811 Notes
Themes/messages:
-
It’s important to speak up for others who are
being persecuted or victimized
-
Often when your “group” is not being affected,
it’s hard to care about other groups; however, it’s important to ourselves in
others’ shoes and we should help other people because what affects them might
affect you in the future
Style/craft:
-
Follows pattern of the poem; repeats structure
of “first they came for… then they came for…”
-
Allegory: terrible things=Nazis; all animals
are people being discriminated against
-
Little rabbit represents people who wanted to
but were scared to speak out
-
Big rabbit represents propaganda
-
Terrible things had power because of the fear
they created, because they had no
opposition, they were a large force
Genre/author’s purpose
**Call to action
*Envision possibility
**Bearing witness
811 Notes on Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles
Messages:
-
Respect people of every race, even if it’s
not a popular thing.
-
Skin color is not important; what’s more
important is friendship and kindness; one’s personality and internal
characteristics are important – in the end we are human
-
A larger problem or conflict such as
segregation affects people in small ways, even children
-
You can challenge racism and other injustices
in even small ways
-
Small actions can impact a movement for
equality
-
Similar to other texts such as Brown Girl
Dreaming
-
The books shows that if you speak up against
a problem, it can make a difference
-
Accept people’s differences
Genre and author’s purpose:
-
Historical and/or realistic fiction
-
Call to action and envision possibility
Style and craft:
Writing:
-
Repetition of important phrases such as “he
wasn’t allowed” to show conflict
-
Simple language; from Joe’s perspective,
focuses on perspective of child (1st person)
-
Complex messages
Illustrations:
-
Focus on John Henry
-
Many large images – shows significance
-
Some smaller images
-
Show the conflict; symbolize the problem
-
Paintings; mostly realistic
-
Colors indicate mood; uses many different
colors
-
The art explains the story; focuses on
positive aspects of the story
The Librarian of Basra by Jeanette Winter
Message:
-
Books and knowledge are more precious than
money or jewels because reading is sacred
-
Books and reading are very important to Islam
-
You can accomplish a lot if you are
determined and work together with others in the community
-
Protect what is important
Genre and author’s purpose:
-
Historical nonfiction; biography
-
Envision possibility and somewhat call to
action
Style and craft:
-illustrations: colors symbolize mood, blue skies show
hope and overcoming bad; war – dark, red and orange fire; after colors get
brighter to show hopeful ending; symbols such as the moon and star = Islam;
- writing: very few words on a page; 3rd
person point of view, from perspective of adult; no children characters;
significant message for children; complex meaning in simple way
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
Message:
-
Even though bad things happen in the past,
you can make it better/change it.
-
You have to speak up and protect things or
people or creatures in the world that have no voice.
-
Speak for the trees!
-
We shouldn’t take our resources for granted
and should take care not to lose them.
-
Don’t be greedy and let money be the most
important goal; in starting a business, you need to manage your resources and
be responsible.
-
When you make mistakes, correct/fix them.
Style and craft:
Writing:
-
Made-up words: biggering
-
Imaginative creatures
-
End rhyme
-
Rhythm and flow
Illustrations:
-
Intentional colors to convey mood and show
problem worsening
-
Sky shows what is happening in the
environment
-
Last page: sky lightens to show hope
-
No faces on the Onceler and family; only
shows their hands
-
Characters are different creatures; the Lorax
has a face; his color doesn’t change; this shows he is important and is the
activist
Life Doesn’t Frighten Me by Maya Angelou
Message:
-
Conquer your fears; overcome them by using
your mind
Paintings:
- Sometimes
scary
- Like
a child drew them
Writing:
- Narrator
is a child
- She is
proud, not scared
- Simple
language
- Specific
details:
- Structure:
couplet + title; repetition
812 Notes on Terrible Things
Messages/Themes
1. When
people work together, they are stronger
2. Elders
aren’t always right
3. Follow
your instinct in doing what is right even if others oppose you
4. Stand
up for people in your community
5. Raise
awareness about certain problems in order to prevent them from happening
6. In a
community, it is your responsibility to support and protect each other.
7. If
you are a bystander, the problem may get bigger and you might become a victim.
You may regret it in the future.
8. Act
on a problem when you first see it.
Genre and author’s purpose:
-folktale/fiction/ historical fiction
- cautionary tale
-allegory
Author’s purpose: call to action and bearing witness
Writing style/illustration:
-
Terrible things=Nazis; they discriminated
against people based on their physical appearances
-
Creatures=victims of the Holocaust –
Freedom Summer
812 notes
Author’s Note/Foreword:
-
Segregation
deprived blacks of equal rights
-
Segregation was ended by Civil Rights Act of
1964
-
Even after this law was passed, people did
not accept integration and some
closed their businesses
-
Freedom Summer: movement to get more blacks to vote
-
Community
-
Unity/equality
Messages/Themes
-
Little changes and small steps can make a big
difference
-
During segregation and the beginning of integration,
people had to overcome many obstacles to gain freedom
-
Friendship can help overcome obstacles; when
friends and people unite, they can make a difference
-
Joe and John stuck together; it’s important
to stand up for others who have less equality
-
Stand up for one another
Genre & Author’s Purpose(call to action, envision
possibility, or bearing witness)
-
Historical fiction about the end of
segregation in the South/1964
-
Realistic fiction
-
Author’s purpose: to show readers how hard
integration was; envision possibility
Writing and illustration style and craft
-
Writing: language and words show how people
from the South speak (dialect) and that the narrator is a child; descriptive: “spouted
like whales” – simile
-
Illustrations: cold and darker colors in the
beginning; in the end, brighter; somewhat abstract and mysterious; “together”ness
is shown in most illustrations to emphasize message; colors blend in and blur;
show they care about each other
Ideas for writing picture books:
-
Self-confidence - how to have it, hold on to it
-
9/11 allegory
-
Animal extinction
812 Notes on The Librarian of Basra by
Jeanette Winter
Messages:
-
During times of war, we should not just think
about ourselves; we need to all think about protecting and taking care of other
important things, such as books.
