Author: Neil Gaiman, Dave McKean
Illustrated: Dave McKean
Copyright Date: 2003
Suggested age: 9 to 12
Genre: Fantasy
Summary: This book is a book that will spook you silly with its deep story of a odd person in a different world, (through a secret door) who tries to steal children and sew buttons into their eyes and take them in forever to love and live off of. The other world is the exact same, save for a few things. But she also finds a duplication of her parents in the other world, who wanted for her to live in the other world. But reality was way different there were also other children souls trapped and lost there as well. Coraline had to fight with the evil parents and save the lost children as well as herself and her real parents.
Reaction: This is an excellent book for younger but mature readers (4th through 7th grade), but it could be somewhat scary for anyone younger. It's fast paced, very Tim-Burtonish, a really quick read. I couldn't put it down! I could only say that Gaiman consistently produces sophisticated works that blend fantasy and reality into absorbing stories. The movie is also excellent, but do read the book first.
Uses: I would ask children to write a book report: Main characters, settings, introduction (How does the book begins), Point-of-View-From whose point of view is this story told from? Explain why you think this point of view is best for this story. List the two main characters and briefly, How did the main characters solve the problem? Reaction and conclusion.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Old Bear
Author: Kevin Henkes
Age range: 3 to 7
Picture Book
Summary: Old Bear sleeps for winter. Dreaming of spring and being a cub again, he travels through a daisy sun summer and yellow and orange autumn to an ice covered winter. Old Bear sleeps and dreams only to melt away the winter into spring. He wakes up to a beautiful spring day, as if no time has passed.
Reaction:I loved the beautiful illustrations in this book. Simple idea but richly presented, I could imagine being there with OLD BEAR as he slept and dreamed.
Uses: Play a hibernation sorting game. Using animal pictures or photographs have students sort the animals into different categories, such as animals that hibernate and animals that do not.
Make a pro-and-con chart to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of hibernating.
Possible questions might be: Which animals hibernates the longest?
Age range: 3 to 7
Picture Book
Summary: Old Bear sleeps for winter. Dreaming of spring and being a cub again, he travels through a daisy sun summer and yellow and orange autumn to an ice covered winter. Old Bear sleeps and dreams only to melt away the winter into spring. He wakes up to a beautiful spring day, as if no time has passed.
Reaction:I loved the beautiful illustrations in this book. Simple idea but richly presented, I could imagine being there with OLD BEAR as he slept and dreamed.
Uses: Play a hibernation sorting game. Using animal pictures or photographs have students sort the animals into different categories, such as animals that hibernate and animals that do not.
Make a pro-and-con chart to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of hibernating.
Possible questions might be: Which animals hibernates the longest?
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