A Year Down Yonder

Peck, Richard. 2000. A Year Down Yonder. New York: Dial. ISBN 0803725183.

Plot summary
This is the sequel to Peck’s Newbery Honor award winner: A Long Way to Chicago. The story is set during the Depression and told through the eyes of fifteen year-old Mary. Mary’s family, like most of the country, is facing hard times. Consequently, Mary will reside with her feisty grandmother for a year until her parents are able to get back on their feet.

Analysis
Don't feel you've got to run out and purchase the prequel to this book. No, sir. Reading it is not a prerequisite, but after reading A Year Down Yonder, you won't help but to RUN to your nearest library and read more about these endearing characters!
The book does not overwhelm the reader with numerous details describing the time period. In fact, I feel Peck would have done a good thing in providing us with more glimpses of the Depression.
While the story is told from Mary Alice's point of view, it is without a doubt, Grandma Dowdel's antics that quickly make this book a difficult one to put down.

But I was suddenly arrested by a sight that only
Grandma and I saw. Mildred's big gray horse was trotting away, past the porch,
free as air. Tied around its neck were Mildred's boots.

I suppose that will teach Mildred NOT to mess with Grandma Dowdel's granddaughter.
What I loved about the story is that Mary Alice is an ordinary girl,who is considered rich, since she's coming from Chicago, but she could be any girl sitting in a classroom struggling with Math just as Mary Alice did. I was Mary Alice. She is so very real.

My students enjoyed the "Hick Talk" as they put it. Phrases such as "Dag nab it! and "Hop to it like bed bugs," had them rolling!" They really thought their English was so much better. When the following exchange took place between Ina-Rae and Mary Alice, I could have sworn I was a stand up comedian.

'I thought this was English class,' I whispered across
to Ina-Rae. 'Wasn't that Shakespeare?'
'Who?' Ina-Rae said.

(The only reason my 4th graders know about Shakespeare was thanks to a field trip we had recently taken.) I did, however; appreciate the confidence my students demonstrated. I whole-heartedly believe they related to Mary Alice, because they truly saw themselves in her. Not only that but my students also had incredibly lovable, but prickly grandmothers at home.
There is a beauty in the love that grows between Mary Alice and her grandmother. So much so, that it is in her grandmother's home that she weds. That is a fairy tale ending. Here too I wish Peck wouldn't have done so. The influence of Hollywood is apparent. I would have rather relished she married another and not her high school sweetheart.
Reviews
"Between antic capers, Peck reveals a marshmallow heart inside Grandma's rock-hard exterior and adroitly exposes the mutual, unspoken affection she shares with her granddaughter. Like Mary Alice, audience members will breathe a sigh of regret when the eventful year "down yonder" draws to a close." - From Publisher's Weekly

"A Year down Yonder seems more a companion than a sequel to Peck's 1999 Newbery Honor book, A Long Way from Chicago. Peck shows his brilliance in setting up parallel structures and creating two very different books." - From Children's Literature

Connections
Other titles with the Depression Era topic are Out of the Dust by and Karen Hesse
Children of the Great Depression by Russell Freedman
Children of the Dust Bowl: The True Story of the School at Weedpatch Camp
A great book to display if your curriculum covers the Depression Era and also makes a wonderful read-aloud. This could also be used to incorporate journal writings during language arts or social studies.

Good Queen Bess: The Story of Elizabeth I of England

Stanley, Diane and Peter Vennema. 1990. GOOD QUEEN BESS: THE STORY OF ELIZABETH I OF ENGLAND. By Diane Stanley. New York: Collier Macmillan Canada.

PLOT SUMMARY

Diane Stanley teams up with her husband to relate the life of Queen Elizabeth I of England. In this picture biography Stanley uses beautiful illustrations to depict the Elizabethan era . We learn of King Henry VIII, the conflict that existed between the Catholics and Protestants, and how England kept peace with neighboring countries. We also learn of the love Queen Elizabeth had for her subjects.

Analysis

An Author’s note is included at the beginning of the book that sets the premise of the book. Telling the story of Queen Elizabeth I of England is no easy task! One must understand a great deal of background information in order to understand Elizabeth’s life, and the authors do a fantastic job of presenting the material in a logical and coherent manner. They do this without sugarcoating the truth. We are told that Mary, Elizabeth's Catholic half sister, burned almost three hundred of her subjects when they refused to convert to Catholicism.

