Quinito’s Neighborhood//El Vecindario de Quinito

Post by Rachel Perrone

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Recommendation:  4yr-8yr, or Grades K-3

 

          Quinito is a young boy who is proud of his family’s and neighbor’s accomplishments.  While the story is simple, Quinito clearly paints a picture of his busy neighborhood and how the lives of the people within it are intertwined.  For example, Guillermo the mailman is going to marry Sonia Isabel, the daughter of the woman who sells another neighbor’s bread.   Quinito also tells us how his mami is a carpenter, his abuela drives a big truck, and his cousin goes to clown school.  With simple statements and intriguing illustrations, Quinito’s Neighborhood not only provides children with a view of the diversity that creates a community, but also breaks the gender stereotyping regarding which jobs a man can do and which ones a woman can perform.

          This story clearly shows children that there are no jobs men and women can’t do.  A woman can drive a truck if she wants to!  Qunito’s Neighborhood is great for bilingual children because it provides text in both English and Spanish, even incorporating words such as abuela into the English text.  It shows them how they do not have to lose their Spanish culture just to join the American mainstream.  The text includes not only colorful, attractive illustrations, but also a glossary at the back of the book, which is helpful to both children who do and do not speak Spanish.  I would definitely include this book in my classroom!  I could use it with both English and Spanish-speaking students because of its dual language text.  This would allow my students to be able to discuss the text with any of their peers and can help everyone develop respect and understanding of other cultures.  According to Tompkins (2013), creating a comfortable classroom environment “is especially important for ELs so that they feel valued and are comfortable taking risks and admitting when they’re confused or need assistance”(p. 42). 

          I would use this text in my class to not only develop a sense of comfort, but also to further engage ELL’s.  Tompkins (2013) discusses various techniques that can be used to help ELL’s succeed in the classroom.  By using a text that is accessible to both native and non-native English speakers, children can be grouped with a variety of peers. They can have the opportunity to not only participate, but actually engage, in small groups, whole class instruction, and individually.  By working in small groups with a text that all students can access, Spanish-speaking students have the ability to actively contribute to the discussion and better their English by means of social interaction.  This text also can be used to incorporate mini-lessons.  Teachers can use the dual-language text to help students align Spanish vocabulary with its English counterparts.  Also, Quinito’s Neighborhood helps the students build upon their background and funds of knowledge.  Overall, this text is a great way to effectively engage ELL’s.

Cumpiano, Ina (2005).  Quinito’s neighborhood. San Francisco, CA: Children’s Press Books.

Tompkins, G.E. (2013). Language arts: Patterns of practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

 

Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe- Catie McGuinness

I loved this book!  It is a wonderful African version of the Cinderella story.  Both the narrative and illustrations are outstanding.  The paintings depict the beauty of Africa very well.  Its message is very simple and clear that if you are kind you will be rewarded in the end.  It also shows the consequences of greed and jealousy.  Both are very important lesson for children of all ages.

Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters is best for grades kindergarten to third grade.  Its genre is folktale.  I would definitely use this book in the classroom to introduce students to the folklore genre.  They will learn that folk tales are fictional stories that are passed around in cultures all over the world by oral tradition. I would first start the lesson by showing the students pictures of Africa because some students may not be familiar with it.  I would also introduce, define, and give students examples of the tier two and three words that are in the story.  These words include temper, bountiful, relief, clever, worthy, greed, and anxious. I would then read the story out loud to the class asking them questions and having them makes predictions to keep students interacted in the lesson. I would have students list two points in the story that are make believe.  Then as a class, we would compare and contrast the setting, characters, and plot of Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughter’s with the most popular French version of Cinderella using a Venn diagram.

