M Is For Minnesota

by Dori Hillestad Butler

There are plenty of alphabet books, but when you read about Paul Bunyan and his blue ox Babe you know you are in Minnesota. These characters are from just one entry in M is for Minnesota, a beautiful children's book that will both entertain and delight readers of all ages. Author Dori Hillestad Butler has hand-picked the best of the state, from the northern tip (N is for Northwest Angle, the northern-most point in the lower 48 states) to the great Mississippi River. Illustrator Janice Lee Porter portrays the subject of each letter in original oil paintings, bringing facts and stories to life. From the blazing Hinckley fire to the serenity of a loon on a lake at sunset, Porter's renderings are filled with rich colors and innovative perspectives. Her style is both thoughtful and charming, appealing to children and adults alike. Not only enjoyable to read, M is for Minnesota is enlightening as well. You'll learn about places like Minnesota's Iron Range, famous for producing high-quality iron ore, and people like "Lucky" Charles Lindbergh, who grew up in Little Falls. Entries feature animals, including timber wolves arid eagles, that call Minnesota home, and events such as the first successful open-heart surgery, performed at the University of Minnesota. This book is a loving tribute to Minnesota. Residents past and present, tourists, educators, and book lovers will relish the opportunity to discover the history, stories, and natural beauty of the Gopher State.

Genres: Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1998

About the author

Dori Hillestad Butler is an American author of more than 40 children's books, as well as magazine stories, plays and educational materials. Her first book, The Great Tooth Fairy Rip-Off, was published in 1997. She is known particularly for The Truth about Truman School, a 2008 young adult title focusing on the subject of cyber bullying, and for My Mom's Having a Baby (illustrated by Carol Thompson), which in 2011 appeared on the American Library Association's list of most commonly challenged books in the United States for its portrayal of conception and childbirth. Her 2010 mystery title, Buddy Files: Case of the Last Boy, won the 2011 Edgar Award for the best juvenile mystery published in 2010. Before becoming a children's author, Butler worked for three years as a page at a library.

Reviews

[Shaeley Santiago · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alphabet book with interesting facts about the state of Minnesota. Read this at the Duluth Children's Museum in their book corner while on vacation.

[Matthew Szymanski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Title: M Is For Minnesota
Author: Dori Hillestad Butler
Reading Level: 1.5
Lextile: N.A.
Fontas & Pinnell: N.A.

Book Summary: This alphabet picture book features fun, engaging, and unique aspects about Minnesota such as Loons and Paul Bunyan.

Ideas: The story is a great introductory reading for introducing kids to major aspects of the state they live in. It goes over key landmarks like Itasca State Park and the start of the Mississippi as well as the Boundary Waters.

Presentation: This book is presented in a alphabet style informational picture book. Each page is a different letter in the alphabet that features pictures correlating to that letter. The pictures are engaging and interesting to the readers.

Classroom Integration/Mini-Lessons/Content Connections:
This would be a great introductory book for a geography lesson on the State of Minnesota. After reading the book, kids could fill out a map of Minnesota as a class. They would draw pictures or put stickers for correlating landmarks within Minnesota on the map.

[Jenny Conger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Title: M is for Minnesota
Author: Dori Hillestad Butler
Illustrator: Janice Lee Porter
Reading Level: 2.2
Book Level: Grades 1-4
Book Summary: The great state of Minnesota is featured in the book, with the letters of the alphabet highlighted on each page with detailed information about an element in the state.
Bookshelf Genre: Informational

Bookshelf Mentor Writing Trait: Presentation
This beautifully illustrated alphabet book showcases the state of Minnesota and all that it has to offer. Each page details either a fact, a place, an animal, or body of water that is unique to Minnesota. The illustrations give the reader a vivid picture, while the text is written in paragraph form and gives relevant information. In the classroom, I would have students select a page to locate further research on the page's topic, then create their own booklets of information. When looking at their final drafts of writing, students could use illustrations or pictures to enhance the words they are writing to promote a pleasurable reading experience for the reader.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun alphabet book. Each letter is used to highlight something special about Minnesota - places, people, animals, and historical events.

[Laura (Amys) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fun book of facts and information about the great state of Minnesota takes us on a journey through the alphabet describing a wide range of people, animals, events and landmarks that have influenced the state's history. From the first open-heart surgery at the U of M hospital to learning that Minnesota's state bird, the loon, is the longest living bird on Earth. It has extremely fun details that keep you guessing what the author used for the next letter.

As an adult, I enjoyed reading to the book to learn more information about the state that I currently reside in. I would gladly share this book with my students, as I believe there are many important events, people and landmarks that will help students get a better understanding of the state they live in. This could be used to help teach students about organization in their writing. The author had a very creative way of writing an alphabet book while making it drastically more interesting than having the book that explains a is for apple, b is for button etc. This book can be used in the mid to upper elementary and even into middle or high school. It's a very versatile book and could also be used to teach kids about how informational text doesn't have to be all about one subject and they can be enjoyable to read.

[Anna]

1. SUMMARY – This Alphabet book gives an illustrated guide to the significant people, places, animals, and events that make Minnesota special. Did you know that wild orchids are common in Minnesota? Find out more about them in this book. You’ll also learn about ancient rock carvings discovered near Jeffers, Minnesota. This is a good introduction to what’s interesting about this specific location.
2. GENRE – This is both a picture book and informational text. This is an alphabet book for older children interested in local facts and figures.
3. LITERARY CONCEPTS – Content specific words, summaries, punctuation
4. TRAITS – Presentation, Word Choice, Conventions
5. OTHER CONTENT – Geography, History
6. Interest level – 3rd - 5th

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

We owned this book when we were still living in New York, but now that we've moved to Minnesota, it's been fun to re-read and see how many of these Minnesota landmarks we are familiar with.

Finding an alphabet book that reaches out to a child in a very specific way can certainly help that child learn. We've enjoyed a couple of different books that operate in this way.

Please try it for the children you read to!

[Elizabeth S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, how I love my home state. Reading this brought it all back... the history, the stories, the cartography, and on and on. Great overview of significant events and places in Minnesota.