36. Children of the Dust Bowl: The True Story of the School at Weedpatch Camp by Jerry Stanley

Nonfiction book annotation
By: Angela Wilcox

85 Pages



Stanley, J. (1992). Children of the dust bowl: The true story of the school at Weedpatch Camp. New York: Crown Publishers Inc.

Author Creditability: Stanley is a history professor at California Sate University, where he teaches courses that include this topic. He interviewed people and gathered his research from those that had experienced this event firsthand. He has earned recognition from the Orbis Pictus list several times for his nonfiction children’s literature.

Summary: This narrative and chronological book is a true account of what it was like for the Oklahoma Farmers and their families to live in the middle of the Dust Bowl. The reader is made aware of the harsh conditions, prejudices they faced and some desperate times that the Okies had to overcome. You go on the journey with the Okie families as they migrate to California in hopes of a better life. Once there, they are faced with even more prejudice and extreme struggles from day to day. Finally, Leo Hart begins to help the families by starting their own school for the Okie children. Here, they learn life skills and the basics in academics. Through this they receive a since of pride and accomplishment that will help them for years to come with different obstacles they are faced with.

Most Important Access Features: This book contains photographs with captions that help explain them to the reader. There is an author’s note that provides some background knowledge of the word Okie and the introduction helps to build schema for the reader. In the back of the book there is an afterword that provides the reader with information on what happened next with Leo Hart. Next, there is a bibliographic note, picture credits, acknowledgments, and an index.

Description of Illustrations: The photographs are all black and white and actually came from the people Stanley interviewed and from historical documents. He was able to use the photos to help depict the life of the Okies to the reader.

Grade Level & Uses: 4-8 grade; This book could be used to teach about the time period of the Great Depression. You could also use this book in character education when talking about the prejudice.

Standards: Culture; Time, Continuity, and Change; People, Places, and Environments; Individual Development and Identity; Individuals, Groups, and Institutions

Related Texts & How Related: These books could be used along with Children of the Dust Bowl to this time period.

Potato: A Tale from the Great Depression by Kate Lied
The Dust Bowl by David Booth
Dear Mrs. Roosevelt: Letters from Children of the Great Depression by Robert Cohen

Quality/Awards:
1993 Orbis Pictus Winner
ALA Notable Book
Horn Book Fanfare Outstanding Book of the Year
Booklist Editor’s Choice

Personal Response to Book: This was a very interesting and emotional read. There were some parts of the text that outraged me as a teacher, but Leo gave me inspiration for helping and making a difference in my students. The photographs were also very moving. I believe they were what helped to make the book and definitely told the story.

35. Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford

Nonfiction book annotation
By: Angela Wilcox

48 pages



Weatherford, C. B. (2006). Moses: When Harriet Tubman led her people to freedom. New York: Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children.

Author Creditability: The book does not state where Weatherford got her information and sources. She has written several award winning books. I did find her website http://www.caroleweatherford.com/ and it has a slide show on it of different primary resources from this book.

Summary: This book lets the reader feel like they are right there with Harriet Tubman. You are able to read her thoughts and prayers to God as she starts her escape and journey to freedom. It then tells of her involvement with the Underground Railroad and her numerous journeys back to the south to free hundreds of slaves. All the while staying close to God and letting him lead her path. She becomes known as the Moses of her people.

Most Important Access Features: The foreword helps to build the readers schema on what is going on with slavery during this time period. The text where God is speaking to Harriet is always done in a larger text font and in a grayish color. At the back of the book there is an author’s note telling about this book and Harriet Tubman’s life.

Description of Illustrations: The illustrations were done by Kadir Nelson as paintings.
They are beautifully done and help the reader to understand exactly the danger Tubman was facing through the dark colors and worried facial expressions upon Tubman’s face.

Grade Level & Uses: K-3 grade; This book could be used to teach about The Underground Railroad and slavery.

Standards: Culture; Time, Continuity, and Change; Individual Development and Identity; Individuals, Groups, and Institutions; Power, Authority, and Governance


Related Texts & How Related: These books could be used along with Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom to discuss Harriet Tubman, slavery, and the Underground Railroad.

Who was Harriet Tubman by Yona Zeldis McDonough and Nancy Harrison
Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad by Ann Petry
A Picture Book on Harriet Tubman by David A. Adler and Samuel Byrd


Quality/Awards:
2007 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award
2007 Caldecott Honor
A New York Times Best Seller
NAACP Image Award

Personal Response to Book: This was a very inspiring book. It amazed me of her relationship with God and how He led her out. I found this book to be very touching and moving.

34. More Than One by Miriam Schlein

Nonfiction book annotation
By: Angela Wilcox

24 pages



Schlein, M. (1996). More than one. New York: Scholastic.

Author Creditability: The book does not state any research done, however Schlein has written several nonfiction children’s books to inform kids on different topics. This is a very simple text giving examples of how one can be more than one. No research was really needed to write this book.

