Polo Cowboy by G. Neri - a short review

When I finished Ghetto Cowboy I wanted to know more and I quickly looked up more information on the true story behind these novels. I imagine most adult readers did the same. But for kids, they just want a sequel – and now they have one – and it’s a good one! 

The story picks up where Ghetto Cowboy left off so readers are going to want to read it first to get the full back story of how Cole became a Ghetto Cowboy. Cole is a little older and much wiser in Polo Cowboy. He doesn’t want to go back to the way he was in the past, so knowing how he was is important to understand his further growth. This is a more mature story and includes a new female character that adds to Cole’s world (and growing up).                                                          

Much like Ghetto Cowboy, the polo depictions in Polo Cowboy are based on a real Philadelphia black polo organization. I think the fact that these entities exist not only help to ground the story, and make kids curious, but are an excellent opportunity for social studies discussions. I highly recommend both titles for classroom and library purchase in upper elementary and middle schools. 

Student readers who enjoy realistic fiction, coming of age, horses, and/or historically framed settings will enjoy this series.

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Genre: Realistic Fiction

 Age: 10-14

 Pages: 288

Thank You: LibraryThing

Advisory: Some bad language, but not much and not too gratuitous 

Publisher: Candlewick

 Date: October 2021

 ISBN: 978-1536207118

 Themes: Coming of age, friendship, perseverance, 

 Character: Genuine and realistic

 Plot: Slow to start, must have read previous novel to fully appreciate.

Originality: Based on facts, but not much like it out there

Believability: 100%, very relatable

Diversity: Great representation of black organizations

Buy Polo Cowboy Here 

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Nonfiction Biography Picture Books Extravaganza!

It seems like more and more picture book biographies are springing up every year! This is not only GREAT for the rich diversity they add to children's literature, but also because so many children adore nonfiction. I remember there being so few quality nonfiction choices for my students when I started teaching (in the 90's people, I'm not THAT old yet).

Here's a round up of a few from the start of 2019...

Filigree's Midnight Ride - a mini book review

Publisher's Synopsis: "Join Filigree, a five-pound Pomeranian, as he stows away on Paul Revere’s midnight ride in this first book of the At the Heels of History series, inspired by important events and told through the eyes, ears, and noses of dogs.

Filigree may be a small puff of a Pomeranian but he has a big, brave heart. As the Revere family dog, he’s ready to do his part to help the American colonists stand up to the British soldiers. But the other dogs, like Jove, Sam Adams’s Newfoundland, and even the Revere cat, Anvil, think Filigree is a joke. The Reveres’ daughter Frances is the only one who believes in him.

When Frances’s father, Paul Revere, leaves home on a secret mission, Filigree and Frances know they have to help, no matter how dangerous it might be. Will a pint-sized pup just be in the way, or can Filigree prove that even a very small dog can fight for freedom?"

My Two Cents: Filigree's Midnight Ride is the first book of the At the Heels of History series, a fun premise where dogs tell historical tales (kinda' like the Wishbone Adventures series). Aside from that great angle,

Sweet Home Alaska by Carole Estby Dagg - Book Review

Sweet Home Alaska

If good historical fiction is supposed to make us wonder about the people who lived during various points in history, then Sweet Home Alaska is certainly good. It had me, instantly upon closing the last page at 1:00 am, researching the Matanuska Valley Colony. I don’t have a vast knowledge of Roosevelt’s New Deal specifics, I just know that the vestiges can be seen in our public spaces and government programs.

Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster by Jonathan Auxier

Publisher's Synopsis: "It's been five years since the Sweep disappeared. Orphaned and alone, Nan Sparrow had no other choice but to work for a ruthless chimney sweep named Wilkie Crudd. She spends her days sweeping out chimneys. The job is dangerous and thankless, but with her wits and will, Nan has managed to beat the deadly odds time and time again.

When Nan gets stuck in a chimney fire, she fears the end has come. Instead, she wakes to find herself unharmed in an abandoned attic. And she is not alone. Huddled in the corner is a mysterious creature—a golem—made from soot and ash. 

Sweep is the story of a girl and her monster. Together, these two outcasts carve out a new life—saving each other in the process. Lyrically told by one of today's most powerful storytellers, Sweep is a heartrending adventure about the everlasting gifts of friendship and wonder."

I'm just going to say it plain and simple...........  I LOVED Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster! There is just so much right about this tale: excellent writing, well-blended mix of history and fantasy, alternating perspective chapters, an endearing protagonist and her sweetly innocent monster. ALL of it is near perfection for the age range. I am even going to go out on a limb and name it a Newbery contender. 

