The Trumpet of the Swan

The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White is the heartwarming tale of Louis the mute swan, his friend Sam, and his unrequited love for Serena the swan. With Sam's help, Louis adapts the skill of trumpet playing, as well as the use of a slate chalkboard for communicating.

The Trumpet of The Swan is a work of fantasy, written in prose, and divided into a chapter book style. Newer editions include illustrations, though the original relies solely on text to convey the story. 

Activities

1. Being Serena. Pretend you are Serena. What do you think of Louis at the beginning of the book? What changes? Write Sam a letter describing what you think of Louis from beginning to end. Be sure to be specific!
2. Letters. Pretend you are Louis and write Sam three letters at three different points in the story, including when you first meet him. What do you think? What do you want to tell him about your family? Your life? How things are going? 
3. Mementos. Make a box and place things in it that represent Sam and Louis's friendship. Make sure to make a "cheat sheet" that is a list of the items inside and what they represent about Louis and Sam. 
4. Parents. Go on a nature walk and make a list of the different animals you see. How do they interact as families? Do the parents treat their babies the same or different? Are they like people?
5. Slates. Spend one day with a chalkboard slate and pretend you are mute like Louis and cannot speak. Use only the chalkboard to communicate. Is it difficult? What did you learn? What do you think was hard for Louis? What lessons does he learn by communicating differently? 

This was another all time favorite of mine growing up! Louis and Sam are two of the most endearing characters in all of literature. Sam's compassion and empathy are inspiring, and Louis's strong will and sense of morals are unique and compelling. Though the journey itself is a classic hero's journey, the uniqueness of Louis's challenges in being a mute swan, and his adventures in places like New York, make the story one that is truly unique and engaging. Other similar books include The Mouse and The Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary, The Borrowers by Mary Norton, and If You Give A Mouse A Cookie by Laura Numeroff. 

Bibliography

White, E.B. The Trumpet of The Swan. (1970) Harper & Row. 

The Cricket in Times Square

The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden and illustrated by Garth Williams is a charming romp between animals in New York City. Chester Cricket follows the aroma of liverwurst and ends up in a picnic basket that takes him very far from his Connecticut home and into the madness of NYC, where he meets Tucker Mouse and Harry Cat. The three critters bond and learn from each other as they adventure throughout the big apple.

The Cricket in Times Square is a work of fantasy, and while it is largely a chapter book, it's interspersed with charming illustrations in a vintage engraving style that are largely representational and line-focused.

Activities

1. Imagining. If you were an animal, what would you be? And what would entrance you far from your home? Make a miniature picture book about you as an animal lured away with temptations! 
2. Surprises. A bunny has shown up at your doorstep and explains she was lured far from home by the scent of carrots. Now she needs you to show her around and help her return! What places do you show her? What adventures can you have? Make a list and include drawings.
3. Tour guide. Make a map of your home town and all the spots that could be exciting to explore with a friend who has never been there before. Make it as descriptive as possible in case your friend can't find you and must rely only on your map. 
4. Locales. Find a friend or relative from a different part of the world. Ask them about where they're from, and how it's different. Do a whole interview and make a list of their answers. How is everything different? Return the favor and have them interview you and describe what makes your home unique.
5. Mishaps. Have you ever intended to go on an adventure, but been sidetracked by accidents, mishaps, and more? Think about the fire or Chester's adventures on Broadway. Have you been on an adventure before?

This book is so lovely! It reminds me a lot of the 90s movie, Homeward Bound. The three animals develop an extraordinarily cute friendship, and their relations describe their lives and experiences in a number of habitats and slots in the social hierarchy of the animal kingdom. The dialog is well written and sweet, and Chester is a very human character, despite being a cricket! Similar books include Charlotte's Web by E.B. White, Stuart Little also by E.B. White, and Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater.

Bibliography

Selden, George; Williams, Garth. The Cricket in Times Square. (2008) Square Fish. 

The Cats in Krasinski Square

The Cats in Krasinski Square by Karen Hesse, illustrated by Wendy Watson, is a sad, moving, triumphant tale of how cats become a part of Jewish resistance in outsmarting the Nazis in Warsaw during World War II. The young friends partner with the cats to get food into the Warsaw Ghetto, under the noses of the Nazi guard determined to prevent them from succeeding.

The book is historical fiction embedded in a picture book. The narrative itself is a lyrical, poetic one, and the illustrations done in watercolor are impressionist and create both a realistic and relatable atmosphere.

