SLIS 5420 Module 3 Caldecott Winner GRANDFATHER'S JOURNEY

Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say

Book Cover

Image retrieved from http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/91TmGW9GiQL.jpg

Book Summary

The book, Grandfather's Journey, is written in the first person point of view on the author's grandfather. Grandfather left home, Japan, for the New World and explored many places in the New World and fell in love with California. He went home and married a lady then took her with him to San Francisco to start a family where they had a daughter. Then the man became homesick and eventually moved back to the little village of his childhood in Japan. The little village wasn't enough for the daughter so the man moved the family to a big city. Time went by and the daughter grew and got married in the city, soon the author was born. The man planned on visiting San Francisco again because he missed it terribly. But then World War II happened and the man's home was destroyed. He had to return to the village that wasn't enough for his daughter's childhood. He kept thinking about California but never had a chance to visit it again before he died. The little boy heard so much about California from his grandfather, once he was old enough, he paid a visit himself and made it home too. He also had a daughter. He finally felt what his grandfather felt. After all these years of listening to his grandfather about Japan and California, he finally had a way to make a connection with his grandfather.

Reference
Say, A. (1993). Grandfather's journey. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Librarian's Corner
The author study that I conducted while in college was on Allen Say. That was in the same decade as the publishing of this book. This book is a great resource for understanding the Japanese culture as it is so different than the American culture in many aspects. Generally American parents are very involved in their children's lives and so are the grandparents, and Asian parents and grandparents are not as involved. American parents' loves are more on the side that evolve around their children when it is the opposite in the Asian cultures.I think reading this book can help readers appreciate many things that they might not be paying attention to, like our family and this beautiful land that we live on. This book also points out "liking the new, abandoning the old" with the Grandfather moving to California and not thinking much about where he grew up until his daughter was a little grown. There are many things in life we rarely think about until we have to part with them or after we no longer possess them. Growing up in an Chinese family I can definitely relate to the message in Grandfather's Journey, especially when I am having my own family in the states and my parents aren't. Even though there aren't too many words on a page in this book, I think the structure of the sentences and the choices of words are powerful, as least it leaves me thinking about many things after reading the book. I think this book is more suitable for upper elementary students.

Reviews
From Kirkus ReviewsThe funny thing is, the moment I am in one country, I am homesick for the other," observes Say near the end of this poignant account of three generations of his family's moves between Japan and the US. Say's grandfather came here as a young man, married, and lived in San Francisco until his daughter was "nearly grown" before returning to Japan; his treasured plan to visit the US once again was delayed, forever as it turned out, by WW II. Say's American-born mother married in Japan (cf. Tree of Cranes, 1991), while he, born in Yokohama, came here at 16. In lucid, graceful language, he chronicles these passages, reflecting his love of both countries--plus the expatriate's ever-present longing for home--in both simple text and exquisitely composed watercolors: scenes of his grandfather discovering his new country and returning with new appreciation to the old, and pensive portraits recalling family photos, including two evoking the war and its aftermath. Lovely, quiet--with a tenderness and warmth new to this fine illustrator's work. 1993, Houghton Mifflin, $15.95. Starred Review. © 1993 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Kirkus Reviews. (1993). [ Review of the book Grandfather's journey, by Allen Say.].Kirkus Reviews.

