Module 7: Olive's Ocean

Title: Olive's Ocean

Author: Kevin Henkes

Summary:
 Olive's Ocean is a book about a girl name Martha who receives a letter from the mother of a dead girl name Olive who was in her class but have never met or talked to her. Martha is surprised by the early morning visit, and after getting the letter she finds a quiet place and read the note. After reading the letter, shes feeling awkward and wishes that if only Olive was alive they could be really become good friends. Martha and her family plan a vacation that they normally do every year to visit her grand mother. This is the trip that will also give her the chance to see the boy that she likes, and to find the opportunity to tell her family especially her father that she wants to be a writer. She is also aware as she finds out that Olive also wanted to be a writer as well as an individual that loved the ocean. Martha and her grandma decide that they would tell each other things that are important matters to one another, but grandma sees that Martha is holding back so much and wished that her grand-daughter is up-front with her feelings. The beach is beautiful as always and she gets excited as she knows soon she will be seeing Jimmy Manning, the boy she likes. Although she kept herself busy, she couldn't help but think about Olive, so she decide to take something back for her, and because the loved the ocean she decided that she was going to take a bottle of water (ocean). She finally runs into Jimmy and they go for a walk, even taking pictures. She allows Jimmy to take a picture of them kissing, and he tells her that he will be using it to show his friends. Martha tries hard to get the film but Jimmy jokingly laughs it off which leaves Martha all pissed off. As the vacation comes to an end, she finds out that Jimmy isn't the one she likes, it's his brother Tate, and he tells her that he had always liked her since the first time they met. Martha and her family start packing to go back home, she makes sure she has everything packed, especially the jar of water for Olive's mom. Martha feels good about herself, especially after finally telling her father that she wanted to be a writer. She starts to miss her grandmother wishes that they could stay longer, but she realizes that they all needed to go home. It's time to leave and she doesn't hear anything from Tate, but when the car pulls out they see someone running towards their car, they come to find out it's Tate. The car stops and he gives her a letter, she is so happy. Soon as they arrive home, she takes the jar of water out and runs to find Olive's house. She gets there and finds out from the landlord that she had moved. So she gets the bottle of water and writes Olive's name on the cement stairs pausing to say her good-bye. She walks away and starts to run all the way home.

Bibliography:
Henkes, K. (2003). Olive's Ocean. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.

My Impression:
I had a very different impression on this story book aside from the other books that I had read, maybe because I was a bit thrown off because the characters weren't even friends. I mean it's pretty hard thinking about someone that you don't even know, yet you get a letter saying that you were the nicest person and wished you were friends. I find that the author had to really think deep for a good writing story line, as her main character Martha felt really sorry and wished that somehow if Ocean was alive, they could really have gotten to be good friends. After meeting Olive's mother and getting that letter, Martha took the news really hard. Sometimes we don't pay too much attention to the people around us, we don't take the time to say hello because there's so much things in our mind, yet we forget that there are others who need more help than we do. Olive was a loner, having only her mother and moving to a new school with no friends to talk to or play with. I think she Olive had her own connection with Martha, being that she loved the ocean, and also wanted to be a writer. So seeing Martha in class, maybe the way she smiled gave Olive hope that she would be a good friend. Thinking about Martha, I would have been really surprised to get a letter from someone that I don't even know, then to find out that they died, I would have felt really awful too. I think what Martha did was great, getting something for Olive and putting a closure so she wouldn't feel as bad as she did. It was a really nice gesture, the bottle of water (ocean).

Professional Review:
Booklist starred (September 1, 2003 (Vol. 100, No. 1))Gr. 5-8. More than anything Martha wants to be a writer. The problem is that her father does, too. Is there room for two writers in a single family? This is only one of the many questions that beg to be answered during Martha's twelfth summer. Here are others: Is Godbee, the paternal grandmother whom the family is visiting at Cape Cod, dying? Why is Martha's father so angry? Could Jimmy, the eldest of the five neighboring Manning brothers, be falling in love with her (and vice-versa)? And what does all this have to do with Olive, Martha's mysterious classmate, who died after being hit by a car weeks earlier? Olive, who also wanted to be a writer and visit the ocean, and hoped to be Martha's friend. Like Henkes'Sun and Spoon (1997), this is another lovely, character-driven novel that explores, with rare subtlety and sensitivity, the changes and perplexities that haunt every child's growing-up process. He brings to his story the same bedrock understanding of the emotional realities of childhood that he regularly displays in his paradigmatically perfect picture books. This isn't big and splashy, but its quiet art and intelligence will stick with readers, bringing them comfort and reassurance as changes inevitably visit their own growing-up years.

