Bibliographic Information:
Rappoport, Doreen (2001). Martin’s Big Words. New York: Hyperion Books For Children
Grade Level Appropriateness:
2nd – 6th
Credibility of the Author:
Doreen Rappaport is a well known children’s author. She has won several literary awards such as Caldecott Honor Book, Jane Addams Children’s Book Award, ALA Noteable Book Winner Award.
Awards:
Caldecott Honor Book
Coretta Scott King Honor for Illustration
Summary of the Book:
This book follows the Civil Rights Movement in the United States in association with Martin Luther King Junior. It tells of several other instances of racial discriminations that took place during that time. This book shows Martin Luther King Junior’s non-violent attitude towards the unfair things that were happening to African Americans.
National Standards it Relates to:
Social Studies
V. Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
Illustrations:
Bryan Collier was the illustrator of this book. He used a combination of collage and watercolors to compose his paintings used in the book.
Access Features:
At the end of the book, there is a page that has a list of important dates and significant events in the Civil Rights Movement. There is also a list of additional books and websites.
How I would Use the Book in My Classroom:
I would use this book in my classroom during Black History Month. Another time I would use this would be if we did a unit on Civil Rights.
Response:
I thought this was a really good book. It was short enough and easy enough to understand for younger readers. It also was appropriate for older students.
Related Text:
Biographies
Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez by Kathleen Krull
Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad In The Sky by Faith Ringgold
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Gordon Parks: No Excuses by Ann Parr
Bibliographic information:
Parr, Ann (2006). Gordon Parks: No Excuses. Gretna: Pelican Publishing Company
Grade Level Appropriateness:
3rd – 5th
Credibility of the Author:
Ann Parr takes an interest in people’s lives and loves to know how they got to where they are. Along with some help from advisors from Vermont College, Parr composed this book to show the life Gordon Parks made for himself through his photography skills.
Summary of the Book:
This book gives a very brief summary of the life of Gordon Parks. When Parks was a boy, his mother told him that he could achieve anything “no excuses”. His mother died when he was only 16. He found work as a waiter on a railroad. While working on the railroad, he met a photographer from LIFE magazine. Parks looked at the magazine and decided he was interested in photography. He studied all the elements of photography and got his own camera. He began taking pictures of everyday things. Once he had gotten a collection of pictures, he took them to the headquarters for LIFE magazine. He showed them to the editor. The editor liked what he saw. Soon after that, Gordon Parks became the first African American photographer for LIFE magazine.
National Standards it Relates to:
Social Studies
III. People, Places, and Environments
Illustrations:
This book contains photographs taken by Gordon Parks himself. There are also charcoal sketches illustrated by Kathryn Breidenthal. The sketches and photographs combined capture the audience. They were beautifully arranged and done.
Access Features:
The most prominent access feature in this book was the photography it contained. The photographs captured lives and times of people from several walks of life. There were photographs of models and photographs of street gangs.
How I would use the book in my classroom:
I would use this book in younger grades as a part of a study on biographies.
Response:
I thought the book had wonderful photographs. I wish it had gone into more detail about his life. It seemed very general. For younger children in school, that’s great. However, for older children and adults, I think it would be beneficial to have more background from Gordon Parks’ life.
Related Texts:
Biographies
Leonardo de Vinci by Diane Stanley
The Story of Walt Disney: Maker of Magical Worlds by Bernice Selden
Parr, Ann (2006). Gordon Parks: No Excuses. Gretna: Pelican Publishing Company
Grade Level Appropriateness:
3rd – 5th
Credibility of the Author:
Ann Parr takes an interest in people’s lives and loves to know how they got to where they are. Along with some help from advisors from Vermont College, Parr composed this book to show the life Gordon Parks made for himself through his photography skills.
Summary of the Book:
This book gives a very brief summary of the life of Gordon Parks. When Parks was a boy, his mother told him that he could achieve anything “no excuses”. His mother died when he was only 16. He found work as a waiter on a railroad. While working on the railroad, he met a photographer from LIFE magazine. Parks looked at the magazine and decided he was interested in photography. He studied all the elements of photography and got his own camera. He began taking pictures of everyday things. Once he had gotten a collection of pictures, he took them to the headquarters for LIFE magazine. He showed them to the editor. The editor liked what he saw. Soon after that, Gordon Parks became the first African American photographer for LIFE magazine.
