Title: Lou Gehric: The Luckiest Man

Author: David A. Adler

Illustrator: Terry Widener

Award: National Parenting Gold Award in 1997

Medium: Watercolor painting

Genre: Biography

Theme: Lou Gehric was very honored professional baseball player.

Summary: It is a biography of Lou Gehric from birth to death. He was famous for modest and brave Yankees baseball player in 1930’s. He died from deadly disease.

Biography Analysis:

It is about one person, Lou Gehric. There are few imagined conversations in the book. For example, “On May 2, 1939, he told Joe McCarthy, “I’m benching myself… for the good of the team.”

The book is chronological because the book started with birth to death with events in order of occurrence. This book is in category of biographies of the past. Because the author praised Lou Gehric being depicted and put an emphasis only the good qualities of Lou Gehric. After the book, I was led to believe that Lou Gehric is portrayed as “hero”.

Accuracy:

I checked if the information about Lou Gehric and it was accurate. The author wrote hundreds books and he is devoted Yankees fan. And the information was accurate, however, the book about Lou Gehric didn’t include everything about him. It only included his personality, devotion to baseball Yankees, deadly disease, and how he was honored as baseball player. The book included specific dates, specific name of the disease, and specific on how he was honored on baseball stadium.

Social Details: Setting and Plot:

The facts and story line are integrated as the picture and text are. The social details are interesting because it includes facts that he never missed a game for 14 years. He was nicknamed as Iron Horse. It also talked about how he got sick with a deadly disease that affects the central nervous system (ALS). It also includes his accomplishments. He won American League’s most valuable player.

Portrayal of the Subject:

Lou Gehric as the character in the book was well developed. After the book, I learned a lot about him as person and what he did in his baseball career. The stereotypes are avoided. They are illustrated as what the place looked like and people look like in 1930’s. Even the illustrator drew how they dress their baseball Yankees uniform.

Style:

The writing style is comprehensible and engaging. I was very fascinated with the story and the students, especially who loves sports, would enjoy this book. The text matches the pictures. It even showed emotions and I felt emotional about how he was honored right before his death. So to be emotional about his life, the complex topics are explained adequately. It also included specific dates on these occurrences.

Theme:

He was a ‘hero’ in the 1930’s being admired by Yankees fan. It was written about all good qualities about him. The book gives the readers the sense of good side of Lou Gehric. He was honored and considered as modest, lucky man. It doesn’t include anything negative about him except how he died. I learned about him when I read the book for first time and I believe he was a good person because it was accurate that he was well respected by his coaches, teammates, and Yankees fans.

Illustrations:

As I mentioned before, the illustrations were well drawn because they help the reader visualize the time and place. It shows very clear that the story was taken in early 1900’s when Lou Gehric was born and played baseball in his life. The illustrations illuminate the character of the subject. The illustrations showed how modest he was. His coaches and teammates respected him. The fans loved them. It was emotional book. It wouldn’t be if there were no illustrations on the book.

My evaluation on this book is that it is great book with positive qualities about Lou Gehric. It has included specific facts and emotions people had about Lou Gehric. It was interesting book because it was first time I heard of him. The children who loves sports or any readers would enjoy this book.

Amelia & Eleanor Go For a Ride

The Other Side by Woodson

Title: The Other Side

Author: Jacqueline Woodson

Illustrator: E.B. Lewis

Medium: Lifelike watercolor

Theme: In children’s eyes, the skin didn’t matter.

Summary:

It is about black girl, Clover and white girl, Annie wanting to play together but their mothers told them to not cross the fence. So they sat together and became friends. Clover’s friends became friends with Annie too then they think the fence should be taken down.

Genre: Historical Fiction

It is a historical fiction book because the racial tensions and segregation truly happened during Civil Rights movement in 1960's. The fiction part is the characters and the story of friendship. It is combined together to make a story.

Literacy Elements:

Setting:

Setting is really important in historical fiction. The book has well-drawn illustrations that includes what the readers need to know when and where the story is taken. For example, the houses are old fashioned and the clothes the children and mothers wore. The book didn’t tell when or where the story is taken so instead the illustrations tell the setting. The readers could identify that it is during Civil Rights movement and segregation. The fence symbolized as segregation. Therefore, the setting is integral.

