Title: "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"
Author: J.K. Rowling
Illustrator: Mary Grandpre
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books, 1997
Grade: 5th grade
Genre: fantasy
When the book begins, the Dursleys are proceeding with their everyday life. That night, Hagrid brings Harry Potter, the survivor of Voldemort's vicious attack, to Dumbledoor so he could leave Harry on his aunt and uncle's door step. For the next eleven years Harry is forced to live with them and has no idea he is a wizard until his eleventh birthday. Hagrid comes and gets Harry and takes him shopping for all of his school supplies. Harry then gets on the train at platform number nine and three-quarters to go to Hogwarts. It is there on the train that Harry meets Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. When Harry gets to Hogwarts, everyone knows he is Harry Potter by the scar on his forehead. While at Hogwarts, Harry meets Draco Malfoy, whom Harry strongly despises. Harry is extremely curious at Hogwarts and often wonders around so he can "snoop." While he is snooping he stumbles upon the Mirror of Erised, which is a mirror that when one looks into it they see their greatest desires. As the story progresses, Harry, Ron, and Hermione want to protect the sorcerer's stone so they go through the trapdoor to find the stone before Snape does. Through this journey the three are required to perform different tasks, but at the end Harry is forced to face Professor Quirrell/Voldemort. Dumbledore comes to the rescue and saves Harry. In the end, Gryffindor wins the Quidditch Cup and the students are dismissed for summer vacation. Uncle Vernon picks Harry up from the train platform.
I had actually read this book once before, but that was when it first came out in 1997. So needless to see I had no recollection of what happens in the book and when it happens. I enjoyed it though, and I'm not big on the fantasy genre. When I was little I use to watch "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" and then go pretend I was a witch, so I liked reading about this magical world of Hogwarts. I also love the characters in this book, especially Hermione. Hermione reminds me a lot of what I use to be like. I was always the girl who did her research and was always the one who said "Don't do that because it's against the rules!" I really enjoyed the book.
I'm not sure if I would use this book in my classroom or not. I understand where people come from with these censorship issues. I know that some students have a very strong imagination and some students may actually go wild and practice these spells and such. Then again, I also think it is a good book to read just because of the adventure. I personally don't see anything wrong with reading Harry Potter as long as you know that there is no such thing as magic and witches and wizards. If I did use this in my classroom, I would incorporate the Mirror of Erised like we are doing. My students could design their own mirror putting their own desires in the mirror. I would also do character maps or character journals where the students could keep all the characters straight. It would also be neat for the students to have a notebook where they wrote a summary on each chapter that they read, that way they would not forget anything big that happened in the chapter.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Monday, April 7, 2008
Bio Poem
KATHERINE
Sometimes went unnoticed, younger, supportive, and a hard-worker
Sister to Orville and Wilbur
Lover of my family, teaching, and flying
Who feels curious, discouraged, and accomplished
Who finds happiness in taking care of her father and brothers
Who needs to feel wanted when younger
Who gives up her time to take over her mother's duty when she dies
Who fears Orville and Wilbur not being successful, the plane crashing, and her brothers being gone to Kitty Hawk without her
Who would like to see her brothers, Orville and Wilbur, fly
Who enjoys her job as a teacher
Who likes to wear glasses and proper teaching attire
Resident of Dayton, Ohio, United States of America
WRIGHT
Sometimes went unnoticed, younger, supportive, and a hard-worker
Sister to Orville and Wilbur
Lover of my family, teaching, and flying
Who feels curious, discouraged, and accomplished
Who finds happiness in taking care of her father and brothers
Who needs to feel wanted when younger
Who gives up her time to take over her mother's duty when she dies
Who fears Orville and Wilbur not being successful, the plane crashing, and her brothers being gone to Kitty Hawk without her
Who would like to see her brothers, Orville and Wilbur, fly
Who enjoys her job as a teacher
Who likes to wear glasses and proper teaching attire
Resident of Dayton, Ohio, United States of America
WRIGHT
Sunday, April 6, 2008
"My Brothers' Flying Machine: Wilbur, Orville, and Me"
Title: "My Brothers' Flying Machine: Wilbur, Orville, and Me"
Author: Jane Yolen
Illustrator: Jim Burke
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 2003
Genre: Biographical
Grade: 3-5
The story begins with Orville and Wilbur's sister, Katherine, telling about how when she was four, Papa brought home a little flying machine. The boys wouldn't let her play with it because she was much too small. From that moment on the boys became obsessed with flying machines. They also owned a bicycle shop and used the fact that bicycles are controlled by humans to help them establish how a plane could fly. Their first airplane was a big kite, so Wilbur and Orville had to increase the wingspan each time. They finally thought they had a plane that would work, so they left Dayton, Ohio and went to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina where they would have a bigger runway. After the flight at Kitty Hawk, the world was never the same.
