Bink & Gollie by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee

Bink is a short, wild-haired, peanut butter loving, crazy sock wearing, inquisitive, downstairs neighbor who enjoys eating pancakes.

Gollie is a tall, sensible-haired, lemonade loving, black sock wearing, adventurous, upstairs neighbor who enjoys making pancakes.

They’re perfect for each other.

Bink and Gollie’s first book is just three short stories.  In Don’t You Need a New Pair of Socks, these two seemingly opposite friends go roller skating to Eccles’ Empire of Enchantment where Bink gets a new pair of crazy socks.  Gollie says, “The brightness of those socks pains me.  I beg you not to purchase them,” but Bink can’t wait to put them on.  When Gollie’s dislike of Bink’s new socks conflicts with Bink’s desire for Gollie’s pancakes, Gollie suggests, “Perhaps a compromise is in order, Bink.”  That’s what friends do.

In P.S. I’ll Be Back Soon, Gollie goes on an adventure to the Andes Mountains in Chile.  She posts a sign on her door announcing her absence.  Bink knocks anyway.  Gollie, halfway up a steep incline yet curiously still on the other side of her door, tells Bink she cannot be disturbed.  Bink returns repeatedly, ignoring the signs on Gollie’s door.  One reads, “To Whom it may concern: Further interruptions will NOT be tolerated.”  When Gollie finally achieves her mountain climbing goal, Bink is able to join her on the mountain peak.

In Give a Fish a Home, Bink and Gollie realize the depth of their friendship when a goldfish named Fred threatens to come between them.

I thoroughly enjoyed Bink & Gollie, and judging from the laughter, so did the students and classroom teacher who listened to my read aloud.  I was nervous that the second and third graders wouldn’t really get it.  Would they understand what Gollie means when she says, “I long for speed.”?  Would they know what Eccles’ Empire of Enchantment was?  Would they catch that Gollie’s mountaintop adventure was imaginary?  Would the students recognize Golllie’s feelings when she says, “Furthermore, that fish is incapable of being a marvelous companion.”?

But I realized it didn’t matter.  Some got it, some didn’t, but everyone enjoyed the story.  If kids don’t understand “I long for speed,” they still see that Bink and Gollie are roller skating on the next page.  Even if kids would sooner recognize Wal-Mart than Eccles’ Empire of Enchantment, Bink still purchases outrageous socks inside.

Adults, you’ll love Bink & Gollie the first time you read it.  And even if they don’t understand everything the same way you do, kids will enjoy Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee's team effort just as well.

Art & Max by David Wiesner

Arthur is a lizard.  Sort of a pointy lizard.  Max is another lizard, but he’s more smooth-ish.  (Hey, I’m a reading teacher, not a herpetologist.)  At the beginning of Art & Max, Arthur is painting a portrait of another smooth-ish lizard when Max rushes up and says, “Hey, Art, that’s great!”

“The name is Arthur,” Arthur reminds Max.  Undeterred, Max announces that he too can paint.  Arthur isn’t excited about the idea, but he allows Max to paint as long as he doesn’t get in the way.  With his supplies and blank canvas ready to go, Max realizes he doesn’t know what to paint.

“Well … you could paint me,” suggests Arthur.  Needing no further encouragement, the blue, yellow, and orange paint flies off Max’s brush.  Directly onto Arthur.

No, that isn’t what Arthur meant when he said, “You could paint me.”

But that’s exactly what Max has done.  Arthur, now transformed into a Jackson Pollock-ish pointy lizard, is enraged.  He screams Max’s name and the now dry paint cracks, flakes, and bursts off of Arthur to reveal another artistic layer.  Chalk.  Max helps Arthur get rid of the chalk, only to reveal another artistic layer.  Layer after layer is removed, each revealing Arthur artistically rendered in another medium.  Eventually, after several artistic transformations, Arthur is left as the shell of himself.  He’s just a pencil outline.

It gets even worse for poor Arthur before it gets better, but Max’s final solution is both amazing and fascinating, even to Arthur.

David Wiesner has created another artistic gem.  What Flotsam did for photographers, what June 29, 1999 did for gardeners, what Tuesday did for herpetologists, Art & Max will do for art teachers*.  The story is simple, but Wiesner’s tour through several artistic media is what makes his latest book a must have for classrooms.

*Okay, I don’t know for certain that photographers, gardeners, or herpetologists necessarily benefited from Wiesner’s books, but art teachers, yes, get yourselves a copy of Art & Max.

Always Listen to Your Mother by Florence Parry Heide and Roxanne Heide Pierce

"Once upon a time there was a nice little boy named Earnest."  Oh, and how nice he was!  He always listened to his mother.  Always.  Always, always.

He ate his vegetables, even when they were the only things on his plate.  He played quietly, and when he was done, he picked up his toys.  He sat up straight and went to bed on time.  He helped with the household chores and even managed more difficult tasks (for kids anyway) like polishing, mending, and cooking.

What did Earnest never do?  The list is extensive: spill, whine, dawdle, talk back, get his own way, or have a good time.  But he was a nice little boy, there's no arguing that.

