Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin

For those who have or have not experienced the beauty of snow, this book tells the true story of a young boy who had a passion for snow and how that passion allowed him to share the knowledge of snowflakes with the world.

Summary:  Snowflake Bentley, written by Jacqueline Briggs Martin and illustrated by Mary Azarian, won the Caldecott Medal in 1999.  This biographical picture book tells the story of Wilson Bentley.  Wilson (Willie) was born in Vermont in 1865.  His fascination with snow as a young boy led to the first photographs of snowflakes ever done.  He said snow was as beautiful as butterflies or apple blossoms.  He could show these to his brother and mother, but could not show the snowflakes to anyone before they melted.  He used a microscope to look at them in a magnified state, but they would melt before he could draw them.  His parents bought him a camera with a microscope when he was seventeen.  Through much persistence, he was finally able to accurately record what a crystal snowflake looked like.  He learned how each flake was uniquely formed and that no two snowflakes are ever the same.  As he grew older and increased his collection of snow crystal pictures, he would have slide shows with friends and family, use some for special birthday gifts, and sell them to colleges and universities.  He never really made money on his work, but has been able to share his knowledge with the world through his book, Snow Crystals.

Qualitative Analysis:  The text of this book, told from a third person perspective, is comfortable for the reader.  The purpose of the book is clearly stated within in the first few pages.  This book has two stories going on at the same time, which may confuse some readers, but the text features clearly distinguish the two.  The main text is the story of a young boy who grows up photographing snowflakes.  It tells of his childhood, teen years, and adulthood through a story.  The secondary text, which is written in a text box on the side margins are biographical facts about his life.  Each of these texts is written using a different font.  The main text is larger than the secondary text and is placed under or within the illustrations.  The secondary text in the side margins are written on a blue background with snowflakes above and below the text.  Each picture or two-page spread is framed using bold black lines.  According to the copyright page, the illustrations are woodcuts that are hand tinted with watercolors.  The story is organized in chronological order of the main character’s life with clear signals that lead the reader through the story.  As the character ages, the illustrations reflect this as well.  The language closely adheres to the reader’s linguistic base.  Even if the reader has never experienced snow, there is no background, cultural, or prior knowledge needed to enjoy and comprehend this book.

Genre and/or Subject Area:  Picture Book, Biography

Age or Interest Level:  Ages 5-8, Grades K-3

Reading Level:  Lexile RL: AD830L, Accelerated Reader RL: 4.4

Awards:  Caldecott Medal, 1999

Personal thoughts:   Growing up in the state of Wisconsin, I grew to love snow!  I remember as a child going out to catch them on our mittens as well as our tongues.  When I was teaching in schools that experienced snow, I would take my class outside with a black piece of construction paper to catch snowflakes so that we could look at them and marvel at God’s handiwork.  This story brought back all those memories for me.  It would be a great story to share with those who have and who have not experienced snow and how one man’s passion made him an expert on snowflakes.

Bibliographic Information:  Martin, J. B. (1998), Snowflake Bentley, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Smoky Night by Eve Bunting

Smoky Night tells a tragic story that unites strangers and breaks the barriers of ethnic backgrounds and nationalities.

Summary:  Smoky Night, written by Eve Bunting and illustrated by David Diaz, won the Caldecott Medal in 1995, three years after the Los Angeles, California riots in 1992.  The story begins with a young boy named Daniel, his mother, and his cat Jasmine looking out their window at night onto the street below as people riot in their neighborhood.  His mother explains that rioting can happen when people get angry and that they want to smash and destroy and don’t care anymore about what’s right and what’s wrong.  The boy sees people smashing in store windows to steal a TV, shoes, food, and clothing.  He describes the smoky haze and fire in the distance.  Going to sleep that night is difficult for him, but he finds safety in his mother’s bed.  The next thing he knows, he’s being woken up by his mother because someone is pounding at the door yelling for them to get out!  The smoke and fire has gotten too close and they need to leave their home along with others from their building.  Unfortunately, he can’t find his cat!  The firefighter tells him cats are smart and they know how to get out of a burning building.  The shelter they are taken to fills up with people from their neighborhood, including Mrs. Kim, who owns the grocery store.  They don’t know her well because she is of a different ethnic background than them, but because of this tragedy and their cats, they realize they now share something in common.