I liked this book because I feel that often times the people who inspired and supported the famous people are overlooked. In this case, Katherine was overlooked. Katherine took care of all the cleaning and such after their mother died. I think this book does a great job showing the process that Wilbur and Orville took when designing the first airplane for that first flight. I feel like there is a lot of information in this book that students could use to know what really happened. I loved the paintings in this book. It feels like Jim Burke was there and knew exactly what the boys looked like. THe pictures of the sky look so real as well. The airplane in this book is exactly how I have always pictured it in my mind. The paintings were done in oil with some colored pencils. I also liked the Author's Note in the back of the book. It gave more information on the Wright family, especially about Katherine.
I would use this book in my classroom to teach my students about the invention of the airplane. I also could do this book as a sequence of events where my students could put the process of Orville and Wilbur's first flight in order. I could also use this in a study of people who are often overlooked since this book is more from Katherine's perspective rather than Orville or Wilbur's.
Author: Jane Yolen
Illustrator: Jim Burke
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 2003
Genre: Biographical
Grade: 3-5
The story begins with Orville and Wilbur's sister, Katherine, telling about how when she was four, Papa brought home a little flying machine. The boys wouldn't let her play with it because she was much too small. From that moment on the boys became obsessed with flying machines. They also owned a bicycle shop and used the fact that bicycles are controlled by humans to help them establish how a plane could fly. Their first airplane was a big kite, so Wilbur and Orville had to increase the wingspan each time. They finally thought they had a plane that would work, so they left Dayton, Ohio and went to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina where they would have a bigger runway. After the flight at Kitty Hawk, the world was never the same.
I liked this book because I feel that often times the people who inspired and supported the famous people are overlooked. In this case, Katherine was overlooked. Katherine took care of all the cleaning and such after their mother died. I think this book does a great job showing the process that Wilbur and Orville took when designing the first airplane for that first flight. I feel like there is a lot of information in this book that students could use to know what really happened. I loved the paintings in this book. It feels like Jim Burke was there and knew exactly what the boys looked like. THe pictures of the sky look so real as well. The airplane in this book is exactly how I have always pictured it in my mind. The paintings were done in oil with some colored pencils. I also liked the Author's Note in the back of the book. It gave more information on the Wright family, especially about Katherine.
I would use this book in my classroom to teach my students about the invention of the airplane. I also could do this book as a sequence of events where my students could put the process of Orville and Wilbur's first flight in order. I could also use this in a study of people who are often overlooked since this book is more from Katherine's perspective rather than Orville or Wilbur's.
"Roanoke The Lost Colony"
Title: "ROANOKE The Lost Colony: An Unsolved Mystery From History"
Authors: Jane Yolen and Heidi Elisabet Yolen Stemple
Illustrator: Roger Roth
Publisher: Scholastic Inc, 2003
Grade: 3-5
Genre: Informational
"Roanoke" begins with a little girl who says that when she grows up she wants to be a detective just like her dad. She calls these open cases "unsolved mysteries from history." For each mystery, she collects as much information about the case as she can. She keeps a notebook which acts as her timeline. She then begins the story about Roanoke. She begins with the first people who came to the colony and then goes through the time period of the Roanoke Colony. It talks about the Indians and then eventually gets to the birth of Virginia Dare. The story ends with a picture of her notebook and what she thinks really happened.