From Publishers WeeklySay transcends the achievements of his Tree of Cranes and A River Dream with this breathtaking picture book, at once a very personal tribute to his grandfather and a distillation of universally shared emotions. Elegantly honed text accompanies large, formally composed paintings to convey Say's family history; the sepia tones and delicately faded colors of the art suggest a much-cherished and carefully preserved family album. A portrait of Say's grandfather opens the book, showing him in traditional Japanese dress, ``a young man when he left his home in Japan and went to see the world.'' Crossing the Pacific on a steamship, he arrives in North America and explores the land by train, by riverboat and on foot. One especially arresting, light-washed painting presents Grandfather in shirtsleeves, vest and tie, holding his suit jacket under his arm as he gazes over a prairie: ``The endless farm fields reminded him of the ocean he had crossed.'' Grandfather discovers that ``the more he traveled, the more he longed to see new places,'' but he nevertheless returns home to marry his childhood sweetheart. He brings her to California, where their daughter is born, but her youth reminds him inexorably of his own, and when she is nearly grown, he takes the family back to Japan. The restlessness endures: the daughter cannot be at home in a Japanese village; he himself cannot forget California. Although war shatters Grandfather's hopes to revisit his second land, years later Say repeats the journey: ``I came to love the land my grandfather had loved, and I stayed on and on until I had a daughter of my own.'' The internal struggle of his grandfather also continues within Say, who writes that he, too, misses the places of his childhood and periodically returns to them. The tranquility of the art and the powerfully controlled prose underscore the profundity of Say's themes, investing the final line with an abiding, aching pathos: ``The funny thing is, the moment I am in one country, I am homesick for the other.'' Ages 4-8. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly. (n.d.). [Review on Grandfather's journey, by Allen Say].Publishers Weekly.

Values to the Library
Elementary School Library
Since we are an International Baccalareate school, any book that raises global awareness needs to be considered. Allen Say's Grandfather's Journey is actually shelved in the IB collection in the "empathy" section. This book can be read aloud by the librarian or recommended to classroom teachers for read-aloud for the Multi-culture Month or Grandparents Appreciation Day. Students can write about what they will miss if they move away to another continent. This book can be used in both language arts and social studies. The students can study the different landforms in the different regions of the America and make suggestions on where Grandfather had traveled to. For a math activity, the students can estimate the distance between Japan and San Francisco using a map and a map scale. The students then can discuss different ways of travel using the average speed of the different transportation to figure out how long it takes for someone to travel from Japan to San Francisco or vise versa using different mediums.

SLIS 5420 Module 3 Caldecott Winner THE LION & THE MOUSE

The Lion & The Mouse by Jerry Pinkney

Book Cover

Image retrieved from http://www.jstart.org/sites/default/files/The%20Lion%20and%20the%20Mouse.jpg

Book Summary
Jerry Pinkney's The Lion & The Mouse is a wordless book for the well know Aesop's fable. The whole fable is told in illustrations with words that represent sounds

My interpretation of the illustrations -
       As the sun rises in the east, an owl hoots above a little mouse. The owl suddenly dives down in an attempt to catch the mouse. The mouse quickly runs away to safety he considers, but doesn't know that her appearance disturbs a restful lion. The lion grabs the mouse by its tail with a loud roar. The mouse begs for forgiveness and the lion lets her go.The mouse returns safely to her home to her young.
       Two hunters set out a trap hoping to capture a big African animal.One day the lion walks right into the trap set up by the hunters and is hanging in a net off the tree branches. The lion roars and roars and struggles to free himself from the net. The mouse hears the lion's roar and reaches the lion. Out of appreciation since the lion agreed to set her free, the mouse starts to chew on the ropes of the net. She chews and chews and chews. She chews and chews and chews. She chews till the lion falls and reaches the ground. The lion thanks the mouse and the mouse leaves with a knot of the net to her nest.

Reference
Pinkney, J. (2009). The lion & the mouse, Hachette Book Group, Inc.

Librarian's Corner
The Lion & The Mouse is an excellent tool to teach children many skills in reading and writing. This wordless version of the well-known Aesop's fable encourages readers to pay attention to the details in the illustrations and tell the story using their own vocabulary. The book also demonstrates that illustrations are just as powerful as words and that the number of words on each page does not have a direct relationship between reading and comprehension. The story teaches readers that no matter the sizes of you, your willingness to help just might benefit the vast world around you. It also shows that every creature deserves respect despite their sizes.

