Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade by Melissa Sweet

 Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade 

by Melissa Sweet

About the Author:

"Melissa Sweet is a New York Times bestselling author and has illustrated nearly 100 children's books. Her work ranges from board books to picture books and nonfiction titles and her collages and paintings have appeared in the New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, and for eeBoo Toys. Sweet has written and illustrated four books: The New York Times Best Illustrated Carmine: A Little More Red; Tupelo Rides the Rails; The Sibert Award Winner Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade; and Some Writer! The Story of E.B.White. Melissa lives with her husband and dogs in Portland, Maine."

Please follow this link to find  out more about, Melissa Sweet!!!

 https://www.melissasweet.net/about

Book Summary:

"Everyone’s a New Yorker on Thanksgiving Day, when young and old rise early to see what giant new balloons will fill the skies for Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Who first invented these “upside-down puppets”? Meet Tony Sarg, puppeteer extraordinaire! In brilliant collage illustrations, the award-winning artist Melissa Sweet tells the story of the puppeteer Tony Sarg, capturing his genius, his dedication, his zest for play, and his long-lasting gift to America—the inspired helium balloons that would become the trademark of Macy’s Parade."- Amazon.com

Read Out Loud | BALLOONS OVER BROADWAY

Reviews:

“A joyous piece of nonfiction that informs and delights in equal parts.”—Booklist, starred review

"Sweet’s whimsical mixed-media collages, embellished with little dolls she made herself out of odds and ends, reinforce the theme that, for Sarg, work was play."— Horn Book, starred review

"Sweet's artwork is as joyous an affair as its subject." --Bulletin

Sources:

https://www.amazon.com/Balloons-over-Broadway-Puppeteer-Education/dp/0547199457

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2391pvhv2I

https://www.melissasweet.net/books

https://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Sweet/e/B001IQUKRS?ref_=dbs_p_pbk_r00_abau_000000

The Playbook: 52 Rules to Aim, Shoot, and Score in This Game Called Life by Kwame Alexander

 The Playbook: 52 Rules to Aim, Shoot, and Score in This Game Called Life 

by Kwame Alexander

About the Author:

Kwame Alexander is a poet, educator, and the New York Times Bestselling author of 32 books, including SWING, REBOUND, which was shortlisted for prestigious Carnegie Medal, THE UNDEFEATED, illustrated by Kadir Nelson, HOW TO READ A BOOK, illustrated by Melissa Sweet, and, his NEWBERY medal-winning middle grade novel, THE CROSSOVER.

Please follow link for more: https://www.kwamealexander.com/about/me/c/2

Book Summary:

"You gotta know the rules to play the game. Ball is life. Take it to the hoop. Soar. What can we imagine for our lives? What if we were the star players, moving and grooving through the game of life? What if we had our own rules of the game to help us get what we want, what we aspire to, what will enrich our lives? Illustrated with photographs by Thai Neave, The Playbook is intended to provide inspiration on the court of life. Each rule contains wisdom from inspiring athletes and role models such as Nelson Mandela, Serena Williams, LeBron James, Carli Lloyd, Steph Curry and Michelle Obama. Kwame Alexander also provides his own poetic and uplifting words, as he shares stories of overcoming obstacles and winning games in this motivational and inspirational book just right for graduates of any age and anyone needing a little encouragement."

Kwame Alexander "The Playbook" at the San Francisco Public Library Video:

Video Details: 2015 John Newbery Award-winner Kwame Alexander shares excerpts from The Playbook, his new book which was inspired by role models such as Nelson Mandela, Serena Williams, LeBron James, Carli Lloyd, Steph Curry, and Michelle Obama. 

Source:

https://www.amazon.com/Playbook-Rules-Shoot-Score-Called/dp/0544570979

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IY4fvh4vKMo

https://www.kwamealexander.com/

A Letter to my Daughter, Michele: in response to her book, Black Macho and the Myth of the Superwoman by Faith Ringgold

 A Letter to my Daughter, Michele: in response to her book, Black Macho 

and the Myth of the Superwoman 

by Faith Ringgold

About the Author:

Faith Ringgold was born in Harlem in 1930. She received a degree in art education from the City College of New York and was an art teacher long before she became a professional artist. She is best known for her 'painted story quilts,' some of which hang in the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City. Tar Beach, RinggoldÕs first book for children, won the Coretta Scott King Award for illustration and was named a Caldecott Honor Book. Ringgold is now a professor of art at the University of California at San Diego. She lives in California and in New Jersey.

