TEAM MOON HOW 400,000 PEOPLE LANDED APOLLO 11 ON THE MOON

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Thimmesh, Catherine. 2006. TEAM MOON: HOW 400,000 PEOPLE LANDED APOLLO 11 ON THE MOON. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 9780618507573

1. PLOT SUMMARY:
Catherine Thimmesh writes about a few of the people and organizations that made the project possible. She begins with pictures of hundreds of people gathered to watch the grainy black & white TV pictures beamed back live from the moon. She includes the seamstresses who sewed together the 22 layers of the spacesuits to the team that designed the parachute system that lowered the capsule into the ocean. Each chapter details one particular segment of the Moon landing, its central challenge, and the solution to that challenge.
Illustrated primarily with archival photographs, the book includes extensive back matter, an author's note, pictures and quotes from an assortment of team members, bibliography, chapter notes, additional sources (including many Web sites and other media), starting points for further exploration, information on other missions, an index, and a glossary.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
With outstanding photos and a lively text, TEAM MOON will hold the attention of even the most reluctant reader as it relates behind-the-scene stories of Apollo 11, in which the United States first successfully landed men on the Moon and returned them back home safely. The photo illustrations also bring the story to life, especially the idea of how so many people had a hand in the mission. Gathering direct quotes from some of these folks who worked behind the scenes, Catherine Thimmesh reveals their very human worries and concerns. This is a very inspiring book!

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S):
*From School Library Journal
Grade 5 Up–In infectiously hyperbolic prose that's liberally interspersed with quotes and accompanied by sheaves of period photos, Thimmesh retraces the course of the space mission that landed an actual man, on the actual Moon. It's an oft-told tale, but the author tells it from the point of view not of astronauts or general observers, but of some of the 17,000 behind-the-scenes workers at Kennedy Space Center, the 7500 Grumman employees who built the lunar module, the 500 designers and seamstresses who actually constructed the space suits, and other low-profile contributors who made the historic flight possible. Despite occasional contrast issues when the white-on-black text is printed over blown-up photographs, this dramatic account will mesmerize even readers already familiar with the event–and also leave them awed by the level of care and dedication it took to surmount so many daunting technological challenges. Drawn from personal interviews and oral histories as well as a wide array of published sources, this stirring, authoritative tribute to the collective effort that left ...footprints, crisp and clear, pressed purposefully and magnificently into the lunar dust belongs in every collection.–John Peters, New York Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
*Publishers Weekly
This behind-the-scenes look at the first Apollo moon landing has the feel of a public television documentary in its breadth and detail.The book opens with several photographs of people huddled around TVs to view the event (one shows Italians watching a small set at an outdoor cafe). The author then delves into the back story of the organizations and hundreds of thousands of people who made the 1969 mission possible. Readers meet 24-year-old "computer whiz kid Jack Garman," who helped work through worrisome computer glitches during the Eagle's landing, as well as one of the seamstresses who sewed the spacesuits ("We didn't worry too much until the guys on the moon started jumping up and down. And that gave us a little bit of an eyebrow twitch"). The 16 chapter-like segments flow chronologically, from John F. Kennedy's 1961 speech to Apollo 11's splashdown. Thimmesh (Madame President) peppers her lengthy, fact-filled narrative with folksy adages (e.g., "Here they were, less than 500 feet from the moon, and just about plumb out of fuel"). The colloquialisms sometime seem at odds with the myriad of engineering acronyms and jargon. But the author maintains a conversational tone, and tackles and explains tough topics such as "cluster interference" in parachute deployment and a bit of the chemistry behind developing the astronauts' dramatic photographs, many of which illustrate the story. Even if the jargon gives readers pause, the little-known facts will keep their interest level high. Ages 9-up. (June) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

5. CONNECTIONS:
*Integrate into a Social Studies or History lesson, in which the students would write a report on the history of Apollo 11.
*Other Apollo 11 titles:
Green, Carl R. Apollo 11 Rockets to First Moon Landing. ISBN 9780766051645
Hehner, Barbara. First on the Moon: What It Was Like When Man Landed on the Moon. ISBN 9780786804894
Mason, Paul. The Moon Landing, July 20, 1969. ISBN9780739852361

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A TAIL LIKE THIS?

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Jenkins, Steve. 2003. WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A TAIL LIKE THIS? Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0618256288

2. PLOT SUMMARY:
Steve Jenkins goes through and describes each sense and informs about different types of animals. He says what do you do with eyes like these and goes on to show and describe different types of animals that use their eyes for different things. You are able to explore the many amazing things animals can do with their ears, eyes, mouths, noses, feet, and tails in this interactive guessing book.

