WHAT TO DO ABOUT ALICE?

 Bibliography:

Kerley, Barbara. 2008. WHAT TO DO ABOUT ALICE? Ill. By Edwin Fotheringham. New York, NY: Scholastic Press. ISBN 0439922313

Plot Summary:

Alice Lee Roosevelt, the daughter of the 26^th president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt inherited her father’s adventurous spirit, curiosity and passion for politics.  The outspoken Alice wanted to do everything “young ladies” were not supposed to do in the early 1900’s.  This informational biography will place you in the life of the little girl who stole the heart of the nation.

Critical Analysis:  

This is a great nonfiction book  perfect for elementary students to read and learn  social studies from.  It is funny and entertaining.  The reader adds humor telling historical events about how Alice Roosevelt broke the rules, charmed the world, and drove her father Teddy crazy.  “I can be president of the United States, or I can control Alice, I cannot possibly do both,” Theodore Roosevelt is quoted saying.  The author, Barbara Kerley, uses quoted words and phrases with fun fonts to add to the comical feel of the book.  Kerley also adds historical connections teaching the students about that era as they read. 

The author writes a note in the end that includes background information about the Roosevelt family adding to the authenticity of the book. 

The illustrations are child friendly and comical.  The illustrator, Edwin Fotheringham, uses vibrant colors making the pictures pop out of page and perfect for that particular era.  The illustrations added a mental image of how Alice must have been like, always on the go and “eating up the world.” 

My 4^th grade students where drawn to the silly word choices and funny phrases.

 

Review Excerpts:

• Sibert Honor Book 

• Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book 

• Irma Black Award Honor Book

• Parents Choice Award 

• Washington State Scandiuzzi Children's Book Award

• California Collections 

• A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year

• A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

• A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year

• An ALA Notable Book

• New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing

• Nominated for Young Reader awards in Texas, Illinois, Utah and Tennessee

"Irrepressible Alice Roosevelt gets a treatment every bit as attractive and exuberant as she was....  Kerley's text has the same rambunctious spirit as its subject, grabbing readers from the first line....  The large format gives Fotheringham, in his debut, plenty of room for spectacular art."
Booklist, starred review


"Kerley's text gallops along with a vitality to match her subject's antics, as the girl greets White House visitors accompanied by her pet snake, refuses to let leg braces cramp  her style, dives fully clothed into a ship's swimming pool, and also earns her place in history as one of her father's trusted advisers.... Fascinating."  School Library Review, starred review


"It's hard to imagine a picture book biography that could better suit its subject than this high-energy volume serves young Alice Roosevelt."  Publishers Weekly, starred review


"What to do about Alice?  Enjoy!"  Horn Book, starred review

"Superb."  Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Connections:

Scholastic has a great download for before, during, and after reading the book “What To Do About Alice.     http://www.ssww.com/downloadDoc.php?id=20953

 

Have students research and create short biographies about other famous presidents with similar adventures and create a newspaper with their new knowledge. 

 

Read other books by Barbara Kerley:

Those Rebels, John and Tom ISBN 9780545222686

Greetings from Planet Earth ISBN 9780439802048

Read more Spanish books:
Quein Fue Tomas Jefferson?
 by Dennis Brindell Fradin ISBN 1603964258 

The Extraordinary Mark Twain ISBN 0545125081

QUEST FOR THE TREE KANGAROO

Bibliography:

Montgomery, Sy. 2006. Quest for the Tree Kangaroo: An Expedition to the Cloud Forest of New Guinea. Photos by Nic Bishop. Boston, Massachusetts: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0618496416

Plot Summary:

The adventure begins with of the world’s rarest and most elusive mammals, the Matschie’s Tree Kangaroo and Author, Sy Montgomery, who sets out on an expedition to the Cloud Forest of Papua New Guinea. Together with a team of scientists and a photographer named Nic Bishop, Montgomery follows and documents the tree kangaroo as well as other unusual species.  They’ve said that tracking tree kangaroos was impossible, but not for this team.

The author keeps the readers engaged by including the exact words spoken by the team members.  She also writes detailed descriptions of what the scientists see and do.  The conversations and the explanation they have involving their actions, help the readers imagine they are right there experiencing the events that take place and that are documented.   The information on this book is a record of true personal experiences.  It is great informational book that gives real life facts and examples.

