Module 11, Actual Size

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Actual Size, By Steve Jenkins 

Overview: Actual Size is a colorful book of information about the actual size of an array of animals. As you read about each animal a picture is illustrated of the either a part or entire body for readers enjoyment. 

Jenkins, S. (2011). Actual Size. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Little Library Review: Actual Size is a really amazing book because it gives readers a glimpse of animals they otherwise may never see. Someone may tell you how big a bears paw is but Steve Jenkins shows you, which is many ways is more powerful. This book is good for any age reader to enjoy, compare and have fun with animals and their many sizes.   

Other Professional Reviews: PreS-Gr 5-- In striking torn-and-cut paper collages, Jenkins depicts 18 animals and insects-or a part of their body-in actual size. One illustration compares an atlas moth with a 12-inch wingspan to a dwarf goby fish, which is 1/3-inch long. The eye of a giant squid, at a foot across, occupies a spread to terrific effect; only the snout and tongue-curling its two-foot length across two pages and littered with termites-are visible in the picture of the giant anteater. The hand of a gorilla fills a page opposite the entire pygmy mouse lemur with its tiny human-fingertip-sized palm. The saltwater crocodile grows to 23 feet, so tremendous that its head occupies a three-page foldout. On the reverse side is the rat-eating Goliath frog, a staggering 36 inches long in full hop. One or two lines of text briefly introduce each animal and give specific measurements, e.g., the gorilla stands 5 ½ feet tall and weighs 600 pounds, while the mouse lemur is 2 ½ inches tall and weighs 1 ounce. The end matter offers full pictures of the creatures and more details about their habitats and habits. Mixing deceptive simplicity with absolute clarity, this beautiful book is an enticing way to introduce children to the glorious diversity of our natural world, or to illustrate to budding scientists the importance of comparison, measurement, observation, and record keeping. A thoroughly engaging read-aloud and a must-have for any collection.

Ratterree, D. (2004). Actual Size (Book). School Library Journal, 50(6), 128

Using it in the Library 📖: This book would be a good resource book to use for collecting information about animals featured in the book. Steve Jenkins also includes measurement and sizes, it would be fun to really use measurement tools to measure the illustrations. A variety of tools could be used. Students could also recreate a similar styled book of real items and their actual sizes.

Module 10, Henry's Freedom Box

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Henry's Freedom Box, By Ellen Levine 

Overview:  The book begins with Henry's life as a young slave. He is struggling with his identity because he doesn't know his birthday and he is seperated from his family. He collects things as he grows up but is torn apart again from his family once again when he is a man. In despair and desperation he comes up with a plan for his freedom to mail himself off to the North. 

Levine, E. (2007). Henry's Freedom Box. Boston, MA: Scholastic Inc.

Little Library Review: This is one of those powerful eye opening books for children to read about another perspective of how some people had to once live. I think children will connect to this book because of the value they have for their birthday and family and make a connection with Henry. I imagine young readers will empathize when they consider how tough things were for Henry that he felt he had no choice but to mail himself in a box. The illustrations as Henry is traveling gives the reader a perspective of how dangerous the situation was and how brave Henry was. 

Other Professional Reviews: 
Gr 2-5 — Inspired by an actual 1830s lithograph, this beautifully crafted picture book briefly relates the story of Henry "Box" Brown's daring escape from slavery. Torn from his mother as a child, and then forcibly separated from his wife and children as an adult, a heartsick and desperate Brown conspired with abolitionists and successfully traveled north to Philadelphia in a packing crate. His journey took just over one full day, (hiring which he was often sideways or upside down in a wooden crate large enough to hold him, but small enough not to betray its contents. The story ends with a reimagining of the lithograph that inspired it, in which Henry Brown emerges from his unhappy confinement — in every sense of the word — and smiles upon his arrival in a comfortable Pennsylvania parlor. Particularly considering the broad scope of Levine's otherwise well-written story, some of the ancillary "facts" related in her text are unnecessarily dubious; reports vary, for instance, as to whether the man who sealed Henry into the crate was a doctor or a cobbler. And, while the text places Henry's arrival on March 30, other sources claim March 24 or 25. Nelson's illustrations, always powerful and nuanced, depict the evolution of a self-possessed child into a determined and fearless young man. While some of the specifies are unfortunately questionable, this book solidly conveys the generalities of Henry Brown's story.

