The book Charlotte's Web vs. The movie Charlotte's Web

Charlotte's Web is a timeless story that is enjoyable for all the family. The story presents great family values and also teaches some lessons. The book is a classic and is one of my favorites to read.

I have always loved watching the animated version of the movie better than the newer real-to-life version. The book and the movie are great, but there are some differences. The characters are more real-to-life in the movie. Miracles are focused on more in the movie while friendship is focused on more in the book. Fern is also presented in the movie as having a more disobedient attitude. Her mom also consults a doctor because she feels it is unhealthy for her to talk to animals. The storyline is the same, and the animals talk in the book and the movie. The book and the movie send the message that miracles can happen and friendship between people and animals can be difficult at times when something dies or you have to let it go.

The book The Cat in the Hat vs. The movie The Cat in the Hat

The plot and the message are very simple in the book "The Cat in the Hat." The cat comes to visit and mischief begins. The kids are caught in the middle of his unrelentless endeavors. they have to try and clean up the mess before mom gets home while at the same time a bossy fish is reminding them that the cat should not be there while their mother is out.

The plot is similar in the movie, but the movie provides a view of modern-day life with Mike Myers playing the cat. Dakota Fanning and Spencer Breslin are visited by a crazy cat. Kelly Preston is the mother, and she seems to be to busy to spend time with the kids. Alec Baldwin is their neighbor which has the hots for their mother, and he doesn't seem to like the kids. The movie follows the storyline of the book; however, a different kind of modern-day humor is presented in the movie. The crude humor can be offensive to some people such as, the sexual innuendos, the cat abusing the babysitter, the cat wanting to hit the kid with the bat, the cat smacking the kids across the room with his tail etc.

I feel that the book is much better suited for children than the movie. The book is simple, innocent and enjoyable for children.

The book Winn Dixie vs. The movie Winn Dixie

The story is very heart warming. There is a 10 year old girl in the story named Opal along with a big, clumsy dog that needs someone to love. Opal and her father, which is a preacher, move to a new hometown because he has a new church. Through many experiences, Opal meets many new residents in the town. Some are more unique that others. As she makes friends, along with her new friend Winn Dixie, she begins to feel like she is part of something special. She forgets about her sadness and loneliness that has resulted from her mother abandoning her and her father, and she begins to enjoy life and the people around her again.

For the most part, the book and the movie were alot alike. The movie gave me a closer look at how the characters looked and the town where they lived, whereas, I had to visualize the characters and town when I read the book. However, there were some differences that I noticed. In the book, the story begins at the Winn Dixie store where the dog is causing alot of confusion. In the movie, the story begins with Opal coming to the building that used to be a convenient store. Her dad is preaching. She prays that she will make some friends. Then her father sends her to the Winn Dixie. I feel that some events were added to the movie to make it more interesting than the book such as, the Dewberry boys acting like secret agents while Miss Franny is talking to Opal and Amanda about Littmus W. Block. There are also differences in the way the characters are portrayed. The landlord is much more forceful in the movie by continuously demanding that they get rid of the dog. Opal's father gives her a harder time about giving the dog away than what was represented in the book. More information is given in the movie about certain events such as, how she got her name. She was named India because her father was a missionary in India and Opal was her mother's name. The ending is also different in the movie than in the book. At the end, they were looking for Winn Dixie, and they couldn't find him, so everyone began singing a hymn, and Winn Dixie began howling outside the front door. Everyone became excited because he came back. They begin to sing songs again. In the book, the story ended with Gloria, Franny and Opal singing. Sweetie Pie heard somebody sneeze, and they discover that Winn-Dixie is hiding under Otis's bed. I enjoyed reading the book and watching the movie. I love the story. My daughter watched the movie with me, and she loved it, especially the dog.