Book Summary:

"There has been a deafening silence around this book since I wrote it in 1980, 35 years ago. Why is Mother not allowed the freedom of speech to critique daughter? Is daughter perfect or is it Mother who is undeniably flawed? Lets find out why Daughter can critique Mother but Mother must and has maintained a deafening silence? Why is this? What is this? - Faith Ringgold A Letter to My Daughter, Michele, is a mother’s truth about her daughter’s version of Feminism in the pages of, Black Macho and the Myth of the Super Woman by Michele Wallace, 1979. Faith Ringgold analyses, reviews and criticizes her daughters best selling book line by line and calls out the 70’s feminist rhetoric, generalities, stereotypes and lies."

Review:

"Mother, Daughter, Feminism

This is a very powerful book. Read in conjunction with Michele Wallace's Black Macho and the Myth of Superwoman, it constitutes a rare example of the kind of dialogue women should be having across generations about the different but compatible ways they see the condition and challenges of women. I particularly appreciated the definition of feminism: women learning to trust other women; and Faith's comments on the seductive power of "the pedestal." And yes, the chance to see Faith's art in this context -- most importantly her White People series, which I didn't know about before -- is a very important dimension. Finally, this book reminds us that mother/daughter relations may not be the easiest of bonds but they certainly are the most powerful and important."

- Ellen C. Dubois (Amazon.com)

Source: 

https://www.amazon.com/Letter-Daughter-Michele-response-Superwoman/dp/1517572665

Monster by Walter Dean Myers

 Monster 

by Walter Dean Myers

About the Author:

Walter Dean Myers is a New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed author who has garnered much respect and admiration for his fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for young people. Winner of the first Michael L. Printz Award, he is considered one of the preeminent writers for children. He lives in Jersey City, New Jersey, with his family.

Book Summary:

"Sometimes I feel like I have walked into the middle of a movie. Maybe I can make my own movie. The film will be the story of my life. No, not my life, but of this experience. I'll call it what the lady who is the prosecutor called me. MONSTER.

FADE IN: INTERIOR COURT. A guard sits at a desk behind Steve. Kathy O'Brien, Steve's lawyer, is all business as she talks to Steve.

O'BRIEN

Let me make sure you understand what's going on. Both you and this king character are on trial for felony murder. Felony Murder is as serious as it gets. . . . When you're in court, you sit there and pay attetion. You let the jury know that you think the case is a serious as they do. . . .

STEVE

You think we're going to win ?

O'BRIEN (seriously)

It probably depends on what you mean by "win."

Sixteen-year-old Steve Harmon is on trial for murder. A Harlem drugstore owner was shot and killed in his store, and the word is that Steve served as the lookout.

Guilty or innocent, Steve becomes a pawn in the hands of "the system," cluttered with cynical authority figures and unscrupulous inmates, who will turn in anyone to shorten their own sentences. For the first time, Steve is forced to think about who he is as he faces prison, where he may spend all the tomorrows of his life.

As a way of coping with the horrific events that entangle him, Steve, an amateur filmmaker, decides to transcribe his trial into a script, just like in the movies. He writes it all down, scene by scene, the story of how his whole life was turned around in an instant. But despite his efforts, reality is blurred and his vision obscured until he can no longer tell who he is or what is the truth. This compelling novel is Walter Dean Myers's writing at its best." -Amazon.com

Walter Dean Myers discusses Monster

Review:

"Myers grapples with complex moral questions that will definitely make readers stop and think. -- Booklist, Editors' Choice 1999

Sources:

https://www.amazon.com/Monster-Walter-Dean-Myers/dp/0064407314

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtlkXnf3-vY

Mirror, Mirror by Marilyn Singer

 Mirror, Mirror 

by Marilyn Singer

About the Author: 

"Since then, Marilyn has published over eighty books for children and young adults. Her genres are many and varied, including realistic novels, fantasies, non-fiction, fairy tales, picture books, mysteries and poetry. She likes writing many different kinds of books because it's challenging and it keeps her from getting bored."

Please follow this link to find out more about the author!

https://marilynsinger.net/about-marilyn-2/

Book Summary:

"What’s brewing when two favorites—poetry and fairy tales—are turned (literally) on their heads? It’s a revolutionary recipe: an infectious new genre of poetry and a lovably modern take on classic stories.

First, read the poems forward (how old-fashioned!), then reverse the lines and read again to give familiar tales, from Sleeping Beauty to that Charming Prince, a delicious new spin. Witty, irreverent, and warm, this gorgeously illustrated and utterly unique offering holds a mirror up to language and fairy tales, and renews the fun and magic of both." 

