The Green Book (Science Fiction)

The Green Book, by Jill Paton Walsh, illustrated by Lloyd Bloom 

(Science Fiction/Intermediate reader)

The Green Book, by Jill Paton Walsh, is about a family that must leave Earth as part of a group setting out to colonize a new planet. Nothing is certain as they begin their journey: Will they reach the new planet safely? Will the planet be able to support life? What surprises and dangers await them? Can they all work together to survive?

This book is a work of science fiction because it is a fictional story imagining possible realities based on scientific notions at the time it was written. It contains themes characteristic of the science fiction genre such as life in the future and survival. The story is set in a time when humans are forced to leave Earth in order to survive because of an impending disaster, a time when mass space travel is possible, a time when people have been prepared and selected to colonize other planets. The setting may be fantastic, with new creatures and unfamiliar seasons, but it is also made believable to the reader (Galda, 2010, p. 209). For example, on the new planet Shine, the group finds trees, but these trees are unlike those on Earth, they are so hard they are nearly impossible to chop down without using of fire to soften the wood. Such details give the created world a sense of authenticity.

The plot is also consistent and logical within the confines of the created story world. One of the greatest challenges the humans run into on Shine is in growing food. This is a real concern in the theoretical concept of colonizing other planets. All native plant matter on their new planet is made of inedible glass-like molecules. It follows that none of the seeds brought from Earth are growing. Their last hope, the wheat appears to be growing with the same native crystalline structure. The plot points all make sense according to the way things work on Shine.

The characters are well-developed as in all quality narrative works. As a group, they have an understanding of their responsibility in colonizing Shine, but individually, they bring different strengths and ideas to the task. The family The Green Book focuses on is especially multidimensional. The father, for example, is trying to carve out a role for himself in the new world to best provide for his family. Drawing on his experience as a mechanic, he is determined to be a maker of "humble cadets; practical things" (Walsh, 1986, p. 40).

The writing style is rich and evocative, lending a real sense of the story world that unifies all the other elements. Here is one description of the setting, “There was never any wind on Shine, never a ripple across the wheat or a movement of water in the lake” (Walsh, 1986, p. 48). Themes are meaningful and include survival, cooperation, hard work, creative thinking, and family.

The book contains some illustrations, although most of the storytelling occurs through the text. The majority of the pictures appear to be either pen and ink or graphite and pencil. Apart from the cover, the illustrations are colorless and representational in style but have a vague quality that lends itself to the overarching sense of this tale of being in the unknown. The inclusion of illustrations will help keep emerging intermediate readers engaged in the story and offer a visual experience of the strange new world the characters have entered.

ACTIVITIES:

1. Use this story as an opportunity to examine and give context to the challenges the group faces as they try to establish their home in the new world, Shine. Learn about where our food comes from, how our water is made safe for drinking, and what our houses are made of. Consider all the work it would take to start a whole new community from scratch without the infrastructure we have in place.

2. As an art activity, have students search the book for descriptive writing about the landscape of Shine and the plants and animals there. Using any medium, have students create their cover illustration for the book using evidence from the text.

READER RESPONSE QUESTIONS:

1. Why was the Father upset by Pattie’s choice of book to take to the new planet initially? How did his view change by the end of the book?

2. Everyone in this book has a role and a way to help establish the new world. Give some examples of ways in which the children helped the group survive.

I would recommend this book as an introduction to science fiction for intermediate readers. With as much focus on the children’s role in the group’s survival as the adult's, the book encourages young readers to think about their role in society. There is a lot of emphasis on teamwork as well, which is always a good theme for young readers to be exposed to. This could also be a good book for slightly older, more advanced readers to pick up after reading more modern samples of science fiction. This book can almost be read as a period piece, a look at what we thought the future might be right at the beginning of our era of technology. The book was originally published in 1982.

References

Galda, L., Cullinan, B. E., & Sipe, L. R. (2010). Literature and the child (7th ed.). Belmont, CA:
Wadsworths, Inc.

Walsh, J. P., & Bloom, L. (1986). The green book. Orlando: Harcourt Brace. Retrieved January

31, 2018, from https://archive.org/details/greenbookgrade5l00hb.

