Kim Vlog #3: Non-Fiction: Amazing DNA

Book Information
Title: Amazing DNA
Author: Rebecca L. Johnson
Illustrator: Jack Desrocher
Genre: Non-Fiction
Publication: 2008

Sister & Brothers

Who Has These Feet?

Winter by Ron Hirschi

Winter by Ron Hirschi, color photographs by Thomas D. Mangelsen

This is a nonfiction book about animals in winter. All of the pictures are real photos taken. It's written very simply for young readers to learn generally what happens in the winter. It begins by talking about what children do outside to play (make a snowman). Then it talks about birds, wolves, rabbits, owls, bears, deer, etc. Each page is dedicated to one or two animals with a brief sentence about what they do in winter. At the end, there is an afterword from the author with a more detailed description of things that happen in winter.

This would be a good book for any child, but specifically children that grow up in areas that don't have snow. Since all of the pictures are real photos, it would be good for them to see what things actually look like. Maybe they would not be familiar with the animals mentioned and this book gives a broad overview of what they do when there is a lot of snow on the ground in winter.

Miyuki's Vlog: Nonfiction “Guess Who’s in the Sand”

                                      

https://youtu.be/jvqMOoMzLKQ

Biography: Alexander Graham Bell: Setting the Tone for Communication

For my biography picture book I chose Alexander Graham Bell: Setting the Tone for Communication by Mike Venezia. This is a very neutral biographical depiction of the life and inventions of a controversial historical figure within the Deaf community.

I chose this book because of how well-known A.G. Bell is. In the Hearing community the first thing people will think about is the spectacular invention of the telephone. In the Deaf community you will begin a debate about the oralization of the deaf and the culture of disability in which deaf people need to be fixed. However, what is great about his book is how neutral and mater of fact the biography of this historical figure is. The author started working on this series for Scholastic in an effort to make the impact of scientists and their inventions known to a younger generation.

Bell is not depicted as someone trying to fix the deaf and his political perspectives are never mentioned. Even though he is most well known for his intention of the telephone, I learned about his other inventions and ideas from this book, such as the metal detector. I especially appreciated the depiction of Bell as an idea man, but how he struggled with the application of those ideas. There really is an overall message of teamwork. Without the skilled engineers and electricians he worked with the Bell's telephone may never have come into being.

Since A.G. Bell is such a controversial figure in the Deaf community this book would be a good source for a positive representation of his character. It could be compared and contrasted with other resources to discuss how and why he has been depicted in varying ways.

Historical Fiction: Dandelions

For my historical fiction book I chose Dandelions by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Greg Shed. This book depicts the journey taken by a family in the 1800's that moves from Illinois to start a new life in the Nebraska Territory.

Even though this is a picture book, I would recommend it for older readers, such as 4th-8th grade. This is because it is quite wordy and a lot of the undertones of the story would be missed by younger readers. the illustrator does a fantastic job of depicted just how expansive the Nebraska Territory is with bleak paintings of fields of dry grass that seem to go on forever. Before reading this book I had not thought much about the trials new settlers faced in the expanding western territories of the U.S. To read about the characters traveling for days on end and never seeing animals, water, or other humans was mind-boggling. I could not imagine being three hours from my closest neighbors or having to dig a well to get to water.

The physical challenges are just the beginning of the experience for these new settlers. The mental toll of this new lifestyle is briefly eluded to in the young girl's recognition of how her mother seems to be struggling with this new place. She is worried for her mom and wants to figure out ways to make things easier on her. This book would be a great starting point for having a discussion on the emotional impact of immigration. It would be cool to have students put themselves mentally in the position of the characters and think critically how they would cope. You could have students write from the perspective of the settlers. This would be an awesome way to incorporate writing and history into a single activity.