Threadgill, C. (2007). Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story. School Library Journal, 53(3), 176.

Using it in the Library 📖: This would be a good book to do some activities or lessons about character point of view and character traits. Henry goes through so many ups an downs in the story that the story naturally lends itself for stopping points to reflect. 

Module 9, Who Pushed Humpty Dumpty

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Who pushed Humpty Dumpty, By David Levinthal  

Overview:  Who pushed Humpty Dumpty is a mystery of short snippets of events happening around private investigator Binky. Binky is a toad and is traveling around this fairytale town investigate these crimes happening to some familiar fairy tale characters. 

Levintal, D. (2012). Who pushed Humpty Dumpty. New York, NY: Random House Children's Books.

Little Library Review: Who pushed Humpty Dumpty is a funny mystery book with lots of old familiar characters that readers will recognize. The book is hilarious because it is centered around this very serious, very professional TOAD private investigator. He is bound and determine to clean up this little town of the "crimes" taking place. I would recommend that parents or teachers expose their child to fairy tales stories like The 3 bears prior to reading this mystery. It is not necessary but it will make the story that much more humorous as you read. I recommend this book for all elementary age children to enjoy. 

Other Professional Reviews: Gr 1-4 -- These open-and-shut cases of nursery-rhyme mysteries are narrated by Officer Binky, a toad with a manner reminiscent of Joe Friday's on the old Dragnet TV show, with his typical "Just the facts, Ma'am" style. In the first of five short stories, the officer gets a call from Mrs. Bear, who is upset because someone broke into the family home, ate their porridge, sat in their chairs, and slept in their beds. Based upon the evidence-a blond hair and an empty bowl, a piece of blue material caught in a chair that has seen better days, and a disheveled quilt on a bed -- Officer Binky deduces that it "could only be one dame: Goldilocks!" When questioned, she admits to being the intruder. The intrepid cop assures readers that "they'll feed her three meals a day where she's going, and she'll have plenty of time to rest." Hansel and Gretel, Humpty Dumpty, Snow White, and Jack and the Beanstalk are all similarly treated in eight pages or less with the police officer quickly solving the mysteries behind the well-known tales. Illustrations are presented in a variety of sizes and set off by frames in different colors. At the end of each segment, a red stamp reading 'CASE CLOSED' is superimposed over Nickle's richly colored acrylic artwork. The tongue-in-cheek telling of tales will tickle the fancies of children familiar with the originals. -- Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI

Owen, M. H. (2012). Who Pushed Humpty Dumpty?: And Other Notorious Nursery Tale Mysteries. School Library Journal, 58(9), 118.

Using it in the Library 📖: A fun activity to do after reading this book assuming that students are familiar to the fairy tales it to do a book hunt to connect the mystery with its original fairy tales and compare.

Module 8, Nightmares

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Nightmares, By Jason Segel 

Overview:
A boy named Charlie has recently lost his mother and is going through a hard time. Not long after his mothers death his father decides to remarry and they all move into his new mothers creepy house. During this difficult transition Charlie starts having nightmares and suspects his stepmother is at the root of all of his problems. In his investigation of his nightmares and suspected witch stepmother he stumbles upon a portal. His brother and friends enter this Nether world of danger and freight and he must save them.  They all ban together to conquer monsters and their worst fears.

Segel, J. (2014.) Nightmares. New York, NY: Random House Publishing.

Little Library Review: This book was as humorous as it was scary. I enjoyed reading this story most because of the tone of the characters in the story. It was written in a fun and smart way. The nightmares were graphic and terrifying but it was balanced with the humor of Charlie and his friends. I would not read this with younger readers because of the scary content but definitely appropriate for older readers that will separate the content from reality.