So when Earnest noticed a new family moving into the house next door, he asked his mother if he could go over.  His mother hoped he would meet another nice little boy.  "Mothers always want their children to meet other nice children.  They want their children to meet nice children who will be a good influence."

Earnest is greeted at the door by another nice little boy.  This boy introduces himself as Vlapid.  He has beady eyes, pointy ears, and spiky gray hair to match his grayish complexion.  And Vlapid always listens to his mother.  But when his mother looks like ... um, well ... you see, Vlapid's mother is ... ah, shucks.  Let's just try this:

So yes, Vlapid always listens to his mother (and Earnest is all too eager to help), but can you imagine what Vlapid's mother expects of him?

I bought into this book right from the start.  Earnest looks completely wholesome - suspenders, bow tie, right hand politely tucked into his pocket - while Vlapid, I think, may have a troll or two in his family tree.  At first I was disappointed that the book ended when it did, with only the promise of days spend together "influencing" one another.  I expected readers to see a slow transformation in Earnest.  Instead, they are left with the two boys together, smiling pleasantly, fishing.  But what comes next?  Does Earnest's mom invite Vlapid's family over for tea?  Does Earnest begin helping his mother like Vlapid helps his?

Maybe it's better this way.  While I love the idea of tea at Earnest's house, other readers will surely imagine a variety of other possible scenarios.  Leaving what happens to the discretion of the reader allows for as many creative endings as there are readers, and all readers will be satisfied.

The Power Mothers Have

As my son plays football behind me - yes, he's in the house, throwing a ball which tends to bounce randomly off walls, shelves, furniture, and just now, me - his actions simply give me another example I could have used in my latest newspaper column.  (Printable version here.)  

Let's just hope he doesn't end up with a broken finger from playing football in the house ... like a certain boy - who shall remain nameless - once did thirty-ish years ago.

Mothers have the most incredible power known to humanity.  This power has been used every generation since the dawn of time, and its effectiveness is evident in our own children.

Having trouble with your children?  Blame your parents, not your parenting.  Our children’s behavior is entirely beyond our control.  They behave this way due to that incredible power mothers have heretofore refused to lay aside.

What is this ability able to sit dormant for 10, 20, even 30 years before bursting back to life, crossing generational divides to unleash its remarkable power?

The Mother’s Curse.

Every mother, at some point during motherhood, faces the choice.  The circumstances may differ, but the choice remains the same.  Every child will inevitably push their mother’s limits to this crucial crossroads when frustration and aggravation become exasperation.

It is at this moment when mothers must choose.  Do I want my child to one day grow into a happy, peaceful, joy-filled parent, or do I want my child to one day experience the same frustration, aggravation, and exasperation as me?

The choice is anything but easy.

This is the time when mothers the world over, throughout history, with no regard to religion or race, culture or creed, have unanimously uttered these words: “One day, someday, you will have a child.  Just.  Like.  You.”

My wife’s train recently rolled into that station.  One of our angels was in the midst of fulfilling her grandmother’s prophetic declaration when my loving, kind-hearted, peaceful wife began, “One day, and I hope I’m there to see it, someday, you will have a child.  Just.  Like…”

“Stop!” I yelled.  “Don’t do it!”

She stopped.  Not because I suggested it, mind you.  It was more of a shocked, did-you-just-rudely-interrupt-me-in-front-of-the-children hesitation, but she did stop.

Here she was about to continue the Mother’s Curse to another generation, to perpetuate the problem of childhood conduct, and in that moment I shared -- blurted, really -- my realization.

“Don’t do it!  Don’t continue the curse!”

She did not speak, and has yet to speak, those words that nearly passed her lips.

And thus began my quest.

Parents of today, the ability to change the world is in our hands.  We Generation X-ers, often criticized as cynical layabouts and unmotivated slackers, could rise up and accomplish what no generation before has even considered.  We could end the Mother’s Curse.

Hear me out!  No longer will beds go unmade.  Homework will be completed without asking.  “Please” and “thank you” will roll naturally off the tongues of the young.  Sass will be a thing of the past.

When our daughters say, “I hope you have a child just like you,” our grandchildren will respond, “Oh, Mother, kinder words may never have been spoken.”

Words once a curse will become a blessing.

Sure, as grandparents it might be satisfying to sit back, smirk and ask, “Having trouble with the children, hmmm?”  But as gratifying as that would surely be, this quest is for the good of humanity.

Break the Mother’s Curse!  It is time. No, it is PAST time.

Your silence is golden.  An ounce of patience is worth a pound of …

What?  Our kids?

Well, no, it wouldn’t actually apply to our children.  See, our mothers have already enacted the curse upon us, but together we could …

Ah, never mind.

Knuffle Bunny Free by Mo Willems

Trixie and her beloved bunny have traveled down the block, through the park, and past the school to the Laundromat in Knuffle Bunny.  Trixie took her one-of-a-kind bunny to school in Knuffle Bunny Too.  In Knuffle Bunny Free, Mo Willems tells how Trixie and her family embark on a much longer journey.  This time they are going to visit Oma and Opa in Holland.

