Module 12: Knucklehead: Tall Tales and Mostly True Stories about Growing up Scieszka

Book Summary: 

Jon Scieszka is probably best known for his humorous children’s picture books The True Story of the Three Little Pigs and The Stinky Cheese Man: And Other Fairly Stupid Tales. In this tongue-in-cheek autobiography, readers get a glimpse of Jon’s life as a young boy and a few events that made him the man he is today. From crazy Halloween costumes to trading chores, this book has it all. His hilarious stories of growing up with five brothers and the zany things they thought up to do will have readers laughing out loud.

APA Reference of Book:

Scieszka, J. (2005). Knucklehead: Tall tales and mostly true stories about growing up Scieszka. New York, NY: Viking Publishing.

Impressions:

This book is a random gathering of thoughts from funny children's author Jon Scieszka. He is the second-oldest in a family of 6 boys, and he has a plethora of stories of his crazy childhood and the fun and zany times they had growing up. Each chapter is just a few pages of a fondly remembered story that happened sometime during Jon's childhood, and together they give a glimpse into the life that he had as a child.

A fun read for ages 10+. Boys especially will enjoy the crazy and sometimes gross stories in this book. This is also a great read for fans of all ages, young or old, as the inside look at Scieszka’s youth will provide great entertainment for all.

Professional Review:

Starred Review. Grade 3–6—Just try to keep kids away from this collection. Inspired book design makes the volume look like an old-school comic. The front cover features an elementary-aged Scieszka popping up out of a military tank, surrounded by explosions and bombers, while the back advertises a "Treasure Chest of Fun" and displays chapter titles and excerpts along with nostalgic graphics. Scieszka answers the oft-asked question, "Where do you get your ideas?" with a slew of childhood anecdotes and his family's escapades that have given him plenty of material from which to draw. Born in 1954, the second of six brothers, he writes about Catholic and military schools, buying gifts, chores, and hand-me-downs—all familiar experiences related with a specific Scieszka twist. His mother, a nurse, insisted that her sons use proper terms for anatomy ("rectum" rather than "butt") and bodily functions ("urinate" rather than "pee"), making way for several laugh-out-loud moments. Some stories are just amiably funny, such as wearing recycled Halloween costumes, while others help readers understand more about how the author developed his unique sense of humor. Although it includes the car trip story from Guys Write for Guys Read (Viking, 2005), Knucklehead is aimed at a younger audience. Family photographs and other period illustrations appear throughout. Entertaining and fast-moving, silly and sweet, this homage to family life is not to be missed.

Whitehurst, L. S. (2008, October). Knucklehead: Tall tales and mostly true stories about growing up Scieszka [Review of the book Knucklehead: Tall tales and mostly true stories about growing up Scieszka by Jon Scieszka]. School Library Journal, 54(10), 174. Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Knucklehead-Almost-Stories-Growing-Scieszka.

Library Uses:

This book would great to use for a unit on authors for classroom studies. It could be part of a display highlighting authors, or as part of a display about Jon Scieszka himself and his works. It is also a great book to use to introduce autobiographical writing.

Module 11: The Tarantula Scientist

Book Summary:

Tarantulas are amazing creatures. The information about the Goliath birdeater tarantula found in French Guiana in South America is one example of the uniqueness found in the varieties of tarantulas around the world.

In this book, Sy Montgomery presents an array of interesting facts about different species of tarantulas. She spent time with world experts studying these arachnids and learning more about how they interact with the world around them. There is information about mating habits and feeding behaviors, along with details about body structure and information about how they shed the outer layer of their body, the exoskeleton.

Spiders are regularly seen as creepy, dirty creatures, and Montgomery brings a new light to a topic that both fascinates and alarms most people.

APA Reference of Book:

Montgomery, S. (2004). The tarantula scientist. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Impressions:

I was introduced to Sy Montgomery and her work a couple of years ago at a conference, and I was extremely impressed with her and her method of research. She strives to provide as accurate of information as possible, and it shows in her writing. She spends her time traveling around for research, and she meets the most interesting people and finds some of the most interesting subjects imaginable. I think she could make anything excting.

This book was no exception. I found myself both creeped out a little and at the same time awed and amazed at a creature that I knew very little about before reading this book. The tarantula is presented in such a fascinating way as to make it appealing to all who take the time to read this book. They are such unique creatures, and the information found here provides an open door to those who wish to learn more. Science comes alive when Montgomery writes for children.

Professional Review:

School Library Journal: Grade 5-10-Superb color photos abound in this spectacular series addition. Readers follow the career of Sam Marshall, tarantula scientist extraordinaire, from his "Spider Lab" at Hiram College in Ohio to the rain forests of French Guiana as he hunts for, finds, and studies the creatures he loves so well. The conversational text contains as much spider lore as scientific investigation and provides a cheerful look at a dedicated scientist. (The fact that he did not do well in school may encourage those late bloomers who have not yet found their passion in life or believe it to be far beyond their academic grasp.) Informative, yes, but even more important, this is a vivid look at an enthusiastic scientist energetically and happily at work, both in the field and in the lab, questioning, examining, testing, and making connections. A treat, even for arachnophobes.

