Module 9: 43 Old Cemetery Road

43 Old Cemetery Road:

Hollywood, Dead Ahead

by Kate Klise

Klise, K. (2013). 43 Old Cemetery Road: Hollywood dead ahead. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Is stardom in the cards?

Summary:

The 43 Old Cemetery Road gang is back again and clever as ever.  This time their collective talents have landed them an offer for a movie deal for their books.  But, the path to fame is never easy as the family of three soon realizes.  Iggy and Seymour get caught up in their own transformations from ordinary to slick Hollywood extraordinary, while Olive is left out in the cold.  Will she be able to save her family in time from being swindled?  Will their story ever make it to the big screen?  Will a clause in their contract become deadly?

Impressions:

I am continually impressed with this series.  Each installation is zanier and more detailed than the last as Klise's audience grows up.  I felt like this edition was more complex and the wordplay more intriguing.  I love the family bond between Olive, Iggy and Seymour, and I see the potential for several more installations as the family itself continues to grow.  Lots of humor and heart, and cleverness dispersed throughout.  Postcards, newspaper clippings, and pictures round out the "Hollywood" experience.  

Reviews:

From Kirkus Reviews:

This fifth hilarious excursion to Seymour Hope's address in Ghastly, Ill., takes the little, idiosyncratic family to Hollywood when an unscrupulous movie mogul decides to film their stories. Young Seymour and ghost Olive can't wait to become movie stars, while crotchety Ignatius remains cautious. Pushed into it by majority rule, Ignatius signs the lengthy contract, only to learn later that he has signed away all rights to the trio's books, past and future, for no compensation whatsoever. When they arrive in Hollywood, everything goes wrong. Ignatius becomes consumed with his image makeover, especially his new teeth. Seymour auditions to play himself in the movie and wins the part, but Olive fumes because the movie company ignores her (she is invisible, after all). They find an ally in Ivana Oscar, the 92-year-old former star tapped to play Olive when Ivana learns that her contract demands her death in order to boost profits for the film. As always, the comedy depends on deliberately awful puns, especially in the characters' names, such as Moe Block Busters, Hugh Briss and Phillip D. Rubbish. M. Sarah Klise's exuberant drawings contribute half of the book's content. Kate Klise delivers the text in the form of letters, memos and newspaper articles, with humor stuffed into every corner. Another winner for this inventive series. (Humor. 8-12)

Citation: Hollywood, dead ahead. (2013). Kirkus Reviews, 81(3), 225. 


From Horn Book Magazine:

In their fifth book, young Seymour and his collaborators/caretakers Grumply (alive) and Olive (a ghost) land a movie deal for their bestselling on-going serial ghost story, 43 Old Cemetery Road. But Tinseltown isn't all glitter--producer Moe Block Busters changes the script, and fame changes the writers. This mild mock-gothic tale is told through playful narrative devices: letters, newspaper extracts, and black-and-white illustrations.

Citation: Hedeen, K. (2013, October 7). From the guide: Slightly spooky middle-grade tales.  The Horn Book. Retrieved October 26, 2013, from http://www.hbook.com/2013/10/choosing-books/from-the-guide-slightly-spooky-middle-grade-tales/#_ 

Library Activity:

One of the qualities that makes Klise's 43 Old Cemetery Road series unique is the writing.  She intermixes newspaper articles, letters, postcards, and illustrations to tell her tales.  Begin by sharing one of her books, such as her most recent work, Hollywood, Dead Ahead. Either read pieces of it aloud and provide some background on the series.  Invite kids to participate by assigning characters to students.  You might even want to use a document camera to project the book pages since much of the interpretation relies on visuals.  As a follow-up activity, discuss the importance of written communication by sharing blogs written by popular children's authors.  Many authors, including the Klise sisters, offer writing advice, book recommendations, and personal insights on their blogs.  Link the authors's blogs to library Web site.  In addition, share user-friendly blogging sites with students so that they too may start a blog. 

The Klise sisters's blog: http://www.kateandsarahklise.com/our-blog.html

Module 8: Gossamer

Gossamer

by Lois Lowry 

Lowry, L. (2006). Gossamer.  Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.

