Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

Stevenson, R., & Kelley, J. (2004). Treasure Island. West Berlin, N.J.: Townsend Press.

The novel Treasure Island  provides youth with a story of adventure taking place in the 1700s.  The fantastic story begins with a young boy, Jim Hawkins, and his mother in the inn, where a strange man with a sea chest (pirate or captain?) surprises them, frightens them by visiting, making them curious, and dying of a massive stroke.  The boy discovers the man's enemies are looking for something, and there begins his dangerous adventure.  Treasure Island provides a bounty of clues to follow when seeking the gold and introduces characters to Jim such as the hermit, a sailor who had been stranded on the island (Was the treasure there and where was it?)

The island becomes a war zone between pirates, and Jim uses his wits to stay alive and follow the map to the treasure.

This version of Treasure Island has black and white drawings resembling wood block prints or coloring book images.  The image of Mr. Hands with his knife high ready to strike Jim, the image of the parrot, the shadow of the blind man at three in the morning approaching the house, the one-legged sailor (pirate? and other images draw the reader in and are good symbols of the events in the story. Tim has a difficult time knowing who to trust and desperately needs to know to ensure his own survival.

Treasure Island  is a boy's dream of an adventure, and Tim becomes a hero with gold from the treasure to share with his widowed mother. 

Activities:

1. Have students consider the life of a child working in an inn and meeting and serving guests.
    Ask students to compare adult hotel and restaurant workers today to the child workers in the 
    past.  Have students list the sacrifices children made when they worked instead of going to 
    school.
2. Have students research the life of pirates in the 1700s and present the biography of one famous 
    pirate each.
3. Have students draw symbols of the adventures Tim had in the novel: pirate flag, ship, map, sea 
    chest, sword, knife, gun, pirate's faces, and decorate the classroom.

Reflection Questions:

1. How many children in England in the 1700s received an education?
2. Why was Tim in charge of his mother's safety?
3. How did Tim collect information to stay alive?
4. What is a mutiny and why do sailors rebel against their captain?
5. How does Tim change and grow during his adventures?

Afghanistan by Erinn Banting

Banting, E. (2003). Afghanistan. New York: Crabtree Pub.

This book is an introduction to the country of Afghanistan. Most of the illustrations are photographs of smiling faces - a teacher in modern dress, a woman in a blue hijab (a loose-fitting scarf) embracing her friend and kissing her on the cheek, a group of women and children getting ready for a wedding, and a boy pouring water for another boy to wash his hands.  Other illustrations are the red and white embroidered fabric, a red carpet being cleaned for sale, farmers separating grain from the chaff, a Persian miniature, the statue of Buddha, tent cities full of refugees, a traditional felt home called a "yurt." and a camel used by nomads.

The photographs are realistic and spark interest in the accompanying explanations about the history of the country, the customs and traditions, the various ethnic groups in the country, the political changes, and the food, clothing, and celebrations.

Here is a celebration photograph of similar photographs of people in celebration clothing in red, green and other bright colors <http://www.indiana.edu/~ceus/_undergraduates/images/celebration.JPG>. Here is the same photo with a page of the Pasto script:<http://meddic.jp/Pashto>.

It is refreshing to look at babies' faces, naan bread, melons, plums and apricots instead of the military uniforms and tanks in Afghanistan.  By exploring the geography, history, and people of Afghanistan, children can learn about the people behind the news stories and share the people's hope of recovery from war.

Activities:

1.  Have the children compare the demographics of the minority groups in 2003 and 2014 and discuss the
     changes in the population groups in Afghanistan.

2.  Have the children look at the restaurant menu of a Middle Eastern restaurant on the Internet to see the          menu items mentioned in the textbook: naan, kebabs, rice, fruit - and choose their dinner from the menu.

3.  Ask the children to design carpet patterns and embroidery patterns as geometric designs.

Reflection Questions: 

1.  How difficult could it be for people with different languages, traditions and customs to get along 
      in Afghanistan?  What are the benefits and disadvantages of diversity in a country?

