Back Home

Back Home

By Gloria Jean Pinkney, Illus. Jerry Pinkney

Grades: K-3

Have you ever traveled away from home to visit relatives? Ever been on a farm before? In Back Home by Gloria Jean Pinkney, 8-year old Ernestine travels from the North to visit her relatives in Lumberton, North Carolina. She receives a warm welcome from her aunt and uncle but is welcomed by teasing from her cousin Jack. Will Ernestine and Jack get along before Ernestine must travel back North to go home? Find out by reading Back Home.

Ernestine is 8-years old is from up North and is traveling by herself by train to visit her relatives in Lumberton, North Carolina. When she arrives at the station she recognizes her Uncle June right away. They arrive at the farm where Ernestine is greeted warmly by her Aunt Beula but her cousin Jack teases her about her fancy clothes. Ernestine and Jack quarrel over the few days that Ernestine is on the farm, but she is determined to show him that just because she is a city girl doesn’t mean she can’t do the same things he does on the farm. Ernestine suggests to name one of the baby goats Princess, but Jack laughs at her. Ernestine falls off a ladder that Jack was able to climb ands falls off of Jonah the goat in front of Jack. She feels embarrassed that Jack keeps witnessing her failure. While visiting on the farm, her uncle and Jack take her to an old house that stood abandoned in the field. Uncle June points out to Ernestine that that is the house she as born in. On her last day there, the four go to church and Jack teases Ernestine about her dress and sees how offended she gets and feels bad. After church, the four go to visit the grave of Ernestine’s Grandma Zulah. That night, Ernestine is packing to go home when Jack comes in and tells Ernestine that he has decided to name the baby goat Princess and gives her some hard corn to take back up North. This marks the reconciliation between the two and Ernestine leaves happy.

The characters in this story are Ernestine, Uncle, June, Aunt Beula, and her cousin Jack. The setting takes place in Lumberton, North Carolina and on a farm where Ernestine is visiting her relatives. The problem/solution is that Ernestine’s cousin Jack is teasing her about being a city girl and making fun of her because of her fancy clothes. The solution occurs when Jack realizes that he has really hurt Ernestine’s feelings and tries to make it up to her. The resolution takes place when Jack gives Ernestine some hard corn to take back home with her before she leaves to go back North to go home. The theme of this story is the different relationships between relatives and transitioning into a new setting.

The characters in this story act like real people within their age group and cultural background. Ernestine is an 8-year old girl from the city who wears dresses and does not live on a farm back up North. Jack is Ernestine’s cousin and lives on a farm and wears overalls for clothes. The two come from two different backgrounds and at first do not see eye to eye, but throughout the story, they grow to form a positive relationship. Ernestine’s Aunt Beula helps her to adjust to farm life by giving her overalls to wear around the farm and lets her help cutting peaches. Uncle June lets Ernestine help out around the farm so she can experience what it’s like living on a farm. The setting seems real and appropriate for the story because the illustrator has used brilliant water colors to represent what it looks like living on a farm in Lumberton, North Carolina. The setting is real because people can live on farms as well as live on a farm in North Carolina. The action is consistent with everyday contemporary problems that are appropriate for the intended age group because young children tend to go through transitions with other kids in order to create friendships. Children from different backgrounds will have a hard time understand why another child dresses the way they do or by where they live. The author only shows sentimentality and sensationalism when Ernestine gets upset because of Jack’s teasing and how she keeps embarrassing herself in front of him. Also, when Jack feels sorry for teasing Ernestine about her dress, the author is able to let the reader know he genuinely feels bad. The theme of this story is relevant and is able to engage children’s interests because we all experienced being a new setting and meeting people with whom we must build a relationship with before we become friends with them. The illustrations in the book keep children engaged because the pictures are so vibrant and seem realistic. The kinds of activities Ernestine does on the farm can also capture children’s interests. The writing style was engaging for children because the author uses dialogue and words that make the reader wonder if Ernestine and Jack will become friends. The dialogue is able to help the reader understand the complex nature of human relationships because Ernestine and Jack both live in different areas, wear different clothes, and do different things at home. Ernestine changed out of her dresses to wear clothes so that she could hang out with Jack and yet Jack still teased her. Not until he could see that he had really upset Ernestine did he decide to make amends with her. This describes the relationship between two people who come from two different backgrounds.

