Gonyea, Mark. A Book About Design: Complicated Doesn’t Make It Better. Henry Holt and Company, LLC, 2005. ISBN 978-0-8050-7575-5
Description
This cheerful introduction to graphic design shows kids that our perception of size, shape and color has meaning. The book is divided into short chapters. Chapter 1, All or Nothing, shows that you can’t change one piece of an image without affecting all the others. Chapter 2, The Box, points out that lines in a box have meaning such as speed, direction, strength, and structure. Chapter 3, 1:3:9, introduces this ratio that is used to make some design elements appear more important and other less prominent. Other chapters focus on contrast, letters as shapes, color, balance, and space. The final chapter shows how more is not always better, and how simple can be best in graphic design.
Critical Evaluation
This book reads like a picture book for very young children, and it will be appreciated by early readers. But it also has appeal for older children and tweens. The graphic design principles treated in this book are described clearly with minimal language. The graphic illustrations are simple, spare, and very thoughtfully linked to the explanations given.
Annotations
Design means making choices about many visual attributes. It is important to remember that complicated doesn’t make it better. Simple visual expression of ideas is powerful.
Author
Mark Gonyea loved cartoons, video games, and monster movies as a child. He attended the Joe Kubert School of Cartooning and Graphic Art.
Genre
Non-fiction – visual arts
Curriculum Ties
Visual arts – graphic design
Booktalk Ideas
Not applicable.
Reading Level/Interest Age
Grade 3 to 8 (age 8 to 14).
Challenge Issues and Defense
None.
Why is it here?
The field of graphic design appeals to young readers today. They are significant consumers of graphic media via television, gaming, and online activities.
03 December 2009
A Book About Design
Alex Rider: The Gadgets
Description
This book is written as a top secret communication between Derek Smithers, a covert weapons specialist, and Alan Blunt, CE MI6 Special Operations officer. Mr. Smithers is the scientist responsible for creating the special equipment used by the 14-year-old spy named Alex Rider. Items a teen-age boy would typically carry, such as a CD player, yo-yo, or key ring, are disguises for covert weapons that Alex uses in his first five missions. Each of the items is presented with a schematic, a list of features and functions, and a description of the mission in which Alex used it. For example, the Stun-dart book conceals a canister of compressed carbon dioxide which propels a stun dart when the author’s name is pressed. The Cannondale Bad Boy Bike [1] has a built in smokescreen, oil dispenser, and two heat-seeking missiles designed to deter pursuers. The seat is an emergency ejection system. In total 21 weapons are detailed. Several lab reports from Smithers as well as a glossary of scientific and technical terms make the book even more intriguing.
Critical Evaluation
This book promises to reveal the “blueprints and complete technical data” for the spy gadgets Alex Rider uses in his first five adventures. The book lives up to this promise quite well. The blueprints are fun to look at. The description of each weapon is thorough. The commentary from Derek Smithers is funny and subtly sarcastic. This makes the book and the weapons interesting for Alex Rider fans.
Annotations
Derek Smithers, covert weapons specialist for MI6, details the weapons used by teen spy Alex Rider in his first five missions.
Author
Anthony Horowitz writes about murder, revenge, and the people who set things right. The Alex Rider series of books is very popular with young readers. Horowitz also writes for television. His work includes the Foyle’s War television series.
Genre
Fiction -- adventure
Curriculum Ties
Language Arts
Booktalk Ideas
This book would be a great way to introduce readers to the Alex Rider series through the weapons he uses.
Reading Level/Interest Age
Grade 4 to 8 (age 9 to 14).
Challenge Issues and Defense
Some of the imagined weapons are deadly. They are imaginary, though.
Why is it here?
My son and his fifth grade friends read Alex Rider books. They think the weapons are very cool.
Amelia's Notebook
Plot
Nine-year-old Amelia writes in the notebook her mom gave her when her family moves. She is not happy about the move. Her big sister, Cleo, is happy about the move since the girls will no longer share a bedroom. Amelia misses her best friend, Nadia. She writes to Nadia to tell her about her new school. She has positive things to say about the teachers and says the kids are alright. A letter from Nadia arrives telling Amelia about the Young Author’s Faire. Emilia tries to write a story, too, but she thinks her work is not good enough, and she is distracted as she thinks about other things. She talks to Nadia on the phone regularly. They enjoy talking about Nadia’s birthday party. Amelia sent Nadia a Do-It-Yourself Experiment kit as a birthday present. Amelia meets a new friend. Her name is Leah. She likes to create art just like Amelia. Amelia recognizes that she is a good artist, too. She draws a picture of herself with Leah and Nadia. Then she is ready to write her story for the Young Author’s Faire. She writes a story about a girl who pretends the clouds are her pets, and they give her a birthday party. She is very happy. Amelia invites Leah to go to Space World with her on her birthday. She makes plans to visit Nadia over the summer.
