We take a shift down the informational road this time. This
set of books swims in the ocean, flies in the air, and climbs trees! Creepy
underwater creatures await in Down, Down,
Down. The life and disappearance of one of the most famous pilots takes off
in Amelia Lost. My favorite of the
set was Quest for the Tree Kangaroo.
I was intrigued by the title, and thought about the tree octopus hoax. A
kangaroo in a tree…really? If I could ever own a private zoo, this animal would
be on my list. One look, and you’ll love it, too.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
DOWN, DOWN, DOWN - Steve Jenkins
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Jenkins, Steve. 2009. Down, Down, Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. ISBN 978-0-618-96636-3
Jenkins, Steve. 2009. Down, Down, Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. ISBN 978-0-618-96636-3
2. PLOT SUMMARY
In Down, Down, Down, Steve Jenkins takes the reader on a tour of the sea, learning about its different layers, the animals that live there, their unique adaptations to their environment, and their place in the food chain. The book starts with animals that break the surface, through the sunlit zone, the twilight zone, the dark zone, all the way to the ocean’s bottom. Readers will recognize some of the animals, but most are bizarre creatures they will not have seen or heard of before.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Steve Jenkins is a distinguished author and illustrator, whose books have been honored by Horn Book, the American Library Association, Publishers Weekly, New York Times, and the Caldecott Award. Jenkins’s reputation for quality children’s nonfiction is a recommendation in itself. His research for Down, Down, Down is documented in a bibliography at the end of the book. Though it is brief, the currency of the works cited (1998 through 2007) adds to the accuracy of Down, Down, Down. In an interview posted on Amazon (see Connections below), Jenkins describes researching many more books, websites, and ocean programming than is listed in the bibliography. He presents facts about the marine life as it is understood, but admits that our knowledge about life at the very lowest depths is limited. He leaves the door open for future discoveries, stating that exploration and discoveries continue in this substantially unknown world.
Steve Jenkins is a distinguished author and illustrator, whose books have been honored by Horn Book, the American Library Association, Publishers Weekly, New York Times, and the Caldecott Award. Jenkins’s reputation for quality children’s nonfiction is a recommendation in itself. His research for Down, Down, Down is documented in a bibliography at the end of the book. Though it is brief, the currency of the works cited (1998 through 2007) adds to the accuracy of Down, Down, Down. In an interview posted on Amazon (see Connections below), Jenkins describes researching many more books, websites, and ocean programming than is listed in the bibliography. He presents facts about the marine life as it is understood, but admits that our knowledge about life at the very lowest depths is limited. He leaves the door open for future discoveries, stating that exploration and discoveries continue in this substantially unknown world.
Jenkins does not make use of many verbal access features,
for example, the book lacks a table of contents, page numbers, and index. The
strong organization and visual access features compensate, however. Each spread
is given a heading describing its topic, and the book progresses in a
systematic way through the ocean depths. To help the reader keep track of how
far they have descended, each spread has a depth chart along the right margin,
with a tag indicating the depth and temperature. Measurements are given in both
U.S. customary and metric units (feet/meters and ˚F/˚C). A glossary summarizing
important vocabulary would make a helpful addition.
Jenkins’s voice in Down,
Down, Down takes on the character of a tour guide, pointing out interesting
trivia and using “we” to make this a shared journey of exploration. This adds a
personal quality to the text, and makes it feel like the journey is happening
in real time with the reader. He invites the reader to see what the fish see,
as if the readers were with him in a sub about to perform an experiment: “If we
turn out our light…” His text creates moods of mystery, anticipation, action,
and wonder. He paints a picture of an amazing world, which should capture
readers’ interest.
Jenkins does not avoid correct scientific terminology, like
bioluminescence or atmospheres of pressure, in order to simplify the text for
children. Instead, he builds comprehension through pronunciation guides,
readily-accessible definitions, or examples children will be able to relate to
out of their experiences (like feeling pressure changes in a fast elevator). A
challenge raised by the vocabulary, however, is that the reading level (a 6.0
according to Accelerated Reader) may create a discrepancy between reading level
and audience. Younger children attracted to the pictures may not be able to
read the book independently, and readers with the necessary reading skills may
find the illustrations too juvenile or may desire more information than is
contained in this introductory-level book. One content drawback to this book is
that there is a significant range of depths which are not discussed at all,
whether to say that similar animals live in the whole range or even to admit
that scientists are not yet sure about those depths.
The final pages of the book feature thumbnail reproductions
of each spread with numbered callouts for each of the animals. Each animal is
shown to scale with either an adult body or hand as a frame of reference.