Where do dreams come from?

Summary:

Several story lines are intertwined in Gossamer.  An elderly woman takes in a young boy who is abused.  A young woman works hard to turn her life around and regain custody of her only son.  A new dream-giver learns how to bestow dreams on the inhabitants of the house to which she is assigned.  Evil nightmare givers, sinisteeds, work against the dream-givers.  Each story line crosses paths delicately to weave a tender tale of a new dream-giver and her mission to heal the wounds and heartache of the young boy and old woman through their dreams using fragments of memories.  

Impressions:

Lois Lowry is one of my favorite authors.  All of her books are touching with themes that transcend place and time.  Gossamer is no exception.  Though a fantasy novel about dream creatures, deeper questions about the impact of memories, the affects of abuse and how one heals are beautifully woven into the story, which feels like a dream itself.  As a reader, I appreciate how Lowry makes no judgements here.  The boy's mother is portrayed with depth and sensitivity.  Even the sinisteeds, the evil dream-givers, are complex with a backstory.  It's a sensitive, mature read that packs a punch at times.    

Reviews:

From Kirkus Reviews starred:

Thin Elderly and Littlest One are dream-givers. They bestow dreams, using fragments collected from buttons, toys, photographs, shells and other personal objects that collect and hold memories over the years. The collected fragments become stories of the person to whom they belong, and as dreams they transmit restorative feelings of love, pride, happiness, companionship, laughter and courage. However, Sinisteeds are at work here, too, inflicting nightmares and undoing the careful work of the dream-givers. Readers familiar with The Giver will most appreciate Lowry's riff on the value of memories and dreams and the importance of the sad parts of our lives, too. For such a slim work, the characterizations of Thin Elderly and Littlest are strong-she the sprightly little girl learning her trade, he the bemused and patient elder. The prose is light as gossamer; the story as haunting as a dream. (Fiction. 10+)

Citation: Gossamer. (2006). Kirkus, 74(5), 235. 

From Horn Book Magazine:

Curious, unconventional Littlest One is a dream giver, an ethereal spirit who "bestows" dreams on humans by touching (very lightly; it's dangerous to "delve") items that contain pleasant memories, gathering these "fragments," and wafting them gently into sleepers' ears. Littlest One is apprenticed to Thin Elderly, whose dream-giving territory is a house belonging to a lonely but loving old woman who is fostering an angry, emotionally scarred eight-year-old boy. When a horde of Sinisteens, dream givers who've gone over to the dark side, bring the boy terrifying nightmares (graphically described) of his father's abuse, Littlest One fights back with healing fragments of the boy's triumphant at-bat in a baseball game, his attachment to the old woman's dog, the comfort of his favorite stuffed animal. Like Lowry's recent dystopic novels, this book is rife with symbolic names and weighty-sounding terms; and, like them, this book's meaning is all right there on the surface, barely related to character or plot. In fact, the humans are such stock characters that they might as well be named Troubled Boy, Wise Older Woman, and Single Mom Trying to Get Her Act Together. Lowry's touch here is hardly gossamer, but this allegorical novel doesn't require it: Lowry's distilled prose bypasses the particular and goes right to the universal.

Citation: Parravano, M. V. (2006). Gossamer. Horn Book Magazine, 82(4), 446. 

Library Activity:

One theme in this book is family diversity.  A discussion following this book could be focused on family dynamics.  The young boy in Gossamer is living with a foster mother until his mother can care for him again.  Many children have a hard time identifying with abuse or what may have led to the fracturing of a family.  Reading Gossamer and other books about nontraditional families or orphans can provide them with some experience and enable them to empathize with children in their school who may be going through a similar situation.   

Module 7, Book 2: Olive's Ocean

Olive's Ocean

by Kevin Henkes 

Henkes, K. (2003). Olive's ocean. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books

What if?