-
Hold on to hope even though it may seem
impossible.
-
Alia Muhammed Baker shows us that people
should not give up on doing the right thing; stay optimistic despite war.
-
Books are important because they hold parts
of history, provide information, hold hope, important to culture and community.
-
Genre/author’s purpose:
-
Nonfiction: historical, biography
-
Envision possibility – show hope
Style and craft:
-
Cartoony, bright colors
-
Deals with the tragedies of war in a
kid-friendly way
-
Very few words on each page
-
-
3rd person narrator
810 Notes
810 Notes on Terrible Things
1. Title and author
2. Social issues and messages
- Don’t be selfish; help others when you
can
- Treat people the way you want to be
treated (the golden rule)
- If you don’t help others in need in
the present, the problem will only get worse.
-
Always stick together as a community because you will have more power
- Don’t think of your race or group to
be inferior or better than others, especially out of fear.
- It’s important to raise awareness
about injustices or problems and make others aware of the problem.
- Young children can make a change, have
a voice, and can be wise and more open-minded. Sometimes children know
more than or are wiser than grown ups.
3. Genre and author's purpose
- allegory
- historical fiction
- Bearing witness: shows the suffering
caused by the Terrible Things
-call to action: encourages young
children to speak up
- envision possibility
4. Style and craft
Writing
- story begins with a peaceful
community; everyone is together; this contrasts with the end because only the
little rabbit survives
- in the beginning, the characters are
not selfish, caring; they change for the worse throughout the story
- very repetitive: dialogue of
characters who are not taken away; “Until the Terrible Things came back”
- dialogue reveals conflicts and
characters’ emotions
Illustrations
-
Black and white; the title and illustrations
shows sadness and tragedy
-
The enemy is not human; they are more like shadows, large, dark
figures
-
When the terrible things come, the
illustrations get darker, more shaded
-
Characters are very detailed, not so much the
background
Freedom Summer
Author’s Note/Foreword:
-
Conflict: it was dangerous for a black and
white child to be friends;
-
Shows that segregation was difficult for both
races
-
Children were affected by this as well
-
Children were more open-minded than adults
-
People grow up with racism; must be confusing
and difficult for children
-
Similar to Terrible Things – about difficult
and painful times in history
-
How did this racism start to spread?
-
Racism might affect children by making them
unhappy with who they are/identity and self-esteem
-
Why and how did segregation become such a
norm and part of reality?
-
A law was passed: Civil Rights Act of 1964 –
gave all people regardless of race, religion, color, national origin the same
civil rights; civil: 1. Calm and orderly; 2. Having to do with people/citizens
-
Freedom Summer: movement to get more blacks
throughout the nation to vote
Themes/messages
-
You can be friends with people regardless of
their race or color; friends should stick together
-
Follow your instinct regarding what is right,
and do what is right even if it isn’t accepted by the majority
-
Sometimes you need to change your attitude,
take risks to do what is right
-
All people are affected when there is an
injustice or lack of freedom or limited freedom
-
Don’t just wait for change; be the change
-
Don’t be afraid to fight for what you believe
in
-
The characters hesitated at first because
they were scared, bu t in the end they go against the unfair society
-
Work together
Genre and author’s purpose (call to action, envision possibility,
or bearing witness)
-
Fiction based on nonfiction
-
Historical and realistic fiction
-
Envision possibility/call to action: shows to
make society better by working together
Craft and style (writing and illustrations)
-
Writing:
o
Hopeful ending
o
Repetition of “me, too”; “he’s not allowed”
o
The end goes back to a problem in the story;
shows resolution
o
Told from point of view of Joe who is a young
white boy witnessing the problems of segregation; 1st person point
of view is more personal
o
The language shows language of a young child
o
Details: metaphor: comparison of 2 different
things; simile – uses like or as; dialogue
-
Illustrations:
o
Colors and images matched what was happening
in the story and the mood
o
Natural details though not precise, a bit
blurry
o
Many symbols; unspoken words
o
Colors blend in
o
Show emotions through color and characters’
actions
810 Notes on The Librarian of Basra by
Jeanette Winter
Messages:
-
Books are symbols of hope even in war; books
are important because they represent the past, their culture, religion; books
symbolize peace
-
During hard times as in war, people need to
help each other; work together as a community to protect what is important even
if it’s dangerous
-
Alia was very determined and didn’t give up
to save 30,000 books
Genre and author’s purpose:
-nonfiction; biography
- envision possibility
Style and craft:
Writing:
-
Simple words and sentences; straightforward
-
Repetition of Alia and books throughout
Illustrations
-
Cartoon-like, colorful and bright
-
Shows Alia’s feelings in her facial
expressions
-
The focus was brightest or largest figure
Life
Doesn’t Frighten Me by Maya Angelou; paintings by Jean Michel Basquiat
Messages:
-
You will only be afraid of things if you
think they exist; fear only exists if you allow it to; it is an illusion
-
Life can be scary and challenging, and you
shouldn’t let that stop you or frighten you
-
Writing:
-
Narrator is a child; she writes about boys
pulling hair;
-
she is not scared, self-confident
-
Tone: calm, fun or enthusiastic, playful
-
Repetitive
-
Rhyme
-
Paintings:
-
Child-like, simple
-
Somewhat abstract
-
Dark undertones
-
Whimsical
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