Inside Out & Back Again

Inside Out & Back Again

A Review by Amanda Kendall

Bibliography:

Lai, Thanhha. 2011. Inside Out & Back Again. New York: Scholastic Inc. 0061962791

Plot Summary:

Based on author Thanhha Lai's own experiences as a refugee fleeing Vietnam after the fall of Saigon, Inside Out & Back Again is the story of ten-year-old Kim Ha leaving her home in search of hope.  For the first ten years of her life, Vietnam is all Ha has ever known - the lush foliage of the jungle, the explosive and beautiful taste of papaya in her mouth, and her family's traditions and love. However, when the war arrives just outside her door, her family is forced to board a ship and leave the only home she has ever known. Ha's family immigrates to Alabama and begins the daunting task of rebuilding their lives in a foreign land where life is so different. The new food, the people, and the language barrier all make settling into this new community more difficult. In a moving story of loss, change, and hope Ha and her family find strength in each other on their journey to find a new beginning.

Analysis:
Lai has expertly woven the truth of her own experiences with the fictional voice of her lovable and memorable Ha. Ha’s voice is fresh and fierce throughout the novel, filled with raw sentiment that captures the emotion of her journey. The reader feels Ha's love of her home and family, her fear of leaving everything behind, and her anger and frustration of being in world that she does not understand. Her emotions feel so personal and true throughout the novel that the reader can’t help but feel as though they have found a friend and confidant in Ha. Regardless of the readers own experiences, Ha is an honest, funny, and relatable character. 

Written in free verse with poems of only two or three pages in length, this story gives the reader a moving account of what it is like to be a refugee and immigrate to a new country filled with the unknown. The poetic structure of the novel enhances the emotional appeal of the story as each poem captures Ha’s mood and memories through all the ups and downs. You feel her joy, her frustration, and her triumphs. Her memories of beautiful Saigon and her beloved papaya are enhanced by the descriptive and figurative language. Her experiences at school with bullies and other children are honestly and heartbreakingly expressed in Lai’s careful word choice and text design. Each poem is crafted in a style and structure to evoke emotion and imagery for the reader. The repetition of poetic devices throughout the novel brings continuity to the story while the pacing of each poem highlights the emotions of the characters.

Through all the heartache, Lai sprinkles in plenty of humor along the way. She frequently mentioning the many wonky spelling and grammar rules in English language, showing Ha’s frustration at learning a new language in a playful and humorous way. This lightens the mood of the novel and creates a balance within truth found amongst these pages. Finally, the strength of family and love is also very strongly conveyed in this novel through Ha’s relationship with her brothers, the loss of her father, and her unwavering love and respect for her mother.

Lai expertly leads the middle grade reader through a harrowing experience with honesty, grace, and heart. Ha’s voice allows the reader to see the similarities far more than the differences between Ha and themselves, building empathy and understanding along the way. It’s an expertly crafted story filled with honesty and truth, carefully wrapped up in a lot of humor and love.

Awards & Reviews:

• 2011 National Book Award for Young People's Literature
• 2011 Newbery Honor Book

From Publisher's Weekly: "The taut portrayal of Ha’s emotional life is especially poignant as she cycles from feeling smart in Vietnam to struggling in the States, and finally regains academic and social confidence. An incisive portrait of human resilience."

From Kirkus: "An enlightening, poignant and unexpectedly funny novel in verse...In her not-to-be-missed debut, Lai evokes a distinct time and place and presents a complex, realistic heroine whom readers will recognize, even if they haven’t found themselves in a strange new country."

From School Library Journal: "All told, Inside Out and Back Again has the brevity of a verse novel packed with a punch many times its size."

Connections:
More Novels About Immigration and Refugees:

• Applegate, Katherine. Home of the Brave. 0312535635
• Gratz, Alan. Refugee. 0545880831
• Park, Linda S. A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story. 0547577311
• Pinkney, Andrea D. The Red Pencil. 0316247820
• Ryan, Pam M. Esperanza Rising. 9780439120425

More Novels in Verse:

• Alexander, Kwame. The Crossover. 0544107713
• Alexander, Kwame. Booked. 0544570987
• Applegate, Katherine. The One and Only Ivan. 0061992275
• Applegate, Katherine. Home of the Brave. 0312535635
• Creech, Sharon. Love That Dog. 0064409597
• Creech, Sharon. Moo.  006241526
• Engle, Margarita. Mountain Dog.1250044243
• Pinkney, Andrea D. The Red Pencil. 0316247820

Suggested Curricular Connections:

• Explore the many exotic fruits of the Vietnam including papayas, jack-fruit, and mango, and pomelo. Include a tasting opportunity for children.
• Read in conjunction with other refugee novels in literature circles to compare the experiences, challenges, and perseverance of the characters.
• Research the country of Vietnam to learn more about the country's landscape and culture. 
• Discuss and brainstorm ways to make people feel welcome and valued when they are new to a school, a community, or a country.
• Get involved with a local refugee center to find out how you can help others.
• For more suggested activities, download the reader's guide here.

