Picture Book #26 The Steel Pan Man of Harlem

Author:  Colin Bootman

Title: The Steel Pan Man of Harlem

Illustrator:  Colin Bootman

Readability: 4.3

Genre: Picture Book

Sub genre : Historical Fiction

Characters: Steel Pan Man, Mayor, the people of Harlem

Theme: Doing the right thing and keeping one's word

Award(s) and date of publication: 2009

Publisher: Carolrhoda Books

ISBN:  978-0-8225-9026-2

Summary:

In Harlem there was a rat problem, wherever people would look they would find a rat. They tried to get an exterminator and they tried to use traps but the rats were all too smart for that. They finally went to the Mayor about their problem with the rats but he did not have answer for them. One day a man pampered in a subway with a red bag and begin to play a steel pan for the people. The people star dancing and forgot all about the rats.
The next day the Steel Pan Man went and talked to the Mayor about getting rid of the rats. He told him it would only cost him a million dollars and all he had to do was shut down the city for the night. The mayor agreed and the Steel Pan Man went to work that night playing a tune on his pan. All the rats fleed the city. The people were happy but when the Steel Pan Man when to collect his money the Mayor said no. Therefore, the Steel Pan man cast a spell on the city where the people could not stop dancing not even the Mayor. Finally, the Mayor gave in a gave the man his check,but he still could not stop dancing so he danced out the city to be never seen again, and the Steel Pan Man left too.

Use in the Classroom:
This story is a retelling of The Pied Piper of Harlem, I think it would be great to read both stories and describe the differences and similarities of the two.  Students could also talk about their favorite musical instruments and maybe do an arts and craft activity along with it.

Picture Book #25 Thank You, Mr. Falker

Author:  Patricia Polacco

Title:  Thank You, Mr. Faulk,

Illustrator:  Patricia Polacco

Readability: 4.8

Genre: Picture Book

Sub genre : Realistic Fiction

Characters: Trisha, Grandpa, Grandma, Mom, Eric, Mr. Faulk, Miss Plessey

Theme: Do not be afraid of asking questions

Award(s) and date of publication:1998

Publisher: Philomel Books

ISBN: 0-399-23166-8

Summary:

Trisha's family loved to read and they would all make a promise that they would read to their grandfather. When Trisha finally enters Kindergarten she was looking forward to reading but could not do it as well as the rest of her classmates. Her classmates began to read harder books but Trisha stayed on the first grade read book but she just draw even though she felt dumb. Trisha grandmother gave her some encouragement and not soon after went to be with the stars,her and her grandfather.

School became even harder for Trisha, it was hard for her to read and to do math. One day her mom told her that she got a teaching job in California. She thought at the new school people would not know that she was dumb although the teacher still helped her read. One day a boy called Hey dummy to her. Own the playground she cried. But when she went to the fifth grade she got a new teacher Mr. Faulk and a bigger issue Eric. Eric was mean to Trisha for no reason.

Mr. Faulk one day kept Trisha after school and found out that she had a problem but not a horrible problem but one that made her special. Mr. Faulk and Miss Plessy helped Trisha how to read everyday after class. She went home that day and read the book that her grandfather put the honey on and was proud of herself.

Use in the classroom:

This book can be used to break the ice with students when they are learning a new subject. Showing students that everyone does not learn at the same pace but it is not right to pick on people that do not learn as fast as them. Students could imagine that they are Trisha themselves and write Thank You laters to Mr. Faulk.

Picture Book #24 When It's Six O' Clock in San Fransico

Author: Cynthia Jaynes Omololu
Title:  When It's Six o' Clock in San Fransico

Illustrator:  Randy DuBurke

Readability:5.3

Genre: Picture Book


Subgenre: Informational; Diversity

Theme:  We (as children) can really be doing the same things a differnet times.

Primary and Secondary Characters: Jared,Genevieve, MAria, Elena, Oliver, Nkosi,Rashida,Min- You, Alkira,Keilana

Award(s) date of publication: 2009

Publishing Company: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN number: 978-0-618-76827-1

Summary:

When It's Six Clock somewhere is a story that goes into detail what children are doing around the world when it is six clock in San Fransico. The story tells what children are doing Montreal, Santiago, London, Cape Town, Lahore, Bejing, Sydney, Honolulu, and New York. Allowing students to understand that when we are getting ready for bed people there same age is just waking up. The story also shows how differnet countries does things just a little bit different then us.

Use in the classroom:

I would post a world map and have students help me drive the time lines across the map. Then I would have students pick to places and have students write about what they would be doing at both places at a specific time.

Picture Book #23 Me & Neese

Author: Eloise Greenfield

Title: Me & Neesie

Illustrator:Jan Spivey Gilchrist


Readability: 4.2

Genre: Picture Book


Subgenre: Realistic

Theme: You will always have a friend no matter if everyone else can see them or not

Primary and Secondary Characters: Neesie, Janell, Mom, Dad, Aunt Bea

Award(s) date of publication: 2005

Publishing Company: Harper Collins

ISBN number: 0-06-000702-8

Summary:

Me and Neesie is about janelle and her imaginary friend Neeise. The story opens with Janelle getting her hair cornrolled by her mother while Janelle is making silly face making Janelle laugh and where her mother could not. After her mom gets done with her hair her mom ask her does she want to help fix lunch for her Dad and Aunt Bea who were on there way, Janelle declines saying she wants to with Neesie. Her mother says that find but she was not allowed to talk about Neesie once Aunt Bea came because it would frighten her.
Sadly Neeise did what she wanted and almost was sat on by Aunt Bea, Janelle screamed to distract Aunt Bea from sitting down. She thought Neeise was a ghost and swung her walking stick trying to hit Neesie she barely missed her.  The next day Janelle went to class and Neeise waved as she walked away.  When Janelle went to school she had and when she returned back home  Neesie was gone. She told her momma, she was kind of glad, her mother said sorry and said she would read her a book. Neesie laid her head on her lap and listen.

