Brooks, Gwendolyn. (2007). Bronzeville boys and girls. Illus. by Faith Ringgold New York, NY: Amistad/Harper Collins. 41 pages. Gr. 3-5.
Summary:
In the book Bronzeville Boys and Girls there are many different poems about African-American children and their daily lives. The first poem is called Mexie and Bridie, it is about two young girls having a tea party beneath the trees. The next poems are about a boy named Val who rides off on his bicycle, a boy and girl who have their aunts and uncles visit. Narcissa sits in her yard not playing, Andre has a dream about parents, Keziah has a secret place he likes to go, and Charles has to stay in bed because he is sick. There are poems about playing in the snow, wanting to move to the country, moving away from your friends, taking care of your mother when she is sick, and the importance of family. Overall Bronzeville Boys and Girls is just about the many different aspects and emotions of childhood.
Key Words: joy, happiness, beauty, imagination, nature, sadness, fear, reality, friendships, family, playing, freedom of being a child
Awards:
Parents’ Choice Award, 2007 Gold Poetry United States
2. Brown, Calef. (2006). Flamingos on the roof: poems and paintings. Illus. by Calef Brown. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company. 58 pages. Gr. 3-5.
Summary:
This book of poems was definitely something unique. It is mainly about just silly people, such as the Bug Show. Where mosquitos are wearing suits and hosting a show. There is even a poem about Medusa’s sister called Sally, who only has one snake for her hair and she will make you stop and talk to her instead of turning you to rock. The poems are very vibrant and silly. There really isn’t an overall theme to the poems, I think they are t...
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Pennsylvania Young Readers’ Choice Award, 2009 Winner Grades 3-6
2. Dicamillo, Kate and McGhee, Alison. (2010). Bink and gollie. Illus. by Tony Fucile.
Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. 81 pages. Gr. K-3.
Summary:
A story about two best friends, Bink and Gollie. They are complete opposites
Bink is crazy and messy, while Gollie is more put together and neat. They both love roller skating, peanut butter, and pancakes. Bink and Gollie set out on their adventures together, first buying a new pair of crazy socks, taking a journey to the Andes Mountains, and bringing home a goldfish as a marvelous companion.
Key Words: compromise, disagreement, friendship, adventure, companionship, imagination, jealousy
Awards:
Kiddo Award, 2011
New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Books, 2010 United States
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award, 2011 Winner United States
In Chapter 2 of Children’s Books in Children’s Hands: A Brief Introduction to their Literature, the authors talk about the 12 main elements of a literary work: genre, plot, setting, characterization, theme, point of view, intersexuality, tone, mood, style, voice, and the stance of the implied reader (Temple, Martinez, and Yokota 24). All of these literary elements capture the reader’s imagination and creates a successful piece of literature. However, the authors stress the importance of genre in Chapter 2, so I will briefly go over the different types of genres there are in literature and how it affects the readers greatly.
The fact that they feel they can sit about the knee of their mother, in this stereotypical image of a happy family doesn’t suggest that the children in this poem are oppressed... ... middle of paper ... ... y has a negative view of the childish desire for play which clearly has an effect on the children. The fact that they the are whispering shows that they are afraid of the nurse, and that they cannot express their true thoughts and desires freely, which is why they whisper, and therefore shows that Blake feels that children are oppressed. I feel that the two poems from innocence which are ‘The Echoing Green,’ and ‘The Nurses Song,’ display Blake’s ideological view of country life which I referred to in my introduction, and show his desire for childhood to be enjoyed.
Looking back at the narratives and the significance of the poems in them is that many of the poems are inspired by nature around the authors. Also, the poems provide more of the voice of the authors instead of just the voice of the narrator and helps present the emotional tones of the characters in the narratives to the reader so that there can be more of a connection to it when it is being read. The poems make for a simple addition to the narrative and allows for a much more meaningful experience for a reader and makes for a much more engrossing story, thus adding to the to experience as a whole.
Munro, Alice. “Boys and Girls.” Introduction to Literature. Ed. Isobel M. Findlay et al. 5th ed. Canada: Nelson Education, 2004. 491-502. Print.