2.  What is a tribe and how does tribal membership change someone's life?

3.  How does women's clothing affect the impressions other people have of them? How does a 
     woman in a complete veil differ from a woman in a scarf and from a woman with no head 
     covering?  Who makes the decision in what women in Afghanistan wear?

Filipino Children’s Favorite Stories retold by Liano Romulo

       and illustrated by Joanne de Leon.

Romulo, L., & N, J. (2000). Filipino children's favorite stories. Hong Kong: Periplus.

The collection of Filipino stories and myths contains some modern stories and some traditional stories.  The myths are very different from the Greek and Roman myths and are a fresh view of life’s lessons.  The surprising story “The Prince’s Bride” features a prince who is sent out into the territory to locate a bride quickly before his father dies. The youngest prince, Marco, has chosen a giant green caterpillar  for his bride.  Everyone ridicules Marco for choosing such a future wife.  The caterpillar is a magical creature who is intelligent and charming. When Marco is instructed by his fiancé Berta to step on her neck, she transforms into a beautiful, perfect woman.  The best part of the story is the description of the wedding preparations with the clothing and the horses and carriages in the wedding procession. With the magical story-line similar to “The Princess and the Frog,” the caterpillar was once a princess who was trapped by the witch’s spell, which could only be broken by the true love of a prince. The king grows to love the caterpillar princess more than the other two daughter-in-laws.

The watercolor paintings are intriguing pictures of island life with native features, straw houses with thatched roofs, and palm trees.

Another type of story in the collection is a more modern fantasy story about a giant who is mean to animals, taking butterflies and trapping them in plastic bags and cutting off lizard tails. The animals trick him into falling and hitting his head on the porcelain bathtub and drowning.   The simple last line is “At long last, the mean and terrible giant was dead.”  This story is simple and would appeal to modern-day children with its bizarre and quirky story-line.  Who ever heard of mosquitoes, lizards, snakes, and butterflies being able to kill a giant?

Activities:

1 
       1.     Have the children imagine what animals they would like to turn into on a magical day.

       2.     Ask the children to research plants, animals, and people in the Philippines and draw an island 
             and add the plants, animals, and people typical of this country.

       3      Ask the children to reflect on the morals of the stories  and human flaws which are condemned 
            in the stories.

Comprehension Questions:

    1.     In “The Magic Lake” why did the fairy refuse to give him the silver and gold ax blades?

    2.     Why was the father sorry about the way that he had treated Tonito and Lupe in “The 
          Runaways”?

    3.    How was Langit punished for telling his wife to leave?

4  4.  Are the characters in the stories punished too cruelly for their mistakes?

Joyful Noise - Poems for Two Voices

written  by Paul Fleischman  and illustrated by Eric Beddows

Fleischman, P., & Beddows, E. (1988). Joyful Noise Poems for two voices, illustrated by Eric 

         Beddows. New York: Harper & Row.

This book of poems is special since the poems are read by two people.  The sounds within the lines of poetry create sounds of the insects being introduced.  For example, in "Water Boatman" the sounds resemble the sounds of rowing.  In "Grasshoppers" the sounds resemble the sounds and rhythm of jumping.

The black and white line drawings are very detailed and realistic.  Seeing the long legs of the water striders,  the chrysalis clinging to a twin until it becomes a flying butterfly with intricate wing patterns and antennae,  and the cicadas with their bulging eyes and thick bodies brings the insect world alive with the noise and busyness of everyday activity.

The companion book to Joyful Noise - Poems for Two Voices is I am Phoenix, another book which uses sound to bring the action of the birds to mind:

At first light the finches
are flitting about the trees
Flittering
fluttering
flit
purple finches
flit
Fluttering
flittering
fly
painted finches
fly.

The images of the finches moving, flying, can be imagined, and the alliteration of all the "F" sounds is very pleasant to anyone reciting the poem.

Another book by Paul Fleischman which sounds promising is Seedfolks, the story of a community garden and the people brought together when working in the garden space together.