I believe discussion during read-aloud is very important.  As Tompkins says in Chapter Five on page 115, you should invite students to be actively involved in readings and the teacher should stop periodically to ask questions that stimulate discussion.  He continues on page 118 and states that listening and talking plays an essential role in learning.  He adds that when students participate and discuss the reading, they deepen their understanding of the story.  In chapter 6 Tompkins talks about the reading process and on page 153 he tells us how important focusing on vocabulary is.  He speaks of the importance of immersing students in words.  Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters has wonderful and rich vocabulary to introduce to students.  In chapter 9 on page 243, Tompkins states the importance of teachers using activities that ensures students comprehend what they are reading.  Using the Venn diagram activity I will be able to access students understanding of the story.

Steptoe, J. (1987). Mufaro’s beautiful daughters. New York City, New York: Harper Collins.

Tompkins, G. E. (2012). Language arts: Patterns of practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

The Storyteller’s Candle- Susan LaBella

The storyteller’s candle by Lucia Gonzalez is a non- fiction picture book about Puerto Rican children in New York City during the Great Depression.  Hildimar and Santiago’s family had just moved from Puerto Rico to New York City and it was their first Christmas in this country.  They missed the warm weather and the Christmas traditions of their country, such as celebrating El Dia de los Reyes, or Three Kings Day. One afternoon, a librarian named Pura Belpre who was from Puerto Rico, came to Hilidmar and Santiago’s school to tell stories to the class.  Whenever she told a story, she always had a candle lit and when the story was done the children would blow out the candle and make a wish.  The children loved her stories so much that they made frequent visits to the library, and when the stories were finished they always blew out the the storyteller’s candle.  Pura and the children decided to put on a play at the library about Three Kings Day.  The people of the neighborhood, Puerto Rican and American, came to the library to watch the performance.  Hildimar and the other Puerto Rican children got their wish, they got to bring the Puerto Rican traditions to their new home in New York City.

This book is good to use in an ESL class because it is written in both Spanish and English.  It is best to use in a 2nd-3rd grade classroom.  In the English parts, there are some Spanish words so children in the class who are not English language learners have the opportunity to learn some Spanish.  For example, “Most lived in a northern section in Manhattan that became known as El Barrio, which means “the neighborhood” in Spanish (Gonzalez,2008, p.2).   In one part of the book, the librarian says “The library is for everyone, la biblioteca es para todas” (p.11)  This book could also be used as part of a lesson to teach about Christmas in different countries. There is one part of the book where the family explains Christmas in Puerto Rico.  They say “I miss the delicious pasteles and the smell of roasting pork everywhere! I remember the parrandas and aguinaldos, when family and neighbors came to visit, sing, dance, and eat! El Dia de los Reyes, Three Kings Day, was the best day of the year! (p.6)  The teacher could expand on this by teaching students the different ways Christmas is celebrated in other parts of the world.

I would use this book as part of an ESL lesson in reading in another language.  “Most children’s books are written with the assumption that the readers will already be familiar with the cultural aspects of the story and will already be fluent in the spoken language” (Gibbons,2002, p.83).  Many Latin American children will be familiar with the cultural aspects of this book and since it is also written in Spanish, they will have the opportunity to read a book in their native language and then read the English section.  Doing this will help them to improve their English reading and speaking skills.  I would demonstrate this by telling the story first in Spanish, then in English.  “Tell the story in the children’s first language.  It will demonstrate your respect and acceptance of other languages, position the second language learners in the class as proficient, and show children that all languages are a means of communication” (p.86).   I do this when I am reading a book in Spanish, so I can improve my Spanish skills.   Some after- reading activities could be readers theater or picture and sentence matching. “Provide each group of children with a copy of the story.  Each chooses the dialogue of one of the characters to read, while the others share the narration.  This can be practiced until it is word perfect and than it can be shared with the class (p. 92).  Using pictures is also a great way for children to learn a new language.  “Take about six illustrations with matching sentences from the book.   Cut them up into separate pictures and sentences.  Children match the pictures with the appropriate sentences ( p.95).  This book has lots of descriptive pictures so it is perfect to use for this activity.  This book is a great tool to help Spanish speaking children improve their English  skills.  I will definitely be using this book when I have my own ESL classroom.

Gonzalez, Lucia, (2008). The storyeller’s candle. San Francisco,CA : Children’s Book Press.

