Module #2

Wilder, Laura Ingalls. Little Town on the Prairie. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers. 1971.

Summary:

Laura Ingalls lives on the prairie in the Dakota Territory in late 1800's. Laura loves life on the prairie even though life is not easy. Laura and her family must work hard to maintain their homestead, produce enough food to survive the hard winters, and send Laura's sister Mary to the college for the blind. However Laura family still finds time for fun. As the town grows, the people of the town join together in putting on activities to pass the long winter days. This is a book about the joys of working hard as a family and the simple pleasures of nature, family and community.

Tattered Cover says:

This book was such a wonderful surprise! I was enthralled by the simplicity of the portrayals of everyday life on the prairie. The Ingalls family did not have time for superficial things and the straightforward manner in which this book is written reflects that. This is a book that reminds us all to not forget the simple pleasures of life. For such an unassuming book, it may just hold the secret to true happiness...family, love, and working together towards a common goal.

How to use this in a library:

Being a historical semi autobiographical book, I think this would be great for a book club that could tie in some American history lessons about the time period. Students could be asked to look up non fiction books about homesteaders and how they contributed to the expansion of America. Projects for the book could be for students to build models of the town and use them as a exhibit in the library to display the Little House series.

Reviews:

"The little settlement that weathered the long, hard winter of 1880-81 is now a growing town. Laura is growing up, and she goes to her first evening social. Mary is at last able to go to a college for the blind. Best of all, Almanzo Wilder asks permission to walk home from church with Laura. And Laura, now fifteen years old, receives her certificate to teach school.

And so continues Laura Ingalls Wilder's beloved story of a pioneer girl and her family. The nine Little House books have been cherished by generations of readers as both a unique glimpse into America's frontier past and a heartwarming, unforgettable story." 1942 Newbery Honor Book, Notable Children's Books of 1940–1954 (ALA)

"Young readers will still enjoy the quaint memories of Laura Ingalls' life on the prairie, which was first published in 1941. Each chapter is a short story in itself. Together they tell of Laura's life as a fifteen-year-old. Mary moves away to college, Almanzo begins courting Laura (although she doesn't actually realize it), and the novel culminates with Laura testing for teacher certification earlier than expected. She's needed at a school 12 miles away, and readers will close the cover of this book curious to read the next one to find out how Laura fares in the classroom. Although some time has passed since this story actually occurred, readers will relate to naughty students in the one room schoolhouse, Laura's concerns about her studies, and a rivalry with the jealous Nellie Olson. Reading this book is also a great education on life in pioneer times: the endless chores, hard work, and threatening weather that will cause any reader to appreciate the comforts of the 21st century. 2004 (orig. 1941) Mary Loftus- Children's Literature

Module #2

Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban-Module #2

Hoban, Russell. Bread and Jam for Frances. New York City: HarperCollins Pub. 1962.

Summary:

Little Frances loves bread and jam. The problem is, she doesn't want to try anything else. After seeing that Frances finds fault with any food besides bread and jam, her parents decide to teach her a lesson. Frances is then given bread and jam for every meal. At first, this seems to be a good thing. However, Frances soon learns that variety is a good thing when it comes to eating.

Tattered Cover says:

This is a great book for teaching kids that too much of a good thing can end up bad. I love the way the author incorporated rhyme into the story with Frances singing about her food. The suddle way the parents teach Frances her lesson is entertaining. The book shows healthy eating habits and also incorporates some appetizing descriptions of meals.

How to use this in the library:

Bread and Jam for Frances would be a great story to use in the library for a health lesson for primary aged students. After the story, students could do an activity requiring them to make healthy choices to put together a healthy meal. They could do this whole group with pictures of choices of food on a Power Point. Also, students could be encouraged to look for other books such as kids cookbooks to come up with healthy meals they could have at home.

Reviews:

"Frances loves nothing better than jam and bread, and turns up her nose at other kinds of food. Then her mother starts giving Frances jam and bread for breakfast, lunch and dinner. ``What I am/is sick of Jam,'' Frances sings to herself. That's the end of Frances's jam-only days, as she discovers, in her own winsome way, that variety really is the spice of mealtimes." Publisher's Weekly 1987