Author: jp

This Means War!

The threat of war often evokes a wide range of emotions, but fear is always at the top of the list for children as well as adults. Perhaps it is the uncertainty that causes fear more than the actual circumstances? Ellen Wittlinger provides a thorough examination of the topic during October 1962 when the threat of war was imminent.

This Means War tells the story through a group of children whose conflict between boy and girls challenged their own alliances and allowed them to see how the resolve of individuals could push each side toward an outcome that was dangerous for everyone.

 Although Wittlinger’s intended audience is aged 10-14 years, there is a sense of universal appeal in both her characters and the historical era. The notion that people are constantly at war with one another and themselves over trivial matters is played out in multiple scenarios. Many of the characters maintain the innocence that was part of the collective conscience of the early 1960s despite the undercurrents of change that was in the air.

Teachers and students should find ample background to capture what it was like to come home from civil defense drills and ponder the question of what they might take to their own bomb shelter, if they were lucky enough to have one. Similarly, older students will be able to make connections between the Kennedy-Khrushchev posturing and that of the battle between the boys and girls. Then, and now, one decision can change everything,

The book does take a while to get things rolling to the point where all the characters are sufficiently developed to achieve the outcome Wittlinger desires for her story. The younger readers may find this too much to wade through without encouragement. While older readers may not need the cultural background and story development, it could easily be aided by reading aloud as a class or in small groups. The importance and relative age of the event also lends itself to many opportunities such as oral history interviews and scores of available news footage and popular culture artifacts. The opportunities for extended use in the classroom are without limit.

Purchase This Means War for the classroom and library in the upper elementary and middle school with confidence that it will circulate. Be prepared for requests that ask for more from the time period. School librarians may want to create and circulate a pathfinder of the Cuban Missile Crisis to accompany the arrival of the book, or to mark the event during the month of October.

 4 of 5

 John Parker

Media Coordinator

Andrews High School

50 HS Drive

Andrews, NC  28901

 www.slamguy.wordpress.com

Will Grayson Will Grayson

I successfully put off reading Will Grayson Will Grayson for several months. I found that I could put it down after picking it up, yet I wanted to read it. I wanted to read it because it sings loudly for a population in our schools that is all too often unrecognized. Many communities (mine included) would not hesitate to limit access and discussion of the subject matter, let alone the book. The reasons cited for exclusion are often without limit, but the most troublesome excuse rests in a denial of reality, or the fact that it is not “our” reality.

The beauty of Will Grayson Will Grayson extends far beyond the rough language and sexuality. The story addresses some basic issues of self-worth that are essential to one’s development as a human being: How does one love, or can/should one love another, even if they are the same sex. How does this love manifest itself outside of a sexual relationship? How do we acknowledge our own doubts, fears and feelings?

 Much of the novel’s dialogue is hacked out in text messages and IM chat sessions that depict the urgency of the feedback that moves the characters through a whirlwind of doubt and varying emotional states. In a world that is based on a friend list, a lingering response introduces more than doubt. The short bursts of text help to propel the reader along at a pace that is in tune with the characters and the overall plot.

I was unsure that the development of a gay musical would lend anything credible to the story, but the final scene made the wait worthwhile and erased any doubts. Good art, in any form interacts with its audience, but great art (and literature) moves spontaneously into the area of active participation. Authors Green and Levithan orchestrated a noteworthy ending where multiple members of the audience rose to their feet and stated, “I am Will Grayson.”

Certainly there are others who will rise and identify with Will Grayson when they read the book. They may be our students, or even our sons and daughters. Others will stand, but not for the same reasons. They will stand in support of those who yearn to discover and measure their own worth in a world that denies or suppresses the Wills and Tinys in every way possible.

Libraries serving high school students should add Will Grayson Will Grayson to their shelves.

 5 of 5

 John Parker

Media Coordinator

Andrews High School

50 HS Drive

Andrews, NC  28901

www.slamguy.wordpress.com

The World’s Cup

The World Cup has once again captivated millions of erstwhile sports and television fans, but the attraction for me is far more basic than a sense of nationalistic hope. Football, as it is know worldwide, seems to be an ageless sport that has escaped the frenzy of scoring associated with the NBA and the technological improvements of performance enhancing equipment of other modern sports. In its most basic form, soccer is a team sport that combines individual skill and team dynamics. Scoring is often earned through the same hard work and effort that denies the opportunity to the opposing team. Offensive and defensive exchanges reflect the many attempts that are not always rewarded on the scoreboard and this is where I believe many of us find our connection to the sport.

Most of life parallels the pace of the match where scoring attempts are often thwarted, but effort is expected on both sides. Daily life, for most of us, is a series of attempts and failures. Success is not often named as such when we do what is expected time and time again. Like many matches in this year’s World Cup, life is full of draws where neither side has a clear-cut victory; we have played well and done what is expected. For the team and individuals alike there is a sense of accomplishment in having played well. Some teams and individuals do enjoy success at a great level, but those are few. There will be one only one World Cup Champion.

