Friday, August 30, 2013

Minnesota in the Civil War


 
The exhibit at the Minnesota History Center entitled Minnesota and the Civil War will be ending soon (September 8).  Hurry and see it if you haven't.  After it ends, here is an excellent resource for American and Minnesota history classes. The book includes many contemporary accounts of the war from diaries, letters, newspaper accounts, photographs, portraits, and pictures of many artifacts from the War that are in the Minnesota Historical Society collection. A great resource for social studies classrooms. 

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Hoop Genius; How a Desperate Teacher and a Rowdy Gym Class Invented Basketball



It's hard to imagine how a new gym teacher with a rowdy class of boys could invent a game of international popularity--yet that is exactly what happened to James Naismith in 1891 at a school in Springfield, Massachusetts. Written by John Coy, illustrated by Joe Morse, this picture book vividly shows how the first game was played, and how the sports world changed as a result.  A copy of the first draft of rules is printed on the endpapers, adding a primary resource to the story.  This could be the starting point for students to do historical research on their favorite game.

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Happy Birthday, Hamster




We first met this engaging hamster in Hot Rod Hamster. He's back, and looking forward to his birthday party. His friend, Dog, is busy shopping for things (but they don't seem to be birthday things). Poor Hamster thinks everyone forgot about his birthday, and gets a big surprise in the end.  With rollicking rhyming text by Cynthia Lord, and colorful illustrations by Minnesotan Derek Anderson, this will be a good read-aloud to share with young children or early readers (might even be good for a birthday party selection).

Monday, August 12, 2013

BookSpeak! Poems About Books


 
In this poetry picture book, Laura Purdie Salas has collected a group of fun, slightly wacky, but engaging poems for young readers--and the subject is BOOKS.  There are numerous literary allusions; for example, in "Cliffhanger", a dog is clinging to rocks while a whale swims below, and the words plead: "Please, author, write a sequel fast!".  "The Middle's Lament" is a three-voice poem where the beginning, middle and end of a book discuss who's best and most important to the story.  People who produce books are honored in "This is the Book".  With its variety of poetic forms, and effective use of several language arts terms, this is a sure thing for elementary language arts classes.  The mixed media illustrations by Jose'e Bisaillon fill the pages with color and imagination.  A teacher's activity guide can be found here.  This won the Minnesota Book Award in 2012.

Saturday, August 10, 2013

T is for Twin Cities; A Minneapolis/St. Paul Alphabet






















 This is not your average alphabet book.  Written by Nancy Carlson and Helen Wilbur, with illustrations by David Geister; this book brings together information about historic landmarks, famous Minnesotans, and natural beauty to introduce young readers to what makes the Twin Cities a wonderful place to live.  James J. Hill, Garrison Keilor, and Elizabeth Quinlan, Minnehaha Falls, The Chain of Lakes, and the Mississippi River join the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, Guthrie Theatre, and the Minnesota Orchestra among the featured people and places in this introduction to the Twin Cities. In addition to a brief poem, each page includes two or three paragraphs telling readers more about what is featured there. The illustrations also capture the spirit of each topic.  This could be a classroom resource for upper elementary social studies and Minnesota history classes.

Friday, August 2, 2013

When Stravinsky Met Nijinsky


This may be my most favorite picture book of 2013 so far (but there are many I haven't looked at yet).  This book tells the story of the ballet The Rite of Spring, composed by Igor Stravinsky and choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky; and first performed in 1913 in Paris.  Using alliteration, onomatopoeia, and other musical language, author (and illustrator) Lauren Stringer, tells the story of the collaboration of these two musicians as they created this famous ballet.  The illustrations reflect the influence of cubism (a new artistic movement in the early 1900's).  Careful study of the illustrations will reveal hints of Matisse and Picasso, as an added treat.  The words and pictures fit together perfectly to make this a very special book.  There will be opportunities to use this in music, art, and language arts classes at the elementary level. An activity guide is available here; and a more detailed curriculum guide from Carnegie Hall can be found here

Thursday, August 1, 2013

It's Milking Time


Oh my, does this book ever bring back memories! This story was my life as the daughter of a dairy farmer until about 8th or 9th grade.  The author, Phyllis Alsdurf, grew up on a dairy farm in southern Minnesota, and tells the story of a young girl and her special relationship with her father as they milk cows, and also with young calves (that she must feed and tend) and other farm animals.  The illustrations by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher, are spot-on in depicting life on a dairy farm. This could be a classroom resource for teaching a unit on where food comes from, and also for showing city kids different lifestyles that they may never see. It's a wonderful story!