Gibbons, Pauline. (2002.) Teaching second language learners in the mainstream classroom. Portsmouth, NH :Heinemann.

The Giving Tree- Alyssa Benincasa

Genre: Children’s picture book

Grade level: 1st- 5th Grade

Summary: The story begins with a young boy learning to communicate with a tree and looking at the tree as a friend. The boy goes to visit the tree everyday while the tree each day helps the boy with something new. One day, the tree gives its apples for the boy to eat. The boy then goes back and the tree sees the boy needs money. The tree allows the boy to take the apples from the tree to sell for money. The tree is so thankful that the boy loves to come play each day. Later on, the boy decides he wants to build a house. The tree allows the boy to cut the branches and then build the house that he wants. The boy then wants to build a boat and the tree tells the boy to take the trunk to build a boat. The only thing left of the tree is just the stump. The boy grows to be an old man and still comes and sits beside the tree stump because that is his friend and that tree had always helped the boy throughout his life. 

This book is a nice story about friendship.This story can be used to teach the students a lesson on persuasion and even writing. I can read the story to the students and they can each choose a buddy to work with throughout the lesson. They can use this story to write a piece on persuading their buddy on why friendship is important and why they should always help out their friends. For example, they can talk about the importance of friendship and persuade them to help a friend who is always their for them out and provide examples of why it is important to do so. I believe reading the story and working with a buddy is good for students through this activity so then they can see the importance of friendship and working together. According to Tompkins, “Sometimes students read with buddies because it’s an enjoyable social activity, and sometimes they read together to help each other” ( 2012, p. 151). This story can also tie in with a lesson on letter writing because students can read the story and then begin to write a friendly letter to a close friend possibly discussing the importance of their friendship. 

References:

Tompkins, G.E. (2012) Language Arts. Patterns of Practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education 

Thank You, Jackie Robinson

Grades: 3-5

Genre: Historical Fiction, Sports Novel

 

Thank You, Jackie Robinson is a short novel that is told from the perspective of Sam, a young boy who is a huge fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Sam is not like any normal fan though; he can recite a play by play of any game the Brooklyn Dodgers played in the 1940’s. Sam makes friends with the new cook for the inn his mother runs, Davey. Davey is also a Brooklyn Dodgers fan and even takes Sam to his first and many other balls games throughout the book. During the story, Davey has a heart attack and ends up in the hospital. Sam is not allowed to visit Davey while he is in the hospital. As a result, Sam decides he will go to a Brooklyn Dodgers game and have the entire team sign a baseball for Davey because it is the one thing that Davey truly wants and Sam hopes it will make him get better. Shortly after Sam presents Davey his gift of the autographed baseball, Davey passes away.

 

This book can be used to help students who are into baseball gain an interest in reading. This book can be used following along with the reading process. Together as a class, everyone can activate their prior knowledge of baseball and Jackie Robinson and do some research if necessary along with creating a plan for reading in the prereading stage. The book can then be read either through guided reading, shared reading, independent reading, buddy reading, or reading aloud to students during the second stage, the reading stage. In the third stage, the responding stage, the students can continue to negotiate the meaning of the story through writing in their reading journals or participating in discussions. In the exploration stage, the fourth stage, the teacher can direct the students’ attention to particular areas of the text that he or she feels needs more attention. Here the text can even become a mentor text as the teacher points out specific aspects of writing the author did very well. One example is “Listen. When I was a kid, I was crazy. Nuttier than a fruitcake. Madder than a hatter. Out of my head. You see, I had this obsession. This hang-up. It was all that mattered to me.
I was in love with the Brooklyn Dodgers.” Here the author creates a strong opening for the story and this can be a great way to demonstrate and inspire students for their own writing. The fifth stage, applying, is when the students will continue to deepen their understanding of the text. Here students can create a variety of different projects to demonstrate their understanding of the text. 

Cohen, B., & Cuffari, R. (1974). Thank you, Jackie Robinson. New York, NY: Lothrop,

     Lee & Shepard.