National Standards it Relates to:
Social Studies
III. People, Places, and Environments
Illustrations:
This book contains photographs taken by Gordon Parks himself. There are also charcoal sketches illustrated by Kathryn Breidenthal. The sketches and photographs combined capture the audience. They were beautifully arranged and done.
Access Features:
The most prominent access feature in this book was the photography it contained. The photographs captured lives and times of people from several walks of life. There were photographs of models and photographs of street gangs.
How I would use the book in my classroom:
I would use this book in younger grades as a part of a study on biographies.
Response:
I thought the book had wonderful photographs. I wish it had gone into more detail about his life. It seemed very general. For younger children in school, that’s great. However, for older children and adults, I think it would be beneficial to have more background from Gordon Parks’ life.
Related Texts:
Biographies
Leonardo de Vinci by Diane Stanley
The Story of Walt Disney: Maker of Magical Worlds by Bernice Selden
Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges
Bibliographic Information:
Bridges, Ruby (1999). Through My Eyes. New York: Scholastic.
Grade Level Appropriateness:
3rd -5th
Credibility of the Author:
Who better to ask about what happened in a person’s life except that person? The title tells just how the story is told, through her eyes. The newspaper articles, photographs, and personal testimonies throughout the book support the information that Ruby Bridges presents about the events she experienced during integration.
Summary of the Book:
Through My Eyes tells the story of integration through the eyes of 6 year old Ruby Bridges who experienced integration firsthand. She didn’t really understand what was going on when it took place. She didn’t feel like she had been deprived of anything. She had a good family that was very close. She did well in her school, and she liked school. All of the children in her New Orleans neighborhood all went to the same school so it was just as much of a social event as it was a place of education. But isn’t that the way it always is in kindergarten? During her kindergarten year, the courts passed a law that forced two all-white schools to integrate African Americans into them. The school board in New Orleans tested all of the black kindergarteners at Bridges’ school. Later in the summer, the Bridges family was notified that Ruby had been one of the highest scoring children on the test. This made her the involuntary candidate to integrate into one of the white schools. Mr. Bridges had some concerns about this, but Mrs. Bridges knew she had a bright daughter and wanted her to have the best education possible. The Bridges came to a decision that in the fall Ruby would start at the all-white school William Frantz School.
On November 14, 1960, a brave little first grader became an active part in one of the biggest movements in the United States. This was the day she started school at William Frantz. On this morning, four U.S. federal marshals arrived at the home of Ruby Bridges to escort her to school which was only five blocks away. Ruby and her mother climbed into the car and rode to the school. There were crowds of people waiting for them outside the school. The federal marshals escorted Ruby and her mother into the school and past the screaming opposition. Ruby soon met a lady that would change her life forever, her teacher Mrs. Barbara Henry. Ruby was the only student that Mrs. Henry had. Most of the other children in her classroom did not attend school because their parents had pulled them out because they heard Ruby was coming. Ruby didn’t see any other students for several months. The white students that actually came to school were kept in another part of the school. Ruby couldn’t go outside and play or eat in the cafeteria like the other students. Mrs. Henry did everything she could to make Ruby feel comfortable. They learned together and became very close. However, this didn’t take away the fact that Ruby was lonely. Mrs. Henry did everything she could to help relieve this feeling Ruby had.
Towards the end of the year, other children joined Ruby and Mrs. Henry in the classroom. On the first day that the white students were back in Mrs. Henry’s class, Ruby came to realize just what was going on. A boy told Ruby that he couldn’t play with her because she was black and his mother had told him not to play with her. At that moment, Ruby realized that the reason she had been separated from the other students was because of her race. This realization hadn’t occurred to her until that moment. She could have gotten mad, but she didn’t. She knew that it was important to obey your parents, and that’s all that little boy was doing. She finished the first grade and continued on to second grade at William Frantz.
National Standards it Relates to:
Social Studies
II. Time, Continuity, and Change
Illustrations:
Through My Eyes is filled with pictorial evidence of the events mentioned in the book. There are photographs of Ruby, her mother, and the U.S. federal marshals walking into the William Frantz School on November 14, 1960. There are several photographs of the crowds that gathered outside of the school. There is one photograph that shows a dark skinned baby doll in a coffin. The photos seem to make the book real. They help the reader put a face on this little girl who changed America just a little bit. There is something to be said for being able to see the signs the protestors made and the looks of hatred and anger on their faces.
