Lives Of The Pirates By Kathleen Krull & Kathryn Hewitt

1.  Bibliography
Krull, Kathleen and Kathryn Hewitt.  2010.  LIVES OF THE PIRATES SWASHBUCKLERS, SCOUNDRELS (NEIGHBORS BEWARE).  New York:  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.  ISBN 9780152059088


2.  Plot Summary
This book is a biography of the many pirates male and female that sailed the ocean.  There are 20 different pirates arranged chronologically.  The life of each pirate is filled with true facts of their lives and tales of their great adventures.  Grace O'Malley an Irish lady is mentioned who has the record of having the longest profession of being a pirate.  Black Bart was outfitted in the best clothes.  The truth of Long John Silver only being a character from an authors imagination.  These are just a few of the great pirates from history mentioned in this book.

3.  Critical Analysis
The book begins with a table of contents listing each pirate by name and a caption.  There is a beautiful map of the world with the location of each pirate mapped on it.  At the beginning of each pirates story is a colorful illustration of their likeness.   The pictures of each pirate are exciting and give an insight into the pirates personality.  At the end of the book is a list of books for further reading about pirates.  The authors of the book are well known and have written other books about lives famous people in history.  The book is easy to read and locate information if looking for a specific pirate. 

4.  Review Excerpt
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL remarks, "Krull vividly presents these swashbucklers and scoundrels, and their dramatic stories will excite the imaginations of listeners. A solid choice for school and public libraries."

5.  Connections
Have each child pick one of the pirates within the book.  Than have them find more information about that pirate.  Write up a report to share with the other students.
More pirate books:
Osborne, Mary Pope, Sal Murdocca, and Will Osborne.  PIRATES (MAGIC TREE HOUSE RESEARCH GUIDE).  ISBN 978375802997
Platt, Richard.  PIRATE (DK EYEWITNESS BOOK).  ISBN 9780756630058
Rose, Jamaica.  THE BOOK OF PIRATES.  ISBN 9781423606703
 

Saving The Ghost Of The Mountain An Expedition Among Snow Leopards In Mongolia Text by Sy Montgomery Phographs by Nic Bishop

1.  Bibliography
Montgomery, Sy.  2009.  SAVING THE GHOST OF THE MOUNTAIN:  AN EXPEDITION AMONG SNOW LEOPARDS IN MONGOLIA.  Ills by Nic Bishop.  New York:  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.  ISBN 9780618916450

2.  Plot Summary
Snow leopards are beautiful creatures that live in the shadows and are not easily seen.  Tom McCarthy has made it his life work to track and protect this animal.  Sy Montgomery and Nic Bishop embark on this adventure with Tom to bring this story to life from the cold weather of Mongolia.   They will climb the freezing ridges of the Mongolia mountains and share facts about the leopards, the history of Mongolia, the culture, and other interesting facts about their journey. 

3.  Critical Analysis
Before the adventure starts a map is shared with the reader to map out the journey and the habitat of the animals of Mongolia.  Each chapter starts with the title of its contents and a big picture of the adventure and a small cation underneath.  Every chapter is filled with fun facts and beautiful pictures.  One interesting fact within the pages of the books is, "The snow leopard is endangered, like the panda and the tiger."  Most of the pictures within the pages were taken by Nic Bishop on the journey to find the snow leopard.  The text of the book is written by Sy Montgomery which is first hand from the knowledge learned on the adventure and taught by Tom McCarthy who specializes in snow leopards.  At the end of the book is a paragraph of how to learn more about snow leopards and an index to find specific information fast and easy.  This is a beautiful book full of information and breath taking pictures of Mongolia and the snow leopard.

4.  Review Excerpts
Starred Review in School Library Jounranl:  "Children will be swept up in the buoyant account of the journey through Mongolia led by Tom McCarthy, conservation director of the Snow Leopard Trust, in search of the elusive cat known as the "ghost of the mountain."

5.  Connections
Have the children visit the suggested sites in the back of the book for more information.  The URLs are:  wwwiauthorwire.com and www.nicbishp.com.    They can explore more photos of Mongolia and read the journal of the author from the trek to find the snow leopard.
More books about snow leopards:
Hatkoff, Craig.  LEO THE SNOW LEOPARD.  ISBN 9780545229272
Johnston, Marianne.  SNOW LEOPARDS AND THEIR BABIES (ZOO LIFE BOOKS).  ISBN 9780823953172.
Shores, Ericka L.  SNOW LEOPARDS.  ISBN 9781429644839

Bodies From The Ice By James M. Deem

1.  Bibliography
Deem, James M.  2008.  BODIES FROM THE ICE MELTING GLACIERS AND THE RECOVERY OF THE PAST.  Boston:  Houghton Mifflin Company.  ISBN 978618800452

2.  Plot Summary
Everyday glaciers all over the world are melting.  A couple hiking in Italy discovered the body of a man that lived 5,300 years ago.  Has the ice disappears the rocky ground underneath displays artifacts and bodies from the past.  There are glaciers all over the world that are showing evidence from history.  Some of the people that have been found under the ice and snow are hunters, soldiers, children, travelers, shepherds, and dairymaids.  When scientists find the bodies they can study them to make discovers from the past.  The author of this book takes the reader on an adventure to explore glaciers that are melting all over the world and the ancient treasures that have been found.  Whether it is a body or the sole of a soldiers boot. 