Just because there is one champion does not mean that there are multiple losers. We need to measure our lives and efforts in more realistic terms. Our efforts, from teaching to parenting to working to playing deserve evaluation criteria that are honest and life giving. At the end of the day, or match we need to be able to say and accept, “Well done” as an ample reward.

Three Little Bears Play All Day

Three Little Bears Play All Day is disappointing in almost every imaginable way. First and foremost, it is about the story. In all three attempts the book fails. Just because the target audience is at the youngest level doesn’t relieve the creative team of their responsibility. However, this is often the case when using a controlled vocabulary in early basal readers. And this is what this book feels like. It is a book, not literature for small children. I would expect to find better at the grocery store.

The book even comes with instructions for adults (as soon as the cover is opened) so that they can facilitate the reading event with children. The intention as well as the instructions are appropriate, but I’m not so sure I would actually make them part of the book. I might slip them inside so that they could be easily removed.

And then there is the preview page for each story. It tells what each story is about, and it is also unnecessary. I am not clear if this is for the adult or the child. If it is for the benefit of the adult, then put it with the rest of the “instructions.” If it is designed to stimulate the child’s interaction with the text, then it too is artificial. Why would children not want to read the entire book? Why make a combination teacher/student book for early readers?

One thing that is age appropriate is the size of the book. The book and the font is just right for little hands and eyes and it is very well made.

Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this book for any use or audience. I don’t like the feel of the instructions. They immediately draw attention away from any story. Lose the instructions and this book becomes something I might pick up in the grocery store. It is not literature and the stories are anything but clever. Children need multi-faceted stories even at this level. Yes, they must be simple, but it can be accomplished. Adults might appreciate strategies, but not smeared all over the book. Many school reading programs offer these same strategies to parents in short instructional sessions, and then feed a constant supply of books. It is unfortunate that this book will not be included in that number.

1 of 5

John Parker

Media Coordinator

Andrews High School

50 HS Drive

Andrews, NC 28901

Black History Month

Black History Month has never been much more than another one of those areas that receives emphasis during the school calendar. It’s March now, and that means another ethnic holiday is to be celebrated soon. Even though it’s now over, Black History Month became very poignant to me this morning as I read through the obituaries of my hometown newspaper. I noticed the name of a fellow that sounded like an old friend of my father’s. After reading the obituary, I suspect that my dad and I were not alone mourning the loss of Ron Parker, a man who referred to my father as “Cuz.” Dad returned the favor, and the joke, whenever he saw Ron across the desk, store, or street.

Ron Parker was the first African-American I ever remember encountering. I remember him coming into a barbershop while I was there. I don’t remember his business there, but I’m sure it was just to say hi and catch up with all the regulars. His crisp, white uniform shirt stood out to me, but so did his demeanor. He exuded confidence, friendliness, and all those other qualities six-year-old boys read about policemen having.

I knew that Ron was an African-American, but that seemed to be as about as important as me being six. Those were just the facts of life. I knew Ron liked people because he spoke to everyone, including me, and treated everyone the same. What I did not know at the time was that Ron had become the first “person of color” to join the police force almost thirty years prior to my first encounter with him during the 1960s.

The details of the obituary provided more information about the man my dad called “Cuz.” The details of his career seemed as brilliant and crisp in retrospect as my first memory of that starched white shirt. He had served the city’s police force in nearly every capacity possible, including a short tenure as acting chief. After retirement he began working as a driver’s education teacher. People learned how to drive, but I surmise they learned a lot about how to treat one another too. Had I known Ron better, I probably would have heard some of his own accounts of integrating a city’s police force.

Perhaps Black History Month needs more personal stories about the Ron Parkers of this world, and less about the event itself. My primary and secondary education mentioned slaves, and that was the extent of it. We need to know African-American history, because at some point, it becomes our history too. I was fortunate to be a very small footnote in a page of history that included Ron Parker. We have a shared and common history at one small point in time. However brief the encounter, it has shaped my thinking and my acting for a number of years. Good history lessons are not only informational; they challenge us to take action. It has taken more than forty years for me to grasp the origin and fullness of this lesson. Perhaps it will not take others so long.

Singing to the Monster

Last Night I Sang to the Monster offers an inside view of the many demons, doubts, and desires that accompanies the many forms of addiction. As a result, it is not always a pretty story, and it is filled with images and language that may scare many of us. The story of Zack and his monster presents a reality that many students and adults face every day; they are trying to accommodate the past into the present. In a more universal sense, the work poses large questions about God, love, family that belong to each of us. From a technical standpoint, I was not always engaged by the text, but it does move quickly and I soon was back into the flow feeling that my time away from the text was time well spent in introspection. I was both surprised and pleased with the ending in that it gave the reader a somewhat final message about the nature of addiction (Sorry, no spoiler) . High school students will want to have this book made available to them. A prominent location combined with the cover art and the topic will cause the book to circulate. Add this book to the collection with confidence and be prepared for a heavy demand.