Beautifully illustrated with Jenkins's and Page's unique cut-paper collages, What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? poses questions that readers can answer by turning the page to discover what animals such as a giraffe, a chameleon, a gecko, and many other fascinating creatures do with their amazing body parts. The papers were perfect colors and even textures. You can tell some were cut and some were torn or wrinkled to get that perfect look.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A TAIL LIKE THIS? is a great simple text book to use with any grade level. The text is big and readable and gives facts that do not overload the young reader. The reader can see the crinkles in the paper and the velvet-like quality in some of them. I also really liked how it went through as a picture book and at the end of the book it ended up with definitions and a little background on each animal in the book. This was a great book, especially when it can be integrated into other subject areas, such as Science and Art.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S):
* Starred review in BOOKLIST: "Jenkins' handsome paper-cut collages are both lovely and anatomically informative, and their white background helps emphasize the particular feature, be it the bush baby's lustrous, liquid-brown eyes or the skunk's fuzzy tail. This is a striking, thoughtfully created book with intriguing facts made more memorable through dynamic art."
* Starred review in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "Jenkins, this time in collaboration with his wife, has created yet another eye-opening book. Children will learn that lizards can completely break off their tail as a defense and that it will grow back. And, they'll find out that crickets' ears are on their knees."

5. CONNECTIONS:
*Integrate into a Science class discussing animals and have the students pick one of the animals in the book they found interesting and have them do a research on it. *Integrate into an Art lesson, in which the students would create a collage with the fabulous pictures from the book.
*Jenkins has another book similar to this called, WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN SOMETHING WANTS TO EAT YOU? This book also uses the same cut and paste illustration techniques, the two-page approach: identifying the animal on one page and then describes the defense mechanism on the next.
Jenkins, Steve. 2001. WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN SOMETHING WANTS TO EAT YOU? Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0618152431.

OUT OF THE DUST

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Hesse, Karen.1997. OUT OF THE DUST. New York: Scholastic Inc. ISBN: 0590371258

2. PLOT SUMMARY:
OUT OF THE DUST is an outstanding story about a young girl named, Billie Jo, who experiences living through the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression. Fighting against the elements on her Oklahoma farm, Billie Jo takes on even more responsibilities when her mother dies in a tragic accident. Her valiant struggle to help her family cope during these extremely lean years makes OUT OF THE DUST a wonderful tale of strength and courage.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
Written in poetry form, Karen Hesse's lyrical poetry brings readers deep into the trials and tribulations that a young girl deals with. Set in Oklahoma's Dust Bowl during the Great Depression, the story exposes the raw emotions of a young girl as she struggles to survive the most haunting experience of her life. This story is told through the eyes of Billie Jo which will allow young readers to understand the complexity of life for children their own age and also be able to make a connection between the issues of the time and the ones they are dealing with today. This beautifully written book is an excellent introduction to the Great Depression. This great poem cycle reads as a novel, which is an instant classic.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S):
School Library Journal
Gr 5 Up--After facing loss after loss during the Oklahoma Dust Bowl, Billie Jo begins to reconstruct her life. A triumphant story, eloquently told through prose-poetry.

Publishers Weekly
This intimate novel, written in stanza form, poetically conveys the heat, dust and wind of Oklahoma along with the discontent of narrator Billy Jo, a talented pianist growing up during the Depression. Unlike her father, who refuses to abandon his failing farm ("He and the land have a hold on each other"), Billy Jo is eager to "walk my way West/ and make myself to home in that distant place/ of green vines and promise." She wants to become a professional musician and travel across the country. But those dreams end with a tragic fire that takes her mother's life and reduces her own hands to useless, "swollen lumps." Hesse's (The Music of Dolphins) spare prose adroitly traces Billy Jo's journey in and out of darkness. Hesse organizes the book like entries in a diary, chronologically by season. With each meticulously arranged entry she paints a vivid picture of Billy Jo's emotions, ranging from desolation ("I look at Joe and know our future is drying up/ and blowing away with the dust") to longing ("I have a hunger,/ for more than food./ I have a hunger/ bigger than Joyce City") to hope (the farmers, surveying their fields,/ nod their heads as/ the frail stalks revive,/ everyone, everything, grateful for this moment,/ free of the/ weight of dust"). Readers may find their own feelings swaying in beat with the heroine's shifting moods as she approaches her coming-of-age and a state of self-acceptance. Ages 11-13.

