Book Selection and Reflection

Classroom Library:
Book Selection and Reflection
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Classroom Library:
Book Selection and Reflection
Introduction
Libraries are perhaps one of the most influential areas of a school, with the multitude of knowledge and sources that it offers. Libraries serve as among the most important source of information for students, especially now that most libraries have allowed for access to the internet. Still, actual printed books placed in libraries serve as vital aspects of the education experience of students. In fact, even though the modern world has "gone online" with its libraries, the solid, hard-copy of a book still remains the most significant source of information as well as visual stimulation for students, especially those in their earlier years of education CITATION Wil10 \l 1033 (Williams & Golden, 2010). Indeed, this is the case in classroom libraries.
Classroom libraries serve as ideological and creative resources not only for students, but also for teachers. Indeed, through the careful selection of books placed in libraries, the educator can inspire his/her students to think broadly regarding a wide number of subjects. The books placed by the teacher in the classroom can provide powerful examples of different abstract concepts especially involving identity, social justice, equity, diversity, and numerous others. In relation, this paper will then involve the selection and enumeration of books that can be included in a classroom library for students in their 5th to 6th Grade. Forty books will be chosen based on different categories, with a mixture of fiction and non-fiction works. This paper will first present books in Curriculum section, followed by books on diversity, the teacher`s choice section, on an author study, controversial books, and then books that have been given awards. These books will be assessed and evaluated based on their appearance, quality, accuracy, bias, usefulness, and several other criteria.
Curriculum
In this section of the library, books that were included can be tied directly to the Ontario and Canadian curriculum for Grades 5-6. Based on the curriculum provided by the Government of Ontario (2009), the following books were chosen. The books aim to stimulate thought processes and reflection for the children in the different subjects placed within the curriculum.
Bredeson, C. (2008). Getting Ready for Space. Danbury CT: Children's Press
*Non-fiction

Subject/Curriculum: Science (Understanding Earth and Space Systems)
Summary: The book provides a simplified discussion on the things astronauts do to prepare for space, including the use of special machines, riding in an airplane, and working underwater.
Appearance: With the use of colorful photos, the book makes an interesting and attractive read for students.
Usefulness: Through simple words and illustrations, the book provides a way by which students can easily understand a scientific subject that otherwise would have been very complicated.

Christelow, E. (2003). Vote! New York: Clarion Books
*Non-fiction

Subject/Curriculum: Social Studies (Aspects of Citizenship and Government)
Summary: Vote! Offers a simple and easy to understand description of the process of election, from campaigns to elections, and voting.
Appearance: Colorful illustrations and cartoons colored with watercolor make the book interesting, especially for students in their 5th to 6th Grade.
Usefulness: By using a mayoral election for a model, the book offers a first look for students into the election process.

Schmidt, K. L. (1985). The Gingerbread Man. New York: Scholastic, Inc.

Subject/Curriculum: English (Reading)
Summary: This book involves a hearty retelling of an old tale of the Gingerbread Man who jumps from the oven.
Appearance: Colorful drawings and illustrations provide for an interesting read that is visually stimulating.
Usefulness: As a reading book, the texts in this book can be rather simple and brief. However, with the author`s use of chanting, rhythmic text, the young reader is challenged as he explores the world of reading.

Douglas, V. (2003). Math, Grades 5-6. Sharon, MA: Instructional Fair.
*Non-fiction

Subject/Curriculum: Math (Geometry, Algebra)
Summary: A form of a workbook, this text covers different mathematical concepts including Measurement, Geometry, Algebra, Number and Operations, and numerous others.
Appearance: Provided that this book is a workbook, the smaller illustrations and minimal color usage can be expected. However, the illustrations are nonetheless still engaging and interesting for the students.
Usefulness: The contents of the book helps students gasp the concepts of graphs, volumes, angles, equations, fractions, and numerous others. This books is especially useful in addressing the varying learning needs, styles and abilities of the students.

Hayes, A. (1995). Meet the Orchestra. Orlando: Harcourt, Inc.

Subject/Curriculum: Music
Summary: In this illustrated discussion of the orchestra, animals are used as musicians. Through a slow gathering of the musicians, the author is able to describe each instrument, its description, as well as the sound it produces.
Appearance: The lively watercolor illustrations used by the illustrator are able to beautifully capture the playful essence of each of the musical instruments.
Usefulness: this book is useful in assisting the reader towards the transition to the more complex world of the orchestra. Different poetic descriptions help the student in determining the sounds of the different instruments. It is a wonderful book to let students become aware of not commonly-known instruments.

Lelooska. (1997). Echoes of the Elders: The Stories and Paintings of Chief Lelooska . New York: Scholastic, Inc.

Subject/Curriculum: Visual Arts
Summary: Lelooska`s book includes five tales of ancient myths and legends of the Northwest Coast Indians.
Appearance: With the paintings of Chief Lelooska included in the book, it is an interesting study of the visual arts.
Usefulness: Although essentially a collection of stories, this book is considered within the realm of Visual Arts since it includes with it discussions on the art of the American Indians; and the paintings of the author make for a good study of visual arts.

Friedman, L., Dowdle, M., & Stiles, J. (2002). Break a Leg!: The Kid's Guide to Acting. New York: Workman Publishing
*Non-fiction

Subject/Curriculum: Drama
Summary: This book provides a detailed description of the different mechanics of the stage, from the actors, to the props, to the scripts, and numerous others.
Appearance: Pictures and photographs of models help illustrate the author`s points and discussions, although some of the texts can be a bit too long.
Usefulness: This A great resource for young individuals who want to be introduced, or go into the world of drama and acting. The completeness and simplicity of the book makes it a good read.

Berger, M. (1995). Germs Make Me Sick! New York: Harper Collins.
*Non-fiction

Subject/Curriculum: Health and Physical Education (Healthy Living)
Summary: This book presents an informational discussion on germs and how they can bring about diseases.
Appearance: Colorful illustrations and drawings give life to the viruses and bacteria that cause diseases. Through this renewed view of the said organisms, students can have better understanding of the concept of diseases and their sources.
Usefulness: Through the discussions in this book, the author is able to help students understand how diseases can be acquired, as well as how the body fights germs. Through a gentle manner of presentation, students are also initiated into a greater understanding of the concept of disease, and what can be done to fight it.

Diversity
This section of the library involves books that focus on multicultural subjects and topics. This section aims to present to students the concept of differences in race and at the same time the equality that exists among people despite the said racial differences. By teaching students early on the concepts of respect and racial tolerance, they can grow up as respectful and open-minded adults.
Johnston, T. (2009). My Abuelita. Orlando, Fla.: Harcourt Children's Books

Summary: This book tells of the story of a young boy who gets to spend an interesting morning with his grandmother.
Appearance: Colorful drawings and pastel colors make the story interesting, and highlights the colors of people, making it more interesting.
Usefulness: This book is an interesting look into the culture and ways of the Spanish people, especially through the eyes of a young child viewing - and appreciating - the "eccentricities" of those belonging to the generations that came before him.

Canales, V. (2005). The Tequila Worm. New York : Wendy Lamb Books

Summary: Canales` fiction involves a coming-of-age story of a young barrio girl of Mexico, who went to an all-white prep school through a scholarship. Through the main character`s letters to her family, the reader becomes acquainted with the Mexican culture.
Appearance: The book`s cover is an interesting illustration of the bottle of a tequila but the inside pages contain little to no pictures and illustrations.
Usefulness: This book presents a window into the Mexican culture. Caution should be taken, however, since some aspects of sexism, racism, drinking, and similar others are depicted in the book.

Woodruff, E. (2006). Small Beauties: The Journey of Darcy Heart O'Hara. New York: Alfred A. Knopf

Summary: This fictional work involves the story of a young girl and her family, as they moved to migrate to the United States from Ireland because of the potato blight of the 1840s.
Appearance: Simple and yet beautiful illustrations interspersed within the pages of the book depict the beauty of the Irish people and lands.
Usefulness: This book is an interesting way of introducing the concept of difficulties in life to children. It also gives a first look into the culture of the Irish people. Caution is needed, however, because of some depictions of violence and frightening scenes.

Thong, R., & Yangsook, C. (2007). Gai See: What You See in Chinatown. New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers

Summary: This short story involves the tale of two siblings walking through a "Gai See" or street market in Cantonese.
Appearance: The drawings in the books are colorful and distinctive, and the illustrations also supplement the descriptions of the Chinese street described by the text.
Usefulness: The book allows the reader to become oriented with Chinese culture, foods, products, customs, and others. Through the descriptions, the reader is encouraged to "enter" the Chinese street.

Hughes, L., & Smith, C. R. (2009). My people. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Summary: This book presents a photographic interpretation of Langston Hughes` classical poem on the African American people. The said poem involves a celebration of the culture and identity of the African-American people.
Appearance: The photographs placed in the book are mostly headshots of African-American people, which provide an interesting study of the "Black" people.
Usefulness: Through the mixture of the words and the pictures, children gain a sense of appreciation of the African-American people.

Williams, D. E., & Golden, J. (2010). Advances in library administration and organization. Bingley: Emerald

Summary: A book on death and coping, this text tells of the story of Yasuyo, who finds a long silk strand hanging down from the clouds. When she climbs it, she finds her grandmother who recently passed away.
Appearance: The simplicity of the art form used for the story (cut-paper art) allows for greater degrees of imagination while at the same time portraying the beautiful culture of the Japanese.
Usefulness: This book is an interesting look into the Japanese culture. Still, discussions on death and coping may be brought up during the reading, so proper caution and explanation should be given.

Mortenson, G., & Relin, D. O. (2006). Three cups of tea. New York: Penguin
*Non-fiction

Summary: This riveting book involves the story of one man as he attempts to establish schools, especially for girls, in extremist communities of Pakistan. Almost an adventure book, this story provides a real-life tale on the culture of the Pakistani people.
Appearance: Not much illustration has been provided in the book, and its content is mainly composed of text.
Usefulness: This is a powerful book on the culture of the Pakistani people, as well as their hopes and desires to move past such a violent present. However, the text may be too "heavy" for the students and care should also be taken especially in reading parts involving abuse, violence, racism, sexism, and similar others.

Levine, E., Dixon, J., & Nelson, K. (2009). Henry's freedom box. Norwalk, Conn.: Weston Woods

Summary: This story involves the fictionalized account of a young slave, Henry Brown, as he escapes by shipping himself in a wooden crate or box.
Appearance: The illustrations make it very interesting and bring the life of Henry closer to the reader.
Usefulness: Henry`s story can be a powerful took to introduce to the children the concept and the evils of racism and slavery. However, caution should be taken for some sad and violent parts.

Teacher`s Choice
This section of the library will focus greatly on books involving bullying. Bullying was chosen as a theme for this section since the grades 5-6 are one of the crucial turning points of the child`s development, especially in terms of social and civic awareness. By letting the students learn about bullying and its ill effects, potential bullies can come to realize that what they were doing was wrong and those who are experiencing can learn to fight back and stand up.
O'Dell, K. (2008). Agnes Parker...girl in Progress. New York: Paw Prints

Summary: This humorous and wise story of a girl coming of age tells the story of Agnes, who decides to transform herself into a noticeable and influential person in their class. Appearance: Simple illustrations and drawings spice up the pages of the book.
Usefulness: Although bullying was not a main issue in this book, it provides and insightful example of establishing one`s identity, as well as of self-empowerment, to ultimately prevent bullying.

Peet, B. (1982). Big Bad Bruce. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company

Summary: This story involves bullying from the point of view of a bully. Bruce, the main character was not even aware of his bullying, and thought that he was just having fun. He was then corrected by a small but independent witch.
Appearance: Simple drawings and illustrations make the book lively, at the same time adding character to the book.
Usefulness: This story lets the reader become aware of the possible dangers of playing too much tricks on people, to the point that the said tricks are sometimes hurtful already.

Greenburg, D., & Davis, J. E. (1997). Bozo the clone. New York: Grosset & Dunlap

Summary: This book speaks of the story of Zack, who created a clone. The said clone initially solved Zack`s problems but then later caused problem himself.
Appearance: Illustrations make the reading experience interesting and keep up the story`s funny beat.
Usefulness: Although this book does not especially focus on bullying, it is an effective illustration that even if a person is once a victim, without proper care, the said person can also become a victimizer (even without a clone).

Thaler, M. (2004). The Bully from the Black Lagoon. New York: Abdo Group

Summary: An interesting book on bullies, Thaler`s story book involves the story of Hubie, who comes across Butch, the new kid and bully in town. As the story progresses, Hubie learns the truth about Butch and gains a new friend. Appearance: Simple drawings make the book more interesting.
Usefulness: This book is perhaps most useful in teaching students about courage and moving past misconceptions and judgmental thinking.

Cammuso, F. (2008). The Dodgeball Chronicles. New York: Graphix

Summary: A series of books and stories, "Knights of the Lunch Table" is the first book in the Dodgeball Chronicles. It speaks of the story about a group of friends who stand up to the school`s bullies.
Appearance: Actually a graphic novel, this book is made interesting and eye-catching by the illustrations and drawings of the creator.
Usefulness: Through the adventures of the protagonists, children are taught to be brave, and they are taught the values of friendship. However, some mild aspects of violence and ill-manners may require caution from the teacher, especially for young readers.

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