstein]. School Library Journal. 49(11), 125. Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Man-Who-Walked-Between-Towers/

Library Uses: 

This book is a great example of how all types and age levels of materials can be used to discuss the repercussions of 9/11 and the loss of such a great landmark. While the terrorist attack against the U.S. was a horrible time for the entire country, and even the entire world, this book is a great reminder that we can celebrate the memories of things that are no longer with us. This book can be used in displays and discussions about 9/11, and would be a great book to use with younger elementary aged children to talk about the tragedy.

Module 2: Millions of Cats

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Book Summary: A very old woman and a very old man lived in a nice clean house, but they were lonely. The little old woman decided that they would be happy if they just had a cat. The little old man went to find them the best cat. What he found was a hill full of millions and billions and trillions of cats, each one different and special in its own way. He looks around and finds the perfect cat, only to turn around and find another one that was just as perfect. Soon he was leading all of the cats from the hill home to his wife. Once they arrive home, the cats start to eat. They eat and eat and eat until there is nothing left. The old man and the old woman decide that they can only keep one cat, but which one should they choose? They ask the cats which one of them is the prettiest, and soon every cat is arguing that they are the prettiest. They begin to fight and snarl and bite. Then they are eating each other up until there are no cats left to see. The little old man and the little old woman discover one last scrawny little kitten. They give the cat a bath and brush it and feed it. It grows and grows and grows, and soon it is the prettiest cat of all. They all live happily in the cute little house.

APA Reference of Book:

Gág, W. (1928). Millions of cats. New York, NY: Coward-McCann, Inc..

Impressions: This is a really cute story. The little old man and the little old woman are great characters, even though there is minimal characterization or description. Their desire to have a cat to complete their home is easy to relate to. The story has a great happy ending where the man and woman end up with the perfect cat and everyone is happy together in their cute clean house.

The illustrations are pen and ink drawings, and are left completely in black and white. The lack of color is a perfect fit for the story. I think if there had been color in the illustrations, the pictures would have been too busy for young readers to enjoy. It also would have detracted from the story as readers may spend all of their time trying to choose between all of the cats rather than finishing the story. The lack of color also leaves it to the reader’s imagination as to what the prettiest cat looks like in the end, which is a great discussion point.

Professional Review:
School Library Journal:  Considered by many to have ushered in the age of the modern picture book, this Newbery Honor winner is characterized by innovative design and a strong storyteller’s cadence.

Breen, K., Fader, E., Odean, K., & Sutherland, S. (2000). One hundred books that shaped the century [Review of the book Millions of cats, by W. Gág]. School Library Journal. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/2000/01/collection-development/one-hundred-books-that-shaped-the-century/#_

Library Uses: This would be a great read for a cat-themed story time, and leads to a complimentary craft activity of coloring or designing the prettiest cat.  This could also be used as a lead-in to a community-wide “Prettiest Cat” contest. This could work as a photography contest or a sculpture contest, or a contest of some other form of artistic expression.

Module 1: Henry & the Buccaneer Bunnies

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Book Summary: 

Henry is the son of a pirate ship captain, but he has no interest in the running of a pirate ship. He would rather read about adventures and proper techniques than do other pirating activities, such as making prisoners walk the plank. The other pirates are always making fun of Henry for constantly having his nose in a book, but they just don't understand the appeal of a good book. When a raging storm sinks the pirate ship, the pirates feel that all is lost. Henry doesn’t let a little storm get him down. He quickly gets to work, showing his fellow pirates that all of his time spent reading was not a waste of time, but was time spent gathering valuable information about how to survive when shipwrecked on an island. Soon he is sharing his knowledge and his love for reading with the other pirates, and they all come to understand the value of a good book.

APA Reference of Book:

Crimi, C. (2005). Henry & the Buccaneer Bunnies. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

Impressions:

As someone who has always read books and always been made fun of for keeping my nose between the pages, it is refreshing to read a book for children about the value of learning from reading. The knowledge Henry learned from the books he read saved the lives of all of the pirates and earned him respect and admiration for his knowledge and skills.

This book provides a great example, albeit a fairly obvious one, of the value of reading. I think it's great to show children that they can get more out a book than entertainment. Many books have small nuggets of information that can be gleaned and put together with other nuggets, and soon a young reader has a whole gold mine of informative facts at their disposal. Teaching them that this is not only possible, but also enjoyable, while they are still at such a young age is a wonderful thing.

I found the illustrations to be enjoyable and thought they were well-done, though there were a few pages that were a little busier than I would have preferred. There was a lot going on, which provides kids with quite a bit to look at, but was overwhelming at times.

Professional Reviews: 

Booklist: PreS-Gr. 2. As the pirate ship The Salty Carrot sails the high seas, all of the rabbit pirates pitch in to help with the duties except Henry, the captain's son, who prefers to read. After their ship succumbs to a storm, the rabbits find that Henry's trunks of books can act as life rafts, which transport them to a desert island. On land, Henry's vast book learning becomes invaluable, and he provides the rabbit crew with food, shelter, and a means of escape. Manders' watercolor, gouache, and pencil illustrations are the highlight of this effort. His rabbit pirates have huge buckteeth and look especially comical toward the end of the book, when they are elaborately decked out in eighteenth-century finery, including feathered hats and lace trim. Bookworm Henry is rather stereotypically portrayed with huge glasses hung from a string. A story on the joys and usefulness of reading is nothing new, but the funny Buccaneer Bunnies should provide some interest, even to children who are not inspired by the lesson.

School Library Journal: Kindergarten-Grade 2–Henry is not a typical buccaneer bunny. Instead of performing his proper pirating duties, he would rather read the books that he took from other ships. His father, the captain, is not proud of his son and the rest of the crew makes fun of him. When they are shipwrecked on a deserted island, however, it is Henry and his book smarts that save the day. Although the plot is weak, the illustrations are fresh and comical, and send a clear message about the importance of reading.

Morning, T. (2005, December 1). Henry & the Buccaneer bunnies [Review of the book Henry & the Buccaneer bunnies, by C. Crimi]. Booklist, 102(7), 52. Retrieved from http://www.esebco.com/books/show/53366/searches/53366

Schindler, L. S. (2005, November 1). Henry & the Buccaneer Bunnies [Review of the book Henry & the Buccaneer bunnies, by C. Crimi]. School Library Journal,  51(11), 89. Retrieved from http://www.esebco.com/books/show/53366/searches/53366

Library Uses: I feel that this book had a few too many words to be a good story time book for younger children (e.i.ages 2-5), but it would be great for class visits, especially for 1^st or 2^nd graders who are still learning the basics of reading.

Welcome!

This blog is created to be a collection of reviews written for books read as part of INFO 5420. Though this is part of a class assignment, I would hope that the reviews here are also found to be informative and are a valuable resource for those looking for more feedback about these books.