Thunder Underground (Jane Yolen)

Title:  Thunder Underground

Author:  Jane Yolen

Illustrator:   Josee Masse

Target Ages:  5-10

Genre:  Poetry

Publisher Summary: 

What is under your feet?

Ant cities

Fox dens

Rabbit warrens

Now dig deeper.

Subways

Forgotten towns

Fossilized bones

What other secrets hide deeper still beneath your shoes?

Favorite Poem:

“Corny Conversations”

It sounds too odd

for us to hear,

corn plants can talk,

not mouth to ear.

But with a strange

and clicking sound,

their taproots speak

beneath the ground.

We don’t know what

corn rootlings say

when they communicate

this way.

But scientific studies

show

they do this as they

grow and grow

and grow.

Evaluation:

I am drawn to poetry that brings out the wonder of the world, utilizes imaginative language, and teaches a little science at the same time.  It makes me wish I was still an elementary teacher.  Poetry brings out the spectacle and awe of the world that science textbooks sorely lack.

Thunder Underground can be used along with several science units to start a lesson or to prompt writing across the curriculum:

• Insects
• Plants
• Paleontology/Dinosaurs
• Volcanoes
• Earthquakes
• Archeology
• Geology

Yolen uses a variety of poetry styles from haiku to free verse.  Each one brings out a new angle about the hidden world below from the natural to the man-made (subway, basement).  Some of the information is common knowledge for adults, but not necessarily so for children.  Other fascinating facts will surprise many like plants communicating with each other and the sound of beetles walking underground. 

I love Josee Masse’s illustrations.  Each page turn offers a sweeping look at the world—both above and below the surface—with deep colors and stunning depictions. Two inquisitive children (a boy and a girl) are often pictured observing and inquiring. 

Poetry and science collide to make a wondrous experience in Thunder Underground.  It is a must have for an elementary school classroom or home collection.  These poems are sure to encourage children to think about the many unseen and unknown aspects of the world. 

For more great poems and poetry book selections, visit this week's Poetry Friday.

Picture Book (History): Pompeii Lost and Found (Osborne)

Summary of Pompeii: Lost and Found (by Mary Pope Osborne):

Osborne begins by painting a portrait of life in Pompeii, almost 2000 years ago, before Mount Vesuvius erupted.  People were tending their homes and business, going to school and work, and enjoying leisure activities.  Things changed though on August 24, AD 79.  The sea became choppy.  Streams suddenly dried up.  Animals began acting out of the ordinary.  Then, a huge volcanic blast hit.  It bombarded the town with stones, ash, and poisonous gases until it was completely entombed.  Pompeii is unique because it is the only town of the ancient Roman Empire in which everything was “frozen” in time and untouched for hundreds of years.  As a result, historians and archaeologist have learned a lot about the era and the everyday people.  Osborne describes some of the finding about family life, houses, entertainment (gladiator contests and theater), social gatherings (in bathhouses, courtyards, cobblestone streets, and schools), shopping (a forum or outdoor market), and religious rites (personal shrines and temples).  Then, she returns to the fateful day when everything changed.  Finally, a glimpse of the present day is given where modern era people with cameras and guide books are exploring the ancient ruins.  Bonnie Christensen uses wonderful fresco paintings in muted colors to reflect the popular art form of the era and to depict life in Pompeii at the time of the devastating natural disaster.   

Evaluation:

Mary Pope Osborne is best known for her Magic Tree House series.  She knows how to write in order to captivate a young audience.  Pompeii: Lost and Found is an example of her power to engage.  The text reads more like a fascinating and mysterious narrative rather than a stiff factual account.  Christensen’s sweeping frescoes are an essential part of the storytelling (see example below).  They reveal common tools found on the site as well as some of the residence fossilized as the ash encompassed them.  The illustrations, also, depict everyday life—meals, theater, children’s games, marketplace, and so forth.  I highly recommend this book for ages 8 and up. 

