Genre 5 (Historical Fiction) One Crazy Summer

One Crazy Summer

By: Rita Williams-Garcia

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Williams-Garcia, Rita. 2010. ONE CRAZY SUMMER. New York, N.Y. HaperCollins Publishing. ISBN-978-0-06-076088-5

SUMMARY

Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern Gaither fly from New York to Oakland, California in the summer of 1968 to meet their estranged mother Cecile who “abandoned” them at an early age. When meeting their mother in the airport the girls struggle to identify with their neglectful mother, but in the end feel closer to her than ever. 

CRITICAL ANALYSIS     

The characters that author Rita Williams-Garcia presents in her historical fiction novel are brilliantly planned. Williams-Garcia has created characters that are easy for her readers to either identify with or to connect to individuals that they have come into contact with in the past. Delphine Gaither is the oldest sister who is a strong and courageous thirteen year old who takes on the role of a “mother” or “caregiver” to her younger sisters while they are in Oakland. Many young teens today have to take care of their younger siblings while their parents are working or have parents who have a more passive or neglectful parenting style. Vonetta Gaither is the middle child who likes to follow the crowd and be the center of attention. Every young reader can identify with or has come into contact with another individual who always has to be the center of attention and does what everyone else is doing to be accepted. Fern Gaither is the youngest sibling that carries around a white baby doll named Miss Patty Cakes wherever she goes. Even though this book would be too advanced for readers who are Ferns age, readers can still remember when they were young and had a security blanket or pacifier. Cecile (also known as Sister Nzila) is the artistic and mysterious mother of the girls who “loved peace and quiet, loved her printing press, and loved her poetry.” Big Ma and Papa are the girls' grandparents who raised the girls, and Sister Mukumbu was the girls' teacher at “The People’s Center” where they went to get breakfast every morning and attended the “Summer Camp” that turned out to be deeper than any old ordinary summer camp.

Williams-Garcia utilizes appropriate language and slang word patterns throughout her text that assists her readers in understanding historic and appropriate language during the time period of the civil rights movement. “I felt silly and wrong calling a grown person Brother So-and-So or Sister Such-and Such, but thanks to Cecile, we now had brothers and sisters we had never before laid eyes on. Sure, they said “brutha” and “sistah” in Brooklyn, but here it was more of a title and not like you were saying “him” or “her. As far as I could tell, none of the grown people at the Center went by Mr., Mrs., or Miss.” Williams-Garcia also does an outstanding job including the attitudes of African American individuals and the pride they had in their culture during this time period. There is a conversation in the text that depicts perfectly the attitude and pride that many African American individuals had toward their culture at this time. The conversation was between Crazy Kelvin, who is much older than the girls and whom they meet at the Center, and the three girls. “Li’l Sis, are you a white girl or a black girl?” Fern said, “I’m a colored girl.” He didn’t like the sound of “colored girl.” He said, “Black girl.” Fern said, “Colored.” “Black girl.”…”All right, then. “Cullid” girls,”… “Why are you carrying the self-hatred around in your arms?” Big-beaked, stringy-hair Kelvin looked pleased with himself. I said, “That’s not self-hatred. That’s her doll.” “Yeah, a baby doll.” “Miss Patty Cakes.” “Are your eyes blue like hers? Is your hair blond like hers? Is your skin white like hers?” Crazy Kelvin was trying to make Fern and her sisters feel as if they were betraying or misrepresenting their own race.      

