Book Trailer: Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan

Created for Assignment B for SLIS 5420.

Module 10: The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

"'There are so many things to learn, you see, and so little time is given us.'"

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Citation
Kelly, J.  (2009).  The evolution of Calpurnia Tate.  New York:  Henry Holt and Company, LLC.


Summary
Calpurnia Virginia Tate is eleven years old, and the only girl in seven children.  One hot summer day in Texas1899, she notices that the yellow grasshoppers on her father's farm are larger than the green ones.  Determined to discover why, she consults her grandfather, who encourages her to study the dilemma as if she were a naturalist.  Thus begins her transformation into a smart and curious young scientist.  As the summer drags on, Calpurnia and her grandfather discover a potential new species of plant in her own backyard, which they send to the Smithsonian for official approval.  As she waits for news from Washington, Calpurnia's scientific activities are questioned by her family.  Will anyone take her seriously as a scientist?  As summer fades into fall and eventually winter, Calpurnia begins to learn more about the world around her and just what it means to be female at the end of the 19th century.


My Impressions
Calpurnia, or Callie Vee, is that little girl we all wanted to be friends with.  She narrates her story with confidence, candor, and humor, almost as if she were having a conversation with the reader.  I very much enjoyed Callie Vee, her family, and the setting.  Simple events such as her oldest brother's first love, her younger brothers' (that's right, more than one) crush on her best friend, the arrival of the telephone, and Calpurnia's own lessons on housewifery lend the story a very natural and authentic feel.  Her grandfather is another loveable character, as you see him morph from a cantankerous old man into a supportive, dedicated, and fascinating scientific mentor for Callie Vee.  The story does move somewhat slowly, with essentialy no action, making it reminiscent of more traditional, subtle forms of storytelling.  The read is well worth it, though, as Calpurnia's coming of age is a bittersweet, yet satisfying journey.


Reviews
Publisher's Weekly
"Life at the turn of the century is not easy for a girl who loves books and science. Kelly's first novel presents spirited heroine Calpurnia (Callie) Virginia Tate, a middle child with six brothers, growing up in the isolation of Fentress, Tex., in 1899. To her family's dismay, Callie is stubborn, independent and not interested in darning socks or perfecting her baking skills like a lady. "I would live my life in a tower of books," she thinks to herself. She spends most of her time with Harry, "the one brother who could deny me nothing," slowly befriending her Granddaddy, a mysterious naturalist who studies everything from pecan distillation to microscopic river bugs. Together they dream up experiments and seek answers to backyard phenomena, discovering something new about the invisible world each day. Callie follows her passion for knowledge, coming to realize her family "had their own lives. And now I have mine." Callie's transformation into an adult and her unexpected bravery make for an exciting and enjoyable read. Kelly's rich images and setting, believable relationships and a touch of magic take this story far. Ages 10-up."


[Review of the book The evolution of Calpurnia Tate by J. Kelly].  (2009).  Publisher's Weekly, 256(18), 51.  Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com. 


School Library Journal
"Gr 5-8-- A charming and inventive story of a child struggling to find her identity at the turn of the 20th century. As the only girl in an uppercrust Texas family of seven children, Calpurnia, 11, is expected to enter young womanhood with all its trappings of tight corsets, cookery, and handiwork. Unlike other girls her age, Callie is most content when observing and collecting scientific specimens with her grandfather. Bemoaning her lack of formal knowledge, he surreptitiously gives her a copy of The Origin of Species and Callie begins her exploration of the scientific method and evolution, eventually happening upon the possible discovery of a new plant species. Callie's mother, believing that a diet of Darwin, Dickens, and her grandfather's influence will make Callie dissatisfied with life, sets her on a path of cooking lessons, handiwork improvement, and an eventual debut into society. Callie's confusion and despair over her changing life will resonate with girls who feel different or are outsiders in their own society. Callie is a charming, inquisitive protagonist; a joyous, bright, and thoughtful creation. The conclusion encompasses bewilderment, excitement, and humor as the dawn of a new century approaches. Several scenes, including a younger brother's despair over his turkeys intended for the Thanksgiving table and Callie's heartache over receiving The Science of Housewifery as a Christmas gift, mix gentle humor and pathos to great effect. The book ends with uncertainty over Callie's future, but there's no uncertainty over the achievement of Kelly's debut novel."


Schultz, J.  (2009).  [Review of the book The evolution of Calpurnia Tate by J. Kelly].  School Library Journal, 55(5), 110.  Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com.

Suggested Library Uses

• This book would make for an excellent addition to a book club, either with preteen girls or perhaps in a mother-daughter setting.  There is a great deal to discuss about the role of women during this time, and many of Calpurnia's everyday experiences are easily relatable for girls between the ages of eleven and fourteen.   It might be interesting to compare the text to others about young girls in the same time period.
• The book could be used in a display about curious children, or young scientists.  The many allusions to Darwin in the text make it an easy tie-in to a biography of the naturalist or a field trip to the local park to collect specimens.