I enjoyed this book. I think it was better for me because there was a little girl telling the story and there were even pictures of the notebook pages on the pages of the book. I loved how at the end, Yolen had two pages that were devoted to summing up what students learned through the book. It also gives the different theories that people have come up with over the years. I liked the copyright page because it gave a Bibliography and Web Sites that students could use to find out more information about the Roanoke Colony. The illustrations throughout this book are really good. It looks as though the people are really there. Their facial expressions look real. Roger Roth says that the illustrations were done in several stages. First, he did tiny "thumbnail" sketches. Then he expanded on these sketches and made the prints larger. He made pencil drawings and then traced them onto watercolor paper. Then he went back and painted the pictures using transparent watercolors, adding pencil for detail and texture.
I would definitely use this book in my classroom. It would be a great study for American history because it talks of Roanoke (the lost colony) and Virginia Dare, the first child born in America to English parents. I also like this book because it would allow my students to tell me which theory they think is right. I could have my students to look on the web sites that the book gives for references and have younger grades to fill out a worksheet to tell me what they found or with older students I could have them to present their information.
Authors: Jane Yolen and Heidi Elisabet Yolen Stemple
Illustrator: Roger Roth
Publisher: Scholastic Inc, 2003
Grade: 3-5
Genre: Informational
"Roanoke" begins with a little girl who says that when she grows up she wants to be a detective just like her dad. She calls these open cases "unsolved mysteries from history." For each mystery, she collects as much information about the case as she can. She keeps a notebook which acts as her timeline. She then begins the story about Roanoke. She begins with the first people who came to the colony and then goes through the time period of the Roanoke Colony. It talks about the Indians and then eventually gets to the birth of Virginia Dare. The story ends with a picture of her notebook and what she thinks really happened.
I enjoyed this book. I think it was better for me because there was a little girl telling the story and there were even pictures of the notebook pages on the pages of the book. I loved how at the end, Yolen had two pages that were devoted to summing up what students learned through the book. It also gives the different theories that people have come up with over the years. I liked the copyright page because it gave a Bibliography and Web Sites that students could use to find out more information about the Roanoke Colony. The illustrations throughout this book are really good. It looks as though the people are really there. Their facial expressions look real. Roger Roth says that the illustrations were done in several stages. First, he did tiny "thumbnail" sketches. Then he expanded on these sketches and made the prints larger. He made pencil drawings and then traced them onto watercolor paper. Then he went back and painted the pictures using transparent watercolors, adding pencil for detail and texture.
I would definitely use this book in my classroom. It would be a great study for American history because it talks of Roanoke (the lost colony) and Virginia Dare, the first child born in America to English parents. I also like this book because it would allow my students to tell me which theory they think is right. I could have my students to look on the web sites that the book gives for references and have younger grades to fill out a worksheet to tell me what they found or with older students I could have them to present their information.
Bio Poem
ROSA
Brave, Courageous, African-American, Woman
She was the wife of Raymond Parks and the daughter of Mother.
Lover of sewing, Montgomery, and standing up for what she believed in.
Who feels proud to be an African-American, passionate about what she believes in, and feels love toward her husband.
Who finds happiness in standing up for what she believes in so future generations can have a better tomorrow!
Who needs her seamtress job to help support her family.
Who gives her all in all that she goes to accomplish.
Who fears Mother being ill, African-Americans always being unequal compared to whites, and NOTHING when it comes to standing up for what she believes.
Who would like to see all the "Colored" signs gone.
Who enjoys sewing and working.
Who likes to wear clothes she has sewn when she goes anywhere.
Resident of Montgomery, Alabama, United States of America
PARKS
Brave, Courageous, African-American, Woman
She was the wife of Raymond Parks and the daughter of Mother.
Lover of sewing, Montgomery, and standing up for what she believed in.
Who feels proud to be an African-American, passionate about what she believes in, and feels love toward her husband.
Who finds happiness in standing up for what she believes in so future generations can have a better tomorrow!
Who needs her seamtress job to help support her family.
Who gives her all in all that she goes to accomplish.
Who fears Mother being ill, African-Americans always being unequal compared to whites, and NOTHING when it comes to standing up for what she believes.
Who would like to see all the "Colored" signs gone.
Who enjoys sewing and working.
Who likes to wear clothes she has sewn when she goes anywhere.