Summary:

Though she barely knew her, Martha learns that a girl named Olive in her school, who recently died, looked up to her.  Olive's mother gives Martha a page from Olive's diary.  A few things come together as a result.  Martha and her family visit her grandma during a summer trip.  As Martha gets to know Olive through the diary page, she makes a deeper realization about herself and the importance of family.  Martha makes it her mission to learn more about her grandmother as they share pieces of themselves with each other.  Martha discovers that she is truly passionate about is writing.  Martha also discovers that life is vulnerable and to treasure all that she can.  In doing so, Martha brings back a bit the ocean to Olive's mother. 

Impressions:

I was surprised at how heartfelt this book was.  Most of my exposure to Kevin Henkes has been through his picture books.  Olive's Ocean is a Newbery Honor book, which is thoroughly deserved.  It's well written and tackles big themes thoughtfully: mortality, family, and growing up.  It's honest and tender.  The reader will appreciate Martha's insight and identify with her experiences in the romance department, with the pain she feels after being betrayed, and with the relationship dynamics in her family. 

Reviews:

From School Library Journal:

Gr 5-8-As Martha and her family prepare for their annual summer visit to New England, the mother of her deceased classmate comes to their door. Olive Barstow was killed by a car a month earlier, and the woman wants to give Martha a page from her daughter's journal. In this single entry, the 12-year-old learns more about her shy classmate than she ever knew: Olive also wanted to be a writer; she wanted to see the ocean, just as Martha soon will; and she hoped to get to know Martha Boyle as "she is the nicest person in my whole entire class." Martha cannot recall anything specific she ever did to make Olive think this, but she's both touched and awed by their commonalities. She also recognizes that if Olive can die, so can she, so can anybody, a realization later intensified when Martha herself nearly drowns. At the Cape, Martha is again reminded that things in her life are changing. She experiences her first kiss, her first betrayal, and the glimmer of a first real boyfriend, and her relationship with Godbee, her elderly grandmother, allows her to examine her intense feelings, aspirations, concerns, and growing awareness of self and others. Rich characterizations move this compelling novel to its satisfying and emotionally authentic conclusion. Language is carefully formed, sometimes staccato, sometimes eloquent, and always evocative to create an almost breathtaking pace. Though Martha remains the focus, others around her become equally realized, including Olive, to whom Martha ultimately brings the ocean.-Maria B. Salvadore, formerly at District of Columbia Public Library Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Citation: Jones, T. E., & Toth, L., Charnizon, M., Grabarek, D., Larkins, J., & Salvadore, M. B. (2003). Olive's ocean. School Library Journal, 49(8), 160. 

From Booklist (starred):

Gr. 5-8. More than anything Martha wants to be a writer. The problem is that her father does, too. Is there room for two writers in a single family? This is only one of the many questions that beg to be answered during Martha's twelfth summer. Here are others: Is Godbee, the paternal grandmother whom the family is visiting at Cape Cod, dying? Why is Martha's father so angry? Could Jimmy, the eldest of the five neighboring Manning brothers, be falling in love with her (and vice-versa)? And what does all this have to do with Olive, Martha's mysterious classmate, who died after being hit by a car weeks earlier? Olive, who also wanted to be a writer and visit the ocean, and hoped to be Martha's friend. Like Henkes' Sun and Spoon (1997), this is another lovely, character-driven novel that explores, with rare subtlety and sensitivity, the changes and perplexities that haunt every child's growing-up process. He brings to his story the same bedrock understanding of the emotional realities of childhood that he regularly displays in his paradigmatically perfect picture books. This isn't big and splashy, but it's quiet art and intelligence will stick with readers, bringing them comfort and reassurance as changes inevitably visit their own growing-up years.

Citation: Cart, M. (2003). Olive's ocean (book). Booklist, 100(1), 122. 

Library Activity:

Kevin Henke's body of work is diverse. He is well known among children everywhere.  As a library activity, share Olive's Ocean by revisiting some of his picture books.  Middle grade readers will enjoy the nostalgia and appreciate the growth they've made, which is paralleled Henke's books.  Then, explore Olive's Ocean, which believably touches upon the sensitive topic of death and explores how it affects one's life.  The main character, Martha, struggles with how she feels about the death of a classmate and transfers this feeling to the realization that she will someday lose her grandmother and parents.  This is a tough topic for young readers, especially intermediate and young adult readers who may have experienced loss already.  Excerpts of this book may be read aloud or shared and discussed during a book club or book discussion group.