3.  Critical Analysis
The author of the book is a college professor who has written other nonfiction titles.  He did not go on this journey of the glaciers, but researched the information for this book.  Each chapter of the book opens with a beautiful picture of the glacier being discussed on one page and text and a map of the location of the glacier on the opposite page.  The photographs in the book are big and beautiful.  Every fine detail is displayed in the images.  The pictures of  the book may be too detailed for younger children.  Some of the pictures are very graphic and emotional.  Every picture includes a caption for easy reading through the book.  The reader can use the table of contents to decide what glacier they would like to learn about.  The table of content provides the reader an easy way to find exactly what they want to read.  In the back of the book is a page suggesting websites and glaciers to visit.  There is also an index if the reader is looking for a specific topic.   The book is well organized and easy to use.  The pictures are amazing and draw the reader to read the text to understand what is happening with these melting glaciers.

4.  Review Excerpts
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL starred review, "With its extensive bibliography, suggested Web sites, and a listing of glaciers to visit, Bodies is a fantastic resource. Deem superbly weaves diverse geographical settings, time periods, and climate issues into a readable work that reveals the increasing interdisciplinary dimensions of the sciences."
BOOKLIST states,"There are books about melting glaciers and books about frozen bodies, but this attractive offering combines the topics in a way that will intrigue readers."

5.  Connections
Pick important facts from each glacier in the story.  Include what the scientist found at the melting glacier and the location of the glacier.  After reading the information to the children have them form groups and pick the glacier that they found the most intriguing.  Have them research that glaciers location and the time period from where the body and artifacts are from.  Than have each group develop a poster about the information they researched to share with the class.   
Other  books by James Deem about bodies:
Deem, James.  BODIES FROM THE ASH:  LIFE AND DEATH IN ANCIENT POMPEII.  ISBN 9780618473083
Deem, James.  BODIES FROM THE BOG.  ISBN 9780618354020

Crossing Stones By Helen Frost

1.  Bibliography
Frost, Helen.  2009.  CROSSING STONES  New York:  France Foster Books.  ISBN 978374316532


2.  Plot Summary
Muriel Jorgensen is an eighteen year old girl growing up in 1917.  Her family owns property on one side of Crabapple Creek and the Normans own the other side.  The four children Frank, Emma, Ollie, and Muriel have been friends and grown up together.  The crossing stones in the creek that link the two families bring together the lives of the children.  Muriel starts to realize that she cares about Frank has more than just her best friend, but he joins the army.  She is a young woman who believes in equality for all.  Woman should have the same rights has man.  But many people don't share her opinion and advise her to not share her point of view.  "You'd better straighten out your mind young lady."   Muriel has to struggle with growing up becoming the person she is destined to be and helping her family survive the problems of war.


3.  Critical Analysis
The author has written each verse of the poem from either Muriel, Ollie, and Emma's point of view.  The words of each page are shaped in a stone or running stream depending what character is voicing their opinion.  Muriel's poems are set up in fourteen-lines, the first line rhymes with the last line, the second line rhymes with the second to last line, keeping up this pattern, with the seventh and eighth lines rhyming with each other at the middle of the poem.  The lines of Emma's poems rhyme at the end of each word and Ollie's words rhyme at the start of every line.  The reader understands the emotions and turmoil of each character has the story progresses.  To create the sense of going from a stone to another stone, she wrote a middle rhyme for one sonnet linking the outside rhyme to each other.  Linking Emma and Ollie's poems connect the characters emotionally to each other.  The poems are brought to life with the format created by the author.  The reader can feel the emotions that the characters are going through in their lives.  This is a great book to share the decisions and heartache of becoming an adult.

4.  Review Excerpt
HORN BOOK starred review:  “The distinct voices of the characters lend immediacy and crispness to a story of young people forced to grow up too fast.”
BOOKLIST starred review:  “Frost skillfully pulls her characters back from stereotype with their poignant, private, individual voices and nuanced questions, which will hit home with contemporary teens, about how to recover from loss and build a joyful, rewarding future in an unsettled world.”
Honor Book For Lee Bennett Hopkins Award For Children's Poetry.

5.  Connections
Have young adults write poems in a shape that goes with their poem.  Has the author did in this novel.
Other poems about growing up:
Shandler, Sara.  OPHELIA SPEAKS:  ADOLESCENT GIRLS WRITE ABOUT THEIR SEARCH FOR SELF.  ISBN 0060952970
Sonss, Sonny.  WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN'T KNOW.  ISBN 0689855532.