Caldecott and Newbery Medal

The Newbery Medal is awarded every year by the American Library Association for the most distinguished American children's books published the previous year. Many people became concerned that the artists creating picture books for children were as deserving of honor and encouragement as were the authors of children's books. A second annual medal was suggested. The medal is to be given to the artist who created the most distinguished picture book of the year and named in honor of the nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph J. Caldecott. The Caldecott Medal will be awarded to the artist of the most distinguished American Picture Book for Children published in the United States during the preceding year. The award will go to the artist that is a citizen or resident of the United States whether or not he is the author of the text. The Newbery Medal Committee will serve as judges. In 1977, the Board of Directors of the Association for Library Service to Children approved that any book published in the preceding year shall be eligible to be considered for either awards or both awards.
The Newbery Medal is awarded annually by the American Library Association for the most distinguished American children's book published the previous year. Frederic G. Melcher proposed the award to the American Library Association, and he suggested that it be named for the eighteenth-century English bookseller John Newbery. The purpose of the Newbery Medal is to encourage original creative work in the field of books for children. The medal emphasizes to the public that contributions to the literature for children deserve similar recognition to poetry, plays, or novels. The Newbery Award is the first children's book award in the world.

The Lorax - Dr. Seuss

The Lorax is a powerful tale that sends a message to conserve the earth's precious and finite natural resources. The story stresses the fact that we are at risk of losing real life Brown Bar-ba-loots, Swomee-Swans, Humming Fish, Truffula Trees, and the forests they all inhabit. The Lorax is didactic which means to intend to instruct, to be morally instructive, to be excessively inclined to moralize or teach, to be skillful in teaching, convey instructions and to teach morality and be preachy. In the story, the Lorax is didactic because he uses a sharp and bossy voice when he tells the Once-ler that he is speaking for the trees. He is preachy when he keeps telling the Once-ler to stop cutting the trees. He is trying to convey a message about the environment that when people get greedy and no one cares, nothing will get better.
Some other books that are didactic are The Hungry Caterpillar, I am a Lion, It's not Fair!, and Noise! Noise! Noise! These book received low reviews because they teach a moral lesson. There is a strong bias against didactic books. Many writers hear from publishers that books should not moralize. Some educators believe children should not be influenced by outside forces, instead children should be determinators of their own value system. Writers Digest states that Simon and Schuster (Books for Young Readers) gives the advice to those wanting to submit books, "Please avoid problem novels, rhyming verse and didactic stories with morals." Librarians emphasize that children want to learn. They want interesting books that teach them how to be successful.

The Cat in the Hat - Dr. Seuss

The Cat in the Hat is one of my favorite books. I love to read the book to my first grade students when we celebrate Dr. Seuss Day. The students really enjoy listening to the story. They identify the rhyming words as I read the story. They like the mischieveous cat, and they think that Thing One and Thing Two are funny. Another book that presents tension in the story is Sam and the Firefly by P.D. Eastman. Sam is an owl that comes out when the moon is up. He is lonely and wants a friend. Sam sees a mysterious light. He sees Gus the Firefly. He thinks Gus is a friend, but he is a trickster. He is a talented troublemaker like the cat is in the Cat in the Hat. He makes lines of light in the air. Sam has the technique and Gus has the fire. Sam tricks Gus into writing out Gus and Sam in one stroke. Sam soars through the sky thinking he has found a reflection of himself. Sam has given Gus the skill he needs to be a great artist, and he runs off and uses it to create destruction just like the cat does in the little boy and girl's house. After Gus realizes all the problems he has caused, Sam and Gus work together to write useful messages. When the sun comes up, the adventure is over, and the magic is gone. The two friends part from each other.
The Cat in the Hat still appeals to children because of the humor and rhyme. Dr. Seuss uses bright illustrations and childish nonsense. There are some good moral messages such as, don't let a stranger in the house. The simple rhythmic text makes the story easy for children to follow.

Later, Gator - Laurence Yep

I liked the story because a Chinese boy realizes that he has a special bond with his brother. Teddy doesn't get along with his little brother, Bobby. He is jealous of him because he never gets into trouble. He treats him like he is his enemy. He decides to get his perfect brother and eye-popping gift such as, a meat-eating alligator with hopes that he will get into trouble with it. He begins to feel sorry for his little brother when the alligator dies. He begins to realize how much he does care for his brother. This book would be interesting to children because of the alligator in the story. It is a touching narrative. I was influenced by the memories that I have of pets that I loved, and they died. It is difficult when a pet dies. Sometimes events that occur can cause emotions to emerge that you didn't know you had. Other books written by Laurence Yep are Child of the Owl, Dragon of the Lost Sea, The Rainbow People, American Dragons, The Lost Garden and others.