Use in the classroom:

Students could write about where Neeise went, why she left, and how did she became Janelle friend in the first place. Students can write about there first day of school for the first time ever and describe the day and great detail.

Picture Book #22 A Gift

Author:Yong Chen

Title: A Gift

Illustrator: Yong Chen


Readability: 3.2

Genre: Picture Book


Subgenre: Multiculturalism

Theme: Even when your not close to your family there are ways to feel them close

Primary and Secondary Characters: Amy, Mom, Uncle Zhong, Uncle Ming, Aunt Mei

Award(s) date of publication: 2009

Publishing Company: Boyds Mill Press

ISBN number: 978-1-59078-610-9

Summary:

A gift is a story about a girl named Amy and her mother who are Chinese and lives in America. Amy begins to explain to the reader that her mother is homesick from China because it is Chinese New Year and all her family will be celebrating without her. Amy has never met her mother's brothers and sisters  but knows a lot about them from letters and her and her mother's stories.
 One day package came with a letter and a small box. The letter read  that Uncle Zhong was working the field when he found a stone, like the ones you find by the river side. That night he brought the stone to town to Uncle Ming who saw a dragon inside the stone. Ming worked through many days carving and polishing the stone until the dragon was free. Uncle Ming showed Aunt Mei the dragon and she turned it into a  necklace for Amy. It was Amy's New Year present from China.

Use in the Classroom:

Students could research about New Year customs from around the world and how they differ from the ones in the United States.  Also, the students could also research what animals symbolizes what in China. Students could write about how they communicate with family that does not live close enough to visit.

Picture Book #21 The Apple Pie that Papa Baked

Author: Lauren Thompson

Title: The Apple Pie that Papa Baked

Illustrator: Johnathan Bean



Readability: 5.2

Genre: Picture Book


Subgenre: Informational; Realistic

Theme: Everything in the world works together to create something

Primary and Secondary Characters:

Award(s) date of publication: 2007

Publishing Company: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Reader

ISBN number: 978-1-4169

Summary:

The Apple Pie that Papa Baked is a story about an apple that a little girl and her Papa, the little girl was not given a name but the illustrator brought her alive throughout the pictures in the book.  The book is all about in apple pie. The author describes the pie from the apples, to the clouds, the sun, the ground, the rain and the water, and the world as an whole. Many of the pictures throughout the book speaks unwritten words to the reader. There is a picture of the girl looking out the window and you can see her Papa walking up the hill to the apple tree, yet the author does not write it on the paper. This book has excellent detail from the beginning to the end.

Use in the classroom:

This book would be great to show students how everything outside the classroom in the environment has a cycle to keep our body nourished. Students could write about what family recipes are handed down in their family around Thanksgiving time. Also, Lauren Thompson does a wonderful job describing these apples and trees and other items that help make the apple pie throughout the book. Allowing this book to be a great book to show detail in students writing.

Picture Book #20 Those Shoes

Author: Maribeth Boelts

Title: Those Shoes
  
Illustrator: Noah Z. Jones

Readability: 3.2

Genre: Picture Book

SubGenre: Realistic Fiction

Theme: There is a difference between a need and a want; Giving to others that is less fortunate then you is always a good deed.

Primary and Secondary Characters: Grandma, Jeremy, Mr. Alfrey, Antonio

Award(s) date of publication: 2007

Publishing Company: Candlewick Press

ISBN number: 978-0-7636-2499-6

Summary:

Those Shoes is story about a boy named Jeremy and like all boys he wanted the cool pair of shoes he saw in the shoe store window. They were black high tops with two white strips, the more he wanted the more people he saw at school with them on. He told his Grandma that he wanted these shoes but he response was that there was no room for a want only a need. The next day at school Jeremy shoes came apart after a game of kickball. He had to go Mr. Alfrey, the schools guidance counselor, to get another pair of shoes. He had to get a pair of shoes that had Velcro on them like a little kid. Everyone in his class laughed at him. The next day his Grandma said she might have a little extra money and took him to the shoe store. After Grandma sees the price of the shoes, she is sad to see that the shoes are out of her budget. Once they leave shoe store Jeremy asks his grandma can he go to the thrift store to see if he could find the shoes. Luckily for him the shoes where there just not in his size. He buys the shoes anyway hoping that one day they would stretch but there was no luck the shoes did not budge at all.  One night Grandma comes in and places a new snow boots in his closet for the winter. In school Jeremy sees one of his classmates,Antonio, at the bored writing and notices that the sole of his shoes are coming off his shoes. Antonio comes over to Jeremy's house after playing at the park, he spies the shoes and falls in love with them too. The next morning as the snow begins to fall Jeremy runs to Antonio's house and leaves the shoes on his doorsteps. The next day at school at school Antonio thanks Jeremy for the shoes and the play in the snow in their snow boots.

Use in the classroom:

This is an excellent book on character building skills for younger grade levels. It will teach students how it feels to get picked on or talked about by other students. Students could write about a time where they felt out of place in class because of the clothes he or she wore. Since this book talks about money this book could be used in math class, how to add and subtract money, and if a person has enough money to buy what he or she wants.