The Bad Seed (by Jory John)

Title:  The Bad Seed

Author:  Jory John

Illustrator:  Pete Oswald

Target Ages:  4 and up

Genre:  Picture Book Fiction

Publisher Summary:

There is a bad seed. 

A baaaaaaaad seed. 

How bad? 

Do you really want to know? 

He lies about pointless stuff. 

He cuts in line.  Every time. 

He never washes his hands….or his feet. 

And he does lots of other bad things too. 

But what happens when a bad seed doesn’t want to be bad anymore? 

Can a bad seed change his baaaaaaaad ways?

First Lines: 

I am a bad seed. 

A baaaaaaaad seed. 

Oh, yeah. It’s true. 

The other seeds, they look at me, and they say,

“That seed is so bad!”

Memorable Moment: 

I’ve made a big decision.

I’ve decided I don’t want to be

a bad seed anymore.

I’m ready to be happy.

It’s hard to be good when

you’re so used to being bad.

But I’m trying.

I’m taking it one day at a time.

Evaluation: 

Generally speaking, a good book should not about “teaching lesson,” but it should prompt insight and reflection.  A Bad Seed is a simple picture book exploring a common cliché in a creative way.  However, the truths it depicts are multi-faceted.

The narrative begins with the bad seed repeating what others say about him.  The attitude of parents and peers is clear, in spoken word as well as body language.  The seeds do everything from shield their children from the bad seed’s actions to expressing fear, dismay, and shock.  They point at him and keep a distance.  Illustrator Pete Oswald does a brilliant job conveying these emotions and others with simple drawings in muted neutral colors. The book effectively depicts the impact of a group’s attitudes and actions on a person (or seed, in this case).

Next, the seed recounts all the “bad” things he has done.  These awful deeds range from never washing his hands or putting things back to lying about pointless stuff and cutting in line.  The reason he does these things:  He is a bad seed.  Sadly, he is convinced (like so many children) it is just who he is.

The final contributing factor to his “badness” is experience.  When he drops from a flower, he is raked up and put in a package of sunflower seeds.  Then, he is almost eaten by a giant (a human).  The seed allows his circumstances to jade him.  

                                                                                    

For a children’s book, so much truth is illustrated in those three layers.  Truth vital for all ages:  We cannot allow others to define us.  We should not label and ostracize people who act differently.  We are not inherently “bad” (or good for that matter).  We decide how to respond to experiences—either to learn and to grow or to be bitter and to stagnate.  There are multiple discussion possibilities from this one short picture book. 

The best part is when the seed makes a choice.  He does not want to be bad anymore.  With that choice comes changes in his actions.  Eventually, the other seeds begin to see him in a new light.  More importantly, he views himself differently.

A Bad Seed defies the common belief that people are who they are.  In other words, they cannot help how they feel, think, and act. To me, there is nothing more defeating than believing you are a tiger who cannot change his stripes.  I love this book because it empowers children with the belief that they can change.  It might be hard at first.  They will have set backs.  However, they can change with a commitment to shift their attitude and alter their actions. 

This books can be read and enjoyed by all ages.  I highly recommend A Bad Seed to teach manners, self-reflection, empathy, and empowerment.

Check out the book trailer!

Now, Prove It! — Theme with Evidence
Students analyze key ideas, gather supporting quotes, and use structured sentence starters to explain how the evidence proves a theme. This resource helps readers practice moving from what happens in the story to what it means.  Get your copy of Now, Prove It: The Bad Seed.

Ideas for Extension Activities at Home or Lesson Plans for Teachers:

• Art:  The bad seed comes from a sunflower.  There are many sunflower activities online. This post has a Sunflower Hand Craft that is adorable.
• Choices:  Discuss the bad seed’s choices and their impact on others.  Ask children to consider their choices and impact—both immediate and long term (reputation).  Even if they have a good reputation, they can hurt it with bad choices.  Those with a "bad" reputation can fix it with lots of wise ones.  
• Clichés:  The expression “a bad seed” is a cliché.  Discuss what a cliché is.  Expand to discuss other common clichés. 
• Manners:  The bad seed illustrates the impact of bad manners both on the him (the rule breaker) and others.  Use the book as part of a unit on manners.
• Feelings:  Identify all the characters' feelings in various situations.  Connect feelings to actions and thinking.  
• Interactive Reading:  Click here for an interactive reading session with the book.
• Reading:  Click here for a reading of the book.
• Science:  Use the book as part of a study on plants or seeds.  Click here for suggestions on books about seeds.   
• Self-Reflection:  For younger children,  ask questions that prompt self-reflection: Am I acting ____  way? How do others feel when I ______?  How can I change ____?  For older students, parallel the story to their performance in a specific area.  I teach writing.  I could ask questions about how what others have said about their writing, what they say about themselves as a writer (self-talk), and how their experiences writing have impacted them.  Then, move to the next part:  How can they make changes to progress in their writing?
• Symbolism:  This book is ideal to use when teaching symbolism for all ages.  Grab my Teaching Symbolism with Picture Book Activity.
• Theme:  Teach theme with The Bad Seed.

For more Perfect Picture Book suggestions, visit Susanna Leonard Hill's blog round up.

Fairy Tale Friday: Susan Jeffers

It is FairyTale Friday, a weekly meme I co-host with Literary Transgressions.  All bloggers are invited to link up their fairy tale posts here.  Everyone can join in by commenting.  Also, see the FairyTale Friday July Giveaway.

This week I am highlighting Susan Jeffers who has illustrated dozens of books.  She often partners with author Amy Ehrlich on fairy tale retellings.  The Wild Swans and The Snow Queen are lesser known tales from Han Christian Andersen’s nineteenth century collection.  These stories have a few things in common.  First, they do not offer idealistic Disney versions of life.  In both, the protagonists endure real hardships.  The people they encounter are often evil like the robbers who threaten to slit a girl’s throat, a child who enjoys watching animals suffer, and lamias clawing the Earth with long bony fingers!  Of course, early fairy tales did include such evils and much worst!  Furthermore, despite a few minor scary references, both protagonists are admirable. They suffer great hardships, even risking their own lives, to save people they love.   Positive character qualities abound, such as determination, goodness, innocence, self-discipline, self-sacrifice, and perseverance.  These qualities appear to be important to the people of the nineteenth century since they are so often found in early fairy tale collections.  Finally, Susan Jeffers’ illustrations brilliantly capture the original era they were written in with intricate details as well as vivid colors contrasting with neutrals shades.  I love her realistic portrayals of the characters and settings with large, captivating illustrations, adding a wonderful layer to the stories. 

The Snow Queen 

Kai and Gerda are next-door neighbors and bosom friends.  After a brief encounter with the Snow Queen one late winter’s night, Kai changes.  He becomes mean and distant.  The following winter he wishes to show off in front of the other boys by tying his sled to a cart traveling by.  Rather than freeing himself after a short ride, he becomes entranced by its driver:  The Snow Queen.  Kai disappears from the village.  All believe he died in the nearby frozen river.  Gerda doesn’t though.  She goes on a great quest in search of her beloved friend where she visits an old woman who enchants her into staying, a king and queen who provide her with supplies, and a group a robbers who take everything.  Nothing dissuades her from her search.  The mighty Snow Queen is no match for Gerda, whose love, goodness, and innocence easily break the spell enslaving Kai. 

The Wild Swans 

 In a far away kingdom, a king lives in a palace with his 11 sons and 1 daughter.  The children have an idyllic life.  After some years have passed, the king marries a wicked woman who hates the children.  She sends the daughter, Elise, to live with some farmers.  The princes are condemned to live as wild swans, uttering strange and mournful cries while wandering through the skies.  When Elise turns 15 years old, she returns to the castle.  The queen is threatened by her beauty and goodness, so she once again successfully banishes her.  Elise goes in search of her beloved brothers.  When she finds them, they travel to a distant land together.  While there, she learns how to break the spell on her brothers, but it requires her to overcome physical and emotional hardships.  Not only that, Elise is not able to utter a word until the task is complete which becomes even more challenging when she is condemned to death for something she did not do.  Her love for her family and her perseverance, help her overcome and break the spell.  

