Autobiography of an Author

My reading group read How I Came to Be a Writer by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. I knew that Phyllis Reynolds Naylor had written the Shiloh trilogy, but I had no idea what a prolific writer she was. As it turns out, she has been publishing her writing since the age of 16. Naylor started with short stories in church publications and then moved on to stories and columns in newspapers. What I found most surprising is how many books she has published. I had actually never heard of any of her other books, except Shiloh. Naylor shares how her initial love for writing has developed into a craft and the ways that the her experiences have affected and shaped her craft.
This is a fairly easy read and would be perfect for an elementary level author study, perhaps as a companion to reading Shiloh. My caution for use in the classroom, is that the book is not terribly engaging. It is interesting but it is kind of flat. I found it to be much like having a conversation with some one and much less like reading a story.

Eli Whitney and the Cotton Gin

I was disappointed by some of the other books the elementary school librarian suggested, so I looked for some more engaging books. Eli Whitney and the Cotton Gin by Jessica Gunderson was one of the free gifts from the Agriculture in the Classroom presentation we had at the School of Education. This book, from the Graphic Library series published by Capstone Press, seems to be riding on the recent renewed interest in graphic novels among elementary and middle school students. Set up like a comic book, the book tells the story of the development of the cotton gin in the late 1700s. The book tells the interesting story about Whitney's attempt for a patent and the ensuing lawsuits. Much to my surprise, the book even talks about the cotton gin's effect on the proliferation of slavery throughout the southern United States.

The Graphic Library Series includes texts on a variety of important figures and historical events. There is even a Cesar Chavez book! This book and other books from the series can be an excellent companion to the study of history and can even be aligned with the Virginia Standard of Learning curriculum. According to the Capstone Press website, there are 32 books in the series and the series can be purchased for about $700, which makes it beyond my classroom budget, but perhaps not the school library's. (http://www.capstonepub.com/product/9780736865531#members)

How Many Ways Can You Catch a Fly?

From the award-winning authors of What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? comes How Many Ways Can You Catch a Fly? by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page. This is a beautiful book about the various ways animals do the same thing. The book is divided into six "how many ways can you..." sections: snare a fish, hatch an egg, use a leaf, catch a fly, dig a hole, and eat a clam. The pages shows several different animals methods for each of the tasks through a sentence about the animal's technique. The torn paper collage illustration method makes the animals somehow beautiful and realistic, not to mention adorable in their endeavors. The layout is simple and crisp, which deviates from the too crowded pages that are often in children's nonfiction books. At the end of the book, the authors include a page with more information about each of the animals included in the book. 

The animal featured on the cover, I found out, is the slender loris from southern India and Sri Lanka. The slender loris "moves slowly and carefully through the branches but can react quickly to snatch an insect or to avoid a snake," according to the information page at the back of the book. I loved the collage of the slender loris as he sneaks up on the fly on the page. I went looking for more pictures to see if these animals are just as adorable in real life. Turns out that they are! Also, according to Animal Planet and the International Union for Conservation of Nature, they are endangered by deforestation http://animal.discovery.com/guides/endangered/mammals/slender-loris.html. To learn more about the adorable slender loris and many other animals, read How Many Ways Can You Catch a Fly? and then do your own research. This could be an excellent research project lead in for students, as well.

"You Wouldn't Want to be..."

This was another book that the elementary school librarian pointed out to me. It is one of a fairly expansive series published by Salariya Publishing. I checked out and read You Wouldn't Want to Be a Worker on the Statue of Liberty  written by John Malam and illustrated by David Antram. The book takes the reader through the history of the idea and production of the statue of liberty. What is great about this book and the others in the series is that it takes the reader through the building of the statue of liberty from the perspective of a worker, a perspective this is not often discussed in our study of historical eras or events. While you get the larger picture, you also get to see all of the hard work and dangerous work that went into the various stage of production of this famous landmark. Every page is filled with information about what workers had to do to successful build, transport and construct the statue. When I learned about the Statue of Liberty, I was taught that the statue was constructed and molded in France before it was transported by boat, but what I didn't know was that as various parts of the giant Lady Liberty were constructed, they were displayed in various places. For the centennial celebration in 1876, only the right hand with the torch was completed, so that's what was displayed in Philadelphia. When the head and shoulders were completed in 1878, they were displayed at the Universal Exposition in Paris. The entire statue was constructed and displayed in Paris before it was taken apart and shipped to New York in 1884.