Booklist: Gr. 4-7. Montgomery and Bishop, who worked together on Snake Scientist (1999), team up once again to deliver another fascinating slice of the natural world. This time they venture to the French Guiana rain forest, where they follow arachnologist Sam Marshall on his quest for his favorite quarry: tarantulas. Enthusiasm for the subject and respect for both Marshall and his eight-legged subjects come through on every page of the clear, informative, and even occasionally humorous text. Bishop's full-color photos, which concentrate on detail, not scale, are amazing--Marshall coaxing an elusive tarantula into the open or bringing readers literally face-to-face with a hairy spider. The section on students' research seems tacked on, but it adds an interesting sidelight to the book, which is longer and richer in both text and illustrations than others in the Scientists in the Field series. Readers will come away armed with facts about spiders in general and tarantulas in particular, but even more important, they'll have a clear understanding of how the answers derived from research become the roots of new, intriguing questions.

Manning, P. (2005, October).  The Tarantula Scientist [Review of the book The tarantula scientist by Sy Montgomery]. School Library Journal, 51(10), 64. Retrieved 11/7/15 from http://www.amazon.com/Tarantula-Scientist-Scientists-Field/dp/061891577X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1446926657&sr=8-1&keywords=tarantula+scientist

Zvirin, S. (2004, March 15). The tarantula scientist [Review of the book The tarantula scientist by Sy Montgomery]. Booklist, 100(14), 1304. Retrieved 11/7/15 from http://www.amazon.com/Tarantula-Scientist-Scientists-Field/dp/061891577X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1446926657&sr=8-1&keywords=tarantula+scientist

Library Uses:

This is a great book for a lecture or segment on spiders. The photos make great visual references, and the little tidbits of information would make great quote blocks. This would also be great for a display (preferably behind glass) that included specimens and other tactile objects to view.

Module 10: Here Lies the Librarian

Book Summary:

It’s the early 20th century, and cars are just beginning to replace horses as the preferred mode of transportation. Life is changing across the country as roads are paved, making way for these new-fangled automobiles.

Eleanor, known to her small town as Peewee, and her brother Jake have lived alone in their small farmhouse since their parents passing. Peewee prefers working with Jake repairing cars to wearing dresses and attending tea parties, and she aims to stick around when she gets older and help her brother run a car repair shop. She would much rather wear overalls than dresses, much to the dismay of her older brother.

Then Peewee meets four strongly independent young women, students at a nearby college who are pursuing their library degrees. Soon she is learning that it is possible to be her own person while still being a girl. When her brother is injured driving in a car race, does she have what it takes to finish the race and prove to them all that a girl is just as capable?

APA Reference of Book:

Peck, R. (2006). Here lies the librarian. New York, NY: Dial Books Publishing.

Impressions:

Here Lies the Librarian is a quick historical fiction read. I really enjoyed Peewee’s thoughts and comments on life as she grew into a strong young woman. She surprised herself in how much she actually wanted to be ladylike when she was shown that she could be both a woman and an independent thinker. Her interactions with the four young ladies who came to run the library showed her that educating oneself did not make a person stuck up and stuffy, but rather knowledgeable about life. It better prepares a person to make the best life for themselves that they can.

As a librarian, I also enjoyed reading about the library itself and how it was run. I’m not very familiar with this particular decade, and the new inventions and changes that were taking place in this field were coming in leaps and bounds. I really enjoyed the presentation of the new library to the people who lived in this small town and the impact it had on the community.

Professional Review:

Stubborn, fearless, and loyal, 14-year-old Peewee (Eleanor) McGrath, who dresses like a boy, lives with her brother, Jake, in Indiana, "way out in the weeds." Together, they run a struggling garage, where Jake is building a racecar. It's 1914, and the electric self-starter has made automobiles more accessible to women. One day, four female drivers, library students all, arrive in a Stoddard-Dayton in need of repair; later, they return to reopen the town library. With these young women as role models, Peewee comes to realize that being female and being independent aren't mutually exclusive. Peck's one-liners, colorful physical comedy, and country dialect, prominent in most of his recent novels, are great as usual. And his characters, if not fully developed, are wonderfully quirky. Yet even with some exciting scenes of old-time dirt-track racing, the pace lags, and the story is choppy. Young fans of Danica Patrick, today's "Queen of the Road," may want to read this, but it will probably be librarians who'll have the most fun. Peck recounts an incident in an endnote in which one of the characters appears at the Indianapolis 500 with Janet Guthrie; unfortunately, there's not enough explanation to know whether or not it's all true.

Zvirin, S. (2006, March). Here lies the librarian [Review of the book Here lies the librarian by Richard Peck]. Booklist, 102(13), 91. Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Here-Lies-Librarian-Richard-Peck/dp/0142409081/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1446923800&sr=8-1&keywords=here+lies+the+librarian

Library Uses:

This would be a great book for a tween or younger teen book club read. Discussions can be about historical setting, family relationships, and gender roles. This book could also be part of a larger display/discussion about gender roles and the changes that have occurred in the last century.