Activities

1. Cat House. You are a cat in Krasinski Square helping with the mission. What was your life like before the war? Describe your life before, and what it's like now. Are you hungry? Did you have a lot to eat before the war? What is your family like? 
2. Letters. Pretend you are one of the friends, writing a letter to someone you know in America. How do  you describe life? What is on your mind? What do you think about the future?
3. Maps. Make a map of the Warsaw Ghetto as you've learned about it in the story. Point out landmarks, as though you are going to give the map to one of the cats to learn about the area. What are important parts? What should be avoided?
4. Diary. Create a diary either as a cat or one of the friends in the story. Write 2-3 sample entries. What is life like in the Ghetto? What are your plans? What do you think about when you wake up? Include pictures and drawings if you like. 
5. A Soundtrack. Create a soundtrack to the story. What songs are included? From the past pre-war life? From current life? What music fits the moods throughout the story? 

This book moved me so much! Much of my family perished in the Warsaw Ghetto as Romani Jews, and the letters we have remind me so much of the thoughts and feelings described in this book. The musical language is wonderful, and the involvement of the cats is astounding. The notes at the end about the real incident really moved me, and have compelled me to learn more about it. The language used is so lyrical and wonderfully crafted, despite the book's sensitive subject matter. Similar books include Number The Stars by Lois Lowry, The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank, and The Yellow Star by Carmen Deedy.

Bibliography

Hesse, Karen; Watson, Wendy. The Cats in Krasinski Square. (2004) Scholastic Press.

Amelia Bedelia

Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish with illustrations by Fritz Siebel is a funny, charming story about a maid who takes everything--everything--literally. The word play and puns are central to the story, an Amelia is a riot as she creates catastrophes in her new home.

The book is a picture book, with narration that relies heavily on meter, rhyme, and puns. The illustrations are in a line-centric impressionistic style with watercolor and inks, and are as quirky and funny as Amelia herself, serving to illustrate the puns visually.

Activities

1. Chores! Make a list of chores you hear at home a lot. Now pretend you are Amelia Bedelia. What would happen? Would the house be a mess afterward?
2. Shopping list. What does Amelia need throughout the book? Examples include a pencil and paper  to draw the drapes. Make a list for Amelia! 
3. What should Amelia do? Pretend you are her teacher, and explain some of her chores to her. 
4. Acting out. Have one student be Amelia's boss, and another be Amelia. Go around the class and have the Boss assign chores, while Amelia has to make them funny and make mistakes.
5. Pick one of the chores in the book, and do it two ways: The right way and the Amelia way. Which one is more fun? Which takes more work? Do you think Amelia would be tired? 

Amelia Bedelia was one of my favorite characters growing up. The humor in the puns, the wordplay, and the hilarity and silliness demonstrated in the illustrations always make me laugh and smile--and still do! The stories are always told in a delightful way, and the illustrations really round out the visual puns as well. Similar books include Merry Christmas Amelia Bedelia, Amelia Bedelia and The Baby, both by Parish and Siebel as well, and Madeline by Ludwig Bemelman, which has a similarly loose European illustration style and simple, well metered narration.

Bibliography

Parish, Peggy; Siebel, Fritz. Amelia Bedelia. (1963) Greenwillow Books. 

A Night Divided

A Night Divided by Jennifer Nielsen tells the story of Gerta, a Berliner whose family is divided by the Berlin wall overnight. Gerta and her mother struggle emotionally as they realize her father and brother have been trapped in West Berlin, apart from the rest of the family--possibly forever.

A Night Divided is historical fiction, and deals wonderfully with a part of 20th century history that is often overlooked in children's fiction. The book is best for grades 6+, owing to adult themes like separation and political intrigue.

Activities

1. Building the wall. Divide the class in half, and spend half of the school day in different classrooms with different teachers. When you come back together, discuss what felt different, what the experiences were, and what it's like to be separated from people you know. 
2. Imagine. What would happen if your family was divided in half overnight? Write about what you would feel, the questions you would have, and what you might tell your family when you reunite after separation.
3. Compare and Contrast. Make a list: One column for West Berlin and one for East Berlin. List things in each column that make them different throughout the course of the book. What do they have in common? How do they change after the wall is put up?
4. Take a map of your town. Draw a line through half of it. With your house on one side, what would happen if you weren't allowed to go to the other side? Would you still go to the same school? The store? What would you miss? Would your friends be on the same side? 
5. If you were to be separated from one of your friends for ten years starting tonight, what would you say to them before they left? Write them a letter that they can keep from you for the next ten years. 