Activities:

1.  Have students use a worksheet to compile factual information about the insect in the poem of 
      their choice and present the information, along with their choral poetry readings to the class.
2.  Ask students to choose an animal for their own monologue using a worksheet to record verbs, 
     nouns, and possible phrases to represents habits and sounds which are characteristic of this 
     animal.  
3.  Ask students to alternate lines of their poems to present two opposing animals.  Student 
      samples of these poems can be seen here at this web site:
      <http://www.writingfix.com/Picture_Book_Prompts/IAmDog4.htm>.

Comprehension Questions:

 1.  What is the process by which the chrysalis transforms into a butterfly?

 2.  How do the honeybees stay busy?  What are their daily activities like?

3.  In the poem "Requiem" what is the cause of the sudden death of the insects?

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! - Voices from a Medieval Village 
          written by Laura Amy Schlitz and illustrated by Robert Byrd


Schlitz, L., & Byrd, R. (2007). Good masters! Sweet Ladies! voices from a medieval village.

        Cambridge, Mass.: Candlewick Press.

This book contains 19 monologues of residents of a manor in English in 1255 and two dialogues for two actors.  There is no order for the pieces, and they can be read as selected since they present characters in the manor with no sequence to the profiles.  This book contains monologues, which are perfect performance pieces for children.  The author explains that each child can be a star with monologues, since there are no minor or major roles as in a play performance.

In this book, the author explains her philosophy about history, and she views history as survival, dramatic, not full of boring dead people.  Laura Amy Schlitz is a librarian, a professional story teller, and a playwright.

The characters in the book introduce themselves and events in their lives. It is easy to see the way of life of the characters from the presentations.  For example, Giles the beggar is a panhandler, tricking the crowd into buying holy water when the peddler sells holy water that "cures" him.  in addition, the play for two actors, "Jacob Ben Solomon, The Moneylender's Son and Petronella, The Merchant's Daughter, sets the Jewish son and the Christian Petronella at opposite sides of the river.  Jacob is surprised when Petronella skips the stones instead of throwing the stones at him. The two young people acknowledge each other as the exception to the stereotype: "She was like a friend, a sister- not like a Christian, more like a Jew? and the pair lines: "He was different from the others though I know that can't be true.  He was like a friend, a brother - more like a Christian, not like a Jew."

The miniature scenes of the fields, streams, woods, huts, and paths make the manor seem real, and the cameos of people in the corner of the pages with the presentations center around people in their own settings - the shepherdess kneeling by the sheep to console it while giving birth, the falconer's son holding the falcon, the glassblower's daughters in their home by the fireplace, and the miller's son at the mill with the sacks of grain.

I agree with the author's claim that history is not boring when presented in such monologues and pair performances.  The monologues and pair performances would make great speaking opportunities for young people. The illustrations bring the words to life and make the manor and the residents come alive.

Other books by Laura Amy Schiltz include: The Bearskinner, A Drowned Maiden’s Hair, and The Hero Schliemann. 

Activities: 

1.  Have the children decide which monologue they would like to perform and have class            
     performances.

2.  Ask the students to make a character, setting, plot chart to take notes on the facts of the    
     characters' lives      and events in the story.

3.  Have the children list challenges and hardships faced by people in this time period. 

Comprehension Questions: 

1. What kind of education did children receive in medieval times?  How did education differ 
     according to class and gender?

2. Who in the book has experienced loss? How does the death of a family member affect those   
    still  alive?

3.  Which people portrayed in the monologues have the best lives and the most freedom? Who 
     seems the most hopeless? Why?

K is for Korea by Kyechong Cheung and Prodeepta Das

     Cheung, H., & Das, P. (2008). K is for Korea. London: Frances Lincoln Children's.

       

The web site Once Upon a Bookshelf,  <http://onceuponabookshelf.com/?page_id=797>, features picture books about Korea to include nonfiction books, story books and folk tales.  There is a pair book for numbers: Count your Way through Korea, by James Haskins and illustrated by Dennis Hockerman,  which introduces the numbers one through ten in words, Korean customs and sites. 

