Module 12 - Miss Moore Thought Otherwise

Miss Moore Thought Otherwise

by Jan Pinborough

Illustrated by Debby Atwell

ISBN  978-0-547-47105-1

Summary:

Anne Moore was the youngest of eight children in her family, and she was the only girl.  She loved to rough and tumble with her brothers and do all of the things a proper lady was not supposed to do.  When she heard that she could go to college to become a librarian, she jumped at the chance.  She eventually was put in charge of the children's sections of the thirty-six New York Public Library system.  She immediately began to make changes:  she took down the sign that proclaimed "Silence" in the library, she allowed children to check out books, and she held story times for the children.  While not the only female to make changes in the history of the library, she was one of the forerunners.

My Impressions:

This was a delightful book that I felt ended too soon.  Miss Moore did all of the "things" that are such pillars of a children's library now: she let the children touch the books, check out the books, she hosted story times and invited famous authors to her library.  I read this book and thought-how lucky that we had someone like her to pave the way for us!  And the authors and writers that she invited to the NYC libraries!!  Ludwig Bemelmans, Theodor Geisel, Carl Sanburg-what an exciting time to be a child in one of Miss Moore's libraries!  The illustrations in this story are gorgeous and cheery.

Professional Reviews:

Nowadays, Anne Carroll Moore is remembered as the fiercest of the library ladies whose influence on children's library service and publishing was both inspirational - and sometimes - intractable.  But this easy-going picture book biography forgoes coverage of the more formidable aspects of Moore's personality, giving us instead a simple narrative of Moore's Maine childhood early love of books on through to her career at the New York Public Library, where she created the innovative Central Children's Room for the library's new main building in 1911.  With sun-dappled acrylic paintings of, first, rural Maine and, later, triumphantly, the light-filled interiors of the new Children's Room, the tone here is one of uncomplicated optimism, reflecting Moore's practical idealism.  A bird-eyes view of Miss Moore setting off on her "retirement" travels spreading the gospel of children's librarianship across the land clearly places this apostle in the company of her (fictional) Maine sister, Miss Rumphius.  "More about Miss Moore" and a list of sources are appended.

Miss Moore Thought Otherwise: How Anne Carroll Moore Created Libraries for Children. (2013). Horn Book Magazine, 89(2), 136-137.

Having Fun in the Library:
After reading this book I would ask the children what they like about our school library.  Do they wish things were in a different place?  Would they like me to move a series to a lower shelf?  Have they visited other libraries?  I would also introduce them to the Fort Worth Public Library, tell them where the closest one is, and how they can get their very own library card for free!

Pinborough, J.  Miss Moore thought otherwise.  (2013).  Boston: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.

Module 11 - A Splash of Red

A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin

by Jen Bryant

Illustrated by Melissa Sweet

ISBN 978-0-375-86712-5

Summary:
Horace Pippin always liked drawing.  He drew on scraps of paper with pieces of charcoal.  He drew on his spelling tests.  It made others happy to see what he could draw, so Horace drew.  During World War I Horace was injured and unable to use his right hand.  He struggled for years with what to do.  Then, one night, he props up his right hand with his left hand and teacher himself to draw again. Eventually his artwork is recognized and placed in museums.  And Horace continues to paint the pictures in his mind.

My Impressions:
There is so much to this book that it begs to be read more than once.  The story itself is interesting and well-written and the illustrations deserve a Caldecott Medal.  The historical notes at the end of the story drew me in further and made me want to research this fascinating American artist.  I was disappointed to find out that none of his paintings are close by (in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex) and will certainly seek out his artwork the next time I am in New York or Houston.  This book is also a great example of a man who rose above difficulty and struggles in his life to finally do what he always dreamed of doing: painting for a living.