Reviews
From Booklist
Starred Review* The intricate lion's face that crowds the cover of Pinkney's latest folktale adaptation is unaccompanied by any title or credits, and that is entirely appropriate there are no words inside, either. Through illustration alone Pinkney relates the well-known Aesop fable of the mouse who is captured by a lion, only to be unexpectedly released. Then, when the lion finds himself trapped by hunters, it is the mouse who rescues him by gnawing through the twine. Pinkney bends his no-word rule a bit with a few noises that are worked into the art ("Screeeech" when an owl dives; "Putt-Putt-Putt" when the hunters' jeep arrives), but these transgressions will only encourage young listeners to get involved with read-along sessions. And involved they will be how could they not get drawn into watercolors of such detail and splendor? Pinkney's soft, multihued strokes make everything in the jungle seem alive, right down to the rocks, as he bleeds color to indicate movement, for instance, when the lion falls free from the net. His luxuriant use of close-ups humanizes his animal characters without idealizing them, and that's no mean feat. In a closing artist's note, Pinkney talks about his choice to forgo text. Preschool-Grade 1

Kraus, D. (July 2009). [Review on The ion & the mouse by Jerry Pinkney.] Booklist, 105(21).

From Kirkus
 nearly wordless exploration of Aesop's fable of symbiotic mercy that is nothing short of masterful. A mouse, narrowly escaping an owl at dawn, skitters up what prove to be a male lion's tail and back. Lion releases Mouse in a moment of bemused gentility and when subsequently ensnared in a poacher's rope trap reaps the benefit thereof. Pinkney successfully blends anthropomorphism and realism, depicting Lion's massive paws and Mouse's pink inner ears along with expressions encompassing the quizzical, hapless and nearly smiling. He plays, too, with perspective, alternating foreground views of Mouse amid tall grasses with layered panoramas of the Serengeti plain and its multitudinous wildlife. Mouse, befitting her courage, is often depicted heroically large relative to Lion. Spreads in watercolor and pencil employ a palette of glowing amber, mouse-brown and blue-green. Artist-rendered display type ranges from a protracted "RRROAARRRRRRRRR" to nine petite squeaks from as many mouselings. If the five cubs in the back endpapers are a surprise, the mouse family of ten, perched on the ridge of father lion's back, is sheer delight. Unimpeachable. (author's note) 2009, Little, Brown, 40p, $16.99. Category: Picture book. Ages 3 to 6. Starred Review. © 2009 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.


Kirkus Review.(August 2009). [Review on The ion & the mouse by Jerry Pinkney.] Kirkus Review, 77(15).

Value to the Library
There is a huge fairy tale and folktale unit in the language arts curriculum in my school district. I will show the students who come through the library as a class during their fairy tale/folktale unit, especially the lower grades and have the students help me tell the story, The Lion & The Mouse, as their retell. It is also a great tool to use to review visualization for composing a story. It is a book that can be used multiple times for different lessons!

SLIS 5420 Module 2 ANNE OF GREEN GABLES

Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery

Book Cover

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Book Summary

11-year-old Anne Shirley, an orphan, is adopted by a shy farmer, Matthew Cuthbert and his sister, Marilla. Originally the Cuthberts wanted to adopt a boy to help out at the farm, but Anne Shirley turns out to be the best mistake in the Cuthberts' lives. Even though Anne lost her parents at a very young age, she is still full of wonderful imaginations on everything around her and happens to her. Out of all the friends Anne makes from school, she likes Diana Barry the most and dislikes Gilbert Blythe the most, that is until they both leave home for school to study in a teacher program. After Anne wins the Avery scholarship to go to college, Matthew dies from a heart attack triggered by the news of their bank going out of business. Anne decides to give up her scholarship and takes the teaching job in her own town so she can help Marilla around the house.

Reference
Montgomery, L. M. (c1999). Anne of Green Gables. Masterwork Books.

Librarian's Corner
Anne of Green Gables is one of the icons for children's classic literature. This book is a great example of a record of someone's life from childhood to adulthood. It teaches readers what life was like in the old days. With our life so busy now in the present, we hardly have time to sit down and reflect on what's happening around us. This book helps readers, youths and adults, to stop and think about the people and things around them. Reading this book can really help readers appreciate what they have and make meaningful connections with the people and things that often slip their minds. This book sends out many positive messages on family, friendship, ambition, and love.