Qualitative Analysis:  The text of this book, told in the first person from the perspective of a young boy named Daniel, may require grade-appropriate skills.  The purpose of the book becomes clear on the first page when the reader is told that people are rioting in the street below.  Although it is a picture book, the subject matter is not going to be familiar with many children, making the rules for this genre bend somewhat.  It is organized in chronological order spanning over several hours of time, leading the reader through the story of a neighborhood riot.  The black font of the text is large and bold on a light colored background.  Each two-page spread features a colorful collage background that uses many different types of material including hangers, plastic wrap, cereal, cardboard, and fabric.  Some of the collage items correlate with the subject of the text on the page such as when the clothing from the dry cleaner was being stolen; the collage used hangers and plastic wrap.  The text is then featured on the left side of the page on a light colored text box.  The paintings used to describe the text are found on the opposite side of the page in a black frame.  According to the publisher’s note on the last page of the book, they were done in acrylics on Arches watercolor paper.  Although the text defines what a riot is, the reader may need some prior background knowledge in order to enjoy and comprehend the book.

Genre and/or Subject Area:  Picture Book, Realistic

Age or Interest Level:  Ages 6-10, Grades K-3

Reading Level:  Lexile RL: 360L, Accelerated Reader RL: 2.4, FLR: 2.5

Awards:  Caldecott Medal, 1994

Personal thoughts:   This story might be a bit intense for children who have no knowledge of what riots are.  It might frighten children needlessly.  I would caution the reader to use it as a read-aloud with a group of young children.  It would be better to read it after learning about riots or as a form of bibliotherapy.

Bibliographic Information:  Bunting, E. (1994), Smoky Night, Orlando, FL: Harcourt

The Hello, Goodbye Window by Norton Juster

For anyone who has ever spent the night at their grandparent’s house, this book will bring back warm memories as this little girl spends a magical time with her grandparents.

Summary:  The Hello, Goodbye Window, written by Norton Juster and illustrated by Chris Raschka, won the Caldecott Medal in 2006.  The hello, goodbye window is at the home of Nanna and Poppy where a young girl goes to visit.  She can’t wait to spend time with her grandparents in a big house in the middle of town.  As she runs from her parents arms she describes the house she is about to spend a magical night in.  Her grandparents stand at the kitchen window with anticipation as their granddaughter excitedly looks in the window to greet them.  They stand there looking at each other as they make silly faces and play peek-a-boo.  When it gets dark outside, the window turns into a mirror as the little girl and her grandfather looks into it.  Before bed, they turn out the lights in the house and look out to see the stars.  After she wakes up the next day, she looks out the window to say good morning to the garden.  Nanna tells her the window is magic and that if you watch closely, you can see a tyrannosaurus rex, a pizza delivery boy, and the Queen of England.  At the end of a wonderful day with her grandparents, her parents pick her up after work, but they don’t leave until they stop at the window to blow their goodbye kisses to each other.

Qualitative Analysis:  The text of this book, told in the first person from the perspective of a little girl, is comfortable to the reader.  The main idea of the story is clearly understood by the reader in that it is a book that describes a window at the grandparent’s house and the wonderful time a grandchild can have there.  It is organized in a chronological order for about a twenty-four hour period.  The black font of the text is large and bold on a white background (except for the white font on a blue background at night), making it easy for the reader to see.  Some of the text is in all capital letters when the grandfather yells out hello to the world the next morning.  The words tyrannosaurus rex, the pizza delivery guy, and the Queen of England are also in all capital letters to show the amazement of the girl at the thought of seeing them through the window.  The illustrations by Chris Raschka are done with what looks like bright watercolor paints and oil pastels.  The drawings look like a child could have drawn parts of it because of some of the scribbles in the pictures.  The illustrations begin telling the story on the copyright and title pages where the girl is leaving the arms of her parents and heads to the gate in front of the grandparent’s house.  The characters are drawn using different values of brown, indicating a multi-ethnic family.  The text closely matches the reader’s life experiences and no cultural or prior knowledge is needed to enjoy and comprehend the book.