The Three Pigs

The Three Pigs

A Review by Amanda Kendall

Bibliography:

Wiesner, David. 2001. The Three Pigs. New York: Clarion Books. 0618007016

Plot Summary:

It begins as a traditional "Once upon a time..." story that takes an unexpected turn.  The three little pigs venture out into the world and build their houses, however, when the wolf attempts to blow down the first Little Pig's house, the pig is literally blown out of the traditional story. Finding safety outside his story's pages, Little Pig coaxes the two other pigs to join him. Before long, the brothers are on a choose-your-own adventure between many classic stories and make friends with a dragon and a fiddling cat along the way. When they finally decide to return home, they bring their new friends along to live happily ever after in a most surprising way.

Analysis:

David Wiesner has a gift for crafting unique and imaginative stories that will stay with readers. The Three Pigs includes many of the classic elements of the quintessential western tale, while adding something unusual and fresh. The wolf cries his famous "I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house in!" while the Little Pig responds in a more casual tone through speech bubbles. This playful back and forth of two vastly different narrative styles develops both character and plot perfectly throughout the story.

Wiesner's illustrations capture the lively mood of the book. The stylistic changes of the pigs as they go between stories is particularly notable, morphing from cartoons to realistic drawings and back again. The large amounts of white space on selective pages show the pigs frolicking among story pages thus allowing readers to experience their joy as they travel between stories. Every minute detail has been considered to give the reader a feeling of full immersion when reading this wildly fun variant of a classic tale. 

Awards & Reviews:

• 2002 Caldecott Medal

From School Library Journal: “Witty dialogue and physical comedy abound in this inspired retelling of a familiar favorite.”

From Kirkus: "With this inventive retelling, Caldecott Medalist Wiesner (Tuesday, 1991) plays with literary conventions in a manner not seen since Scieszka’s The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales (1993)."

From The New York Times: “Wiesner’s dialogue and illustrations are clever, whimsical and sophisticated.”

Connections:
More Award Winners from David Wiesner:

• Flotsam. 0618194576
• Tuesday. 0395551137
• Sector 7. 0395746566
• Free Fall. 068810990X 
• Mr. Wuffles! 0618756612

More Fractured Versions of Three Little Pigs:

• Scieszka, Jon. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. 0140544518
• Trivizas, Eugene and Oxenbury, Helen. The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig. 068981528X
• Teague, Mark. The Three Little Pigs and the Somewhat Bad Wolf. 1338157744

Suggested Curricular Connections:

• Read several variations of The Three Little Pigs and have students compare and contrast the different versions.
• Write your own version of a traditional tale with a twist (i.e. The Three Little Ducks or The Three Little Bunnies)
• Put the wolf on trial in a classroom mock trial. Students use text evidence to convince a jury of the wolf's crimes. For more fun, use different versions of the tale to change to change the facts and perceptions around the characters.

Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock

Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock

A Review by Amanda Kendall

 

Bibliography:

Kimmel, Eric. 1988. Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock. Ill. by Janet Stevens. New York: Holiday House. 0823407985

Plot Summary:

Anansi, an infamous West African trickster, discovers a most unusual rock in the forest one day. Without a thought says, "Isn't this a strange moss-covered rock!" and he immediately falls to the ground unconscious. When he wakes up, he devises a plan. Inviting each unsuspecting animal individually for a walk to cool off, Anansi walks them by the mysterious rocks and persuades them to say the magic words that knock them out. While unconscious, Anasi rushes to steal their hard-earned treasure for himself.  After many successful tricks, Anansi believes his trick to be unstoppable, but Little Bush Deer has been watching.  In the end, Little Bush Deer tricks the trickster and is able to return all the food to the good animals of the forest.

Analysis:

Kimmel's rhythmic language and well-timed repetition create a fun and predictable story that begs to be read aloud. Told simply and directly, the plot follows a natural pattern that shows Anansi's successful trick in a humorous and playful way. Readers will chant along as each animal is lured to the rock, tricked, and KPOM! falls to the ground.

The colorful illustrations not only capture the lush African forest, but develop the story and characters with each turn of the page. From the beginning and even included on the title page, sweet Little Bush Deer makes an appearance on ever page.  She watches Anansi repeatedly trick the animals out of their treasure and waits for the perfect moment to trick the trickster and teach him a lesson. Well planned and thoughtfully designed, the illustrations develop the story, emphasize the theme, and invite readers to examine this folktale more closely than they did before.

