Module 4: Realistic Fiction: The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall

Summary: The Penderwicks find themselves at a new vacation destination this summer. With the new destination comes new friends and new enemies, too. Four sisters, each different, enjoy this growing experience in their own way.

Citation: Birdsall, J. (2005). The Penderwicks : a summer tale of four sisters, two rabbits, and a very interesting boy. New York: Random House.

My Thoughts: I enjoyed The Penderwicks very much! It reminded me of my summer adventures and I found myself imagining what it would be like to be there with the girls. It is a fun read with lots of suspenseful moments and now I understand why my students love it so much!

Reviews:

Ashley Hergenroeder (Children's Literature)

This delightful story of four sisters and their summer vacation adventures will easily entertain readers. The Penderwick sisters are forced to change their summer plans when their usual rental house is unexpectedly sold. Fortunately, a new summer rental brings new adventures and new people to meet. As the girls make fast friends with the boy next door, there seems to be an endless supply of summer fun. But what would a summer vacation be without a little chaos and mischief? The four opinionated sisters, their friends, and pet dog seem to be a magnet for disorder, especially when it involves the snooty woman from next door. But through all their adventures, the sisters discover new things about themselves and each other. They learn just how strong they are and how powerful their family bond is. The girls learn new lessons while finding time to teach some of their own. These exciting events make it a summer that the Penderwicks will not soon forget. Possibly the best part of this story is that readers will be able to see that having fun does not always involve a TV or a video game! 2005, Alfred A. Knopf/Random House Children’s Books, $15.95. Ages 8 to 12.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, June 1, 2005 (Vol. 73, No. 11)

Echoes of Alcott contribute to the intimate charm of this story of "summer and magic and adventure." Not since the Marches have readers met more engaging girls than the Penderwicks: Rosalind, 12, pretty and practical; Skye, 11, smart and blue-eyed; Jane, ten, aspiring author, whose alter ego, Sabrina Starr, is fearless and clever; and butterfly wing-wearing Batty, four. Dear Father is a botanist, fond of spouting witticisms in Latin; Mommy is in heaven. This year, vacation will be spent at the cream-colored cottage at Arundel, estate of snooty Mrs. Tifton, whose house is "like a museum, only without armed guards." Unless she has a change of heart, Jeffrey, her gentle, music-loving only child, is doomed to be sent to Pencey Military Academy, "Where Boys Become Men and Men Become Soldiers." Despite a few mishaps, the children become fast friends and partners in the sorts of lively plots and pastoral pastimes we don't read much about these days. Their adventures and near-disasters, innocent crushes, escaped animals, owning-up and growing up (and yes, changes of heart) are satisfying and not-too-sweet. 2005, Knopf, 192p, $15.95. Category: Fiction. Ages 8 to 12. © 2005 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Suggested Uses: The Penderwicks is a fun story started for the classic "How I Spent My Summer" display. Along with other summer-related book, it would serve as the anchor for the classic writing project, the "How I Spent My Summer" essay.

Module 4: Realistic Fiction: 11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass

Summary: Amanda and Leo share a birthday and have celebrated that day together every day for years. Their tenth finds them losing touch and as the eleventh birthday approaches, strange goings-on occur. Is it deja-vu or reality?

Citation: Mass, W. (2009). 11 birthdays. New York: Scholastic Press.

My Thoughts: 11 Birthdays very much reminded me of the Bill Murray classic Groundhog Day. Wouldn't you love a chance to "do it all over again?" Perhaps somedays, yes, others, no. While I found Groundhog Day to be overly tedious 11 Birthdays does it better. An enjoyable read about the challenges of friendship as time goes by.