The Knuffle Bunny series has been a family favorite for years.  The adults laugh at the marriage and hospital pictures on the title page and how Trixie helps her daddy with the laundry.  Our kids laugh when Trixie says, "Aggle flaggle klabble!" and "Wumby flappy?!”  They think it's hysterical when Trixie goes boneless.  (Good thing they've grown out of the habit of going boneless themselves.)  The adults laugh at the kids laughing, like when a friend of our daughter’s said, “Why is she washing goggles?”

So everyone was excited when Knuffle Bunny Free was released.

During their journey to Holland, Trixie and Knuffle Bunny experience all the joys of traveling long distances.  There’s the eagerness of the taxi ride to the airport, the uncertainty of airport security, and the excitement of boarding a real airplane.  There’s also the monotonous boredom of waiting in line, waiting at the gate, and waiting for the plane to arrive.  Finally Trixie and her family board a train for Oma and Opa’s house, arriving to welcoming hugs and cold glasses of chocolate milk.  But then...

Trixie's realizations in Knuffle Bunny, Knuffle Bunny Too, and Knuffle Bunny Free.

No, Knuffle Bunny is not in the washing machine.  No, Knuffle Bunny is not at Sonja’s house.  Worse.  Trixie’s daddy called the airline.

Knuffle Bunny is in China.

No way Knuffle Bunny is coming home this time, everyone thinks.  Mommy gives Trixie hugs, Daddy tells the story of his “Special Lamby,” and Oma got more chocolate milk and commented about how big Trixie was getting.  Not even the café, the park, the carnival, windmills, feeding ducks, or Oma and Opa’s surprise can fill the Knuffle Bunny sized hole inside Trixie.

Eventually Trixie comes to a realization on her own about Knuffle Bunny.  And despite the amazing and miraculous final events of the Knuffle Bunny saga, Trixie knows that her realization is true.

“Really?” asks Trixie’s daddy.  “Really?” asks Trixie’s mommy.  “Blaggie Plaggie?” asks a new acquaintance.

“Really.”

It's a Book by Lane Smith

There’s not much more to share about the book that isn’t available in my first or second posts, so I’ll just tack on my review here.  I think the book is absolutely hilarious, and I’m talking about the pages between the introductory Jackass and the concluding Jackass.

Are we really living in a world where some people have forgotten about books?  People certainly haven’t forgotten the importance of reading.  Try taking away someone’s texts or tweets or blogs.  That’s reading.  People read more today than ever before.  But there’s still value to books - the plain old, hard bound, paper and ink book.  Maybe I’m just biased … okay, I am definitely biased … but I think everyone should see the importance of books.  Even a Jackass.

Of course Lane Smith and Roaring Brook Press knew exactly what they were doing.  First, the book is a spot-on commentary on technology in today’s world and perfectly illustrates what happens when a great book grabs the attention of the reader.  Second, using Jackass in the manner they did guaranteed publicity and sales.

And there’s the rub.  I believe most teachers will find the book a great tool to use with students to spark discussions on technology, books, and reading in today’s world.  I believe most teachers will find it entertaining.  At the same time I also believe that most teachers will hesitate or flat-out refuse to use the book.  So while I highly recommend the book and think it’s hilarious, the choice to use it (and potentially defend it) is yours.

I find it extremely frustrating that a book with so much potential for classroom use will simply not find a home in classrooms, not because it doesn’t belong there, but because some people will think it doesn’t.  In the end it’s the teachers and librarians who will need to defend their use of the book to parents, principals, and school boards.  And at the end of the day, most teachers will simply say:

It's a Book by Lane Smith - Survey Results

A few days ago I set up a simple survey about It’s a Book by Lane Smith.  It is admittedly a very unscientific survey, but it gathered some information, and that was the intention.  (Here’s my original post and the survey.  Opinions are still welcome.)  Here is a summary of the results.

All the respondents were either teachers or librarians, but several people checked numerous boxes, like the teachers who are also parents.

Completed Surveys = 32

Was it funny?  Yes = 31  No = 1

Have you read the book?  Yes = 25  Read about it = 7

Should it be in a school library?  Yes = 11  No = 16

Should it be in a public library?  Yes = 28  No = 2

Teachers who would read it aloud to their class:  Yes = 1  No = 7  Yes, but edited = 16

Librarians who would read it aloud to a group: Yes = 1  No = 5  Yes, but edited = 2  Maybe = 1

Parents who want the book read in their child’s class:  Yes = 0  No = 4  Yes, but edited = 3

About half of the respondents left comments, and most of them focused on the use of the word Jackass.  Here’s a sampling:

• I’ll use it as long as I don’t have to deal with any angry parents.  I already have enough to do.
• Teaches them slang.  Throw it out!
• Concerned about the word "jackass?" Nope. WE HAVE TO MAKE OUR KIDS WANT TO READ BEFORE WE CAN MAKE THEM READ WHAT WE WANT THEM TO!
• Is that kind of book "commentary" really meant for younger kids? I don't think so…I think we should discourage the use of disrespectful language and labeling, which I think the use of the word jackass exemplifies.
• The Jackass aspect ruins the book instead of making it better.  It wasn't necessary.
• I feel that it is a funny premise, but it is divisive. It seems to miss its audience and therefore misses the point. I don't think most children would get anything out of the book other than "jackass." I love what he is trying to do, but I don't see how his message will get to the masses when teachers and school librarians can't read it aloud or stock it in their library.  Having the book in schools is a fight many librarians will choose not to start. I am sure they push the boundaries as far as they feel they can with many of their choices. There's no point in unnecessarily ruffling feathers WITH A PICTURE BOOK. Could he have gotten his point across any other way?  I think if he had chosen any other humorous joke, it would have made the point because he is LANE FREAKIN SMITH!

Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond.  Anyone who would like to share their opinions can still complete the survey or leave a comment below.  Thanks again.

It's a Book by Lane Smith - Survey

There’s been a little buzz recently - or maybe it’s significant buzz, whatever - about It’s a Book by Lane Smith.  First, an introduction to the book thanks to the book’s trailer (or you could just keep reading):

And that’s it.  One plugged-in, tweeting, blogger type character is curious about this book-thingy that another character is holding.  He is only able to see the book through his technological frame of reference, and therefore is unable to understand its simplicity.  How do you use it?  What does it do?  How does it work?

Okay, that’s not it.  Not really, at least in the eyes of many.  The book trailer leaves out one little detail.  Here, the title page introduces the characters.

Now maybe you’re saying, “I can live with that.  Donkey, jackass, whatever.  Teachable moment.”  Or maybe you’re saying, “Oh for crying out loud.  Jackass?  Is that really necessary?”  Either way, you read through the book and notice all the technological terms that are so significant in our lives and our children’s lives today.  You see how Jackass can take a page from Monkey's book, Treasure Island, and rewrite it using only twenty-nine characters, emoticons included.  Then you witness his apparent transformation as the book completely captures his attention.

But when he promises to charge it up when he’s finished, Monkey and Mouse have had enough.  Mouse tells him on the penultimate page, just like the book’s trailer, “You don’t have to…” and completes his statement on the last page:

And now I’m curious.  What do you - teachers, librarians, parents, students - think?  Is the book worth all the hubbub, Bub?  Should it be used with students?  In libraries?  At home?

I’ve created a very simple, very short, very anonymous survey to gather some opinions.  Please take a moment - 90 seconds, tops - to share your opinion below, and be sure to click SUBMIT at the bottom.  After I’ve gathered some information, I’ll share my complete review and whatever findings I find.  Thanks in advance.

Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer

Hope is the perfect name for her.  Not Tulip.  Definitely not Tulip.  She nearly died after being born.  Her mother left her to be raised by her aunt.  She moves frequently, leaving behind the people she cares for.  But she knows Hope is the perfect name.  Her aunt Addie says a name like Hope is a lot to live up to and asks, “You think you’re up to carrying that name?”

Hope Yancey doesn’t just believe she’s up to it.  She proves it.

When Addie and Hope move from Brooklyn, New York to Mulhoney, Wisconsin to work as head cook and waitress at the Welcome Stairways restaurant, they do so to make a living, not necessarily to make a new life.  What they thought were new jobs turns out to be much, much more.

Shortly after their arrival, G.T. Stoop, the owner of the Welcome Stairways, announces his candidacy for mayor despite the fact that he has leukemia.  Lou Ellen, a waitress at the Welcome Stairways, is concerned about her baby daughter’s slow development.  Yuri, a recent immigrant from Russia, nervously busses tables and carefully navigates American culture with his broken English.  Hope is needed in the Welcome Stairways, and not just another good waitress.

Hope establishes herself as a talented waitress in the restaurant, a true friend, and as the summer progresses, a staunch supporter of G.T. Stoop for mayor.  She becomes friends with Braverman, the assistant cook, and a number of others as they work together on G.T.’s mayoral campaign.  Throughout it all Hope maintains … hope.  Hope that G.T. will win.  Hope that Lou Ellen's daughter will get better.  Hope that she can make a difference.  Hope that someday she will meet the father she never knew.  She’s even prepared the story of her life in scrapbooks for the moment her father arrives.

Joan Bauer has created a story full of characters that readers will enjoy, care for, and admire.  There are teenagers who work for goals larger than themselves and individuals who place the wellbeing of others above their own.  Hope Was Here is filled with people who learn and know what faith, hope, and love can do.  Readers will cheer the characters’ achievements and share their disappointments.  Readers will feel their joys, their sorrows, and all the emotions in between.

The I-94 welcome sign on the Wisconsin-Illinois border.

Finally, and I know not all readers share my Cheesehead bias, but nevertheless, don’t hold it against Hope when she describes her entrance into Wisconsin as “Green rolling hills.  Cheese billboards.  Grazing cows.  Basic bovine boredom.”  She hadn’t been enlightened yet!  And just a scant 122 pages later Hope says,

“You think all teenagers care about are musicians and movie stars?