Williams-Garcia has created an ideal depiction of life during the Civil Right Movement. Included in her text is historical information that is relevant and accurate for the time period that she is representing. Williams-Garcia references iconic individuals, groups and events that hold important meaning in the mid to late 1960’s. Only Big Ma and I watch the news. Big Ma enjoys hearing about all the trouble going on in the world. It isn’t that she actually likes it. She just needs to hear about everything and talk about it…..Big Ma gives me her opinion while I wash dishes. You name it. President LBJ, Ho Chi Minh in North Vietnam, Martin Luther King’s funeral, Bobby Kennedy’s funeral, The race riot, the sit-ins, Elizabeth Taylor’s next husband, and The Black Panthers, each hold Big Ma’s interest. Williams-Garcia also includes other social groups that were iconic of the 1960’s who weren’t considered part of African American culture, but made a huge impact during this time period. “We didn’t see many hippies in Brooklyn, not where we lived; and there was a whole tribe of them before us, all kinds of mostly white hippies with long, hanging hair. You couldn’t miss the guy in the green, red, and white Mexican poncho or the moppy hair covering his face. I’d have called it an Afro except it was on a white guy’s head. I wondered if that made a difference. The hippies sat on the grass. One read a small book. Three girls swayed while Poncho Man played the guitar. They must have been out protesting and were done for the day. Their signs lay on the grass: PEACE. BAN THE DRAFT.MAKE LOVE, NOT WAR.”  

While reading through the text, readers one can’t help but recognize the differences of opinions and the segregation among diverse cultures and social groups that are represented. Williams-Garcia presents a situation in her text with the three girls while they are in China Town that sticks out vividly in the minds of her readers as an example of the lack of culture awareness among individuals who lived during this time period. “I’d seen white people before. On TV. At school. Everywhere. These people didn’t look like any white people I had ever seen. Even their skin was paler, their hair more white then yellow. I listened as they spoke to one another, probably about us, using flugal, schlugal words. Then, instead of taking pictures of all the Chinese people and the temples and dragons, they pointed their cameras at us. Vonetta started to pose movie star-style with one hand behind her head and the other on her slim hip. I grabbed Vonetta’s and Fern’s hands and said, “Come on.”       

Williams-Garcia also includes information in her text about the economy, the price of goods, and the value of a dollar. Including this information in the text will help her readers visualize and recognize the economic differences between today’s economy and the 1960’s. “I picked up one head of cabbage. Seventeen Cents. One onion. Eight cents. Two potatoes. Twenty-three cents. One package of chicken thighs and one package of wings. One dollar and forty-seven cents….. Lastly, but most important, I dropped a can of stewed prunes into our shopping basket. Forty-nine cents.”         

Williams-Garcias unforgettable historical fiction novel is set during one of the most chaotic years in recent American history. Williams-Garcia includes a poem in her text that Cecile wrote that helps her readers understand and recognize the true pain and torment that many African American people felt during the Civil Rights movement. Vonetta changed the poem “I Birthed a Nation” that Cecile wrote to “I Birthed a Black Nation” as the girls recited the poem at the rally. “All that was missing was Cecile to see and hear us recite her poem. I’m sure she wouldn’t have appreciated Vonetta sprinkling “black” into her poem like pepper, but the crowd loved it, and we went along, following Vonetta’s lead, throwing in the word black as she had.” 

“I birthed a black nation”
From my womb black creation
spill forth
to be
stolen
shackled
dispersed.”

“I dispatched black warriors
raged against unjust barriers
to find
the black and strong had fallen
divided
deceived
overcome.”

“Black oceans separate us
tortured cries
songs
of black greatness
Still echo in my canal.”

“Hear the reverberation
of a stolen black nation
forever lost
to foreign shores
where thieves do not atone
and Mother Africa cannot be consoled.”

Williams-Garcia has created an outstanding and phenomenal historical fiction novel for her readers that has the perfect balance of fact and fiction that is vital to the historical time period that is represented. Williams-Garcia embeds a plethora of historical information in her text that isn’t overwhelming for her readers taking away from their literature experience. She has brilliantly woven historical information throughout her text so that readers don’t feel they are reading a textbook or receiving a history lesson, but are reading a story that takes place during a time period that was crucial to American history.

I would recommend that every young reader give this book a chance. One Crazy Summer is an excellent book for young readers to reference who are interested in the Civil Rights movement. William-Garcia’s historical fiction novel indicates that the novel was written for those children who witnessed and were part of necessary change. The novel is a must read and can and will change the lives and attitude of its readers.

