Book Trailer for Dizzy by Jonah Winter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgN186cZuW0&feature=youtube_gdata

This was a wonderful experience and a great way to really look at a book. I loved going through and deciding the most impacting illustrations and setting them to music to tell the story. I was surprised that it was so hard to decide what to write as I explained the book because I didn’t want to give too much away. It was an awesome experience and I know I will use it over and over again.

I can think of many ways to use this in the classroom, it has infinite possibilities. One way is to introduce new books or a new author to my students by making a movie to show them. Another way is to have the students make a movie about books that they have read instead of doing a standard book report. I feel like working with students through the movie making process will really pull in a variety of learners and get them engaged. This is an awesome way to integrate technology into the curriculum.

Reference:
Winter, J. (2006). Dizzy. Arthur A. Levine Books.

Dizzy by Jonah Winter

"Dizzy" by Jonah Winter is about John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie, the famous Jazz musician! His story is an amazing one and gives hope to so many different types of students.. As the book begins, we see Dizzy as a young child plagued by many issues. The way that the book depicts Dizzy being bullied and abused by his father made me sad, but kept it at a level that is age appropriate for students. I really liked in the book when Dizzy got excited about playing Jazz and that it was a way to get his anger out, I love that the author showed this as an outlet for young students. When Dizzy gets to New York, the illustrations put us right in the middle of the Jazz scene. When the author says, "he played diddly diddly bop de biddly wah wah de BLEEEEEP" I really felt as if I could hear the music. When the illustrations depict a quiet time they have hues of blues and when they are showing jazz they have reds and oranges, it makes me really fall into each emotion. The book was very well written and was perfect for it's intended audience. It gave us enough information to really get to know Dizzy as a musician. On a side note, I think the book really lends itself to be used when talking about bullying, abuse, controlling emotions, and etc. This book was wonderful and I know I will be integrating it in my future classroom! :)

Reference:

Winter, J. (2006). Dizzy. Arthur A. Levine Books.

Multicultural Literature

I picked the book I love Saturdays y domingos by Alma Flor Ada because it offers a window into the lives of many children in Southwest Florida. This book follows a little girl as she spends time with both sets of grandparents. She spends her Saturdays with her American grandparents and Sundays with her Spanish grandparents. The author explains Saturdays in English and Sundays with Spanish phrases. I think that this book would be vital for students who are Spanish coming to the U.S. so that they can see how the two cultures can be integrated. Also, I think that it can help students feel comfortable when they have a culturally diverse family as this one is because some children can feel self-conscious about differences from their peers!

Reference:
Ada, A. F., & Savadier, E. (2002). I love Saturdays y domingos. Atheneum. 

Meet Kirsten

For my first choice assignment I had to read a historical fiction book and develop a "Questioning the Author" to go along with it. I chose to read Meet Kirsten by Janet Shaw, which is part of the American girl series. This book takes us through the Larson family's journey to America from Sweden and lends insight into what life was like for pioneers. I never paid much attention to the tremendous benefits of historical fiction children’s books until I did this assignment. This genre gives a new face to history because it allows for students to relate to the children in the book. It also gives students the opportunity to "experience" what different periods in history were like. In the case of Meet Kirsten, students are able to relate and learn about the struggles of pioneer life. The author relates to students through attachments to stuffed animals and friends, and shows the differences between life today and pioneer life through traveling, disease, and lack of food. It is important for students to learn what pioneer life is, but reading about it in a history book is not as much fun as relating to it in a historical fiction novel!

Shaw, Janet (1986). Meet Kirsten, An American Girl. Madison, Wis. : Pleasant Co.