Spend some time in Wisconsin.

We’ll blow your socks off.”

Hope Was Here: Our Original Project Outline

This is the original outline we created that lists government, election, and political topics by chapter in Hope Was Here.  We included both the key terms and how they appear in context.  Additional resources are available at Joan Bauer’s website.  Since this is primarily a book review website, I’ll try to keep from giving away too much at the end.  (But to be honest, I’m not overly confident.)

Chapter 2

Banner "Reelect Our Mayor - Eli Millstone - The Only Man for Mulhoney"

Chapter 3

Campaign buttons reading "Vote for Eli Millstone" are worn by eight men at the restaurant.  Their request to hang a "Vote for Eli Millstone" poster is refused, Hope decides she doesn't like Eli Millstone because of the men’s behavior, even though she's never met him.

Chapter 4

An Eli Millstone float appears in the town parade.  People around the float wear Millstone t-shirts.  Later, G.T. announces he's running for mayor.  He says he doesn’t have an exploratory committee.  He gives his platform, or reasons why he's running.  Eli Millstone challenges him about taxes.  Millstone mentions the issues and says he is running on his record.

Chapter 5

The town charter says anyone who is a resident, age 30, and a U.S. citizen can run for mayor.  G.T. has a petition to be signed.  The Election Board says he needs 200 registered voters to sign the petition for him to officially be on the ballot.

Chapter 6

The Students for Political Freedom Coalition helps get signatures.  Rumors say that the Real Fresh Dairy funded Millstone's campaign. 

Chapter 7

Student Adam Pulver tells G.T. about his uncle.  He is a spin doctor and has helped two congressmen win seats in the last two elections.  "My uncle is a genius.  The last guy he worked for was behind thirty-five points in the polls.  Uncle Sid found the button of the district and his candidate won."  Later, Sid Vole says, "The whole messy game of politics is about trust."

Chapter 8

"To spin or not to spin.  That was the question."  Suddenly the tax assessor's office is closed, and the Election Board says that fifty-five names had wrong information on the petition.  G.T. is off the ballot.

Chapter 9

After an extension, more signatures get G.T. back on the ballot.  "We've got ourselves an official horse race now," says Eli Millstone.  He is asked "When will you be releasing the names of your campaign contributors?"

Chapter 10

G.T. gives speeches and is burning up the campaign trail.  Campaign slogans are suggested.  Students for Stoop is started with a website and newsletter.

Chapter 11

Students are encouraged to write letters to the Mulhoney Messenger.  Editorials about the tax assessor's office are published.  G.T. says "Give the mayor a message for me.  Tell him that lies and dirty tricks never win in the long run.  Tell him that fear is no way to govern people.  He can refuse to meet with me from now until Election Day, but I will not be silent!"  The Real Fresh Dairy cancels their advertising in the Mulhoney Messenger and Cranston Broom, dairy owner, announces his support of Eli Millstone.

Chapter 12

G.T. doesn't want to see the list of his campaign contributors.

Chapter 14

The Students for Stoop newsletter is called propaganda.  Attempts are made to create publicity.  In her speech Hope mentions being a citizen, the campaign, being part of the political process, being an honorable person, fighting for the truth, and playing games with people's trust.  She mentions being sold down the river, dishonesty behind closed doors, the public eye, and being trustworthy.

Chapter 17

School starts.  Hope is in a Political Science class.  Claims are made that the sheriff was paid off to turn his back.  Polls show one candidate is seven points ahead.  A person says, "If you hear a lie long enough it starts to sound like the truth."  Posters reading Stop Stoop appear.  It is Election Day.

Chapter 18

There are no signs of election tampering.  Eighty-five percent of registered voters in town voted.  (How does that compare to most elections?) The Election Board investigates the official books. Numerous voters listed claim they never even registered.  There is a protest outside Town Hall.  A resignation is requested.  The winner takes the oath of office.

Chapter 19

Numerous appointments occur, fines are levied, and investigations begin.  "Politics isn't about power, control, or manipulation."

Chapter 20

The current mayor’s term continues.

Chapter 21

An acting mayor holds office.

Tomorrow: A review of Hope Was Here.

Hope Was Here: Our Conversation with Joan Bauer

Having learned from a government official in Madison that mayoral elections in Wisconsin are always in the spring, and having read about the fall mayoral election in Hope Was Here, the students were eager to contact author Joan Bauer.  Our correspondence follows.  The emails have been slightly edited, and for privacy’s sake, specific names of students, teachers, and places have been eliminated.

From: Brian

To: Joan Bauer

Subject: The Election in Hope Was Here

Mrs. Bauer,

Our fourth and fifth grade class used Hope Was Here as the basis of our government project.  The reading teacher - me - would come in each day and read a chapter or two aloud.  The classroom teacher, Ms. B., would then follow up with lessons and research about campaigns, finances, taxes, issues, polls, or whatever election information was included in the book that day.

It was a wonderful unit, and as any great book will do, the discussions extended way beyond the intended subject matter.