“Peace is power, sweet soul sister.” ~San Francisco Flower Girl~     

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Kirkus Reviews -starred review- “Delphine is the pitch-perfect older sister, wise beyond her years, an expert at handling her siblings...while the girls are caught up in the difficulties of adults, their resilience is celebrated and energetically told with writing that snaps off the page”

The New York Times - “In One Crazy Summer Williams-Garcia presents a child’s-eye view of the Black Panther movement within a powerful and affecting story of sisterhood and motherhood.

Booklist - starred review - “Regimented, responsible, strong-willed Delphine narrates in an unforgettable voice, but each of the sisters emerges as a distinct, memorable character, whose hard-won, tenuous connections with their mother build to an aching, triumphant conclusion.”

Publishers Weekly -“Delphine’s growing awareness of injustice on a personal and universal level is smoothly woven into the story in poetic language that will stimulate and move readers.”

School Library Journal - starred review - “Emotionally challenging and beautifully written, this book immerses readers in a time and place and raises difficult questions of cultural and ethnic identity and personal responsibility. With memorable characters (all three girls have engaging, strong voices) and a powerful story, this is a book well worth reading and rereading.”

Horn Book - starred review - “The setting and time period are as vividly realized as the characters, and readers will want to know more about Delphine and her sisters after they return to Brooklyn...”

CONNECTIONS

Related Text

A Dream of Freedom: The Civil Rights Movement from 1954 to 1968 - Diane Mcwhorter - ISBN-13: 978-0439576789
Child of the Civil Rights Movement (Junior Library Guild Selection) - Paula Young Shelton and Raul Colon - ISBN-10: 0375843140
Freedom Summer - Deborah Wiles - ISBN-13: 978-0689878299
Freedom's Children: Young Civil Rights Activists Tell Their Own Stories - Ellen S. Levine - ISBN-13: 978-0698118706
Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-Ins - Carole Boston Weatherford - ISBN-13: 978-0142408940

Tips

eHow (Family) provides tips on how to teach children about civil rights.

Link: http://www.ehow.com/how_2106699_teach-child-civil-rights.html

YOUTUBE Video

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Had a Dream Speech”.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYUCLMjUcbk

Facts

Facts related to the Civil Rights Movement for young readers and alternative links related to the Civil Rights Movement.

Link: http://www.kidskonnect.com/subject-index/16-history/410-civil-rights-movement.html

Activity Resource

PBS Teachers resource provides 9 different activities associated with the civil rights movement for all grade levels.

Link: http://www.pbs.org/teachers/thismonth/civilrights/index1.html

Genre 5 (Historical Fiction) Under The Blood-Red Sun

Under The Blood-Red Sun
by: Graham Salisbury

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Salisbury, Graham. 1994. UNDER THE BLOOD-RED SUN. New York, N.Y. A Yearling Book. ISBN: 0-440-41139-4

SUMMARY

Thirteen year old Japanese American Tomikazu (Tomi) Nakaji’s life quickly changes when his best friend and he witness Japanese fighter planes flying over a field near his home in Hawaii. Shortly after Tomi’s Japanese native father and grandfather are arrested by American military and placed into ‘War Relocation Camps”, Tomi quickly has to become the man of the house, take care of his mother and young sister. Despite the many misunderstanding that plague Tomi’s family during December of 1941, with the support of his good friends Tomi manages to hold everything together and keep Japanese tradition alive in his family.          

