Literacy Now

Animal books seem to have an almost universal appeal. Youngsters love listening to read-alouds featuring animals since they can point to the ones they recognize while also learning about those that they have never seen. Once they become readers, animal books are often among the titles they select because of the illustrations and the familiarity. Then, too, savvy teachers have learned to use animal stories to address gently issues such as bullying, cooperation, and social justice. They know that they can rarely go wrong when they choose books featuring animals to share with their students or recommend them for independent reading. Even students entering middle grades search for books featuring animals since they may provide avenues to escape the turmoil of approaching adolescence, appeal to their tender sides, and provide possible career choices. Here are some recently published animal stories with youth appeal. 

This weekly series of book reviews is contributed by the Children's Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG) of the International Reading Association (IRA). All reviews have been written by CL/R SIG members. Visit their website to join CL/R SIG or to read more about them. 

Grades K-3

Bliss, Harry. (2011). Bailey. New York: Scholastic. 

Precocious Bailey is a dog that wants to add to what he knows by attending school. Like many other elementary school students, he has some problems catching the bus, whether it's heading toward school or on its way home. He loves reading and math, but his favorite subject is lunch when he can trade dog bones for sandwiches. Although things don't always go right for Bailey, he knows that school is the place he belongs, and he makes plenty of friends there. This title would be a great read-aloud for the transition to a new classroom since it effectively reassures those who feel anxious about anything new. The pastel illustrations highlight Bailey's personality in the wiggle of his tail or the frown of concentration on his face. One of the book’s best scenes shows Bailey giving a report on Fala, the canine companion of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt with a tiny photo of the President and a huge one of Fala. Clearly, Bailey has resolved his priorities about who or what matters. - Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University

McDermott, Gerald. (2011). Monkey: A trickster tale from India. Boston: Harcourt. 

Hungry Crocodile lolls in the river and longs for a nice Monkey snack in this final installment of McDermott’s trickster tales series. Monkey is also hungry and craves the delicious mangoes growing on an island in the middle of the river. Since he can’t reach those mangoes by himself, Monkey must outsmart the hungry, wily Crocodile in order to fill his belly with the delicious fruit. Young readers will be amused at how Monkey outsmarts Crocodile and avoids his sharp teeth. McDermott’s bold collage made of cut and torn handmade paper from India perfectly complements this traditional Buddhist story from the Jataka Tales. Teachers will enjoy reading this title aloud, and are as likely to be tickled by the mischievous monkey’s antics as students will be. - Terrell A. Young, Brigham Young University

Godwin, Laura. (2011). One moon, two cats. Illus. by Yoko Tanaka. New York: Atheneum.

As night falls, two cats in separate places wait until their human companions are asleep before heading out for fun. As both felines slip from their homes, they saunter confidently through the dark until noises and movements claim their attention. As the cats race after their favorite prey, mice, they leap acrobatically all over the pages. Just when the demise of a mouse seems imminent, a storm sends the cats and mice in separate directions as they scurry for cover. The cats slip surreptitiously back into their respective dwellings, leaving their human bedmates unaware of their outdoor travels. The descriptions of the cats’ appearance, actions, and personalities are extended through the use of different font sizes throughout the story. The acrylic illustrations show the playful yet sly and sneaky nature of these cats with very active night lives. - Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University

CL/R SIG's Previous Book Review Series

Choices Reading Lists 

IRA Special Interest Groups 

by Joan A. Rhodes

Have you ever found yourself perplexed about the best way to integrate technology in your language arts program? Perhaps you question whether incorporating video production in your reading class will really result in better student learning. If you find yourself wondering about these or other issues related to media and technology, pay a visit to Matthew Needleman’s blog, Creating Lifelong Learners.

Needleman, an Apple Distinguished Educator, aims to provide elementary teachers practical information for teaching new media literacies and integrating technology in classroom instruction. A seven-year elementary educator and current literacy coach in the Los Angeles Unified School system, Needleman brings a wealth of experience for using technology and video to support literacy instruction to his richly populated blog. He believes that the “goal of technology integration is not just for teachers to show off new toys but to put technology into the hands of students to have them participate in higher level thinking, collaboration and project based learning” (Needleman, 2011,”Mr. Needleman” para.1). 

Blog entries, updated approximately monthly, offer concise descriptions on topics ranging from how to download YouTube videos to the correct way to show movies in class. Needleman provides direct explanations of how to use a variety of software and technology resources without reverting to the use of jargon. Even the most hesitant technology user will find the blog content understandable and ripe for classroom implementation.

