Yesterday I asked about the appropriateness of Kira-Kira and the honor
books for K-5. Mostly I got requests for a hit, but here are a few helpful
replies. I would like to ask that as you read these books that you would
post to the list what you think of them for grades 4 & 5. Personally, I am
going to hold off for a while before I order them. Thanks for your help!
-------------------------------------------
I ran out and bought as many of the books as I could find this morning, got
all the Caldecott and the Al Capone and Voice that challenged... Voice that
challenged a nation is just fine, I have skimmed thru it. Am reading Al
Capone at this moment. Here is the first sentence "Today I moved to a
twelve-acre rock covered with cement, topped with bird turd and surrounded
by water". Another sentence on the first page "I want to be here like I
want poison oak on my private parts". It seems like a fine historical
novel; I don't know whether your population is okay with the language.
I do not yet have my hands on the other two books. Would like to know more
about them. I hope to get them; I will probably send this copy of Al Capone
over to the middle school as I will the others if they seem problematic. The
problem with this type of book, it will be fine for some 5th graders but
some 1st or 2nd grader will pick it up, intrigued by the title or cover art,
and get it past us, and their mom will pitch a fit.
--------------------------------------------
I went onto Follett and see that the 3 fiction books are recommended for
grades 6-9 by School Library Journal. I am always hoping that is because of
the reading level since we have some advanced readers but usually find it is
the language and subject matter.
---------------------------------------------
I have read them all and we were debating about putting it in the children's
section of my public library that I work at. The book, in my opinion is good
for 5th and up. It does deal with the death of a sibling and is a period
piece...circa1950.
The honor books are quite good too...Lizzie Bright is more for the upper
grades (7th and up), the Marian Anderson book is good for 4th and up. Al
Capone is good too, for boys I thought and for 5th and up. Again that book,
in our library might not have a high circulation because it too is a dated
piece.
If you havent read them yourself I would recommend them...They are all good.
---------------------------------------------
I too wondered about the book Kira-Kira for my elem. students. I asked
around at the AASL Board meeting yesterday and the consensus of those who
had read it was that it is more of a middle school book also as well Al
Capone Does my Shirts. I hate that! Guess I will just have to get them for
me to read.
--------------------------------------------
Just my opinion - but I've had enough sad sad books for kids. Kira-Kira is
exquisitely written - but in a school where there is a cancer pocket, and
children have lost siblings, I am putting the book on the shelf with a
warning label. In my fourth grade 12 children have lost a parent within the
last five years.
Nancy Dickinson, Librarian
Hillsboro Elem. School
Hillsboro, TN 37342
fsufan23@charter.net
dickinsonn@k12coffee.net
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