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Scott O’Dell Award winner Graham Salisbury has created an unforgettable novel of courage, survival and friendship. Salisbury’s historical fiction novel of Tomi’s experiences being Japanese during World War II informs his readers of the unfortunate biased attitudes American citizens had towards Japanese immigrants and Japanese Americans during War World II. Even though Tomi is an American citizen, he himself experienced prejudice while standing in line at the grocery store with his mother. “I studied the dirty paint on the side of the store. Soon a gap appeared between Mama and me and the people behind us. In front of us there was also a gap. I looked behind me again, this time into the eyes of a lady glaring straight into mine. In my whole life, I’ll never forget that look. I realized that what that lady saw wasn’t just a boy and his mother…What she saw was a Japanese boy, and his Japanese mother.” Salisbury’s vivid description of Tomi’s encounter with the woman at the grocery store assists his readers in understanding the discomfort that many Japanese individuals felt during World War II and after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. Tomi’s mother, who was a maid for Mr. Wilson and lived on his land, forced her family to use English when speaking because Mr. Wilson didn’t approve of them speaking Japanese while on his land. Even though Tomi’s family used broken English, they used it to throw off American soldiers who could be watching them, hoping to fit in with the other American Japanese in Hawaii. “In Japanese, Mama said, “Can’t you listen to your grandson, oji-chan? Then in English “Mr. Wilson no like that kine….we could lose the house!” Grandpa Joji had no shame in being Japanese and flying his Japanese flag high. “Grandpa was issei, first generation Japanese immigrant, and looked at things in a certain way. The Japanese way which was stern and obedient.” later in the novel his passion for his culture gets him arrested and placed into a “War Relocation Camp” with Tomi’s father.  While reading through the novel I also noticed that there was prejudice toward Americans from the Japanese. Tomi’s family calling his friend Billy a “white boy” or “haole boy” which would be considered prejudiced even though in the novel it didn’t seem to bother Billy. Salisbury has created an image through his descriptive writing that will help his readers grasp the amount of tension and hate that many of the Japanese and Americans had towards one another.  

Salisbury does a fantastic job including Japanese culture and tradition into the novel. Many of his readers may not be accustomed to Japanese tradition and would find these traditions interesting, becoming appreciative of diverse traditions and rituals. The novel discusses Tomi having a conversation with Billy about his Grandpa Joji having a butsudan, which holds religious meaning for Joji “What is all that? Who’s in that picture?” he said, nodding over to our family butsudan, a black boxlike thing with doors that opened to a small stage….. On the stage inside the butsudan was a small photograph of my grandmother.” “That’s ….kind of like an alter…to remember Grandma by. That’s her in the picture.” “Why’s she in an altar? What could I say? Well…she died, and Grandpa….Grandpa talks to her.” “He does it all the time. And he lights some incense for her when the sun rises and when it sets. Every day. See, her spirit gives him guidance, and protection. That’s what Mama says. The butsudan is a place you can go to, when you need some help, when you have a problem.” “The same as going to church?” Hanging above the butsudan is a picture of the Japanese Emperor Hirohito. Tomi’s family katana or samurai sword is also a symbol of Japanese tradition that is mentioned in the novel. “The katana had been in our family for over three hundred years.”

Throughout Salisbury’s novel there is a large amount of symbolic representation and meaning of the Japanese culture. Even though the racer pigeons that Tomi’s father and grandpa cherished weren’t symbolic of Japanese culture, I interpreted these pigeons as symbolizing freedom, determination and loyalty. While reading Salisbury’s novel I realized that these birds could be representative of the freedom that Japanese immigrants were determined to have in the United States. I also feel the loyalty that these birds have to their owners and their homes is symbolic of family traditions that are mentioned throughout the novel. Tomi’s friend Billy is a perfect symbolization of friendship. Billy and his family never judged Tomi for being Japanese or left his side after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. Billy continued to be a loyal part of their baseball team “The Rats” until they won their game against the Kaka’aka Boys.  Billy also showed sympathy for Sanji, who was a fisherman on Tomi’s father’s fishing boat, after he had been killed by American soldiers.

Under the Blood-Red Sun is an ideal title for Salisbury’s novel. The red sun is symbolic of the red dot that the Japanese fighters had on the side when they flew over Tomi and Billy the day they were playing baseball at Diamond Grass. December 7, 1941 was the day the United States was under attack by Japan, who bombed Pearl Harbor.