Module 7, Book 1: Frindle

Frindle

by Andrew Clements 

Illustrated by Brian Selznick

Clements, A. & Selznick, B. (illustrator). (1996). Frindle.  New York, NY: Aladdin Paperbacks

Is it more than just a fad?

Summary:

Nick, a well-read fifth grader, is known for his excellent delay tactics, posing just the right question at the just the right time to throw a teacher's entire schedule off.  Nick forms a plan to challenge the formidable Mrs. Granger, his English teacher.  He decides to rename an object to prove a point.  What follows is a humors tale of how one word can change everything.  Has Nick finally met his match?  Will he win the battle of words?  Or, will Mrs. Granger prevail?

Impressions:

My first thought after reading this book is how deep it was.  It reaches the reader on many levels.  The surface being the challenge of a precocious young boy and the evolution of his experiment.  But, underneath there is a moral about the value of language and a good teacher.  It's also a message from the writer to the reader about the power of words.  In addition, the characters are well-rounded and likable, and the story moves at a fast pace.  I loved that the teacher was portrayed as stern, but in a positive light.  Making her be the "villain" was unexpected and clever.    

Reviews:

From School Library Journal:

Gr 4-6--Nicholas Allen, a sharp, creative, independent thinker starts fifth grade looking for a way to sabotage his Language Arts class. The teacher, Mrs. Granger, is a legend, and he believes her when she states that it is the people who decide what words go into the dictionary. Picking up a dropped pen triggers a brilliant idea. He coins a new word for pen-frindle. It's all for fun, but frindle catches on and Nick finds himself on the "Late Show" and "Good Morning America" explaining his new word. Readers will chuckle from beginning to end as they recognize themselves and their classrooms in the cast of characters. A remarkable teacher's belief in the power of words shines through the entire story, as does a young man's tenacity in proving his point. Outstanding and witty.--Pamela K. Bomboy, Chesterfield County Public Schools, VA

Citation: Jones, T. E., & Toth, L. (1996). Grade 3-6: Fiction. School Library Journal, 42(9), 201. 


From Horn Book Magazine:

The author has created a fresh, imaginative plot that will have readers smiling all the way through, if not laughing out loud. Nick, a champion time-waster, faces the challenge of his life when confronted with the toughest teacher in school, Mrs. Granger. Always counted on to filibuster the impending test or homework assignment away, Nick has met his match in "Dangerous Grangerous," who can spot a legitimate question in a second and has no patience with the rest. In answer to "Like, who says that d-o-g means the thing that goes 'woof' and wags its tail? Who says so?" she replies, "You do, Nicholas. You and me and everyone in this class and this school and this town and this state and this country." And thus is born frindle, Nick's new name for pen, promising and delivering a classic student-teacher battle along the lines of — but far funnier than — Avi's Nothing But the Truth (Orchard). The battle assumes the proportions of a tall tale, and although outrageous and hilarious, it's all plausible, and every bit works from the premise to the conclusion. The brisk narration is rapid-fire, and Nick is one of the most charming troublemakers since Soup. The merchandising future of this one is too terrible to contemplate; the cutting-edge gift this Christmas has got to be a frindle.

Citation: E.S.W. (1996). Frindle. Horn Book Magazine, 72(6), 732-733. 

Library Activity:

The theme of this book is the power of language.  Use this book to kick of a library "Dictionary Day" celebrating Noah Webster's birthday, October 16th.  Set up word games in the library and encourage teachers to do the same in their classrooms.  Highlight and display books in the 400's.  Display the covers of different kinds of informational word books.   Invite students to bring devices and have them visit the online versions of print dictionaries.  Use this opportunity to encourage students to check out something new from the language section of the library.

Module 6: Duck for President

Duck for President

by Doreen Cronin 

Illustrated by Betsy Lewin

Cronin, L. & Lewin, B. (illustrator). (2004). Duck for president.  New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Does Duck have what it takes?