Diane Stanley and Peter Vennema present Elizabeth's life with accuracy and outstanding attention to detail in the illustrations.Stanley’s rich, and precise illustrations of the dress of the time period are outstanding. I was amazed at the detail of the broaches the women wore! The illustrations alone are enough to drive a reader to want to know more! Even so, the authors present the sort of facts that spellbound youngsters.

Her court was a lively one, with everyone striving to outdo one another…The
meneven dyed their beards purple or orange to match their coats.

And teenagers think they are the first to think this up! Elizabeth was presented as authentic and devoted to her subjects, yet she is not glorified.

She usually rode openly on horseback so that everyone could see her.
Shestopped in little villages and listened graciously to long speeches, received
humble gifts or cakes or flowers, gave her hand to be kissed, and won the hearts
of her people.

With this description, the authors have explained how Elizabeth I became “Good Queen Bess.”

I especially appreciated Queen Elizabeth I not presented as a perfect woman. It was noted that she manipulated heads of state, threw tantrums and was conniving even with her councillors.

She rarely met with them as a group, since they might unite to overwhelm her.
She talked with them separately and sometimes played on their feelings of
rivalry to divide them.

The authors provide a bibliography that cites twelve works and they take the time to point out that three of these are intended for younger readers. Stanley and Vennema’s use of quotes are the finishing touches to an exceptional well written biography of Elizabeth I of England.

Though you have had - and may have- many mightier and wiser princes sitting
in this sear, yet you never had - not shall have - any that will love you
better.

My students were very inquisitive as a I read this book aloud to them, which thrilled me!Since the most significant facts are included, I could see this book also used to introduce the era, and in ESL classrooms

REVIEWS

" With their attention to period detail--most strikingly the elaborate Elizabethan dress, jewels and palace furnishings--Stanley's paintings transport readers back to an intriguing era." - From Publisher's Weekly

"Author/illustrator Diane Stanley and her husband, Peter Vennema charmed us with Peter the Great and now they have brilliantly brought to life Elizabeth I of England. In a mere 40 pages the reader learns of Henry VIII and his wives, his falling out with the Pope, the birth of Elizabeth, her rise to power, the pageantry of her Court, and her astute political savvy. Ms Stanley's illustrations depict the grandeur of the Court and the magnificence of the Queen's costumes." - From Children's Literature

CONNECTIONS

The authors provide a bibliography that has younger readers in mind as well.
Diana Stanley has written a great number of biographies: Bard of Avalon: The Story of William Shakespeare, Michelangelo, Joan Of Arc, Leonardo da Vinci, Peter the Great, and Cleopatra. It is important to note that this list is not complete. With the number of biographies one could easily do a author study. How did Diana become so involved in writing biographies? What is her inspiration? How much of her time is devoted to research? These could be great questions to tackle in an author study.

They Swim the Seas: The Mystery of Animal Migration

Simon, Seymour. 1998. THEY SWIM THE SEAS:The Mystery ofAnimal Migration. by Elsa Warnick. New York: Harcout Brace & Company. ISBN 0-8172-5765-9

PLOT SUMMARY
Seymour Simon educates us about the migration mysteries of marine animals and marine plant life ranging from alga to the blue whales. The book includes numerous watercolor illustrations as well as an additional section where he includes more in depth information regarding marine migration.

ANALYSIS
Simon's many years in education are evident in the production of this book. He presents the material in a manner that reads beautifully. We are not merely reading fact, after fact, after boring fact. This is his description of a herring:

"Their silvery bodies glint in the sunlight and ripple the surface waters like a passing wind."

While there are no headings throughout the book to make the various animals presented, there is a sequence. Seymour moves from the smaller, beginning with alga , to the larger, the blue whale. Reading non-fiction may be like reading a list of boring facts, not so with this beauty. Simon's use of comparisons allows the reader to more concretely understand the matter presented. For example, his comparison of an Elephant seal to an automobile.

"Elephant seals are the largest of the seals; males can weigh more thantwenty-five thousand pounds and can reach a length of eighteen to twenty feet -as big as an automobile."

Compounded with excellent writing are the marvelous watercolor illustrations that provide accurate visuals for the reader. What makes this a fantastic non-fiction read is the genius of providing just information to where we feel that we have gained new insight, but nevertheless, discovering a new found thirst to learn even more! To help quench that thirst, Simon has included a section at the back of the book where he provides more in depth information about the animals he covered.

