10.  Guys want to be “Holly’s Guy”

9.  Girls will prefer Jackson to Jacob

8.  Samuel L. Jackson wants to be Jackson Meyer

7.  Time travel : All the cool kids are doing it

6.  The government, or certain…agencies…will not approve

5.  It’s more readable than Shakespeare’s Tempest, and more exciting than Lost

4.  Timelines have never been so cool

3.  Enemies of Time

2.  All the kids will talk about the books you have instead of your clothing (Ok, some of the kids)

1.  It’s your chance to prove that reading has always been about time travel and the ability to leave one place and appear in another over and over again

John Parker

Media Coordinator

Andrews High School

50 HS Drive

Andrews, NC 28901

Classroom teachers will find great utility because Raj has the capacity to transport classrooms into many different units of study. Will students be intrigued with the poetry of William Blake? Or, maybe they are studying cats of all sorts? Perhaps they are beginning a study of India? Or book stores and libraries? Whatever the choice, Raj may be a great fit. Add it to the early childhood classroom and all libraries that serve that population.

Having just seen a portion of the Maximum India celebration at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, I am more appreciative of the watercolors selected for use in the book. They evoke India and they make me think of cats, but in a softer, less conspicuous way. Pelley’s words and Keiser’s brush strokes are an effective pairing that create a world that is inviting to kids to exercise their imaginations. Fortunately, I am still one of those kids.

John Parker

Media Coordinator

Andrews High School

50 HS Drive

Andrews, NC 28901

www.slamguy.wordpress.com

At several points, I found myself saying, “Huh?” Those points included the intended audience and the continuity of the text as it relates to the story. I tried, honestly, and I did find a use for a page here and a page there. But a page here and a page there is not enough to persuade teachers or parents to purchase the book. Yes, those pages can be used in isolation for teaching about instruments and some basic literary concepts, but the reader is often left with the lingering question: “Huh?”

More than anything else, the colorful illustrations were buried in the amount of text presented to the reader. I wanted to erase all the text and begin again with a truncated version that provided a more concise and exciting experience. I do not believe the story has a cultural disconnect, but I do believe it takes a few unnecessary turns that renders it inert. I did get the point, finally, but it was too late, and I’m afraid a really clever idea has missed the point, and a unique opportunity to fill a niche in the market. To that end, I had hoped for a text that expressed the color of the illustrative content and followed the rhythms expressed in the music.

A page here and a page there does not give me reason to recommend Swing Café to any group of potential readers. One for the illustrations and one for the music; story is everything.

Picnic Basket Rating: 2 out of a possible 5

John Parker

Media Coordinator

Andrews High School

50 HS Drive

Andrews, NC 28901 

www.slamguy.wordpress.com

Mike Austin’s A Present for Milo has been one of the most rich and vibrant experiences of my holiday season. It is the first children’s book that I have viewed on my iPad, and I hope it will not be the last from Austin and Ruckus Media because they got it right. That’s not only my opinion, it’s the opinion of my Pre-K grandson, Malachi who proved to me that a book is more defined by its content than it is its form.

Malachi and I started the book together and went through a couple of pages worth of exploring the background and flipping pages before he took over the task. Three readings later he was still going strong. During one of those readings the teapot in the background whistled and his grandmother said, “Is that a teapot?” He confidently replied, “Yes, I’m reading a book.” Malachi’s own recognition of the reading event was distanced from the technology at hand and that says a lot about skills that transfer to any environment filled with print. Another predictable advantage that Malachi gleaned from the book was that he mimicked the tone and intonation of the reader. He was able to use language expressively, rather than just call out words or repeat what he had heard. With interactive background pictures and characters the book feels analogous to a popup book. The variance and connectedness of those images inspired Malachi to take the book off the page and into his own world as he literally ran “around and around and around” the iPad with Milo. With every successive reading, Malachi added his own new elements to the story and the concepts that were presented.

Malachi requested use of the iPad several other times during his visit, and each time he found his way to A Present for Milo. He never asked if I had any other books on the iPad because he was satisfied to occupy himself with a story that enticed him and invited him to be a part of it. Needless to say, I will be looking for a few more books to add.

