Mrs. Kirkpatrick's Bookshelf

Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall 1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY McCall, Guadalupe Garcia. 2011. Under the Mesquite. NewYork: Lee and Low. ISBN 978-1600604294 2.  SUMMARY The story is told in free verse, from the point of view of Lupita, who devastatingly discovers that her mother, the matriarch of her Mexican-American family, has cancer. As the oldest of seven children, she feels it is her responsibility to keep the family together. She desperately tries to balance life as a high school student while remaining strong for her younger siblings. She finds refuge during this difficult time by writing under a mesquite tree, using the healing power of words to express her emotions. 3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS The free verse format is a fitting medium for this story. The pacing gives readers a time to process the difficult emotions that Lupita is trying to cope with. The use of similes and metaphors in this novel are...

I, Too, Am America By Langston Hughes Illustrated by Bryan Collier 1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY Hughes, Langston. 2012. I, Too, Am America. Ill. by Bryan Collier. NewYork: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1442420083 2.  SUMMARY Bryan Collier illustrates the classic poem “I, Too, Am America” written in 1925 by Langston Hughes depicting the challenging work life of a Pullman Porter. 3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS Bryan Collier preludes the poem with an acknowledgement and brief background of the Pullman Porters, a group of African- American men who served wealthy white passengers on luxury trains after slavery legally ended. Given this information, readers are able to dive deeper into the powerful words of Langston Hughes to construct their own meaning. Each couplet from the poem is on its own separate page, allowing the reader to take their time and fully soak in Hughes’ words of inspiration and hope. Collier’s illustratio...

Once Upon a Tomb by J. Patrick Lewis Illustrated by Simon Bartram 1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY Lewis, J. Patrick. 2006. Once Upon a Tomb: Gravely Humorous Verses . Ill. by Simon Bartram. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 978-0-7636-1837-7 2.  SUMMARY J. Patrick Lewis gives death a humorous spin in this witty collection of verses. The twenty-two poems in this collection highlight twenty-two different professions, and provide a funny (and sometimes cautionary) description of how they died. 3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS The title of this book is a perfect description of what you are getting- gravely humorous verses. Each poem will make you laugh with its vivid, often outrageous, imagery- as seen in the poem titled “Soccer Player”, the line “Ball whacked Albert on the snout- Looked like one big Brussels sprout.” Each poem has a rhythm that caters to the profession of the person who died. For example, in “Dairy Farmer”, th...

Bookspeak! By Laura Purdie Salas, Ill. by Josèe Bisaillon 1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY Salas, Laura Purdie. 2011. Bookspeak!: Poems About Books. Ill. by Josèe Bisaillon. NewYork: Clarion. ISBN 978-0547223001 2.  SUMMARY If a book could talk, what would it say? Laura Purdie Salas indulges our imagination and provides us with a collection of fun poems that give a voice to books themselves. 3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS In this playful collection of poems about books and the things they contain, Laura Purdie Salas uses a variety of poetry types as a medium for different tones. Each poem has its own style and rhythm that is directly reflective of the poem’s mood. For example, in “Conflicted”, a poem written from the point of view of the problem in a story, the lines are a short spurt of two to three words. The language used is strongly negative, with words like “demand”, “misery”, “hate”, “dreary”. It feels as though you are ...

The Three Little Gators by Helen Ketteman Illustrated by Will Terry 1.       BIBLIOGRAPHY Ketteman, Helen.  2009. THE THREE LITTLE GATORS. Ill. by Will Terry. Park Ridge, Illinois: Albert Whitman & Company. ISBN 9780807578247 2.   PLOT SUMMARY When Mama Gator tells her three little gators it’s time for them to live on their own, she reminds them to make sure they build strong, sturdy houses and warns them of the big bottomed boar that loves to eat little gators. Agreeing, the three little gators run off to find supplies to build their houses with. The first gator decides that rocks would build a sturdy house, but the other two gators would prefer a material that is easier to build with, so they set off to find building materials of their own, leaving their sibling behind to build his rock house. The next little gator thinks sticks would be easy to use to build his house, but the third little gator still thinks he can find something easier to bui...