Reviews:

Carolyn Phelan (Booklist, Dec. 15, 2008 (Vol. 105, No. 8))

Starred Review* Amanda and Leo, born on the same day, have celebrated their birthdays together for 10 years. Still feeling hurt from an unkind remark Leo made at last year’s party, Amanda spends her eleventh birthday without her now-estranged friend to share the fun. In the days that follow, both Amanda and Leo discover that they are caught in a time loop, waking up each morning to find themselves repeating their eleventh birthdays. They soon renew their friendship and begin to experiment by making different choices throughout the day, partly for the thrill of acting without long-term consequences and partly from their fear of never escaping this mysterious time trap. From the double-entendre title to the solid character portrayals to the clarity and wit of the writing, this novel offers a fresh twist on the familiar themes of middle-grade family and school dynamics. The mysterious power that rewinds time eventually seems less important than the power that Amanda finds within herself. Emboldened by the idea of daily do-overs, she discovers that small changes in her attitude and actions result in sometimes-subtle, sometimes-monumental shifts in results for herself, her family, and her friends. A rewarding choice for readers and a natural for booktalks and discussion groups. Grades 4-6

Midwest Book Review (Children's Bookwatch, June 2009)

On their first birthday they learned to walk, on their fifth they planted seeds, on their 11th they became ex-best friends. 11 BIRTHDAYS charts the growth and evolution of an uncertain friendship, when Amanda can't wait for the day after her birthday so she can stop thinking about the big fight that led to separate celebrations for the first time in their lives. A fine story of changing friendship evolves. The Fiction Shelf ...., Scholastic Press, $16.99.

Suggested Uses: 11 Birthdays is a great addition to a collection and focus on choices. A bulletin board showcasing students' writing on the theme of how choices we make now affect us in the future highlights the display.

Module 3: Newbery/Printz/Coretta Scott King/Pura Belpre: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg

Summary: Claudia and her younger brother run away not only from home but to New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art. They become involved in a mystery surrounding one of the works and become friends with Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler who helps them learn about themselves as they work to solve the mystery.

Citation: Konigsburg, E. L. (1995) From the mixed up files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. New York: Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing Divison.

My Thoughts: I very much enjoyed this book. The classic setting of New York City and the Metropolitan Museum of Art served to draw me into this thrilling mystery as I imagined that I and my little brother were living the adventure!

Reviews:

Amazon.com Review

After reading this book, I guarantee that you will never visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art (or any wonderful, old cavern of a museum) without sneaking into the bathrooms to look for Claudia and her brother Jamie. They're standing on the toilets, still, hiding until the museum closes and their adventure begins. Such is the impact of timeless novels . . . they never leave us. E. L. Konigsburg won the 1967 Newbery Medal for this tale of how Claudia and her brother run away to the museum in order to teach their parents a lesson. Little do they know that mystery awaits! --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Suggested Uses: From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler is a fantastic choice to use as a read-aloud during a mystery unit. To begin the book while students come in for circulation and then have the teacher conclude the story in the class a part of a mystery unit would be an excellent use of this classic!

Module 3: Newbery/Printz/Coretta Scott King/Pura Belpre: Onion John by Joseph Krumgold

Summary: Onion John tells the story of a boy's struggle to choose between a friend and his family. Seen as different and therefore undesirable company, Andy struggles with his appreciation for an unorthodox friendship and his father's expectations.

Citation: Krumgold, J. (1959). Onion John. New York: Harper Collins Publishers.

My Thoughts: I wanted to enjoy Onion John, but I found the pacing of the book made it difficult for me to get lost in it. I do think it has an important exploration of the struggle between family expectations and the heart.

Reviews:

The story of a friendship between a 12-year-old boy and an immigrant handyman, almost wrecked by the good intentions of the townspeople. "One of the distinguished books of our time. . . . The writing has dignity and strength".--School Library Journal. 1960 Newbery Medal; ALA Notable Children's Books of 1940-1970.

Suggested Uses: Onion John is a good text to use to support character analysis. The characters of Andy, Onion John, and Andy's father lend themselves to deeper study through character studies in written form.

Module 2: Caldecott/Picture Books: A Sick Day for Amos McGee

Summary: Amos McGee misses a day of work at the zoo and comes to find out just how much he is missed.

Citation: Stead, P. (2010). A sick day for Amos McGee. New York: Roaring Brook Press.

My Thoughts: A Sick Day for Amos McGee is an irreverent way to remind everyone to show that they care about others.

