Locomotive


LOCOMOTIVE


A.    Bibliography-

Floca, Brian. (2013). Locomotive. New York, New York:  Atheneum Books an Imprint of Simon and Schuster. [978-1-4169-9415-2]

B.     Plot Summary –

Two kids and their mother take the train from Omaha, Nebraska to San Francisco, California. As they travel on the locomotive, we learn all about the train and the places they see on their journey. We learn about the jobs of the conductor, the engineer, the brakeman, the switchman and the fireman and how they keep everything running smoothly.

C.    Critical Analysis-

Locomotive can be read by a wide range of children. Floca’s use of information keeps older children hooked while his use of vivid illustrations and use rhyme scheme keep younger readers engaged.  The book sounds similar to a free verse poem because of its sense of song like rhyme pattern. The author used words such as CLANG-CLANG-CLANG, WHOO-OOOOO, HUFF, HISSSSSSS, a type of figurative device that is used to appeal to the readers senses. Although the illustrations in this book are remarkable it is also packed with historical and cultural details. The depth of information about the people who worked on the railroad and the parts of the locomotive are wonderfully written and illustrated. The way Floca used multiple points of views to showcase his trains really gave the reader that well-rounded image of the locomotives.



 A strength I noticed was the size of the book and the use of full page and two full page illustrations, making the book more dynamic with the use of horizontal and vertical illustrations. One possible weakness is the use of a variety of different fonts. This might be hard for some readers, especially younger ones to stay focused.



D.    Review Excerpts –

·         Caldecott Medal Winner: 2014

·         Sibert Honor Books: 2014

·         Notable Children's Books: 2014



“Fantastic opening and closing notes make this the book for young train enthusiasts.”-BOOKLIST



“Train buffs and history fans of many ages will find much to savor in this gorgeously rendered and intelligent effort.”-SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL



E.     Connections –

Moonshot ( 9781416950462)

Create an alphabet book of railroad vocabulary (Simon and Schuster)

Steam Engine Science Project (Szczys,M)

Transcontinental Railroad Timeline ( M.A. Cappiello, K. Cunningham, E. T. Dawes, &              Enriquez.)


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Three Ninja Pigs

Image
Title: The Three Ninja Pigs Bibliography - Schwartz, Corey R., & Santat, Dan. (2012). The Three Ninja Pigs . New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons. ISBN 9780399255144 Plot Summary – When a wolf threatens their village, three pigs decide they are tired of being bullied by the wolf, so they each take ninja lessons to defeat him next time he tries to huff and puff their houses down! pig one gets bored and drops out early. The second quits against his sensei wishes and decides that he is ready to face the wolf. The third pig practices and works hard every day and it pays off. This story is a perfect example of a comical fractured fairy tale- a fun rhyming story that is enjoyable for all ages. This story is a fun and refreshing take on the classic Three Little Pigs  tale. Critical analysis- At the beginning of The Three Ninja Pigs, the Big Bad Wolf is shown as the villain. The Three Ninja Pigs create a plan of defense. Martial arts is something that young reader...
Read more

Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians

Image
BIBLIOGRAPHY Krosoczka, J. (2009). Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians . New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN: 9780375846847 PLOT SUMMARY In this graphic novel, book number two of Lunch Lady series, Lunch Lady battles against the librarians. Mrs. Page, the librarian and her league are planning on destroying all the video games that are about to be released. The lunch lady teams of with Dee, Terrance and Hector, the Breakfast Bunch from the first book, to stop the librarian’s plans. CRITICAL ANALYSIS This is a popular book series in my classroom of third graders, so that is why I feel like it is appropriate for that age. It is an excellent graphic novel for a read along, since it is simple to follow. The illustration of the book is simple, yet grabs the reader’s attention. The color scheme in this book are rather dull including only black, white, grey, and different yellow but it does make the dialogue in the book more noticeable. Personally, I believe thi...
Read more

Response to Principal

This assignment was for LSSL 5337. Here is an audio of responding to a principal remarks of "do we really need libraries" with all the information we can find on the internet? This assignment sparked interest because this type of remark is very common. When i tell people what i an pursing my masters for i get responses like, "you need a masters to become a librarian ?" or i even heard this remark "Do you have to take a class on how to say shhh" These remarks are all too common, so i think that by practicing a response is very important and can help new librarians face these issues. So i have included my response in this blog post. Please let me know what you think? Is it convincing? Click here to hear the message Thank you!
Read more