Information and events that occurred throughout Salisbury’s novel are accurate with documented historical research and true events during World War II. Historically many of the attacks during World War II occurred at night. Salisbury included in his novel the event of Tomi’s hometown being required to black their windows out, blocking any light that could attract Japanese bomber's attention. This was an actual requirement of the people who were under attack. Salisbury includes an Epilogue at the conclusion of his novel that discusses what happened in 1945 after World War II ended. Adding the Epilogue at the conclusion of the book also give Salisbury’s readers a sense of closure because he didn’t mention that Tomi’s grandpa and father was released from the camps they had been taken to. The Epilogue gives his readers the idea that Tomi’s family was released and was compensated for their lost wages while being incarcerated. Salisbury’s novel provides his readers with opportunities to learn historical situations and facts; his novel can be given to his readers as a replacement for a history lesson, due to the rich historical text that is presented throughout his novel.  Salisbury has also provided his readers with a historical novel related to the attacks on Pearl Harbor that has a perfect balance of fact and fiction. The novel doesn’t overwhelming his readers with too much historical information, which can take away from the reader’s fictional reading experience.

Even though this novel isn’t a picture book, we can’t forget the cover illustrations by the amazing artist Kazu Sano. As Japanese fighters fly overhead, the two boys sit together in a tree gazing and pointing in disbelief toward the sky.  Sano has painted the ideal image of two young boys whose lives have changed right before their eyes.   

Salisbury has provided his readers with an inspirational, fictional story that is based on true events during World War II. His story teaches his readers about the obstacles that many people had to live with or overcome during and after World War II.  I would recommend that every young reader give Salisbury’s historical fiction novel Under the Blood Read Sun a try. It is truly an inspirational novel that motivates readers to want to learn more about the effects the bombing of Pearl Harbor had on the individuals who lived through the it.          

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Booklist – starred review- "Salisbury's action-packed novel focuses on the Japanese American perspective during World War II... It is a tribute to the writer's craft that, while there are no easy answers in this story, there is empathy for both cultures."

Kirkus Reviews- starred review- “Morally and psychologically complex, historically accurate and unforgettably gripping”

Publishers Weekly Book Review - starred review- "Torn between his love of all things American and the traditional ways of his parents and grandparents, a young Japanese American comes of age during the political upheaval of WWII."

The Horn Book -"Rich in historical detail, the book achieves moments of striking clarity as it explores issues of responsibility, blame, and identity."

CONNECTIONS

Additional Novels by Graham Salisbury for young readers

Eyes of the Emperor - Graham Salisbury - ISBN-13: 978-0440229568
House of the Red Fish - Graham Salisbury - ISBN-13: 978-0440238386
Lord of the Deep - Graham Salisbury - ISBN-13: 978-0440229117
Blue Skin of the Sea – Graham Salisbury - ISBN-13: 978-0440219057  

Related Websites:

Author Graham Salisbury’s personal website: http://www.grahamsalisbury.com/home.html

Readers, teachers and parents can explore Graham Salisbury’s personal website for related text and information about the author that can enhance the reader’s literature experience.

Illustrator Kasuhiko Sano’s personal website: http://www.kazusano.com/

Exploring this website would be a great way for readers to get to know the artist better. Readers can also view other work he has done for movie posters, postal stamps, etc. 

Activity Websites:

Kids Net is a great resource for teaching young children about the attacks on Pearl Harbor. The site provides an overview, historical significance, strategic appraisal, aftermath, and further reading that assists readers in their learning about the attacks on Pearl Harbor.

Resource: http://encyclopedia.kids.net.au/page/at/Attack_on_Pearl_Harbor

Link to Day of Infamy Speech by President Franklin D. Roosevelt 

Link: http://www.radiochemistry.org/history/nuclear_age/06_fdr_infamy.shtml  

PBS Kids provides teachers with a variety of ideas for teaching children about the attacks on Pearl Harbor. The Day of Infamy Speech can also be listened to on this website with a short clip.

Link: http://www.pbs.org/teachers/search/resources/?q=Pearl+Harbor&x=0&y=0

Study Guide
Link: http://www.conflictresolutionacademy.com/articles_ebooks_studyguides/Under%20the%20Blood%20Red%20Sun%20-%20Study%20Guide.pdf     

Genre 4- (Non-Fiction-Biography) The Extraordinary Mark Twain

The Extraordinary Mark

Twain (According to Susy)

By: Barbara Kerley

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kerley, Barbara. 2010. THE EXTRAORDINARY MARK TWAIN. By: Edwin Fotheringham. New York, NY. Scholastic Press. ISBN: 978-0-545-12508-6

SUMMARY

The Extraordinary Mark Twain(According to Susy) is a creative and personal bibliography of the brilliant Mark Twain, being told from the eyes of his talented daughter Susy. Susy shares the “true” side of her father that only his family could attest.     