Jenkins gives more details about the animals’ adaptations, place in the food
chain, unique factoids, and records of speed, length, or weight. Jenkins also
provides a depth chart showing how far humans can descend with no additional
equipment, scuba gear, and on through deep sea craft. Additional print or web
resources would encourage readers to continue their exploration of the deep sea
world. There is certainly information in the book which would lend itself to
discussion of ecosystems, adaptations, food webs, and scientific discovery,
though children may need adult interaction to make the most of it.
Down, Down, Down
is a hybrid of a survey book with a photo essay (though technically, these are
illustrations). Information given in the text is paired with striking images,
which are just as important and engaging as the text itself. Background colors are tied to depth, with
lighter colors near the surface and progressively darker colors as he brings
the reader farther down, until all the pages are black because no light ever
reaches those depths. A white font is used throughout the book, which contrasts
well against the dark backgrounds. The white text gets somewhat lost against
the lighter backgrounds, making it more difficult to read the pages at the
beginning of the book. Ocean life is given an almost three dimensional
appearance through layering of paper collage, painstakingly created to capture
colors, textures, and even light in the darkness.
4. REVIEW
EXCERPT(S) AND AWARDS
Bulletin of the Center
for Children's Books Blue Ribbon Award, 2009
New York Times Notable Children's Books, 2009
New York Times Notable Children's Books, 2009
Cybil Award, Finalist for nonfiction picture book, 2009
ALA Notable Children's Books, 2010
Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Books of
the Year, 2010
Texas Bluebonnet Book Award Nominee, 2010
H. W. Wilson’s Children’s
Core Collection, Most highly recommended
Kirkus: “Once again, Jenkins
provides an almost irresistible entry into our natural world for the youngest
readers.”
School Library Journal: “Depicted in Jenkins's
signature handsome collages, the denizens of each level swim against
ever-darkening backgrounds. . . Sometimes colorful or luminescent and often
toothy, they are both familiar and strange. . . The bold views tend to
emphasize the weirdness of these little-known species, but the repeated message
that humans have much to explore and learn in the deeper ocean is intriguing
and inviting.”
BookList: “In this plunge into the deep, Jenkins
displays his usual keen awareness of what is fascinating about biology. . .
Sophisticated cut- and torn-paper collage-work fit the alien qualities
of the subjects well. . . The scale of just how staggeringly deep the
ocean is, and how little we know of much beyond what happens at the surface, is
conveyed by sidebars on each page that drop precipitously from sea level to the
ocean floor many miles below. . . [A] most welcome introduction to the
sometimes-surprising world of marine biology.”
Natural
History: “A bestiary of sea creatures in cut paper, Down Down Down is
this year's gift to children from master illustrator Steve Jenkins. . . The deeper we go, the more outlandish the
creatures become, until finally we are in the fantastic company of the loosejaw
stoplight fish, the black swallower, and the fangtooth, all rendered in
astonishing cut-paper collages.”
5. CONNECTIONS
-
Find out more about Steve Jenkins and his writing
process through author interviews. Depending on the age of the children, this
may need to be mediated by the teacher.
-
Hold a virtual author visit. Brainstorm questions for
Steve Jenkins and submit the best by email at http://www.stevejenkinsbooks.com/contact.html
-
View photos and additional information about many of
the animals featured in Down, Down, Down.
It makes Jenkins’s illustrations even more amazing to see how well he has
captured these unique animals in paper.
Collard,
Sneed B. The Deep-Sea Floor. ISBN 978-1570914034
School Library Journal recommends this
as a pairing with Down, Down, Down.
Collard is a marine biologist.
-
Students could research a sea creature, bioluminescence,
or ocean conservation.
-
Pair Down, Down,
Down with a biography of Jacques Cousteau:
Yaccarino, Dan.
The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau.
ISBN 978-0-375-95573-0
Olmstead,
Kathleen. Jacques Cousteau: A Life Under
the Sea. ISBN 978-1-40276058-7
Berne, Jennifer. Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau. ISBN
978-0-8118-6063-5
-
Read more about the Trieste, the deepest-diving
research vessel:
-
Make use of prepared teaching units, for example
“Deep Sea Ecosystems: Extreme Living”
“Secrets of the
Ocean Realm” http://www.pbs.org/oceanrealm/intheschool/index.html
-
Students could invent a deep sea creature, where it
fits in the food web, what special adaptations it has, how large it is. Create
a picture using collage or other medium.
-
Check our Jenkins’s website, including a complete
listing of the books he has produced and a video about how he creates his collages:
AMELIA LOST - Candace Fleming
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Fleming, Candace. 2011. Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books. ISBN 978-0-375-94598-4
Fleming, Candace. 2011. Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books. ISBN 978-0-375-94598-4
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Amelia Lost is a both a biography of Amelia Earhart and a chronicle of her last flight and attempts to locate her in the weeks after her plane disappeared. Through Fleming’s account, the two-dimensional image of aviation icon Amelia Earhart transforms into a multi-faceted woman, aviation pioneer, and astute media manager who may not match commonly held perceptions. Fleming has brought together accounts following Earhart’s disappearance which lead to new insights into what may have occurred.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Candace Fleming has written award-winning biographies about
a number of famous individuals including Benjamin Franklin and Eleanor
Roosevelt. Fleming’s Amelia Lost
searches for the real Amelia behind the image she cultivated. To find out the truth
behind the myths, Fleming conducted extensive research. Her sources are listed
in a bibliography and then as specific notes per chapter. This level of
documentation and number of sources show that the information in Fleming’s book
has substantial validity and corroboration. Many of her sources are primary
source documents like letters, school papers, scrapbooks, and radio logs. She drew
from articles and books written by Earhart and her husband, George Putnam, and
other family members and friends. She was advised by subject and archival
experts, listed in the acknowledgments section. This is not research based on
someone else’s research, this research is as close to an interview with
Amelia Earhart as is possible. Fleming shares Amelia the private person,
stripped away from the limelight and the image she carefully cultivated.
Fleming is clear about unsubstantiated information, like people who claimed to
have heard her after she went down. She sets out the pieces for readers to draw
their own conclusions.
As an introduction, Fleming relates an anecdote given by
Earhart about the first time she saw an airplane, and then explains how that
could not possibly be true. Fleming opens the door to curiosity about the real
Amelia Earhart. Fleming alternates between silver-gray pages about the events
surrounding her disappearance and plain white pages delving into her life. The
book begins on July 2, 1937, the morning Earhart was supposed to
refuel as she crossed over the Pacific Ocean. The book progresses chronologically
through attempts to contact Earhart, individuals who claim to have heard her
over their radios, search efforts, and the decision to call off the search.
Between segments relating to her disappearance, Fleming leads the reader
through Earhart’s life. She shares challenges in her family and Earhart’s imagination
and a stubborn streak. Through Fleming’s description, the reader watches
Earhart’s desire to fly be born, her eventual success in becoming a pilot, and
why she felt like she needed to continually set records. Fleming shows how she
became a feminist icon through her endorsements, lectures, and teaching
position at Purdue University. The reader gets to peer into the highly secret
preparations for Earhart’s final journey, including the involvement of
President Roosevelt.
Access features in Amelia
Lost help readers orient themselves to the content and context. For verbal
access, the book provides a table of contents, giving date and topic for pages
related to the flight and date range and topic for biographical sections. The
index allows the reader to find specific text references or images (page
numbers in italics). Additional information is set in sidebars in the opposite
color of the rest of the page. These are placed in proximity to the topic in
the main text. Fleming gives a wealth of supplemental information in these
sidebars, for example: an explanation of how radio signals could be used to
locate a plane, a chart showing Morse code, and a history of aviation and
passenger flight. Websites are given in the resources at the end of the book to
find out more: transcripts, primary source material, newsreels, an Amelia
Earhart biography site, and a site featuring female pioneers in flight. Visual
access features enhance understanding as well. Photos, including newspaper articles,
handwritten notes, photos and her pilot’s license help to make Amelia’s story
personal. Maps of Earhart’s flight path and islands in the Pacific Ocean near
where she was supposed to refuel aid the reader in visualizing her journey.
Rachael Cole’s book design recreates the Art Deco feel of
the 1930s, even down to font choices. The main text is in a font created in
1935. Title lettering was created specifically for this book to represent the
period by Jessica Hische. Subchapter and sidebar titles are in their own font
based on period Art Deco posters, designed by Mark Simonson. The silver-gray
featured in the book is reminiscent of plane bodies and compliments the black
and white photos. Red accents on the cover draw attention and work well with
the grayscale of the rest of the book.
This book would be an excellent resource for student
research, but could also be read cover to cover as recreational reading. The
quantity of information and vocabulary would put this book out of reach for
young readers, but it would be completely appropriate for older elementary or
middle grade readers.
From her writing in the introduction and throughout the Amelia Lost, it is easy to sense that
Fleming was personally interested in uncovering the truth behind the image of
Earhart and the mystery of her disappearance. She did not do a surface level
investigation. She dug with persistence and shares her curiosity and
enthusiasm. Fleming does not shy away from controversies. The information
Fleming gives shows that there were potential missteps by searchers and
information that they did not follow up on. Without posing the question
directly, she makes the reader wonder if maybe Earhart could have been found if
people had made different decisions. Fleming shows that Earhart was known to
her flight instructors for poor decision making and having confidence that
reached past her abilities. The reader finds out about circumstances that
pushed Earhart to fly when it may not have been the safest decision. Fleming
shares equipment problems and a lack of training and experience with the plane
Earhart chose for her final flight. There are no definitive answers: rather
than solve the mystery, the questions make it all the more enigmatic.