Mirror, Mirror: A Book of Reverso Poems

Review:

"With 6 starred reviews, 8 best of the year lists, and over 20 state award nominations, everyone is raving about Mirror Mirror!"- Amazon.com

"Remarkable."—The Washington Post

"This mind-bending poetry is accompanied by Masse's equally intelligent, equally amusing art."—Time Out New York for Kids

Sources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sf_cqde1Ks0&t=184s

https://www.amazon.com/Mirror-Book-Reverso-Poems/dp/0525479015

http://www.marilynsinger.net./

Martina the Beautiful Cockroach by Carmen Agra Deedy

 Martina the Beautiful Cockroach 

by Carmen Agra Deedy

About the Author:

Origin of "Martina the Beautiful Cockroach"-Explained by Carmen Arga Deedy

Carmen Agra Deedy, a New York Times bestselling author, has been writing and traveling around the world telling stories for more than twenty years. Her books have received numerous awards and honors. Carmen has performed in many prestigious venues, but children are her favorite audience. Born in Havana, Cuba, she came to the United States as a refugee and like most immigrants sees the world from multiple perspectives. She lives in Georgia.

 

Book Summary:

The beautiful Martina Josefina Catalina Cucaracha doesn’t know coffee beans about love and marriage, so when suitors come calling, what is she to do? Luckily, she has her Cuban family to help!

While some of the Cucarachas offer Martina gifts to make her more attractive, only Abuela, her grandmother, gives her some useful advice: spill coffee on his shoes to see how he handles anger. At first, Martina is skeptical of her Abuela’s suggestion, but when suitor after suitor fails the Coffee Test, she wonders if a little green cockroach can ever find true love.

Teacher Read Aloud

Reviews:

"Thanks to award-winning author and storyteller Carmen Agra Deedy, you’ll never look at a cockroach the same way again."

“Lively and funny…this telling has magic all its own.” ―Kirkus Reviews

“Spirited.” ―Publishers Weekly

“Masterful.” ―Booklist

Source: 

https://www.amazon.com/Martina-Beautiful-Cockroach-Cuban-Folktale/dp/1561457876/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9X_4aChQqA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RXQ2IrP5dA

We Are The Ship The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson

 We Are The Ship The Story of Negro League Baseball 

by Kadir Nelson

About the Author:

Kadir Nelson is a two-time Caldecott Honor Award recipient. He has received an NAACP Image Award, a CASEY Award, the 2009 and 2014 Coretta Scott King Author Award, and the 2009 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award. Among Mr. Nelson's other awards are gold and silver medals from the Society of Illustrators. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, and The New Yorker. He lives in Los Angeles, CA. Learn more about Kadir Nelson at www.kadirnelson.com.

Book Summary:

The story of Negro League baseball is the story of gifted athletes and determined owners; of racial discrimination and international sportsmanship; of fortunes won and lost; of triumphs and defeats on and off the field. It is a perfect mirror for the social and political history of black America in the first half of the twentieth century. But most of all, the story of the Negro Leagues is about hundreds of unsung heroes who overcame segregation, hatred, terrible conditions, and low pay to do the one thing they loved more than anything else in the world: play ball.

Short Review from Amazon.com:

Wayne Edward Evans

5.0 out of 5 stars 

A fun, engaging walk through history

"I absolutely loved this book. It is an excellent summary of the history of Negro Leagues. I played this audio book for my son so this proud legacy can be a part of his overall education. The reader's voice was wonderful and I LOVED how they split the chapters into "innings". Well done." 

Sources:

https://www.amazon.com/We-Are-Ship-League-Baseball/dp/150126494X

https://www.amazon.com/Kadir-Nelson/e/B001JS2PV4?ref_=dbs_p_pbk_r00_abau_000000

Rosa by Nikki Giovanni

 Rosa 

by Nikki Giovanni 

Author Information:

Award-winning poet, writer, and activist Nikki Giovanni's evocative text combines with Bryan Collier's striking cut-paper images to retell the story of this historic event from a wholly unique and original perspective. Nikki Giovanni has written many books of poetry for children and adults. She is the author of Rosa, a Caldecott Honor book, Lincoln and Douglass, The Genie in the Jar, and Ego-tripping and Other Poems for Young People. Giovanni calls herself, "a Black American, a daughter, a mother, a professor of English."  She was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, and grew up in Lincoln Heights, an all-black suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio. She studied at Fisk University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University. She published her first book of poetry, Black Feeling Black Talk, in 1968, and since then has become one of America’s most widely read poets. Oprah Winfrey named her as one of her twenty-five “Living Legends.”