I can personally connect with this story because I can remember transitioning through school as being a big step for me. From middle school to high school, from high school to college, were big transitions for me. I was moving into new settings with new people and I had to adapt in order to become used to my new surroundings. But during these transitions I made new friends and became used the classes and the homework. This story reminded me of what it feels like to be placed in a new setting for the first time.

This would be a good book for a classroom library because you need books that are relatable to students and this book is one of them. The relationship between Ernestine and Jack can be relatable to one or some of the students in the class. The illustrations in the book could be used to demonstrate illustrator artwork techniques and show how the use of artwork in the illustrations creates different moods and feelings for different readers.

The MA ELA Frameworks for this book are, RL.5.3. Determine a theme of story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text, RL.3.3. Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events, MA.8.A. Identify elements of fiction (e.g., characters, plot, setting, plot, problem, solution) and elements of poetry (e.g., rhyme, rhythm, figurative language, alliteration, onomatopoeia).

The Bracelet

The Bracelet by Yoshiko Uchida and Joanna Yardly

Grade Level: 3-5

Genre: Historical Fiction

Have you ever thought about what people went through in internment camps? Have you ever had to move away from your home and friends? This is what Emi went through when her family had to move to an internment camp during World War II because they were Japanese-American. This story shares the hard times Japanese- American children such as Emi had to go through during this time and leaving their life they knew behind.

The Bracelet is a story about a young girl named Emi. It takes place during World War II when American is at war with Japan. Emi and her family are Japanese-American and are being sent away to live at in a prison camp. Before leaving for the camp, Emi receives a visit from her friend Laurie who gives her a bracelet for Emi to take to camp with her. Emi loved it and say she will never take it off to always remind her of her friend and her life at home. The family had to leave their life behind to go live in an internment came with hundreds of Japanese- Americans. They have to live in a dirty, small Barrack with no much that reminded them of home. Throughout this story Emi tries to stay strong for her family during this hard time, while sharing her thoughts and sadness with the reader. When Emi losses the bracelet that Laurie gave her she realizes that you do not need an item to remember a person, you only need your memories that will stay with you forever. This story is great for teaching about the hard times Japanese-Americans went through in an internment camp using the perspective of a young girl.

This story is historical fiction. It teaches information during the World War II in the perspective of a young Japanese-American girl, being stereotyped and sent to an internment camp. It is historically accurate and described the process of being sent to an internment camp and the details of being there accurately. It is told in the perspective of a young girl which can be followed and understood better for young readers. The illustrations are helpful in describing the details in an internment camp and showing emotions on the character’s faces. All the characters represent the time period and the situations that they are going through. Their thoughts and feelings towards moving away would be accurate to those who actually went though it in history.   

This book would be best for children ages 7 through 10. It is a great book to read aloud to a class when discussing history of America including the World War II. Also it can be included in a lesson on different ethnicities and the troubles some people had to go through in America. It is great story to read to children to understand the perspective of a child in that time period. It can connect to the Massachusetts frameworks Key Ideas and Details (2 and 3).

The Three Pigs

The Three Pigs
By David Weisner
Grades: K-2

We all know the original story of the Three Little Pigs, right? In this version, the wolf comes to blow the pigs’ houses down but blows so hard that he blows the pigs right out of the story! The three pigs travel through nursery rhymes and tales about dragons trying to find their way back to their own story. Will the pigs make it back to their story? Will the wolf catch up to them and make the pigs his dinner? Find out by reading David Weisner’s The Three Pigs.

This story is a spoof of the original story of the Three Little Pigs. The hungry wolf comes to the first pig’s house and blows so hard that he ruins the house and blows the pig right out of the story. On his way to the other pigs’ houses, the wolf is surprise to see that no one is home because the first pig rescued his brothers and brought them out of the story. The pigs travel through Hey Diddle Diddle where they befriend a cat who continues with the pigs on their journey to get back to their story. Along the way they travel through a story about a knight and dragon where the dragon ends up following the pigs and the cat to try and make it back to their story. The pigs build a paper airplane and they, including the cat and dragon, make it back to the story. The wolf sees the pigs with the cat and dragon and runs away like a coward.