A Curious Collection Of Cats By Betsy Franco Illustrations By Michael Wertz

1.  Bibliography
Franco, Betsy.  2009.  A CURIOUS COLLECTION OF CATS.  Ill. by Michael Wertz.  Toronto:  Tricycle Press.  ISBN 9781582462486


2.  Plot Summary
The Franco has put together a collection of thirty-four poems about cats and their lively personalities.  Veronica Goes Wide is about a cat who is a little chunky.  The illustration is of a big cat who takes up the whole page.  The words run across Veronica's body with each word changing in size to emphasize the point of the poem.  The word plump is the largest word in the poem to make sure the reader understands how large the cat actually is.  Each poem picks a different aspect of a cats personality and their habits to bring them to life in the book.


3.  Critical Analysis
The author uses limerick, free verse, and haiku to bring the poems to life.  The words of the poems curve and wind around the pages.  The poem titled Fluff Is Polydactyl is about a cats big feet.  The words of the poem are written across her two back feet.  The reader has to follow the words along the cats large feet to read the poem.  The way the words of each poem are laid out on the page bring excitement to reading each poem from the words reading down a cats tail to being read on a toilet.  Turning each page brings a new journey of word play.
The illustrations of each poem are bright and colorful.  The cats are depicted in a cartoon format to bring hilarity to their actions and personalities.    In Shadow's Dream the illustrator uses blacks, blues, and silvers to give the viewer the images of darkness and moonlight has the cat wakes from her dream.  Each color for every illustration fits the point of the poem.  The pictures add to the fun of reading each poem has the words move around the images on the pages.

4.  Review Excerpt
BOOKLIST Review:  "Once kids get the feel of how to follow the lines—up and down or in curving jumps or around the page borders––they will have fun with the playful images."
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL Review:  "Franco understands the nuanced world of the fluffy, fractious, and faithful feline friend."
Honor Book For Lee Bennett Hopkins Award For Children's Poetry.

5.  Connections
Print off coloring sheets of cats doing different actions from the internet.  Than have the children color them and write their own poem on the coloring sheet.  Tell the children to have fun with the words and let each word play on the page and make it fun to read has the book was.
Other books with cat poems:
Crawley, Dave.  CAT POEMS.  ISBN 1590782879
Eliot, T.S..  OLD POSSUM'S BOOK OF PRACTICAL CATS.  ISBN 0547248271

Button Up Rhymes By Allice Schertle & Pictures By Petra Mathers

1.  Bibliography
Schertle, Alice.  2009.  BUTTON UP.  ILL. by Petra Mathers.  New York:  Harcourt Children's Books.  ISBN 9780152050504

2.  Plot Summary
This enjoyable book is told from the different types of clothing.  All of the types of clothing belong to many different kind of animals.  Violet is a bird who wears a hiking hat.  "I am Violets hiking hat."  "I live on Violets head."  Wanda is a rabbit who has a pink bathing suit.  "We like to be wet, Wanda and I, I'm Wanda's swimsuit, we don't like dry."   This collection of poetry adds a different point of view to the reader from clothing that animals wear.

3.  Critical Analysis
The author brings the words to life adding rhythm and rhyme to each poem.  In the poem Bob's Bicycle Helmet the last word on every other line rhyme.  "Bob's on his bike."  "And I'm on Bob."  "I'm Bob's helmet." "I,m on the job."   The imagery used in the poems lets the reader imaging the illustration before they see the pictures to go with the poems.  The language of the poems brings the verses to life in a playful tone that helps bring out the personality of the clothing and the animals that wear them.
The illustrator uses a variety of bright colors to bring the personality of the clothing and their owners to life.  The animals expressions fit together with the action of what they are doing in the poem.  Harvey the pig is playing in the mud with his galoshes and the excitement on his face is portrayed and the mud flying every where.   Sometimes the illustrations are on the page next to the poem and other times they are part of the poem has scenes play out with the words.  The illustrator has done a wonderful job bringing to life the personality of the clothing and animals.

4.  Review Excerpts
KIRKUS a starred review: ". . . these creatures have personality, exuberance and high style that perfectly match the verses. Loads of fun."
BOOKLIST a starred review:  "The whimsical illustrations pair perfectly with the wittiness of the text, and the whole is a clever and original poetic treat."
2010 Winner Lee Bennett Hopkins Award For Children's Poetry

5.  Connections
Read children different stories about animals.  Than have them pick their favorite animal and write a poem about it.
Other animal poem books:
Lumin, Maxine.  MITES TO MASTODONS:  A BOOK OF ANIMAL POEMS.  ISBN 0618507531
Singer, Marilyn.  LOVE POEMS FROM THE ANIMAL KINGDOM.  ISBN 0375867104