Tompkins, G. E. (2012). Language arts: Patterns of practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ:

     Pearson.

Anh’s Anger Written by Gail Silver and Illustrated by Christiane Kromer

Christine Brown

1.) Silver, G. (2009). Anh’s anger. Berkeley, CA: Plum Blossom Books.

2.) A young boy named Anh was building a tower with blocks quietly as his grandfather made dinner. When dinner was ready to be served, Anh’s grandfather told him it was dinnertime, but Anh was too concentrated. His grandfather tried several times to get Anh to come eat before his dinner got cold. All of the sudden Anh burst into tears and exchanged some very strong words towards his grandfather as he tried to comfort Anh. His grandfather told him that he would talk to him when he was calm and Anh cried stronger as he went to his room. A red creature appeared in Anh’s room as he was crying and introduced himself to Anh as Anh’s anger. The creature explained to Anh how he makes him feel and what he makes Anh do. Anh’s anger (the red creature) taught Anh how to deal with his anger by letting it all out through dancing, making music, etc. Anh began to realize his actions and grasped an understanding of knowing this emotion will happen, but there are appropriate ways to handle the matter. Anh apologized to his grandfather when he came into the room and his grandfather decided to share his story of how he met with his anger as a young boy. 

3.) Contemporary Realism

4.) Grades 1-2

5.)  I would use this book in my classroom to help discuss the topic of emotions that all children experience. This book is an excellent example to read to children because every student would be able to relate to the young boy, Anh. Anh’s anger is an example of contemporary realism and the modeled real-life situation is very engaging to a child. Not only have they all experienced a time when they want to keep playing and are told they have to stop, but the anger that arrives after having to stop they have experienced as well. This book would teach the healthy way to deal with emotions, in this case anger. The children see from Anh’s experience that they need to reflect on the way they act and learn how to achieve a better outcome from it. For Anh, he learned he has to take his mind off what is making him angry by doing another action to relax himself. The children learning how to cope with their feelings and not get out of control is an extremely important lesson to understand, especially at a young age.

6.)  Anh’s anger could be used as a book for students to write about in their reading logs. A reading log is a place for students to respond in writing or through drawings about a story, concept book, or other text they are reading. A reading log response would be perfect for this text because the students could reflect on a time they were in Anh’s situation. The students could think about how they think they could have handled the situation better by coping with their emotions positively.  As stated, “Rather than simply summarizing their reading, students delve into important ideas and relate their reading to their own lives or to other literature” (Tompkins, 2013, p.93). Having the children connect the story to their own experiences will increase the students understanding of the message of the book in a much clearer way.

 

Tompkins, G.E. (2013). Language arts: Patterns of practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Wager. (n.d.) Assistive technology considerations for academic success (TAMFAN). Council for Exceptional Children.

Julia Bonacasa- So You Want to be President by Judith St. George

This book could be used for a 2nd-4th grade class.

So You Want to be President by Judith St. George is about all the different presidents and some fun facts about being a president. It starts out by saying how there are good things about being president and bad things about being president. It goes through each president and what they liked about being president and what they didn’t like. For example, something that George Bush liked  was having a bowling alley in his house. William McKinley didn’t like that he always had to dress up. So many fun facts are presented throughout the book, like how you might be able to become president if your name is James because there has been six presidents named James. It is a very informative historical picture book that would be a fun way to teach students about all the presidents. In the back of the book, it lists the order of the presidents, where they were born and when they died, and what their accomplishments were while they were presidents.

I feel like this book would be great to use in a classroom. It is very engaging and it definitely can grasp students attention. The illustrations help add character to a book that you wouldn’t realize right away as being very factual. As a teacher, I would present this book maybe during the elections, or even before Presidents Day. It’s a history lesson without all the textbooks and the notes which is a fun concept. This book could be used as a mentor text to get students so start to understand the meaning behind being a president. According to Tompkins, “Teachers often use mentor texts as they teach students to listen and talk more effectively. Many stories and informational books that teachers read aloud, for example, encourage critical thinking”(p. 137). This informational book could encourage critical thinking by making the students think about the different requirements it takes to become a president and some of the perks that come along with it. Overall, I think it is a very fun and entertaining book to read to children who are just first learning about presidents of the United States.

