Module 4: Last Stop on Market Street

Last Stop on Market Street

Book Summary:

CJ is a young boy who is curious as to why him and his Nana must take the bus across town each Sunday after church.  Along their journey, he notices several conveniences that others around him have such as their own vehicle and music players.  With a little help from his Nana, CJ soon realizes the beauty that surrounds him and becomes thankful for the simple pleasures in life.

APA Reference of Book:

de la Peña, M. (2015). Last stop on Market Street. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons.

Impressions:

This book was a sweet tale of how modern conveniences are not a replacement for the beauty that surrounds us in our everyday lives.  As I was reading, all I could think about was how children today needed to hear this message.  They need to be reminded that happiness is not found in modern conveniences and technology.  They need to be reminded to stop, look around, and appreciate the world in which we live. 

 I also loved how, without mentioning it, CJ and his Nana are seen serving others at what appears to be soup kitchen.  This could lead to an excellent discussion with students on how we can give back to others and serve our community.  I cannot wait to use this book in my classroom to discuss ways of spreading kindness and helping others.       

Professional Review:

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

As little CJ bounds out the church doors on Sunday morning, “the outside air smelled like freedom,” so he’s more than a little miffed by the fact his grandmother has further plans for his day. CJ is something of a whiner, but for every complaint, Nana has an answer. Too rainy? It looks like the tree is drinking through a straw. His friends get car rides? Well, they don’t get to meet people on the bus. What’s up with the blind guy in sunglasses on the bus? “Boy, what do you know about seeing? … Some people watch the world with their ears.” Their destination only makes things seem worse—the “crumbling sidewalks and broken-down doors, graffititagged windows and boarded-up stores.” Once CJ and his nana settle in to their weekly job, working at a soup kitchen, the boy admits he’s glad they came. As in Maribeth Boelts’ Those Shoes (BCCB 12/07), this young protagonist comes around to realize that poverty is relative, and that while he envies the greener grass on the other side of the fence, his life looks verdant to people in true need. Bright colors and streamlined shapes keep the urban setting and its denizens cheerful, emphasizing the positive message rather than the neighborhood’s seediness; the multicultural, multi-age cast of extras underscores the fact that want crosses demographics, and that there’s no shame in benefiting from a free meal. CJ is a completely believable little guy in both his natural desire to set his own agenda and his tacit admission that doing good feels good. This is a lesson that goes down easy.

Source:

Bush, E. (2015). Last stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña (review) [Review of the book

Last stop on Market Street, by M. de la Peña]. Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, 68(6), 306-307. doi: 10.1353/bcc.2015.0098

Found through UNT’s Library Database- Project Muse

Library Uses:

I would use this book in the library as a way to discuss appreciating the world around us and spreading kindness to others on a consistent basis.  In my district, we participate in the Rachel’s Challenge program as well as donate to our community outreach food pantry.  This book would be an excellent way to encourage students to donate as well as brainstorm more ways that we can give back to those in need.  Each class that visits the library could create a chart of ways that they can give back to our community and spread kindness.  They could also send in pictures to be put on display in the library of how they contributed.   

Module 3: The Hello, Goodbye Window

The Hello, Goodbye Window

Book Summary:

The Hello, Goodbye Window is a sweet tale of a little girl who loves visiting her Nanny and Poppy.  According to the child, her grandparents have a magical window in their kitchen that she can look through to make silly faces at them or try to scare them.  She loves to use the window as a mirror to play with her grandparents as well as to peer out of the window to see who is coming or look up at the stars.    

APA Reference of Book:

Juster, N. (2005). The hello, goodbye window. New York, NY: Michael Di Capua Books.

Impressions:

It is easy to see how The Hello, Goodbye Window won a Caldecott Medal in 2006.  Chris Raschka’s beautiful illustrations are full of bright colors that are sure to bring a smile to the reader’s face.  They are simply amazing and have the ability to grab the reader’s attention throughout the story.

This story caused me to reflect on the relationship that I had with my grandparents.  As a child, I grew up next door to my grandparents.  They too had a kitchen window that you could often look through and see them cooking, washing dishes, or having a meal.  My mother used to joke that my grandmother would spy on us when were at home because she always seemed to be at the window and would call our house to inquire what we were doing if she noticed something out of the norm related to our family’s routines.  However, I personally found this window comforting.  I felt as though nothing bad could ever happen because my grandparents were watching over me.  I could always look at this window, wave, and see their smiling faces.  Needless to say, this book has become one of my favorites as it brings back memories that I will forever cherish.      