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Barbara Kerley is BRILLANT!

 The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy) is one of the most outstanding biographies for young readers I have ever read. Kerley’s writing provides her readers with an enjoyable and amusing non-fiction literature experience being told from a child’s point of view. Kerley’s information about Mark Twain is on a more personal level, which will help her young readers view Mark Twain as an individual, not just as a historical figure. “Susy observed Papa carefully-how he stopped whatever he was doing, just to confer with a cat; how he paced the floor between courses at dinner, waving his napkin to punctuate a particular point; and how he let the housekeeper know when his shirts were missing buttons.”  Kerley’s choice to utilize Susy’s actual personal journal entries, misspellings and all, as a source for information adds depth to Mark Twain’s character for her readers. “Pap was born in Misouri…. And we know papa played “Hookey” all the time and how readily would papa have pretended to be dying so as not to have to go to school!” Due to the information that is presented in Kerley’s biography of Mark Twain being on a more personal level, not just on his literary work as an author or him as a “humorist jokester”, the information could be hard to find in other biographies about the history of Mark Twain's life. Susy’s dedication to making sure his audience knows that her father isn’t just a “jokester” makes The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy) that much more original and special. “Mark Twain was a humorist. Some folks called him the funniest man in America. But he was more-so much more. “I never saw a man with so much variety of feeling as Papa has.” Susy said, and she was determined to set the record straight.”   

Susy’s daily journal excerpts are cleverly designed to be separate mini-book inserts throughout the biography. Susy’s excerpts provide readers with a more reliable resource. The information that is presented about Mark Twain throughout this biography may be more believable for a young reader because the information is presented by his own daughter. 

Kerley provides her readers with a fantastic timeline of Mark Twain’s life, complete with a family picture, at the conclusion of the biography. This timeline is a great referencing tool for her readers. She also provides her readers with the sources she utilized for finding information for this text, including the handwritten notes from Mark Twain’s original manuscripts that are housed in the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections at the University of Virginia Library.  

The illustrator, Edwin Fotheringham, has captured in his illustrations a time period when there was enough time in a day and families sat together at the dinner tables enjoying each other’s company. Fotheringham does an outstanding job capturing the essence of Mark Twain’s life as it was during the time period he lived. Fotheringham has also capture in his illustrations a time period when smoking wasn’t considered a health hazard, having housekeepers and butlers was a "must have" for the wealthy, and women had no place in society outside of the home. A passage from Susy’s personal journal states, “Grandma couldn’t make papa go to school, so she let him go into a printing office to learn the trade.” This passage is illustrated by Mark Twain’s mother standing over him in her apron “poking” him with the handle of a broom stick, while he lies on the ground defiantly pretending to be dead. The quote and scene portrays that women didn’t make major decisions outside of the home, and usually their opinions didn’t hold much importance.    

Fotheringham’s illustrations capture the love that Mark Twain had for his furry friends. On almost every page there is a black or brown cat right next to him. Many times the illustrations have many cats following Mark Twain from page to page. Adding these furry friends to the illustrations presents a more personal, sensitive and loving side to Mark Twain with which young readers can identify.

Fotheringham’s illustrations are brightly colored and full of intricate details that cover every area of the page. Swirly, curly lines stream loosely across pages, contributing to the easy flow of information presented throughout the biography. The inconsistency of the fonts and colors of the text, from script to bold and from black to white, captures readers’ attention keeping them curious about what the next page will hold.   

Kerley and Fotheringham have created a delightful and fun learning experience for their audience. The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy) is another perfect example of how non-fiction can be stimulating and entertaining for readers of every age.  

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

The New York Times- “Kerley reveals the essence of Alice in an upbeat account of her life.”

Booklist- Starred Review- “The large format gives Fotheringham, in his debut, plenty of room for spectacular art.”

