Yeh-Shen: A Cinderella Story

Yeh-Shen: A Cinderella Story from China

By Ai-Ling Louie

Traditional Literature Book Blog

Illustrated by Ed Young

Published by Puffin Books

Text Copyright by Ai-Ling Louie

Images Copyright by Ed Young

32 pages

Genre: Children's Literature, Traditional, Multicultural Literature

Yeh-Shen: A Cinderella Story from China is an adventurous, entertaining traditional tale based on Chinese culture. Though there are many elements of the American version of Cinderella in this story, the basis of this story is very different. Daughter of Chinese royalty, Yeh-Shen suffers many hardships following the death of her mother. When her father dies, she is forced to live with her harsh step-mother. Her only companion is a fish. Her companion is killed by her step-mother, but she soon realizes the bones of the fish are magic. She uses these bones to make her dream of attending the ball a reality. Yeh-Shen's story to become the Princess she is destined to be is made possible through many trials and triumphs. In the end, her destiny is complete and she becomes who she is meant to be. 

The illustrations in this book are made with a combination of different materials. The illustrator, Ed Young, utilizes watercolor to make the colors of the images come to life. His images are similar to those of traditional Chinese art. He also uses colored pencils to enhance his images and bring dimension into the characters. Throughout his different use of materials, Young creates traditional Chinese images that depict the story of Yeh-Shen accurately. 

Standard:

Grade: 3rd

Subject: English Language Arts

18 ) Compare and contrast the most important points and key details presented in two texts on the same topic. [RI.3.9]

After reading this version of the Cinderella story, I would then read the American version of Cinderella. After reading the two texts, I would engage my students in a discussion about the differences in cultures. We would then complete a compare and contrast chart in which we analyzed the two stories and presented the information we took away from each. This would give the students an opportunity to see the different in traditional literature and the many different adaptations that are produced from them. 

Hop on Pop!

Hop on Pop
By Dr. Seuss
Children’s Poetry Book
Illustrated by Dr. Seuss
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers
Copyright by Dr. Seuss
24 pages
Genre: Children’s Poetry Picture Book

This classic children’s books is notorious for its clever rhymes and hilarious story. Readers will love following along the rhyming words to see all the unusual characters in this book. Many funny situations occur throughout the story, serving to draw the young readers in and get them listening to what will happen next. This classic book will introduce readers to the rhyme of poetry in a funny, colorful way. 

The illustrations in this book are done from sketches made by the author illustrator. The dark lines the outline the images appear to be markers or pencil. The figures are colored in using either marker or pencil. Over the years, the images have been enhanced through the use of computer imaging. Overall, the colorful images and illustrations that are typical of Dr. Seuss stories are utilized to enhance this rhyming story. 

Standard: 

Grade: Kindergarten

Subject: English Language Arts

21. Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes). 

A. Recognize and produce rhyming words. 

I would use this book to introduce a unit on rhyming words to a kindergarten class. We would read the book aloud during whole group instruction, and then we would go back over the words on the pages to identify the rhyming words. Since the words are fairly easy to decode, it would also be good to allow the students to sound out the words and decode the text. 

Biographies

• Biography:

o What is a biography? A biography is a summary of someone’s life written by someone else. An autobiography is written by the person the biography is about.

o What is the value of a biography? Biographies serve to recount the events that occurred in someone’s life. Because they are written by someone else, they might serve to tell a different perspective of those events. Additionally, they are factual and focus on depicting what occurred during that person’s life.

o When did biographies become more appealing to young people? I believe that biographies become more interesting to young people when those readers are more interested in understanding the events of someone’s life. This typically occurs in the later school age years of children’s lives.

o In what ways were biographies made to be more acceptable to young people? In many ways, authors can make biographies more interesting to young people. They can be written on a younger level or in the form of a picture book. Additionally, biographies can feature colorful pictures or depictions of the people they are written about.

Categories of Biography Characteristics of category Example of category

Partial biographies • Depicts only a segment of a person’s life

• Explores that portion in depth “Why Don’t You Get a Horse, Sam Adams?”

Complete biographies • The author recounts a person’s life from birth to the present or to the person’s death if he or she is no longer alive “Our Eleanor: A Scrapbook Look at Eleanor Roosevelt’s Remarkable Life”

Collective biographies • A book describing the lives of several people who have something in common Uncommon Champions: Fifteen Athletes Who Battled Back

Autobiographies and Memoirs • In an autobiography, a person writes about his or her own life.

• A memoir differs from an autobiography in that it shares events from the author’s life based on his or her recollection.

• A memoir often focuses on one particular event or time in the person’s life and reflects on the meaning of that event for the author. “Drawing from Memory”

“To Dance: A Ballerina’s Graphic Novel”

• Criteria for evaluating biography:

o Is the person someone whose life will be of interest to young readers?

o Has the author presented the person in such a way that readers can identify with him or her as an authentic, believable human being?

o Is the information about the person accurate and authentic?

o Has the author written in an engaging style that maintains the readers’ attention?