The characters in this story are three pigs, a wolf, and a cat and dragon from another story. The setting consists of the setting in the houses of the pigs but shifts from their houses to a nursery rhyme to a medieval period when the wolf blows the pigs out of their own story. The problem/solution is the three pigs must venture through other stories to escape the wolf who is trying to eat them and the solution occurs when the three pigs make successfully make it back to their own story. The resolution of the story occurs when the three pigs make it back to their story with a cat from the nursery rhyme story and a dragon from the medieval story who protects their homes. The theme of this story is cleverness. This theme can get students to think about times they have ever had to use cleverness to get themselves out of a particular situation.

This book is modern fantasy but fits in the category of animal fantasy. This book includes talking animals who have human characteristics, such as speech.

This would be a good book to have in a classroom library because this book is one of the many versions written about the Three Little Pigs. You could read your class several books based on The Three Pigs then have the class compare and contrast the stories. The Three Pigs is also a good picture book that introduces children to a story that has more than one story in it. The pigs travel through dimensions or other stories in order to make it back to their own world. This version of the Three Little Pigs is a humorous story and takes readers on a journey not just through the pigs’ story but other stories as well.

The MA ELA Framworks for this book are, RL.3.3. Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events, RL.5.5. Explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fits together to provide the overall structure of a particular story, drama, or poem, MA.8.A. Identify elements of fiction (e.g., characters, plot, setting, plot, problem, solution) and elements of poetry (e.g., rhyme, rhythm, figurative language, alliteration, onomatopoeia).



Ananse's Feast

Ananse's Feast

Retold by Tololwa M. Mollel, Illus. by Andrew Glass

Grade: 3rd

Ever been the victim of a trick? Or perhaps been a little too greedy? In Ananse’s Feast, Ananse the spider uses his cleverness to trick his friend Akye by inviting him inside as a guest to his feast. When Ananse makes Akye go wash his hands multiple times in a puddle outside, he eats portions of the feast so that in the end there is no food left for Akye. When Akye notices what Ananse has done, he plans to get his revenge on Ananse. Will Akye get his revenge? Will Ananse learn his lesson? You will have to find out in this retelling of the Ashanti tale, Ananse’s Feast.

During a drought in Africa, Ananse is all stocked up on food but is greedy and does not want to share with anyone. When his friend Akye smells the food coming from Ananse’s house he knocks on Ananse’s door. Ananse sees that it is his friend Akye and invites him inside for food. But clever Ananse says its nice manners to wash your hands in his house and he makes Akye go wash his hands in the puddle outside. But since he is a turtle he must crawl to wash his hands then crawl back which makes them dirty all lover again. While Akye makes all of these trips, Ananse greedily eats all the food. Akye recognizes what Ananse is doing and then tells him they must do this again. When the drought is over and water has been restored, Ananse is not a good swimmer so was not able to get as much food. Akye invites Ananse to a feast in his home but since Ananse isn’t heavy enough to stay underwater, he wears a robe and fills it with pebbles to weigh him down. When Ananse reaches Akye’s house underwater, Akye says it is good manners to take off your robe before eating. Ananse has no choice but to take off the robe and float back to the surface. Akye eats all the food and joins Ananse on land after saying he was glad he could make it.

The language in this story is the dialogue between the two main characters, Ananse the spider and Akye the turtle. The dialogue between these characters could indeed reflect spoken language because since this is traditional literature the dialogue has been changed over time but still reflects the main theme of this story. The language found in this story preserves the structure of oral stories because it is written language and the story stays preserved opposed to that of an oral story. The language in this story reflects the early retellings because they typically were told to teach a lesson or have the audience learn from the story and the language in this story does just that. This story explores the universal theme of greed.

The illustrations in this story positively complement the narrative because the illustrations help the reader to see the expressions on the characters faces during the events in the story as well as provide a visual of what the setting looks like. These illustrations offer authentic cultural detail because the setting takes place in Africa so the illustrations are based on the setting of Africa. Such as the illustrations of the dry desert to express the drought, the hut that Ananse lives in or the underwater home of Akye.

Ananse the spider represents the trait of cleverness as well as greed. There is no ambiguity in this story, the message is very clear: if you are greedy it will come back to you. Once Akye realizes that Ananse has tricked him, the reader is able to predict that Akye will invite Ananse to a feast where he will trick him to give him a taste of his own medicine. The resolution to the story was Ananse being in the same situation he put Akye in and realizing that being greedy is not a good quality to have. The theme of this story was able to express the values of African culture because it is apparent that based on this story Africans believe that it is wrong to be greedy especially towards your friends. The language in the story reflects a vernacular of African language in a sense of the African food that is mentioned in the story at Ananse and Akye’s feasts. There is no way to tell what time period the story took place and the setting we know takes place in Africa.

The characters in this story are Ananse the spider and Akye the turtle. The setting takes place in Africa and since there is a drought one can make the prediction that the season is summer. The problem/solution is that Ananse tricks Akye so that he does not have to share his food with him and Akye then in returns does the same. The resolution of the story takes place when Ananse experiences the feeling Akye did when he decided to be greedy and trick him so that he didn’t get a chance to have any food. The theme of the story is the result of what happens when you are greedy.

This would be a good story to have in a classroom library because it would introduce your class to themes of stories in diverse cultures. This is an African tale and focuses on the theme of greed. You could read this book as well as others from diverse cultures and have students work in groups to identify the themes of the stories. Students could take different stories from different cultures, identify the theme and act it out for the class. When the groups were done acting, you could lead a class discussion on the many diverse themes.

The MA ELA Frameworks for this book are, RL.3.2. Recount stories, including fables, folktales and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text, MA.8.A. Identify elements of fiction (e.g., characters, plot, setting, plot, problem, solution) and elements of poetry (e.g., rhyme, rhythm, figurative language, alliteration, onomatopoeia).

Cheyenne Again by Eve Bunting

Cheyenne Again

By: Eve Bunting

Grades: 4-8

Have you ever wondered what happened to all of the Native American tribes?  Have you ever wondered what if felt like to be a Native American child that was forced to go to an American boarding school?  Have you ever been forced to do something that you did not want to do?  In Cheyenne Again by Eve Bunting we see how a young Cheyenne boy is forced to go to a boarding school against his will as well as his parents.

Cheyenne Again is a story about a young Cheyenne boy who is taken away from his home and forced to attend a boarding school against the will of his family and himself.  This boarding school is much different from the life his is used to.  They are forced to attend class where he cannot understand the language of the teachers.  He sleeps in a room with all the other students.  They cut off all of his hair and try to wash away all traces of his former Native American life.  At one point he even tries to run away and go home but he is captured and punished.  There is one teacher who gives him ointment to heal his wounds from the punishment that is afflicted on him.  The only remnants of his former lifestyle are in his dreams and memories.  He can only think about the way life was and the way it would’ve been if he was home with his tribe.

This is would be a great book to have in a classroom library because many students do not learn about how difficult life was for the Native Americans once their land was taken over in the 1800s by the Americans.  The Native Americans were forced to become Americanized through the boarding schools.  This is an important aspect to teach students and I feel that it would be more beneficial to read this book in upper elementary school and middle school.  This book was also easy to read and had wonder illustrations that were such a great supplement to the text.  This is an aspect of multiculturalism that is rarely focused on.  When we think of multiculturalism, we tend to think of different cultures.  I think Native Americans tend to be overlooked because they have always been residents of the United States.  We are actually the ones that are different from them.

This book would be a great example to show students that the text does not follow conventional writing formats.  It is almost written as if it was a poem but it wasn’t.  This book also includes the dialect of the Cheyenne people.  Eve Bunting writes the responses and reactions of the young Cheyenne boy just like a young boy who has had limited English language exposure would hear and respond to the English speaking teachers.