The author Hyechong Chung has a Master’s degree in the psychology of education from Sookmyeng Women’s Univerrsity.  She now lives and teaches in England at the North London Korean School.  K is for Korea is the only book published by this author. The author dedicates the book to her family in the United Kingdom and to her mother.

The artist Prodeepta Das has a series of alphabet books which he has illustrated: Bangladesh, Russia, Jamaica, Turkey, Poland, India, and more. 

This series of picture books is a great way to introduce children to photographs with unique images representing letters of the alphabet.  Children are exposed to a variety of faces, objects, and scenes which help them understand the range of human life in different cultures and places. 

The book introduces the division between South Korea and North Korea with maps of the territory.  The note from the author introduces the pride of the author in her country and shows where Seoul is on the map of South Korea.

A variety of concepts are introduced: music, dance, festivals, national treasures, birds and traditional dress, statues, markets, fields, street signs, and much more.  The photographs are beautiful and eye-catching.  

The letters on each page include the upper case letter next to the lower case letter so that children can practice their letters as they say the words represented by the photographs. 

Activities:

1. Have the children choose five letters and find the picture representing        that letter.

2.  Have the children look at the map of Korea and find Seoul and other             cities on the map. 

3.  Have the children take cut-outs of the letters and place them on the             correct pages, repeating the sounds of the letters as they place them. 

Comprehension Questions:

1. What colors are the fans on the page with the fan dance photograph?

2.  What is the national bird of Korea?

3.  How do the children in Korea practice their letters?

4.  Which is your favorite picture in this alphabet book? 

5.  What are some of the same foods both Koreans and Americans like to         eat?

Filipino Americans by Carolyn  P. Yoder

Yoder, C. (2003). Filipino Americans. Chicago: Heinemann Library.

                  

In the interview “20 Questions Answered by Carolyn Yoder”, by Margo Dill, Carolyn Yoder is introduced as the Senior Editor of Highlights for Children, the senior editor of history and world cultures. 

In the nonfiction book Filipino Americans the author introduces aspects of Filipino culture and history and explains how Filipino people immigrated to the United States. The book includes photographs of people, foods, festivals, dances, homes, stores, families and organizations as well as maps and charts.

The color photographs which show smiling faces are bright and cheerful, and the historical black and white photographs show fishermen, plantation workers, factory workers, homes and businesses. The facts in the book introduce students to the study of demographics so that students can understand how and why people move from one region to another. 

This is a good book for a social studies class and is a good connection point between the study of Asia and the study of immigrant populations in the United States. 

Activities

1.  .  Have students visit the Asian Info Web site < http://www.asianinfo.org/> to investigate the history,          geography and culture of the Philippines      <http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/philippines/about_philippines.htm> and fill in an information        chart about culture and traditions, religion, languages, foods and history.

2.   Have students investigate U. S. involvement in the Philippines and explains reasons that the U. S.     became involved with this country.

3.  Have students create a timeline of the Philippines’ history before and after U. S. involvement.

4.  Have students explore tropic fruits and food products and locate recipes with these tropic fruits.

Comprehension Questions

                         1. How many islands make up the Philippines?

            2..  When did Filipinos start coming to the Americas?

            3.  In which areas in the U. S. did many Filipinos settle?

  

            4.  What holidays and festivals are celebrated by Filipinos in the U. S.?

            5.    What are some of the reasons Filipinos come to the U. S.

        

                         6. How is the Philippines different from other Asian countries?

The Great Voyages of Zheng He by Demi


The great voyages of Zheng He. (2012). Walnut Creek, CA: Shen's Books.

This YouTube Video explains the life of the Muslim merchant Zheng He:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPxUZOUUMLI

Published on Jun 9, 2012

"Zheng He from 1405 to 1433 made 7 voyages with over 1000 soldiers and crew to India and Africa. The great explorer. Their voyages were hidden from history and the records burned. The information of "Zheng He" and his voyages were discovered in 1930. The Chinese invented a magnetic compass giving them the ability to navigate in hostile environments."