Resident of Montgomery, Alabama, United States of America
PARKS
"Rosa"
Title: "Rosa"
Author: Nikki Giovanni
Illustrator: Bryan Collier
Publisher: Scholastic Inc, 2005
Grade: 3-5
Genre: Biographical Non-Fiction, Caldecott Honor Book and Coretta Scott King Award Winner
In "Rosa", Rosa Parks is an African-American woman who is a seamstress. Rosa's boss lets her off early one day from work. Rosa is prepared to go home and make her husband his favorite dish, meatloaf. When Rosa gets on the bus she has to pay at the front and then walk off the bus and enter back onto the bus through the back door. She then goes and takes a seat in the Neutral Section. After a couple stops, the bus is beginning to fill up so the bus driver comes back and tells the black people to move! Rosa says no and is arrested. Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. then encourages everyone to walk for their civil rights. Eventually black people were given the same rights as whites.
I enjoyed this book. I had always thought that Rosa Parks sat in the front of the bus but now from reading this book, I see she sat in the neutral section- or the middle. I also liked how Nikki Giovanni gave the background information about Rosa and what she did for a living. I also liked that Giovanni used the word "Colored." This makes African-Americans out as if they are weird becuase they are actually a color like blue, purple, etc. and not just black. I view "Colored" as a degrating word. I also enjoyed the illustrations. I liked how the Illustrator gave an illustrator's note and told how he visited Montgomery and Selma and found that it was hot. He also goes on to explain that this heat is why he used yellow, sometimes a dark hue. He also explains how in his pictures, it looks as if Rosa is being illuminated by the light. He explains that this is because to him, she is like a chandelier, illuminating everyones pathway.
I would use this book to teach my students about Civil Rights. I would probably incorporate this during February which is Black History Month. I could also have my students to look up more information about Rosa Parks. For older grades, I would even give them different topics, such as background on Rosa Parks, the bus incident, etc., and then have them to present this information to their classmates.
Author: Nikki Giovanni
Illustrator: Bryan Collier
Publisher: Scholastic Inc, 2005
Grade: 3-5
Genre: Biographical Non-Fiction, Caldecott Honor Book and Coretta Scott King Award Winner
In "Rosa", Rosa Parks is an African-American woman who is a seamstress. Rosa's boss lets her off early one day from work. Rosa is prepared to go home and make her husband his favorite dish, meatloaf. When Rosa gets on the bus she has to pay at the front and then walk off the bus and enter back onto the bus through the back door. She then goes and takes a seat in the Neutral Section. After a couple stops, the bus is beginning to fill up so the bus driver comes back and tells the black people to move! Rosa says no and is arrested. Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. then encourages everyone to walk for their civil rights. Eventually black people were given the same rights as whites.
I enjoyed this book. I had always thought that Rosa Parks sat in the front of the bus but now from reading this book, I see she sat in the neutral section- or the middle. I also liked how Nikki Giovanni gave the background information about Rosa and what she did for a living. I also liked that Giovanni used the word "Colored." This makes African-Americans out as if they are weird becuase they are actually a color like blue, purple, etc. and not just black. I view "Colored" as a degrating word. I also enjoyed the illustrations. I liked how the Illustrator gave an illustrator's note and told how he visited Montgomery and Selma and found that it was hot. He also goes on to explain that this heat is why he used yellow, sometimes a dark hue. He also explains how in his pictures, it looks as if Rosa is being illuminated by the light. He explains that this is because to him, she is like a chandelier, illuminating everyones pathway.
I would use this book to teach my students about Civil Rights. I would probably incorporate this during February which is Black History Month. I could also have my students to look up more information about Rosa Parks. For older grades, I would even give them different topics, such as background on Rosa Parks, the bus incident, etc., and then have them to present this information to their classmates.
Impression of Non-Fiction Texts
When people say non-fiction around me, my first thought is generally, "Oh boy! This will be a great read!" And I do mean this sarcastically! Non-Fiction has never been one of my favorite things to read. I think it is because I normally associate this genre of literature with being boring! I think in order for me to like a Non-Fiction book, the subject area has to be something that I really enjoy and am actually interested in learning more about. I think this is how a lot of children think today about the non-fiction genre. I think it is important as teachers, for us to make sure that we make the subject interesting for our students. If we get interested in the subject and show our enthusiasm for the subject, then I feel that our students will follow our examples.
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