I would love to hear about your experience with Jeffers' work or tell about your favorite lesser known fairy tale.  All comments are welcomed.  

Fairy Tale Friday: The Legend of the Bluebonnet

Along with Literary Transgressions, Books4Learning is re-launching the Fairy Tale Friday weekly meme.   We hope that you will join us each week as we talk about fairy tales, myths, and legends.   Some weeks we will have a special theme or challenge.  While others it will just be a free share.  Everyone is always free to join in by adding to the conversation or sharing a favorite myth, fairy tale, or legend—even if it is not related to the theme or challenge.   At the end of this post, there is a place for a self-link up.    

To begin with, I am going to share a picture book based on an Indian legend: The Legend of the Bluebonnet (by Tomie DePaola). I was first drawn to the story during my college years studying elementary education.   It was one of the first picture books I purchased for my future classroom. I still have it to this day as it remains a personal favorite.  

Summary of The Legend of the Bluebonnet (by Tomie DePaola): 

A Comanche tribe is suffering drought and famine. They dance and pray to the Great Spirits, but no healing rains come.   There is one small girl named She-Who-Is-Alone.   She sits alone, because her family has all died from the drought, watching the dancers and playing with her cherished doll with brilliant blue feathers on its head.  When the shaman returns from his quest to hear from the Great Spirits, he tells them what he has heard:   

“The People have become selfish.

For years they have taken from the Earth

without giving anything back.

The Great Spirits say the People must sacrifice.

We must make a burnt offer

of the most valued possession among us.”

The People sang and gave thanks to the Great Spirits, but each one is sure his/her most valued possession is not what is required.   Everyone, that is, except She-Who-Is-Alone.   While holding the doll tightly to her heart, she is convinced that the doll must be sacrificed.   Once everyone is asleep, she journeys to the hillside where she offers her doll up and thrusts it into the fire.  Eventually, the fire dies down, and the ashes grow cold.   She-Who-Is-Alone scoops them up and scatters them to the Home of the Winds.   

When she wakes the next morning, the hillside is covered with beautiful blue flowers the color of her beloved dolls’ hair feathers.    The People see the flowers as a sign of forgiveness.  As they sing and dance, a warm rain falls to the Earth and makes everything alive again.  From that day on, the young girl is known by another name—One-Who-Dearly-Loved-Her People.

Evaluation:

I love that the one who steps up is a child.   In her innocence and simplicity, she is able to have true wisdom.  The others are too caught up in their own concerns and complications.   I, also, love the motif of total sacrifice.  Even though she has lost everything, she is willing to give up the one cherished item she possesses.  She considers the good of her people as greater than her own comfort.  Truly, how often does that happen today?  Not enough.

Before my recent graduate studies on myth in children's literature, I never questioned the accuracy of current picture books as a genuine reflection on the culture it represented.  I mistakenly assumed in this multi-culturally sensitive era that if it was in libraries and well-received by the literary community, it must be authentic.   Unfortunately, many popular picture books do not reflect Native American Indians accurately.  The authors use stereotypes, borrow from different groups and depict as one tribe, or reflect more western values than the Native culture’s.  

I am not entirely sure on the accuracy of The Legend of the Bluebonnet.  DePaolo gives some assurance though.  In the Author’s Note, he discusses his research and affirms his effort to depict the people genuinely.  

• What is your favorite native American myth or legend?
• Have you noticed any stereotypes, inaccuracies, or western values in cultural myths and legends you have read?
• How can we find out for certain the cultural accuracy of a work? 
• What responsibility do publishers, libraries, and educators have in making sure they are teaching the proper facts related to Native Americans and other cultures through literature?
• What are some recent fairy tales, legends, or myths you have read? 

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Summary of Catching Fire:  

From the Barnes and Noble website

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark.  But it was a victory won by defiance of the capital and their harsh rules.  Katniss and Peeta should be happy.  After all, they just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty.  But there are rumors of rebellions among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror are the faces of that rebellion.  The Capital is angry.  The Capital wants revenge. 