The Salariya Publishing website offers free web versions of several of the books in the series, which could be used for in class nonfiction projects or even as a free-time activity. (http://www.salariya.com/index.html) While these books are packed with facts, they are also funny and engaging as well. David Antram's illustrations make the books more fun and engaging. The cartoon style and the use of speech and thought bubbles allows all readers to enjoy these books.

The Truth About Poop

Last week, I asked my school librarian for assistance finding some really good non-fiction books for elementary students. She started pointing out some favorite series and showing me the layout of the Dewey decimal system. Then she stopped. She said, "the kids love this one!" and pulled out The Truth About Poop by Susan E. Goodman and illustrated by Elwood H Smith. This book present hundreds of facts about the taboo subject of excrement. While reading it, I was chuckling and thinking, "hmm, I had no idea." From strange but true animal traits to the history of toilets and toilet paper, this book is packed full of information about a topic I'm sure everyone wonders about, because as we learned in Taro Gomi's book, Everyone Poops. Elwood Smith's illustrations perfectly compliment the multitude of facts with drawings that bring the facts to life in funny but not gross ways.

When I went to Amazon to see reviews and more information about the book, I found that Susan Goodman is quite the prolific children's nonfiction writer. She seems to publish books about all sorts of topics, including where all the ingredients of grandma's cookies come from or her Ultimate Field Trip series about students visiting other places. She has even published a companion book to this one: Gee Whiz! It's All About Pee, which is another collaboration with Elwood Smith. Their most recent collaboration is called See How They Run, which looks at American political campaigns and elections.  Check her site to see more of her interesting books (http://www.susangoodmanbooks.com/books/books.html ).

I am debating ways to use this book. I think it is funny and interesting, so I think it's a great book for students; however, I am not sure that I want to expose myself or their parents to unending conversations about poop that would probably develop after reading this book. However, Susan Goodman includes an afterword  about research and further investigation, which I think sheds light on the process of writing nonfiction for students, so perhaps the book can be used to get students interested in research and nonfiction. As of now, I just know I love it and I'm glad the librarian pointed it out to me.

Henry's Freedom Box

What struck me most about this book when I saw it at Barnes and Noble was the beautiful illustration of a young black boy staring back at me.  I picked it up and read the title: Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad. The author, Ellen Levine, tells the heartbreaking story of Henry, a young slave who doesn't even know his birthday. But the true magic of this book lies in the illustrations. Kadir Nelson makes this story come to life, the illustrations are captivating and enhance the feeling of the story. It is no surprise that this book was a 2008 Caldecott Honor book.  Henry escapes slavery by mailing himself to Philadelphia and Nelson captures the discomfort Henry must have endured as the box is turned and flipped throughout the journey.

At the end of the book, the author's note explains that Henry "Box" Brown was a real person who escaped slavery in Virginia in this amazing way. As a consistent skeptic, I googled Henry Box Brown. The Virginia Historical Society even has a collection dedicated to the man, with an image online that must have inspired Nelson for one of the closing illustrations in the book. (http://www.vahistorical.org/boxbrown.htm)

I think this picture will be a valuable asset to teaching about slavery in the United States. Sometimes I think the discussion often steps away from individuals and their experiences. We know that slavery is bad, but do we know what it feels like or how it hurts the individual? I think not. This picture book captures some of the pain and hurt that Henry endures while enslaved, and with beautiful illustrations to enhance the feelings evoked.