Oliver Has Something to Say! By Pamela Edwards

Oliver Has Something to Say! By Pamela Edwards
Review by Mary Rowe (Library Queen's Weblog)


Oliver has a very common problem found among children with an older sibling. Oliver doesn’t get a chance to speak. Oliver opens his mouth to speak but someone always answers every question for him. First, it is his older sister. She seems like the typical older sister who is trying to be helpful. She just has not noticed that Oliver has grown up and is able to speak for himself. Mom and Dad are also guilty of speaking for Oliver instead of waiting for him to form the words and make his own voice heard.

It takes a kind, patient preschool teacher to help Oliver find his voice. Oliver seems a little overwhelmed when he gets to make a choice for himself about where to play. Mrs. Samra is patient while Oliver tries to get his underused mouth in motion. Through the process Mrs. Samra listens with her eyes and heart as well as her ears. Finally, Oliver is able to tell her what he wants to do.

Oliver has learned his lesson well. After his first day in pre-school he gets up in the middle of the night and lets everyone know they have not been right about what he really wanted as they spoke for him. Loudly, he lets them know all the things he tried to say over the week. Mom, Dad, and Margaret are so surprised that this time they have nothing to say.

This is an excellent book to be used in the home or classroom, not only to encourage children to speak up, but to let talkative children know they are not being helpful when they rush to finish someone’s thought or sentence. Sometimes, children need an extra few seconds of time before they can gather their thoughts. Those who are a bit quicker in forming their thoughts (Mom, Dad, older siblings, and even teachers) need to take the lesson in this book to heart.

Reviewers note: This book hit very close to home for me. My grandson has some tendencies found in children with oral apraxia. There seems to be a bit of “a disconnect” between his brain and his oral muscles. He can make all the sounds but has a hard time getting his lips and tongue into position to make the sounds. This causes a bit of a delay when he begins to speak. It also causes him to substitute some sounds that are easier for him to make for some of the harder sounds. He is more than happy most of the time to let his older sister do the speaking for him. His mom has an undergraduate degree in speech communication. She has been able to make sure he got an opportunity to make his voice heard.

What Other Bloggers Are Saying:
Just One More Book: "Slurps, spaghetti, grimaces and gasps seem to spurt from the page in this animated escapade of a younger sibling who finally finds his voice." (listen to podcast about book...)

My Readable Feast: "Oliver Has Something to Say! makes us realize that quiet kids do have opinions and we need to encourage them to express themselves." (read more...)

Cheryl Rainfield: "Do you know a shy child, or a child who has a hard time speaking up? Give them this book; it may help them to feel understood or less alone." (read more...)

The Literary Word: " I think this is an amazing book in that it will inspire and promote confidence in children who are shy or quiet." (read more...)



More Info:

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 24 pages
• Publisher: Lobster Press (March 25, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1897073526
• ISBN-13: 978-1897073520
• Source: Review Copy from Publisher
  

Let's Clear the Air: 10 Reasons Not to Start Smoking

Today for Nonfiction Monday, I'm happy to present the first review from our newest contributor, Mary Rowe, "The Library Queen."


Let's Clear the Air: 10 Reasons Not to Start Smoking is probably the most readable book on the subject I have seen. There are ten chapters. Each chapter is devoted to one reason not to start smoking. Within each chapter, the reader is introduced to pre-teens and teens who think no one should start to smoke. After the introduction. the reader is allowed to peek into the mind of person by reading his/her original essay dealing with the topic of smoking

The ten reasons given for not smoking are the ones you would expect: cancer, other health issues, relationships, addiction, performance, appearance, the entertainment trap, false advertising, and money.

What you might not expect is the honesty of these young people as they tell how family members suffered because someone in the family smoked. They tell of the pain they felt when their parent or grandparent died from cancer. They tell of cousins addicted to cigarettes who have told them NEVER to start smoking because they themselves can't quit. In the chapter about how tobacco affects athletic performance oral cancer and smokeless tobacco were also addressed.

Included in each chapter are interesting facts which highlight the dangers of tobacco in brief sentences inside gray boxes. Lighter gray boxes have the student essays. This layout helps the reader to focus on specific aspects that interest them. Other features that will keep students reading are black and white pencil drawings. For students who want to take action facts relating to how they can become active in spreading the message about the dangers of tobacco are included.

I believe this book would be a wonderful addition to a school or public library. Students will not feel someone is preaching to them as they read this book. The teens included in the book speak with words that are convincing and not overly edited to sound less than authentic.

Adrienne Joy Lowry was seven when her dad died of cancer. The book includes Adrienne's story in her own words.

"My dad died on November 2, 2002. I wrote this in my journal on the day that he died.

'Today my daddy died. It was really sad. I will miss him. He took his last breath and poof he was gone. His spirit went to heaven. He is special.' "

She concludes her essay with this statement of firm resolve:

"I will never smoke because I don't want my kids someday to have to go through what I went through" (p 15).

Another essay I liked was by Brenna on page 107. She writes,

"If you think you want to start smoking, you should think again! Because if you like the way you look now, that can all change when you start smoking. When you smoke the tar in the cigarettes will stain your teeth and fingers yellow. Smokers also have really bad breath!"

How much more honest can you get?

This book was published in Canada and includes photos of Canadian cigarette package warnings. It is interesting to note that these warnings include photos of the disease along with the warning. I think it would be much harder to pick up a pack of cigarettes that had a photo of diseased lung or a clogged heart valve along with the words "smoking causes lung cancer or doubles your risk of stroke."


What Other Bloggers are Saying:

A Patchwork of Books: "The parts that will really hit home to kids are the personal accounts written by real kids for the teens and older children reading the book. Those written accounts are what make the book go by so quickly and actually make it an enjoyable read." (read more...)


More Info:

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Lobster Press (October 31, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1897073666
• ISBN-13: 978-1897073667
• Source: Review copy from publisher
  

Pier 21: Stories from Near and Far by Anne Renaud, illustrated by Ares Cheung

Pier 21: Stories from Near and Far written by Anne Renaud, illustrated by Ares Cheung

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 24 pages
Publisher: Lobster Press (April 15, 2008)
ISBN-10: 1897073704
ISBN-13: 978-1897073704


Pier 21: Stories from Near and Far is the second book in Lobster Press' Canadian Immigration Series. The first book also written by Anne Renaud, Island of Hope and Sorrow: The Story of Grosse Île, was released in 2007. (see my review here)

Organized into different time periods, Pier 21: Stories from Near and Far tells the story of a shed-like building in Halifax Harbor that welcomed more than 1 million immigrants and refugees to Canada between 1928 and 1971. In addition to taking in newcomers, Pier 21 was the departure point of more than 500,000 service members on their way to fight in World War II.

Rather than give straight, boring facts, Renaud details interesting information through compelling accounts of the people who arrived at Pier 21. Children will especially find the stories of "home children" and "guest children" interesting. "Home children" were British children who were orphaned or whose parents could not care for them. In the 1930's, these children were sent to Canada to work for families in hopes of a better life. While many of the families these children were sent to treated them well, some did not. "Guest children," were evacuee children from war-torn Europe who were sent to Canada as part of the Children's Overseas Reception Board (CORB). Children will be surprised to learn why this program ended.

Other accounts in the book include those of war brides, European immigrants who came to Canada after WWII in hopes of a better life, and Hungarian "56ers", Hungarian refugees who arrived in Canada in 1956.

In addition to the main narrative, each page contains more information about the stories including real photographs, stories, and quotes; a "History Note" sidebar that expands on the narrative; and illustrations reflecting the period.

Like Island of Hope and Sorrow, Pier 21 puts a human face to immigration and war. The content and visuals make this book accessible to children of many ages, including "browsers" who may be reluctant to read books from cover to cover. It would also make a great supplement to any middle-grade history or social studies classroom.

Visit the rest of the Nonfiction Monday roundup at Picture Book of the Day.

Island of Hope and Sorrow: The Story of Grosse Île written by Anne Renaud

I'm glad to be taking part in the fourth Nonfiction Monday roundup, hosted at Picture Book of the Day.

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 24 pages
Publisher: Lobster Press (May 25, 2007)

I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know very much at all about Canadian history, so I was excited when I received a copy of Island of Hope and Sorrow: The Story of Grosse Île the first book in Lobster Press’s Canadian Immigration Series.

Organized into different time periods, the book tells us the story of the island, from its first use as a quarantine station for cholera in the early 1800’s to a biological weapons research site during WWII to its opening to the public as a historic site in 1988. Perhaps the most compelling part of the book is the story of Grosse Île’s function as a quarantine site and hospital to care first for European immigrants with cholera and then immigrants struck with typhus as they traveled to Canada on cramped and unsanitary “coffin ships” in attempt to escape the Irish Potato Famine. Located 50 km from Quebec, this was an ideal location to quarantine and treat the sick immigrants and prevent the illnesses from spreading to the colonies. We learn in the book whether or not this was successful and also how, over time, the island advanced.

In addition to the main narrative, the book is loaded with images, journal entries, timelines, posters, and more that give readers a better idea of life on Grosse Île. In addition, a “History Note” sidebar on nearly every page gives tidbits of historical information.

Presenting a human face to immigration, this would make an excellent choice for anyone wanting to learn or teach about immigration, Canadian history, epidemics, and more.

Lookout for the second book in the Canadian Immigration Series: Pier 21: Stories from Near and Far due out in April, which I’ll be reviewing soon.

Don't Squash That Bug Learning Activities

Don't Squash That Bug!: The Curious Kid's Guide to Insects (Lobster Learners) by Natalie Rompella is a great introduction to insects that will keep your kids entertained and informed.

Here are a number of online resources where your child can learn even more about insects. This is just a small sampling of what's out there.

Insectclopedia
Various insect lesson plans from Grades K-12.

Tree of Life Web Project
From the site: The Tree of Life Web Project (ToL) is a collaborative effort of biologists from around the world. …the project provides information about the diversity of organisms on Earth, their evolutionary history (phylogeny), and characteristics.

Buginfo from the Smithsonian Institution
Information sheets on a variety of insects.

Helen's World of Nature Photography
Gorgeous photos of all kinds of insects and more.

Sci4Kids
Interesting articles from the USDA about insects such as, "Bug Gut Analysis: What's Eating You?" and "Got Insect Troubles? Call on a Spider!"

Enchanted Learning
Get lesson plans and lots of fun insect craft ideas. I like the Litter Bug and the Butterfly Wand .

Insects for Kids
A resource to a lot of different insect resources.

Tomorrow, I'm reviewing a fiction book about bugs, Eliza and the Dragonfly, and on Thursday, I'll give you links to more great insect books.

Nonfiction Monday: Don’t Squash That Bug! The Curious Kid’s Guide to Insects by Natalie Rompella

Don't Squash That Bug!: The Curious Kid's Guide to Insects (Lobster Learners) by Natalie Rompella

Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Lobster Press (March 25, 2007)

As soon as you open up Don’t Squash That Bug!, you see life-sized photographs of all different types of bugs staring right at you—creepy crawly legs, wings, antenna, larvae. It’s all right there in the endsheets—a pretty cool start to a book all about bugs.

Don’t Squash That Bug! is a perfect introduction to insects and will appeal to many different types of readers. The book is organized into two-page spreads featuring a different order of insect on each spread.

A typical spread includes:

• The name, pronunciation, and description of the order in which the insects belong
• Vibrant, full-color photographs of the insects in that order, along with captions giving more information
• A paragraph or two giving details about the insects
• Country Cousin: A short section with information about similar insects found in another part of the world
• Don’t Squash That Bug! section: An explanation about how the insect is important
• Where Are They?: Information about where you can find the insect

Because the information is broken up into chunks, kids won’t be overwhelmed with too much information, and they can read the sections that interest them the most without having to wade through paragraphs full of text. Rompella does an excellent job of giving information about the insects without making it sound too academic or too difficult to read.

For example, “Cockroaches are omnivores, which means they eat plants and animals. They will even eat the glue on the backs of postage stamps.”

Without overwhelming you with messaging, Don’t Squash That Bug also helps us establish an appreciation for insects and their importance to the ecosystem.

This would make an outstanding library resource, and teachers will find it useful when creating and presenting lessons about insects. For parents of reluctant readers, this book would be an excellent choice, especially if your child is interested in all things creepy crawly.

Check out the other Nonfiction Monday submissions at Picture Book of the Day. Thanks Anastasia for organizing!