Genre and/or Subject Area:  Picture Book

Age or Interest Level:  Ages 5-8, Grades K-3

Reading Level:  Lexile RL: AD760L, Accelerated Reader RL: 3.4 , FLR: 3.9

Awards:  Caldecott Medal, 2006

Personal thoughts:   This book is a warm fuzzy book for anyone who has had a relationship with grandparents.  The multiethnic family is one that many children will be able to relate to and will be able to see themselves in.  I don’t particularly care for the size of the book because it is difficult to fit on conventional book shelves and requires it to be placed on a shelf with oversized books.

Bibliographic Information:  Juster, N. (2005), The Hello, Goodbye Window, New York: Michael Di Capua Books/Hyperion Books for Children

The Three Pigs by David Wiesner

Most people are familiar with The Three Little Pigs, but this story is one that will surprise you in an amazing way!

Summary:  The Three Pigs, by David Wiesner, won the Caldecott Medal Award in 2002.  This version of the famed fairy tale, The Three Little Pigs, starts out in the traditional way where a wolf finds pigs living in houses made out of straw, sticks, and bricks.  He intends to huff and puff and blow the houses down to eat the pigs.  The twist in this story is that the wolf blows so hard that he blows the first pig right out of the story.   He suggests to the second pig to join him because of the safety found outside the pages of the story.  All three pigs make a paper airplane out of one of the pages from the story and find themselves in the nursery rhyme, “Hey Diddle, Diddle.”  After leaving that story, they find themselves in another story with a dragon.  They help the dragon escape his story and the four of them, along with the cat from “Hey Diddle, Diddle”, look at pages from other stories.  They decide to return to the pig’s original story where the wolf is greeted by quite a surprise.

Qualitative Analysis:  The text of this book, told in the third-person perspective, is comfortable for the reader, although the meaning and purpose is more abstract where the reader is left to identify it as the story unfolds.  The main idea is not explicitly stated at the beginning of the reading.  The organization of the book includes transitions from one story to the next by the use of different artwork in the illustrations.  The font of the text changes depending on which part of the story is taking place.  According to the copyright page, four different types of fonts and sizes were used throughout the story.  Speech bubbles are used when the pigs, dragon, and cat are speaking when they are not in their original stories.  On the last three pages, portions of the text is scattered all over the pages to make it look like the wolf had blown the letters all around.  The illustrations use mixed mediums.  Once again, according to the copyright page, the artwork was done in watercolor, gouache, colored inks, pencil and colored pencil on Fabriano hot press paper.  When the animals are in their original story, they are illustrated using one type of artwork and when they are outside of their story, they are illustrated using a different medium.  When the animals are shown leaving their original story, the character is illustrated using both, showing both worlds in which they are falling into.  The pages for each story are clearly defined by the straight lines of a page.  When the story is taking place outside of the original story, the animal illustrations are on a white background without any borders.  It would be helpful for the reader to have some background knowledge of the story of “The Three Little Pigs” before reading this text, but that is not necessary.  Cultural or prior knowledge is not needed to enjoy and comprehend this book.

Genre and/or Subject Area:  Picture Book

Age or Interest Level:  Ages 5-8, Grades K-3

Reading Level:  Accelerated Reader RL: 2.3, FLR: 2.4

Awards:  Caldecott Medal, 2002

Personal thoughts:   The illustrations in this book are amazing!  The more I analyzed this book the more I appreciated the story and artwork that went into the making of this book.