Booklist
Gr. 6-9. "Daddy came in, / he sat across from Ma and blew his nose. / Mud streamed out. / He coughed and spit out / mud. / If he had cried, / his tears would have been mud too, / but he didn't cry. / And neither did Ma." This is life in the Oklahoma dust bowl in the mid-1930s. Billie Jo and her parents barely eke out a living from the land, as her father refuses to plant anything but wheat, and the winds and dust destroy the crop time after time. Playing the piano provides some solace, but there is no comfort to be had once Billie Jo's pregnant mother mistakes a bucket of kerosene for a bucket of water and dies, leaving a husband who withdraws even further and an adolescent daughter with terribly burned hands. The story is bleak, but Hesse's writing transcends the gloom and transforms it into a powerfully compelling tale of a girl with enormous strength, courage, and love. The entire novel is written in very readable blank verse, a superb choice for bringing out the exquisite agony and delight to be found in such a difficult period lived by such a vibrant character. It also spares the reader the trouble of wading through pages of distressing text, distilling all the experiences into brief, acutely observed phrases. This is an excellent book for discussion, and many of the poems stand alone sufficiently to be used as powerful supplements to a history lesson. (Reviewed October 1, 1997)Susan Dove Lempke.

5. CONNECTIONS:
*Coombs, Karen Mueller. (2000). Children of the Dust Days. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda Books. ISDN: 1575053608
*Stein, R. Conrad. (1994). The Great Depression. New York: Scholastic. ISDN: 9780516466682
*Hesse, Karen. (1999). Come On, Rain! New York: Scholastic. 32pp. Illustrated by Jon J. Muth. ISDN: 9780590331258
*The students will be able to write about their own experience relating to the text.
*The students to create a mural relating to the text.

A PIZZA THE SIZE OF THE SUN

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Prelutsky, Jack. 1996. A PIZZA THE SIZE OF THE SUN. Ill. By James Stevenson. New York: Greenwillow Books. ISBN: 0688132367

2. PLOT SUMMARY:
Jack Prelutsky has written another wondrously rich, varied, clever, and always funny collection. He starts his first poem with the title of the book and uses various themes for his collection of poems. Some of the funny and witty poems are; I Did a Nuttty Somersault: “When you try out your roller blades, don’t do it on the ice”; I am dangling by my knees. …Grandma takes a closer look-whatever made you faint?” and I Got out of Bed. He also uses ample amount of rhythm and rhymes; I often repeat repeat myself: “I don’t I don’t know why know why…I often repeat repeat myself”; Frenetica Fluntz: “I eat as I drink and I drink as I shout and I shout as I think and I think as I draw and I draw as I walk and I walk as I read…”; and Dixxer’s Excellent Elixir. Most of all, there is something that makes his poem unique and attractive to children; I AM YOUR MIRROR IMAGE, Backwards Forwards Silly Rhyme and Reverso Is Name My (backwards and mirror writing); I’m All Mixed Up (mixed use with a capital and small letters); Zeke McPeake (small characters); and A triangular tale and I Was Walking in a Circle (concrete poems). Whether you begin at the beginning or just open the book at random, you won’t stop smiling.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
Jack Prelutsky has written a single poet collection that is great, funny, and enjoyable. It deals with various themes and forms of poems that any student will enjoy, even those students that weren’t interested in poetry. The students of all ages will be able to enjoy Prelutsky’s poems with abundant of funny expressions, word sounds, and word play. Verses range from the short and sweet poems to poems of silliness. This book is perfect for reading aloud or for independent reading as students will reach for this book again and again. It is great to use as part of an assignment in the class room.

James Stevenson’s black ink sketches are witty and touched with a gray wash that makes it enjoyable to read. He wrings a wealth of humor and emotion out of a few dashes of ink. It’s a delightful addition to poetry collections that all children will enjoy for a long time.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S):
Horn Book Guide (March 1, 1997)
“Fiction: NF Age: K-3 Prelutsky and Stevenson have again produced an appealing collection of short poetry. Spirited line and wash drawings effectively convey the tone of the jaunty, usually funny, often silly, sometimes gross, and always childlike poems. Poems in varied typeface and placement in an open format combine with the economical line of well-placed sketches to create a fast-paced collection that's loads of fun.”