Teaching Opportunities: 

• Science:  learn about volcanoes--what causes them to form and to erupt, what happens to areas after a volcanic eruption (see Gopher to the Rescue which is about an area that slowly revitalizes after a volcano erupted)
• History:  use this book as part of a unit on ancient Roman or learn more about ancient Roman after reading (see Osborne's Ancient Rome and Pompeii Research Guide)
• Comparison:  compare/contrast life in Pompeii to life in your city or another historic town
• Literature Connection:  read a historical fiction book set in Pompeii (see Osborne's Vacation Under the Volcano) or ancient Roman (like the Roman Mystery Series)
• Poetry:  write a poem describing what you think it would have been like to see and experience Mt. Vesuvius exploding
• Art:  learn more about the fresco painting technique and create your own fresco paintings

This post is linked up with Non-Fiction Monday at Gathering Books.

Picture Books (Science): Animals, Adaption, and Interdependence

Sylvan Dell has two new Spring Releases that focus on interdependence adaption, and food webs in nature.

Summary of Gopher to the Rescue!  (by Terry Catasus Jennings)  

The ground moves and shakes.  Rumbles penetrate the silent mountain woodlands.  Steam and ash trickle into the air.  Gopher busily digs in his burrow.  The rumbling and shaking become more intense.  Then, a sound resonates through the woods, violent and thunderous.  Gopher continues digging in his burrow.   The mountain explodes and disappears in a cloud of ash and rock.  Even though many animals and plants are destroyed in the blast, gopher is safe in his home.   In this now nearly desolate area of the mountain, few creatures have survived.   The remainder of the narrative describes how the mountain recovers with the vital help of gopher and other survivors, drawing on the scientific observations made after the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. 

Evaluation: 

Gopher to the Rescue!  A Volcano Recovery Story is a good balance of engaging narrative and nonfiction information.  The text is straightforward enough that young readers will enjoy it, but dense enough to be a springboard for many science topics like environmental changes, volcanoes, habitats, landforms,, food chains, and so forth.  The illustrations (by Laurie O’Keefe) are rich and detailed, revealing not only the beauty of the woodlands but the desolation of the area after the eruption.  This book is a beautiful story of the resilience of nature and a testimony of hope in the midst of disaster.  I recommend it for ages 4-11.

For more teaching ideas and resources, visit the book page at Sylvan Dell and the 40-page Teaching Activity Guide. 

Summary of Home in the Cave (by Janet Halfmann)   

Deep within a dark cave, Baby Bat snuggles close to his mother.  He is comfortable and safe.  He never wants to leave the cave—ever!   When his mother leaves for her nightly insect hunt, he hears the other youngster describe the dangers lurking outside the cave.  He is determined to never leave!  While practicing his flying, he crashes into a wall and lands in a packrat’s nest.  His new rodent friend leads him on a tour of their habitat where they meet birds, snakes, salamanders, fish, and a host of insects.  Baby Bat learns his vital role in the cave food chain, and he overcomes his fears of the outside world. 

Evaluation:

Using the point of view of a child, Home in the Cave creates a narrative framework for youngster to explore the unknown on two levels.  First, he is venturing into and learning about his physical environment in a calm and simple manner.  Second, he is learning a valuable lesson about growing up and conquering fear.  Both of these lessons are beneficial to children.  Next, the book broadens a child’s experience with nature and expands his science vocabulary/background knowledge by fluidly revealing the wonders of the cave habitat.   Also, there are some excellent opportunities to discuss literary elements with examples of similes, hyperbole, and alliteration sprinkled within the text.  Finally, Shennen Bersani does an amazing job with light and color.   he maintains the dark atmosphere while illuminating the creatures and other elements in there (stalactites, stalagmites, nests, watering holes).  This book is recommended for children ages 4-9.  

For more teaching ideas and resources, visit the book page at Sylvan Dell and the 51-page Teaching Activity Guide. 

Disclaimer: As per FTC guidelines, I received copies of these books from Sylvan Dell Publishing in exchange for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation. All opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone.