Module 15: Heather Has Two Mommies

Summary
Heather is a little girl who is hesitant to go to preschool for the first time.  While playing and talking with her new friends, she is surprised to learn that other children have daddies, while she has two mommies.  She wonders if there is something wrong with her family.  The teacher leads the students in a discussion about the many ways that families are made up.  In the end, Heather discovers that the members of a family are not so important as the love that exists between those members.

Newman, L., & Souza, D. (2000). Heather has two mommies (2nd ed., 10th anniversary ed.). Los Angeles: Alyson Wonderland. 

My impressions
Being from a town whose members challenged this book and rallied for its removal from the public library, I was very anxious to finally read it.  Being that homosexuality is such a hot-button topic, I understand why this book has been challenged so frequently.  However, I think that the book does an excellent job of depicting tolerance and diversity in a gentle, age-appropriate way.  It is critical that children see positive depictions of their families in the books they read, and Heather Has Two Mommies does that.  It depicts not only lesbian couples, but also gay male couples, single moms, adopted families, and traditional male/female couples.

Reviews

Heather Has Two Mommies. (2005). Book Links, 14(3), 31.

Heather feels left out because she doesn't have a daddy; instead, she has two mommies. Then Heather's preschool teacher asks the children to draw pictures of the people in their families, and Heather realizes that families are defined by the common fact that family members love one another. Although the message is one of appreciation of diversity, the more distant third-person narration and black-and-white illustrations make this less engaging than other picture books listed here.

Suggestion for library use

 After reading this book to students, I might lead them in a casual conversation about who makes up their family, much as the teacher did in the story.  I would make an effort to keep the tone casual so that the conversation felt more like a discussion than a sermon on tolerance. 

Module 14: 12 Impossible Things Before Breakfast

Summary
12 Impossible Things Before Breakfast is a collection of twelve short stories.  The stories all have fantastical elements, (hence the 'impossible things' in the title), with some being more far-fetched than others.  Stories range from a twist on Alice in Wonderland to grieving vampires to a group of thrill-seeking teenagers. 

Yolen, J. (1997). Twelve impossible things before breakfast: Stories. San Diego: Harcourt Brace. My impressions
This was not my favorite book.  I'm not a big fan of short stories in general, and unfortunately 12 Impossible Things didn't change my opinion.  I find short stories frustrating because, due to their length, you get only a glimpse of a full story.  There is no time for full character and plot development.  The fantasy theme of the stories was enjoyable in some stories, but slightly disturbing in others.  With that being said, the stories are well-written and I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy short stories and/or fantasy.

Reviews

Golodetz, V. (1997). Grades 5 & up: Fiction. School Library Journal, 43(12), 132.

This solid collection of short stories is a good introduction to various types of fantasy. Three of the 12 pieces are new and the rest have been published in other compilations. There is something here for everyone tales that are scary, gross, or fanciful. Some of the selections are reworkings of parts of children's classics, such as Alice in Wonderland (Alice learns how to be tough with the Jabberwock) and Peter Pan (Captain Hook is singing a new tune now that he is married to a modern-day feminist). "The Bridge's Complaint" puts a different spin on "The Three Billy Goats Gruff" by relating events from the bridge's point of view. The tales are set in different times--some in the past, some in the present, and some in the near or distant future. "Wilding" is a chilling futuristic look at New York City's Central Park, based on the gang violence that occurred there in the late 1980s. There's a story of a frightening sea monster, one about a fairy, and another about aliens; all will chill and delight the imagination.
 

Freeman, E. B., & Lehman, B. A. (1998). Children's books: Traditional tales. Reading Teacher, 52(3), 287.

Ever think that maybe Peter Pan was a chauvinistic tyrant? Maybe Alice wasn't tough enough to solve her own problems in Wonderland? Perhaps you would like to work as a "Max" in Central Park and keep an eye on the wild things. In Twelve Impossible Things Before Breakfast (O) Jane Yolen has created a delightfully bizarre collection of short stories with themes deeply rooted within well-known and beloved traditional stories and myths. The book's final section is a treat for readers who wish they could speak with the author as Yolen reflects on each story and provides insights that enrich each reading.

