IMWAYR

Welcome to a review of books that are good “Read Alouds” for the 2016 Presidential Election week?

Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters

by Barack Obama, Loren Long (Illustrator)

Literary Awards Flicker Tale Children’s Book Award Nominee for Non-Fiction (2012), Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Picture Book (2010)

“Of thee I Sing” is letter that President Barack Obama wrote to his two daughters as a way of expressing his love for them.

The theme is to share the success stories of 13 inspirational people who have were peaceful leaders in various cultures and activities right here in the United States.  This book bring reminds us those who were able to help many by taking action.  Barak Obama is one of them!

I shared this book with 3 different classes last week.  A seventh-grade social studies class that listened with interest but did not have much offer in the Q&A that followed.  An 8^th grade class that was not excited to hear anything from or about our President but after they realized this was the story of change makers in our country’s history they enjoyed listening to this children’s picture book.  As a matter of fact, several of them offered what they knew of those presented in the story.  I also tried sharing this below reading level with a senior class who wanted nothing to do with the story and as a matter of fact shut me down after the first page.  That being said I recommend this is a book as appropriate for 4-8^thgrade.

A scholarship fund for the children of fallen and disabled US service personnel are the recipients of the revenue of this book.  This book fits into the theme of our children’s lit. class this week for 2 reasons, the book is funding a scholarship for those who serve in a patriotic manner and it’s Author is the current President of the United States.

So You Want to Be President? by Judith St. George, David Small

Literary Awards Caldecott Medal (2001), Pennsylvania Young Readers’ Choice Award for Grades 3-6 (2002), Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award Nominee (2002)

This is a re-read for me this week, I was willing to put my time into this book because it shares in picture and text they many different presidents we American’s have had.   Readers are offered truths of men who have served our nation as well as the a few not so pleasant characteristics of our past presidents.  Personality traits and induvial physical traits are shown in the detailed pictures.  Children can relate to many of the presidents from Washington to JFK to Ronald Reagan and beyond.  This book was written before Our First Black American President; Barak Obama was elected.  There will be a great addition to the book if tomorrow 11/8/2016 America elects her first Woman president, Hillary Clinton.

Lillian’s Right to Vote: A Celebration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965

by Jonah Winter, Shane W. Evans (Illustrations)

Lillian’s Right to Vote in non-fiction historical picture book that celebrates the fight for African American’s to gain the right to vote.  This is picture book that has dismal images mixed with bright pastel images to show the times of defeat and those of hope or freedom.

This book is telling the story of Lilian a Black American woman who is 100 years old.  The story is told in 3^rd person and touches on the generations of struggle and unfair treatment that one Black American family experience from slavery to the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States in 2008.  Lilian in this story is old now and walks with a cane she wears her bifocals as she walks her uphill journey to polls for her turn to vote for an African American Man as President of the United States of America.

The history of African Americans is presented in a timeline fashion in the book looks similar to this;

1700’s – Black Slaves sold on auction blocks

1870 – Black Men were given the right to vote in the passage of the 15^th Amendment.

1920 – 19^th Amendments passes and gives woman the right to vote.

1960 – Anti-segregation movement

Mention of Klu Klux Can

Mention of Martin Luther King

Mention of Selma peaceful protests in the South.

1965 – Voting Right Act – Protecting the right for ALL American’s in all states in all towns the right to vote.

This picture book allows children to view through a lens what is has been like for African American Women to gain the right to vote.  Children can see some of the hardships and advancements for oppressed women.

Where’s Waldo? The Wonder Book by Martin Handford

Waldo has left life as we know it and enter a fantastic land of make believe where he visits;

The land of Fruit Games.

Land of Toys

Flower Garden Land.

Land of Knight Fight.

Land of Battle of the Bands.

Odlaw Swamp.

Clown Town.

The Land of Wolfs

and the Land of Corridors of Time.

This fantastic make believe lands are splashed as always all over the pages in full color pictures for elementary age students.  Of course, as always children will love to find Waldo as they search through the pages.

Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes, Lynd Ward (Illustrator)

Literary Awards  Newbery Medal (1944)

The book Johnny Tremain fits into my semester challenge as Newbery Award winner. Although this was a very long read (7 combined hours of reading and listening on audio) it was filled with factual events and people.  This story is based Boston 1775, near the water and Beacon Hill just before and during the beginning of  the Revolutionary War.  Johnny’s mother who was from a wealthy family was estranged from them, so when she died prematurely Johnny was indebted to a silversmith.

Johnny is so wrapped up in his struggle to find himself the whole story he misses that fact that he is hungry and homeless at the age of 13.  His story starts when he is 11 and ends a few years after.  In that time, he works as an apprentice and later after he is injured he rides a horse delivering newspapers.  It is at this time when he finds a new purpose for himself.  He discovers that he can be useful despite his crippled hand.  Paul Revere Samuel Adams and other political leaders of the day are mentioned in this story; I love that the author did a good job of weaving them into the story without letting Johnny’s character slip into their shadows.  The tone of the book of fast paced and hurried with one hurdle after hurdle in Johnny way.  He does learn to overcome his own self sabotage when he befriends Rab an older boy.  Rab is able to teach Johnny how to become a man who is controlled by his examples.  In the end as the action of a battle is over Rab dies and leaves Johnny alone.  The climax, however, as a reader would think is over but read till the end to find out what really happened to Johnny Tremain.

Who thinks that this book is related to our last week’s theme of ‘Read Alouds’?