The stunning photographs are a great representation of the people, animals, and places they meet and see throughout this journey.  They are like a picture journal, capturing every significant moment along the way.  They also give the reader an exclusive image about rare creatures and a different culture that wouldn’t be understood if it were just read.  Bishop captures an image for the reader to experience the scientists applying a radio collar to the Matchie’s Tree Kangaroo, who looks like part bear, part monkey and part kangaroo. 

It helps inspires students to want to help wildlife and do research about protecting endangered animals.

Review Excerpts:

•        Green Earth Book Award, 2005-2016 (Honor 2007)
•         Henry Bergh Children's Book Award,
•        2006 Winner Non-Fiction Environment and Ecology United States 
•         John Burroughs List of Nature Books for Young Readers, 2006 Winner
•         Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children, 2000-2017
•         Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal, 2001-2017 (Honor 2007)
•      Outstanding Science Trade Books, 2005-2017 (Commended, 2007) 

Another beautifully illustrated entry in the Scientists in the field series... Montgomery gives a chronological, sometimes moment-by-moment account of the challenging climb into the remote cloud forest...[giving] an unusually strong, visceral sense of the work and cooperation fieldwork entails and the scope and uniqueness of theis particular mission...As usual, Bishop's color photographs are exemplary and extend the excitement in close-ups of creatures and of the team at work. Booklist, ALA, Starred Review


Montgomery's friendliness and curiosity set the tone...Bishop's photography is, as always, outstanding...Dabek's advice to young naturalists...[is a] useful addition. Horn Book


In this fact-packed adventure with stunning photos, readers joins scientists in New Guinea to radio-collar the way-cute tree-dweller. People Magazine


"Meet the amazing scientists who track these elusive animals." Midwest Book Review November 2007. Midwest Book Review

Connections:

For a discussion and activity guide with Common Core Connections by Ed Spicer about the book Quest for the Tree Kangaroo: http://www.sciencemeetsadventure.com/pdfs/scientistinthefieldguide_questfortreekang.pdf

·      Art: create an actual rainforest out of paper. Leaves can be studied and made to look like the canopy. Flowers and animals can be drawn and then cut out to tape onto the different layers of the rainforest. 

·      I Wonder Why I Wonder Why Kangaroos Have Pouches by Jenny Wood ISBN 075346528

     Welcome to the World of Kangaroos by Diane

Swanson ISBN 155285471X

 

·      Marsupials by Nic Bishop ISBN 043987758X

Try a Spanish book:

·       Vívelo: Canguros (Aumenta tu realidad) ISBN 1945543019

·      Show your students this You Tube video mini documentary about Tree Kangaroo life by Megan Boegel to learn more: https://youtu.be/dEQIyqq88dE

I SEE A KOOKABURRA!

Bibliography:

Jenkins Steve & Page Robin. 2005. I SEE A KOOKABURRA! New York, NY. Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0618507647

Plot Summary:

This book is filled with fascinating habitats; the desert in Southwestern United States, pond in Midwestern United States, jungle in Amazon Rainforest, South America, tide pool in Southern coast of England, savanna in Central Africa, and the forest in Eastern Australia, where the Kookaburra greets the new day with a call that sounds like a loud and crazy laugh.  The unique animals range from the water spider to the elephant shrew and from the toucan to the Gila monster.   

Critical Analysis:

This non-fiction picture book provides information from six different habitats from various parts of the world.  It is perfect for students of all ages who are studying habitats.  This

Each habitat has hidden animals and makes the reader feel like they’re playing hide and seek with them.  As the page is turned it reveals the eight fascinating animals that had been hiding waiting to be discovered.   A brief description about each surrounds the brightly colored animal illustrations; a javelin sniffing out tender roots, and a poisonous Weever Fish waiting for its next meal.  A more descriptive summary is provided at the end of the book about the habitats, animals, and even a map is provided.  The pattern, “In the desert, I see…”, “In a tide pool I see…” provides the reader with an image of what animals they will see in the coming pages.

The illustrations look like cut out paper collages of each animal, plant, and add to the extraordinary feeling of amazement as your gazing through the book.

The dazzling color and texture of the pictures that surround the rich detailed descriptions encourage the reader to spy out the hidden animals.   The illustrator truly captures the beauty of how animals live and hide from predators in their own habitat.

I love all the unique animals in this book; it is a great opportunity for students to learn about habitats and animals they have never heard before.