The Bracelet - Yoskiko Uchida

This story is a heart felt story about a girl who must leave her best friend to go to an interment camp where all Japanese Americans must go. Water color paintings are exhibited throughout the story. I enjoyed reading the story because she uses the memory of her friends, school and her house to help her survive a difficult situation. Sometimes memories are all that someone has to help them cope with situations. The story is based in the year 1942 when the U.S. and Japan are at war. My reaction was influenced by a childhood memory of when I had to move away from my friends, school and my home. It is very difficult to leave people and places that you care about and remembering the good times can help you deal with it. Other books that Yoskiko Uchida has written are A Jar of Dreams, The Best Bad Thing, Picture Bride, Journey to Topaz and others. Many of her writings are inspired by her Japanese heritage. I learned that children's literature can help children deal with emotional situations because they can read about other childrens' experiences and see ways that he or she handled their own situation.

Jerry Pinkney

He has illustrated other books such as John Henry, The Talking Eggs, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and Uncle Remus: The Complete Tales. Through reading the story that he illustrated, Mirandy and Brother Wind, I realized that children's literature can introduce children and adults to traditions that different cultures have. I didn't know that the cake walk originated from the Afro-American culture.

Mirandy and Brother Wind - Patricia C. McKissach

This story exhibits multiculture and uses southern dialect. The main character in the story is a girl who tries to capture the wind in which she invisions as a man. She tries many different ways to catch the wind, so she can dance like the wind at the cake walk. The dance is rooted in Afro-American culture. It was performed by couples who pranced around a large square, keeping time with fiddle and banjo music. As the dancers danced, the elders judged them, and the winners took home a cake. Miranda meets a young boy, and they dance together like the wind and win the cake walk. We have cake walks at out school during Fall Festival. The traditional cake walk varies from the cake walk in the story because individuals walk around a circle of chairs to music. When the music stops, the person standing is out until the last person left with a chair to sit in wins the cake.

Sam and the Tiger - Julius Lester

This story is somewhat humorous because the characters are named Sam, except for the animal characters. The animal characters make the story more interesting to children. They like stories about animals especially tigers. The drawings and colors used are very vivid. The story exhibits wit and humor. The story shows how a small boy can be triumphant over powerful things. My reaction to this story was influenced by my love for animals. I have always thought that tigers are amazing and intriguing animals. This book has some of the same southern storytelling as the retelling of Uncle Remus tales and John Henry. The story provides a good example of how someone can overcome an obstacle by using their wit and being brave. The author has written other books such as, To Be a Slave, Long Journey Home: Stories from Black History, and The Knee - High Man.

Bud, Not Buddy - Christopher Paul Curtis

This book is enjoyable to read. It brought tears to my eyes. The story is fictional, but it is based on situations or events that Bud, an Afro-american, encountered in the 1930's during the Great Depression. He is only 8 years old in the story. The fictional characters are based on real people. The author combined his imagination with traits of people to build the new characters. Bud lives in an orphanage because his mother had died. Once again he is going to live with foster parents. He is reluctant to go because of previously being abused at the last foster home. The new foster home doesn't work out because he is also mistreated. He runs away from the foster home and on his journey to find his grandparents he meets different people and encounters many experiences. He finally finds his grandparents at the end of the story. My reaction to the story was influenced by just the thought of having to live in a orphanage and live with different foster parents. I learned that children's literature can enlighten your insight about certain events or situations that happened during the depression or other significant periods or times.

Elijah of Buxton - Christopher Paul Curtis

This is a story of determination and appreciation of freedom. I enjoyed reading the story because Elijah is such as strong character of courage. He is an Afro-american boy that lives in the Buxton Settlement. Elijah encounters everyday challenges and spends time with people in the settlement that have good and bad influences on his life. The Buxton Settlement was founded in 1849 by a white Presbyterian minister. The minister purchased a 3-mile by 6 mile plot of land in southern Ontario where he and the freed slaves could live. They left the southern American slavery to move to the land of the free, Canada. Some parts of the story have been fictionalized while other parts are based on facts. Other books that I have read such as, A Year Down Under and Bud, Not Buddy influenced my reaction to this book because the characters all have such strength and determination in dealing with the challenges they faced during the depression and slavery. Children's literature provides a window for the reader to see inside the lives of characters and see how they deal with the struggles and experiences they face. It allows the reader to identify with certain events or tragedies that he or she may be experiencing in their life.

