SLIS 5420 - Module 3 - Book Blog - Time of Wonder

Time of Wonder  by Robert McCloskey
Pub. Date: December 1957
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Format: Hardcover, 64pp
Age Range: 5 to 8
ISBN: 0670715123


"...standing alone on the edge of nowhere..." Time of Wonder by Robert McCloskey follows children on a summer adventure of doing nothing but enjoying the nature that surrounds them in Maine. The illustrations evoke such strong emotions and the body language conveyed through the simple, yet beautiful art does much to help the reader feel what the children feel. I thought this book was wonderfully illustrated and really enjoyed reading it. I think it might be a book you would pass up at first because it the cover doesn't look very exciting, but once you pick it and actually read it you find it is fantastic.

Book Review

Find this page online at: http://www.kidsaboard.com/magazine/book_reviews/time_of_wonder_mccloskey.shtml


Book Review - Time of Wonder by Robert McCloskey

A classic that belongs on every family's bookshelf
By Lupe Tucker
Posted Tuesday, May 1, 2007

Robert McCloskey's book "Time of Wonder" is a breath of fresh air. It is a classic picture book that, even though it was first published in 1958, never loses its freshness and joy.
"Time of Wonder" is a book about the beauty of the outdoors and the life we weave around the sun, the sky, the sea and the weather. In its 63 pages it reminds us of the smell of rain before it starts to fall, the cold, squishy feeling of wet sand between our toes on a hot summer day, the sound of the wind between the tall pines on a rocky shore, the way the sun shimmers on the bay andthe color of it melting below the horizon.
It's a story about a family that spends its summers in a cottage on an island in Maine. The main mode of travel is by boat, be it outboard, lobster boat or sailing dinghy. Clams are often on the menu, freshly dug up from the beach, and everybody knows everybody.
It's a story about the way life used to be, when kids could feel free to explore on their own, sailing around the bay for hours, exploring islands, having picnics and jumping off of rocks into salty water.
The first time I read "Time of Wonder" I felt a longing for a youth I never had! Not having grown up in Maine, of course, I never even heard of a lobster boat until I became an adult, but I immediately wanted to share this story with my kids. I wanted them to feel that same longing as I did, and want deep down in their hearts to have that kind of fun in their childhood. It is a book for dreamers, for quiet contemplation and admiration of the world around us.
"Take a farewell look at the waves and the sky. Take a farewell sniff of the salty sea. A little bit sad about the place you are leaving, a little bit glad about the place you are going. It is a time of quiet wonder- for wondering, for instance: Where do hummingbirds go in a hurricane?"
Robert McCloskey illustrated this book himself, and was awarded a Caldecott Medal for his work. I can't recommend it enough! Treat yourself and your family with this book. It is worth it.


Library Uses

I would use this book as a read aloud when students are working on descriptive language and voice. McCloskey's use of vocabulary to describe the summer time in Maine is a great example of how to paint a picture with words. I would have the students pick their favorite lines from the book and illustrate their own page or create similar passages for their own summer memories and illustrate those as well.

SLIS 5420 - Module 3 - Book Blog - The Blacker the Berry

The Blacker the Berry by Joyce Carol Thomas
Pub. Date: July 2008
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Format: Hardcover, 32pp
Age Range: 4 to 8
ISBN: 0060253754

I was so moved by the poems in this book. I think it would be so great to use this book at the beginning of the year to talk about differences in the classroom and to help students start the year off in a good way. By demonstrating to all students that beauty comes in many different shades we can influence our students for years to come. My favorite poem from the book was "The Blacker the Berry", so beautiful!

This is a collection of poems that celebrates the uniqueness of the African American heritage through the many colors found in skin tone. Each poem uses descriptions of berries to create a beautiful picture of our many human shades.

Reviews

Kirkus Reviews


"What shade is human?" Thomas's evocative, colorful poetry seeks to answer that question with this celebration of the diversity of African-American children across the spectrum. From "Raspberry Black" to "Golden Goodness," Cooper's soft and realistic illustrations almost leap from the page, incorporating natural images from the text in their depiction of a gallery of beautiful, self-confident children. Difficult intraracial social issues related to skin color are handled with truth and respect. For instance, in the poem "Snowberries," a fair-skinned child speaks back to those who would question her identity: "The words cut deep down / Beyond the bone / Beneath my snowy skin / Deep down where no one can see / I bleed the ‘one drop of blood' / That makes Black me." On the page opposite, an auburn-haired girl smiles at the reader, eyes twinkling. An essential picture book that helps young children understand and appreciate differences in skin color. As the epigraph states so truthfully, "Colors, without black, / couldn't sparkle quite so bright." (Picture book/poetry. 5-10)

From Booklist


Black comes in all shades from dark to light, and each is rich and beautiful in this collection of simple, joyful poems and glowing portraits that show African American diversity and connections. In the title poem, a smiling girl says, “Because I am dark, the moon and stars shine brighter.” Other pages have fun with terms, such as skin deep and night shade. A grandma turns “Coffee will make you black” from a warning into something great. A boy is proud to be raspberry black as he reads his great-great-grandmother’s journal about her love for her Seminole Indian husband. A girl says she is “cranberry red” from her father’s Irish ancestry. In the final, joyful double-page spread, the kids celebrate their individual identities and laugh together. Many families will want to talk about this and their own family roots: “We count who we are / And add to all who came before us.” Preschool-Grade 2. --Hazel Rochman

Library Uses
Of course this book would be perfect for February and Black History Month, but it could also be used in many other ways. The poems could be learned and then performed during poetry lessons. As a classmate has suggested the book could be enjoyed with a snack of berries and yogurt. We could grow berries in the school garden or have students bring in berries from home to paint, discuss and compare to their own skin.

SLIS 5720 - Blog 1 - Individual Technology Assessment

As an educator, what are your present strengths and weaknesses in technology? How do you plan to use your strengths? How do you plan to address the weaknesses?

My greatest strength when technology is concerned is my willingness to try anything and keep an open mind. I also think my willingness to ask questions is a strength. Technology is rapidly changing and there is always someone who can help explain the newest trends. Whether it be someone directly involved with the creation of the technology, or just simply someone who loves to learn new things, you can always find help when you need it. My weaknesses where technology are concerned would probably be time constraints on learning new technology as well as the lack of time to really explore in depth the many advances made everyday. I plan on being a good example for my students by showing them it's ok to ask questions and work together on learning new technologies. I will address my weaknesses by setting aside time to spend making myself familiar with new developments even if I am not able to fully explore them. By just being familiar I can at least provide my students with a starting point to new experiences.