... overall themes, and the use of flashbacks. Both of the boys in these two poems reminisce on a past experience that they remember with their fathers. With both poems possessing strong sentimental tones, readers are shown how much of an impact a father can have on a child’s life. Clearly the two main characters experience very different past relationships with their fathers, but in the end they both come to realize the importance of having a father figure in their lives and how their experiences have impacted their futures.
...nal family. The second poem uses harsh details described in similes, metaphors, and personification. The message of a horribly bad childhood is clearly defined by the speaker in this poem. Finally, the recollection of events, as described by the two speakers, is distinguished by the psychological aspect of how these two children grew up. Because the first child grew up in a passive home where everything was hush-hush, the speaker described his childhood in that manner; trying to make it sound better than what it actually was. The young girl was very forward in describing her deprivation of a real family and did not beat around the bush with her words. It is my conclusion that the elements of tone, imagery, and the recollection of events are relevant to how the reader interprets the message conveyed in a poem which greatly depends on how each element is exposed.
This book has taught me a lot about Alexander Hamilton. Most of it was a surprise to me. This book includes where he was born, how he moved to the United States, what he had done to contribute to the country, and his wife and kids. This book has plenty of insight on one of our greatest leaders.
Kelly, Joseph. The Seagull Reader Poems Second Edition. New York: W.W Norton and Company, 2001.
‘Some idea of a child or childhood motivates writers and determines both the form and content of what they write.’ -- Hunt The above statement is incomplete, as Hunt not only states that the writer has an idea of a child but in the concluding part, he states that the reader also has their own assumptions and perceptions of a child and childhood. Therefore, in order to consider Hunt’s statement, this essay will look at the different ideologies surrounding the concept of a child and childhood, the form and content in which writers inform the reader about their ideas of childhood concluding with what the selected set books state about childhood in particular gender. The set books used are Voices In The Park by Browne, Mortal Engines by Reeve and Little Women by Alcott to illustrate different formats, authorial craft and concepts about childhood. For clarity, the page numbers used in Voices In The Park are ordinal (1-30) starting at Voice 1.
The poem contains the central idea that many of these children never understood what home really means. In Native American culture the people venerate earth and it is referred to as mother nature which we see in the poem. The rails cut right through their home but they don’t view them like the average person. They view the tracks as if they are scars across mother earths face and her face is the Native American’s homeland. She is scarred for eternity but she is perfect in their dreams. This symbolism is ironic because the children try to reach home using the railroad that ruined natural life for them and many other Native Americans. In the second stanza the speaker says “The worn-down welts of ancient punishments lead back and fourth” (15-16). Which can be talking about the marks on the children’s bodies after getting caught while running away. But the “word-down welts” can also symbolize the welts that were put on mother nature throughout history. The last five lines of the poem sums up the symbol of hope through their memories and dreams. The last line of the poem says, “the spines of names and leaves.” (20-24). The “spines” symbolize the physical strength of the children and their ability to maintain hope individually “names”, and for their tribe
The poem also focuses on what life was like in the sixties. It tells of black freedom marches in the South how they effected one family. It told of how our peace officers reacted to marches with clubs, hoses, guns, and jail. They were fierce and wild and a black child would be no match for them. The mother refused to let her child march in the wild streets of Birmingham and sent her to the safest place that no harm would become of her daughter.
The author uses imagery, contrasting diction, tones, and symbols in the poem to show two very different sides of the parent-child relationship. The poem’s theme is that even though parents and teenagers may have their disagreements, there is still an underlying love that binds the family together and helps them bridge their gap that is between them.
These constant feelings of discontent, and annoyance were seen frequently by African Americans who suffered from injustice acts from the white majority during these times. Many of the poems written during this time showed some sort of historical reference of maltreatment, or inequality. For years, African Americans were not allowed to have a voice, and if they did they wen’t unheard. However, when poems got published, the deep emotion, and rage that African Americans lived through for many years was released to the public, and shocked a majority of people when they quickly became influential to society.
Weisgall, Deborah. “The Mother of All Girls’ Books.” The American Prospect. n.p. 11 June 2012. Web. 29 March 2014. .
Weatherall, Barry. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou. Painting. artistrising.com. Web. 30 Nov. 2013.