4 out of 5

John Parker

Media Coordinator

Andrews High School

 50 HS Drive Andrews, NC 28901

http://www.slamguy.wordpress.com

Opposites – Opuestos

Opuestos: Mexican Folk Art Opposites in English and Spanish provide a playful bilingual experience that should be satisfying on a number of different levels.  Children will find the woodcarvings attractive and will quickly get the point that they are posed as opposites. They should also enjoy identifying the animals. As a concept book, Opuestos is a winner, but it exceeds expectations in terms of both art and culture.

 

The pages of this book should continue beyond the printed page into the lives of those who experience it fully.  Activities encouraging the finding of opposites will be an easy extension from the book as will the extension of language.

Classrooms and libraries serving emerging readers will want to make sure this book is available. Lending libraries serving families with young children will also want to include this as part of family resource packages. Opuestos encourages all of us in a subtle way to become more diverse and appreciative of the world in which we live.

 Best concept book for the age range I have seen in a while.

 5 of 5

 John Parker

Media Coordinator

Andrews High School

50 HS Drive

Andrews, NC  28901

 

http://www.slamguy.wordpress.com

A SLAM Week

In a small school, the School Library and Media (SLAM) guy can wear many different hats and this week was no exception. In fact, it was a week that made me remember why I LOVE MY JOB.

At one moment I was helping kids with their research papers in all phases of the process and conducting a weeding project of the catalog.  The next I was revising a draft of the school improvement plan and troubleshooting some computer problems down the hall while running a remote installation of Second Life for a workshop next week.  Did I mention that the school is embarking on a new publicity campaign called the Andrews Advantage and that I was making some poster sized reprints of historic photos? And the list goes on and on.

Sometimes it seems as if nothing is getting completed, and new items are added to the growing list of tasks. Taking time to reflect and talk with others, especially students, makes me realize that a great deal is being accomplished and that it is making a difference in the lives of our students. Can’t wait till next week!

Alzheimer’s Across Culture

Gerdner, Linda, Sarah Langford, and Stuart Loughridge. Grandfather’s story cloth = Yawg daim paj ntaub dab neeg. Walnut Creek, Calif: Shen’s Books, 2008.

 

Sometimes we often forget that Alzheimer’s can and does visit without respect to culture. Sometimes, the stories are our own, but told in a different setting.  Power exudes from the story cloth and from the memories of those changed by the disease.  It is a disease that is misunderstood by kids and grownups alike. The creative team tackles these problems and communicates how one family dealt with these growing problems.

 

The book offers some great cultural insights and should be valuable to any diversity program. However, the book became much more personal because we had my father and three-year old grandson both with us for a week this summer.  We shared the story and our own version of the story cloth. However awkward, painful, or different, we must take the time to engage one another and relate the present to the past. 

 

The book accomplishes much, but it might have taken the dialogue between Tou and Chersheng to a level beyond the capacity of the three-year-old Tou. Tou’s evaluative comments about Grandfather on page 18 are not believable. One can accept a three-year-old saying someone is stupid, but it is hard to believe that he would declare, “He’s always forgetting. He’s useless.”  The comments are more universally acceptable from an older child, but the dialogue between brothers is still appropriate and necessary.

 

Books that tackle tough problems across cultures are valuable. Books that can do it across generations are even more valuable and this one delivers despite the shortcoming.  Add it to collections in the library or classroom and do not hesitate to give it to a family to read together who is dealing with the uncomfortable feelings brought on by the aging process or dementia.

 

4 out of 5

 

John Parker

Media Coordinator

Andrews High School

50 HS Drive

Andrews, NC  28901

 

www.slamguy.wordpress.com

Do You Wokka-Wokka?

Bluemle, Elizabeth, and Randy Cecil. How Do You Wokka-Wokka? Somerville, Mass: Candlewick Press, 2009.

 

Picture books that have wide appeal seem rare, but How Do You Wokka-Wokka? joins the ranks of Dr. Seuss and a host of more recent creations.  Creativity and fun with language often are the traits that are associated with memorable books and Bluemle has struck a familiar chord.

After I picked up the book from my school mailbox I gave it a quick read, tucked it under my arm, and checked in with a senior English class working on their research projects.  One student asked, “Whatcha got?” so I read the title and immediately began an imprpomptu read-aloud.  The predictable language caught their attention and before I knew it the Wokka-Wokka chorus was born.

After the read, as if back in the elementary or the home they wanted to hear it again. That was evidence enough to declare and reinforce the beauty of language and remind them how their early lives were filled with the same kind of inventive expressions.

 

The diversion was not really a diversion, but just a reminder that reading could still be fun, and that reading aloud together is an activity that any community can enjoy.

Praents, teachers, librarians, and others can surely create the same results when they share the beauty of discovering their own language once again.  Add How Do You Wokka-Wokka?  to the collection with confidence and do experience it as a read-aloud.

 

5 out of 5

John Parker

Media Coordinator

Andrews High School

50 HS Drive

Andrews, NC  28901

 www.slamguy.wordpress.com