Summary: This sequenced book brings up the question can one be more than one? It then explains to the reader how one can really be more than one. For example: one pair of shoes is two shoes; one baseball team is 9 players; etc.

Most Important Access Features: The text dealing with the number one is in red text so it will stand out better for the young reader. It also has the number word and numerals to match it on the page and both are done in red text.

Description of Illustrations: The illustrations were done by Donald Crews using watercolors and gouache paints.

Grade Level & Uses: K-2 grade; This book could be used to teach about numbers, number words, and how some words can mean more than one thing.

Standards: Problem Solving; Reasoning and Proof; Communication; Connections; Representation

Related Texts & How Related: These books could be used along with More Than One to discuss math concepts of number words and numerals.

12 Ways to Get to 11 by Eve Merriam
What’s A Pair? What’s A Dozen? by Stephen R. Swinburne
The Button Box by Margarette S. Reid
Two Ways to Count to Ten by Ruby Dee


Quality/Awards:
None found at this time.

Personal Response to Book: This was a very easy read that could probably even be used in preschool. I liked how she took items that the kids are familiar with and showed them how one could be more than one. I feel like the students could easily relate and understand the concept being taught here.

33. America: A Patriotic Primer by Lynne Cheney

Nonfiction book annotation
By: Angela Wilcox

40 pages



Cheney, L. (2002). America: A patriotic primer. New York: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers.

Author Creditability: Lynne Cheney stated in her acknowledgments that she wanted to thank several of her research assistants. She had lots of help researching the material and developing this book. She thanked the American Enterprise Institute for their help. Mrs. Cheney has a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin and is currently a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

Summary: This is an alphabet formatted book that Cheney wrote because she wanted her grandchildren to know how blessed we are to live in America. Each letter of the alphabet either deals with well-known individuals, milestones in our history, or terms of this nation. There are also facts, quotes from presidents and other patriots, and/or anecdotes on each page dealing with the given topic.

Most Important Access Features: This book takes a cartoon like appearance to it. There are several illustrations on a page with labels and information next to the illustration. In the back of the book is a section called “Notes on the Text” which includes a little more detailed information on each letter and the illustrations on the page. The front end pages are in red, the pages in the book are white, and the back end pages are blue representing our flag (The Red, White, and Blue).

Description of Illustrations: The illustrations were done by Robin Preiss Glasser and are made in black ink, watercolor washes, and colored pencils.

Grade Level & Uses: 2-5 grade; This book could be used to teach about America.

Standards: Time, Continuity, Change; Individuals, Groups, and Institutions; Culture

Related Texts & How Related: These books could be used along with America: A Patriotic Primer to discuss American history.

A is for Abigail: An Almanac of Amazing American Women by Lynne Cheney
A Time for Freedom by Lynne Cheney
We the Kids by David Catrow
When Washington Crossed the Delaware: A Wintertime Story for Young Patriots by Lynne Cheney


Quality/Awards:
None found at this time.

Personal Response to Book: I liked the friendly cartoon like layout of this book. I enjoyed reading about our history from Lynne Cheney’s perspective. I believe this would be an excellent book to help little ones understand our country.

32. A is for Abigail: An Almanac of Amazing American Women by Lynne Cheney

Nonfiction book annotation
By: Angela Wilcox

48 pages



Cheney, L. (2003). A is for Abigail: An almanac of amazing American women. New York: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers.

Author Creditability: Lynne Cheney stated in her acknowledgments that she wanted to thank several of her research assistants. She had lots of help researching the material and developing this book. She thanked the American Enterprise Institute for their help and mentioned the four-volume biographical dictionary, Notable American Women in her resource notes about the text.

Summary: This is an alphabet formatted book that focuses on the accomplishments of American women. Each letter takes on a topic that women had a role in partaking in our history or it features a specific woman and what she did along with other women who accomplished similar obstacles. There is a huge emphasis on the women who help to get equal rights for all women. This book opens the readers’ eye to exactly how many women have affected our history. It does not go into great detail about their accomplishments, but does give the reader a start where they may do their own research about a specific person.

Most Important Access Features: This book takes a cartoon like appearance to it. There are several illustrations on a page with labels and information next to the illustration. In the back of the book is a section called “Notes on the Text” which includes a little more detailed information on each letter and the illustrations on the page.

Description of Illustrations: The illustrations were done by Robin Preiss Glasser and are made in black ink, watercolor washes, and colored pencil.

Grade Level & Uses: 2-5 grade; This book could be used to teach about American history and different individuals who had a process in shaping America.

Standards: Time, Continuity, Change; Individuals, Groups, and Institutions

Related Texts & How Related: These books could be used along with A is for Abigail to discuss American history.