School Library Journal (September 1, 1996)
“K-Gr 6?Yet another masterful collection of poems by the prolific Prelutsky, filled with zany people, improbable creatures, and rhythm and rhyme galore, all combining to celebrate the unusual, the mundane, and the slightly gruesome ("Eyeballs for sale!/Fresh eyeballs for sale!/Delicious, nutritious,/Not moldy or stale.").”

5. CONNECTIONS:
*Prelutsky, Jack. The new kid on the block. Illustrations by James Stevenson ISBN: 0688022715
*Prelutsky, Jack. Something big has been here. Illustrations by James Stevenson ISBN: 0688064345
*The students will be able to write a response to the poetry.
*The students will discuss new and interesting words.

DANITRA BROWN LEAVES TOWN

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Grimes, Nikki. 2002. DANITRA BROWN LEAVES TOWN. Ill. by Floyd Cooper. New York, New York: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0688131565.

2. PLOT SUMMARY:
DANITRA BROWN LEAVES TOWN is about two friends departing for summer after the school year was over. Danitra Brown is leaving town, and her best friend Zuri is not happy at all. However, Zuri meets a few new people to play with while her best friend is away. Through a series of letters, both friends share their greatest adventures of what their childhood summers are made of, such as block parties, hand ball games, family reunions, and Fourth of July. At the end, Danitra returns back home, where true friendship always remains.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
Nikki Grimes has created an outstanding and enjoyable book that children are able to understand and relate to, particularly the characters' emotions such as Zuri's anger and jealousy when Danitra leaves town for her summer vacation. Throughout the book, the reader is able to experience the same sights, sounds, and wonders as the girls, and helps them to become closer to the characters as their friendship is rekindled. This book is unique in that it tells a story not only through poetry, but poetic letters. It is also a good stepping-stone between picture books and poetry. Grimes did an excellent job in telling this story of adventures and friendship through poems in the from of letters that are exchanged between two friends. For the student who is unsure of poetry, this is a great book to begin with. This is a great book to use in the classroom when relating to friendship.


The warm colors that Floyd Cooper uses in the illustrations of this book are enjoyable and make the characters come to life and at the same time, capture the reader's attention. The illustrated pages accompanying the poem, “The Bad Good-bye” are especially moving, showing Zuri’s sullen face upon the news that her best friend is leaving town for the summer. His elaborate pictures that accompany each poem allow the reader to be able to understand the plot based on the illustrations. This book would be extremely appealing for all children as they would be able to make some connection to the story. Great warm and colorful illustrations!

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S):
*From School Library Journal:
Grades 3-5--Grimes and Cooper return with another story told through poems about Danitra Brown and Zuri Jackson. This time, the friends exchange letters all summer long while Danitra is visiting relatives. Zuri starts out feeling angry and disappointed that Danitra is leaving her behind and doesn't seem to care, but eventually both girls make new friends while they look forward to being together again. Some vignettes may leave readers with perplexing questions; for example, Danitra describes a stubborn dragonfly that she's sure would like to eat her, but the accompanying image depicts her smiling at it benignly. All in all, however, Cooper's photo-realist artwork in soft hues against glowing backdrops is a lovely complement to the girls' many moods.

*From Publishers Weekly:
Zuri describes in verse the summer that she and her best friend Danitra are separated in Danitra Brown Leaves Town by Nikki Grimes, a follow-up to Meet Danitra Brown. Floyd Cooper's luminescent pastels chronicle the long days and Zuri's many moods.

*Booklist
Ages 4-8. The best friends from Meet Danitra Brown (1994) celebrate summer apart and together in this warm story, told in simple free verse with big, joyful oil-wash paintings. The girls' friendship frames the story. At first Zuri is hurt that Danitra leaves to go to her family in the country, but then Danitra writes "I wish that you were here" and shares her delight in camping out under the stars, climbing trees, and discovering "a different Danitra." Meanwhile Zuri finds lots of fun and a new friend in her city neighborhood. The surprise is in the details: on one page Zuri writes to Danitra about a hip-swinging, head-bobbling, foot-stomping block party, and the bouncy painting shows Cooper at his best. Just as vital are the words and pictures of Danitra swinging in the country garden. Kids will see that both friends travel far and welcome each other home.

5. CONNECTIONS:
*Follow up the reading with other Grimes Books.
*Grimes, Nikki. 1997. Meet Danitra Brown. Illus. by Cooper, Floyd. Harper Trophy. ISBN 0688154719.
*Grimes, Nikki. JAZMIN’S NOTEBOOK. ISBN 9780141307022.
*Have children write a journal entry about a time when they have been separated from someone they loved?