Kirkus Review- Starred Review- “A gleeful celebration of a fully, unapologetically led life.”

CONNECTIONS

Quotes

Mark Twain has so many fantastic documented quotes. Have your children/students find their favorite quote and discuss what it means to them.

"A person who won't read has no advantage over one who can't read." ~Mark Twain~

Other Biography’s

Charles Dickens and the Street Children of London- Andrea Warren ISBN-13: 978-0547395746
Albert Einstein - A Life Of Genius- Elizabeth MacLeod
A Picture Book of Helen Keller- David A. Adler, John Wallner, Alexandra Wallner - ISBN-13: 978-0823409501
A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr.- David A. Albert- ISBN-13: 978-0823408474

Mark Twain Resource:

The resource below is a great source for teachers/parents who are looking for information and activities about the life of Mark Twain. You will find a huge amount of information on this site.

http://suzyred.com/2011_The_Extraordinary_Mark_Twain.html

Activities

KERA (PBS) is a great source for 5 different classroom activities. These activities can be modified depending on the target age group being taught. 

Resource: http://www.pbs.org/marktwain/learnmore/activities.html

Genre 4 (Nonfiction) Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Parrot

Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's

Strangest Parrot

Text By: Sy Montgomery

Photography By: Nic Bishop

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Montgomery, Sy. (2010). KAKAPO RESCUE: SAVING THE WORLD’S STRANGEST PARROT. By: Nic Bishop. Boston, N.Y.  Houghton Mifflin. Books for Children. ISBN: 978-0-618-49417-0 

SUMMANY:

Sy Montgomery and Nic Bishop wait years for an opportunity to visit New Zealand’s Codfish Island in hopes to witness one of the world’s most fascinating “gentle giants”, the Kakapo parrot. Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot is an informational text about the tragic, yet amazing and curious life of a Kakapo, presented through Sy Montgomery’s experiences on Codfish Island with Nic Bishop and other important Kakapo conservationist team members.    

CRITAL ANALYSIS:

“I still feel sort of guilty” photographer Nic Bishop says to Sy Montgomery. “Part of the guilt stems from just being a person in a world horribly overcrowded with humans, buildings, factories, roads, and poisons. We are a species that seems to make a mess of the natural world wherever we go.”  Photographer Nic Bishop’s exact statement is one of many mentioned in this text that speaks loudly, echoing for days in the minds of Montgomery’s readers. Montgomery’s heartfelt ten day journey on Codfish Island presents the true meaning behind being a “greenie”.

Montgomery and Bishop’s brilliant descriptions and photography of the life of a kakapo on Codfish Island provide their readers with so much more meaning then just words being read in a book. Montgomery and Bishop have given the kakapos a chance at survival by educating readers about these absolutely extraordinary flightless birds. Montgomery compares each kakapo to a Mona Lisa, a Taj Mahal, or a Hope Diamond. "Each is a treasure of unsurpassed rarity and value. But unlike a painting, a building, or a gem, each kakapo is a living treasure, a treasure that loves its own life."  This statement allows readers to understand just how fragile and rare these remarkable birds truly are. Montgomery describes the forest of New Zealand’s Codfish Island “as if at times you are walking through a fairy tale”. Bishop’s breathtaking images of the bright green luscious terrain of Codfish Island back-up Montgomery’s statement in every way possible. With the help of many selfless people, Montgomery and Bishop’s gallant attempts at educating the world about these ground foraging creatures may be these birds’ only means of survival. Their extraordinary and rather rare experiences on Codfish Island will change the lives of their readers, making them think twice about their everyday decisions which could not only affect them but affect their environment around them.