Find it @ your library - Albany County Public Library
J KELLY, JACQUELINE


Notes
Booklist Editor's Choice, American Library Association, 2009
Publisher's Weekly Best Children's Books, 2009
School Library Journal Best Books, 2009
YALSA Best Books for Young Adults, American Library Association, 2010
Newbery Honor Book, 2010

Module 10: Boxes for Katje by Candace Fleming

"'I have a box for Katje--a box from America!'"

friendsbalt.org

Citation

Fleming, C.  (2003).  Boxes for Katje.  New York:  Melanie Kroupa Books.

Summary

In a small Dutch town shortly after World War II, little Katje is surprised one day to receive a package from the United States.  It turns out to be a care package sponsored by the Children's Aid Society.  Inside she finds soap, socks, and chocolate, all of which are in short supply following the war.  She shares her gift with her mother and postman and writes a letter of thanks to Rosie, the American girl who sent the box.  Rosie and her mother are touched by Katje's letter and send sugar to Katje, which she shares with even more friends.  The cycle continues throughout the winter, each time the gifts from Rosie becoming more plentiful as her friends in America contribute to the boxes.  By the end of the winter, Katje's entire village has benefited from Rosie's generosity and Katje decides to repay her with a thoughtful Dutch gift:  tulips, straight from her mother's garden.   The story is based on the author's mother's childhood experience of sending a relief box to Holland and continuing the correspondence throughout the winter. 

My Impressions

Boxes for Katje tells a cheerful story about the joy that can be spread by a little generosity.  The text is simple, colorful, setting the scene for the story.  The dialogue is somewhat stilted, included mostly to provide context and advance the story, but does not distract from the main points.  Each new box repeats the cycle of opening the box, sharing the contents, and writing a letter that unintentionally reveals a new need.  This pattern is not obvious and helps children to follow along and know what to expect.  The illustrations, done in pencil, oil pastel, and acrylic, are bright and emotive, helping the reader to place himself into the story.  I especially enjoyed the inclusion of each letter, written in either Rosie's or Katje's handwriting.  Children will delight to see how the overseas correspondence grows, and might perhaps be inspired to share a little themselves. 

Reviews

School Library Journal

"Gr 1-4- "After the war, there was little left in the tiny Dutch town of Olst. The townspeople lived on cabbages and seed potatoes. They patched and repatched their worn-thin clothing, and they went without soap or milk, sugar or new shoes." Set in post-World War II Holland and based on an actual incident, this story illuminates a little-known episode in history. To offset the devastation left by the war, the Children's Aid Society and other relief agencies encouraged American students to send boxes of basic necessities to victimized children. When Katje in Olst receives such a box from Rosie in Mayfield, IN, the two begin a correspondence that eventually triggers a relief effort that enables this small Dutch town to make it through an unbearably frigid winter. Fleming does an estimable job of bringing time and place into focus, and presents endearing, fleshed-out characters with whom readers can easily empathize and sympathize. Dressen-McQueen's warm-toned colored-pencil, oil-pastel, and acrylic illustrations accurately reflect dress, architecture, and other details, and the facial expressions and body postures of the characters effectively convey their joy in these much-appreciated gifts. A good choice for storyhour as well as for independent reading and an excellent discussion starter."

Oliff, G., Jones, T. E., Charnizon, M., Grabarek, D., Larkins, J., & L. Toth.  (2003). [Review of the book Boxes for Katje by C. Fleming].  School Library Journal, 49(9), 177-178.

Horn Book Magazine

"Amidst the deprivations of life in post-WWII Holland, young Katje receives a care package from an American girl. Katje writes a thank-you note to Rosie, who, when she hears about Katje's generosity with the handful of gifts, begins recruiting friends and neighbors to help send bigger and bigger packages to Katje, who shares the bounty with her friends and neighbors. Fleming has carefully shaped her story so that Katje's heartfelt letters unintentionally inspire further gifts from Rosie (a clothing drive at Rosie's church results from Katje's innocent mention of how the box of food made everyone so happy they forgot about the holes in their shoes). The opening endpapers show Rosie's Indiana neighborhood in 1945; closing endpapers feature the same scene two years later, each yard overflowing with color--from the tulip bulbs Katje's community sends to express their gratitude. First-time illustrator Dressen-McQueen keeps the sentimentality of the story at bay with artwork that matter-of-factly presents Katje's poverty and Rosie's relative prosperity while, like the text, emphasizing their similarities: the secure warmth each experiences at home and their desire to help others. Reflecting the story's theme about friendship's ability to bridge long distances, the multimedia illustrations often overlay a scene from Katje's hometown with one of the girls' handwritten letters and a snapshot-like picture of Rosie's home. An author's note provides further information on the actual events that inspired Fleming's story."

Brabander, J. M. (2003). [Review of the book Boxes for Katje by C. Fleming]. Horn Book Magazine, 79(5), 596-597.

Suggested Library Uses

• A great choice for a storytime about sharing or gift-giving. 
• Use the story as inspiration to participate in a similar community effort, such as Operation Christmas Child or a Red Cross response to a natural disaster.

Find it @ your library - Albany County Public Library

E F629BO

Module 3: The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brain Selznick

"I like to imagine that the world is one big machine.  You know, machines never have any extra parts.  They have the exact number and types of parts they need.  So I figure if the entire world is a big machine, I have to be here for some reason, too."

www.goodreads.com

Citations

Selznick, B.  (2007).  The invention of Hugo Cabret.  London:  Scholastic Ltd.

Summary

Part novel, part picture book, part graphic novel, part film on paper, this book tells the story of Hugo Cabret, a twelve-year-old boy who lives inside the walls of a Paris train station in the year 1931.  Believing a wind-up toy (also called an automaton) holds a connection to a father, Hugo longs to bring it back to life.  As he balances winding the train station's clocks and fixing the toy, he meets an angry old toymaker, an intriguing young girl, and a mysterious older boy with an eyepatch, and his secret mystery is suddenly in danger.  The story explores a little-known world of amazingly lifelike mechanical figurines, silent films, and the magic and dreams contained therein.  Winner of the 2008 Caldecott Medal.

My Impressions

I was initially interested by the format of the book, mixing full-page pencil drawings with novel-like narration.  I was immediately drawn into the story by the opening sequence of images and subsequent text.  Hugo is a loveable child with a mesmerizing story.  This book reminded me what I loved about books when I was a kid:  characters that you felt like you knew, or wanted to be friends with; faraway places and the exposure to new and  fascinating things, like automata and silent films.  There's magic in between the covers of this book, and I hope that kids give this 500-page book a chance after seeing how thick it is.

Review
"Gr 4-9 -- With characteristic intelligence, exquisite images, and a breathtaking design, Selznick shatters conventions related to the art of bookmaking in this magical mystery set in 1930s Paris.  He employs wordless sequential pictures and distinct pages of text to let the cinematic story unfold, and the artwork, rendered in pencil and bordered in black, contains elements of a flipbook, a graphic novel, and film.  It opens with a small square depicting a full moon centered on a black spread.  As readers flip the pages, the image grows and the moon recedes.  A boy on the run slips through the grate to take refuge inside the walls of a train station-home for this orphaned, apprentice clock keeper.  As Hugo seeks to accomplish his mission, his life intersects with a cantankerous toyshop owner and a feisty girl who won't be ignored.  Each character possesses secrets and something of great value to the other.  With deft foreshadowing,  sensitively wrought characters, and heart-pounding suspense, the author engineers the elements of his complex plot:  speeding trains, clocks, footsteps, dreams, and movies-especially those by Georges Melies, the French pioneer of science-fiction cinema.  Movie stills are cleverly interspersed.  Selznick's art ranges from evocative, shadowy spreads of Parisian streets to penetrating character closeups.  Leaving much to ponder about loss, time, family, and the creative impulse, the book closes with a waning moon, a diminishing square, and informative credits.  This is a masterful narrative that readers can literally manipulate."

Lukehart, W.  (2007).  [Review of The invention of Hugo Cabret by B. Selznick].  School Library Journal.  53(3), 218.  Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com.


Suggested Library Uses
The back of the book features websites for more information about automata and Georges Melies, the filmmaker in the novel, as well as credits for images and citations for the real films mentioned in the book.  

• Host an informative session about the history of automata.  Have some machines available for demonstration, or at least video clips of automata.  Wooden kits are available for purchase, but can be pricey.  The children's toy, K'nex will also serve the purpose.  A trip to a local museum that has automata, if applicable, is also a good idea.
• Host a silent film night.  Discuss Georges Melies' contribution to silent film.  Reading the book Before Hollywood: From Shadow Play to the Silver Screen by Paul Clee can teach about early films. Show a silent film (not necessarily by Melies, though this or one mentioned in the book would be a bonus!).  If children in the audience become antsy, invite some to come forward and provide the dialogue. 

Find it @ Your Library - Albany County Public Library

J SE489I

Notes

Winner of the Caldecott Medal, 2008

Top Ten, YALSA Best Books for Young Adults, 2008

National Book Award Finalist, 2007

Nominee, Wyoming's Indian Paintbrush Award (Grades 4-6), 2008-2009