Professional Reviews:
Born in 1888, grandson of a slave, Pippin loved to draw from an early age. He painted “…every day scenes in natural colors; then he added a splash of red.” His classmates often begged, “Make a picture for us, Horace!” When he was in the eighth grade, he quit school and went to work. From rail yard to farm to hotel to factory, his workmates echoed the request, “Make a picture for us….” And when he enlisted in World War I, his fellow soldiers also entreated him to draw. “The war brought out all the art in me.” But a bullet to the shoulder rendered his right arm useless and he was unable to find work due to his injury. Still, his drive to draw remained. One day, “using his good arm to move the hurt one, he scorched lines into the wood” to create a picture. With practice, his weak arm improved enough to allow him to paint, and paint he did. N.C. Wyeth recognized his talent and arranged for him to have a one-man exhibit. Today his work hangs in museums all over the country. Bryant’s meticulously researched, eloquent text makes this a winning read-aloud, while Sweet’s vibrant, folksy illustrations, rendered in watercolor, gouache, and mixed media, portray the joys and hardships of the man’s life, using his trademark palette…with just a splash of red. Quotations from his notebooks, letters, and interviews are effectively woven into the pictures.
Auerbach, B.  (2013, January 1).  

Book Review Preschool to Grade 4: January 2013, SLJ, http://www.slj.com/2013/01/reviews/preschool-to-grade-4/book-review-preschool-to-grade-4-january-2013/

Having Fun in the Library:
1.  Horace Pippin and George Washington share a birthdate.  I would have the students research and find out which famous people share their birthday.
2.  Show this YouTube video: 

Bryant, J.  (2013).  A splash of red: The life and art of Horace Pippin.  New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Module 10 - Fire From the Rock

Fire From the Rock

by Sharon M. Draper

ISBN 978-0-525-47720-4

Summary:
It is 1957 and Sylvia Patterson is looking forward to high school in Little Rock Arkansas.  Her plans for school dances, joining clubs, and possibly even having a boyfriend are challenged when the school board announces it will integrate Central High School.  Sylvia's teacher recommends her name be put on the list, and Sylvia and her family agree.  Placing her name on the list is an honor, but also a burden.  There are black families in her neighborhood that do not agree with her decision and Sylvia must decide between helping bring about change and remaining safe and doing what is the right thing for her and her family.

My Impressions:
This book gave such a different side of the integration issue.  We see Sylvia Patterson who, at first, is thrilled to have her name on the list for Central High School.  But as tensions in her neighborhood rise, and she begins to witness firsthand some of the backlash of choosing to be one of the first black students at an all white high school, Sylvia realizes there is more at stake and she realizes she may not be as brave as she thought she was.  I loved her mother and her calmness, her proverbs that she spoke in times of angst or hurt, and how she was always there for her children.  Draper showed racism from another angle in this book as Sylvia's best friend, a Jewish girl named Rachel Zucker, and her family are tormented and their store is vandalized.  I think this is an excellent read for high school students who are studying the civil rights movement or who are studying biographies.  

Professional Reviews:

An honor student, Sylvia Patterson is thrilled when she is chosen as one of the first black students to integrate all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957. But the racism in her town is terrifying, and she is not sure she can go through with it. Unlike her older brother, she does not want to be a hero and change the world. Besides, many in her black community are against integration; why not stay with her friends, concentrate on academics, and get to college? With stirring complexity, Draper personalizes the civil rights struggle beyond slogans and politics. There is sometimes too much historical background purposively woven into Sylvia’s narrative, including her diary entries. But the surprising turnaround in the plot, as well as the shocking facts, will grab readers and raise the elemental issue: what would I have done? A final note fills in history and provides a list of Web sites. Pair this with Robert Sharenow’s My Mother the Cheerleader (2007), about a white kid whose mother is part of the racist mob. 
Rochman, H. (2007). Fire from the rock. Booklist, 103(22), 63.

Having Fun in the Library:
I think this would be a good book to book talk.  I would pair it with My Mother the Cheerleader by Robert Sharenow and Warriors Don't Cry by Melba Pattillo Beals.  I could do this in conjunction with a history unit on civil rights.  
I could also take some quotes from the book, put them on posters and put a different poster on each table in the library.  Then the students could write down, silently, their responses to the quotes.  At the end of the class we could read a few out loud and even hang the posters in the library.

Draper, S. M.  (2007).  Fire from the rock.  New York: Dutton Children's Books.