Bibliographic Information:  Weisner, D. (2001), The Three Pigs, New York: Clarion Books

This culturally rich story demonstrates the never ending resourcefulness of Joseph, even when he has nothing left.

Summary:  Joseph Had A Little Overcoat, by Simms Taback, won the Caldecott Medal in 2000.  It is a wonderful, culturally rich story about a man who recycles an overcoat that most people would have thrown away.  Joseph, a Jewish man from Poland, has an overcoat that is filled with patches on the bottom third of the garment.  He decides to cut off the bottom and turn it into a jacket.  After that becomes worn and filled with patches, he turns it into a vest.  The vest then gets turned into a scarf, the scarf into a tie, the tie into a handkerchief, and the handkerchief into a button.  When he loses the button, he has nothing.  But that doesn’t stop Joseph from turning nothing into something.  The illustrations are colorfully filled with details such as photographs, newspapers, drawings, and fabrics.  Each garment has a cut-out that lies over the item as the reader turns the page to reveal the next garment that he has made.  A note from the author is included as well as the lyrics and music from a song that inspired him to write the story.

Qualitative Analysis:  The text to this story is comfortable for the reader as the purpose of the book unfolds and end with a moral.  The organization of the story is sequential with clear signals and transitions as it leads the reader through the story.  This is demonstrated as each new garment is revealed.  The story is told from a third-person perspective.  The text is typed in a bold orange font at the top of each page with a smoky black background.  This smoky background acts as a frame around each two-page spread.  Every time the name Joseph is used, the J uses a red font color.  The text is repetitive in that many of the sentences begin with the words “Joseph” or “So Joseph”.  There are other text features throughout the book in photographs, newspapers, flyers, books, wall hangings, sheet music, and letters written to him, some of which is written in Hebrew.  At the end of the book there is an author’s note as well as sheet music for a song that inspired him to write the book.  The copywrite page states that the artwork was done using watercolor, Gouache, pencil, ink, and collage.  Each two-page spread is packed with so many details that add to the richness of the story.  Although this story is filled with Jewish culture, the reader does not need background, cultural, or prior knowledge to enjoy and comprehend this wonderful story.

Genre and/or Subject Area:  Fiction, Picture Book

Age or Interest Level: Ages 3-8, Grades K-3

Reading Level:  Lexile RL: BR , Accelerated Reader RL: 1.7 , FLR: 2.0

Awards:  Caldecott Medal, 2000

Personal thoughts:   This book is one of the best picture books I’ve read!  I loved the story and the moral at the end.  The illustrations were filled with so many things that added to the richness of the Jewish culture depicted in this story.  I can’t wait to share it with my students!

Bibliographic Information:  Taback, S. (1999), Joseph Had A Little Overcoat, New York: Viking

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

Goodnight Moon is a timeless classic that can be shared with the next generation as they fall into a sleepy slumber.

Summary:  Goodnight Moon is a children’s classic written by Margaret Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd in 1947 that has been enjoyed for generations.  The little rabbit settles himself in for the night as he says goodnight to the objects in his room.  As he looks around his room, he finds several things to say goodnight to in a rhyming pattern.  His room is filled with objects children might find in their own rooms such as a rocking chair, pictures on the walls, a playhouse, a bookshelf filled with books, a clock, kittens, a rug, and a lamp.  Other objects such as a fireplace and socks and mittens drying on a rack might not be as familiar.  As the book is being read, the child can follow the movement of the rabbit and point to the objects being said goodnight to.  The board book is perfect for the youngest child without the worries of torn pages and wet books after being placed in the child’s mouth.