Review Excerpts:  

* School Library Journal, 2005- Filled with vibrant colors and palpable textures, the illustrations are breathtaking and give a real sense of the vitality, diversity, and beauty of nature. A first-rate foray into ecology that will encourage readers to explore the world around them.

*  Publishers Weekly 2005- Jenkins masterfully manipulates texture and space, playing up the unique palette and architecture of each habitat, while pushing readers towards an aesthetic awareness of the remarkable shapes and patterns that compose nature’s wonders.

Connections: 

Other nonfiction animal books by the husband/wife Jenkins/Page team include:



* ANIMALS IN FLIGHT ISBN: 0618548823

                    * MOVE! ISBN: 061864637X













  * WHAT   DO YOU DO WITH A TAIL

     LIKE THIS? ISBN: 061899713X

https://youtu.be/5MrTbE-xFng

Try this fun Kookaburra song, young 

students will love.

DOWN, DOWN, DOWN

Bibliography:

Jenkins, Steve. 2009. A JOURNEY TO THE BOTOM OF THE SEA: DOWN, DOWN, DOWN. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 0547529155

Summary Plot:

Take a journey from the surface then go down, down, to the deepest spot in the ocean where you can learn about marine animals.  You will see the Albatross high above the surface, the Krill the Portuguese Man-of-War jellyfish that flash like a neon sign, creatures with soft bodies and tentacles 200 feet long, way below in the dark zone where the battle of the giants occurs.  Dare to read this jaw-breaking, masterpiece full of facts and amazement. 

Critical Analysis:

It’s a journey you won’t soon forget. As the pages goes on so does the depth of the sea, and the reader learns about the marine life that exists in each zone. 

It is filled with creatures that will be unfamiliar to all readers and give details about their capabilities to survive under extreme conditions.  Pages have detailed paragraphs with fascinating information about the world around us.  As each page continues, the reader descends through the zones of the ocean.

At the end of the book the author includes more information of each animal and the different units of measurement the reader can use to have a visual image of the size an animal is or how deep the ocean floor gets to be. Mathematics vocabulary including feet, meters, miles, kilometers, Celsius, Fahrenheit, kilograms, pounds, etc. are added as well. 

Book will appeal to older elementary students through adults with Steve Jenkins this nonfiction overview of unfamiliar creatures and their animal world.    

The book cover illustrations attract the reader’s attention with silver glittery fishes above the two battling giants in a deep blue ocean.  The authors cut out and torn paper collage artwork are of extraordinary marine animals.  The cut-out illustrations resemble 3D pages and keeps the reader hooked.

I really enjoyed this book, especially when it got my 5th graders excited over it.  All of them wanted to take it home for the day.  I even got all the assignments back on time.

Review Excerpts:

* Cybils Award Nominee for Nonfiction Picture Books (2009)

* An ALA Notable Children's Book for Middle Readers (2010)

* “Steve Jenkins is a master at presenting facts with style and clarity.”—San Francisco Chronicle

* The Horn Book: "Jenkins takes his signature collage to the oceans, sinking readers from the surface of the Pacific Ocean down nearly 11,000 meters to the bottom of the Marianas Trench. His style works well here: with passage into each zone (from the surface to the sunlit zone to the twilight zone, etc.), the blue backgrounds shade darker and murkier, which allows the intricate cut-paper animal illustrations to pop."

* School Library Journal: "Depicted in Jenkins's signature handsome collages, the denizens of each level swim against ever-darkening backgrounds ranging from sunny blue to deepest black… he bold views tend to emphasize the weirdness of these little-known species, but the repeated message that humans have much to explore and learn in the deeper ocean is intriguing and inviting."

Connections:

 Gather other Steve Jenkins books to read such as:

* Creature Features: Twenty-Five Animals Explain Why They Look the Way They Do. ISBN 0544233514

* Eye to Eye: How Animals See The World. ISBN 0547959079

* Que Harias Con una Cola Como Esta? (Spanish Edition) ISBN 8426133916

Activities can include:

**  The length, height, and weight are given for each animal       featured in this book.  Create a graph showing the different animals and how they compare to each other.

**  Pretending you are a newspaper reporter, write a feature article on one of the animals in the book   and create a visual aid to include in the report

*  The artwork in this book is paper collage.  Create a paper collage of an animal or an animal in its natural habitat.