To follow up we invited our local mayor to talk about her election experiences.  She told us that she was elected in the spring.  She was unsure, but she believed that mayoral elections throughout the state were held in the spring.

That got us to wondering, we did some digging, and here's what we learned.  Nonpartisan elections in the state of Wisconsin, including mayoral elections, are held in the spring.  A regularly scheduled election for mayor would never occur in the fall.  However, if there was a vacancy that occurred before June 1, the city's common council may order a special November election to fill the vacancy.

And now we have a bunch of questions.  Did you know that?  Did you choose to put the election in the fall anyway so it would better fit the plot?  Do you have any connection to Wisconsin?  If so, what?  And if not, why did you choose to send Hope and Addie to Wisconsin and not, say, Iowa?

Thank you for your time and for your wonderful book.  And please know we aren't trying to correct you or point out errors.  We are just genuinely curious.

Sincerely,

Brian Wilhorn and 23 interested 4th and 5th graders

Deep breath … wonder if everything is politely stated … another deep breath … and … click … SEND.  It took a week - and the longer it stretched, the more convinced I became that we’d just completely irritated a Newbery Honor winning author - but finally the response came.

From: Joan Bauer

To: Brian
Subject: RE: The Election in Hope Was Here

Dear Mr. Wilhorn --

Hello to you and your class.  I'm delighted to hear how you and your students have dug into HOPE WAS HERE.  What a great way for them to learn about government.  I'm impressed.  And, I must tell you, that I didn't know about the spring mayoral elections in Wisconsin.  I did a great deal of research about local politics, but I missed that one.  Thank you so much for letting me know.  Now, that brings me to the other part -- had I known, what would I have done?  I'm not sure because so much of the story takes place in the summer as Hope and Addie move to town.  I needed Hope not to be in school so I could show her full-out at the diner, and then there is the build-up of the election into the fall.  It would have been quite a challenge to change it to spring.  But all of this is fascinating to think about.

Thank you for digging down so deeply -- you are giving your kids a stupendous gift.  My best to you and your 23 interested 4th and 5th graders.

Here's to hope!

Joan Bauer

Do you know what an email like this can do to a room full of nine-, ten-, and eleven-year-olds?  Teachers, I’m sure you can imagine.  These students just learned that research can uncover information even an author missed.  They asked a question and successfully found the answer.  Maybe most significantly, they experienced the incredible feeling that comes when an important somebody takes the time to acknowledge and validate a child’s efforts.

From: Brian

To: Joan Bauer

Subject: RE: The Election in Hope Was Here

Dear Mrs. Bauer,

Our students loved learning that an author would respond so personally to their questions.  Thank you.

Would it be okay to share your response with others?  The mayor who spoke to our class was curious to know if we'd learn more after her visit, and the person I talked to at the Government Accountability Board, Elections Division in Madison was curious to know as well.

Finally, I hope our email didn't have a "Gotcha!" tone to it.  That was never the intention.

Thanks again for a wonderful book, the gracious response, and your willingness to share with students in a little Wisconsin town 1/10 the size of Mulhoney.

Brian

Our second response was quick in coming, and it was every bit as gracious and kind as the first.

From: Joan Bauer

To: Brian
Subject: RE: The Election in Hope Was Here

Dear Brian --

Please share this response -- I think it's wonderful that your mayor and other government officials are interested.  It just makes me realize how right it was for me to put Hope and Addie in Wisconsin.  And as for your concern about a "gotcha" -- I truly didn't feel that at all, so please don't worry.  I'm delighted by your enthusiasm and impressed by how you brought so many facets of the book to life.  One interesting thing that's happened with HOPE WAS HERE is that the State Department translated the story into Russian after I visited the country of Kazakhstan a few years ago.  And now it's being circulated in both Kazakhstan and Russian.  HOPE has been translated into many languages, but the Russian edition has special meaning for me.  In case your kids are interested, the Russian word for hope is (I'll spell this out phonetically) na*deer*ja.

Warmest wishes,

Joan

Tomorrow: The original outline of our government project.

Hope Was Here: Our Conversation with the State of Wisconsin

After reading about the November mayoral election in Hope Was Here and possibly learning about Wisconsin’s spring, nonpartisan elections in April, our fourth and fifth graders decided to contact state officials directly.  They wanted to know for sure if all mayoral elections in Wisconsin are held in the spring or if the November election in Hope Was Here could actually occur in Wisconsin.

Our first email was simply a question entered into an online form.  And of course, the students elected me to use my email address as the contact.  (That’s why only my name is included in the emails.)

From: Brian

Subject: Local Election Dates

Are all local elections in the state of Wisconsin held in the spring, or are there cities where a mayoral election would happen in the fall?

Not long after our query, we received the following response.  (The name of the government official has been changed.)