Access Features:
There is a forward in the book by Harry Belafonte. The forward is formatted in the style of a letter that is written to the reader. Ruby Bridges wrote the forwarding this book. There are not defined chapters in the book, but every few pages there is a new heading at the top of the page giving the topic of what the next few pages would be about. Through My Eyes has inserted information throughout the book. There are notes at the bottom of the pages that are testimonials from different people that pertained to what was going on at the time. There are also photographs with captions under them. These testimonials and captions help support the text. At the end of the book, there are text and photo credits for the inserted information. There is also a timeline of key events in the Civil Rights movement.
How I would use the book in my classroom:
I would use this book in my classroom in two ways. For younger grades, I might just use it as a read aloud book. For older grades, I would use it as part of the Social Studies Curriculum while on the subject of civil rights and school integration. This would be a good source for an in-class project.
Response:
I loved the book! It was one of the best books I have read in a while. I usually don’t read non-fiction books, but this one really touched me. All I could picture was this little six year old girl sitting in a classroom all by herself and not fully understanding why she couldn’t be with the other students. It really touched my heart because she was so brave. I was also very touched by the effort Mrs. Henry made. She took the job even though she knew it wouldn’t be easy. She went out on a limb for this little girl and touched her life forever.
Related text:
School Integration
Linda Brown, You Are Not Alone: The Brown V. Board of Education Decision by Joyce Carol Thomas
Biography
Rosa by Nikki Giovanni
Bridges, Ruby (1999). Through My Eyes. New York: Scholastic.
Grade Level Appropriateness:
3rd -5th
Credibility of the Author:
Who better to ask about what happened in a person’s life except that person? The title tells just how the story is told, through her eyes. The newspaper articles, photographs, and personal testimonies throughout the book support the information that Ruby Bridges presents about the events she experienced during integration.
Summary of the Book:
Through My Eyes tells the story of integration through the eyes of 6 year old Ruby Bridges who experienced integration firsthand. She didn’t really understand what was going on when it took place. She didn’t feel like she had been deprived of anything. She had a good family that was very close. She did well in her school, and she liked school. All of the children in her New Orleans neighborhood all went to the same school so it was just as much of a social event as it was a place of education. But isn’t that the way it always is in kindergarten? During her kindergarten year, the courts passed a law that forced two all-white schools to integrate African Americans into them. The school board in New Orleans tested all of the black kindergarteners at Bridges’ school. Later in the summer, the Bridges family was notified that Ruby had been one of the highest scoring children on the test. This made her the involuntary candidate to integrate into one of the white schools. Mr. Bridges had some concerns about this, but Mrs. Bridges knew she had a bright daughter and wanted her to have the best education possible. The Bridges came to a decision that in the fall Ruby would start at the all-white school William Frantz School.
On November 14, 1960, a brave little first grader became an active part in one of the biggest movements in the United States. This was the day she started school at William Frantz. On this morning, four U.S. federal marshals arrived at the home of Ruby Bridges to escort her to school which was only five blocks away. Ruby and her mother climbed into the car and rode to the school. There were crowds of people waiting for them outside the school. The federal marshals escorted Ruby and her mother into the school and past the screaming opposition. Ruby soon met a lady that would change her life forever, her teacher Mrs. Barbara Henry. Ruby was the only student that Mrs. Henry had. Most of the other children in her classroom did not attend school because their parents had pulled them out because they heard Ruby was coming. Ruby didn’t see any other students for several months. The white students that actually came to school were kept in another part of the school. Ruby couldn’t go outside and play or eat in the cafeteria like the other students. Mrs. Henry did everything she could to make Ruby feel comfortable. They learned together and became very close. However, this didn’t take away the fact that Ruby was lonely. Mrs. Henry did everything she could to help relieve this feeling Ruby had.
Towards the end of the year, other children joined Ruby and Mrs. Henry in the classroom. On the first day that the white students were back in Mrs. Henry’s class, Ruby came to realize just what was going on. A boy told Ruby that he couldn’t play with her because she was black and his mother had told him not to play with her. At that moment, Ruby realized that the reason she had been separated from the other students was because of her race. This realization hadn’t occurred to her until that moment. She could have gotten mad, but she didn’t. She knew that it was important to obey your parents, and that’s all that little boy was doing. She finished the first grade and continued on to second grade at William Frantz.