Book Summary: 

Fifty years after her refusal to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama, city bus, Mrs. Rosa Parks is still one of the most important figures in the American civil rights movement. This tribute to Mrs. Parks is a celebration of her courageous action and the events that followed.

Review:

“Purposeful in its telling, this is a handsome and thought-provoking introduction to these watershed acts of civil disobedience.” ―School Library Journal

Rosa by Nikki Giovanni-Read Aloud Video

Source:

https://www.amazon.com/Rosa-Nikki-Giovanni/dp/0312376022

Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

 Where The Wild Things Are

 by Maurice Sendak

Author Information:

Maurice Sendak's Caldecott Medal-winning picture book has become one of the most highly acclaimed and best-loved children's books of all time. A must for every child's bookshelf.

Book Summary: 

This iconic story has inspired a movie, an opera, and the imagination of generations. When Max dresses in his wolf suit and causes havoc in the house, his mother sends him to bed. From there, Max sets sail to an island inhabited by the Wild Things, who name him king and share a wild rumpus with him. But then from far away across the world, Max smells good things to eat...

Book Review:

"Where the Wild Things Are is one of those truly rare books that can be enjoyed equally by a child and a grown-up. If you disagree, then it's been too long since you've attended a wild rumpus. Max dons his wolf suit in pursuit of some mischief and gets sent to bed without supper. Fortuitously, a forest grows in his room, allowing his wild rampage to continue unimpaired. Sendak's color illustrations (perhaps his finest) are beautiful, and each turn of the page brings the discovery of a new wonder.

The wild things--with their mismatched parts and giant eyes--manage somehow to be scary-looking without ever really being scary; at times they're downright hilarious. Sendak's defiantly run-on sentences--one of his trademarks--lend the perfect touch of stream of consciousness to the tale, which floats between the land of dreams and a child's imagination. This Sendak classic is more fun than you've ever had in a wolf suit, and it manages to reaffirm the notion that there's no place like home." 

-Amazon.com

Video/Audio of Book!

Sources: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FsBaRYRPnU

https://www.amazon.com/Where-Wild-Things-Maurice-Sendak/dp/0064431789

Comics Squad #3: Detention by Holm, J & M (eds.)

 Comics Squad: Detention 

by Holm, J & M (eds.)

A comics collection from some of the biggest stars in graphic novels, including Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm, Jarrett J. Krosoczka, and Victoria Jamieson!

Author Information:

JENNIFER HOLM—Foster City, CA (Babymouse, Squish, New York Times bestselling author, three-time Newbery Honor winner, Eisner Award winner) * MATTHEW HOLM—Portland, OR (Babymouse, Squish, Eisner Award winner) * JARRETT J. KROSOCZKA—Northampton, MA (Lunch Lady, Platypus Police Squad, two-time Children’s Choice Award winner) 

Matthew & Jennifer Holm

Book Summary:

Calling all kidz! Do you like comics? Do you like laughing till you get sent to the principal?!

 

Don’t punish yourself! Read the next Comics Squad! Leave your troubles behind with this collection of quick and funny stories about many kids’ biggest fear—detention! Sure, detention can be scary or frustrating or just plain boring, but who knew it could also be an adventure? With a disrespectful Greek god, antimatter ooze, bioengineered rats, and a school full of stampeding bulls, it is definitely full of fun!

 

It’s a bust-your-gut-laughing comics anthology with original contributions from the most beloved and bestselling names in graphic novels!

Short Review:

"A strong, funny comics anthology for younger readers

This book features an excellent selection of stories aimed at elementary school age readers. Most of the stories are humorous, and a couple are even moving. I loved the range of topics and art style, done by some of today's most popular and/or celebrated creators. "- Sterg Botzakis (Amazon.com)

Source:

https://www.amazon.com/Comics-Squad-Detention-Jennifer-Holm/dp/0553512676

Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary

 Dear Mr. Henshaw 

by Beverly Cleary

Author Information:

Beverly Cleary's birthday, April 12th, is celebrated across the country on D.E.A.R. Day, with activities related to the Drop Everything and Read Program. One of the most popular and honored authors of all time, Beverly Cleary has won the Newbery Medal for Dear Mr. Henshaw, and both Ramona Quimby, Age 8 and Ramona and Her Father have been named Newbery Honor Books. She makes her home in coastal California.

Book Summary:

After his parents separate, Leigh Botts moves to a new town with his mother. Struggling to make friends and deal with his anger toward his absent father, Leigh loses himself in a class assignment in which he must write to his favorite author. When Mr. Henshaw responds, the two form an unexpected friendship that will change Leigh’s life forever.

