Book Review for Poetry

 This poetry book turned out to me one of my favorites! Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reverso Poems is an interesting book. You are able to read a poem, but if you reverse the lines you are able to get another poem. The artwork in this book is also amazing. I think it’s pretty clever and different that you can read the same poem 2 ways for different results. This book mentions many different known fairy tales like sleeping beauty and prince charming.  Some of the poems when read in reverse though are a bit confusing, which is pretty much the only negative. 

I rate this book a 3.9/5

Book Review For Bibliography

 A great children’s biography that everyone should read is “My Little Golden Book About Ruth Bader Ginsberg”. This picture book is a very inspirational one for younger girls. It shows then the she fought for something she believes in. She studied hard and worked hard, which helped her accomplish many things. Throughout this book they get to see how she became just only the second women and first Jewish women to be in the United States Supreme Court. It talks about how is was not just handed to her, she needed to have the strength to not give up easily.  The illustrations also help tell the story throughout this book. This book is a great introduction to what the supreme court exactly is. At the end of the book it gives a small explanation of who they are and what they do. 

I give this book a 5/5.

Book Review for Fables

 The tortoise and the Hare: An Aesop Fable is about a big race that is coming up. Throughout the story the Tortoise tries to work out every day to try and beat Hare in this big race. Hare is very fast in general, while Tortoise is slow at everything. Even though Tortoise knew Hare was faster than him he accepted the challenge to try and prove a point Once the race begins, Hare is immediately in first place. Once he notices how big the lead is, he decides to rest a bit When he awoke, he realized that he had overslept with Tortoise in the lead.  The illustrations throughout the book are also very eye catching. 

This book shows perseverance to young children. It shows the power of not giving up. This book should be used in grades 3 or 4. 

 

I give this book  a 5/5.

Book Review for The Giving Tree

 This is a book that you will either love or hate. I feel as though when you truly take a good look at this book you find that there are a few lessons that this book can give you.

In this story a little boy meets beautiful apple tree who loved the little boy. He visited her daily and made many memories with her from swinging on her branches to sleeping under her shade. As time goes on and the boy gets older he doesn't spend as much time with her. He visits again and the tree talks about all the things she want to do with him. But sadly, he doesn't want to an explains his problems. Beginning with money, so the tree gives him her apples to sell for money. Eventually he comes back again but this time his problem is that he wants a house. She tells him to cut her branches off and make a house so that he could be happy. He comes again asking for a boat. She tells him to cut her trunk down to make a boat and be happy. The tree realizes she's not really happy. Then after a while the boy comes back older this time. She explains that she has nothing to give him to make him happy. This time all he needed was a place to rest. So she offered him her stump to make him happy. 

This book is an example that you cannot always love blindly. The tree loves the boy so much that she was willing to become nothing just to make him happy. This also shows the readers what being selfish may look like. We are constantly seeing the boy take something from the tree and as we read on the tree becomes smaller and smaller until she is just a trunk. 

I give this book a 4/5

Writing Task ( Picture Book)

Why is having exposure to diverse picture books important for young children?

Children tend literature can be a pathway for your students to begin conversations about race. the power of literature is so strong and can even make a child feel seen. It imporant having exposure to diverse picture books because children are aware of racial differences. However, once you begin showing and explaining diversity and cultures it gives the students a chance to be able to discuss racism and privilege in a open seating with people they trust. diverse picture books can even help students with their identity, seeing themselves in these books can give them a sense of belonging.  

How can picture books help students learn English?

Picture books can help student learn English because it helps their receptive vocabulary as well as helps strengthen the vocabulary knowledge. 

What is your favorite picture book and why?

My favorite picture book is "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein. Ever since I was little my mom would always read me this book. I never fully understood the true meaning of the book as a kid. But as I began to get older it began to become my favorite picture book. You cannot give to much of yourself to someone, because then you would leave yourself with nothing. 

Poetry Unit (Extended Metaphor Poem)

Grief is the ocean 
traits like a wave.
Feeling no emotion.
just be brave,
 
feelings like a roller-coaster 
memories rush in like the tides
burnt out like a toaster.
taking long strides. 
 
For now, ill float
Floating upon the love of my family
waiting for a boat
I can wait happily

Reaction to the readings.

 1. This article was very interesting to me as well as eye opening. I grew up in an urban city and realized a lot but never thought about it that much be cause it was a norm to me. I found it very educational to read about how African American males cope. Ive seen this in person and found it crazy how true it is for educators to find this behavior as offensive and troubling. I was very upset to fully see how absent diversity is in todays children literature as well as todays literature. But we need to try and include way more e literature about diversity. It is important for children to see themselves in the novels a well as being able to understand the background behind it. 

2.This video was very well spoken. It was kind of hurtful to realize that many fairy tales and movies do not have people of color. Then I thought back and it hit me that I have never heard a fairy tale that had a Spanish background or even a Black background. I thought it was very true when the speaker said that ignoring race is understood to be grateful, even generous liberal gesture. I thought that that was very crazy but when I thought about it deeper it made sense as to why we people never really want to talk about it. I knew that white characters were always present in literature way more but I never though to think deeper. But when she spoke about how it usually is a white cisgender male who is always getting praised it made sense. She gave an example which just so happened to be one of my favorite shows Vampire Diaries. The character Bonnie was always going through the most conflicts as well as dying. I think that it us unfair and injustice how many times the character of color is put through a greater amount of pain. 

3. I have always thought about gender identifications in literature as well as films. I could never imagine though how hard it is to see all these struggles and how the world is always set up against them. This is a important thing that should be address3ed in literature since students minds are just beginning to evolve and grow. I think it is important for them to understand that it is okay if you do not categorize yourself within the 2 genders, and that they are not a freak like the media and literature may present. When thinking of diversity in literature it is not always just about race. It is also about gender, sexual orientation, religious view, and etc. As educators we have to be open minded and be willing to continue being educated with thins that affect our students everyday lives. 

These readings were an amazing learning experience. I am glad that we are touching upon subjects like this spa that we can know how to properly apply them into our future classrooms.