Library Book: A Picnic In October

by National Geographic Learning, Nancy Carpenter (Illustrator)

Tony thinks it's dumb to go all the way to Liberty Island for a birthday picnic. But that's before he understands what the Statue of Liberty means to Grandma.

Genres: Picture Books, Realistic Fiction, Childrens, New York, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Family

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book that helps to convey the emotions of immigrants as they come to America. The family in this story celebrates a special birthday each year in October, but initially the main character, a boy named Tony, is embarrassed by the family's traditional celebration. In the end, though, he learns a little more about what it means to become an American and the importance of the symbolic nature of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.

My family's roots in America go way, way back, but my husband's family had come to America in more recent times. After we read the book we discussed the family's background with our nephew, who is visiting. We should certainly look more into the family's geneology and find out about the people and circumstances that brought his forebears to the United States.

The fact that seventeen million people entered the United States through Ellis Island is an important part of our history. And I love that the boy is reluctant, almost impertinent at first, but comes to appreciate the meaning in the tradition. The narrative was short enough to keep a younger child's attention, but mature enough for our girls. The acrylic illustrations are colorful and expressive. We really enjoyed reading this book together.

[Deanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book for teachers to incorporate into their 4th or 5th grade Social Studies lessons. When learning about immigration and Ellis Island, lot of the artifacts and resources are often set in the past. They recount tales of what it was like to come to America; the struggles, the successes, the hardships.

This book is unique because it is told from the point of view of a young child in the present day. Teachers can this book to spark student's thoughts of their own experience with Ellis Island. After reading this book with the class, the teacher could ask the students to write lists, paragraphs, bullets, or even draw a picture to illustrate everything they know about Ellis Island.

[Tatiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is much to have feelings about when reading "A Picnic in October." It speaks to the immigrant experience, and family, and legacy. It's also very poignant in a post-9/11 world (you'll understand when you see that ONE illustration). There is something else, too. The pureness of the story, the living-ness of it. The ease. I can't put my finger on it exactly, but it's not a feeling you often encounter in children's books, though you should.

[Lorie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eve Bunting's story about Lady Liberty has many uses. I first thought just an immigration book, however there are many opportunities to tie in literary elements. Pointing out the changes in the characters is key as well as predicting who is celebrating their birthday! It includes a very poignant illustration of the World Trade Center two years before the tragic event.

[Katie Logonauts · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this modern-day story, a young boy and his family take a trip to the Statue of Liberty to celebrate her birthday. The boy doesn't understand the importance or the symbolism until later when he witnesses a family of new immigrants viewing the statue.

[Alex Gabbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main thing I find intriguing about this work is that the child experiences first hand what his Grandma felt like to be a stranger in her new home, America. In October, the month of the Grandma's birthday, the family picnics on the place she values most, the island on which we first gained her freedom. When the grandson helps the immigrant woman and her family, his grandmother acknowledges his actions and respects him for pointing out the incoming ferry that runs from the mainland to the Statue of Liberty. A lesson to be learned from reading this book is not only how much to value our freedoms, but also how to help others and respect them despite their differences.

[Benjamin Wagner · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Picnic in October by Eve Bunting is a decent, if a bit lengthy story, about a third-generation Italian family who travel to Ellis Island to celebrate their grandmother's birthday. The main character finds it strange that they're to have a picnic in October, and complains about the cold. He comes to understand why his grandmother likes the Statue of Liberty so much. As far as I can tell, this is realistic fiction.

I'm hesitant to include this book in my text set. There aren't any glaring problems, but the theme focuses less on immigration and more on assimilation; the likes of "melting-pot" culture and nationalism. Even then, those ideas are barely scratching the surface. We understand that grandma likes Lady Liberty for "taking her in" from the old country. She muses that Lady Liberty understands all languages. The narrative, main idea of this text is not that great, in truth. We are also briefly treated to a new immigrant family, possibly from a Middle Eastern country (based on their style of dress), and the main character assumes that they came for a shot at a better life as well. It's more of a celebration than an analysis of any struggles or difficulties associated with immigrating.

However, the literary content and vocabulary is fairly rich and uses a good deal of "wonderful words" (like soppy, offended). It's easy to enough to understand for developing readers, although they might need some assistance due to the lengthiness of the book. The acrylic illustrations are really great, and support the text pretty thoroughly. Readers will feel as though they're right alongside the family. I don't think this would be a great text for tackling the topic of immigration, but it could be a useful supplement for a unit discussing "melting-pots." It's not explicitly bad, but it's not explicitly great for purposes of discussing immigration.