From the beloved author of the Henry Huggins, Ramona Quimby, and Ralph S. Mouse series comes an epistolary novel about how to navigate and heal from life’s growing pains.

Short Review: 

"Beverly Cleary’s timeless Newbery Medal-winning book explores difficult topics like divorce, insecurity, and bullying through the thoughts and emotions of a sixth-grade boy as he writes to his favorite author, Boyd Henshaw. This middle grade novel is an excellent choice for tween readers in grades 5 to 6, especially during homeschooling. It’s a fun way to keep your child entertained and engaged while not in the classroom."-Amazon.com

Sources: 

https://www.amazon.com/Dear-Mr-Henshaw-Beverly-Cleary/dp/0380709589

https://www.amazon.com/Beverly-Cleary/e/B000AQ44W4?ref_=dbs_p_pbk_r00_abau_000000

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

 Brown Girl Dreaming 

by Jacqueline Woodson

Author Information:

Jacqueline Woodson's memoir BROWN GIRL DREAMING won the 2014 National Book Award and was a NY Times Bestseller. Her novel, ANOTHER BROOKLYN, was a National Book Award finalist and an Indie Pick in 2016. Among her many awards, she the recipient of the Kurt Vonnegut Award, four Newbery Honors, two Coretta Scott King Award, and the Langston Hughes Medal. Jacqueline is the author of nearly thirty books for young people and adults including EACH KINDNESS, IF YOU COME SOFTLY, LOCOMOTION and I HADN'T MEANT TO TELL YOU THIS. She served as Young People's Poet Laureate from 2014-2016, was a fellow at The American Library in Paris, occasionally writes for the New York Times, is currently working on more books and like so many writers - lives with her family in Brooklyn, New York.

Why the author wrote this book?

"I wanted to understand who my mom was before she was my mother and I wanted to understand exactly how I became a writer. So I started researching my life, asking relatives and talking to friends – and mostly, just letting myself remember."

Book Summary:

Brown Girl Dreaming tells the story of my childhood, in verse. Raised in South Carolina and New York, I always felt halfway home in each place. In these poems, I share what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and my growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement.

Short Review:

* “The writer’s passion for stories and storytelling permeates the memoir, explicitly addressed in her early attempts to write books and implicitly conveyed through her sharp images and poignant observations seen through the eyes of a child. Woodson’s ability to listen and glean meaning from what she hears lead to an astute understanding of her surroundings, friends, and family.” — Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW

Sources:

https://www.jacquelinewoodson.com/brown-girl-dreaming/

https://www.amazon.com/Brown-Girl-Dreaming-Jacqueline-Woodson/dp/0147515823

Rules by Cynthia Lord

 

Rules by Cynthia Lord: 

Author Information:

Please follow link: https://www.cynthialord.com/about.html 

RULES FOR DAVID

If the bathroom door is closed, knock! (especially if Catherine has a friend over).

Say thank you when someone gives you a present (even if you don't like it).

Don't stand in front of the TV when other people are watching it.

A boy takes off his shirt to swim, but not his shorts.

Some people think they know who you are, when really they don't.

No toys in the fishtank.

Twelve year old Catherine just wants a normal life, but she thinks that's impossible with a family that revolves around her brother's autism.

But what is normal?

Short Review:

KidPost Book of the Week, Washington Post

"The appealing, credible narrator at the heart of Lord's debut novel will draw in readers, as she struggles to find order and balance in her life.... A rewarding story that may well inspire readers to think about others' points of view." Publishers Weekly

Sources: https://www.cynthialord.com/

Textbook Reading #1, #2, #3 (Chapters 1-16)

 Textbook Assignment #1                                                    

Chapter 1-5

Chapter 1: Intro-Disregard

Chapter 2: Why do we share literature with children?

Chapter 3: Literary Elements

Chapter 4: Awards

Chapter 5: Anatomy of Book

Textbook Assignment #2

Chapter 6-10

Chapter 6: Picture Books

Chapter 7: Traditional Literature

Chapter 8: Poetry

Chapter 9: Historical Fiction

Chapter 10: Realistic Fiction

Textbook Assignment #3      

Chapters 11-16

Chapter 11: Non-Fiction

Chapter 12: Fantasy/Science Fiction

Chapter 13: Graphic Novels

Chapter 14:  Why Read Daily?

Chapter 15: How to Read a Picture Book

Chapter 16: What makes a Good Children’s Book? 

Google Sites Link to Assignments: https://sites.google.com/view/lssl-5360-01-lit-for-children/textbook-assignments