Books and More Books

I’ve been quite busy this week before the end of the term.  There was a major project due in the Activities for Children class, so of course I went overboard and got color copies at KINKO’s and wrote a little over the minimum of 3 pages of text.
Doing projects is much more agreeable than writing long research papers or taking tests.

Math Class had several homework problems to work on, which were collected before asking questions, so I know that one problem is not completed.  The Final Exam for that class isn’t until May 16, so I have longer time to worry.

I’ve been doing some research for the last paper in Illinois State Government class, but probably won’t sit my butt down and do the actual writing until the night before it is due.  I’m such an awful procrastinator.

As if the end of school isn’t time-consuming, I volunteered to help the church library committee do some children’s book reviews.  The purpose for my thinking is that I could be the first to read the new books before they are put on the shelf, and it would be writing a report for fun, which would then go into the newsletter.

This follows the thinking I had when I signed on for the Children’s Literature class at the community college, and so the same path was being followed.
My mind scrambles to keep up with expectations.

There is a difference with holding a book in my hands to read to a little kid who is sitting on my lap or reading the words for the purpose of guidance and recommendation to a grandma who is trying to choose a book to send as a birthday gift.

The first book I wrote about is Saving Strawberry Farm.  I think this will be great to have on the shelf in the church library.
In fact, that room gave me the first best impression of the building.  The nursery workers gave the best impression of the congregation.  And the sermon meant we would be staying around awhile.  A time span of 23 years.

Anyway, here’s what I wrote about the book:

This book, SAVING STRAWBERRY FARM written by Deborah Hoskinson, with pictures by Rachel Isadora, is a wonderful experience for someone who is very much a visual and hands-on learner such as myself.

The cover of the book is hardback, with the drawing directly on it, meaning there is no book jacket to get in the the way or to be lost.  I know that book covers serve a purpose, but some of us like to hold onto the book itself!

First thing I wanted to do was to look, Look, LOOK at all the colored pencil pictures, partly to see if I could figure out the theme, but mostly because they are just so pretty and bright, with many lifelike details.
The pictures are a full page, with the text written on the facing page, and I think that is fine for readers of all ages.  Younger children will focus on the pictures, beginning readers should be able to follow along the sentence structure, grown-ups won’t mind delivering bedtime stories.

The story tells about a hot summer day when a small boy uses his only penny to rally the people of his small town and to begin an auction to help his friend Miss Elsie to buy her farm from the bank’s foreclosure.

This book is a good way to introduce how friends stuck together to help one another during tough times.

There is no mention for the year 1933 and the background of the Great Depression until an afterword, but SAVING STRAWBERRY FARM would be fine as an attention-getter for the study of American history.

And then, of course, being an up-and-coming teacher, I want to have some tie-ins for the story.
So I went to my coin collection (an old cookie tin at the back of the dresser) and found a penny with a 1929 date, and another with a 1924 date.  Then I sat wondering how a penny could help buy a farm.

So much of the little girl in me is still swirling around inside.

Well, it is Saturday, and that means laundry at some stage or another.  There’s a whole row of Husband’s wet socks on the line, and I think I have a couple baskets of towels to fold.
Have a great weekend.
~~love and Huggs, Diane
ps Please go over and wish my reader Torie at Pointless Ramblings a Happy Graduation! for earning her Bachelor’s degree.