National Standards it Relates to:
Social Studies
II. Time, Continuity, and Change
Illustrations:
Through My Eyes is filled with pictorial evidence of the events mentioned in the book. There are photographs of Ruby, her mother, and the U.S. federal marshals walking into the William Frantz School on November 14, 1960. There are several photographs of the crowds that gathered outside of the school. There is one photograph that shows a dark skinned baby doll in a coffin. The photos seem to make the book real. They help the reader put a face on this little girl who changed America just a little bit. There is something to be said for being able to see the signs the protestors made and the looks of hatred and anger on their faces.
Access Features:
There is a forward in the book by Harry Belafonte. The forward is formatted in the style of a letter that is written to the reader. Ruby Bridges wrote the forwarding this book. There are not defined chapters in the book, but every few pages there is a new heading at the top of the page giving the topic of what the next few pages would be about. Through My Eyes has inserted information throughout the book. There are notes at the bottom of the pages that are testimonials from different people that pertained to what was going on at the time. There are also photographs with captions under them. These testimonials and captions help support the text. At the end of the book, there are text and photo credits for the inserted information. There is also a timeline of key events in the Civil Rights movement.
How I would use the book in my classroom:
I would use this book in my classroom in two ways. For younger grades, I might just use it as a read aloud book. For older grades, I would use it as part of the Social Studies Curriculum while on the subject of civil rights and school integration. This would be a good source for an in-class project.
Response:
I loved the book! It was one of the best books I have read in a while. I usually don’t read non-fiction books, but this one really touched me. All I could picture was this little six year old girl sitting in a classroom all by herself and not fully understanding why she couldn’t be with the other students. It really touched my heart because she was so brave. I was also very touched by the effort Mrs. Henry made. She took the job even though she knew it wouldn’t be easy. She went out on a limb for this little girl and touched her life forever.
Related text:
School Integration
Linda Brown, You Are Not Alone: The Brown V. Board of Education Decision by Joyce Carol Thomas
Biography
Rosa by Nikki Giovanni
Remember: The Journey to School Integration by Toni Morrison
Bibliographic Information:
Morrison, Toni (2004). Remember: The Journey to School Integration. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company
Grade level appropriateness:
3rd – 6th
Credibility of the Author:
Toni Morrison is a well known and credible author. In 1988, she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize. In 1993, Morrison was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. She has taught at several universities across the United States including Princeton in New Jersey.
Summary of the book:
This book takes you through the process of school integration in the 1950s and 1960s. The book is filled with photographs from the time that tell the story. The captions and text convey to the reader the feelings the author has about the events that were taking place in the photographs. There is a preface in the book that gives an introduction and background knowledge of the events leading up to the integration of schools. The author states that just because the reader wasn’t there during the time of school integration, they are a part of it. Everyone is a part of it.
The book is divided into sections. The first section talks about the segregated schools. The photographs show African American schools and how dilapidated they were. It showed the school rooms where children were crowded in. The African American students are reading and writing, but the conditions are not conducive to their needs. The rooms were small and dark. There were numerous children varying in ages all in one classroom. There is one photograph of two African American students walking beside a railroad track to get to their school which clearly was not near their home.
The second section of the book deals with the school year of 1954 when the courts enforce integration laws. The photographs depicted something that had never happened before – African American students and white students together in classrooms. This section showed screaming crowds in front of schools. There were men and women holding signs that displayed messages declaring their opposition to integration in the schools. It showed African Americans sitting alone in the school cafeteria. The students were together physically, but they were still separated socially.
The third and final section of the book is filled with photographs of African Americans and whites coming together to fight for equal rights for African Americans. The photographs showed that there were still prejudices against African Americans by the whites. One such photograph was of a white restaurant owner throwing water in a young black woman’s face. There was still a lot the African Americans had to overcome, but they were on their way to having equal rights.
At the end of the book, there is a page dedicated to the four young girls that were killed on September 15, 1963. Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, Addie Mae Collins, and Cynthia Wesley died while attending Sunday School at a church in Birmingham, Alabama. A racist threw a bomb into the church that exploded killing the four girls.
National Standards it Relates to:
Social Studies
II. Time, Continuity, and Change
Illustrations:
The book is illustrated with real photographs from that time. The photographs themselves could have told the story without the help of the text. They make it real. They give the reader a very small insight as to what it was like during those times.
Access Features:
The most important access feature in this book is the photograph notes at the end of the book. It has a small visual of the photograph and the page it’s on. It also tells when and where the photograph was taken. The notes give a brief description of the photograph and what was taking place.