Retrieve from:
http://www.flr.follett.com/search?SID=c7ba9e1be57b0b4ee5073c3401c6af0d

Use in Library Setting;
I would ask the students to collect things from the beach and ocean such as sand, shells, bottle of water (ocean), anything dealing with the beach or ocean. Students will get up and talk about what they have collected.

Image from:
http://www.google.com/imgres?num=10&hl=en&biw=1366&bih=568&tbm=isch&tbnid=4fXEcVf4HUduOM:&imgrefurl=http://www.carolhurst.com/titles/olivesocean.html

Module 6: Dear Mrs. Larue: Letters from obedience school

Title: Dear Mrs. Larue: Letters from obedience school

Author: Mark Teague

Summary:
This is a really funny book about a dog name Ike. Mrs. Larue who owns the dog decides to send him to the Igor Brotweiler Canine Academy because she was fed up with him. Ike did a lot of things that Mrs. Larue didn't like, and what made it worse was he pulled her down and tore her coat while she was crossing the street. Ike starts writing letters to Mrs. Larue telling her about all the bad things that he was going through. He wanted Mrs. Larue to come and pick him up, but she never went. Ike writes another letter telling her that he was been treated badly and that he was going to be sick. Ike continues to write and mentions that she needed him to assist her with chores and other things that needed to be done. He finally writes and tells how bad they're treating him and he's sick and is diagnosed with a really bad disease. He gets a get well card, but is really surprised that she's not there to get him so now he's thinking of breaking out (running away). Mrs. Larue learns from reading the Gazette paper that Ike has escape the doggy detention. Soon after the escape she receives another letter stating that he was coming home. To everyone's surprise he arrive just in time to save his owner Mrs. Larue who went to town to purchase a new coat wasn't looking at both sides of the street when suddenly was knock off to the side of the road  before being run down by a delivery truck. Mrs. Larue was so happy that she threw the biggest party for her dog name Ike.

Biography:
Teague, M.(2002). Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from obedience School. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

My Impressions:
This is a great book for children. I love the illustrations of how Ike is writing his letters telling her everything that is happening to him. He doesn't give up even when she doesn't write him in the beginning. From what he's telling her I can tell Ike is a smart dog, it's what got him in trouble in the first place. The best thing was that it was Ike who saved Mrs. LaRue, his actions really gave the old lady no choice but to take him back. Ike saved her life and she was very thankful for that. Example: We do things that we regret and later get punish for repeating the same mistake over and over, but its hard for us to apologize for what we did wrong. Ike from the beginning knew what he did wrong and started apologizing to Mrs. LaRue. He also ran away but ended up going home, naturally for us we would never go back home. This story has a good moral lesson that we could all learn from.

Professional Review:
Section: Multimedia Review

Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from Disobedience School. CD. 12:26 min. with paperback book. Scholastic Audiobooks. 2011. ISBN 978-0-545-31537-1. $18.99.