Plot:

The plot is sequence of events. It is progressive plot where there is a process when the girls overcome the risks to develop their friendship. Since it is historical fiction, it gives the conflict where the girls could go through that period of time. The young children can identify with their conflicts because they know they would want to be friends. It is from child’s eyes, first point of view perspective. So the young readers could relate. It is self versus society. Mothers are the symbol of society that practiced segregation. The fence is symbol of the segregation. The girls found the way around it by sitting on it. There is no stereotypes or bias in the book.

Characterization:

The characters are well developed. They are possibly real characters that they tend to play outside when it is sunny. Clover is a main character. She was telling the story from her point of view (first point of view). Annie Paul was also main character that she became friends with Clover despites of the fence. They are child like because they seemed from 8 to 10 years old. The young readers can understand them easily that they can identify their problems.

Theme:

The book has the clear theme where it shows the girls cherishing their friendship against the society that should separate them. The author wanted to include interesting story for young readers to relate and think about segregation history for children. They could be friends but the society stopped them. The young readers could learn more about history through historical fiction. There are few specific symbols standing for real world application. It is well readily identified through plot and characters. The text and illustrations fit together well.

Style:

The author has unique style that it has rich language that children can understand. Because it is told by first point of view of little black girl, the young readers can relate. They can be read or read aloud. It also includes symbols that represent the society and history events of segregation. The illustration was well impressed because it describes everything inside the house, weather, yard, people’s clothes, town, and fence. The illustration matches the text that showed history of that period of time. It is a simple book for the children to enjoy and relate to the historical events.

Evaluation/reflection:

I personally enjoyed this book. It is a simple book. I did the book telling for this book in the classroom. It was a good experience, but it doesn’t include much of critical thinking. It is a historical fiction so it shows the history itself. When I will teach about civil rights movement, I would recommend them to read this book on their reading time. I don’t think I will require or book telling this story because there are so many picture books related to Civil Rights movement.

Klondike Gold

Wagons West

Title: Wagons West!

Author and Illustrator: Roy Gerrard

Genre: Picture Book – Historical Fiction

Theme: New beginnings, a action-packed ride filled with hazards, never giving up regardless of obstacles on the way

Summary: The narrator and her parents decided to embark on a journey on the Oregon Trail with the hopes of finding rich green land out West. The pioneers had a guide in Buckskin Dan, the man who convinced them of opportunities that await them. Throughout the story, the pioneers had to fight off robbers, travel down by rafts on the Columbia River, trade with Indians, and finally settle down in Willamette Valley.

Literary Elements:

This book is classified as a historical fiction book due to the accurate portrayal and usage of the setting/time period. The author provided an integral setting as the action, character, and theme are all influenced by the time and place. The book opens up with an introduction of the setting, “Way back in eighteen-fifty, when Americans were thrifty, The times were hard, so most folks had to toil; My mama, my pa, and me labored hard to guarantee That we’d earn a living from the barren soil.” The author then continued the story as the family starts planning their trip to Oregon, in hopes of finding rich green land. The plot is heavily influenced by the setting due to the whole concept of moving out West and how the family finally reached Oregon regardless of the dangerous journey.

The language is described as “jaunty verse,” throughout the book the language was presented in a rhythmic pattern following the format of ABAB. The flow of this pattern didn’t quite match the historical aspect of the unexpected happenings that appear over the course of the Oregon Trail. It provided the reader a sense of relaxation instead of suspense. However the places included in the story such as Columbia River and different Indian tribes were factual and authentic. The language also provided detail of what the characters had to overcome, for example:

“After weeks of perspiration, we were close to desperation, When we reached Columbia River’s rocky shore, Where our prospects looked so slim and the way ahead so grim, That we felt we could not go on anymore.”

During one part of the book, the characters traded with the Indians, which was historically proven to be true. The Indians near Oregon traded potatoes and other vegetables, which was beneficial to the pioneers.

The characters expressed their fears and concerns about what the future held for them, which reflected the time period of how people embarked on a journey not knowing what to expect.

The illustrations enhanced the plot and the setting through authentic paintings of the area matching the time period. For example, the clothing, the tools, the wagons and the animals reflected the time period.

Evaluation:

The question of accuracy in regards to the historical aspect has come into discussion. The places, emotions of the characters, and the obstacles they face are accurate but however the language does not really appear to reflect the mood appropriately. This is a great book for young children learning about the American history of migrating West.

What I found shocking regarding this book was how it is no longer in print, therefore a brand new book selling on Amazon is from $77.24 up to $147.62!

Almost to Freedom

The Bracelet