How I would use the book in my classroom:
This book could be used for many classrooms of varying ages. I would use it in younger classes to introduce the subject of school integration. For older grades, I would use it and have them analyze the pictures. I may just let them see the pictures and write about it. I would have them tell how they think the person in this picture is feeling. What preconceived ideas do we have about the person or people in this photograph?
Response to book:
I really enjoyed this book. The saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Certainly pertains to this book. The pictures tell the story. You can see the anger, hurt, and desperation in the eyes of the children and adults in the book. Sometime you need a visual to see just exactly what a situation is like. This book did just that. It let you see what was going on through the lens of someone who was there.
Related texts:
School Integration
Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges
The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights by Russell Freedman
Morrison, Toni (2004). Remember: The Journey to School Integration. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company
Grade level appropriateness:
3rd – 6th
Credibility of the Author:
Toni Morrison is a well known and credible author. In 1988, she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize. In 1993, Morrison was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. She has taught at several universities across the United States including Princeton in New Jersey.
Summary of the book:
This book takes you through the process of school integration in the 1950s and 1960s. The book is filled with photographs from the time that tell the story. The captions and text convey to the reader the feelings the author has about the events that were taking place in the photographs. There is a preface in the book that gives an introduction and background knowledge of the events leading up to the integration of schools. The author states that just because the reader wasn’t there during the time of school integration, they are a part of it. Everyone is a part of it.
The book is divided into sections. The first section talks about the segregated schools. The photographs show African American schools and how dilapidated they were. It showed the school rooms where children were crowded in. The African American students are reading and writing, but the conditions are not conducive to their needs. The rooms were small and dark. There were numerous children varying in ages all in one classroom. There is one photograph of two African American students walking beside a railroad track to get to their school which clearly was not near their home.
The second section of the book deals with the school year of 1954 when the courts enforce integration laws. The photographs depicted something that had never happened before – African American students and white students together in classrooms. This section showed screaming crowds in front of schools. There were men and women holding signs that displayed messages declaring their opposition to integration in the schools. It showed African Americans sitting alone in the school cafeteria. The students were together physically, but they were still separated socially.
The third and final section of the book is filled with photographs of African Americans and whites coming together to fight for equal rights for African Americans. The photographs showed that there were still prejudices against African Americans by the whites. One such photograph was of a white restaurant owner throwing water in a young black woman’s face. There was still a lot the African Americans had to overcome, but they were on their way to having equal rights.
At the end of the book, there is a page dedicated to the four young girls that were killed on September 15, 1963. Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, Addie Mae Collins, and Cynthia Wesley died while attending Sunday School at a church in Birmingham, Alabama. A racist threw a bomb into the church that exploded killing the four girls.
National Standards it Relates to:
Social Studies
II. Time, Continuity, and Change
Illustrations:
The book is illustrated with real photographs from that time. The photographs themselves could have told the story without the help of the text. They make it real. They give the reader a very small insight as to what it was like during those times.
Access Features:
The most important access feature in this book is the photograph notes at the end of the book. It has a small visual of the photograph and the page it’s on. It also tells when and where the photograph was taken. The notes give a brief description of the photograph and what was taking place.
How I would use the book in my classroom:
This book could be used for many classrooms of varying ages. I would use it in younger classes to introduce the subject of school integration. For older grades, I would use it and have them analyze the pictures. I may just let them see the pictures and write about it. I would have them tell how they think the person in this picture is feeling. What preconceived ideas do we have about the person or people in this photograph?
Response to book:
I really enjoyed this book. The saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Certainly pertains to this book. The pictures tell the story. You can see the anger, hurt, and desperation in the eyes of the children and adults in the book. Sometime you need a visual to see just exactly what a situation is like. This book did just that. It let you see what was going on through the lens of someone who was there.
Related texts:
School Integration
Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges
The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights by Russell Freedman
The Man Who Walked Between The Towers by Mordicai Gerstein
Bibliographic Information:
Gerstein, Mordicai (2003). The Man Who Walked Between the Towers. Brookfield: Roaring Brook Press
Grade Level Appropriateness:
K- 4th
Credibility of the Author:
Mordicai Gerstein is an author and illustrator. He has won many awards for not only his book, but also for his contributions to films also. Among such awards are the Caldecott, Parent’s Choice Award, and ALA notable children’s book.
