Module 4: The Midwife's Apprentice

Another Newbery Medal winner I read for Module 4 was Karen Cushman's The Midwife's Apprentice.

Image credit: http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/hmh/site/hmhbooks/bookdetails?isbn=9780395692295&srch=true

The Midwife's Apprentice is the story of a girl named Brat - homeless and alone, she is taken in by the village midwife.  Over the course of the novel, Brat renames herself Alyce, she learns about hard work, and learns some skill for midwifery.  After a conflict with Jane Sharp, the midwife, she runs away from the village.  In the end, she returns to the village, but she is now confident and self-sufficient.

This is a great novel about the human spirit.  Although Brat feels worthless at the beginning of the novel, once she is properly cared for, she begins to find her inner sense of self and develops a great deal of self-worth.  Although conflicts arise and she runs away for a time, she rises above her circumstances with grace and makes a way for herself in the world.  I thought this novel was very well-written and is an encouraging story to any young person who is struggling with self-worth or loneliness.

Hazel Rochman of Booklist wrote of The Midwife's Apprentice:
"Cushman writes with a sharp simplicity and a pulsing beat. From the first page you're caught by the spirit of the homeless, nameless waif, somewhere around 12 years old, "unwashed, unnourished, unloved, and unlovely," trying to keep warm in a dung heap...Kids will like this short, fast-paced narrative about a hero who discovers that she's not ugly or stupid or alone."

This is another novel for young adults that could be utilized in a book club setting.  Discussing the story could lead to opportunities for discussion about how society views the individual versus how an individual feels about their self.  Encourage the book club participants to journal their feelings about Alyce and to make connections between her story and their own - they may choose to share with the group or keep their thoughts to themselves, but I imagine that the discussion and reflection will spark revelations among at least a few of the readers in your group!

References:

Cushman, K.  (1995).  The Midwife’s Apprentice.  New York: Clarion Books.

Rochman, H.  (1995).  Starred Reviews: Books for Youth.  Booklist, 91(14), 1328.

Module 4: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Module 4 was an exploration of Newbery Medal winning novels.  The Newbery Medal is an annual award given to an author who makes a significant contribution to American children's literature.  For more information about the Newbery Medal, visit the website: Newbery Medal Home Page.  One of the novels I read for this module was Mildred Taylor's 1976 book Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.

Image credit: http://www.jacketflap.com/bookdetail.asp?bookid=0821919865

This book is the story of the Logan family, an African American family which grows cotton on their land in Mississippi.  The novel is set during the Great Depression.  The story begins with one of the Logan children becoming upset when he realizes that the school books being provided by the county are tattered, well-used copies which used to belong to white school children.  The story goes on to describe various injustices committed against African Americans in the South, including a lot of violence and hateful speech.

I thought this was an excellent book, and one which deals with issues of racism, poverty, and hate in such a way that will help today's children, who are somewhat removed (for the most part) from such violence and degradation, to understand the history of racism against African Americans and how that might feel.  While this story could be considered historical fiction, it is also very realistic, which allows the reader to empathize or sympathize with the characters of the book and connect to the story.  As the reviewers Nancy Livingston and Catherine Kurkijian state: "All can profit from the advice given in this book, such as "we have no choice of what color we're born or who our parents are or whether we're rich or poor.  What we do have is some choice over what we make of our lives once we're here" (p. 129)."  

I believe this book could be included in any programming for Black History Month, whether that be a book display, a book talk given by the librarian, or a book discussion in a classroom setting.  Due to the violence portrayed in the novel, I would recommend this title to upper middle school or high school students.

References:

Livingston, N.  & Kurkijian, C.  (2003).  Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.  In The Reading Teacher, 57(1), 101.

Taylor, M.  (1976).  Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.  New York: Dial Press.

Module 3: My Friend Rabbit

Another Caldecott medal winner that I read for Module 3 was My Friend Rabbit, written and illustrated by Eric Rohmann.  I loved the bright colors and bold lines of Rohmann's illustrations and how the pictures tell more of the story than the words - I definitely understand why this book was awarded the Caldecott medal.