Summary:

Duck tires of working on the farm and decides to overthrow the farmer through the democratic process.  After being elected to run the farm himself, Duck quickly tires of that and moves on to bigger and better things.  Duck decides to run for and becomes governor.  After becoming disenchanted with that, he moves on to the presidential campaign.  Will Duck become president?  Or, will he head back to the farm?

Impressions:

I liked this book because of its humor and simple prose.  The watercolor illustrations complement the tale appropriately.  It makes for a terrific read aloud during election time.  Parents will enjoy the commentary about candidates and our political system; children will enjoy Duck.  He's charming and represents the average "Joe."  The farm setting is engaging for young readers, who will glean some insight about the election process.  

Reviews:

From School Library Journal:

PreS-Gr 2-This award-winning team returns with a third story of farm animals with ambition. Duck is tired of doing his chores (mowing the lawn and grinding the coffee beans), and decides to hold an election to replace Farmer Brown. When he wins, Duck quickly realizes that running a farm requires too much hard work, and sets out to run for governor. With the help of the hens, and speeches "that only other ducks can understand," he eventually ends up running the country. Executive office gives him a headache, however, so Duck returns to the farm to work on his autobiography-on a computer, with the typewriter from Click, Clack, Moo (S & S, 2000) in the wastepaper bin next to him. Lewin's characteristic humorous watercolors with bold black outlines fill the pages with color and jokes. Cronin's text is hilarious for kids and adults and includes a little math and quite a bit about the electoral process. The animals, who have no verbal language that humans can understand, are empowered by the use of the written word, and the subliminal message comes through loud and clear-one can almost hear youngsters thinking, "Watch out grown-ups! Just wait till I learn to read."-Jane Barrer, Washington Square Village Creative Steps, New York City Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Citation: Barrer, J., Jones, T.E., Toth, L., Charnizon, M., Grabarek, D., & Larkins, J. (2004). Duck for president (Book). School Library Journal, 50(3), 155-156. 

From Kirkus Reviews:

Kirkus Reviews starred (January 1, 2004)

Just in time for an election year, the feathered troublemaker of Click, Clack, Moo (2000) and Giggle, Giggle, Quack (2002) enters the political arena, with sidesplitting results. Weary of chores, Duck organizes a farmyard election and ousts Farmer Brown-only to discover that running a farm is harder than it looks. So Duck moves on, campaigning first for Governor, than President, and winning each time by, well, a nose. Lewin follows Cronin's lead in losing no opportunity to lampoon recognizable political figures. Seeing Duck flash a two-fisted "V For Victory" sign, edge out a decidedly Hillary-esque gubernatorial incumbent, play saxophone on late-night TV, and lean wearily on the presidential desk may amuse grownups more than children-but the comedy flows freely on more levels than one, and there's sufficient hilarity for all. Seeing the error of his ways, Duck finally returns to the farm, and is last seen working not on chores, but, graduating from typewriter to computer, his memoirs. All things considered, he has plenty to write about. (Picture book. 6-8)

Citation: Duck for president (Book). (2004). Kirkus Reviews, 72(1), 35. 

Library Activity:

Although targeted for a presidential election year, Duck for President is a great lead-in for a discussion on reliable sources during an election month when candidate news abounds.  After reading it aloud, discuss what makes a Web site reputable.  Visit various sites such as whitehouse.gov, wikipedia, and news media sites.  Discuss what qualities to look for in sources used for reports and how to recognize biases.     

Elementary School Book Trailers

Credits:
Rosado, R. & Aguirre, J. (illustrator). (2012). Giants beware. New York, NY: First Second.
Paper slides by Alleasha Austin
Music and video background, courtesy of Animoto.




Credits:
L'Engle, M. (2007, c1962). A wrinkle in time. New York, NY: Square Fish, Straus and Giroux.
Music and video background, courtesy of Animoto.
Short video from Animoto library.

Space photo:

Ney, Paul. starfield1.jpg. May 20, 2010. Pics4Learning. 6 Oct 2013 http://pics.tech4learning.com

Credits:
Applegate, K. (2012). The one and only Ivan. New York, NY: Harper.
Music and video background, courtesy of Animoto.
Elephant image from Animoto library.