Reviews
From Goodreads.com
Everyone's favorite redhead, the spunky Anne Shirley, begins her adventures at Green Gables, a farm outside Avonlea, Prince Edward Island. When the freckled girl realizes that the elderly Cuthberts wanted to adopt a boy instead, she begins to try to win them and, consequently, the reader, over.

Goodreads.com. (n.d.) [Review on Anne of Green Gables.] Retrieved from http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8127.Anne_of_Green_Gables.

From Commonsensemedia.org
Parents need to know that this classic 1908 children's novel by L.M. Montomgery remains a perennial favorite thanks to its memorable heroine: irrepressible red-headed orphan Anne Shirley. Anne's adventures are full of amusing (and occasionally mildly dangerous) scrapes, but she's quick to learn from her mistakes and usually has only the best of intentions. Although Anne gets her best friend drunk in one episode (it's an honest mistake), there's very little here that's at all iffy for kids -- though younger readers might get a bit bogged down in the many descriptions of Anne's Prince Edward Island, Canada, home. A sad death may hit some kids hard, but the book's messages about the importance of love, friendship, family, and ambition are worth it.

Commonsensemedia.org. (n.d.) [Review on Anne of Green Gables.] Retrieved from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/anne-of-green-gables.

Value to the Library
Elementary School Library
The book, Anne of Green Gables, is definitely one of the books I will have on display for out Family School Night. I will talk to parents about books they can read at home with their children, especially those who have upper elementary aged child(ren).There are many things parents and their children can discuss together, such as: Why do you think this book is considered a classic? Would you say that Anne is a role model for her peers? If the story was written in the present, what kind of behaviors would be described in the book? What makes Anne different from her peers? An idea to enhance writing would be for the students in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade to add a chapter or episode in the book. The students can also create a portrait of Anne using different mediums of art and have a "Portrait of Anne Shirley" gallery in the library!

SLIS 5420 Module 2 THE IMPORTANT BOOK

The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown

Book Cover

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Book Summary

Margaret Wise Brown, author of Goodnight Moon, shares with the readers what importance she thinks of some of the natural and ordinary things around us: spoon, daisy, rain, grass, snow, apple, wind, sky, a shoe, and you! Even though the important parts that the author picks out on each of the items seems so unimportant, but they are exactly what pops in our head when we think about these things. This book shows readers perspective from the person who is sharing and each reader when asked to share their important thoughts on these items may come up with different things.

Reference

Brown, M. W. (1977). The important book. HarperCollins Publishers.

Librarian's Corner
The Important Book is a book that points out the importance of ordinary things that surround us in our daily life. There are many things around us or in our daily life and we value as needed on a daily basis. We are able to tell others the reasons of these things being necessities to us. But what about the things that we rarely think about? We may be taking these things for granted and hardly notice or realize our ignorance. This book provides opportunities for readers to think about things that we hardly think about but use all the time. The illustrations of these ordinary things enable readers to examine more closely the reason of their existence.

Review
From Goodreads.com
The important thing about The Important Book -- is that you let your child tell you what is important about the sun and the moon and the wind and the rain and a bug and a bee and a chair and a table and a pencil and a bear and a rainbow and a cat (if he wants to). For the important thing about The Important Book is that the book goes on long after it is closed.What is most important about many familiar things -- like rain and wind, apples and daisies -- is suggested in rhythmic words and vivid pictures. 'A perfect book . . . the text establishes a word game which tiny children will accept with glee.' -- K.

Goodreadscom.. (n.d.) [Review of the book The important book by Margaret Wise Brown]. Retrieved from http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/216330.The_Important_Book.

Value to the Library
Elementary School Library
The school librarian can read aloud The Important Book to students from PK to 2nd grade to strengthen the concept of attributes in math and science. Students from 3rd to 5th grade can benefit from this read-aloud in their language arts concept on perspective. The upper elementary students will learn that their classmates and them may be similar in age, but they might be very different in their thinking and reasoning toward the exact same things.