Evaluation: 

As soon as I finished The Hunger Games, I was anxious to begin Catching Fire, the sequel.  Suzanne Collins is a master storyteller.  She brings her dystopian world to life in a dynamic way.  The narrative is highly creative and engrossing.  Throughout the book, I was on the edge of my seat wondering—what is going to happen to Katniss, Peeta, and Gale, and most importantly, who is Katniss going to end up with. 

The Hunger Games prompted me to think, and I enjoyed the character dimensions that are explored.  Collins’ characterization is consistent and credible between the novels.  Unfortunately, she does not genuinely delve into the characters any deeper in Catching Fire.  I would have liked to see more facets to them.

The book continues the motifs of self-absorption and excess in the Capital while the districts suffer from want and hunger.  This discrepancy, along with Katniss’ visible rebellion, prompts the districts and others to begin the surge of defiance that has been lying dormant, waiting for an opportunity.  Collins carries the motifs over from The Hunger Games.   She does not introduce new ones or significantly expand the previous ones.  I felt there is less literary “meat” to Catching Fire. 

Despite library and school recommendations to the contrary, I suggest the Hunger Games series for ages 13 and up.  The content is too heavy for younger readers.  Another aspect to consider is that while the books temper the desciptiveness of the violence and it ultimately is meant to be a lesson in totalitarianism, soon there will be movies depicting all of it.  Reading something and seeing it are very different experiences.  If you allow younger children to read the books in this series, they are going to want to see the movies.  I have no doubt the films will be as graphic as possible while still being within a PG-13 realm.  Today, PG-13 violence can be pretty intense.  Aside from the movie aspect, I strongly caution parents to read the books themselves and carefully consider the appropriateness for children under 13. 

Like The Hunger Games, Catching Fire is a action-packed page turner you will not want to miss!  I have already excitedly started the final book in the series--Mockingjay. 

Picture Book: Thumb Love by Elise Primavera

Summary of Thumb Love: 

Lulu, a  recovering thumb sucker, begins by asking four key questions.  If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, you may have experienced the heartbreak of Thumb Love.  She offers to help you learn how to quit being a sucker!  First, she tells her story.  Lulu and her Thumb are happy.  They do everything together—go places, read, sleep, and watch TV.  At her fourth birthday party though, some family members encourage her to stop sucking her thumb since she is too old and because it will ruin her teeth.  Lulu sees people, both real and imagined, who are laughing and jeering at her.  Even her cousin Lili, also a former thumb lover, laughs at her!  After a frightening buck toothed nightmare, Lulu decides to develop a program for quitting.   Now, she is encouraging others to stop sucking their thumbs. 

Evaluation: 

Elise Primavera’s Thumb Love is an inspirational and humorous read.  Lulu’s struggle does not have an easy solution or resolution.  She really has to work at quitting.  Sometimes she fails.   It is through perseverance, encouragement, and problem solving that she is finally successful.   Lulu’s witty personality and creative ideas make the story entertaining.  I love the infomercial beginning and the 12 step program at the end.   The Thumb is personified to create a comical dialogue and to illustrate Lulu's internal struggle to let go.   While this story is about Thumb Love, it can be used as an example of overcoming obstacles/bad habits, perseverance, and other positive character qualities. 

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Summary of The Hunger Games:  

From the publisher, Scholastic

Twenty-four are forced to enter. Only the winner survives.

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Each year, the districts are forced by the Capitol to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the Hunger Games, a brutal and terrifying fight to the death – televised for all of Panem to see.

Survival is second nature for sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who struggles to feed her mother and younger sister by secretly hunting and gathering beyond the fences of District 12. When Katniss steps in to take the place of her sister in the Hunger Games, she knows it may be her death sentence. If she is to survive, she must weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Evaluation:

As I read The Hunger Games, I could not help but to wonder how far our society is from the “game show” scenario of the novel's setting.  There is a reality TV show for just about everything in life.  Clearly, the producers manipulate the contestants and the audience—one reason I don’t watch much reality TV.  Contemporary society seems ever hungry for more blood, gore, violence, and drama.   Our own government is bent on keeping people enslaved and dependent on it for food, money, and health care.  Their laws and policies encourage debt, ignorance, and unemployment.  If the course does not change, nearly everyone will eventually be dependent on the government for his livelihood.  It is the surest way to maintain power and control over the populace.  All of these present-day symptoms make The Hunger Games feel more like a coming reality than a passing fantasy. 

