Joyful Noise

Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices by Paul Fleischman and illustrated by Eric Beddows, was published in 1988 by Harper & Row. It won the 1989 Newberry medal and is a lovely collection of poems about various insects. The poems go into great rhythmic detail about the insects' personalities, habits, and sounds.

There is a note in the beginning of the book that explains how the book is supposed to be read: "...by two readers at once, one taking the left-hand part, the other taking the right-hand part. The poems should be read from top to bottom, the two parts meshing as in a musical duet. When both readers have lines at the same horizontal level, those lines are to be spoken simultaneously." I very much appreciated this note and I'm sure young readers would as well! Without it, I'm not sure that I would have felt the full impact of Fleischman's beautiful poetry.

The poems in Joyful Noise are truly magical. Each poem sounds like a unique song; rhythmic and full of life. When the poems are read with another person, like they are supposed to be, they really blossom into the creative genius they are. My favorite poem of them all has to be "Fireflies." It is difficult for me to type up an excerpt of the poem when I feel in order to get the full effect, you need to hear it. This link will take you to a recording of a brother and sister reading Fleischman's "Fireflies" aloud: Click me!

There are also black and white charcoal pencil style insect drawings throughout the book that correspond to the poems. They are whimsical and full of character and excitement! The insects take on personalities and facial expressions of real people, which makes them very child-friendly.

Young readers of all ages will fall in love with Joyful Noise. It would make a wonderful bedtime story for parents and their children. It would also be excellent for practicing fluency in school. I am really looking forward to sharing this magical book with my second graders. They love participating in reader's theater scripts and fluency activities so I am positive they will be eager to practice with this work of art!

Check out a copy from your local library!

Image 1 Source

Image 2 Source

Missing May

Missing May by Cynthia Rylant was published in 1992 by Orchard Books. It is the story of a young, 12 year old girl named Summer who is still grieving the death of her Aunt May, alongside her Uncle Ob. Summer had gone to live with May and Ob in West Virginia when she was six years old after her own parents died. All three of them were happy and finally a family for a few years before Aunt May passed away.

"We wanted a family so bad, all of us. And we just grabbed onto each another and made us one. Simple as that," (Rylant 87). 

We only get to know May through the flashbacks and memories of Summer and Uncle Ob. They are struggling immensely to get their lives back together, though it seems impossible. On top of it all, Summer is so worried about her Uncle Ob that she cannot fully grieve herself. Just when all hope seems lost, their young friend named Cletus comes up with a plan for a special trip that may just heal them all. Or, at least begin the healing process in a healthy way.

I am forever a fan of Rylant's eloquent way with words. Her descriptive language is as beautiful and relatable as ever. "The capital building sprawled gray concrete like a regal queen spreading out her petticoats, and its giant dome glittered pure gold in the morning sun. I felt in me an embarrassing sense of pride that she was ours," (70). Additionally, her ability to dig deep into your heart is unmatched. "I had no reason to fear bats, and as I grew and discovered how people are deathly afraid of them, it made me wonder about fear. Whether it all just starts with the people who raise us," (57-58).  Was Summer really talking about the fear of bats here or rather the fear of death? Did May and Ob fear death and therefore Summer has been affected? Why does Summer feel so much fear for what will happen to Ob? The book leads to many deep conversations that can be experienced by upper elementary students and young adults. 

Missing May would be an excellent uplifting choice for any upper elementary and beyond child. Rylant's ability to console a reader through the tough topic of death is calming.The book's theme is sad and about death but the underlying message is one of hope and positivity. Rylant effectively teaches the lesson that it is good to grieve, it is normal, and it will hurt. 

Check out a copy from your local library!

Image Source

The One and Only Ivan

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate is the first true children's novel I have read in a long time. It was published in 2012 by HarperCollins and won the Newberry Medal in 2012. This story was truly written for children and will elicit feelings from them that they may have never felt before.

The story follows Ivan; a Silverback gorilla who lives off of Exit 8 at the Big Top Mall and Video Arcade in a glass "domain." Ivan is a lonely, artistic gorilla who has many friends. He loves to draw and then eat his crayons afterward. One of his closest friends is an older elephant with motherly attributes and a bad foot injury. She "...remembers every moment since she was born: every scent, every sunset, every slight, every victory," (Applegate 53). Bob is another best friend of Ivan who is a small stray dog with a troubled past. He has a definite chip on his shoulders and enjoys sleeping on Ivan's belly. It is safe to say that the animals are unhappy going through their mundane lives of performing for humans and being stared at through glass.

Mack is the owner of the establishment and the only real father that Ivan has ever had even though he treats him badly. George is the custodian for the mall and has a daughter named Julia who loves Ivan as much as he loves her. She is a fellow artist and the two have an unbreakable connection. Julia accompanies her father to work and completes her homework while talking with the animals. One day, a new baby elephant named Ruby arrives to the shock of the other animals. Stella actually re-injures her foot trying to get Ruby out of the truck and welcomed into her new home. Stella quickly takes the role of mother on for Ruby as she settles into her home. Ruby is a naive, kind baby elephant that desperately misses her family. We find out that her family was slaughtered by humans. Sadly, Stella ends up passing away because of her foot injury and Mack's negligence to call a doctor. But before she dies she makes Ivan promise he will take care of Ruby and get her out of the mall and into a real home, like a zoo. The people and animals are obviously very saddened by their dear friend's death. Then Ivan decides to stop complaining and start doing something! Julia gives him finger paints and he begins making a puzzle that says "HOME" and painted a picture of a zoo. Julia picked up on the symbol after much huffing and puffing from Ivan and is amazed by his talents! She realizes that Ivan is trying to tell her that Ruby needs to go to the zoo. So, Julie and her father George hang up Ivan's paintings on the infamous billboard to attract more visitors. As visitors arrive, so does a news reporter and begins taking pictures of the establishment and treatment of the animals. Eventually the mall gets closed down (Yay!) and the animals will be transported to the zoo! They are very nervous but as soon as they arrive Ruby is put in with other elephants and Ivan with other gorillas. They are both very happy. Then one day Julia arrives to visit with Bob and her father and Ivan realizes that EVERYONE has a happy ending! He kept his promise to Stella, Ruby is safe, and he is finally the Silverback he always wanted to be.

The characters are lovable, sarcastic, and compelling. Children will fall in love with this story of friendship, hope, and being true to oneself. This book sheds light on animal cruelty and children will definitely feel empathy toward the animals. It will probably even make them cry! But as author Katherine Applegate said in her Newberry acceptance speech for this book, "Children know all about sadness. We can't hide it from them. We can only teach them how to cope with its inevitability, and to harness their imaginations in the search for joy and wonder," (Applegate). The One and Only Ivan does a wonderful job doing this.

There are some illustrations in the text also that are simple and charcoal reminiscent. The "chapters" are very short and the text is very spread out which is the perfect example of how one might imagine a gorilla speaks. I also enjoyed the author's note at the end of the book that explained the inspiration for the story. I think children would be equally fascinated to hear the explanation!

Check out a copy for yourself!

Image 1 Source

Image 2 Source