Qualitative Analysis:  Goodnight Moon is filled with repetitive text and rhyming words throughout the entire book.  The text at the beginning of the book identifies several of the objects in the room followed by the repeated word “Goodnight”.  The first page begins with four phrases on the page and after that there are one or two rhyming phrases per page.  The setting of the book is quickly established through the illustrations of Clement Hurd.  It is an evening scene in a bedroom as the moon is rising and shadows grow in the room.  The primary and secondary colors used change their value where the shadows grow in the room.  By the end of the book, the room is completely filled with a shadow created by the full moon.  The bedroom scene appears every other page.  The other pages are achromatic pictures of enlarged specific items in the room such as the picture of the cow jumping over the moon.

Genre and/or Subject Area: Board Book, Picture Book

Age/Interest Level:  0-5 years, Grades PK-2

Reading Level:  Lexile: AD360L, Accelerated Reader RL:  1.8, FLR: 2.3

Personal thoughts:   Goodnight Moon is a children’s classic.  The fact that it can be found in a board book means that it can be shared with even younger children without the fear of pages being ripped.  It makes a perfect gift for the newborn child.  It has been translated into many languages all over the world.  The soothing rhythm of the book was a favorite of my own children when they were young.

Bibliographic Information:  Brown, M. (1947), Goodnight Moon, New York: HarperFestival

This Is Not My Hat by J. Klassen

Summary:  Have you ever wanted something that did not belong to you, especially if it would be just perfect for you?  The little fish in this 2012 Caldecott Medal award winning story by Jon Klassen steals a hat that fits him just perfect from a much larger fish.  The little fish thinks the big fish won’t even notice it missing when he wakes up and that he would never know who stole it or where it is.  Unfortunately, the self-assured little fish is dead wrong.  The big fish knows exactly what happened, who stole it, and where he is hiding it.

Qualitative Reading Analysis:  According to the Qualitative Measures of Text Complexity Rubric, overall, this book can be categorized as a text that is comfortable or builds background, fluency, and skill. Density and complexity is the first area of evaluation in the levels of meaning and purpose.  The meaning is explicitly stated and there is a limited use of figurative language.  The purpose of the text is easily identified based on the context of the book.

The structure is comfortable for the reader. The text is consistent with the rules of the genre, humorous picture book.  It is well organized and is told in a chronological order to the story.  The narration is told in the first-person from the perspective of the small fish and little is hidden from the reader.  The text features includes large bold black font in the center of an all-white page or at the top in a white header.  There are no variations in the text.  The illustrations include full-page dark muted drawings.  The last few pages are wordless but is easy for the reader to understand how the story ends.

When looking at the language conventionality and clarity of the text, there were no variations in the standard English and would closely adhere to the reader’s linguistic base. The register was casual and familiar.

There is no need for background, cultural, vocabulary, or prior knowledge.

Genre and/or Subject Area: Humor, Fiction, Reading

Reading Level/Interest Level:  Lexile RL: 340L , Accelerated Reader RL: 1.6 , Reading Counts RL: 2.0 /Grades K-3

CCSS Reading Standards for Literature K-5:

1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.

2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.

3. Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.

4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.

5. Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.

6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.

Recommendations/Curriculum Suggestions:  When discussing personal property in class, this would be a humorous story to read.  It’s a reminder to the students that stealing is wrong and that there are consequences for such behaviour.  There is a free teacher’s resource guide available through Follett Titlewave.

Links Supporting Digital Content:  Monkey Loves Hats http://www.ziggityzoom.com, Dress Up Day http://www.abc.net.au

Awards: Caldecott Medal Winner

Bibliographic Information:  Klassen, J. (2012), This Is Not My Hat, Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press

A Sick Day For Amos by Eric E. Stead

Summary:  Have you ever had a “sick day” and couldn’t go to school?  Have you wondered if anyone missed you?  Amos McGee, a zookeeper, has a sick day and finds that he is greatly missed!  Amos takes the bus every day to the zoo and spends time each day with his animal friends.  The elephant likes to play chess, the tortoise likes to run races, the shy penguin likes to sit quietly, the rhinoceros can count on Amos to have a handkerchief for his runny nose, and the owl (who is afraid of the dark) always gets a book read to him at sunset.  But when Amos doesn’t show up one day, his five friends take the same bus Amos takes to check on him.  Each of the friends returns the kindness Amos has showed them and keeps him company while he is sick in bed.  They even spend the night with their friend Amos after sharing a cup of tea.