The characterization in the novel is multi-facet.   Katniss, the main protagonist, is the most complex of the characters.  Her genuine struggles reveal the complexity of human choices and feelings.   With her family, she is wholly devoted to them, yet she struggles to trust her mother.  Interestingly, she has had to step up to play the role of provider and protector.  On the other hand, she has a vulnerable and insecure dimension.   Katniss has a quality I think is important in any appealing character or person:  She has an edge.  For her,  it is quiet rebellion.  

While the plot has the commercial quality of being a page-turner, the author has added depth and authenticity to it.  Katniss consistently contemplates the motives of the other players, the government, the gamekeepers, and even herself, prompting me to think about it as well. The overall realistic plot twists and turns are not easily predicted.  Each turn also uncovers a hidden motivation, prompts an individual's development, or escalates inner conflicts.  Despite the storyline’s potential for gore, Suzanne Collins, the author, provides sufficient detail without inducing squeamish disgust.  Like a high powered zoom lens, the reader is brought in close to the action and anguish momentarily, but then pulled away at a protective distance—parallel to the protagonist’ internal survival mechanism.  

Bottom line:  I could not put this novel down!  It has been a while since I have been so captivated with a book of this length.  I read it in only a few days…and I have been busy!  I had to sneak in the time to read—staying up late, telling my kids to go play for a while, and ignoring the mess around the house.   I highly recommend The Hunger Games with an enthusiastic five stars and two thumbs up for ages 13 and up.  Go get your copy at the store or library right away! 

Click here for more about this thrilling book and its sequels.

Where the Truth Lies by Jessica Warman

Story Summary for Where the Truth Lies: 

Emily Meckler has an idyllic life on her New England boarding school campus—except for her severe suffocating nightly dreams about fire and water.   She feels fortunate to have her parents in close proximity and to live in the dorms with her three best friends.  Everything changes though when a new student transfers to campus.  Emily is swept off her feet by this mysterious and wild guy, Del Sugar.   Her previously solid and honest relationships with her parents and her friends crumble as she begins to sneak around, keep secrets, and rebel sneakily.  Under Del’s gripping spell, Emily shuts out everyone else from her life except for her new found friendship with Renee, a free-spirited girl across the hall. 

Everything changes when Emily finds out she is pregnant.  Emily struggles with hiding her pregnancy and conflicting feelings about Del who has been kicked out of school (unrelated to the pregnancy).   Renee supports Emily emotionally and gives her a place to spend the summer as her delivery date nears.  As Emily’s dreams intensify, she feels frustrated with a lack of progress in understanding them.  When she returns to school for her senior year, she develops a healthy relationship with a dynamic, caring guy, but not before the secrets from her past trickle out, including the origins of her dreams and her decisions about Del and the baby. 

Evaluation:

Where the Truth Lies (by Jessica Warman) is a good read.  Even though it took me a little while to become enraptured in the narrative, once I did I could hardly put the book down.  There are a few situations that rely on chance and coincidence or wrap up a little too nicely, but the story also illuminates some genuine human emotion and internal conflict.  Emily is a complex-character who falls into a dysfunctional romantic relationship (a prevalent occurrence with teen girls).  Fortunately though, she learns from her mistakes with her first “love” and goes on to make some better choices. 

Parental Advisory:

In this book, the main character, Emily, has sex and there are a few other references to other characters having it.  There is no explicit language or descriptions.  Irresponsibility, Emily only uses protection some of the time.  She gets pregnant.   There is also some casual drug use with no real consequences.  A sexual relationship between an 18 year old student and a staff member is brought up.  This relationship is not a focal point of the book, but it is justified as being acceptable because the couple is of age and in love.   Finally, Emily starts out loving and respectful to her parents which turns disrespectful and disobedience.  Eventually, she does make amends with them though.  While I hate seeing teens make these poor choices, I also realize that these decisions are commonplace.  In order to reflect real life, stories do need to imitate these undesirable choices.   I would suggest this book for ages 16 and up.