The ELA MA Curriculum Frameworks that this book incorporates are ELA.4.L.2.03. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening, ELA.4.RI.1.01. Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text., and ELA.4.RI.1.03. Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.

Alligator Baby

Alligator Baby

By: Robert Munsch

Grades: Kindergarten (through 3^rd Grade)

Have your parents ever had a new baby?  Have you ever felt like this new baby was a stranger to you and nothing like you?  Have you ever wondered where your parents brought your baby brother or sister home from?  In Alligator Baby by Robert Munsch, we learn about where Kristen’s new baby brother came from and how it wasn’t easy finding her new brother once he was mixed up at the zoo.

Alligator Baby is a story about a young girl named Kristen who is anxiously waiting for her parents to bring her new baby brother home even though the parents got lost and ended up having the baby in the zoo.  Once they come home, Kristen’s parents go to introduce her to her new baby brother, but her brother ends up being an alligator baby.  The parents put the baby alligator in the fish tank and went back to the zoo to get their baby.  However, instead of Kristen’s baby brother, her parents brought home a baby seal.  They then returned to the zoo a again and instead of bringing home a baby boy they brought home a baby gorilla.  Kristen then decided to take this into her own hands since her parents were having such a hard time finding her baby brother.  Kristen hopped on her bicycle and went to the zoo herself.  Kristen looked around the zoo in search of her brother but she could not find him.  Then she heard a crying baby and she knew that had to be her baby brother.  Kristen found her brother in the arms of a gorilla that was reluctant to give him to her until the baby boy bit the gorilla on the nose.  Kristen was then able to bring her baby brother home.  Her parents wondered what they were going to do with all the baby animals.  The next thing they knew, all of the parent animals from the zoo came bursting into their house and they were reunited with all of their own babies.

This is would be a great book to have in a classroom library because many students can relate to it in a funny far-fetched kind of way.  Many students will be in school and their parents will have a new baby.  Some students may thoroughly enjoy that they will be an older sibling and others will not be happy at all.  This book puts a funny twist on parents bringing home a new baby.  All of the babies in this story ended up being baby animals until the very end.  A new baby may feel like a stranger to some of your students.  They may not think they can relate to their new brother or sister at all and many of them may not even been in contact with a baby before.  However, in the end they would do anything for their new baby brother or sister.  This is a great book to illustrate the concept that at first you may not like your new sibling and they may feel like a stranger to you but in the end you would do anything for them and you are happy that they are there. 

This book would be a great example to show early childhood students the idea that not all stories really happened.  In real life, parents do not have babies at the zoo and mix the babies up with animals.  Students need to learn how to distinguish what is real and what is make believe.  This book does this fabulously because it incorporates real people in a real-life setting but the plot is not real.  This book also would be a great way to illustrate dialogue and onomatopoeia.  For instance, when Robert Munsch is talking about the car driving fast he writes, “Varoooooommmmmm” and also, when he is illustrating Kristen or her parents knocking on the door he writes “Blam, blam, blam, blam”.

The ELA MA Curriculum Frameworks that this book incorporates are R.3.08.a.  Identify dialogue as words spoken by characters (usually enclosed in quotation marks) and explain what dialogue adds to a particular story or poem, and W.1.03.a.  Write poems, descriptions, and stories in which figurative language and the sounds of words (e.g. alliteration, onomatopoeia, rhyme) are key elements.

Rosie and Michael

 

Title: Rosie and Michael

Author: Judith Viorst

Grade Level: K-3

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Have you ever had a best friend that you did everything with? How bout a friend that no matter what they said you were still friends with? Well thats exactly how Rosie and Michael feel about each other in this compassionate book about Friendship.

Even though Michael puts whipped cream in Rosie shoes, shes still his friend.

Even though Rosie calls Michael a banana head, hes still her friend.

