November 2, 2008
Memoir Readings
Family Pictures, By: Sandra Cisneros and Carmen Lomas Garza
Wow, what an amazing little girl, Carmen. The pictures in this story are amazing, and I love how “real” and practical they are. The background behind the book makes it more intriguing to read! This book would be especially imperative to read when/if any teacher has an Hispanic child or two in his/her classroom. This text can bring out the inner-artist in students, sharing the idea that pictures are “worth 1000 words”. Not to mention, some students may be able to relate to Carmen either her lifestyle, family, or age. I know some students are not successful writers; this book allows those students who are hidden artists to get their message across just as effectively through pictures. I absolutely love how each page provides an English and Spanish translations, how brilliant! Love this book.
My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother, By: Patricia Polacco
This story is so realistic, its scary! I definitely know many students who have older siblings can relate to this story in some way or another, I know I can with my sisters. The book not only was practical, it also included humor, and anticipation on what Richie would do next. Often times sibling rivalry and competition can have a toll on an individual, especially if the sibling is “the favorite”. This book allows children to see that in the end, siblings aren’t all that bad.
to dance, By: Siena Cherson Siegel
This was not my favorite, but I did enjoy reading it. I definitely wouldn’t use this book in the primary grades because of the format, but I did however find the ballerina’s story quite interesting! The suspense level was high because the ballerina had some much going on in her life. I really enjoyed the heart-felt moments in the story, such as when her father made one half of her bedroom a ballet studio. There were also moments that children would be able to easily relate to in this story, such as the divorce between her parents and the ballerina’s uncertainty of what would happen next between her mother and father.
Shortcut, By: Donald Crews
This man is talented. He was able to really evoke a suspenseful thriller in only a few short pages, mainly by illustration. At one point, I felt like I was in a movie! I started to get nervous when the train neared the children, I really thought something bad was going to happen. Crews did an awesome job retelling this incident that could have been traumatic!