Gorilla photo:

Hagemann, Judy. img_0129.jpg. November 2006. Pics4Learning. 6 Oct 2013 http://pics.tech4learning.com

Module 5: Book 2: I, Too, Am America

I, Too, Am America

by Langston Hughes 

Illustrated by Bryan Collier

Hughes, L. (2012). I, too, am America. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for young Readers.

What makes us American?

Summary:

I, Too, Am America, is a brief poem with a powerful message about equality.  Bryan Collier  illustrated one of Langston Hughes' poems and created an eminently readable picture book that is accessible to readers of all ages.  The story is of a porter who delivers more than mail.  He delivers hope to future generations and a clarity in the fact that America is a reflection of its citizens.

Impressions:

The illustrations in this book truly enhance the words. Hughes's poetry is moving in itself.  Collier's illustrations add a new dimension and edge to Hughes's words.  The reader gets swept away to another place an time, all the while connecting to the current status of our great nation.  Children will note Collier's detail and connect it with the simplicity of Hughes's language.  

Reviews:

From School Library Journal:

K-Gr 5--Hughes's poem of burgeoning pride in one's African American identity, written at the height of the Harlem Renaissance in 1925, is interpreted anew in this striking picture book. Collier has visualized the message of the sparely written poem, barely 60 words in length, through the lens of a Pullman porter. "I, too, sing America" proclaims the opening spread that depicts a passenger rail car whizzing by; then, "I am the darker brother" shows an African American young man in the porter's uniform gazing squarely at readers through a faint, translucent overlay of the American flag, a recurring motif. As the porter cleans up the club car and examines the detritus--newspapers, magazines, blues, and jazz albums left by the train's well-heeled passengers--he impulsively flings it all from the caboose, scattering this knowledge to those who will willingly learn from it. Wafting through time and space, these items fall into the hands of a young female field worker in the long-ago South as well as residents in a contemporary northern urban landscape. The poem's powerful conclusion--"I, too, am America"--depicts a young boy on the subway with his mother, peering out the window through a readily visible flag toward his unknown but hopeful future. Collier's signature mixed-media collages create bold, textured images that give tangible expression to the poet's potent words. A memorable and multilayered volume for all libraries.

Citation: Finn, K. (2012). I, too, am, America. School Library Journal, 58(6), 103. 

From Booklist:

Grades K-4. A celebration of Pullman porters is the focus of this new picture-book edition of Langston Hughes’ classic poem. The collage spreads, blending oil paintings and cut paper, begin with an image of a speeding train before moving on to large portraits of African American porters serving white passengers aboard a luxury train. When the passengers leave, the porters gather left-behind items—newspapers, blues and jazz albums—and toss them from the train. Carried by the wind, the words and music fall into the hands of African Americans across the country. The final, contemporary pages show young black people celebrating their place in America and dreaming of a bright future. Collier’s long final note explains his interpretation of the poem, and with adult help, kids can look closely at what the pictures show about the porters then and now as well as Collier’s visual themes, including the recurring use of stars and stripes, which culminate in a beautiful, final close-up of a boy with his mother staring through a train window today at the starry city sky.

Citation: Rochman, H. (2012). I too, am, America. Booklist, 108(15), 42. 

Library Activity:

"Date a Poetry Book":  Build students appreciation for poetry books by holding a date a book session.  Because poems tend to be a shorter form of writing, students are able to get through quite a bit in a short amount of time.  Collect a stack of poetry books (one for each child).  Invite a class to the library to "date" them.  Distribute the books.  Ask each student to read a poem or two (or entire book as the case may be) and then pass it on.  Continue this until each child has read from a majority of the books. 

Module 5, Book 1: Talkin' About Bessie: The Story of Aviator Elizabeth Coleman

Talkin' About Bessie: The Story of Aviator Elizabeth Coleman

by Nikki Grimes

Grimes, N. (2002). Talkin' about Bessie: The story of aviator Elizabeth Coleman. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

Inspired. Determined. Accomplished.

