Picture books are an ideal format to introduce students to the wonderful world of reading. One of today’s masters of picture books is Patricia Polacco, a prolific author whose words and pictures have inspired and delighted countless children. In fact, many of her books are autobiographical in nature, thereby allowing her to share her own stories and experiences with her readers. Two such titles are Thank You, Mr. Falker, in which she pays homage to the special teacher who helped her learn to read, and Something about Hensley’s, a tribute to the magical general store and its equally marvelous shopkeeper in her hometown. Heartwarming narratives and charming artwork are characteristic of all of Polacco’s books, and these two are no exception. …show more content…
This is one area in which great contrast can be observed between the books. In Something about Hensley’s, the tone is happy, warm, inviting, and even magical. Hensley’s general store is depicted as a wonderland in which no problem is unsolvable and every need is fulfilled. It is a place of joy and fellowship, and its elderly owner, John Soncrant, is always ready with a smile and a comforting word. This effect is achieved through the use of bright colors and vivid contrasts as well as the characters’ facial expressions, which are usually radiant and jubilant. However, the characters do express visible concern, as when Mary becomes unable to breathe (2006). Generally the opposite effect is employed in Thank You, Mr. Falker, which portrays young Trisha’s struggles with reading and feelings of dumbness and isolation through her facial expressions and the use of dark colors. However, Falker is not without its warmth, however, as evidenced by the opening scene with Trisha and her grandfather (1998). There is a real sense in which the reader can “read” the feelings of characters or the mood of the situation without even looking at the text. However, the text serves a very important purpose in spelling out the full reality indicated by the illustrations, as is described in the next
In Julia Alvarez’s “On Not Stealing Louise Bogan’s The Blue Esturaries” the speaker discovers a book unlike from the rest. Alvarez uses imagery and selection of detail to convey the speaker’s discoveries. The speaker discovers a book with “swans gliding on a blueback lake” that is different from all the other books on the bookshelf. The outside of the book was different from the rest and Alvarez uses imagery to show how unique this book was.
In The Lesson by Toni Cade Bambara, a group of uneducated children learn about the injustice of the distribution of wealth. Using symbolism, the author is able to educate the children and the audience of the importance of fighting for their share of the dream through the use of Miss Moore, the toy store, and their diction. Miss Moore is a college graduate who has seen life outside of the ghetto. “Miss Moore was her name. The only woman on the block with no first name”.
The author describes the joy a person experiences when receiving a book and highlights the joy and importance one can gain from a book. it shows the audience how books can bring people
We have a new student here with us today named Mikey. Can all of you be nice to him and make him feel welcome?” The student reply with; “Yes Ms. Bird.” Page 13… My teacher, Mrs. Tweety tells me to sit next to a student named Jennifer.
Hi, Wicliffe As always your writing is succinct and a pleasure to read. I think I used the words brevity and clarity to describe your previous writing assignments and they still apply. Your observation about how insulated America can be is one I have also noted. Most of us learn about cultures through the filter of movies, books, films etc.
The whole concept of Nick Sousanis 's comic "Unflattening" pertains to how one can see different things and read the social world. While the social world of mankind is shaped based on the choices our ancestors made, do social patterns and behaviors really have to be a certain way? Perhaps, there is a flatness not yet scene that allows for this blinded vision and machine like operation which does not question repetition. A main focal point being stressed. Essentially, a main point Sousanis wants us to note is this: (1) change our perception in things, (2) changed perception creates a change in action, thus (3) a change to the world.
Lessons from the Culture Every year we see family emigrate to other countries, and they face many challenges. The stories “Sweet, Sour, and Resentful”, by Firoozeh Dumas, and from “Fish Cheeks”, by Amy Tan, share similar cultures and really interesting stories. Also, both families from the essay share several challenges that they are face when they move to the United States of America. The two families share many similarities; however, they differ in to keeping their culture, showing openness, and teaching a lesson from their culture to others.
“That Don’t Sound Like You” is written by Rhett Akins, Ashley Gorley and Lee Brice, who is also the performer. This song was written and recorded in 2014 and released in 2015. Throughout grade school, Lee Brice was very close friends with a female classmate. After graduating they parted ways. Brice and his friend ended up meeting again one day and everything was different.
Can you recall your favorite childhood book? Children’s books date back to the 1800s with books like Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Later in the mid-20th century, books like The Cat in The Hat and Green Eggs and Ham brought entertainment and joy to kids all around America. Both books came to life by Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss. Geisel sold more than one hundred million copies of his books for children.
Flashback to my junior year. I sat quietly in my AP Lang class as my teacher, Mrs. Fisher, announced that the reading competition between the language arts classes called for the book count for September. She stood at the board, marker in hand, staring out expectantly at her large class. Hands shot up across the classroom, and my own nervous hand rose up to join them. Mrs. Fisher happily chalked up the small fortune of books that our class had read.
The symbols present in “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara, depict the economic and social injustices faced by specific members of society, specifically the children in the story. The characters in the story are being mentored by Miss Moore, a woman from their block who has taken up the role of taking them out on weekly outings. The story touches on the situation of the children that are stuck in living in almost poverty. “The Lesson” focuses on the socioeconomic disparities between the different racial groups and how. Bambara uses several techniques such as irony, othering, and second person point of view to make the story meaningful and demonstrate the characteristics of the characters.
In order to be accepted in the current social society, you must follow a certain set of norms throughout life. Social norms are the unwritten rules on behavior that are expected and established opinions on what is appropriate and what is not. People who do not follow these instilled norms may be casted aside, judged, or suffer a consequence. Society’s expectations have dictated what normal human behavior is that people conform to as a way of life. These norms, however, are not set in stone, so they may be challenged.
The central theme of media manipulation and the consequences of that are explained and uncovered in Ryan Holiday’s book Trust Me I’m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator. Holiday offers a brutally honest insight into the world of PR and journalism, one that many people can have trouble accepting and one that makes us doubt every form of media and advertisement around us and exposes the twisted relationship between online media and marketing. In the beginning of the book, Holiday admits that he is a liar, but asks the readers to believe everything he says. As mentioned in an article published by Poynter institute, “He has a point to make, but he 's like the addict warning of the dangers of drugs, all the while snorting a line and shaking his head at how bad it is” (Silverman, 2012).
Charles Baxter’s book “There’s Something I Want You to Do” is composed of ten chapter, each focussing on one of the seven deadly sins and their vices. The chapter that stood out the most to me (and what this essay will focus on) was the first chapter, titled Bravery. Besides the fact it’s main character is a doctor which is what I’m going to school for, the emotions described in this chapter were very genuine. But, before getting into the specific contents of the chapter, the idea behind the seven deadly sins must first be understood.
America the free, land of opportunity--but only if you fit a specific mold. Slaves, especially women, were certainly not included. Even after their emancipation, African Americans struggled with exclusion, whether it be direct, indirect, political, social or other. James Baldwin, an African American man, contrasts the types of oppression he, and others, have faced in “A Letter to my Nephew” , drawing parallels from slavery to the discrimination of the 60’s. He explains how many think blacks must assimilate into “white” culture, but, in reality, it must be those who think that way who must escape from the mentality of needing to assimilate.