Suggestion for library use

For this book, the librarian could lead students in a discussion of what the common theme is in all twelve stories.  The title gives some hint of this, but students could expand on their ideas about the book's general theme.  They could also share ideas for additional stories with the same theme that could be added to the collection.

Module 13: Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Summary
Diary of a Wimpy Kid tells the day to day happenings in the life of Greg Heffley.  With Greg acting as narrator, he insists that he is NOT keeping a diary, even if the book reads like one.  Greg is a middle school student with typical middle school student problems: homework, bullies, jerky teachers, and girls who won't give him the time of day.  Diary uses humorous illustrations and dialogue to transport readers into Greg's world, with highly entertaining results. 

Kinney, J. (2007). Diary of a wimpy kid: Greg Heffley's journal. New York: Amulet Books.

My impressions
I wish that this book had existed when I was in middle school; it would have made living through the whole ordeal much more enjoyable!  I loved the illustrations and the diary-style writing.  I had heard about these books for years, so I wanted to check out for myself why they are so popular.  I understand now!  Kinney does a wonderful job of taking you back to middle school, feeling those middle school feelings, and living those humiliating middle school experiences-- all in a humorous way. 

Reviews

Diary of a Wimpy Kid. (2007). Publishers Weekly, 254(10), 61.

Kinney's popular Web comic, which began in 2004, makes its way to print as a laugh-out-loud "novel in cartoons," adapted from the series. Middle school student Greg Heffley takes readers through an academic year's worth of drama. Greg's mother forces him to keep a diary ("I know what it says on the cover, but when Morn went out to buy this thing I specifically told her to get one that didn't say 'diary' on it"), and in it he loosely recounts each day's events, interspersed with his comic illustrations. Kinney has a gift for believable preteen dialogue and narration (e.g., "Don't expect me to be all 'Dear Diary' this and 'Dear Diary' that"), and the illustrations serve as a hilarious counterpoint to Greg's often deadpan voice. The hero's utter obliviousness to his friends and family becomes a running joke. For instance, on Halloween, Greg and his best friend, Rowley, take refuge from some high school boys at Greg's grandmother's house; they taunt the bullies, who then T.P. her house. Greg's journal entry reads, "I do feel a little bad, because it looked like it was gonna take a long time to clean up. But on the bright side, Gramma is retired, so she probably didn't have anything planned for today anyway." Kinney ably skewers familiar aspects of junior high life, from dealing with the mysteries of what makes someone popular to the trauma of a "wrestling unit" in gym class. His print debut should keep readers in stitches, eagerly anticipating Greg's further adventures.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid. (2007). Kirkus Reviews, 75(2), 16.

Had Dante lived during the 20th century, he would have added a tenth circle to his conception of Hell: Call it Middle School. Here, there are morons, dorks, kids sporting premature facial hair; angst and beatings and really dumb ideas you never get away with--in other words, the realm of Greg Heffley, whose many frustrations and humiliations are caught so unerringly by Jeff Kinney in Diary of a Wimpy Kid. It's a graphic novel of unhinging hilarity and weirdly expressive, barebones artwork, in which Heffley is the comic, unredeemable and unnervingly appealing protagonist. "I think people will be amused by Greg Heffley because he is seriously flawed," says Kinney. "He suffers at the hands of kids above him on the totem pole, but he makes sure he doles it out to the kids who are beneath him. He can be petty and hypocritical, but his utter lack of introspection prevents him from bettering himself." Which, of course, is exactly why so many of his young readers will identify with him. Diary has been running for more than two years on the children's site Funbrain.com, which includes more than 1,000 pages of Greg's myriad follies. But it is print publishing that has the author jazzed up: "There were certain books in my house that were read so many times the pages crumbled," he says. "My greatest aspiration is to have Diary suffer the same type of loving abuse in some kid's hands." An aspiration likely to be realized.

Suggestion for library use

After reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid, students could write their own diaries.  This would give them practice with a different writing style.  It would also give them the chance to experiment with incorporating humor into their writing.