Summary:

Talkin' About Bessie: The Story of Aviator Elizabeth Coleman is a fictionalized retelling of Bessie Coleman's very real story.  Told in a unique way, Grimes touchingly introduces the reader to the story, accomplishments, and sheer determination of Bessie through the eyes of others.  The book is a compilation of memories of people who loved her, admired her, and saw first hand how her will to achieve and defy the naysayers inspired this fascinating woman to lead the way for young women from all walks of life.

Impressions:

This version of Bessie's story is beautifully crafted.  Though it's unclear how much of the story is fictionalized, it leaves a tender impression of the young woman who made history and became a hero for all.  Young readers will enjoy this book as a read aloud.  Older readers will appreciate Grimes's fluid, easy to read style that portrays Bessie as accessible as an old friend.  

Reviews:

From School Library Journal:

Gr 3-8-This fresh contribution to the spate of relatively recent titles about Coleman has a decidedly unique tone. Talkin' is a well-conceived, well-executed, handsomely illustrated, fictionalized account of the life of the first black female licensed pilot in the world (CIP places the book in the 600s). An introductory note puts the aviatrix in historical context, but neglects to explain some references (e.g., Jim Crow laws). The text consists of 21 poetic vignettes of Coleman delivered by "speakers" at a funeral parlor, all of whom have come to mourn the pilot who died at age 34 in a plane accident. Their reminiscences on stark white pages are illustrated with miniature portraits bordered in sepia, each one facing a full-page watercolor capturing a moment in the woman's life. Skillfully drawn and occasionally photographic in their realism, the pictures perfectly match each speaker's recollections. A concluding note states rather definitively in regard to her death: "The cause of the crash remains a mystery" despite some evidence to the contrary. No sources are listed. While fictional, this is a fine piece to use to set a tone or inspire more research into Coleman's life. It could also serve as an exceptional writing model for students. The concept, much like Marilyn Nelson's Carver: A Life in Poems (Front Street, 2001), is noteworthy.

Citation: Fargnoli, H., Jones, T.E., Toth, Chanizon, M., Grabarek, D., & Larkins, J. (2002).  School Library Journal, 48(10), 183. 

From Horn Book:

Grimes skillfully employs first-person testimonial verse to give young readers a fully realized portrait of African-Americanaviator Bessie Coleman. At Coleman's death, Grimes invites twenty individuals to a fictionalized wake and, in valedictory monologues, has each remember Bessie and the forces that shaped her life. Bessie's father tells about leaving the family when his daughter was "jus' a chile." Her mother recalls how she wanted Bessie to "first learn the wisdom of the Lawd, / and then, the wisdom of the world"; an older brother comments on her drive, how she "kept her focus fixed...to find a lifelong work of substance"; her flight instructor remembers how bravely Bessie flew a Nieuport 82 the day after witnessing one crash to the ground in flames; and a young fan reveres her idol: "I haven't made up my mind about being a pilot, / but Bessie made me believe I could be anything." E. B. Lewis personalizes the tributes (and a concluding testimonial fromBessie) with small photo-like, sepia-toned portraits of the speakers. Impressionistic watercolors on facing pages evoke each incident and often soften the harshness in Coleman's life. Taken as a whole, these illustrations portray a young woman yearning for and taking pride in that "lifelong work of substance." Although the assemblage of mourners is slightly contrived (would a field hand Coleman once worked alongside and a woman who once hired her to do laundry really be present at her wake?), their parts in Bessie's story are integral to her early life. Grimes separates fact from fiction through introductory comments on the historical period and the setting, concluding observations about Coleman, and source notes. Like Bessie, this tribute to her life soars.

Citation: Carter, B. (2003). Talkin' about Bessie. Horn Book Magazine, 79(1), 96-97. 

Library Activity:

Because Bessie Coleman live much of her life in Waxahachie, Texas, where my library is located, this would be a wonderful book to read aloud to spur discussion about local history.   Local history is an important part of a library's collection.  Introducing students to a book like Grimes's, will inspire patrons to research their town's history and entice them to seek out other offerings in the library's collection about local heroes and famous people who began in their hometown.