K-Gr 3--David de Vries presents Marc Teague's sad tale (Scholastic, 2002) of poor Ike LaRue with vim and glee. Falsely accused of being a "bad dog," Ike is sent to reform…er…obedience school. In heart-wrenching letters, he describes his ordeal, pleading his case. C'mon, those cats weren't REALLY hurt. And that whole barking thing? Completely overblown. Teague's drab illustrations show the miserable life the pooch is leading, while full-color insets imply that all is not as bad as the pooch insists. A daring escape leads to an equally amazing rescue and Ike is welcomed home. The narrator goes delightfully over the top, using the first-person narrative of the letters to project Ike's rascally personality. Background music reflects the tone of the text, and occasional sound effects add just the right touch. Children can enjoy the presentation while perusing the detailed and amusing illustrations. This will make a nice listening center, and would be a good choice while teaching "point of view."

~~~~~~~~

By Teresa Bateman, Brigadoon Elementary School, Federal Way, WA

---

Source: School Library Journal, November 2011, Vol. 57 Issue 11, p65, 2p
Item: 525911466

Use in Library Setting:

This book would be really good to use in the library setting for a skit play by the students, especially for the little children. Students can take turns to play the character of Ike, as they will learn how important is it to writing letters when you're in trouble. Students can create a list of how you can disobey and obey, and discuss it with the librarian.

Image from:

 http://www.google.com/imgres?num=10&hl=en&biw=1219&bih=513&tbm=isch&tbnid=PhGuWkcbOCLucM:&imgrefurl=http://www.publishersweekly.com

Module 5: Forged By Fire

Title: Forge by Fire

Author: Draper, Sharon M.

Summary:
Forge by Fire is about a little boy name Gerald. He's been brought up with a mother that can't live without drugs. Most of the time he's left at home to fend for himself unless his aunt is called by some neighbors that the little boy is at home all by himself. Although his mother loves him, he's abused but understands that what his mama says he must obey or else he will deal with the consequences. Until one day, she leaves him at home to go to the store. He looks for something to do to keep himself from getting bored while he waits for his mother to return. He finds a lighter and flicks it on, it catches on the curtain and starts spreading until its too late. Gerald wakes up in the hospital, his mother is taken in by the police for questioning and after that he learns that he will now live with his aunt Queen for a long time. He becomes a very dependable young man and is a big help to his aunt. One day he gets terrifying news that his mother is out of jail and  wants to come and visit him. At first he says no, but his aunt talks him into just seeing his mother at least once. The day finally comes when she shows up at their house with a man and a little girl whom he later learns it's his half sister. Sometime later, aunt Queen has a heart attack and dies, and now Gerald has no where to go but to his mother. Years past he learns to love his sister and accepts his mother again, but not his step-father. He doesn't want to have anything to do with him. Gerald finds out that his sister has been afraid of their step-father when she was younger, and she is even more scared now than before. He tries to protect Angel as much as he can and notices that Jordan looks at Angel in weird ways that he doesn't understand. He tries to get Angel to tell him what is going on but always she shy's away and doesn't say anything until one day he comes home and finds Angel crying. She tells him what happened and he gets angry and wants to beat Angel up but can't confront him. He pleads with his mother to leave Jordan but Monique doesn't want to believe anything he says. One day Gerald confronts Mr. Washington about what has been happening with Angel and Jordan, and the man tells Gerald to let him know if it happens again. Jordan is caught trying to do nasty things to Angel and is sent to prison. Monique starts falling apart and the children become stronger in getting their family to get back up again. Finally, as Gerald was on his way home from a basketball game he felt uneasy and decided to run home cause he knew Angel was at home with Jordan. As he was running he could smell smoke and thought back on what happened the night he was caught in the fire of their apartment. When he got closer home he saw the smoke and ran up the flight of stairs quickly. He was yelling for Angel but did not get any replies from her, he busted the door to her room and saw Jordan trying to move towards Angel. He yelled out to Jordan "don't touch her you pervert", don't you know there's a fire. When everything was cleared, the fireman found Jordan dead by the door. Gerald and Angel were taken to the hospital with Monique riding with them in the ambulance. They will all become stronger and live a better life.

Biography:
Draper, M. S. (1997). Forged  By Fire. New York, NY: Simon Pulse.

My Impression:
This is truly an inspirational story of a young man that has been through so much as a little boy, and even growing up as a young man. As a young boy Gerald was living with his mother, most of the time he spent alone, eating what ever he could find. Sometimes as he waited for his mother to come home, with a full loaded pamper, he never knew what to expect. She would be in a good mood, she would blow up when he bothered her at the wrong time, but she was still the beautiful angel, his mommy. This story is sad, at the same time full of excitement because his character at a very young age of abusive and left alone only made  him stronger. Gerald was a very determined young man, who only wanted to find happiness. His life as a young boy was not pleasant, always having a hard time in life. I like how he never gave up especially when he met his half sister and knowing how she was been treated by their step-father. I would have just left and didn't care, but he decided to do something about it. A lot of children would have turned out bad, but Gerald was able to pull himself up and still be strong for his mother and sister.

Professional Review:

Booklist ( February 15, 1997; 9780689806995 )
Gr. 7^-10. Gerald Nickelby, a minor character in Tears of a Tiger (1994), emerges full-fledged and courageous in this companion story. His stable life with a firm but loving aunt (who is caring for him while his mother serves a prison sentence for child neglect) is shattered when his mother returns to claim him on his ninth birthday. With her is a young daughter, Angel, to whom Gerald is drawn, and her husband, Jordan, whom Gerald instinctively dislikes. When Gerald learns that Jordan is sexually abusing Angel, he risks physical assault and public embarrassment to rescue her. Although written in a more conventional form than the earlier novel, the dialogue is still convincing, and the affection between Angel and Gerald rings true. With so much tragedy here (the car crash and death of Gerald's friend Rob in Tears are again recounted, though Draper, thankfully, stops before Andy Jackson's suicide), there is some danger of overloading the reader. Nevertheless, Draper faces some big issues (abuse, death, drugs) and provides concrete options and a positive African American role model in Gerald. --Candace Smith
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission. Review: Use in Library Setting: This book will be used in the library as a group discussion. Librarian will have students work in groups depending on how many students in the class. Each group will list the many ways of getting help and discuss with other groups what other assistance children are given in cases like this. Image retrieve from: http://www.walmart.com/ip/368418

Module 5: Bud, Not Buddy

Title: Bud, Not Buddy
Author: Christopher Paul Curtis

Summary:
Bud, Not Buddy is a story about a ten year old boy that was left behind by his mother when she passed. When he was told by a caseworker that he would be leaving to go and stay with the Amoses, he didn't budge because he was so familiar with how the system worked. While living with the Amoses he found out that he didn't like how he was being treated by their son Todd and his mother. He decides to runaway to look for his father, well at least its what he thought, his fathers picture was on the flyers that were in his small suitcase. His mother never mentioned anything about who his real father was and he never understood why. After walking for a long time, he runs into Bugs, one of his friends and they go off together until the day they tried to catch the train. The police showed up and people were running away trying to get on the train, Bugs was able to jump on the train but Bud missed it. So he was now on his own again. After a long walk a man sees him on the highway and stops to ask him questions. In realizing that this boy was on the run, he finds out that he knows the boys father after hearing the story from Bud. He takes the boy along with him and later drops him off at the place where his father plays music at. Bud learns that this man who he assumes is his father is actually his grand-father, and that his mother left home and never returned which left a big void in his grand-fathers heart. He finally hears the true story and has come to find peace in his life.

Biography:
Curtis, C. P. (1999). Bud, Not Buddy. New York, NY: Delacorte Press.

My Impression:
An inspiring story of a young man who sets out looking for the only person that can and should look out for him. This story has such a sad storyline that encourages you to understand how life would be without family to lean on. The character played by Bud has a strong appeal to our children that we must be strong to be able to survive life out in the street. I admire his strength for survival especially when he was placed under the care of the Amoses. He wouldn't have the determination to get out of that place if it wasn't for the personal things in his suitcase. Something as little as a flyer was all he had in finding his father, and so he lived each day protecting his suitcase. Bud was such a strong individual that knew exactly what he wanted and what needed to be done. Never feeling sorry for himself, he set out in the big world so his questions could be answered. I'm sure it was hard, tough, and scary for Bud, I don't think I would have done what Bud did.

Professional Review:

Booklist ( September 01, 1999; 9780385323062 ) Gr. 4^-6. Bud, 10, is on the run from the orphanage and from yet another mean foster family. His mother died when he was 6, and he wants to find his father. Set in Michigan during the Great Depression, this is an Oliver Twist kind of foundling story, but it's told with affectionate comedy, like the first part of Curtis' The Watsons Go to Birmingham (1995). On his journey, Bud finds danger and violence (most of it treated as farce), but more often, he finds kindness--in the food line, in the library, in the Hooverville squatter camp, on the road--until he discovers who he is and where he belongs. Told in the boy's naive, desperate voice, with lots of examples of his survival tactics ("Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar out of Yourself"), this will make a great read-aloud. Curtis says in an afterword that some of the characters are based on real people, including his own grandfathers, so it's not surprising that the rich blend of tall tale, slapstick, sorrow, and sweetness has the wry, teasing warmth of family folklore. --Hazel Rochman From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.
Use in the Library Setting:
I would probably want the children to do a small skit on this book. The storyline would be a more understandable if the children actually see what happens to children who are left to fend for themselves.
Image retrieve from :
Bowker, Books for print:
http://www.google.com/imgres?num=10&hl=en&biw=1219&bih=516&tbm=isch&tbnid=Q7RXbizlrT-UAM:&imgrefurl=http://www.amazon.com

Module 4: Sarah, Plain and Tall

Title: Sarah, Plain and Tall

Author: Patricia MacLachlan

Summary:
This is a very moving story about a father and his two children Anna and Caleb. When their mother died after giving birth to Caleb, Anna and her father didn't know what hit them, although they were sad they now were responsible in taking care of the new baby. Caleb grew up not knowing his mother but was told that she always sang songs with their Papa, and he never stop asking Anna questions about their mother. Since Mamas passing, Papa never sang any more either said Anna to Caleb. Then one day Papa finally admitted to the children how he had put an ad in the paper asking for a wife. Although the children were surprised, they wondered if anyone was going to answer their fathers ad, until they started getting letters from a lady name Sarah Elizabeth Wheaton.
As busy as they were with the farm, and feeding the animals, they were excited and happy when father mentioned one day that Sarah was coming to see meet them. Anna and Caleb wondered if she would except them or would she leave after she sees how their house looks like. Would she like their Papa, or the way they act in front of her. They couldn't wait for the day when she arrives at the farm and they knew that their Papa was just as excited as they were.
Finally that day arrive when they saw the wagon that Papa drove coming up the hill to the house. They both ran to greet her, and she was just as she said she would be, plain and tall. Sarah met the children and saw the farm and everything that belonged to Papa. Although she missed home, and her brother, especially the sea, Sarah was content with what she was going to have, the children loved her and so was Papa. The day that she left for town, the children thought she would never come back because she was gone all day, but when they saw the wagon coming home they were delighted knowing that she was returning to them for good.

Bibliography:
MacLachlan, P. (1985). Sarah, Plain and Tall. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers.

Impressions:
I loved reading this book. Many times when I look at the collection in the library, I would come across this book but never had the time to read  because I would always look for books that are familiar and popular. But as I read through it, I read it with teary eyes because although it had a sad storyline, the author turned the story around by creating a beautiful character that accepted this man's offer for a mother to his young children, and a wife for himself. Sarah never found time to think about herself, giving up everything that she loved. Moving to a place and meeting people she never even knew. Sarah was such a strong individual, knew what she was getting her self into and especially what she wanted. If it was me, I don't think I would have answered the ad, especially knowing that this man have two young children. I wouldn't leave the home that I love, the things that I have for a farm, but Sarah but different. She gave up everything to go and meet this man and his children, what a sacrifice this young lady made. I loved how the children accepted her too, especially the man. Showing her everything and giving her respect is what I believe helped Sarah make her final choice.

Profession Review:

School Library Journal ( May 01, 2002; 9780694526024 )