Awards & Reviews:

• Golden Sower Award Nominee, 1991

From School Library Journal: “The text is rhythmic, nicely building suspense to the inevitable conclusion. Stevens' complementary, colorful illustrations add detail, humor, and movement to the text"

From Bulletin of the Center of Childrens Books: "This book combines Stevens' knack for drawing funny animals with Kimmel's sense of rhythmic storytelling." 

Connections:
More Anansi Stories from Eric Kimmel:

• Anansi and the Talking Melon. 0823411672
• Anansi Goes Fishing. 0823410226
• Anansi and the Magic Stick. 0823417638
• Anansi's Party Time. 0823422410

More African Folk Tales:

• McDermott, Gerald. Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti. 0805003118
• McDermott, Gerald. Zomo the Rabbit: A Trickster Tale from West Africa. 0152010106
• Cleveland, Rob. The Clever Monkey: A Folktale from West Africa.  0874838010
• Aardema, Verna. Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ear. 0140549056
• Gerson, Mary-Joan. Why the Sky is Far Away: A Nigerian Folktale. 1338157744

Suggested Curricular Connections:

• Read multiple Anansi stories to compare and contrast trickster exploits.
• Engage in an author's study of Eric Kimmel's work and read tales from around the world. Collect facts about world cultures and traditions and mark each place visited through a book on a world map.
• Write your own trickster tale where the trickster gets tricked back.
• Create your own magic rock with magic words. Write a story about what the magic words do.
  

The Tortoise & The Hare

The Tortoise & The Hare

A Review by Amanda Kendall

Bibliography:

Aesop. 2013. The Tortoise & The Hare. Ill. Jerry Pinkney. New York: Little, Brown and Company. 0316183563

Plot Summary:

Surrounded by an eclectic collection of forest animals, Tortoise and Hare plan a race. They move to the starting line and wait for the signal. The Hare explodes off the starting line, while Tortoise takes things at his own pace. He climbs over a tree, summits a mountain of rocks, and wades across a river without ever giving up. After taking a tremendous lead, the Hare notices a broken garden fence and is lured inside by the promise of fresh produce. He overindulges in the delicious greens and falls asleep. Meanwhile, having never given up, the Tortoise rounds the corner, moseys past the snoozing hare, and is about to reach the finish line when the Hare wakes up and upon realizing he is about to lose, makes one last attempt to beat the Tortoise, but it is too late. The Tortoise has won and in a show of good sportsmanship, the Hare joins his friends in congratulating the Tortoise on his victory.

Analysis:

Jerry Pinkney retells this classic fable through his exquisite illustrations and carefully chosen words. Although the text is sparse, it conveys the struggle, determination, and perseverance of the turtle as he moves, "slow slow slow and steady" across the many obstacles in his way. The repetition of slow and steady as well as the build up to the final sentence captures the story perfectly. Children will happily join in while reading the text, chanting "slow and steady wins the race."

The intricately designed illustrations not only captures the reader's imagination, but allows the reader to see and almost hear the characters come to life. Character expressions and Pikney's attention to detail clearly convey each character's mood. From the star of the tale, the Tortoise, to the patience and supportive field mice along the way, the characters fill the pages with genuine enthusiasm for the race allowing the fable's message of perseverance and grit to shine through until the very end.

Reviews:
From School Library Journal: "Pinkney has created yet another stunning interpretation of a classic tale in this virtually wordless picture book."

From Kirkus: "A captivating winner—start to finish!"

From Publisher's Weekly: "Pinkney’s portraits are so lifelike that the animals appear to breathe, and they present a peaceable kingdom in which predators and prey live in harmony."

Connections:
More Folktales Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney:

• The Lion and the Mouse. 0316013560

• The Three Billy Goats Gruff. 0316341576

• The Grasshopper and the Ants. 0316400815

More Tortoise and Hare Stories:

• Murray, Alison. Hare and Tortoise. 0763687219

• Watts, Bernadette. The Tortoise and the Hare. 0735842078

• Morrison, Tony & Slade. The Tortoise or the Hare & The Grasshopper. 0316400815

Suggested Curricular Connections:

• Read with a variety of illustrated fables to discuss theme and author's message. Create a fable and theme sort for students to match stories with themes.
• Compare and contrast the character traits and actions of both main characters with a Venn-diagram.
• Use paper plates and construction paper to create "slow and steady" turtles.  Then, create a list of real-life examples when "slow and steady" can help you win the race.