Images from: https://archive.org/details/greenbookgrade5l00hb

Tasunka: A Lakota Horse Legend (Folklore)

Tasunka: A Lakota Horse Legend, told and illustrated by Donald F. Montileaux, 

Lakota translation by Agnes Gay 

(Folklore/Primary reader)

In this beautiful story from the tradition of the Lakota people, a warrior goes out hunting and tracks a strange new animal, the horse. Through his patience, skill, and the blessing of the Great Spirit, the warrior brings the horse to his people, but their new power makes them greedy, taking land and resources from other tribes; the Great Spirit must intervene once more.

This book is part of the folklore genre which is characterized by straightforward storytelling with simple plot, one-dimensional characters, and vague setting (Galda, 2010, p. 184). In Tasunka, the plot follows a clear arc: a warrior is out hunting; he discovers and tames a new animal (the horse); he brings the horse to his people; the people abuse the gift of the horse; the Great Spirit sees this and takes away the gift of the horse; the people understand what they did wrong; many years later, the Great Spirit forgives the people and brings the horse back to them. The warrior embodies stereotypical qualities of a warrior: he is brave and determined. The setting is simply described as “the plains” or “a wooded area” (Montileaux, 2014). The language is descriptive, but direct, maintaining the quality of oral storytelling from which folklore originated. Tasunka also has qualities of a myth, explaining part of a culture’s past and giving context to the role of horses in a tribe’s way of life. The story contains lessons and themes for the Native Americans from this tradition as well as for the rest of humanity about greed; living together; forgiveness; and respecting the land, animals, and our fellow humans.

The book is written in both English and Lakota, honoring its origins. The illustrations are likewise respectful and indicative of the legend’s origins. Montileaux has employed the ledger-drawing style of his ancestors to create the book’s images (Montileaux, 2014). With a strong and suggestive sense of shape, color, and movement, the full-page and double-page scenes pull readers into the world of the legend.

ACTIVITIES:

1.     Find an audio recording of the book being read in Lakota so that students can hear the story in its native tongue. As you listen, have children examine the illustrations on the corresponding pages. This will give them a different sense of the story-telling role of the illustrations.

2.     This book contains symbols and patterns in many of the illustrations. Have students identify images they think may have significance in the Lakota tradition and then help them learn about the meaning behind the images and illustrations. Have students think about what symbols and practices have meaning in their own life and draw connections between the two. This could also be paired with a lesson on ledger-style drawing used to create the illustrations.

Both activities align with the Saint Leo Core Value of Respect because they encourage students to learn about and appreciate a different culture. By seeking to understand what has meaning for a group of people of different cultural heritage, we recognize that all that our diversity should be celebrated and that even in our diversity, we are united by many common values.

READER RESPONSE QUESTIONS:

1.     What lessons/themes did you hear in the story? How do they apply to your own life?

2.     What is the Great Spirit’s role in the story?

Folklore is such a wonderful way to introduce children to literature and the stories of other cultures. For this reason, I love that this book is written in two languages and utilizes traditional techniques in the illustrations. This is also a great example of non-fairy tale folklore to share with children. By reading many different kinds of folklore, children will quickly come to recognize its familiar structure and enjoy being able to follow plots and anticipate the lessons being presented. I would recommend this book for use in the classroom and for reading at home.

References

Galda, L., Cullinan, B. E., & Sipe, L. R. (2010). Literature and the child (7th ed.). Belmont, CA:
            Wadsworths, Inc.

Montileaux, D. F., & Gay, A. (2014). Tasunka a Lakota horse legend. Pierre, SD: South Dakota

State Historical Society Press.

Both images from: https://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/2014/06/donald-f-montileauxs-tasunka-lakota.html

Blue Lipstick: Concrete Poems (Poetry)

Blue Lipstick: Concrete Poems, by John Grandits 

(Poetry/Intermediate-Advanced reader)

Blue Lipstick is an engaging, often humorous collections of concrete poems written from the perspective of Jessie, a spunky high-schooler. Exploring, relationships, sports, style, and identity in creatively set poems, this book makes reading an active and immersive experience.

This book clearly falls into the poetry genre because it "combines rich meaning with sounds of language arranged in an interesting form" (Galda, 2010, p. 139). It follows the characteristics of quality poetry by presenting on content that is understandable and relatable to the intended reader. Specifically, this collection of poems, intended for adolescent readers, explores familiar topics for this audience such as sibling problems ("Talking to My Stupid Younger Brother Is Like Swimming Upstream in a River to Nowhere") and the emotional roller-coaster of teenage life ("A Chart of My Emotional Day"). Though intended for adolescent readers, has the potential to speak to teens and adults alike. The strong voice of the poems’ narrator pulls readers into the memorable world of adolescence. Adult readers will find these poems stir memories of their own youth or of familiar interactions with young people. 