Other Professional Reviews: Gr 4–6— Eleven-year-old Charlie Laird is absolutely convinced that his stepmother Charlotte is a witch. She dresses funny, serves seriously strange food (kale pancakes), and runs a store called Hazel's Herbarium. Charlie's dad, little brother, and friends all like Charlotte and think Charlie's still grieving for his mom. He's also suffering from terrible nightmares, and living in Charlotte's crazy purple mansion isn't helping. The evil witch who stars in those nightmares threatens to follow the protagonist into the real world and kidnap his brother. Instead, he is tricked into the Nightmare World, peopled with monsters and madness: gorgons, goblins, crazy clowns, scary bunnies, tests filled with gibberish, and the monomaniacal President Fear (who also inhabits the real world as the truly terrifying Principal Stearns). But all is not what it seems, and some of the scariest creatures turn out to be sympathetic—or even allies. There are lessons to be learned about facing fears and uncovering the real enemy in this tale. Pals Alfie, Rocco, and Paige are interesting and fairly three-dimensional; most of the adults (with the exceptions of Fear/Stearns and Charlotte) are merely background. The fear is as much psychological as anything, and there's humor and a fairly high ick-factor, but relatively little violence. A good choice for elementary-aged scare-seekers.—Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library

Alpert, M. (2014). Nightmares!. School Library Journal, 60(9), 132.

Using it in the Library 📖: Something fun and interesting to do as you are reading this book in a literature circle or book club, is to stop and read another book that tells you what descriptions of dreams meaning. I think kids would find this information interesting and maybe get them reading into another book. Whether it is true or not, students would still enjoy the mystery and questioning.

Module 7, HOOT

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HOOT, by Carl Hiaasen

Overview: Roy has just moved to Florida with his dad. He has moved around a lot and has rough start with the kids at his new school. As Roy is settling into  his new town a restaurant, Mother Paula's Pancake House, is being constructed. Suspicious activities around the new restaurant bring Roy to an quirky character, Mullet Fingers. Though Mullet Fingers, Roy discovers there is a owl burrow at the restaurant site and decide to try to take action to save them. With new found friends Beatrice and Mullet Fingers, Roy battles middle school bullies and adult bullies to eventually save the owls and stop the building of the new restaurant.

Hiaasen, C. (2002). Hoot. New York, NY. Random House Publishing, Inc.

Little Library Review: Hoot is a book with several different themes and of good and evil that kids will be drawn to. The characters are silly and interesting that will keep the book light and funny while tacking tough issues. The book is setup in a way that multiple characters face challenges and grow through out the story. There are plot elements with step families. lost of family members, changes, moving and bullies lot of connecting threads that a early teens will be able to relate to while they are finding their own moral foundation.

Other Professional Reviews: Gr. 5–8. It seems unlikely that the master of noir-tinged, surrealistic black humor would write a novel for young readers. And, yet, there has always been something delightfully juvenile about Hiaasen’s imagination; beneath the bent cynicism lurks a distinctly 12-year-old cackle. In this thoroughly engaging tale of how middle schooler, Roy Eberhardt, new kid in Coconut Cove, learns to love South Florida, Hiaasen lets his inner kid run rampant, both the subversive side that loves to see grown-ups make fools of themselves and the righteously indignant side, appalled at the mess being made of our planet. When Roy teams up with some classic children’s lit outsiders to save the home of some tiny burrowing owls, the stage is set for a confrontation between right-thinking kids and slow-witted, wrongheaded civic boosters. But Hiaasen never lets the formula get in his way; the story is full of offbeat humor, buffoonish yet charming supporting characters,and genuinely touching scenes of children enjoying the wildness of nature. He deserves a warm welcome into children’s publishing. —Bill Ott

Ott, B. (2002). Books for middle school readers. Booklist, 99, (4), p405.

Using it in the Library 📖: Activities or lessons that can be done with this book: research project on owls, the conservation of owls, a discovery investigation of owl pellets, create a poster or persuasive commercial for or against the restaurant building.