SLIS 5420 Module 1 WE ARE IN A BOOK

We Are in a Book! by Mo Willems

Book Cover

Image retrieved from http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327962539l/7846067.jpg

Book Summary
In We Are In a Book, Gerald and Piggie talk to each other about being read by someone since they are the main characters in the book. Piggie points out that the reader is reading the word bubbles on each page. Piggie then proves himself right to Gerald that he can make the reader say anything he wants him or her to by putting the word "Banana" in a word bubble. Gerald and Piggie cannot get over themselves being in control of what the reader reads aloud. Toward the end, Piggie points out that unfortunately all books will come to an end. Gerald gets sad because he wants to be read all the time so he decides to tell the reader to keep reading the book by putting the words "Hello. Will you please read us again?" in a word bubble.

Reference
Willems, M. (2010). We Are in A Book. New York: Hyperion Books for Children.

Librarian's Corner
We Are In a Book is a fun book that demonstrates the power of words on the pages of a book. It shows the reader that the reader of a book reads what the author and illustrator put on the pages. It sends a positive message to beginner writers. Appropriate for kindergarten through 3rd grade.

Review
From Kirkus
Stalwart friends Piggie and Gerald the elephant push the metafictive envelope in a big way when they realize that "someone is looking at us." Is it a monster? worries Gerald. "No," replies the squinting Piggie. "It is... / a reader! / A reader is reading us!" How? wonders Gerald. Piggie drapes herself on a word bubble to demonstrate: "We are in a book!" "THAT IS SO COOL!" Joy leads to a little bit of clever practical joking—Piggie figures out how to make the readers say "banana" out loud, and hilarity ensues—which gives way to existential angst: "The book ends?!" exclaims an appalled Gerald. Emergent readers just beginning to grapple one-on-one with the rules of the printed codex will find the friends' antics both funny and provocative: Just who is in control here, anyway? As always, Willems displays his customary control of both body language and pacing even as he challenges his readers to engage with his characters and the physicality of their book. The friends' solution to the book's imminent end? "Hello. Will you please read us again?" You bet. 2010, Hyperion, 64 pp., $8.99. Category: Early reader. Ages 4 to 8. Starred Review. © 2010 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Kirkus Reviews. (2010, September). [Review of the book We Are In a Book, by Mo Willems]. Kirkus Reviews, 78(17).

Value to the Library
Elementary School Library
The book, We Are In a Book, can be used by the school librarian to aid classroom teachers in helping beginner writers to put words on paper. The librarian can video tape students from upper grades reading aloud this book and show it to the primary-grade students. The primary-grade students will be able to see that these upper-grade students are reading aloud what the author wrote on the pages, even the words that are not in word (speech) bubbles. The school librarian can brainstorm with the primary-grade students on silly words that they can make the readers of their book say.

Blog 4: Technology Leadership Role of School Librarians

Whether we are ready or not, new technology comes out faster than we can take and digest, but technology has become an inseparable part in our every life. The Standards for the 21^st-Century Learner developed by the American Association of School Librarians (2007) serves as a guide for all school libraries and school librarians to help our students to grow into 21^st-century learners. To be information literate learnesr, the students need to be in a learning environment that promotes lifelong learning with access to all that is available out there in the world.

Technology has made almost everything easier in our lives. The many advantages of technology has made it a “must” in the education field. Having technology in education has become an unnegotiable. Alice Armstrong’s article, Technology in the Classroom: It’s Not a Matter of ‘If,’ but ‘When’ and ‘How,’ from the Illinois School Board Journal (January 2014) has shared many statistics from different sources on the usage of technology by young people in and out of the school setting. A 2012 study conducted by Verizon showed that more than one third of middle school students use smart phones or tablets to do homework, and the study also revealed that there is a large gap between mobile technology use at home and in school. President Obama proposed a National Education Technology Plan in 2010 that suggested that “schools must develop and offer engaging and empowering learning experiences for all learners (Armstrong, 2014)”. Our goal as school librarians is to help teachers deliver instructions that put students at the center and empower them to take control of their learning by providing flexibility. The roles of school libraries and school librarians include shrinking the digital divide to prepare all students and learners for their education and future career especially in the area of technology.