THE RETURN OF THE BUFFALOES

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Goble, Paul. 1996. THE RETURN OF THE BUFFALOES. National Geographic Society. Washington, D.C. ISBN 079222714X

2. PLOT SUMMARY:
THE RETURN OF THE BUFFALOES talks about a tribe that has been many moons without food and how they must do something to find food. Two young scouts are sent out to look for the buffalo, but they just wander and wander until they agree that they would rather die than return to the camp without food. Then they meet a mysterious woman who ushers them into her tipi, in which thousands of buffalo are painted on the walls. She promises them she will send them buffalo soon. The young men race back to the camp and immediately all the members of the tribe pack up gifts to take back to the woman. Although all of them wait outside her tipi, she doesn't come out. So they leave the gifts and they return to their camp. In the middle of the night a great storm begins crashing all around the campsite and instead of thunder and lightening, it was buffaloes who had returned.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
By writing about a time of hardship, Paul Goble dramatizes the central importance of the buffalo to a vibrantly spiritual and artistic culture. He pictures the vastness of the empty plains, the excitement of discovering the Buffalo Woman, and the thundering return of the herd with superb artisty, bring us a world that must not be forgotten. The details in the India ink and watercolor pictures create realism in a surreal pictorial style. The great text shows compassion, caring, and a great trust in the mystery of life and is conveyed through simple language that is appropriate for all ages. This tale eloquently describes the quiet pride and unwavering honor of the Native Americans. Great combination of text and colorful pictures!

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S):
*School Library Journal: "The strong symbiotic relationship between Native Americans and the natural world is apparent in both the myth and the accompanying information. Goble's signature style is evident in his hues of vivid colors, stylized images, and traditional motifs. The large India-ink and watercolor illustration effectively contrast the natural world with Indian decoration...in a book that is entertaining, informative, and inspirational."
*Kirkus review: "Golbe is customarily generous with supporting information on the Plains Indians: Children can discover the Lakota design elements he incorporates into the art, learn how to make parfleche (an intricately decorated rawhide container for dried meat) and appreciate the use these native people made of every part of the buffalo. Attractive, absorbing fare."

5. CONNECTIONS:
*Follow up the reading with other Native American tales.
*Goble, Paul. 1998. THE LEGEND OF THE WHITE BUFFALO WOMAN. National Geographic Society. Washington, D.C. ISBN 9780792265528
*Crow Dog, Leonard; Lame Deer, John (Fire). 1976. THE SOUND OF FLUTES AND OTHER INDIAN LEGENDS. Pantheon books. New York. ISBN 0394831810

AND THE GREEN GRASS GREW ALL AROUND: FOLK POETRY FROM EVERYONE

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Schwartz, Alvin. 1999. AND THE GREEN GRASS GREW ALL AROUND: FOLK POETRY FROM EVERYONE. by Sue Truesdell. USA: HarperCollins Publisher. ISBN: 0064462145

2. PLOT SUMMARY:
AND THE GREEN GRASS GREW ALL AROUND: FOLK POETRY FROM EVERYONE is a collection of poetry, riddles, rhymes, and taunts that have been spread by word of mouth from place to place and in which Alvin Schwartz has brought together into creating an outstanding book for kids and adults of all ages. This book is full of material that is fun and very enjoyable to read.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
Alvin Schwartz has taken folk poetry from most every decade and has created a book divided into chapters, in which makes it easy to follow and read. He has also included a very helpful section that details the sources of each folk poem and summarized the reason for writing certain poems based on a subject. This is just a great and funny book.

Illustrations by Sue Truesdell highlight particular scenes on a page and are in a simple black ink sketch. The sketches look child-like and would appeal to both children and adults of all ages. The text just flows with all the sketches in the book. The musical notes are used as illustrations to help make it easier for readers to sing their favorite tunes.


4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S):
*School Library Journal: "A marvelous book that is sure to become a classic if children have any say in the matter. Schwartz has gathered sassy, funny, scary, and slightly naughty children's folk poetry heard on school grounds and wherever else kids are having fun.
*The Horn Book Magazine: "Full of vigorous, swinging rhythms and funny, often nasty, sentiments, the pages are filled with well-known rhymes as well as new discoveries."

5. CONNECTIONS:
* Have students compare and contrast between two different poems?
*Do interacting writing, in which both the educator and the student create a new poetry or rhyme?