 “Tristan was up near the booming bowls triangulating today when he tuned into Bill’s channel. To his horror, he got the sad, distinctive “mortality” signal that sounded when a bird has not moved in a long time: A fast beep-beep-beep, urgent as a heart attack. But in this case, there was nothing to be done.” Montgomery’s text though tragic and heartbreaking at times still seems to clutch the attention of her readers. Montgomery’s text makes readers feel as if they, too, are right by her and Bishop’s side, climbing up steep, wet, mossy trails and crawling over cold and muddy fern covered trees trunks, just to get a glance of a kakapo in its natural environment and to learn more about these rare honey smelling creatures. Montgomery includes a “P.S.: The Story Continues” excerpt at the conclusion of her story, which contributes to the understanding of the rarity of the kakapo. Montgomery informs her readers that there were eighty-seven kakapo when she and Bishop left Codfish Island, there are now still less than one hundred and fifty  kakapos in the world.  Due to unpredictable mating seasons and tragic accidents of mama kakapos losing or crushing their eggs in the nest, these birds do not multiply quickly. Before these birds had been brought to the brink of extension by settlers in New Zealand, kakapos were plentiful and flourishing. Montgomery described their abundance by comparing them to shaking apples off of an apple tree during harvesting season; they would fall out of the trees in droves.             

Montgomery’s uses terminology such as transmitter, incubator, triangulating, centigrade, Gale Warning, Ngai Tahu and Maori, contributing to the expansion of her reader’s vocabulary. These words may only be used in specific, scientific settings or with groups of people that her readers may not interact with on a regular basis. Introducing her readers to Ngai Tahu and Maori cultures will contribute to the readers' understanding of diverse groups of people and differences from culture to culture.

Nic Bishop’s selected photography flows perfectly with Montgomery’s experiences on Codfish Island. Bishop’s images have given readers an opportunity to understand the dedication and difficulty of the tasks that “nest menders”, and supportive wildlife conservationist rescue team members put forth to save the kakapos from extension. His images have captured an extremely rare and extraordinary experience that only a small number of people in the world will experience. Bishop’s photographs are just as important in this text as to the words on the pages. His photography provides a visual image for the reader which is just as important for educating readers on the importance of saving the world’s strangest parrot from extension.  

Montgomery and Bishop have created an extraordinary piece of literature that every reader in the world should experience. There should be multiple copies of this informational text on every coffee table, or in every classroom and library across the world. You have nothing to lose by reading about Sy Montgomery and Nic Bishop's experiences on Codfish Island, but you do have everything to gain and so do the kakapos. Montgomery and Bishop describe their experiences on Codfish Island as a “blessing” and an “extraordinary gift”. Why miss out on such a life changing experience?  Kakapo Recue: Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot is a must read.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S):

Kirkus, starred review- "Under the careful supervision of forest rangers and volunteers on an island off the New Zealand coast, the nearly extinct, flightless Kakapo parrot is the object of an intensive rescue effort described by this experienced writer-photographer team…”

Booklist, starred review- "Montgomery’s delight in her subject is contagious, and throughout her enthusiastic text, she nimbly blends scientific and historical facts with immediate, sensory descriptions of fieldwork. Young readers will be fascinated."

School Library Journal, starred review- “Take a parrot. Color it green. Give it soft, fluffy feathers, and whiskers. Give it sumo proportions and take away its power of flight. Make it nocturnal, and have it nest underground.”

The Bulletin, starred review- "More than most books about environmentalism or endangered species, this will encourage kids to consider how hands-on action can genuinely make a difference and how scientific contributions can be made by people who never go near a test tube."

CONNECTIONS:

Other Books about Rare Birds

The Race to Save the Lord God Bird - Phillip M Hoose- ISBN-13: 978-0374361730
100 Animals to See Before They Die - Nick Garbutt- ISBN-13: 978-1841622361
Can We Save Them? Endangered Species of North America - David Dobson- ISBN-13: 978-0881068221

Activity 1:

Have readers explore a webpage dedicated to the kakapo rescue recovery.
Resource:
www.kakaporecovery.org.nz
http://kakapocottage.co.nz/new_page_7.htm
http://www.bagheera.com/inthewild/van_anim_kakapo.htm

Activity 2:

Have readers watch recorded video of Kakapos in their natural environment. This website provided an opportunity for readers to compare and contrast the characteristics between kakapos and other birds. 

Resource:
http://www.arkive.org/kakapo/strigops-habroptila/video-00.html