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback 1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY Taback, Simms.  1999. JOSEPH HAD A LITTLE OVERCOAT. New York: Viking Press. ISBN   978-0-670-87855-0 2.  PLOT SUMMARY Joseph is a Jewish farmer who has an old, worn overcoat. He decides to make it into a jacket rather than getting rid of it. Once the jacket is old and worn, he decides to make the jacket into a vest. He continues recycling the overcoat into different clothing items until eventually he has nothing left. When he has nothing left, he decides to write a book about the whole experience. Based on the Yiddish folk song, “I Had a Little Overcoat”. 3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS JOSEPH HAD A LITTLE OVERCOAT has a repetitive, rhythmic pattern, which seamlessly translates the printed text into a read aloud story. The thin lines, bright colors, and superimposed photographs of people and patterns bring the illustrations in this folktale a ...

Cinderella: A fashionable tale 1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY Guarnaccia, Steven.  2013. CINDERELLA: A FASHIONABLE TALE. New York:  Abrams Books. ISBN 9781419709869 2.  PLOT SUMMARY When Cinderella is invited to a dance, she is mocked by her stepsisters for having nothing to wear. With the help of her fairy Godfather, she is able to look beautiful and impress the guests at the ball, especially the prince. When the clock strikes midnight Cinderella must hurry home before her extravagant clothing turns back into rags. Hurrying down the stairs, she leaves a glass slipper behind. The prince uses this glass slipper to find Cinderella. They get married and live happily ever after. 3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS CINDERELLA: A FASHIONABLE TALE is a retelling of the classic fairytale, Cinderella. While this is a faithful retelling of the story we all know and love, Steven Guarnaccia’s illustrations bring a fresh new twist. ...

Golem’s Latkes 1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY Kimmel, Eric.  2011. GOLEM’S LATKES.  Ill. by Aaron Jasinski. New York: Marshall Cavendish. ISBN  978-0-7614-5904-0 2.  PLOT SUMMARY GOLEM’S LATKES is inspired by the original legend of the Golem, and also by the old tale, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. In this story, Rabbi Judah creates a giant out of clay, and through kabbalistic rituals, brings him to life and names him Golem. Golem will do whatever is asked of him, however, he must be told when to stop. With Hannukkah approaching, Rabbi Judah has much to do and little time to do it. He recruits his maid, Basha, to help make latkes while he goes into town, and allows her to use Golem to assist her. He warns her to never leave the house while Golem is working, because he must be told to stop. While Golem is making latkes, Basha decides to visit her friend. Without being told to stop making the latkes, Golem makes so many that there are latkes...

Draw! By Raúl Colón Bibliographic Data: Colón, Raúl . (2014). Draw!. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4424-9492-3 Plot Summary: Using only illustrations, Raúl Colón tells the story of a young boy who transports himself from his room to an African safari through his drawings. Critical Analysis: Although Draw! Is entirely wordless, Raúl Colón brings his story to life through extraordinary illustrations. The pages of Draw! are tinted yellow, which evokes a sense of nostalgia in the reader. When the young boy in the story begins to sketch pictures of the world he read about in his book, he is transported into an African safari. The illustrations in the story change from simple line drawings to a textured and vibrant scene to demonstrate the shift from reality to the boy’s imagination. Through drawing, the boy inserts himself into his book. His art allows him to experience things that would otherwise be impossible, such as making friends with an elephant, or facing a c...

Eloise by Kay Thompson Illustrated by Hilary Knight Bibliographic Data: Thompson, Kay. 1955. Eloise . Ill. by Hilary Knight. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0-671-22350-2 Plot Summary: Eloise is a six year old girl who lives at The Plaza in New York. She keeps herself busy by pouring water down the mail chute, ordering room service, taking care of her baby dolls, and by gracing the employees and other patrons with her presence. There is a lot to be done when you’re a six year old at The Plaza! Critical Analysis:  Kay Thompson perfectly captures the mind of a six year old child through her writing style in Eloise . On some pages, Eloise describes what she sees and does through long rambling monologues, and on others, there are short bursts of speech, but there are hardly ever periods. Since the story is told entirely by Eloise, the reader sees what life at a bustling big city hotel building looks like to a child. Things that might seem mundane to adults are extrao...