 The book and its imagery is playfully reminiscent of both Eric Carle and Leo Leoni, and that’s certainly meant as a compliment. The strength of the images and their textures transition well into an application that runs flawlessly on my iPad. Like Malachi, I was engaged by the story and the creative use of language that abounded in the story. No matter how well the application works, no matter how well illustrated, there isn’t anything worth mentioning unless there is a story; and what a story it is. Emerging readers need concepts, but they also need repetition and predictability without the constraints of a corporately controlled vocabulary. Austin hit the mark and did it in a natural way that complimented both the illustrations and the medium. Even with his recorded narration there is still plenty of room for interpretation and interaction with the characters. Malachi took the characters into new conversations with his family and through our kitchen and up and down our stairs.

 My only complaint about the book is the fact that author and narrator Mike Austin did not continue the voiceover on the last page. Instead, it was left for us to read more about him on our own, since that seems like a page that kids might ignore. Kids like Malachi will notice, at least once, and ask that it be read after their initial examination. Or maybe the design provided by Sequel Digital did not provide for that option, since theirs is the only active link on that page, and clicking it takes one out of the book and opens a browser? No matter, Malachi’s grandfather only made that mistake once, and Malachi never did.

 Who should acquire this iPad book? I firmly believe teachers using iPads in early childhood programs should add this book to their devices. It also makes sense to send those iPads home with students so all families can have this rich experience together. Even one iPad loaded with ten titles that rotates through a classroom could make a huge difference in promoting a culture of reading in many homes. Teachers and libraries will also want to acquire this title for similar use and as an addition to their center-based activities. Media specialists might consider featuring this title in a technology fair to promote both the technology and the book.

 Can it be used with an entire class? There are a few ways that the book could be utilized with a class, but one would need a VGA adapter, active board, projector and some planning to turn this into more than the equivalent of sticking in a movie.  For a teacher to treat it as they would a read-aloud defeats the purpose of both the book and the technology on which it is delivered. Yes, maybe demonstrate how it works, but then turn the kids loose and let them go at it in a center in which they can discover and extend the book into new areas. Observe and listen to the comments of these young readers as they build meaningful experiences with print within a community.

 Forget the newest iPad commercials and the apps that they feature because  A Present for Milo holds its own with any of those featured in the commercials. Add this app to your basket and enjoy a feast at any time of the year.

5 out of 5

John Parker

Media Coordinator

Andrews High School

50 HS Drive

Andrews, NC

www.slamguy.wordpress.com

This Means War tells the story through a group of children whose conflict between boy and girls challenged their own alliances and allowed them to see how the resolve of individuals could push each side toward an outcome that was dangerous for everyone.

 Although Wittlinger’s intended audience is aged 10-14 years, there is a sense of universal appeal in both her characters and the historical era. The notion that people are constantly at war with one another and themselves over trivial matters is played out in multiple scenarios. Many of the characters maintain the innocence that was part of the collective conscience of the early 1960s despite the undercurrents of change that was in the air.

Teachers and students should find ample background to capture what it was like to come home from civil defense drills and ponder the question of what they might take to their own bomb shelter, if they were lucky enough to have one. Similarly, older students will be able to make connections between the Kennedy-Khrushchev posturing and that of the battle between the boys and girls. Then, and now, one decision can change everything,

The book does take a while to get things rolling to the point where all the characters are sufficiently developed to achieve the outcome Wittlinger desires for her story. The younger readers may find this too much to wade through without encouragement. While older readers may not need the cultural background and story development, it could easily be aided by reading aloud as a class or in small groups. The importance and relative age of the event also lends itself to many opportunities such as oral history interviews and scores of available news footage and popular culture artifacts. The opportunities for extended use in the classroom are without limit.

Purchase This Means War for the classroom and library in the upper elementary and middle school with confidence that it will circulate. Be prepared for requests that ask for more from the time period. School librarians may want to create and circulate a pathfinder of the Cuban Missile Crisis to accompany the arrival of the book, or to mark the event during the month of October.

 4 of 5

 John Parker

Media Coordinator

Andrews High School

50 HS Drive

Andrews, NC  28901

 www.slamguy.wordpress.com

The beauty of Will Grayson Will Grayson extends far beyond the rough language and sexuality. The story addresses some basic issues of self-worth that are essential to one’s development as a human being: How does one love, or can/should one love another, even if they are the same sex. How does this love manifest itself outside of a sexual relationship? How do we acknowledge our own doubts, fears and feelings?

 Much of the novel’s dialogue is hacked out in text messages and IM chat sessions that depict the urgency of the feedback that moves the characters through a whirlwind of doubt and varying emotional states. In a world that is based on a friend list, a lingering response introduces more than doubt. The short bursts of text help to propel the reader along at a pace that is in tune with the characters and the overall plot.

