Module 12 Biographies

Book Cover:



Book Summary:
From the time Albert was born he was odd and different. He was taken with math and found being with others hard but dealing with questions he had and answering them fascinating to him. His life story continues until his adulthood telling about how being different actually helped him with his science ideas. At the end there is an author note explaining a little bit more about his ideas.

APA Reference of Book:

Brown, D. (2014). Odd boy out: young Albert Einstein. Boston, MA: National Braille Press.

Impressions:
Pen drawn pictures with the muddy watercolors helps you think of that time period and when Albert starts to do good things the pictures brighten up a little bit. It kind of gives a dreary or sad feel to the story. I found that the author showed Einstein as a troubled boy and adult but didn't really talk a lot about his positives until the end. I think due to the time period he really was way ahead of his time and was criticized and not given credit due to his religion for a long time. I did like that it showed he persevered through his hardships and being different and didn't let that stop him for questioning and wondering to come up with the theory of relativity. The story was more tell than showing so may be a little dry for students.

Professional Review:

Gr 2-5-- This well-crafted picture-book biography focuses on Einstein's hard-to-classify brilliance, which led to awesome scientific discoveries, but all too often left him a misunderstood outsider. Brown describes his subject's loving, cultured parents who were frequently nonplussed by their son's behavior and temper. He found himself the "odd boy" at school, and as the only Jewish student, was sometimes taunted by other children. He puzzled his instructors as well; though clearly gifted in science, math, and music, he was an indifferent student in most subjects. Brown's pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations, rendered in a palette of dusky mauve and earthy brown, portray a doubtful, somewhat unhappy-looking child, except for a picture in which he gazes fondly at a compass, a gift that astonishes him as he ponders its mysteries. In many scenes he is marginalized on the sidelines, set apart by color and shading. One dramatic spread features an adult Einstein pushing his child in a carriage, looking small against a backdrop that highlights some of the scientific puzzles that so engaged him. Through eloquent narrative and illustration, Brown offers a thoughtful introduction to an enigmatic man. This book will pique the interest of readers with little or no knowledge of Einstein.

Jones, T. E., Toth, L., Charnizon, M., Grabarek, D., Larkins, J., & Taniguchi, M. (2004). Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Einstein (Book). School Library Journal, 50(10),  138-139.

Library Uses:
Good to use when talking about biographies and inventors. Most have heard of Einstein but don't know why he is important. Also good to read when talking about perseverance, not giving up, and being different.

My Rating: ***

Module 11 Informational Books

Book Cover:

Book Summary:
The author takes you through the life of a bear from Spring until Winter talking about the things the bear does and what it eats in short sentences and questions.

APA Reference of Book:

Sayre, A. P., & Jenkins, S. (2013). Eat like a bear. New York: Ed. Henry Holt and Company.

Impressions:
I love the torn paper collages that show the bear as the seasons pass. They are very realistic and add depth to the pictures. There is a lot of repetitive text to help younger readers follow as well as some upper grade vocabulary such as  gnaw, parsnip, and bison. While the non-fiction narrative is about a bear there really isn't a lot of facts in the story itself. At the end there is a two page fact sheet telling you all about grizzly bears. Overall I liked the book not for learning more about bears but as an enjoyable book for fun.

Professional Review:

PreS-Gr 3— Posing the question, "Can you eat like a bear?" this book follows a brown bear as it forages for food throughout the year. Emerging from hibernation in April, the animal sets out on its quest. Each month provides a different delicacy: crispy roots and a ground squirrel in July, juicy huckleberries in September, a stash of pinecones in October. All serve to fatten up the omnivorous creature as it prepares once again for hibernation. The short text is set in a clear, large font and that, coupled with the big, full-color, cut-and torn-paper collage illustrations, makes it a natural for sharing with a group. The mammals themselves are rendered by using handmade Mexican bark paper. Its rough nature gives them greater impact and dimension on the pages. The extensive end notes provide details about the diet of the brown bear, or _I_Ursus artos_i_, its threatened status, and current scientific studies. This additional information increases the usefulness of the title, making it a viable classroom and research tool. That, along with the beautiful art, makes this a first choice for most libraries

Sites, S. L. (2013). Eat Like a Bear. School Library Journal, 59(10), 1.

Library Uses:  
For the younger grades you could use this to sequence months of the year as well as trying the art process of torn paper collages to make animals or other pictures. You could also focus on the illustrators of torn paper collages and do the art activity.

My Rating: ***