George, Judith St., and David Small. So You Want to Be President? New York: Philomel, 2004. Print.

Tompkins, G.E. (2013). Language arts: Patterns of practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

 

Nasreen’s Secret School by Jeanette Winter

Nasreen’s Secret School by Jeanette Winter is an inspirational story about a young girl who overcomes adversary. It is a realistic fiction book based off of a true story from Afghanistan. The book starts out depicting Afghanistan’s rich history. Before the Taliban came and controlled the country, art and music thrived. Afghanistan has always been a beautiful country, but because it is not under the control of a terrorist organization, the people of Afghanistan live under oppression and constant fear. Girls are not allowed to go to school, or go outside for that matter. Nasreen’s father was taken by a soldier with no explanation. Her mother went to look for him and stayed behind with her grandmother. Nasreen had a difficult life, never knowing if her family would return. Nasreen didn’t speak for a long time. Her grandmother grew weary waiting and knew that she must do something to help Nasreen. Nasreen’s grandmother knew that many people in Afghanistan were doing things in secrecy, like going to school. She made it her mission to find this school and bring Nasreen there. Nasreen and her grandmother went to find the school and found it successfully, without being caught. Nasreen began to learn more, but she still did not speak to anyone. When winter came, the school closed down. When Nasreen went back to school, a young girl named Mina, told her that she was missed. Nasreen spoke back to her, for the first time in a long time. Nasreen said, “I missed you too.” They spent the day getting to know each other and Nasreen flourished. She came home everyday to her grandmother to tell her what she learned. Nasreen’s secret school led to her getting past all of the atrocities she has had to witness in her lifetime.

I would use this book in a 4th or 5th grade classroom. This book would be good to use in an interactive read aloud. According to Tompkins, “students are better listeners when they’re involved during reading, not afterward” (Tompkin, 2013, p. 123). If I were to use this book as an interactive read aloud, I would begin by showing the cover and asking my students to make a prediction. What do you think this book will be about? Does anyone know where Afghanistan is? I would then proceed to read the book, stopping periodically to discuss what we have just read. For example, after reading the part where Nasreen’s father is taken I will stop to discuss what just happened. I would ask students how they would feel in this situation. I would also stop to discuss Nasreen’s development when she speaks to Mina. I will ask students why they think she wouldn’t talk for so long and if they think school is important (hopefully they’ll never take it for granted after hearing this book!).

After reading, I will involve my students in a narrative pantomime. A narrative pantomime is when students act out a story, usually as a character. Students will work in a partnership, either as Nasreen or her grandmother. I will then reread the story, asking students to act out their characters. I will read slowly and expressively in order to encourage my students to act. According to Tompkins, “a way to create interest is by asking students to assume a role as a character and dramatize events from the story” (Tompkins, 2013, p.124). This is a fun and engaging activity that all students will enjoy. It involves the entire class and allows students to be a part of something fun.

Works Cited

Winter, J. (2009). Nasreen’s secret school: A true story from Afghanistan. New York, NY. Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Tompkins, G. E. (2013). Language arts: Patterns of practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

-Alyssa Phillips

Nanny McPhee!

Nanny McPhee is an pre-teen chapter book. It was written by Christianna Brand. It is ideal for fourth grade because it is indeed a chapter book but it is simple enough for the students to read and understand the information. The genre is fantasy. It is very similar to Mary Poppins and is a cute and progressive introduction to larger chapter books. It is about a family: The Browns. Their family had many children who were very naughty. They were so naughty that Nurse Matilda was the only nurse that could control and teach these children right from wrong. Each chapter involves a new task to learn and Nurse Matilda teaches it in a very unique and magical way. The children, of course, are so shocked at this Nurse that they indeed learn what is expected of them. The famous idea is that when you need Nurse Matilda but don’t want her, she must stay. When you want her but do not need her, she must go. Needless to say the children do not want her towards the beginning of the book and do not want her to leave towards the end. 