This Book is about an everlasting friendship about a boy and girl. This book talks about how no matter what happens they will always be friends. It talks about what a friend is. In this book a friend is someone who will believe you, even though no one else would believe you. A friend who will tell you the truth even if it might hurt sometimes. A friend is someone who knows what your afraid of and doesn't make fun of you for it. A friend will know your nicknames even if they don't make sense. A friend knows all your deep dark secrets and wont tell a soul unless "your fed to a pool of piranhas" or "get thrown in quicksand" then a friend will understand you had to tell the secret. In this book you really get to know the two main characters of the story. You get a real understanding of who Michael is such as;"he has hair in his ears, and his shoulders droop, as well as he plays basketball." You also get a real good understanding of who Rosie is such as; "she has freckles everywhere, and is scared of werewolves." This book doesn't just tell us what a friend is but actually shows us the story of two special friends and within the story you get a sense of what a friend truly is. With Judith Viorst uncanny way with words and Lorna Tomei way to tell stories through her pictures this is a book that is easy to follow and fun to read.

 I love how the pictures follow with the words so smoothly. If you just read the words you could easily picture the illustrations and vice versa. If you just saw the pictures you may not know the names of the friends but you get a sense of how powerful their friendship is. Although this is a cute little story about two friends it gets much more deeper then a boy and a girl who are friends. If you look at the underlying meaning to the story it seems that there are four parts to this story. The first part is knowing who your friend is and accepting them for who they are. The second part is understanding that people make mistakes and understanding no one is perfect. The third part is by believing in a friend no matter what. The last part is this friend is so special and unique. To tie up all four parts together you have truth, honesty, respect and love which is major parts to a friendship. 

I see how the characters seem to grow, in the illustrations Rosie and Micheal's age stays the same but as you read on you see how much the friendship means to these two. You start off with a very simple statement about each other. "Rosie is my friend. She likes me when Im dopey and not just when Im smart. Michael is my friend. He likes me when Im grouchy and not just when Im nice." In the middle you see how each character is truly their for each other "When my parkeet died I called Rosie. When I broke my wrist I called Michael." Then at the end you get a sense of each character such as how they would do anything to save each other from say a burning building or if a lion attacked.

Judith Viorst powerful way with words are very eye catching. In this story alot of the words and pictures are extreme and things they are very unlikely to happen. I think she put such extreme and intense words in there to show the reader that a friend would go to the ends of the earth to save each other.

Although the thoughts of the characters are extreme and pretty non realistic the setting of where Michael and Rosie take place is very real such as; Michael's living room, or outside by a tree, a gym, the city, and Rosie's front porch.

The characters do act like children there age, id say the characters our around 7-8 years old. For instance every child who has a pet goes through the death of one and needs someone there for comfort. Another example is every child gets hurt sometimes badly and wants a friend there to help. Most children come up with different nicknames for themselves or are afraid of big things at the time "like the diving board or the dark" and in many schools there are usually contests for most... As well as how children make up funny nick names to tease each other "like gorilla face or banana head" The characters are dressed in clothes that would be the norm for children. Michael in a baseball cap and Rosie in a skirt. 

I feel the writing is quite entertaining and captivating with words that kids of this age group will understand such as how the character will change their mind and the friend will understand. This is very common with children how they want to be brave and do something but is just to scared. Another very powerful quote is how both children would give up their most prized possession. Many children have a most prized possession and would give it to someone who is a best friend. Judith Viorst really hits the readers with different quality of that age such as teasing names, tricks and silly games as well as saying something to make a friend feel better.

I really like how the cover is a picture of Michael and Rosie sharing a shake together. It gives you that warm feeling all over, and you get a sense of have deep their friendship is and how it seems like it will last forever.

I feel the theme is very appropriate for this age group because you are just getting to understand yourself and others around you. You are making new friends and keeping old ones. You are also learning what it is like to be a friend to someone. I feel this is a great book to talk about how to be a good friend and to write a story about you and someone special to you.

This book really makes me want to keep reading on and find out if Michael and Rosie stay friends forever if their friendship blossoms and what other parts are there to this friendship. This is one book that is captivating to anyone and everyone who has had that special friend they love with all their heart. 

MA Curriculum Frameworks that would be applied to this story is: 

GRADES PreK–2
11.1 Relate themes in works of fiction and nonfiction to personal experience.
For example, students explore the theme,“A true friend helps us when we are in trouble” in poems, pictures, and stories, and compare their own experiences in original art and stories.