Professional Review:

School Library Journal

 PreS-Gr 1-The window in Nanna and Poppy's kitchen is no ordinary window--it is the place where love and magic happens. It's where the girl and her doting grandparents watch stars, play games, and, most importantly, say hello and goodbye. The first-person text is both simple and sophisticated, conjuring a perfectly child-centered world. Sentences such as" When I get tired I come in and take my nap and nothing happens until I get up" typify the girl's happy, imaginative world. While the language is bouncy and fun, it is the visual interpretation of this sweet story that sings. Using a bright rainbow palette of saturated color, Raschka's impressionistic, mixed-media illustrations portray a loving, mixed-race family. The artwork is at once lively and energetic, without crowding the story or the words on the page; the simple lines and squiggles of color suggest a child's own drawings, but this is the art of a masterful hand. Perfect for lap-sharing, this book will find favor with children and adults alike.

Source:

Reynolds, A.J. (2005). [The hello, goodbye window] [Review of the book The hello,

goodbye window, by N. Juster]. School Library Journal, 51(3), 174. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com

Found through UNT’s Library Database- Book Review Digest Plus (H.W. Wilson)

Library Uses:

This story would be excellent to use in the library to discuss what a Caldecott Medal is.  The librarian should show the students the image of the medal printed on the book and explain that this is awarded each year to the illustrator of the most distinguished American picture book for children.  While reading, have the students to reflect on Chris Raschka’s illustrations and share their thoughts.  After reading, have the students to break into small groups to read and analyze other Caldecott Medal winners.  Each group can briefly share their assigned book with the class and explain why they believe this book received such a high honor.      

Module 2: The Ghost-Eye Tree

The Ghost-Eye Tree

Book Summary:

In the story The Ghost-Eye Tree, a little boy and his sister are sent out during the night to get a bucket of milk on the other end of town.  In order to get to the other end of town, they must pass a tree, but not just any tree.  The tree they must pass is the “Ghost-Eye Tree.”  The boy and his sister make it past the tree on their way to get milk, but they must past it once more on their way home.  It was then that they heard an awful, spooky sound and the “ghost.”  In fear, they ran as fast as they could all the way home.  When they got there, they realized that the little boy lost his hat!  Being a brave, big sister Ellie went back and successfully retrieved the hat for her brother.         

APA Reference of Book:

Martin, B. (1985). The ghost-eye tree. Austin, TX: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.

Impressions:

At first, I was not very impressed by this book.  If I had read this book as a child, I would have been terrified as it would have surely caused me to have nightmares.  I would have also been too scared to walk to my grandparents’ house as they lived just up the street from us and I had to pass a big oak tree that sat at the edge of our front yard.  As a kindergarten teacher, I did not appreciate how often the terms “stupid” and “dumb” were used throughout the book.  However, the more I thought about the book and how I may have enjoyed it as an upper-elementary student (grades 4-6).  It would be fun to read to this by flashlight book to students around Halloween.  They could even write their own spooky story as an extension.     

Professional Review:

School Library Journal

Gr 2-3 A gorgeously illustrated spooky story, The Ghost-Eye Tree tells of a young brother and sister sent by their mother to fetch a bucket of milk on a windswept night. To do so, they must pass the dread ``Ghost-Eye tree,'' a shadowed and sinister-looking snag which they are sure is haunted. Brother has a tough-guy beat-up fedora to bolster his courage. His sister says it makes him look stupid, but brother says he needs it, if he is to accomplish the demanding mission. On the way home, burdened with the heavy milk pail, the two must again pass the ominous tree. It (or the owl half-hidden in the branches, or the wind) emits a frightful wail, and the children bolt for the safety of home, both of them scared out of their wits. Brother's hat is gone, lost somewhere near the terrible tree. Sister, who knows what it means to him, runs back, rescues the hat and restores it to tough-guy little brother. This beautiful picture book is rich in language, although the attempt to capture dialect occasionally results in grammatical awkwardness. With its sombre shades and deliciously scary spookiness, it will make a super Halloween read-aloud and has a lot to say about gruff but genuine family affection.

Source: 

McGarth, J. (1986). The ghost-eye tree [Review of the book The ghost-

eye tree, by B. Martin]. School Library Journal, 32, 76. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com

Found through UNT’s Library Database- Book Review Digest Plus (H.W. Wilson)

Library Uses:

This would be an excellent story to use around Halloween.  In the library, I would retell this story through storytelling for grade 4-6.  I would setup a fake campfire and retell the story by flashlight.  It would also be fun to partner with the art teacher and have the students create the “Ghost-Eye Tree” a couple of weeks before Halloween and use it in the library to help create the setting for the story.  As an extension, the students could checkout spooky Halloween stories and retell their favorite story to the class in subsequent weeks.