Gr 3-6-Glenn Close narrates Patricia MacLachlan's beautiful novels on this fine audio collection. Sarah, Plain and Tall tells the story of Sarah, who came from Maine to answer Jacob's advertisement for a wife and mother, all from the point of view of young Anna. The classic story continues in Skylark, as Anna and her brother, Caleb, must travel with their new mother, Sarah, to Maine when a terrible drought threatens their home. Caleb picks up the story several years later in Caleb's Story, telling of the return of his grandfather, who had abandoned the family when Caleb's father was a young boy. Close, who played the role of Sarah in the Hallmark Hall of Fame production of the first book, creates distinct voices for each character without ever resorting to theatrics. Anna and Caleb's voices mature as listeners progress through the stories, and Close's carefully unobtrusive narration showcases MacLachlan's simple yet poetic words. An interview with Patricia MacLachlan at the end of the collection gives students more information about the author's life and writing process, and about the real-life inspiration for Sarah. A beautiful collusion of an excellent story with a perfect narrator, and a treat for all listeners.-Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Maryland School for the Deaf, Columbia (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.  Review: Use in Library Setting: This book will be used in the library as buddy pairs. With a poster board, children will partner up and use half of the paper and create a farm with supplies that they will be getting from the librarian. They will use the other half of the paper and create a scene of the Sea using the supplies that they receive from the librarian. Image from: http://www.google.com/imgres?num=10&hl=en&biw=1338&bih=516&tbm=isch&tbnid=FzuFFOMGbYodoM:&imgrefurl=http://childrensbookalmanac.com/2010/10/sarah-plain-and-tall/&docid=gqksDi-AiTgJHM&imgurl=http://childrensbookalmanac.com/wp-content/uploads/Sarah-Plain-and-Tall.png&w=320&h=320&ei=T9hfUOylMoK4iwLTkYDICg&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=1&sig=104151175255594110228&page=1&tbnh=96&tbnw=93&start=0&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:8,s:0,i:104&tx=942&ty=315

Module 4: Missing May

Title: Missing May
Author: Cynthia Rylant

Summary:
Like Sarah, Plain and Tall...Missing May also has a sad moving storyline that touches people's heart and makes you wonder why do things like these happen. Missing May is about a girl name Summer and her uncle Ob missing the women in their life name May. Summer is a young girl that was taken in by her aunt May and uncle Ob during one of their visits to Ohio. Now that May is gone, uncle Ob doesn't talk much and Summer is wondering if he will give her up to someone else. Things have changed whereas now Summer walks to wait for the school by herself, no one bothers to make breakfast and Summer has to get up on her own to get ready for school.
Everything Uncle Ob did he believed that May was there with him, never doubting that she left even though he knew she was gone in body but not in spirit. At times he looked spaced out, he would say to Summer that shes not gone. One day Ob got sick and looked like he was giving up, Summer found him in bed and quickly helped him to try and get better which is something that he really didn't care about until one day a neighbor name Cletus showed up and said that Ob needed to see a spiritualist.
After a long discussion they all decided that they would go and seek help for Ob. Finally when they got there through the means of driving far, they found out that she had passed a couple of months before. Ob decided that they were going back home, but in the middle of the road he turns the car around and went straight to the capital building for sight-seeing. With everything that has happened, Ob decided that he wanted to live after all, so he could take care of Summer just as May had wanted them to do from the start. The next morning Summer smelled coffee and breakfast. Things were better and Mays garden was growing, Cletus read from one of the handouts that they brought back from the trip they took looking for the spiritualist. Suddenly they felt the brush of wind and they all smiled at each other knowing exactly that May was setting everything free.

Biography:
Rylant, C. (1992). Missing May. New York, NY: Bantam Doubleday Dell Books

My Impression:
Just like Sarah, Plain and Tall its a very sad story that only people who has love one that are gone can truly understand. I can relate to this story because I also miss my dear father, although I wasn't left alone like Summer, I understand how she feels knowing that not one close relative would take her in like May did. It's difficult when your partner for life leaves you, especially when it unexpected like how May passed. Ob seeing how strong his wife was felt awful and lifeless after she was gone, so he became weak and didn't want to do anything. I believe that Ob believing that May was around him showed that she wanted him to be strong for Summer. Although he was giving up, her spirit encouraged him to be strong, and to continue living so he could be there for Summer, especially when they had so much things that they had planned and wanted to give her because they had no child of their own. It was also good that they had a young and good neighbor Cletus that also helped them both out a lot. Example: My husband and I are very close and love each other very much. We do a lot of things together, as a human being I think about things like what if my husband passes, what am I going to do without him. To tell you the truth, I don't think I can handle it, I would be just like Ob. I would probably want to give up also, but we have the good lord that gives us strength to go on. It's our choice to make it our not, and I would also be like Ob and get better to help our children out.