Qualitative Reading Analysis:  According to the Qualitative Measures of Text Complexity Rubric, overall, this book can be categorized as a text that is comfortable or builds background, fluency, and skill. Density and complexity is the first area of evaluation in the levels of meaning and purpose.  The meaning is explicitly stated and there is a limited use of figurative language.  The purpose of the text is easily identified based on the context of the book.

The structure is comfortable for the reader. The text is consistent with the rules of the genre, humorous picture book.  It is well organized and is told in a chronological order to the story.  The narration is told in the third-person and little is hidden from the reader.  The text features black easy to read font on an off-white background.  A few of the words are all capitalized showing emphasis.  The sentence “Horray!  My good friends are here!” is written with a larger font showing excitement.  The illustrations look like black ink drawings with muted colors used to fill in the subject.

When looking at the language conventionality and clarity of the text, there were no variations in the standard English and would closely adhere to the reader’s linguistic base. The register was casual and familiar.

There is no need for cultural, vocabulary, or prior knowledge.   Most readers will have the background knowledge of visiting a zoo.

Genre and/or Subject Area: Fiction, Humor, Reading

Reading Level/Interest Level:  Lexile RL: 760L , Accelerated Reader RL: 3.0 , Reading Counts RL: 3.6 /Grades K-2

CCSS Reading Standards for Literature K-5:

1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.

2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.

3. Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.

4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.

5. Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.

6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.

Recommendations/Curriculum Suggestions:  If a class is learning about zoos, this would be a cute book for students to imagine what it would be like for animals with the human characteristics described in the book.  It is also a good book to read about friendship.

Links Supporting Digital Content:  Tigers And Otters By Chelsea And Camille http://pbskids.org, ABC Zoo http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org, Mister Elephant’s Matching Game http://www.learningplanet.com, Elephants http://www.kbears.com

Awards: Caldecott Medal Winner

Bibliographic Information:  Stead, P. (2010), A Sick Day For Amos McGee, New York: Roaring Brook Press

Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Summary:  Have you ever let your imagination run wild?  Has what you imagined ever come true?  Max is a high spirited little boy who loves to dress up in a wolf costume while running through the house wildly.  Unfortunately, his mother has had enough of his antics and sends him to bed without supper.  While Max is in his room, a jungle of trees begin to grow in his bedroom and he imagines himself drifting off in a boat to an island filled with wild things.  These wild things don’t eat Max, in fact, he joins them in their wild rumpus and they make him their king.  Max realizes that although he is having fun with the new wild friends who understand him, he misses home and his mother.  Read this 1964 Caldecott Medal winning book by Maurice Sendak to find out if Max can make the journey home within his imagination.

Qualitative Reading Analysis:  According to the Qualitative Measures of Text Complexity Rubric, overall, this book can be categorized as a text that is comfortable or builds background, fluency, and skill. Density and complexity is the first area of evaluation in the levels of meaning and purpose.  The meaning is explicitly stated and there is a limited use of figurative language.  The purpose of the text is easily identified based on the context of the book.

The structure is comfortable for the reader. The text is consistent with the rules of the genre, adventurous picture book.  It is well organized and is told in a chronological order to the story.  The narration is told in the third-person and little is hidden from the reader.  The text features black easy to read font on a white background.  A few of the words are all capitalized showing a raised voice.  The detailed illustrations are drawn using fine  black lines and muted colors.

When looking at the language conventionality and clarity of the text, there were no variations in the standard English and would closely adhere to the reader’s linguistic base. The register was casual and familiar.