A second characteristic of poetry is use of language and poetic devices. There is clear variety in the language of each poem, with the voice of the narrator remaining the constant through-line. One example of Grandits' innovative language can be found in the poem "Zombie Jocks," an portion of which follows: "Don’t like music, art or science./ We prefer the Rams and Giants./ Don’t like movies. Don’t like dancing./ Don’t like dating or romancing" (Grandits, 2007). The author has used consistent meter to form a rhythm similar to a school or sport cheer. Along with simple, repetitive phrases and rhymes, this poem captures the narrator’s idea of jocks and sports culture. The rhythm is a perfect blend between the actual feel of chants at sporting events and the kind of rhythm that can seem mind-numbing and zombie-like.  

Finally, Blue Lipstick is rooted firmly in concrete poetry structure, a form that helps the reader understand subjects and tone. These poems are visually intriguing, combining illustration and text cohesively. Each poem is presented in a consistent palette of blue, black and white (negative space), a color-scheme that fits the recurring feelings of frustration, annoyance, and isolation contained within the poems. The words and lines are arranged inventively to help tell the story of each poem. In the poem “Bad Hair Day,” for example, a simple semi-circle containing two eyes forms the top half of a face at the bottom of the page. The poem’s lines grow out of the head like strands of hair. Mirroring the poem’s narration of a hair-coloring experiment gone awry, some lines/strands appear colorless and limp while others are blue and frizzled, running in all different directions. Not only does this image add to the impact of the story for the reader, but the reader must also interact with the book, turning it this way and that to read the text as it meanders around the page.

As a whole, the collection of poems gives a snapshot of the narrator’s world and emotional development. The book begins and ends with variations of the same poem that frames this journey. The author offers such variety within a single style that each poem feels new and exciting. The language is accessible and casual to teens but includes appropriate moments of challenge and specificity to push readers’ vocabulary without ever feeling like the author loses track of the narrator’s voice. These lines from the poem "Advanced English" capture Jessie's voice perfectly, "I don’t think I’m in love with Elton Simpson, but…well…you know. I definitely like him" (Grandits, 2016). 

ACTIVITIES:

1.     In “Poems Inspired by the Free Perfume Samples at Carson’s” there are six haiku contained in drawing of perfume bottles written by Jessie describing the scents of her day. For example, “Essence of Lunchroom” and “Attar de Girls’ Bathroom during a Dance.” Have students write and illustrate a series of haiku centered around one theme from their own life such as sports haiku written inside the appropriate type of ball.

2.     The Author’s Note for this book is written as a poem, called “Pocket Poem.” The poem begins “It’s a good idea to carry a poem in your pocket in case of emergency.” Then goes on to explain why this is a good idea and how certain poems and certain poets can help change one’s mood. Encourage students to read several poems by different authors and bring at least one in to share with the class that they might use as a personal “pocket poem.”

READER RESPONSE QUESTIONS:

1.     Can you identify with some of Jessie’s thoughts and experiences in this book? Provide at least two examples from your own life that reflect a similarity or difference from Jessie’s experiences.

2.     The book begins with “The Wall” and ends with “The Wall (Revisited).” Why do you think the author chose to include these two poems? How are they different and what do these differences mean?

This would be a wonderful book to use to expose intermediate readers to both reading and writing poetry. While the poems fall into one form, they showcase the flexibility and sheer possibility of poetry in their diverse within that form. Lengths, rhythms, and manner of presenting ideas (narrative, haiku, etc.) all vary from poem to poem. Given the brevity of each poem, this would also be an approachable book for older students who don’t love to read. It would be age-appropriate in subject and reading level without being overwhelming in scope.

References

Galda, L., Cullinan, B. E., & Sipe, L. R. (2010). Literature and the child (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: 
Wadsworths, Inc.

Grandits, J. (2007). Blue lipstick: concrete poems. New York, NY: Clarion Books.

Blue Lipstick: Concrete Poems cover image from: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/blue-lipstick- john-grandits/1101967766#/

"Bad Hair Day" image from: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/210121138836120602/?lp=true