4. REVIEW
EXCERPT(S) AND AWARDS
Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children
Honor Book, 2012
Cybil Award, Winner
Nonfiction Middle Grade & Young Adult, 2011
Golden Kite Awards, 2012
Golden Kite Awards, 2012
ALA Notable
Children's Books, 2012
Kirkus Best Children's Books, 2011
Horn Book Fanfare, 2011
School Library Journal Best Books, 2011
School Library Journal Best Books, 2011
Choices, from the Cooperative
Children's Book Center, 2012
New York Times Notable Children's Books,
2011
Washington Post Best Kid's Books, 2011
National
Council of Teachers of English Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts,
2012
H. W. Wilson’s
Children’s Core Collection, most
highly recommended
School Library Journal: “. . . [A] gripping and suspenseful thriller. . . Quotes from
primary sources are woven so seamlessly throughout that it seems as though the
individuals involved are telling the story. The Art Deco-inspired book design
and excellent black-and-white photographs help to transport readers back in
time. Fleming has made a phenomenal woman accessible
to a new generation of readers; she unapologetically shows Earhart as a real
person and dispels the mythology surrounding her. . . This book is splendid.
Hand it to everyone.”
Publishers Weekly: “Chapters alternate between the
tense search for the pilot's missing plane and a chronological progression
through her life, complemented by b&w photographs and other materials
smoothly incorporated into the book's crisp Art Deco–inspired design. . . This
honest depiction of Earhart's professional and personal life forms a complete
portrait of a complex woman, making her final doomed flight (and a reproduction
of a teenager's notebook transcription of what may have been Earhart's last
radio transmission) all the more affecting.”
BookList: “Drawing on her training as a historian and
her considerable writing talents, Fleming. . . offers a fresh look at
this famous aviatrix. . . While not disparaging Earhart’s achievements, Fleming
cites primary sources revealing that Earhart often flew without adequate
preparation and that she and her husband, George Putnam, used every opportunity
to promote her celebrity, including soliciting funds from sponsors. The use of
a gray-tone background for the disappearance chapters successfully
differentiates the narratives for younger readers. Frequent sidebars,
well-chosen maps, archival documents, and photos further clarify textual
references without disturbing the overall narrative flow. . . [T]his is a book
most libraries will want both for its fascinating story and as an illustration
of how research can alter historical perspective.”
Horn
Book: “Taut, cinematic, immediate, and dramatic; an exemplary biography adventure.”
Kirkus: “A mysterious disappearance and
an unsolved rescue mission is a powerful story on its own. But Fleming digs deeper
and shows readers why everyone—from young girls who looked up to her to the
First Lady of the United States—cared so much for this daring woman pilot. . . The
narrative shifts could have been maddening, for suspense reasons alone, but a
rhythm is established and the two plotlines gracefully fold into the
conclusion. . . Handwritten notes,
photos, maps and inquisitive sidebars . . . complete this impeccably
researched, appealing package. A stunning look at an equally stunning lady.”
5. CONNECTIONS
-
Read a biography about Candace Fleming and watch a
video where she explains why she loves writing biographies.
-
Watch “Primary Sources and the Power of Three,” a video
where Candace Fleming talks about research, the importance of primary sources,
and the need for verifying information from multiple sources.
-
Read a Kirkus
interview with Fleming about Amelia Lost.
-
Take advantage of Fleming’s teachers guide and
activities for Amelia Lost.
-
Learn more about Earhart through the sites listed in “Finding
Amelia in the Web” at the end of the book.
-
Watch the video at the link given on page 1 of the
book. The video is titled “Searching for Howland Island,” just after the 1200
entry at http://log.searchforamelia.org/wow-wheres-howland
-
Compare Fleming’s book with other biographies about
Earhart.
Szabo, Corrine. Sky
Pioneer: A Photobiography of Amelia Earhart. ISBN 0-7922-3737-4
Miklos, John, Jr. Unsolved:
What Really Happened to Amelia Earhart? ISBN 0-7660-2365-6
Haugen, Brenda. Amelia
Earhart: Legendary Aviator. ISBN 0-7565-1880-6
-
Research recent attempts to find where Earhart went
down.
-
Try sending a message in Morse Code to another class.
Try it first by hand and then with an online converter.
This converter changes text into Morse code and will play what the audio
version sounds like. The text version of the translation could be copied into
an email.
This
converter translates both directions and could be copied into email to send, so
it would work well for trading messages.
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