I was unsure that the development of a gay musical would lend anything credible to the story, but the final scene made the wait worthwhile and erased any doubts. Good art, in any form interacts with its audience, but great art (and literature) moves spontaneously into the area of active participation. Authors Green and Levithan orchestrated a noteworthy ending where multiple members of the audience rose to their feet and stated, “I am Will Grayson.”

Certainly there are others who will rise and identify with Will Grayson when they read the book. They may be our students, or even our sons and daughters. Others will stand, but not for the same reasons. They will stand in support of those who yearn to discover and measure their own worth in a world that denies or suppresses the Wills and Tinys in every way possible.

Libraries serving high school students should add Will Grayson Will Grayson to their shelves.

 5 of 5

 John Parker

Media Coordinator

Andrews High School

50 HS Drive

Andrews, NC  28901

www.slamguy.wordpress.com

Most of life parallels the pace of the match where scoring attempts are often thwarted, but effort is expected on both sides. Daily life, for most of us, is a series of attempts and failures. Success is not often named as such when we do what is expected time and time again. Like many matches in this year’s World Cup, life is full of draws where neither side has a clear-cut victory; we have played well and done what is expected. For the team and individuals alike there is a sense of accomplishment in having played well. Some teams and individuals do enjoy success at a great level, but those are few. There will be one only one World Cup Champion.

Just because there is one champion does not mean that there are multiple losers. We need to measure our lives and efforts in more realistic terms. Our efforts, from teaching to parenting to working to playing deserve evaluation criteria that are honest and life giving. At the end of the day, or match we need to be able to say and accept, “Well done” as an ample reward.

The book even comes with instructions for adults (as soon as the cover is opened) so that they can facilitate the reading event with children. The intention as well as the instructions are appropriate, but I’m not so sure I would actually make them part of the book. I might slip them inside so that they could be easily removed.

And then there is the preview page for each story. It tells what each story is about, and it is also unnecessary. I am not clear if this is for the adult or the child. If it is for the benefit of the adult, then put it with the rest of the “instructions.” If it is designed to stimulate the child’s interaction with the text, then it too is artificial. Why would children not want to read the entire book? Why make a combination teacher/student book for early readers?

One thing that is age appropriate is the size of the book. The book and the font is just right for little hands and eyes and it is very well made.

Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this book for any use or audience. I don’t like the feel of the instructions. They immediately draw attention away from any story. Lose the instructions and this book becomes something I might pick up in the grocery store. It is not literature and the stories are anything but clever. Children need multi-faceted stories even at this level. Yes, they must be simple, but it can be accomplished. Adults might appreciate strategies, but not smeared all over the book. Many school reading programs offer these same strategies to parents in short instructional sessions, and then feed a constant supply of books. It is unfortunate that this book will not be included in that number.

1 of 5

John Parker

Media Coordinator

Andrews High School

50 HS Drive

Andrews, NC 28901

Ron Parker was the first African-American I ever remember encountering. I remember him coming into a barbershop while I was there. I don’t remember his business there, but I’m sure it was just to say hi and catch up with all the regulars. His crisp, white uniform shirt stood out to me, but so did his demeanor. He exuded confidence, friendliness, and all those other qualities six-year-old boys read about policemen having.

I knew that Ron was an African-American, but that seemed to be as about as important as me being six. Those were just the facts of life. I knew Ron liked people because he spoke to everyone, including me, and treated everyone the same. What I did not know at the time was that Ron had become the first “person of color” to join the police force almost thirty years prior to my first encounter with him during the 1960s.

The details of the obituary provided more information about the man my dad called “Cuz.” The details of his career seemed as brilliant and crisp in retrospect as my first memory of that starched white shirt. He had served the city’s police force in nearly every capacity possible, including a short tenure as acting chief. After retirement he began working as a driver’s education teacher. People learned how to drive, but I surmise they learned a lot about how to treat one another too. Had I known Ron better, I probably would have heard some of his own accounts of integrating a city’s police force.

Perhaps Black History Month needs more personal stories about the Ron Parkers of this world, and less about the event itself. My primary and secondary education mentioned slaves, and that was the extent of it. We need to know African-American history, because at some point, it becomes our history too. I was fortunate to be a very small footnote in a page of history that included Ron Parker. We have a shared and common history at one small point in time. However brief the encounter, it has shaped my thinking and my acting for a number of years. Good history lessons are not only informational; they challenge us to take action. It has taken more than forty years for me to grasp the origin and fullness of this lesson. Perhaps it will not take others so long.