From: Mary, Wisconsin Government Accountability Board
To: Brian

Subject: RE: Local Election Dates

Mr. Wilhorn,

Spring elections are nonpartisan elections.  Elections held in the spring are:

State: State Superintendent of Public Instruction: Judicial (Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Circuit Court)

Multi-Jurisdictional Municipal Judge

County: County (Executive and Supervisor)

City: Mayor, Treasurer, Clerk, Alderperson

Village: President, Trustees, Clerk, Treasurer, Assessor, Constable, Municipal Judge

Town: Chairperson, Supervisors, Clerk, Treasurer, Assessor, Constable, Municipal Judge

School Board Members

The response clearly said that mayoral elections are held in the spring, but just to be sure, we responded with a little more information.  We also added a disclaimer in the P.S. so the state knew were only students doing research and not some local whistleblowers.

From: Brian
To: Mary, Wisconsin Government Accountability Board
Subject: RE: Local Election Dates

Thank you for your response.  So, just to clarify, is it against state law to have a mayoral election in the fall?  Could a city decide to hold a mayoral election in the fall on their own?

Thanks again,

Brian

P.S.  No, I'm not concerned with a local city's actions.  A class at my school is studying government, and in a fictional example set in Wisconsin, the mayoral election - without any extenuating circumstances - happens in the fall.  We wondered if that could be accurate. 

Again, it didn’t take long to get a response, and this one made the answer to our question even more clear.

From: Mary, Wisconsin Government Accountability Board
To: Brian

Subject: RE: Local Election Dates

Mr. Wilhorn,

A regularly-scheduled election for the office of Mayor would never occur in the fall.  However, in the case of a vacancy that occurs before June 1 in the year preceding expiration of the term of office, the common council may order a special election to fill a vacancy to be held in November.  S. 17.23(1)(a), Wis. Stats.

So, a special election for mayor could possibly occur in the fall.

We had our answer.  The election in Hope Was Here occurs in the fall.  Since it is a normally scheduled election and not a special election to fill a vacancy, it technically would be an illegal election. Technically.

Now what?  Did we find a [gulp!] mistake in Newbery Honor winning novel?  Was the election purposely placed in the fall to better fit the plot?  What should we do?

The kids thought the answer was simple:  Ask the author.

Tomorrow: Our email conversation with Joan Bauer.

Hope Was Here: A Story Introduction

Visitors to Help Readers Love Reading know that my professional school day is split between being a reading teacher and, for lack of a better title, the “project guy” in an elementary charter school.  And the best parts of any day are undoubtedly when the two jobs intersect - those times when books are used to introduce, support, and enhance content area learning.  Our fourth and fifth grade project using Hope Was Here, a Newbery Honor winning novel by Joan Bauer, to study local Wisconsin government is one of those projects when the end result far exceeds whatever expected student outcomes we educators create.

And sometimes you just want to share a story with people, know what I mean?  This week I'll be sharing what happened over the course of our Hope Was Here government project.

Hope Was Here is set in the fictional town of Mulhoney, Wisconsin.  A typical Wisconsin small town, Mulhoney is located halfway between Milwaukee and Madison, has five thousand residents, and is home to the Real Fresh Dairy.  Hope, the main character, and her aunt move to Mulhoney to work for G. T. Stoop in his restaurant, the Welcome Stairways.  Soon after their arrival, G. T. announces his candidacy for mayor.

My role with the project was to read Hope Was Here aloud to the fourth and fifth graders and lead a daily discussion about the various political information presented in each chapter.  The classroom teacher then led the students in additional research about local governments in Wisconsin to complete their projects.

After finishing the book we invited our local mayor to share her election experiences with the class.  The students were engaged and full of questions and the mayor's stories reinforced the lessons learned from Hope Was Here.

Well, all of the lessons except one, that is.  The mayor repeatedly referred to her election in April as part of Wisconsin’s spring elections.  She probably mentioned it three or four times, the fact that she was elected in the spring.  Whenever she mentioned it, several students would glance at one another or look at me.

The cause of their agitation was clear: The mayoral election in Hope Was Here occurs in the fall.

“In the book we read as part of our project, the election is in the fall,” we told her.  “Do all cities in Wisconsin have their elections in the spring, or is that just something they do here?”

“I’m not one hundred percent positive,” she replied, “but I’m pretty sure spring mayoral elections happen statewide.”  She went on to explain what she knew about nonpartisan elections in Wisconsin and encouraged us to do additional research.

So we did.  We went straight to Wisconsin’s State Statutes.  Unfortunately, they read exactly how you’d expect state statutes to read.  Now I didn’t check them with the Fry Readability Graph or anything, so let's just say they weren't a fourth grade reading level.  So we decided to contact the state of Wisconsin.

Tomorrow: Our email conversation with the state of Wisconsin

Run! Hide! The Commercials Are Coming!

This kid didn't need explosions to sell hot dogs.

I love football season, a fact that is no secret to anyone who knows me.  But along with football season comes a football frustration: the cover-your-eyes, hide-the-children commercials we must endure when our favorite team plays.  Read my latest column on the newspaper's website, click here for the printable version, or just keep right on reading...

We’re a sports family, and football is king of the family’s sports universe.  Now that the NFL season has started, my kids’ eyes and ears runneth over their weekly quota of physical violence, alcohol, vulgarity and sex.