The Creating Lifelong Learners blog emphasizes the use of video production to support learning in the elementary classroom. Blog entries, such as “Royalty free photos, music and video list (updated)”, help teachers locate media products for classroom use. Links to Needleman’s personal websites offer a wealth of resources for all elementary grade levels. Video in the Classroom provides a rationale for incorporating digital storytelling at the elementary level and videos like Tales from the Yard, Video in the Classroom Introduction, and Mr. Winkle Wakes may be useful resources when seeking financial support for media literacy activities. Treasures Resources.com is one of several linked websites created specifically to align technology activities with a specific reading/language arts basal series.

Educators who read Creating Lifelong Learners will find themselves spending more time than expected perusing this expansive blog. Comments and reactions from multiple educators further enrich the content provided by the author. RSS feed, author contact information and links to social media are easily accessible and are just a few features that make Creating Lifelong Learners a great means of keeping up with technology integration at the elementary level. 

References:

 

Worldwide, countries understand that improving access to quality education is a critical part of improving their economies and societies. Technology access for students, teachers, and parents is a critical enabler that makes it possible for anyone, anywhere to get a top quality education. Shape the Future, a new three-year program sponsored by Microsoft and the Clinton Global Initiative, is aimed at providing low-cost computers, software, and broadband Internet access to 1 million U.S. students from low-income households. 

Shape the Future helps governments build the Public/Private Partnerships (PPPs) that create meaningful and effective solutions to their educational, economic, and social challenges by making technology access a right for all, not a privilege for some. For all citizens, access to a "digital society" delivers tangible economic, employment, and social opportunities. For governments, increasing digital inclusion accelerates the growth of a high-employment economy by accelerating global competitiveness.

Click here to read more about Shape the Future.

by Denise H. Stuart

Students today come to the classroom “multiply literate” (Kadjer, 2010, p.6). The web 2.0 tool, VoiceThread encourages the collaborative, creative and interactive use of multimedia for composing online. 

The Children's Literature and Reading SIG focused on older readers (in grades 6-12) for the conclusion of their book review series that includes books that feature characters' adventures with reading.

Bauer, J. (2011). Close to famous. New York: Viking. 

Foster McFee just finished sixth grade by the skin of her teeth, but now she and her mother are on the run, avoiding an abusive and controlling boyfriend in Nashville. Despite the fact that she can’t read and her grades in school are abysmal, Foster is a talented baker, able to whip up scrumptious cupcakes and muffins. She memorizes the recipes she hears on cooking shows and hides her inability to read from the rest of the world. With the help of a somewhat reclusive, highly strong retired actress and her family and friends, Foster summons the determination to break the alphabetic code and master the art of reading. Bauer serves up delectable descriptions of the desserts Foster prepares, but in sympathetic yet accurate fashion she also describes the lengths to which Foster goes in order to hide her inability to read. 
- Barbara A. Ward

Resau,  L. & Farinango, M. V. (2011). The queen of water. New York: Delacorte. 
When she is seven, Virginia is given away to a middle mestizo class family in Ecuador. Having been punished by her teacher for speaking her original language, Quichua, Virginia resolves never to go to school again. Over the years, though, she realizes that literacy and education provide avenues to the life she wants to lead, and she teaches herself to read secretly, studying the science texts of her mistress, conducting secret science experiments, and reveling in words such as “photosynthesis.” Although she is ashamed of her illiterate, indigenous parents and their poverty and culture, she eventually comes to realize that the family with whom she is living will never truly allow her to be a part of their world. They will always consider her to be “less than” because of her own background. Virginia struggles with her own self-identity and disconnection from her own culture throughout the book’s pages. Reminding readers to be true to themselves and their roots, the story of her ultimate triumph over difficult odds is inspiring as she writes a play that is performed by her classmates and is named Queen of the Water. 

- Barbara A. Ward

Schmidt, G. D. (2011). Okay for now. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Moving to a new town and a new school in Marysville, New York, isn’t easy when you’re a middle grader—especially when you’re a boy with a secret. In this companion book to The Wednesday Wars, Doug Swieteck’s secret turns out to be his inability to read. Although the book is about much more than that particular struggle, Schmidt nails accurately the rising anxiety experienced by Doug as his teacher begins round-robin reading. As tough as things may be for the seventh grader already, he knows that once his inability to read is unmasked, life will be insufferable. Luckily for Doug, he has help: an artistic outlet in the library as he studies the bird paintings of John James Audubon under the tutelage of Mr. Powell, a kindly librarian, and Miss Cowper, who has him play the part of a novice reading in her thinly disguised tutorial called the County Literacy Unit.  Later, after much work, Doug is sounding out the words he needs in order to read bedtime books for the Daugherty children he babysits. Doug’s literacy journey serves as a poignant reminder that it is never too late to learn how to read. 
- Barbara A. Ward

We hope you enjoyed this book review series from the CL/R SIG. Click here for more information about the CL/R SIG.