According to Shen Books, Demi has written many biographies, folk tales, and stories: "Demi is the author and illustrator of more than one hundred children’s books, including biographies of Jesus, Buddha, and the Dalai Lama, as well as folktales such as The Empty Pot and Liang and the Magic Paintbrush. Her work has received many awards and accolades, among them the Christopher Award, which recognizes individuals whose work makes a positive difference in the world, and the Middle East Book Award. Her titles have been designated American Library Association Notable Children’s Books, New York Times Best Illustrated Books, Notable Books for a Global Society, and American Bookseller Pick of the List Books."

The work of Demi and other authors and illustrators working for Shen Books exposes children to multicultural literature and many world concepts. The illustrations include the one-dimensional style of miniature portraits and scenes.  The colors and details of these miniatures easily capture the imagination of children as they trace the life of Zheng He and travel the world in the book. 

Activities:

1. Divide students into three groups of advisers to the Chinese Emperor to debate the question "Should China end the treasure ship voyages?" One group should argue for ending the voyages.  The second group should argue for continuing them.  The third group should  be undecided.
2. Have students trace the routes of the seven voyages on a map of South Asia.
3. Ask students to keep a Captain's Log of the events recorded in the biography.
4. Have students research world treasures that they would like to see and make a list of places and sights.

Reflection Questions:

     1. What would it be like to grow up in a palace? 

     2. Why were the records of Zheng He's voyages burned?

     3.  How many ships were built to form Zheng He's fleet?

     4.  What are the job duties of an Admiral?

     5.  What other countries sent ships out to discover and take back treasures to their country?

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

Raskin, E. (1978). The Westing game. New York: Dutton.

Ellen Raskin's chapter book mystery proves her comment about her books: ""I try to say one thing with my work: A book is a wonderful place to be. A book is a package, a gift package, a surprise package -- and within the wrappings is a whole new world and beyond."  The Westing Game is an adventure to solve a murder mystery.  The protagonist Turtle, is a plain, neglected schoolgirl who lives in the shadow of her gorgeous older sister.  Turtle takes the reader through the lives of her confidants in the luxury apartment building, Sandy, the doorman, Baba the dressmaker, Crow, the housecleaner, and others. All the residents compete to solve the mystery of who killed the multi-millionaire, Mr. Westing. Turtle, a young mischievous child who kicks people in the shin when she is mad, learns to play the stock market, markets hand-made candles which are used to fuse bombs, and competes with an apartment building full of residents to inherit the Westing millions. 

Ginny Moore Kruse, author of "Ellen Raskin: Notable Wisconsin Author," comments that  "Although she [Ellen Raskin] considered herself an artist first and foremost, she . . .  was named a Newbery Honor Book and The Westing Game won the 1979 Newberry Medal for distinguished writing."  Ellen Raskin succeeded in multiple fields, art, writing, and finance, and traced her writing process for future writers so that they could plan the plot the plots of their books and see how to structure  character, setting, plot, and other aspects of a story.  Her documents can be seen at the web site of the Cooperative Children's Book Center of the University of Wisconsin. The explanation of the manuscript can be seen here: https://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/authors/raskin/intro.htm

Activities

1.  Here are some quizzes to encourage students to pay attention to the clues and details in the mystery story, one of which is called "Murder, Madness, and Mayhen":

http://www.shmoop.com/westing-game/quizzes.html

2. Have the students research and define the stock market.

3. Have the students create a time-line of events in the novel and plot the events and clues in the story.

4. Ask students to trace the events in the life story of one character of their choice and evaluate the character's life changes and decisions.

5. Ask students to draw a haunted mansion and the contents which are suitable for a millionaire.

Questions for Reflection: 

1. How does Turtle feel about her parents, sister, and other adults?

2. How does the reader know Turtle is very intelligent and competent?

3.  Why doesn't Angela really want to get married?

4.  What income bracket do the characters fall in?