Picture Book: That's Dangerous

Pittau, F. & Gervais, B. (2004). That's Dangerous. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal Pub. Inc.

While I classified this book as a picture book I feel it should be stressed that this is NOT for toddlers (c'mon folks be reasonable not reactionary). This book serves a very useful purpose. It is a great tool for introducing children to information literacy. The book is visually simple in text and illustration, the stories are absurd, and it is very apparent that there is a disconnect between the message of the text, the message of the illustrations, and the potential audience for the item. For example the text says that it is dangerous to play inside the dryer, but the illustrations clearly show enjoyment in this circumstance. The pictures seem made for toddlers, but is this book really intended to be a teaching tool for them? Life IS dangerous, and that is why teaching children to think critically about appearances and content is necessary, and this book will make that experience easy and enjoyable for all.

Realistic Fiction: Zee's Way

Butcher, K. (2004). Zee's Way. Victoria, B.C.: Orca Book Publishers


Orca publishes levelled readers for older kids. Orca soundings is for tweens and teens, Orca Currents is for middle school students, and Orca Echoes is for kids 7-9. There is also Orca Sports and Orca for young readers. Zee's Way by Kristin Butcher is from the Sounding series, and it shows. The book opens with a bunch of tattooed, punked out teens in some beef with a group of bullying store owners. Given the books racy start I found the ending to be slightly cliché. The book is small, but has an attractive cover. It is just over 100 pages, but the font is large, legible. These features keep it looking like an age appropriate book, but keep it at the appropriate literacy level for those who read reluctantly because of difficulties. Orca books are the best example I’ve found that might get teens reading and draw them away from equally racy TV dramas.

Audio (CD): The Dino 5 - Baby Loves Hip-Hop

The Dino 5. (2008). [recorded by Prince Paul] Baby Loves Hip Hop Presents the Dino-5 [CD]. New York: Baby Loves Hip-Hop.

Unlike the CD of lullabized Nirvana songs I LOVE this disc! I love this CD because the music is good! It sounds like adult hip-hop. After my first listen through I already had a few chorus lines stuck in my head. This is because the five members of the group come from internationally renowned hip-hop groups. This means that as baby grows into a child and teenager they have sources for intelligent, adult music. The format of the CD is interesting. The tracks alternate between a mother reading to her son at bedtime and the musical tracks that rap out the narrative of that story. This format emphasizes the need for parents to engage in literature with their children and provides them with a model of how to do so. For both quality and content this is one of the best resources I have found.

Website: Guys Read

Scieszka, J. (2010). Guys Read. Retrieved from http://www.guysread.com/

The mission statement for this site is clear, "to help boys become self-motivated, lifelong readers" (Scieszka, 2010). This is a wonderful statement and the website in general is a comprehensive resource. With so much attention being given to the guys here, I hope the girls out there don't get jealous! On the home page, a book of the month is listed, with a cover shot and brief description, there are links to notable books such as the "New Book on the Pile," links to audio books, and resource links such as "Guys &Reading" which lists some of the perceptions and barriers guys have toward reading and profile of guys who do read and what they like to read. Finally, all the recommended books are sorted into eighteen INTERESTING categories, such as "Dragons," "Scary," "War," "At least one explosion," etc. Jon Scieszka is a renowned author, but pioneering this website might just be his most effective creation for helping proliferate a new generation of readers.