Jessica’s Comments (group member since Jan 16, 2010)

Jessica’s comments from the LLED, Spring 2010 group.

Congratulations Jim LaMarche,

Currently I am a student in my third year at Penn State Altoona. I am two semesters away from receiving my bachelor’s degree in elementary education.

One of my professors has given us the assignment to create our own children’s book award. After we created this award, students went out and nominated what books they felt best fit our children’s book award. I then read each of those nominations and selected one story that stood out among the rest.

The children’s book that I have selected from these nominations was, The Raft. I am honored to present this award to you. I’m sure you are wondering what this award entails. The award you have receive, “A World of My Own” requirements were as follows:

“My award will be given to the author who writes the best children's book that represents a child's escape from reality.

This award requires a children’s book that, “creates another world for characters and readers, asking that readers believe this other world could and does exist within the framework of the book. The acceptance of this other world requires of the writer an ability to make the imaginary universe so credible, ‘so solidly grounded in reality,’ as Madeleline L’Engle says, that we wish it were all true; for sheer pleasure, we believe.” (Lehr 20)

The genre of book that will most likely receive this award will be fantasy. When a child picks up a book they should be able to escape from whatever world they live in, and realize that anything’s possible. My award is intended to honor an author that allows the child to do just that. The power of words can change a child's life.”

Although I initially thought that my award would be given to a book that fell into the genre of fantasy, once I read your story I was blow away. Making children realize that there is more to do than sit around and watch television, is one of the most powerful and most important messages a child should learn.

Thank you for sharing your voice with the world,

Jessica Tirko

Nomination for Kevin: Click, Clack, Moo; Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin

This is such a clever idea for a children's book! The story of a group of cows that discover how to use a type writer to communicate with their owner, Farmer Brown. If you were a cow, what would you ask for? After going on strike and no longer producing goods, it is not long before the cow's get what they want. The other animals soon realize the power of the typewriter and decide to make a few orders for themselves. Read to find out what these silly demands are and how Farmer Brown reacts to the letters from his farm animals.

I selected this story for your award because it shows animals standing up for themselves. It shows that animals have rights too.

Nomination for Katee: Dex The Heart of a Hero by Caralyn Buehner

I selected this story because the message is very powerful. Often kids are told that they can't do something because of their size, sex, weight, etc. This should never be the case and this story sends the message that you can do anything you set your mind to.

Dex is a small dog with big dreams of becoming a hero. Everyone laughs at him because of his size but Dex is determined to reach his goal. He works hard and in time the dreams to become a hero prove to become reality, when Superdog must save the day.

Nomination: What To Do About Alice by Barbara Kerley

I chose this book because it is a fun story for kids that is also informational.

Theodore Roosevelt had a small problem. Her name was Alice. Alice Lee Roosevelt was hungry to go places, meet people, do things! Father called it running riot. Alice called it eating up the world. Whether she was entertaining important White House visitors with her pet snake or traveling the globe, Alice bucked convention and turned every new experience into an adventure!
-Thank you Scholastic

This children’s picture book would be a very useful tool to help teach a lesson on one of our favorite presidents, Teddy Roosevelt. This is a great book to introduce a history lesson on our presidents and I think this book is perfect for Josh's award.

Nomination: Always Remember Me, how one family survived world war II by Marisabina Russo

I selected this book for your award because the author does such a wonderful job bringing such a hard subject to life. Stories about the war can be very difficult to talk about with children but I think this story would be perfect to introduce the subject.

Rachel's Oma (her grandmother) has two picture albums. In one the photographs show only happy times -- from after World War II, when she and her daughters had come to America. But the other album includes much sadder times from before -- when their life in Germany was destroyed by the Nazis' rise to power.

For as long as Rachel can remember, Oma has closed the other album when she's gotten to the sad part. But today Oma will share it all. Today Rachel will hear about what her grandmother, her mother, and her aunts endured. And she'll see how the power of this Jewish family's love for one another gave them the strength to survive.
-Thanks to goodreads

After I read this children's book the first question that came to my mind; how much of this is true? Which pretty much summarizes what you were looking for.
“well-written historical fiction often rouses within the reader a question that begs to be answered: how much of this is true?” (17)

Nomination: Home by Jeannie Baker

I selected this story for you Chelsea because it really shows growth. I love the way that the pictures are from the same perspective but have such a different meaning by each turn of a page. I think it is important for a wordless picture book to make you explore every aspect of the illustration. This book does exactly that. You have to pay attention to the details to explore what the author is trying to illustrate.

