Story Time

BIBLIOGRAPHY Young, Ed. 2011. The House Baba Built: An Artist's Childhood in China. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. ISBN-10: 9780316076289. PLOT SUMMARY Ed Young takes us on a one of a kind journey back in time in this picture book memoir, The House Baba Built. The unique memoir reflects on a significant time in the author’s life during WWII in China. The story begins by describing Ed’s family in the beginning, and the history behind the house that Babe built. Throughout the story, the narrator describes different sections of the house, its uses, and the walls that kept them safe from the outside terror. As the years go on, more people move in to the house, making the memories more colorful, and full of life. Four families end up living together in the house, helping shape the author’s childhood in an impactful way. In the end of the story, the war is over and the families shift apart, but the author goes back with children of his own, in appreciation of his fath

BIBLIOGRAPHY Tonatiuh, D. 2015. Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras . (Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal Awards). Harry N. Abrams. ISBN-10: 1419716476. PLOT SUMMARY Duncan Tonatiuh is an innovative illustrator that integrates his art with tradition and culture to narrate historical events. In Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras , Tonatiuh incorporates his Mixtec-modern art with well-thought out, clear and concise, literary informational text about Don Lupe Posada’s life. The biography narrates Posada’s life in Mexico since the day he was born, followed by the most important and life changing events in his life. Posada gained public recognition for his witty art, which conveyed political and social depictions of people portrayed as “calaveras”. He achieved great success through working and training employees in various print shop businesses throughout his lifetime in Mexico. The calavera illustrations left a mark in the Mexican world

BIBLIOGRAPHY Montgomery, S. and Bishop, N. 2007. The Tarantula Scientist. (Scientists in the Field Series). HMH Books for Young Readers. ISBN-10: 9780618915774. PLOT SUMMARY Exceptional non-fiction book, The Tarantula Scientist , narrated by Sy Montgomery, takes readers into the world of Sam Marshall’s tarantula research with the help of Nic Bishop’s cutting-edge photography skills. The story begins in French Guiana, north of the equator in a rainforest  serving as a home for dozens of tarantula species. Sam Marshall is a fearless scientist who gets up close and personal with all types of tarantulas and collects them for research. The book focuses on several different types of tarantulas from different locations from around the world, and provides details about their anatomy, defense mechanisms, prey, predators, and other unique features and abilities. The book also includes a smaller section giving spotlight to young students working on research and getting to know spiders.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Woodson, J. 2014. Brown Girl Dreaming . (Newbery Honor Book 1 st Edition). Nancy Paulsen Books. ISBN-10:  0399252517 PLOT SUMMARY National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Jacqueline Woodson, shares an amazing story about childhood, family, religion, change and hope, in Brown Girl Dreaming. Woodson takes readers into a vivid childhood journey that feels pure and honest. The main character, Woodson herself, tells her story starting from birth to her latter childhood years, including descriptive accounts of family members, friends, and different homes. Her birth came about in the midst of social reform and civil rights movement in America. Her father is never in the picture, and her mother attempts to find a place to make her dreams come true. Constantly moving from South Carolina to New York, Woodson is never fully complete in either home. She struggles to understand segregation, discrimination, and religion. Woodson finds hope in writing, although she

BIBLIOGRAPHY Engle, M. 2008. The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba’s Struggle for Freedom . (First Edition) Henry Holt and Co. ISBN-10:  0805086749 PLOT SUMMARY Margarita Engle writes a heart-wrenching, emotional, and hope-filled narrative poem in The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba’s Struggle for Freedom (Jane Addams Children’s Book Awards for Book for Older Children 2009). Engle creates a beautiful and inspirational narrative about a historical time period in Cuba from the mid-1800s to the early 1900s. The 2009 John Newbery Medal award winning book, tells about a young “witch” girl named Rosa, who endures years of war as a slave nurse. Rebels, rejects, runaway slaves, Spanish ex-military men and other “witches” join forces to escape the evil men who try to hunt them down through the forests of Cuba. The beautiful Cuban paradise is a dangerous war zone with men hunting men down for their freedom. Rosa is both famous and infamous for her curing abilities. The Spanish military had a

BIBLIOGRAPHY Grimes, N. 2013. Words with Wings . (First Edition) WordsSong. ISBN-10:  9781590789858 PLOT SUMMARY Nikki Grimes’ Words with Wings, was awarded the Coretta Scott King Book Award in 2014. The narrative poem tells about a young girl, Gabriella, who lives her life in a daydream. Every word jumps off the page and takes her on a journey. Her daydreaming gets her in trouble at school and at home. Her parent’s divorce has caused her much distress. Her mind is a place where she can disappear and her thoughts take her on beautiful adventures, but she is constantly reprimanded for it. She decides to quit her daydreaming in hopes her life and relationships will improve. As the story moves along, Gabriella discovers a friend, David, that is much like her. Mr. Spicer, Gabriella’s teacher, recognizes her talents with words and that is when the story takes on a more positive tone. Gabriella starts to get recognition from those around her and she realizes her daydreams have tur

BIBLIOGRAPHY Engle, M. 2010. The Firefly Letters: A Suffragette’s Journey to Cuba . Henry Holt and Co. ISBN-10:  0805090827 PLOT SUMMARY Pura Belpre Award winning book (2011), The Firefly Letters: A Suffragette’s Journey to Cuba, is a captivating, enchanting, and eye-opening story written by Margarita Engle. The story is told from 4 different perspectives and smoothly alternates between each voice. The story concentrates on Cuban life in the mid 1800’s. Fredrika, a Swedish suffragette, is a free-spirit that leaves her wealthy home to explore the world. Fredrika believes women, men, and all races should be equal and free. Excited to visit Cuban paradise, she quickly discovers it’s heaven on Earth, but the people in it are not as beautiful from within. The moon brings boats with African children in it. Freedom comes with a cost. Even Elena, the wealthy daughter of the man in charge of illegal transportation of slaves, feels trapped within her mansion. Women don’t have a voice o