[Hannah Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tony’s family is getting ready to take the ferry to Ellis Island, where they are having a birthday picnic. Tony isn’t excited because it’s cold outside. Everyone is carrying picnic supplies and they meet the rest of the family at Battery Park. While on the ferry, a woman speaking another language is nervous about the boat leaving. Tony reassures her that another one is coming by using hand signals, because he doesn’t speak her language. When they get to Ellis Island, they set up their blankets and have a picnic. The family begins talking about Lady Liberty and Tony says, “She’s not real,” to which his grandma replies “She’s not alive if that’s what you mean. But she’s certainly real. And so is what she stands for.” The family sings happy birthday to Lady Liberty, blows kisses, and grandma shares the story of when she came to the United States. Right as the family is about to leave, Tony sees the woman from the ferry standing by Lady Liberty with her family. He realizes that they are new to the country and, for the first time, Tony truly sees Lady Liberty for the first time.

[Carly Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary:
This book is about a family that goes to the Statue of Liberty every year to celebrate their grandmother's birthday. This book touches on immigration and what they went through to get to where they are today. The main character goes through a realization that immigrants truly come from hard backgrounds and has a respect for them at the end of the book.

Evaluation:
This book is an amazing way to introduce a controversial topic like immigration to a class. This book is written in a kid-friendly way that will connect to students. The author does an amazing job providing colorful images that go along perfectly with the text.

Teaching Strategy:
I would use this book to have discussions about immigration. This could be a good book to relate to the student's personal lives and family experiences. This lesson would be an interactive read a-loud that would have discussions about real-life associations.

[Shelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet story that does a nice job of convey the emotions many immigrants may feel when seeing the Statue of Liberty. The family in this book celebrates their grandmother's birthday every October by having a picnic on Ellis Island. Tony, the main character, finds it strange that his family must always have a picnic during such a chilly time. Can't they find another way to celebrate grandmother's birthday?

This is one of those books that most children will not get excited over. The story is nice but most kids will not understand what the Statue of Liberty symbolizes and the emotions she stirs since our own liberties are usually unappreciated and taken for granted having always had them. However, if a parent or educator were to take a moment to talk about those freedoms, students will enjoy the story more.

[Madison Walden · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Picnic in October by Eve Bunting is about a young boy named Tony, who goes on an outing every year with his family to Liberty Island to celebrate the Statue of Liberty’s birthday. At first he doesn't understand why his family goes on this picnic every year. In the end, he realizes how important the statue of Liberty is to his grandma. Understanding the topics Eve Bunting writes about and her background of immigrating to the US makes me appreciate this book even more. The short narrative allows younger readers to stay engaged in the book and understand the meaning behind it. I loved the illustrations in this book as well. They are very vibrant and detailed and help support the narrative. This book could be used in the classroom to teach about immigration, patriotism, and freedom. Students could read the book then reflect on what freedom means to them or their families.

[Kara Pushay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book that teaches lessons about family, history, and understanding different languages. There was a part of this book were a women tried talking to the boy, Tony, but he did not understand what she was saying. He got an idea and pointing to the boat to show her that it would come back again to get more people. The women looked relieved and you could tell that Tony was happy to hep. This can teach kids that even though we may not understand someone else's language, there are other ways to help them by hand gestures. This is also teaching the readers about family traditions. It is showing the readers what this family does every year. Along with the family and bilingual topic, there is also history thrown in this book when describing the Statue of Liberty. This is a great read aloud for a class that can teach many valuable lessons.

[Debbie Hayes-miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

CIP summary "A boy finally comes to understand why his grandmother insists that the family come to Ellis Island each year to celebrate Lady Liberty's birthday."

A realistic look at a family gathering at the Statue of Liberty. It describes how they take the ferry to the statue and spend the day having a picnic. At first the boy in the story seems very annoyed and then seems to realize why this family celebration is significant. I like the illustration of the family sitting below the Statue of Liberty. The illustration on the last page of the New York City skyline with the twin towers is a bit eerie.

[Kaity · Rating 4 out of 5]

[bookcover:A Picnic in October|287978 A Picnic in October is about a young boy named Tony. Tony goes on a trip every year with his family to Liberty Island. At the beginning of the story Tony doesn't really understand why the Statue of Liberty is so important and why they need to go on this trip every year to celebrate it. By the end of the story Tony has learned a lot from his grandmother and family about why the Statue of Liberty is so important to his families heritage. I think this is a great book and it shows god development of the main character Tony. This book can easily be used in an elementary age classroom be used to introduce the topic of immigration.