What is so great about this chapter book is that it os not to complex for the students to read. They can read it and understand it. It is always more exciting to read a book that is a little devious in elementary school and to notice how crazy the children’s behavior is. “Teachers and students collaborate to document students’ learning; there are innovative ways to involve students in assessing their own learning” (Tompkins,2010, p.30). This quote is ideal for this book. Each chapter, they can characterize Nanny McPhee and see how she changes throughout the book. She will not have as many details during the first few chapters and many details in the end. This will show students that sometimes progression and growth of a character takes time and is not accomplished  on one page. They can use this toward their future writing skills. 

Tompkins, G.E. (2013). Language arts: Patterns of practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Brand, C. (2005). Nanny McPee: The Collected Tales of Nurse Matilda. New York, NY: Bloomsbury Publishing.

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type – Nicole Bosi

            Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin is a children’s comedy book that is about the cows writing a letter to Farmer Brown. This is a creative book that allows children to use their imagination. Farmer Brown discovers that the cows in the barn could type messages. The cows leave messages for Farmer Brown, saying that they wanted electronic blankets to keep them warm. When Farmer Brown refuses to accept their request, the cows tell him that they will not produce any more milk for the day. Throughout the book, the cows ask for items for their friends, and Farmer Brown finally says he will no longer give them the items they are asking for. Children can learn to never give up on things they ask for or want because, in the end, there is always an opportunity and one may get what they asked for. 

This book is geared towards Kindergarten to third grade. The characters in this book illustrate how one may use his imagination and the cows are persuading the Farmer to give them electric blankets. I would use this book in a third grade class to introduce persuasive writing in a letter format. The cows wrote a persuasive letter, which is a great mentor text for children. Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type will keep children’s attention and teach them multiple life lessons. Imagination is displayed in many ways throughout the book, which shows children they can use their own imagination to picture the story. Children will learn that working together is the key to success, just as the cows did. The cows ask Farmer Brown for electric blankets and do not give up. As they work together and tell their farmer they would stop producing milk, he gives in. Working as a team in life allows one to succeed further. Children will learn to never give up on something; the cows never gave up and the cows got what they asked for. Overall, children will enjoy this book and learn various life lessons from it and realize that persuasive writing can really persuade someone to do something.

 After reading this book the students are going to write a letter to Farmer Brown asking for something else, however the writer is going to be another character from the book. My goal for students is to get the idea of using their imagination and creating their own thoughts. Many people use persuasion daily, for example many students ask their parents if they can have a friend come over after school and list reasons why it is a good idea to allow them. The students many not realize they are doing it, but that is persuasion and that is what my lesson would be focused on. According to Tompkins (2013), “Persuasion is winning someone to your viewpoint or cause. The three ways people are persuaded are by appeals to logic, moral character, and emotion. Students present their position clearly and then support it with example and evidence” (p. 159). The three elements of persuasion are very important and students will need to figure out which one they are going to use to persuade Farmer Brown like the cows did to get their electric blankets. As a class we will brainstorm ideas together, but then the students will work independently and write a persuasive letter to Farmer Brown. Dorfman states (2007), “As we develop teaching relationships with authors and their work, we will find that certain texts seem to surface as very important to teaching” (p. 3). I believe this mentor text, Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type, is easy to understand and sets a great example of what persuasive writing is.

 

Reference

Cronin, D., & Lewin, B. (2010). Click, clack, moo: Cows that type. New York: Little Simon.

Dorfman, L. R., & Cappelli, R. (2007). Reinventing the Writer with Mentor Texts. In Mentor texts: Teaching writing through children’s literature, K-6 (pp. 1-17). Portland, Me.: Stenhouse.

Tompkins, G.E. (2012). Language arts: Patterns of practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

 

Blog By: Nicole Bosi