Professional Review:

Publishers Weekly ( February 03, 1992; 9780531059968 )

This short novel is a study of grief--chiefly, that felt by Summer after her foster mother's sudden death, but also her sorrow at witnessing the grief of Ob, her foster father--she realizes that she herself may not be reason enough for him to go on living. And for several months it seems as if he may not in fact go on, until Summer and Ob take a short car trip that somehow transforms their lives. In a direct, matter-of-fact voice occasionally laced with irony and wry humor, Summer articulates many discerning insights about sorrow and loss. The reader remains a distant observer of her emotions, however--perhaps because the novel begins after May's death, making her a less immediate figure, perhaps because Summer's perceptions are quite sophisticated, even adult. And the novel's emotional turning point is difficult to grasp, either verbally or intuitively: all Summer, and we, know is that ``something happened to Ob'' to make him embrace life fully again. Ages 11-up. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Review:

Use in Library Setting:
I would use this book in the library as a essay writing. Each child will write an essay about how they feel when a love one passes. Discuss with children the importance of love and dying so children to have a better understanding.

Image from:
http://shop.scholastic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay_28553_-1_10001_10002

Module 3: My Friend Rabbit

Title: My Friend Rabbit

Author/Illustrator: Eric Rohhmann

Summary:
My friend rabbit is a beautiful well illustrated book which the author/illustrator have truly a unique style that tells a story mostly by the pictures itself. Mouse is telling how his friend rabbit always wants to help but always trouble follows where ever he goes and whatever he does. An airplane is stuck on a branch of a tree so rabbit decides to get it down by having all his animal friends help by having them stand on each other so they can reach the airplane. Just before mouse reaches the plane, the animals come clashing down and they were all angry with rabbit. Mouse understands as he tries to tell the animals that rabbit means well, and that they're still friends.

Biography:
Rohmann, E. (2003). My Friend Rabbit. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

My Impression:
My Friend Rabbit is one of my favorite because I love how the illustrator drew the animal pictures. Although it doesn't have too much text, the illustrations itself can tell the story of what is going to happen. The illustrators detail drawing expresses how the animals feel with facial expressions that each one has, especially during the part of when they are falling down. I love how rabbit is trying so hard to help his friend mouse, the strength that he has as he carries all the animals stacking them up on the other really shows how much he cares for his friend. A good example would be my grand children helping me to clean. Whenever they come for a visit, I would let them play in the family room until its time for dinner. They already know that when I come down to that room they are suppose to start cleaning up. Of course I would wait and see what they would do first but instead they wait until I start cleaning than they follow. By the time I come around to where they started its like nothings being done because they leave a trail of toys so they could come back and pick them up again. Why? so they would go back and play again and not have to clean up.

Professional Review:

School Library Journal ( May 01, 2002; 9780761324201 )

PreS-Gr 1-A simple story about Rabbit and Mouse, who, despite Rabbit's penchant for trouble, are friends. When Rabbit launches his toy airplane (with Mouse in the pilot seat at takeoff) and it gets stuck in a tree, he convinces his friend that he will come up with a plan to get it down. He does so by stacking animals on top of one another (beginning with an elephant and a rhinoceros) until they are within reach of the toy. The double-page, hand-colored relief prints with heavy black outlines are magnificent, and children will enjoy the comically expressive pictures of the animals before and after their attempt to extract the plane. The text is minimal; it's the illustrations that are the draw here.-Kristin de Lacoste, South Regional Public Library, Pembroke Pines, FL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Review of the book My Friend Rabbit retrieved from Bowker Books in Print.

Library Use:
Librarian will use this book by having the students work in groups.  Each students in groups create a list of words putting them in complete sentences, and explaining why animals in the story are important and how are they able to assist people.

Image from:
http://www.google.com/imgres?num=10&hl=en&biw=1338&bih=516&tbm=isch&tbnid=HC3j_5DgXDwyDM:&imgrefurl=http://raspwire.com/multimedia-for-my-kid/&docid=HhObYKdcOdoa9M&imgurl=http://raspwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/my-friend-rabbit.jpg&w=294&h=228&ei=TuBWUJblOqLJigKAx4DgDQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=106&vpy=146&dur=21101&hovh=182&hovw=235&tx=127&ty=108&sig=104151175255594110228&page=1&tbnh=129&tbnw=166&start=0&ndsp=12&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:0,i:95