[Helen Tesfaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about an annual family celebration of the Statue of Liberty’s birthday. This year as the family makes their way to the statue of liberty, the young son Tony thinks it’s a stupid idea to celebrate this event. He then learns the importance of the statue to his grandmother then appreciates the celebration more because of his new understanding. This book relates to my topic because the book discusses what Ellis Island was and its significance to immigrants from all over the world. The quality of the book was good, and the illustrations were exceptional. The developmental appropriateness would be for readers in 2nd to 5th grade. This book is fiction.

[Marissa Traina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a patriotic story about the importance of the Statue of Liberty on Ellis Island. Tony is a boy who visits Ellis Island with his family to celebrate the birthday of the Statue of Liberty, and does not understand why. After spending time there to see other families appreciating the meaning, Tony is able to see the Statue of Liberty in all of its beauty.
I think this book is a great way to show children the important landmark in New York City. It informs children about immigrants, and their journey to the United States. Children can connect to this book if they have ancestors that came to the U.S.

[Sabrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every year, Tony's extended family packs a picnic, lawn chairs, blankets, and a birthday cake, and heads to the Statue of Liberty to celebrate Lady Liberty's "birthday." I like this book for the story line and the moral of the story. It about a family that journeys back to wherethe first entered America and how it affected each memeber of the family. It would make a good critical practices book to get the children thinking of how it would affect them if they were immigrants or a special place that means something to their families.

[Debbie Mcclure · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story about a family whose grandma and grandpa immigrated to the US. Grandma shares with grandson how she felt when she saw the Statue of Liberty and the meaning of the quotation "Give me your poor, your..." The whole family celebrates a birthday picnic with cake to commemorate the creation (I think) of the Statue of Liberty.

This story may open the eyes of some readers as to the feeling of opportunity experienced by new immigrants to our country. And the feeling of being welcomed by Lady Liberty.

[Sammie Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This stroy is the tale of a boy and his family that are secodn generation immigrants. It provides good insight to how it is for people coming to america as immigrants. It expresses the love and respect that freedom bring as the grandmother takes her family to the statue of liberty. The little boy at first thinks they trip nonsense, but in the end he learns the value of the freedom and what the Statue stands for. Great lesson of patriotism, for inferring, or predicting. 1st-4rth grade. Hard to read independantly in younger grades but goodread aloud.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you have grandparents who immigrated to America? If so, this picture book may stir your emotions as it did mine. I love the illustrations which are so true to the actual experience of waiting in line for the ferry to the Statue of Liberty or Ellis Island. The juxtaposition of the grandson's impatience with the wait and the picnic itself and his Grandmother's anticipation and deep connection to Liberty is brilliant. The boy's dialogue is a true voice, which makes the ending all the more sweet. Not in any way syrupy.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picture book about a family who spends the day on Liberty Island to celebrate the family's immigration to America. The protagonist is embarrased but learns the importance of the time after listening to his grandfather.

This is a great book to use with immigration lessons. The importance of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island are highlighted in relation to immigrants coming to live in America.

[Kira Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story that tells some American history is a fun engaging way. May students may be able to relate to this story because they may have visited a historical site that they may not have seen the importance of it right away. The history of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty is briefly told. This students would find this book enjoyable and it easily integrate into a social studies lesson or unit.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

I used this book with my fifth graders that have been reading Elvira Woodruff's Orphan of Ellis Island as a lighter approach to the Statue of Liberty. I've done books on the construction of the Statue of Liberty in th past, but this time I went with a simple family story and the kids enjoyed it. It was a small respite from the more strenuous rigors of learning about the area while not completely losing focus. It's a nice story.

[Melissa Morgal]

I really love this book! It has a great story line and would be great to use in October or during a unit where students learn about America.
I have a personal connection with this story as I have been on the bridges it mentions, have seen the Statue of Liberty, and have family members who speak Italian. I also love how on the last page the little boy is "cheer-sing" the Statue of Liberty. Raising a glass to something or someone is very a respectful gesture in the northern culture.

[Paige Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is all about a little boy experiencing a new place but also understanding the importance of realizing how much something can mean to someone and why. This book is great for young readers to "go places they have never been"

[Ellie Schwartz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pair this with Emma's Poem for a mini-unit on immigration. Good for fourth graders.

[Alyse · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is good for social studies. The only negative thing about this book is that is, in my opinion, dependent on the teacher providing supplemental lessons.

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book to read to learn about the Statue of Liberty and immigrants.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Powerful story that conveys how some immigrants feel about being in America. The protagonist watches and learns about how special Lady Liberty is for many people.

[Turrean · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely, quiet story about one American family’s tradition.