In Jeannie Baker's striking, natural collages, an urban community reclaims its land. A drab city street becomes a living, thriving neighborhood -- a place to call home.
-Thanks to goodreads

The quote you selected truly describes the story Home because Home, "...provide complexity and detail, as well as continuity and consistency" (Lukens p 66).

Nomination: The New Animal by Emily Jenkins

I initially picked up this story because I thought it was about a baby who was interested in a new animal that had moved into its house. However after reading it, I can tell you it is not anything like that. This story is actually about two dogs who have an "animal" move into their house. This "animal" that they have is actually a baby. Jenkins writes a cute story that shows what it means to be a family from the perspective of a dog.

The lives of two dogs change after a new animal, a baby, comes to their house.
-Thanks to goodreads

I chose this story because this story is told from the dogs perspective and for that reason, is interesting to read from beginning to end.

Nomination: Science Verse by Jon Scieszka

This is a perfect book to teach a science lesson with. I love the creative illustrations and the comical poetry. I think children would have a lot of fun with this book and would pay attention to any lesson taught after this book was read to them.

When the teacher tells his class that they can hear the poetry of science in everything, a student is struck with a curse and begins hearing nothing but science verses that sound very much like some well-known poems.
-Thanks to goodreads

“nonfiction exposes students to new information, indulges their curiosity and helps them to understand our world, expands their vocabulary, and introduces them to new texts.” I believe that this story would is informational but also entertaining. A child might find this topic boring but Scieszka brings this topic to life! He brings science and poetry together in one crazy adventure that will be sure to have your students entertained.

Nomination for Tamara: Princess Smartpants by Babette Cole

I selected this story for you because after reading your award announcement this story just seemed to fit. You mentioned that a fractured fairytale must have "the willing suspension of disbelief" (Lukens 20). I believe this story does just that. I also selected this story because it is hilarious and I'm sure that children would have fun with it.

Princess Smartypants doesn't want to get married. She enjoys being a Ms. and she wants to live in the castle with her pets and do exactly as she pleases. Because she is very pretty and very rich, all the princes want her to be their Mrs. So Princess Smartypants has to think up some very clever ways of dealing with unwanted suitors in this hilarious fractured fairy tale.
-Thank you goodreads

" A World of my Own " - award

My award will be given to the author who writes the best children's book that represents a child's escape from reality.

This award requires a children’s book that, “creates another world for characters and readers, asking that readers believe this other world could and does exist within the framework of the book. The acceptance of this other world requires of the writer an ability to make the imaginary universe so credible, ‘so solidly grounded in reality,’ as Madeleline L’Engle says, that we wish it were all true; for sheer pleasure, we believe.” (Lehr 20)

The genre of book that will most likely receive this award will be fantasy. When a child picks up a book they should be able to escape from whatever world they live in, and realize that anythings possible. My award is intended to honor an author that allows the child to do just that. The power of words can change a child's life.

Nominations for this award will be accepted until 11:59pm on Wednesday March 23rd, 2010

Nomination for Kevin: Click, Clack, Moo; Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin

This is such a clever idea for a children's book! The story of a group of cows that discover how to use a type writer to communicate with their owner, Farmer Brown. If you were a cow, what would you ask for? After going on strike and no longer producing goods, it is not long before the cow's get what they want. The other animals soon realize the power of the typewriter and decide to make a few orders for themselves. Read to find out what these silly demands are and how Farmer Brown reacts to the letters from his farm animals.

I selected this story for your award because it shows animals standing up for themselves. It shows that animals have rights too.

" A World of my Own " - award

My award will be given to the author who writes the best children's book that represents a child's escape from reality.

This award requires a children’s book that, “creates another world for characters and readers, asking that readers believe this other world could and does exist within the framework of the book. The acceptance of this other world requires of the writer an ability to make the imaginary universe so credible, ‘so solidly grounded in reality,’ as Madeleline L’Engle says, that we wish it were all true; for sheer pleasure, we believe.” (Lehr 20)

The genre of book that will most likely receive this award will be fantasy. When a child picks up a book they should be able to escape from whatever world they live in, and realize that anythings possible. My award is intended to honor an author that allows the child to do just that. The power of words can change a child's life.

Nominations for this award will be accepted until 11:59pm on Wednesday March 23rd, 2010.