Critical Evaluation
The journal style of this book captures the creativity and spirit of a nine-year-old girl. The doodles and mementos collected in the book show the reader what it is like to experience life as a child. Forget-me-not stamps, a drawing of a friendship necklace, and images of postcards sum up Amelia’s feelings for her friend. Gross details about Cleo, like which finger she uses to pick her nose, give insight into Amelia’s life with her sister. As Amelia fills her notebook with drawings and stories, she gives herself comfort. The reader may feel a similar sense of peace as they experience the changes in Amelia’s inner and outer worlds through the pages of this book.
Annotations
Amelia is unhappy that her family is moving and that her mother expects her to write about it in a notebook. The notebook becomes, however, the creative outlet for writing and drawing that Amelia needs at this transitional time in her life.
Author
Marissa Moss has been drawing, writing, and keeping a journal/notebook since she was a kid. She also writes a series of historical stories for children.
Genre
Fiction – journal writing
Curriculum Ties
Language arts
Health – emotional health during transitional experiences
Booktalk Ideas
Briefly discuss how keeping a journal can be a fun way to express feelings. Then display Amelia’s Notebook and read the first few pages.
Reading Level/Interest Age
Grade 3 to 5 (age 8 to 11).
Challenge Issues and Defense
None.
Why is it here?
I was intrigued by the cover which looks like a typical black and white composition notebook.
Assassin: The Lady Grace Mysteries, Book One
Finney, Patricia. Assassin: The Lady Grace Mysteries, Book One. Delacorte Press, 2004. ISBN 0-385-73151-5
Plot
The story is written in the form of a “daybooke,” or diary, of Lady Grace Cavendish, maid of honor to Queen Elizabeth I. Grace is 13 years old. She enjoys the favor of the queen and gets away with things that other young ladies would not dare. At the beginning of the story, Grace attends the feast of St. Valentine. There she is courted by three suitors the queen has approved for her. Each man presents her with a gift, but she does not know which gift came from which suitor. She must decide which gift comes from the man she would like to marry. She chooses Sir Gerald, who she believes will be kind to her. Before the night is over, Sir Gerald is murdered. He is found in his chamber with the knife he presented to Grace sticking out of his back. Grace, along with her two friends, begins an investigation. Ellie, a laundry maid, and Masou, an acrobat, steal out in the night to view Sir Gerald’s corpse. Grace notices that his mouth is stained yellow. He was sick in his chamber earlier in the night. Grace is convinced Sir Gerald was poisoned in the same manner that her own mother was murdered. Since there is no blood coming from the knife wound in his back, Grace realizes that he was stabbed after he was already dead. The trio of young detectives decides nobody other than the Queen is above suspicion.
Critical Evaluation
The heart of this story is the friendship between Grace, Ellie, and Masou. The three friends work together to solve the mystery of Sir Gerald’s murder. Because of their different stations within the court, they are each able to contribute to the investigation in particular ways. They each have access to different people and places within the Queen’s court. The story also gives the reader an interesting introduction to the manners and conventions of Elizabethan England. The book includes a helpful glossary of terms used in Elizabethan England and endnotes about poisons, apparel, and the history of the time.
Annotations
Lady Grace Cavendish, favored maid of honor to Queen Elizabeth I, has chosen her betrothed from three suitors. But when Sir Gerald is murdered the same night, Grace and her friends, Ellie and Masou, set out to find the killer.
Author
Patricia Finney is the author of other titles in the Lady Grace Mysteries series. She began writing early in life and published her first novel at age 18.
Genre
Fiction - mysteries
Curriculum Ties
Language Arts – mysteries
Social Sciences – English history
Booktalk Ideas
Introduce Lady Grace as a character. Describe her friends, Ellie, and Masou, and the different lives they lead in the court of Queen Elizabeth.
Reading Level/Interest Age
Grade 4 (age 8) and up.
Challenge Issues and Defense
Murder is part of the story, but it takes place off stage.
Why is it here?
Lady Grace and her stories appeal to older tweens and young teens.
Charlotte's Web - DVD
Plot
A little girl named Fern decides that she will care for the runt of a litter of newborn pigs. She calls him Wilbur. When he grows too large to be a pet, he goes to live at the Zuckerman’s farm. Charlotte, a spider, lives in the barn on the farm. She and Wilbur become friends. When it becomes clear that Wilbur is being fattened up to be eaten, Charlotte decides to show everyone that Wilbur is too special to become bacon. She spells out “some pig” in her web. Wilbur becomes famous, and so he is entered in a fair. Charlotte goes, too, and while she is at the fair she produces her egg sac.
Critical Evaluation
This classic story has been made into a family and child-friendly film. Dakota Fanning is adorable as Fern. The computer animation used to give the animals the ability to talk and do other “human” things is great. It makes the movie fun to watch. More importantly, it gives kids and their families a reason to think about the importance of all living beings. Every living thing is “terrific” like Wilbur and deserves respect.
