IMWAYR

Hi ‘Lit Mates’,

This is the last IMWAYR Meme I will be making for my Children’s Literature class.  This class has been an experience I will always remember as enlightening.   I have learned so much about the literature community and children’s learning by way of picture books that it would be difficult to write about in one post.

The one thing that I learned and value the most is when you set your mind to accomplishing a challenge you really can succeed!  This lesson I learned in completing my semester reading challenge, that was to read one book per week from the Banned and Challenged List found at http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/classics. OR  to read a Newbery Award winning book off of the list found on this web site http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberyhonors/newberymedal.  With dedication and motivation from my “Lit Mates” (the term is how I  have thought of my classmates in Children’s Lit.) and help from our instructor I have met my semester goal!!!!!!!!

So without further ado here are my reviews from the last week of reading in Children’s Lit.

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry (Goodreads Author)

Literary Awards

Newbery Medal (1990), National Jewish Book Award for Children’s Literature (1990), Sydney Taylor Book Award for Older Readers (1989), Jane Addams Children’s Book Award Nominee (1990), Rebecca Caudill Young Reader’s Book Award (1992)

Charlotte Award (1992), Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award (1991), Charlie May Simon Children’s Book Award (1991)

 

Plot-

Annemarie Johansen and Ellen Rosen are best friends but one thing make there lives very different. Ellen is a Jew and both girls are living in Europe in 1943 during WWII.  Ellen’s family is taken away one day leaving her with only one place to go and that is to the Johansen’s home.  She is forced to blend into the family as one of their children making her a sister AnneMarie.  Later in the story Ellen is reunited with her family and literally shipped to safety but only after AnneMarie is called to the act in a brave manner and save the whole family from being discovered.  The turning points in the plot is when Uncle Peter says to Anne Marie, in a stern fashion, that some things are better left unknow.  After the conversation between the two AnneMarie seems to grow in spirt and accepts her duties.  In life we encounter situations or people that propel us to become braver than ever before in the story Uncle Peter did this for Annemarie.

There are two words in the text that impacted me as a reader. One of them is brave. It means to stand up and do what needs to be done for the good of others.  Pride was also used in the story.  It was used to describe what the Nazi German’s took form the Jews. These Jews were robbed of their ancient religious practices, their learning and teaching abilities, their desire to give basic necessities like food and clothing to their families.  The use of the words brave and pride were striking in the text.

Lois Lowery used the analogy of the childen’s story, Little Red Riding Hood to AnneMarie’s running through the forest to save the Jewish family in the book to help children understand connect with the situation in the book.  I thought the use of the fairy tale was worthy of attention and praise because it gave me a sense of urgency that I may not have had otherwise.

I would rate this book a 4-star book because of the history that is given to the child reader.

Setting –

The story is set during WWII in neighborhood in Copenhagen where many families lived in apartments and children went to school.  The neighbor hood’s’ diversity demonstrates how people who do not have the same ethnicity can live peacefully together.  The stories of survivors and those who dared to offer safety to Jews could be in any European setting and the beauty of how people’s compassion saved the lives of Jews would still glow be it in London or Rome.

Theme –

The central idea of the story is share history with children in a way that they can comprehend and tolerate.   It is about sharing with children that people in the past have cared for each other.  The theme is to show children the government is not always to be trusted and that it is ok to question what is happening around themselves. In this book, actual history is given in the end to back up the events in the fictional novel.  This book was powerful because we are able to read the story in first person and feel the powerful emotions that the character was experiencing.  This caused me to believe the character might have actually been real and fighting for lives.  There are no illustrations in this book but the design of events that unfolded flow well and I was not lost or confused during the read.

Also, this week;

I read the same title in two different editions.  This title is on the banned and challenged list so it fits well into ending my semester challenge.

Oh, the Places You’ll Go! and The Lorax by Dr. Seuss, John Lithgow (Reading), Ted Danson (Reading)

This is a highly motivating audio book is one that will make a young reader want to succeed on their team or excel in class. This book motivates youth and adults, despite it being children’s picture book. If you are an adult and read this you will ask yourself, what mountain in my life can I climb?  This is a simple fast paced read mixed with humor and great for a read aloud or a read alone.

Oh, The Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss

This book fits into my semester challenge of reading one book a week that is either on the banned and challenged list or a Newbery award winner.  This book was placed on the banned and challenged list in 1988.  The reasoning was two-fold one being, in the original 1964 version the Oompa Loompas were said to be similar to African Americans – the text was later changed.  Second, Colorado placed the book on the banned and challenged list stating the book, “had a poor philosophy of life”

I enjoyed the easy read that is highly motivating.  The story is one that will make a young reader want to be a team player. This book motivates youth and adults, in part due to the text and in part due to the pictures.  If you read this you will ask yourself, what mountain in my life can I climb?  This is a simple fast paced read mixed with humor and told in first person.

I hope many of you will leave a comment on WWII or Dr. Seuss?