But the violence isn’t from linebackers who flatten running backs, the vulgarity isn’t from inebriated football fans, and the sex isn’t from scantily-clad cheerleaders.

It’s the commercials.

Children are responsible for a sizable portion of the NFL’s profits.  Look at all the kids wearing jerseys and hats on local playgrounds.  Network cameras find plenty of cute kids sitting in $100 seats drinking $6.00 sodas.

So why does the NFL allow its advertisers to bombard its youngest fans with images that make their parents cringe?  A football game might feature touchdown after touchdown, but even a 45 to 38 shootout isn’t as offensive as many of the commercials.

I thought maybe I was just being hypersensitive due to the 8- and 11-year-old eyes sharing my couch, so I conducted a completely unscientific experiment.  I kept tally marks on a sheet of notebook paper during an NFL game and counted all the violence, alcohol, general rudeness, and sexual content in the commercials.

There were five gunshots, although perhaps machine guns should count more than one.  There were 11 physical attacks and three fiery explosions, each of which included flying bodies.

I counted only one dead body, however, considering the way explosions work, some of those flying bodies may have qualified.

There were 10 kisses, some romantic, some mere pecks, some included with the four shots of people in bed together, and several combined with the 10 shots of people naked, nearly naked, or getting naked.

I counted only three insults.  Then again, I didn’t count political ads.

Nobody’s surprised at the five beer commercials.

Promotional spots for TV shows are by far the worst, seemingly pulling out the five most squirm-worthy moments from an upcoming episode and packing them into 15 seconds. 

Did I mention I only kept track for one quarter of the game?  Fifteen minutes on the game clock, forty-five minutes real time.

I don’t want to brag, but like most men, I can run a remote like a teenager texts.  Used to annoy my wife, let me tell you.  Now my clicking thumb is the Sunday afternoon MVP, taking us from one football game to another whenever the on field action breaks for a TV timeout.

With all the commercials, some sixty-minute football games are approaching four hours.  And if commercials have taught us anything, we know how important it is to seek immediate medical attention when certain things last longer than four hours.

Monday morning during breakfast the girl said something mischievous, and I jokingly shook my fork at her, a four-pronged, stainless steel law finger.  “Geez, Dad,” she said.  “Watching all those violent commercials must have had an effect on you.”

“Maybe,” I said, “but if commercials made me a violent fork shaker, how come nobody’s running around the house without any clothes on?”

Without hesitation, my wife added, “Don’t look at me.”

See?  Another MVP vote for the remote control clicking thumb.

Cat the Cat Who Is THAT? (series) by Mo Willems

In the trailer for the upcoming (I think it’s still upcoming, anyway) children’s literature documentary Library of the Early Mind, author Mo Willems says, “One of the great ironies of my life is that I write … I am a writer for … illiterates.”

What an amazing thought, and what a challenge!  The thought had never occurred to me that some children’s authors write for an audience that can’t read.  Adding to the challenge is that not only must the book be engaging to nonreaders, the book must also engage the readers needed to read the story to the nonreaders.  (And my challenge, apparently, is making coherent statements.)

Cat the Cat Who Is THAT? and the subsequent books in the Cat the Cat series do a wonderful job of engaging both nonreaders and their grown-up readers alike.  In the first book, readers are introduced to Cat the Cat and her friends, Mouse the Mouse, Fish the Fish, and Duck the Duck.  The main text is simple (“Cat the Cat, who is that?  It’s Mouse the Mouse.”), but also included are not-so-simple speech bubble greetings (“Hey, dude!” and “A pleasure, as always!”).

After meeting many of Cat the Cat’s friends, someone new is introduced.  “Cat the Cat, who is THAT?”

“Eep!  I have NO idea!” replies Cat the Cat.

“Blarggie!  Blarggie!” says the new character.

Each book follows the same pattern of predictable text and surprise ending.  In Let’s Say HI to Friends Who FLY!, Cat the Cat meets Bee the Bee, Bird the Bird, Bat the Bat, and … Rhino the Rhino?  In What’s Your Sound Hound the Hound?, there are friends who say Woof! and Peep! and Moo!  But what happens when Cat the Cat asks, “What’s your sound, Bunny the Bunny?”

Mo Willems may write for illiterates, but they won’t be illiterate long if their parents and teachers read aloud books like his Cat the Cat series.  Joy and giggles are powerful motivators, and Mo Willems excels in creating books that abound with joy and giggles.  Nonreaders will clearly learn how fun reading can be!

And just because I mentioned it above, here's the trailer for Library of the Early Mind.

When Education, Technology, and Personal Blogs Cross

At the crossroads of education, technology, and personal websites, you sometimes find things like accidental blog posts.  So as I demonstrated how to use an iPod to publish a new blog post to an eager fifth grader, my itchy trigger finger apparently pushed the PUBLISH POST button rather than the Return to list of posts link. 

Whoops.

So if you received an email or feed update that said something about publishing blog posts with an iPod, ignore it.  It was nothing more than an instructional mini-lesson that ended with a fifth grader pointing and laughing at me.

And deservedly so.