Annotations
Wilbur is saved from the smokehouse when a friendly spider named Charlotte tells the world that he is “some pig.”
Author
E. B. White wrote the book on which the movie is based. The book is an enduring classic which was published in 1952. He is also the author of Stuart Little.
Genre
Fiction – life on a farm
Curriculum Ties
Language arts – animals as characters
Booktalk Ideas
None.
Viewing Level/Interest Age
Grade 3 (age 8) and up.
Challenge Issues and Defense
None.
Why is it here?
Charlotte’s Web is one of my favorite stories. I liked the movie almost as much as the book.
Cool Careers for Girls in Sports
Pasternak, Ceel & Thornburg, Linda. Cool Careers for Girls in Sports. Impact Publications, 1999. ISBN 1-57023-107-9
Plot
Beginning with an encouraging message about broadening opportunities, this book of true stories and advice highlights women in sports careers. Professional basketball and golf players, a ski and snowboard instructor, an athletic director, and a sports psychologist are some of the women featured. An article about Robin Roberts' career in sports broadcasting is fun to read. It is especially nice to see her early start in sports broadcasting given her recent success as an anchor on Good Morning America. She attended the President Obama's first State Dinner on November 24, 2009. Go, Robin!
Critical Evaluation
While this book may appear out of date based on its 1999 publication, the advice given still makes sense. Girls who are interested in sports are encouraged to get involved when they are young and stay involved during high school and college. That is the best way for them to find out what they might like to do in a sports career as an adult. Girls are told, "Don't be afraid to ask people for guidance. They are not going to come to you. You have to ask." Career checklists are given for jobs so girls can compare their interests and abilities to the traits that are required for success in a sports career.
Annotations
Career opportunities in sports for girls are broadening as time goes on. Girls need to have a positive mindset and a passion for sports to succeed in these careers.
Author
Ceel Pasternak and Linda Thornburg have co-authored other books in this series. Two of their titles are Cool Careers for Girls in Food and Cool Careers for Girls in Law.
Genre
Non-fiction
Curriculum Ties
Physical education -- careers
Booktalk Ideas
Ask listeners to talk about the women in sports they know of. Ask them if they have considered a career in sports. Share highlights from Tammy Jackson's career as a professional basketball player given in the book.
Reading Level/Interest Age
Grade 4 to 6 (age 9 - 12).
Challenge Issues and Defense
None.
Why is it here?
Careers in sports for girls are cool!
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Kinney, Jeff. Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Amulet Books, 2007. ISBN 978-0-8109-9313-6
Plot
Greg Heffley is given a journal by his mother. Emphatically proclaiming that it is not a diary, Greg records the events of his year in middle school. He writes and draws about his family, his friends, his school days, and the bullies he tries to avoid. He worries about who he will sit by in class. He is mystified by girls. Greg has always tried to be friends with the girls, but now they only seem to like Bryce Anderson, and he never really liked girls until now. Greg's friend Rowley is immature for middle school. He is still into knock-knock jokes and elementary school stuff, but Greg likes him anyway. Another neighbor boy, Fregley, is just scary in a weird and clueless way. Greg avoids him, but he keeps popping into Greg's life. Greg spends a lot of time trying to play video games while his dad tells him to go do something else. He is cast as a tree in the school play, The Wizard of Oz. Greg shuts down the play when he throws an apple at Dorothy and all the other trees join in. It all sounds like the kind of middle school life many kids dread and love at the same time.
Critical Evaluation
Greg is often clueless about the effect he has on the people around him. He doesn't worry about breaking Dorothy's glasses with an apple. He just keeps going, day after day, and maybe that is what life feels like for middle school kids. It helps that Greg creates silly situations all the time. When Rowley gives Greg a Big Wheel for Christmas, the boys have fun by throwing a football at each other as they take turn riding. Whoever knocks the other boy off the Big Wheel wins. This is the kind of thing many kids would do if they had the time and the Big Wheel.
Annotations
Greg Heffley survives day after day of annoying family members, jerks at school, and goofy friends. He captures the funny side of life in his musings and funny drawings.
Author
Jeff Kinney began the Wimpy Kid stories as a series of comics on FunBrain.
Genre
Fiction – middle school life
Curriculum Ties
Language arts – journal writing
Visual arts – comic book art
Booktalk Ideas
Talk to the audience about keeping a journal or diary.
Reading Level/Interest Age
Grade 4 - 6 (age 9 - 12).
Challenge Issues and Defense
Greg's attitude and outlook on life can be sarcastic and negative at time. The things he does ought to be an example of what NOT to do for young readers.
Why is it here?
My son is in fifth grade. He won't go to school without one of the Wimpy Kid books in his backpack. He has copies of all five titles (some in hardcover and paperback) plus all of the do-it-yourself books.