REVIEWS
"The whole is graced with a multitude of delicately sea-toned watercolors depicting everything from minute plankton to massive gray whales, and a wide range of creatures in between. Though there is much grist here for the determined report writer's mill, the lyrical text and sea-lit watercolors will best suit as recreational reading for nature lovers."-From School Library Journal
"A rougher fit with the picture-book format is the book's continuous narrative, without organizational headings and with additional information about each migrator appearing in a five-page addendum titled, 'More About Ocean Journeys.' Still, Simon and Warnick beautifully succeed in capturing the wonder of the migratory process." - From Kirkus Reviews

CONNECTIONS
A companion book, Ride the Wind: Airborne Journeys of Animals and Plants, also covers migration, but this time focuses on birds, locusts, the North American monarch butterfly and plants.While this book is non-fiction, it makes a great read-aloud. The watercolor illustrations are sure to produce many "ooooooohhs".

What do You do When Something Wants to Eat You?

Jenkins, Steve. 1997. WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN SOMETHING WANTS TO EAT YOU? Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0-395-82514-8

PLOT SUMMARY
Using colorful paper collage artwork, Steven Jenkins depicts how fourteen animals that are about to perish, escape with their lives. One page introduces the victim-to-be, and the following page describes its defense mechanism. The book ends with a peculiar question aimed at the reader, "What would you do if something wanted to eat you?

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The cover and title are a clear invitation to pick up this book. The cover depicts a bird attempting to have a to-go dinner. This is the type of book you take from the shelf and sit in the same isle where you found it to finish reading it. Simon keeps the attention of the reader by using colorful paper collage artwork. The artwork is simple, but that works as a plus making it easy for young readers to focus their attention on the prey or the predator. The book reads like a suspense thriller. On one page we find the poor victim about to meet its untimely death, but on the following page we learn how it outwitted its predator.

When an octopus is threatened...
(next page)
it squirts a thick cloud of black into into the water, confusing its
attacker.

Simon also doesn't sugar coat the realities of the brutal animal world.

The glass snake is really a lizard without legs. When it is grabbed by the
tail...its tail breaks into many small, wriggling pieces.

This caused many "yukkkks!" from the girls , but lots of "Wow, cools" from my boys. This book never rested on my bookshelf, but rather traveled from one student to another.



REVIEWS
"In this absorbing tribute to nature's genius, cut-paper collages illustrate the built-in defenses of animals and insects..." - From Publisher's Weekly


"Useful for teachers introducing animal defenses and the terms that go along with the subject and a great choice for a story time." - From School Library Journal

CONNECTIONS

While all the animals in our book escape from death, this book is a great way to begin the study of life cycles. The book also makes for a fantastic read aloud, making each turn of a page very suspenseful!

Students quickly understood that the ellipsis meant there is more to come and thus a language arts lesson was incorporated.

Other books by Steve Jenkins: Move! , Actual Size , What do You do With a Tail Like This? , and Animal Dads, to name a few.

Insectlopedia

Florian, Douglas. 1998. INSECTLOPEDIA. New York: Harcout Inc. ISBN 0-15-201306-7

PLOT SUMMARY

A collection of 21 witty and delightful poems dedicated to those lovely insects. The poems provide a wealth of information regarding the insects in a most humorous manner. The book provides further fuel for the imagination as each poem is accompanied by a watercolor illustration done by the author.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Is it an encyclopedia?

Perhaps.

A picture book?

May be.

Is it poetry?

Could be all three.

When most children think of insects, they will rarely jump up and down with joy. Often times, they will cringe and frown! Douglas Florian has done a fantastic job of taking the "ooginess" out of insects. He begins with a caterpillar.

She eats eight leaves at least

To fill her,

Which leaves her like a

Fatterpillar,

Then rents a room inside

A pupa,

And checks out: Madame Butterfly -

How super!

Nevertheless, Florian does not let us forget that these creatures can indeed be ferocious.

The Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are thin.

Mosquitoes are rude.

They feast on your skin

For take-out food.