The knowledge demands are comfortable and needs no background knowledge or prior knowledge.  The vocabulary knowledge would be common to the reader.

Genre and/or Subject Area: Fiction, Adventure, Fantasy, Reading

Reading Level/Interest Level:  Lexile RL: 740L, Accelerated Reader RL: 3.4, Reading Counts RL: 4.4 /Grades K-2

CCSS Reading Standards for Literature K-5:

1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.

2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.

3. Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.

4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.

5. Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.

7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.

Recommendations/Curriculum Suggestions:  When discussing imagination and adventure, this would be a wonderful resource.

Links Supporting Digital Content:  Maurice Sendak http://www.factmonster.com, Maurice Sendak: The Picasso Of Children’s Books http://www.embracingthechild.org, Maurice Sendak http://www.kidsreads.com, Caldecott/Newbery Literature Series http://video.nhptv.org

Awards: Caldecott Medal Winner

Bibliographic Information:  Sendak, M. (1963), Where The Wild Things Are, New York: Harper Collins

Officer Buckle And Gloria by Peggy Rathman

Summary:  Officer Buckle is passionate about teaching the students at Napville Elementary School about safety and has been giving safety presentations for a long time.  Unfortunately, the students are not as passionate about safety.  The accidents continue to increase at the school while the students nod off during his presentations.  Officer Buckle thinks the students will pay better attention if he has his police dog, Gloria, up on stage with him.  Much to his surprise, the students all begin to pay better attention and the accident rates decrease in the school.  It isn’t until Officer Buckle watches news footage of his presentation that he realizes that Gloria is standing behind him acting out the safety tips.  He becomes disheartened and thinks it would be best if Gloria takes over giving the presentations.  Gloria’s presentation is disastrous and the worst accident ever takes place at the school.  This 1996 Caldecott Medal winning book by Peggy Rathmann is a great lesson in teamwork that includes a great mixture of humor.

Qualitative Reading Analysis:  According to the Qualitative Measures of Text Complexity Rubric, overall, this book can be categorized as a text that is comfortable or builds background, fluency, and skill. Density and complexity is the first area of evaluation in the levels of meaning and purpose.  The meaning is explicitly stated and there is a limited use of figurative language.  The purpose of the text is easily identified based on the context of the book.

The structure is comfortable for the reader. The text is consistent with the rules of the genre, humorous picture book.  It is well organized and is told in a chronological order to the story.  The narration is told in the third-person and little is hidden from the reader.  The text features a black font on a white background that is large and easy to read.  Italicized and words that are all capitalized are used to show emphasis, such as the safety rules.  When the biggest accident occurs, word with different size fonts in all caps are used as well as sentences that are arched.  Thank you notes from the students to Officer Buckle and Gloria are in a font that looks like handwriting.  The illustrations are collorful, whimsical drawings.

When looking at the language conventionality and clarity of the text, there were no variations in the standard English and would closely adhere to the reader’s linguistic base. The register was casual and familiar.

The knowledge demands are comfortable and needs no background knowledge or prior knowledge. Most readers will be familiar with school assemblies and special guest speakers.  The vocabulary knowledge would be common to the reader.

Genre and/or Subject Area:  Humor, Reading

Reading Level/Interest Level:  Lexile RL: 510L , Accelerated Reader RL: 3.4 , Reading Counts RL: 2.5 /Grades K-3

CCSS Reading Standards for Literature K-5:

1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.

2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.

3. Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.

4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.

5. Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.

6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.

Recommendations/Curriculum Suggestions:  When discussing safety, this would be a wonderful and humorous resource.

Links Supporting Digital Content:  Peggy Rathman http://www.peggyrathmann.com, Peggy Rathman http://kids.librarypoint.org, Meet The Author/Illustrator: Peggy Rathman http://www.eduplace.com

Awards: Caldecott Medal Winner

Bibliographic Information:  Rathman, P. (1995), Officer Buckle And Gloria, New York: Putnam’s