Awards:
Caldecott Award Winner 2004
Boston Glove – Hornboook Award winner 2004
Summary of the Book:
This book is about Philippe Petit walking a tightrope between the two towers of the World Trade Center. Philippe was a performer in the parks and in his hometown of Paris. He loved to juggle and walk on a tight rope. While performing in a park in New York City one day, he decided that he wanted to walk between the two towers.
One night, Philippe and his friends snuck onto the job site of World Trade Center. The buildings hadn’t been completed yet. That night, Philippe and his friends took wire up to the roof of the two buildings. They secured the wire on both buildings. The next morning, August 7, 1974, Philippe took his walk across the wire between the two buildings. He danced and performed on the wire.
National Standards it Relates to:
Social Studies
III. People, Places, and Environments
Illustrations:
The illustrations were drawings done by the author. The illustrations were ink and oil paintings. The author used fold out pages to show the scale of just how high the buildings were and how far he had to walk.
Access Features:
The best access feature in this book is its use of illustrations. The fold out pages provide a sense of depth to the book that gives the reader a visual picture of how tall the buildings were and the distance between the buildings.
How I would Use the Book in My Classroom:
I think this would be a good book to use while talking about the events of September 11th.
Response:
I thought this book was a very good book. It sheds a brighter light on the World Trade Center. Today when people talk about the World Trade Center, all they think about is the tragedy of the events of September 11th. Even though that is a very important event in our nation’s history, this provides a connection for younger children who can’t really grasp the concept of all of the events of September 11th.
Related Text:
To Reach the Clouds: My High Wire Walk Between the Twin Towers by Philippe Petit.
Gerstein, Mordicai (2003). The Man Who Walked Between the Towers. Brookfield: Roaring Brook Press
Grade Level Appropriateness:
K- 4th
Credibility of the Author:
Mordicai Gerstein is an author and illustrator. He has won many awards for not only his book, but also for his contributions to films also. Among such awards are the Caldecott, Parent’s Choice Award, and ALA notable children’s book.
Awards:
Caldecott Award Winner 2004
Boston Glove – Hornboook Award winner 2004
Summary of the Book:
This book is about Philippe Petit walking a tightrope between the two towers of the World Trade Center. Philippe was a performer in the parks and in his hometown of Paris. He loved to juggle and walk on a tight rope. While performing in a park in New York City one day, he decided that he wanted to walk between the two towers.
One night, Philippe and his friends snuck onto the job site of World Trade Center. The buildings hadn’t been completed yet. That night, Philippe and his friends took wire up to the roof of the two buildings. They secured the wire on both buildings. The next morning, August 7, 1974, Philippe took his walk across the wire between the two buildings. He danced and performed on the wire.
National Standards it Relates to:
Social Studies
III. People, Places, and Environments
Illustrations:
The illustrations were drawings done by the author. The illustrations were ink and oil paintings. The author used fold out pages to show the scale of just how high the buildings were and how far he had to walk.
Access Features:
The best access feature in this book is its use of illustrations. The fold out pages provide a sense of depth to the book that gives the reader a visual picture of how tall the buildings were and the distance between the buildings.
How I would Use the Book in My Classroom:
I think this would be a good book to use while talking about the events of September 11th.
Response:
I thought this book was a very good book. It sheds a brighter light on the World Trade Center. Today when people talk about the World Trade Center, all they think about is the tragedy of the events of September 11th. Even though that is a very important event in our nation’s history, this provides a connection for younger children who can’t really grasp the concept of all of the events of September 11th.
Related Text:
To Reach the Clouds: My High Wire Walk Between the Twin Towers by Philippe Petit.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Through My Eyes- Bridges, Ruby
I thought this was a really good book. You hear about integration in school, but you never really go in depth on the subject. This book really opened my eyes to just how tough it was for those African American students. It really got to me because Ruby Bridges didn't really realize what was going on and that the reason she never saw other kids was because she was black. I felt like she was better off not knowing. It broke my heart when she told about the day the little white boy said he couldn't play with her because she was black and his mother had told him not to play with her. What I thought spoke so well of Ruby Bridges was that she told him that she understood. That took a lot for a first grader to say that and be OK with that. My heart goes out to her. I also think that her teacher should be recognized for her contributions also. Barbara Henry was a hero herself. She took a teaching position that she knew could put her safety and life at stake. Mrs. Henry did her job which was to give Ruby the same education that the other kids got. She put herself out there for a little girl that she didn't even know and has now forevermore left an impression on that child's life. This book was a joy to read and definitely a book I will use in my classroom.
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