This book intrigued me immediately, and is near and dear to my heart owing to my own heritage and the struggles my family faced under communism in the 20th century. Gerta is wonderfully written, and Nielsen pinpoints many of the feelings described by my own family in feeling isolated, afraid, and worrying every day with the constantly changing political landscape. Similar books include The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker, another tale of 20th century historical fiction, Number The Stars by Lois Lowry, describing the struggle of a Dane and a Jewish Dane in WWII, and This Side of Home by Renee Watson.

Bibliography

Nielsen, Jennifer. A Night Divided. (2015) Scholastic Press. 

Goodbye Stranger

Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead follows Bridge Barsamian as she grows up in New York City, with an eclectic group of friends and their families. The book follows Bridge as she struggles with adolescence, but also incorporates the struggles faced by not only her friends, but their parents and grandparents as well.

Goodbye Stranger is a coming-of-age chapter book in a contemporary realistic style. It is recommended for readers in middle school and above, owing to its dealing and inclusion of adult issues like divorce, politics, and relationships.

Activities

1. Character Study: Choose one character from Bridge and her friends. What are they struggling with? What helps them? How does it impact their relationships with friends and/or family? 
2. Pick one character that isn't the focus of the Valentine's Day story, and write a new ending as though they are. Who did you pick? What would make sense for them if they were the focus of the story? 
3. Recipe: What are the ingredients in this story? Love, shame, thoughtfulness? Pick at least 7 things to make a Goodbye Stranger cake, and describe how you'd put together all the drama between Bridge and her friends and family.
4. Add yourself into the story. Who are you? Are you friends with Bridge? Do you get along with Tabitha? Write a 2-3 page sample chapter as though you are a part of the group. Make sure to think about what your conflict is, and how the other characters react.
5. How do the adults in the story factor in? What do they struggle with? Pick one of the adults and write about their struggle, and compare it with the struggles of one of the teens. 

I definitely found a lot of lovely moments in this book! Stead writes with sensitivity and a great awareness of the importance of introspection and empathy as they develop among teens. I found her adult characters to be very realistic and full of as much life as her teen characters. The book is a wonderful example of the emotional development experienced in teen years, as well as the importance of thinking of the feelings of others. Similar books include When You Reach Me, another wonderful coming-of-age tale by Stead with multidimensional adult characters, The Seventh Most Important Thing by Shelley Pearsall (another sensitively written coming-of-age tale), and Paper Things by Jennifer Richard.

Bibliography

Stead, Rebecca. Goodbye Stranger. (2015) Wendy Lamb Books.

The Marvels

The Marvels by Brian Selznick is a wonderful, gorgeous book telling the story of a family's connection to theatre in London over the course of hundreds of years. The book is mostly in two halves, revolving around two sets of characters, including the runaway Joseph and Frankie, a girl pretending to be a boy.

The book is a blend of genres: The first half is largely a picture book, with splendid vintage illustrations designed like ads, programs, and trade papers from Old London. The second half is a chapter book, with Frankie and Joseph illustrating the narrative with their words and dialogue. The book is geared more toward advanced readers, ideal for those in middle school.

Activities:

1. Create a new piece of art to go into the first half of the book. What is it and why? How does it fit into the narrative of Frankie and Joseph?
2. What was your response to the story-within-a-story? Did it change how you felt about the first half of the book? Why or why not?
3. Change the setting of the book, both in time and locale. What changes? Why? When you're finished, write about how setting can impact the story being told and how characters interact.
4. Pretend to be Joseph or Frankie, and write a letter to Uncle Albert at one point in the story. Make sure to write 1-2 sentences at the beginning about when the letter is being written. What do you have to say? How do you feel? 
5. A box of wonders. Create a box and decorate it in the style of the first half of the book. Pretend you are with Frankie and Joseph, and fill it with things you think belong to the story. When you're done, create a "key": A list of the items inside, and 1-2 sentences per item that describe why you put them there.

I really, really enjoyed this book! I initially picked it up at a bookstore, not knowing it wasn't adult fiction (the cover art was gorgeous and in tune with many adult fiction covers). Once I flipped through it, the art got me so excited I had to buy it! Frankie and Joseph are such unique, contemporary characters, despite being in a totally different time. While the book deals with some adult issues (gender, depression, isolation), it does so in a way that makes it fantastic for advanced readers beginning to delve into adolescence. The art itself is truly unique and a great asset. Other similar books include The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick, a tale in similar settings, Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley (similar setting with different narrative, and a little less dark), and Wonderstruck, another of Selznick's magic-oriented, enchanting novels.

Bibliography

Selnick, Brian. The Marvels. (2015) Scholastic Press.