Reviews:

Hazel Rochman (Booklist, May 1, 2010 (Vol. 106, No. 17))

Zookeeper Amos McGee always makes time to visit his good friends at work: he plays chess with the elephant, runs races with the tortoise (who always wins), sits quietly with the penguin, lends a handkerchief to the rhinoceros (who has a runny nose), and reads stories to the owl (who is afraid of the dark). Then, after Amos gets a cold, his friends miss him, and they leave the zoo and ride the bus to his place to care for him and cheer him up. Like the story, the quiet pictures, rendered in pencil and woodblock color prints, are both tender and hilarious. Each scene captures the drama of Amos and the creatures caring for each other, whether the elephant is contemplating his chess moves, his huge behind perched on a stool; or the rhinoceros is lending Amos a handkerchief; or the owl is reading them all a bedtime story. The extension of the familiar pet-bonding theme will have great appeal, especially in the final images of the wild creatures snuggled up with Amos in his cozy home. Preschool-Grade 2

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, April 15, 2010 (Vol. 78, No. 8)

Amos McGee, an elderly zookeeper, enjoys a clockwork life (one teaspoonful of sugar for oatmeal, two for tea and the number five bus to work) until the sniffles force him to stay in bed and miss his daily visits with animal friends. Fragile, gangly Amos, in striped pajamas and ill-fitting zoo uniform, appears as crushingly vulnerable as a child. Children will immediately like and understand him, as they too take comfort in reassuring routines—and would certainly love playing chess with an elephant or running races with a tortoise! Muted greens, browns and blues dominate pages, while brighter yellows and reds leaven the palette's mild melancholy. Erin E. Stead's beautifully wrought woodblock prints and pencil work create almost painfully expressive characters. Wrinkles and crinkles describe the elephant's sagging mass and the rhino's girth, as well as their keen sensitivity. Owl's furrowed brow communicates deep concern even as the group heads to Amos's home to check on him. This gentle, ultimately warm story acknowledges the care and reciprocity behind all good friendships: Much like Amos's watch, they must be wound regularly to remain true. 2010, Neal Porter/Roaring Brook, 32p, $16.99. Category: Picture book. Ages 2 to 6. Starred Review. © 2010 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Suggested Uses: Students can engage in a fun extension by creating a group-written story on chart paper. Each group has the task of imagining that Amos McGee works somewhere besides a zoo and predicting what would have happened to him on a sick day from a different occupation.

Module 2: Caldecott/Picture Books: Hey, Al by Arthur Yorinks

Summary: Al and his faithful dog struggle with the ins and outs of everyday life. When offered a chance to escape to paradise, they accept, only to find that sometimes what you really want is right at home.

Citation: Yorinks, A. (1986). Hey, Al. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.

My Thoughts: Hey, Al is a wonderful reminder that happiness is where you make and sometimes things aren't as they seem. It's best to find the good in what you've got right at home.

Reviews:
From Publishers Weekly

This Caldecott Medal winner tells of a journey to paradise and the discovery that home is best. Ages 3-up.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

The theme here is, ``be happy with who you are,'' or maybe, ``there's no free lunch.'' Al, a janitor, lives a meager existence with his companion (dog) Eddie in New York City. They complain to each other about their lot and are ready to take off to a better place with a huge bird who just pops in and invites them. This ``island in the sky'' is perfect. All its inhabitants are friendly birds, and there's nothing to do but enjoy the tropical paradise. But when they both begin to sprout feathers and beaks, they realize that there is a price to pay, so they take off, Icarus-styleincluding a plunge into New York Harbor. Safely home, they discover that ``Paradise lost is sometimes Heaven found.'' Egielski's solid naturalism provides just the visual foil needed to establish the surreal character of this fantasy. The muted earth tones of the one-room flat contrast symbolically with the bright hues of the birds' plumage and the foliage of the floating paradise. The anatomical appropriateness of Al and Eddie plays neatly against the flamboyant depiction of the plants. Text and pictures work together to challenge readers' concept of reality, with touches such as the stacks of delivered newspapers outside Al's door when he returns fromhis ``dream''? Kenneth Marantz, Art Education Department, Ohio State University, Columbus
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.


Suggested Uses: Hey, Al affords the perfect opportunity to have students examine their world with new eyes and write about what they see there in a positive light. Even though, like Al, they may not have a lot, appreciation is in order.

Module 1: Classic Chidren's Literature and Authors: Swimmy by Leo Lionni

Summary: Swimmy is a special little fish who stands out from the school. Eventually, Swimmy gains acceptance by saving the day!