America: A Patriotic Primer by Lynne Cheney
A Time for Freedom by Lynne Cheney
We the Kids by David Catrow
Thank you, Sarah: The Women Who Saved Thanksgiving by Laurie Halse Anderson


Quality/Awards:
Arizona Young Reader Book Award Nominee Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award

Personal Response to Book: I liked the friendly cartoon like layout of this book. I enjoyed reading about women that had a role in our history. I believe young girls need to read this book so than can see that women can and do have various jobs and have played very important roles in influencing America.

31. The Tarantula Scientist by Sy Montgomery

Nonfiction book annotation
By: Angela Wilcox

80 pages

Montgomery, S. (2004). The tarantula scientist. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Author Creditability: In this book it has a section called “How This Book Was Researched.” The reader will find out that Montgomery along with the photographer Bishop went with “Sam Marshall on an expedition to French Guiana in South America.” They researched tarantulas with him and also visited Sam’s Spider Lab at Hiram College in Ohio.

Summary: This is a book of Sy Montgomery and Nic Bishop following a spider scientist, Sam Marshall, on his expeditions through his lab in Ohio and the rainforest in French Guiana. It shows the reader how science works through experiments and observations to find out about the tarantulas. The reader will find out about how science works as well as about the spider the tarantula.

Most Important Access Features: This book contains a map at the beginning showing the reader where French Guiana is located. It has chapter headings that let the reader know what the chapter is about. It contains photographs through out the book with labels telling the reader about the photo. At the end of the book there are pages with information for the reader including: Updates, handling tarantulas, spider stats, spider language, how the book was researched, special acknowledgments, selected bibliography, websites, how to reach the jungle in French Guiana where Sam does his research, information on having a tarantula as a pet, an index, and a website for teachers.

Description of Illustrations: The photographs were taken by Nic Bishop on the expedition.

Grade Level & Uses: 4-8 grade; This book could be used to teach about the process of experiments and observations and about tarantulas.

Standards: Science as Inquiry; Life Science

Related Texts & How Related: These books could be used along with The Tarantula Scientist to discuss tarantulas.

Uncover a Tarantula: Take a Three-Dimensional Look Inside a Tarantula! by David George Gordon
Tarantulas (Animals of the Rain Forest) by Christy Steele
Tarantula Spiders (Animal Kingdom) by Julie Murray


Quality/Awards:
2005 Robert F. Sibert Honor

Personal Response to Book: I do not like spiders so I thought this was going to be a hard book for me to read. I did find it very interesting and I liked how they talked about using experiments and observation on finding out about the tarantulas.

30. Sequoyah by James Rumford

Nonfiction book annotation
By: Angela Wilcox

32 pages



Rumford, J. (2004). Sequoyah: The Cherokee man who gave his people writing. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Author Creditability: Rumford has studied more than a dozen languages and has worked in the Peace Corps. While working on this book he drew on these experiences as well as the history of Sequoyah. Anna Sixkiller Huckaby, a language training coordinator for the Cherokee Nation Cultural Resource Center helped him write this book. She is a full-blood Cherokee with a history of being involved with the Cherokee culture and language. She has taught the Cherokee language for many years and has been named a Cherokee Living National Treasure for her work in basket making. She helped Rumford write this book and translated it into the Cherokee language.

Summary: This book is a poem of Sequoyah a man who wanted to teach the Cherokee Indians a writing system so they could be a nation of readers and writers. This captures the painful obstacles that Sequoyah had to overcome in order to develop this beautiful written language for his people. Under the English text, Anna Sixkiller Huckaby has illustrated this beautiful language for us by translating the text into the Cherokee written language.

Most Important Access Features: This book contains the Cherokee written language under the English text. The illustrations are labeled in Cherokee, which are translated into English on the verso page. There is a chart of the syllables used to write the words in the Cherokee language. At the end of the book is a timeline of Sequoyah’s life.

Description of Illustrations: According to the book “The illustrations in this book were done with ink, watercolor, pastel, and pencil on drawing paper adhered to a rough piece of wood, the texture of which was brought out with each pass of chalk and colored pencil.”

Grade Level & Uses: Grades 1-4; This book could be used to teach about the Cherokee Indians along with how people had to come up with our writing system.

Standards: Culture; Time, Continuity, and Change; People, Places, and Environments; Individual Development an Identity.

Related Texts & How Related: These books could be used along with Sequoyah to discuss the Cherokee Indians.

If You Lived With the Cherokees by Peter and Connie Roop
Cherokee (Native American Peoples) by D. L. Birchfield
Soft Rain: A Story of the Cherokee Trail of Tears by Cornelia Cornelissen


Quality/Awards:
The Robert F. Sibert Honor Book

Personal Response to Book: I was not sure that I was going to enjoy or be interested in this book, but I ended up liking it. It was very interesting how Sequoyah handled others who were trying to discourage him and he kept trying. I also enjoyed being able to actually see what the Cherokee language looks like and compare it to our English text.