The Secret Life of Bees Book Trailer

The Secret Life of Bees Book Trailer

RDG 298 

Kaylee Fry

The Secret Life of Bees

Author: Sue Monk Kidd

Illustrator: Meilo So

Copyright: 2002

The Underground Railroad Book Blog

The Underground Railroad

By Allison Lassieur

Historical Fiction Book Blog

Illustrations/Pictures Compiled by Allison Lassieur from a variety of different historical collections

Published by Capstone Press 

Copyright by Capstone Press, a Coughlan Publishing Company

111 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction, Interactive Children's Book

This interactive children's book depicts the historical events that took place during the 1850s in which slavery and the Underground Railroad existed. There are three different paths readers can take within this book: being a slave trying to escape slavery in the 1850s, being a slave catcher trying to catch escaped slaves, or being a part of the Underground Railroad helping slaves escape to freedom. Each situation in this book is based on true events that actually happened to real people during this time period. Readers are allowed to go on each of the different perspective journeys to get a grasp of the different roles people of this time period played in this historical era. This interactive journey will intrigue and entice readers to see a different perspective on each role of the Underground Railroad. 

The illustrations in this book are real images from this time period collected from different historical organizations. They were each chosen to give a visual representation of the situation the readers are learning about. The images are in black and white and depict scenes of real slaves, slave capturers, and Underground Railroad workers and travelers. Additionally, some of the images are colorful paintings from this time period. These paintings were representations of different situations from this time. Other images in this book include pictures of relics and items used in the Underground Railroad. Lastly, some images are portraits of famous figures associated with the Underground Railroad. 

Standard:

Social Studies

Grade: 4th

6 ) Describe cultural, economic, and political aspects of the lifestyles of early nineteenth-century farmers, plantation owners, slaves, and townspeople.

Examples: cultural—housing, education, religion, recreation

economic—transportation, means of support

political—inequity of legal codes

I would use this book as a way to relate the important aspects of slavery and the Underground Railroad to my students. We would read the book as a whole, or either the class could divide into groups of three and each read the different perspectives in the book. Then, each group could give a presentation on their roles in the Underground Railroad as learned through this story. This would allow the students to experience how the people of this time felt. Additionally, it would provide an in-depth perspective into the lifestyles of the people in this time period. 

Diary of a Contemporary Realistic Fiction Book

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

By Jeff Kinney

Contemporary Realistic Fiction Book Blog

Illustrated by Jeff Kinney

Published by Amulet Books (October 2012)
Text and illustrations copyright by Amulet Books, Jeff Kinney

226 pages

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Comedy, Children's Book

Author Jeff Kinney's relatable, humorous "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" depicts a quirky story of a kid who just can't seem to have it go his way. Middle school brings lots of challenges that Greg must try to overcome with his brilliant ideas. The story begins with Greg's first day of middle school, a relatable day of embarrassment and struggle. Beginning with this first day, the remainder of the story is characterized by Greg trying his hardest to gain social recognition and survive middle school in one piece. From girl troubles, to friend troubles, to family squables to the infamous cheese touch, this story will have you rolling as you go along this wimpy middle school kid's journey. 

The illustrations in this story are spread throughout the chapters to characterize certain situations Greg encounters. They are created using markers and are characterized by text surrounding the images. By using markers to create the illustrations, Kinney is making the book itself feel like it is an actual copy of Greg's diary. This makes it more relatable to readers and makes the illustrations feel like they were created by a middle schooler with markers. 

Standard:

English Language Arts

Grade: 5th

2 ) Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text. [RL.5.2]

I would use this story in an older classroom, either 5th or 6th grade. The students would be asked to read the story, and then we wold discuss the theme of the story and how Greg overcame certain issues within the story. This would also reinforce elements of plot. A fun activity to go along with this story would be to have students create their own diary and record the events that took place in their own lives while reading this book. Then, we could compare our diaries to Greg and see how we all overcame certain issues within life. 

Malala's Magic Pencil

Malala's Magic Pencil

By Malala Yousafzai

Informational/Nonfiction Book Blog

Illustrated by Kerascoët

Published by  Little Brown Books for Young Readers (October 2017)
Text and Illustrations copyright by Salarzai Limited for Malala Yousafzai

48 pages

Genre: Nonfiction, Biography

As told in her own perspective, Malala Yousafzai depicts the many struggles and challenges she endured and conquered throughout her life in this empowering story. She relates her own experiences in a gentle, easy-to-understand way so that all children can know what life is like in other parts of the world. She uses her own inspiration, a magic pencil from a TV show she used to watch, as a way to relate the different obstacles she overcame with her own voice. Children and adults of all ages will be inspired by this empowering book and will gain an important glimpse into the lives of people from unique situations across the world. 

The illustrations in this book are created using a variety of different mediums. The backgrounds are primarily created using watercolor paint. This adds a smooth, dreamy feeling to the overall setting that allows the harrowing, important story to be conveyed. There are many additional details throughout the pages that are relevant to Malala's heritage and culture. These images are created using pens and chalk. The characters themselves are made with the same materials. 

Standard:

Social Studies

Grade: 6th

9 ) Critique major social and cultural changes in the United States since World War II.

I would use this book as an opener for a discussion on the different cultures that make up the United States. We would analyze how after certain changes, such as the social changes after 9-11 and the cultural views that were expressed as a result, often do not take into account the people in other countries. I know that this is a touchy topic in society as a whole today, so I believe that using an insider's perspective of how she felt being on the other side of these political and social issues, we could better understand the implications of actions and how people feel as a result. We could then do research into the citizens of other parts of the world and how their lives have changed since 9-11 or other catastrophes. I think it is very important for today's children to learn about this topic, but to also understand there are other people besides the United States being suppressed and hurt as a result.