Jumanji

{ March 9, 2009 @ 11:50 pm } · { caldecott, chris van allsburg }
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Jumanji, 1982 Caldecott Medal Winner

Jumanji, 1982 Caldecott Medal Winner

Winner of the 1982 Caldecott Medal, Chris Van Allsburg’s Jumanji is a perfect read for fourth graders.  I don’t know about the rest of New York State, but on Long Island, fourth grade means a Chris Van Allsburg author study.  Back in October or November, I discovered I could read Jumanji to a class of antsy fourth-graders, with voices, in under twelve minutes flat.

I’ll be reading this book to my current crop of fourth graders in just a few weeks.  Two of my girls each took out a copy today, and I made them promise they would not tell ANYONE the ending of the story.  This is important for two reasons.  One, I would hate the story to be ruined for anyone.  Two, I like to pause when reading and have the kids predict what will happen.  The more outlandish, the more amusing.

Most of my students, when I ask if they have read Jumanji in the past, often pipe up that they haven’t … but that they have seen the movie.  I remember the movie (starring Robin Williams).  This is definitely a case where the book is far superior to the movie.

Additionally, Van Allsburg’s website is an absolute gem.  I have gotten fantastic ideas for lessons that I plan to implement in the future.

The Westing Game

{ March 8, 2009 @ 5:41 am } · { ellen rankin, newbery }
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Ellen Raskin’s 1978 book The Westing Game was awarded the Newbery Medal in 1979.  This mystery within a mystery has been a beloved favorite of mine since I first read it in the fifth or sixth grade, back in the mid-nineties.

Cover lovingly found on Wikipedia.

Cover lovingly found on Wikipedia. Also, my favorite cover of the lot.

I recently reread the novel, and while I am not as clever as the sixth-grade class I heard about (a sub told me of a sixth-grade class that was solving the mystery by analyzing the clues.  Apparantly, it was amazing.  I need to visit that classroom), it was still enjoyable.  However, I noted several things that could cause frustration.

First off: terminology.  Our society has become a lot more politically-correct in the past thirty years, and while I was born several years after publication, I had no idea what “Mongoloid” meant.  No idea.  I asked my father, who had to pause, think for a minute, before he explained that Mongoloid was a term for a person with Down’s Syndrome.  In 1978, not an offensive term.  In 2009 … heck yeah.

Second: I forgot what the second was.

Conclusion of this post (can anyone tell I’m exhausted?  anyone?  Bueller?): While the classroom teacher or parent or librarian might have to explain a few words here and there, The Westing Game is a delightful read, and exercises the gray matter.

Mission Possible: To Read

{ March 8, 2009 @ 4:37 am } · { caldecott, newbery }
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As a new elementary school librarian, I need to be well-versed in children’s literature.  I especially need to be well-versed in award-winning children’s literature!  The purpose of this blog is to document my progress reading Newbery Honor and Medal books and Caldecotts.  Each posting will include, in the tags, the author or illustrator’s surname, the title, if it won a medal or an honor, and that year.

Newbery and Caldecott

Newbery and Caldecott