Citation: Lionni, L. (2006). Swimmy. United States: H. W. Wilson.

My Thoughts: Swimmy is a classic book about learning to accept ourselves as we are.
It is an important and timeless message that belongs in everyone's collection.

Reviews:

Inger (BookHive (www.bookhive.org)

Swimmy is a fast black fish who finds himself alone after his brothers and sisters are swallowed by a tuna fish. Swimmy is happy when he meets new friends however, they are afraid of the dangers of the sea especially the big fish. Read about how Swimmy finds a way for his new friends to explore the wonders of the ocean and outsmart the big fish in the sea. Category: Adventure; Award Books; Classics; Read Aloud. Grade Level: Preschool; Primary (K-3rd grade). 1963, A.Knopf. Ages 3 to 9.

Debra Briatico (Children's Literature)

After a big tuna fish gulps up a school of Swimmy's friends, the small black fish journeys through the ocean and comes face-to-face with many marvelous creatures. When he meets up with a school of frightened fish, Swimmy uses his creativity to show them how to swim together as a group and outsmart the other big fish in the sea. 1963, Alfred A. Knopf, $14.95, $15.99 and $4.99. Ages 4 to 8.

Suggested Uses: Swimmy can be used as an excellent segue into an art or writing project that explores what makes us all unique and valuable members of the school of humans.

Module 1: Classic Children's Literature and Authors: Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater

Summary:
Citation: Atwater, R. and F. (1938). Mr. Popper's Penguins. Boston: Little, Brown, and Co.

My Thoughts: Mr. Popper's Penguins is a classic that continues to be enjoyable for all children. It contains classic high-jinks that are enjoyed by all! The ludicrous nature of the situation lends to the hilarity!

Reviews:

Jennifer (BookHive (www.bookhive.org))

When Mr. Popper receives his first penguin as a gift from the infamous Admiral Drake, his life is changed dramatically. Soon his penguin family grows and Mr. Popper goes to great lengths to make them comfortable, from making an ice rink of his floors, to digging a swimming hole in his basement. However, when these home improvement projects become costly, Mr. Popper takes his penguins on the road to perform. This leads to many humorous adventures on trains, in taxis, and in fancy hotels--all places unaccustomed to serving penguins. The delightful illustrations make the story even more entertaining. Category: Award Books; Humor; Read Aloud. Grade Level: Intermediate (4th-6th grade). 1938, Little Brown & Co.. Ages 9 to 12.

Richard Scott (Children's Literature)

Richard and Florence Atwater’s book is a comical story about a family and their adventures with a penguin named Captain Cook. Mr. Popper, who is a house painter, writes a letter to Admiral Drake. Admiral Drake sends Mr. Popper a penguin. After living with the Popper family for a while, Captain Cook becomes sick and lonely. Luckily, the zoo has a penguin that is sick and lonely too. Captain Cook and his new female companion, Greta, fall in love and are no longer lonely. After a brief period of time, the penguins have babies and the Popper’s have a house full of penguins. When it becomes difficult for Mr. Popper to feed all of the penguins, he decides to put the penguins on stage to perform. After the penguins have been performing for a few weeks, Mr. Popper leads them onto the wrong stage, which lands them all in jail. Admiral Drake returns and makes an offer to the Poppers concerning the penguins. Mr. Popper hates to see the penguins leave but realizes he cannot handle them anymore. The penguins return with Admiral Drake to the North Pole. Atwater takes readers on a wild adventure with Mr. Popper and his penguins, but included in the text are educational facts about penguins--such as how they mate, what they eat and the habitats they are used to living in. Each chapter contains a few black and white illustrations that give the reader just enough images to visualize the story. The Atwaters and Lawson leave the rest up to the reader’s imagination. This is a great story to read to third-, fourth-, and fifth-graders. 1988, Little Brown, $16.95. Ages 8 to 12.

Suggested Uses: Mr. Popper's Penguins is a perfect novel for a Book Club. Extensions are possible with students creating new adventures for Mr. Popper and the penguins. This adventures can be shared in a variety of ways including traditional written forms, electronic forms, and dramatic forms.