Most of the poems often talk about the insect as a predator or what the insect does to protect itself from other predators. The Walking stick blends in with other sticks, the Io moth uses her mam-moth eyes to scare off predators, and the Monarch Butterfly has a poison that makes it impossible for swallows to swallow him. They would rather spit him out. So much could be learned just from these delightful limericks! These poems are excellent at either introducing or reinforcing science concepts. The poems would make a great read aloud, but are also a feast for the eyes. Florian includes several concrete poems further providing a visual for children to appreciate.

My second grade students as well as my three year old asked me to repeat some of them. I could also see this book being transformed into some sort of dictionary. Most of the illustrations have the first letter of the name of the insect embedded into the drawing. For all these reasons, this is one book that should be included in every library.

REVIEWS

"Short, clever, witty poems catalogued alphabetically provide details about 21 different spiders and insects. Unique, thought-provoking illustrations accompany the text. There are some difficult words used, like "aggrieved" and "parasitic," but they are few and provide yet another opportunity to learn." - From Children's Literature

"The silly, imaginative verses about whirligig beetles and waterbugs (almost) match the exquisite pictures in playfulness and wit. The result is downright stunning," -From Publisher's Weekly

CONNECTIONS

The poems could easily be clapped, sung to the tune of known songs, or echoed to name a few. The book easily lends itself to be used during Science time for introduction, review and/or reinforcements of science concepts.

Students could also use the poems as formats to create their own poems about insects.

Out of the Dust

Hesse, Karen. 1997. OUT OF THE DUST. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 0-590-36080-9

PLOT SUMMARY

Written in free verse and set in Oklahoma during the dust bowl years, fourteen year old Billie Jo shares the trials of living on a wheat farm. In addition to combating the dust storms, Billie Jo must deal with the accidental death of her pregnant mother, the abyss that exists between her and her father, and the burning of her hands -which were the key to her escape from the dust: playing the piano.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The title resonates a genesis of sorts. In school I was taught not to judge a book by its cover, yet that is exactly what I done. The dreadful blue cover and black and white picture of a rather ordinary girl does not say,"Pick me up! I'm a great read!" Nevertheless, I am captivated early on by the authenticity of voice and the beautiful imagery in the descriptions. Of her pregnant mother she states:

She was bare as a pear... My dazzling ma, round and ripe and striped like a
melon.

Of her father she states:

My father's voice starts and stops like a car short of gas, like an engine
chocked with dust...

As a fourteen year old, Billie Jo demonstrates a maturity beyond her years as she comes to conclude certain things about her life.

The way I see it, hard times aren't only

about money

or drought,

or dust.

Hard times are about losing spirit,

and hope,

and what happens when dreams dry up.

Readers are left with the comfort that Billie Jo and her father are on the road to better communication. While girls will be drawn to the journal-like entries of the book, the lack of riveting action packed scenes leads me to think that boys may see this a "chick book." While most of today's youngsters may not relate to a farm girl, they will relate to her plights: deferred dreams, fathers that are present, yet distant, and seeking forgiveness as well as seeking to forgive others.

This novel makes an enormous contribution heralding American heritage. The novel is for young adults and naturally lends itself to form part of American history curriculum. This novel would also make an excellent daily read aloud since the entries are short yet poignant.

REVIEWS

In a starred review of the 1998 Newbery Medal winner, set during the Depression, PW said, "This intimate novel, written in stanza form, poetically conveys the heat, dust and wind of Oklahoma. With each meticulously arranged entry Hesse paints a vivid picture of her heroine's emotions." From Publishers Weekly

"...Told in free-verse poetry of dated entries that span the winter of 1934 to the winter of 1935, this is an unremittingly bleak portrait of one corner of Depression-era life. In Billie Jo, the only character who comes to life, Hesse (The Music of Dolphins, 1996, etc.) presents a hale and determined heroine who confronts unrelenting misery and begins to transcend it. The poem/novel ends with only a trace of hope; there are no pat endings, but a glimpse of beauty wrought from brutal reality. -From Kirkus Reviews

CONNECTIONS

So much can be done! This may be a great way to introduce journal writing across the contents.

There is a wealth of history and geography and art that can be connected to this book.

PBS presented Surviving the Dust bowl. It provides a documentary as well as excellent photography of dust storms.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/dustbowl/

The book makes mention of the Dionne Quintuplets. Students could read on the history of the girls and

http://www.quintland.com/start.html

Other books by Karen Hesse for younger readers: Lavender, Sable, Poppy's Chair and Lester's Dog.

Welcome!

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