Mrs. Kirkpatrick's Bookshelf

Quintero, Isabel. (2014). Gabi: A Girl In Pieces . TX: Cinco Punto Press. Gabi is a Mexican-American high school senior with a lot on her plate. Her best friend is experiencing an unplanned pregnancy, and her other best friend is dealing with the repercussions of coming out as gay to his unsupportive father. Her father, a meth addict, is rarely home and Gabi has a hard time knowing how to connect with him when he is home. She is also navigating her relationship with her mother, which she describes as a light switch, one minute they are on and the next minute they are off. She wants to live her life as a teenager, but doesn't want her mother to think she is becoming "too white" and leaving home to become a "bad girl" and have sex with all the boys in town. She finds two things that help her cope with all these issues: poetry, and food (which she says makes her a "gordita"). Throughout the year, Gabi faces many challenges and traumatic events that she ...

Chapter 6: Picture Books When evaluating picture books, it is important to use a criteria to ensure that your books will be of value to your library hold up over time in the hands of children. Avoid describing books as "cute", "funny", "sweet", as that does not tell much about the story. Ask yourself these questions when deciding on purchasing a book: 1.What are the theme/themes, and are they significant to children? 2. Do the illustrations aid in telling the story? Illustrations should support and enhance the text. Children should be able to look at just the pictures and know what is happening in the story. Wordless picture books are wonderful for ELL's and their families. 3. Does the book respect it's audience? Or does it talk in a condescending way? The text should talk to the children as if they are part of the story. 4. Do the illustrations develop and enhance the characters? Illustrations alone should show character traits (dainty, fragi...