According to Musawi’s Redefining Technology Role in Education (2011), technology has three distinctive roles in education: the medium or resource role, the management role, and the delivery role. The medium or resource role of technology made the biggest impact on both teaching and learning beyond our imagination. Technology’s role in being a medium or resource has expanded the learning and also globalized resources for all learners, which promotes the learners to become more independent. “Through technology role as a medium/resource, [education] will become highly interactive, individualized, flexible, and accessible (Musawi, 2011).”

Knowing the impact of technology on learning, school librarians need to make sure they are up-to-date with the latest educational resources. Even though a lot of the roles of school libraries have been replaces by technology, school librarians still hold the human touch with intelligence on the best resources for students in their learning and career preparation. Students may turn to Google or other search engine on the Internet for answers, but school librarians hold the knowledge on the most appropriate sources for various topics and can help students lift the overwhelming feeling when faces with endless choices on their research.  

Resource

American Association of School Librarians. 2007. Standards for the 21^st-Century Learners.

http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/guidelinesandstandards/learningstandards/AASL_Learning_Standards_2007.pdf

Armstrong, A. (2014). Technology in the classroom: It’s not a matter of ‘if,’ but ‘when’ and

‘how,’ Illinois School Board Journal, 39-46.

Musawi, A. (2011). Redefining technology role in education, Creative Education, 2(2), 130-135.

Blog 3: Technology Implementation Strategies

Technology has evolved dramatically in the last decade. A little more than a decade ago, I was teaching using an overhead projector, I showed clips of videos using videotapes, and we listened to books or stories on CDs. Now all of these technologies have evolved to something greater and better and more. I now teach with a document camera, and I used streamed videos online to show clips of videos that match our objectives in the lessons. Not only can I find sound recording of books or stories online, there are also images or animations to go along with the books or stories.

The dilemma that I see is the struggle between teachers who are afraid of using technology and the push to meet the needs of the changing world. I found an article from the December/January 2013-14 issue of the journal Learning & Leading with Technology by the International Society for Technology in Education that shares five tips for the technology facilitators to help the teachers in the school to incorporating new technology in the classroom. The ultimate goal is to “get the reluctant teachers to join their enthusiastic colleagues (Stanfield, 2013-14).” First, we as technology facilitators or coaches need to make sure that whenever we are having a staff development training that incorporates a technology piece, we pair up the more tech-savvy staff with the less tech-savvy staff to ease their fear of technology. Second, we have to be open and provide opportunities for staff feedback, especially from the ones who have more weaknesses in technology so that we can come up with ways to provide support and guidance. Third, we find free Apps and demonstrate how to use them in a group setting to help build teacher confidence and provide ideas on incorporating them into their lessons. Fourth, have a blog available with resources so that the teachers in the school can share ideas, lessons, tips, and experiences. And finally, encourage the teachers to explore on their own and take risks. Just like teaching in the classroom, have room for these teachers to fail and learn through the trial-and-error period time to make success.

The students I have in my classroom come from different economic background with different resources. Even though it is a lot easier now for children to obtain a smart phone at a very low cost, they are still very limited in their knowledge of the technology that is available on their smart phones or similar devices. Whenever we are working on the computer or iPad, I will pair a more tech-savvy with a less tech-savvy students to learn and help on the peer level. Also, since this technology generation is going to grow up surrounded by technology, the students need to be exposed to as many different media and technologies as possible. I will obtain a list of district approved Apps for smart phones and tablets to explore with the students and show them how they can use these tools for their assignments and projects.

Technology is a very important part of our everyday lives, whether it’s academically, professionally, or personally. It is needed daily and I am very enthusiastic towards technology and I certainly want my students to feel the same way!

Reference

Stanfield, S. (2013). Five tips for incorporating new technology in the classroom. Learning & Leading with Technology, 34-35.