Image credit: http://us.macmillan.com/myfriendrabbit/EricRohmann

My Friend Rabbit is a beautiful picture book depicting the story of a mouse and a rabbit.  Narrated by the mouse, most of the story is told in pictures, rather than text.  Rabbit is a master of ingenuity when it comes to solving problems, such as Mouse's plane being stuck in a tree, but his unorthodox methods leave Mouse trembling!  In the end, the plane is freed, but Rabbit's antics continue to make Mouse a little jittery.

This another great example of a Caldecott medal winner.  You can tell at a glance that this is a more recent addition to that award list, especially when compared to the previous post's Sylvester and the Magic Pebble.  The two books have similar bold lines, but the style of drawing is very different, and Rohmann's illustrations have a much more modern feel to them.  The plot of this book is humorous and light-hearted and can be easily enjoyed by young children and their parents.  In a Booklist review, Connie Fletcher describes the story as "a gentle lesson about accepting friends as they are" and captures the spirit of the book with the apt description of "tremendous physical humor" - something that is harder to come by in illustrations than in film!

I think it could be fun to use this book as a jumping-off point for learning about building and flying model airplanes - perhaps the library could sponsor a family fun day beginning with story time, continuing with building model airplanes or folding paper airplanes, and concluding with a demonstration from local model airplane enthusiasts.

References:

Fletcher, C.  (2002).  My Friend Rabbit.  (Book).  In Booklist, 98(18).

Rohmann, E.  (2002).  My Friend Rabbit.  Brookfield, CT: Roaring Brook Press.

Module 3: Sylvester and the Magic Pebble

Module 3 focused on Caldecott medal winning books.  The Caldecott medal is awarded to books oustanding picture books for children.  For more information on the Caldecott medal, visit the website: Caldecott Medal Home Page.  One of the books I read for this module was Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, written and illustrated by William Steig.

Image credit: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Sylvester-and-the-Magic-Pebble/William-Steig/9781442435605

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble is the story of a young donkey who goes out for a walk one day.  He finds a beautiful red pebble while on his walk.  Suddenly, he is approached by a lion!  Sylvester makes a wish, which keeps him safe from the lion, but also makes him unable to return home, due to some magic contained in the red pebble.  He is missing from home for a very long time, which worries his parents.  One day, they are magically reunited, and Sylvester returns home once more.

This is a wonderful picture book for young readers.  The illustrations are colorful, with lots of patterns and nature scenes.  Steig makes his animal characters have very human expressions, which helps children to be able to connect with the story on a deeper emotional level.  The illustrations also help hold the child's attention and help to tell the story.  I really enjoyed this story!

This book has been re-issued at least once since its original release in 1969.  Julia Jarman reviewed the 2006 re-release of this classic picture book in Carousel:

"When Sylvester the donkey finds a magic pebble that grants all his wishes, he thinks all his troubles are over. Not that he has many troubles because he belongs to a loving family. But, faced by a lion, Sylvester wishes for the wrong thing. "I wish I were a rock," he says and... yes, he turns into a rock. Now Sylvester's problem becomes his mum and dad's problem because they miss him dreadfully. Weeks, months, a whole painful year passes, but there is a happy ending, for this is a fairytale. William Steig is the author of Shrek, but Sylvester came first. Originally published in 1969 it is a welcome reissue. The words are witty, the illustrations charming. Expressive line drawings depict strong emotions. Watercolours, subdued but never dull, convey the gentleness that infuses this lovely story."

I believe this book is well-suited to a traditional library or classroom story time, as well as for bedtime reading with your children at home.  One conversation starter involving this book could be: "What would you have wished for when you saw the lion? How would that have changed the story?" - I might have wished that I was at home with my family, which would have made the story much less interesting!

References:

Jarman, J.  (2006).  Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. In Carousel, 33(Summer).

Steig, W.  (1969).  Sylvester and the Magic Pebble.  New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.