A Year Down Yonder - Richard Peck

This book would be interesting for young adults especially young adult girls. This is a novel about a girl who goes to live with her grandma during the depression because her dad lost his job, and they had to move out of their apartment. Through this experience she forms a special bond with her grandmother that she will always cherish. The book is a sequal to A Long Way From Chicago. This novel reveals a strong source of place that she can call home. I enjoyed reading the book. My reaction to this story was influenced by thoughts of my grandmother because she is a strong woman like the character in the story. I have always been close to her. I could compare this story to the story Bud, Not Buddy. The setting for both stories took place during the depression. Both characters were forced to leave their homes and live with someone else. Both characters also gained a new appreciation for their grandparents. Children's literature allows you to see how people deal with situations during difficult times, and it also provides a way for the reader to identify with the character or characters in the story.

Olivia - Ian Falconer

Olivia is such a cute book. I love the black and white drawings with the color red added to stress certain vocal point on the character. The story is about a very busy girl that wears her mother out because she is continuously doing something. Children will like the story because the character is a pig. They love stories that have animals as characters. Olivia reminds me of my daughter because she likes to try on different things, and she is dramatic. When she was 6 years old, she would put on at least three different outfits throughout the day because she liked to play dress up. The story also reminds me of some students that I have had in my classroom in the past. Some of them just simply wore me out! In a first grade classroom some students are very dramatic, busy, and they like to make messes just like Olivia. Children's literature can take you back to memories that exist about someone or something just by reading or listening to stories.

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers - Mordicai Gerstein

I like this story simply because it is a true story about a man who walked between the two towere in New York City. He was a street performer in the 1970's. This story is a Caldecott Medal Winner book. Children would like this story because it has some suspense, and the character resembles a high wire performer like you would see at the circus. The book also has drawings of the two towers when they were still standing. However, the drawings would be more intriguing to readers if they were more vivid. I think seeing the drawing of the two towers influenced my reaction. It is difficult to think that the two towers are not standing anymore. It is also amazing to think about a person walking from one tower to another on a wire. The author did not witness the performance. The sources for this book came from Gwen Kinkeads' 1987 New yorkers profile of Petit and from atricles and pictures. Children's literature can provide information about special events in peoples' lives and their experiences. This book could be compared to other books with characters who have accomplished a daring task or reached a particular goal in their life.

Henry's Freedom Box - Ellen Levine

This story is very inspirational. It is a Caldecott Honor book. The drawings and color are very intriguing. The drawings look real to life. It is a heart felt story about a slave reaching freedom in a box. Henry was a slave for many years, and his family was taken away because they were sold to someone else. The story shares some of the difficulities that slaves encountered during that period of time. My response was influenced by other books that I have read about slavery and the struggles they endured to survive. Children's literature can provoke emotion in reading when reading about events that occurred such as, slavery and the search for freedom. It gives you a sense of how slaves were treated by some people.
This story could be compared to other books such as, Harriet Tubman and her struggle to obtain freedom through the Underground Railroad.

Kitten's First Full Moon - Kevin Henkes

This book is an Honor book. I enjoyed reading the story. The drawings were done in black and white. Children would like the story because the character is a kitten. The writing shows wit in the way that the kitten thinks the full moon is a bowl of milk, and it spends the night chasing it until the kitten realizes that it cannot catch the moon. The character in the story reminds me of my daughter's cat because she likes to chase things. Children's literature provides a great way to exhibit wit and teach a lesson.
Other books written by this author are: Wemberly Worried and Owen and Lily's Purple Plastic Purse. These are great books that my classroom students enjoy, and that I also like to read to my class.

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat - Simms Taback

This book is a Caldecott medal winner. I really did not find the book very interesting. I think children would get bored reading or listening to the story. There was repetition in the book. However, the colorful pictures would captivate their interest.
There was not anything in particular that influenced my reaction or response to this book. Because of the repetition in the story, the book could be compared to other stories such as, There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly. The repetition allows for the children to join in with the reader.
Children's literature can teach you many things. This story teaches children that you can always make something out of nothing over and over again.