The Orphan Band of Springdale by Anne Nesbet - book review

Publisher's Synopsis: "With the United States on the verge of World War II, eleven-year-old Gusta is sent from New York City to Maine, where she discovers small-town prejudices — and a huge family secret.
It’s 1941, and tensions are rising in the United States as the Second World War rages in Europe. Eleven-year-old Gusta’s life, like the world around her, is about to change. Her father, a foreign-born labor organizer, has had to flee the country, and Gusta has been sent to live in an orphanage run by her grandmother. Nearsighted, snaggletoothed Gusta arrives in Springdale, Maine, lugging her one precious possession: a beloved old French horn, her sole memento of her father. But in a family that’s long on troubles and short on money, how can a girl hang on to something so valuable and yet so useless when Gusta’s mill-worker uncle needs surgery to fix his mangled hand, with no union to help him pay? Inspired by her mother’s fanciful stories, Gusta secretly hopes to find the coin-like “Wish” that her sea-captain grandfather supposedly left hidden somewhere. Meanwhile, even as Gusta gets to know the rambunctious orphans at the home, she feels like an outsider at her new school — and finds herself facing patriotism turned to prejudice, alien registration drives, and a family secret likely to turn the small town upside down."

My Two Cents: There are many standout elements to The Orphan Band of Springdale that make it a great addition to middle grade shelves.

First, it's simply a good story: The protagonist, Gusta, is engaging and likable, made all the more real through the author's excellent use of narrative monologues which helps the reader to better understand not only Gusta's winning character traits, but also her emotions.

Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool - review

Publisher Synopsis:  At the end of World War II, Jack Baker, a landlocked Kansas boy, is suddenly uprooted after his mother's death and placed in a boy's boarding school in Maine. There, Jack encounters Early Auden, the strangest of boys, who reads the number pi as a story and collects clippings about the sightings of a great black bear in the nearby mountains. Newcomer Jack feels lost yet can't help being drawn to Early, who won't believe what everyone accepts to be the truth about the Great Appalachian Bear, Timber Rattlesnakes, and the legendary school hero known as The Fish, who never returned from the war. When the boys find themselves unexpectedly alone at school, they embark on a quest on the Appalachian Trail in search of the great black bear. But what they are searching for is sometimes different from what they find. They will meet truly strange characters, each of whom figures into the pi story Early weaves as they travel, while discovering things they never realized about themselves and others in their lives.


My Thoughts: I am a character driven reader. I can forgive many writing flaws, but if I can’t get inside the character’s mind, I am out. At first, Jack, the overly-introspective protagonist, left me unaffected. He is pretty much a ‘normal’ thirteen year-old boy. Sure his Mom died, his Dad’s distant and cold, and there’s ‘something more’ lurking about his mother’s death circumstance, but those are life situations, not personality. When Early enters the story, he steals the show. His double entendre name is only a small part of his appeal because Jack does, in fact, have to learn how to navigate Early. He’s quirky and brilliant, filled with hope and wonder. His stories are intricate foreshadowing marvels. He makes Jack more interesting. Just like many we meet make our lives richer; Early will change Jack’s life for the good.

And Early will change Jack’s life not because we can now put a label on his special uniqueness, not because we can diagnose and pigeonhole him, not because I can utter the “A” word and all sorts of preconceptions will spring to mind, but because of the interactions between the boys. So many children’s books are being written to illustrate labeled, perceived disabilities when we should be looking at the characters, and by greater measure human experience, through their singleness. Giving names to Early’s quirkiness detracts. I haven’t seen a finished copy, as I read from an advanced one, but I hope the Author’s Note has been excluded. It detracted from the story's beauty, was unnecessary and took some of the polish off of Early’s glow.

And glowing is one way to describe Navigating Early's powerfully built setting which creates a beautiful, yet lurking, unknown to the tone and pacing. The picturesque Maine wilderness is a perfect location for the era in which Jack and Early make their adventure. Vanderpool has used the same vivid brushstrokes that earned her a Newbery in Moon Over Manifest and given ELA teachers an excellent title to instruct mood/tone.

All in all, it may be that Jack’s a bit too adult-like, the topics are a bit too weighty and specific situations may tie up in a bit too tidy bow, but Vanderpool pulls is all off magically with her story building skills that will leave readers sighing when they close the last page.
Strongly Recommended for elementary and middle classroom and library purchase.

-------------------- Resources --------------------

Genre: Historical in setting, Adventure in plot
Age: 10 and up
Pages: 320
Themes: difficult relationships, loss, grief, friendship, life’s journey and the power of faith
Character Development: Excellent, good first person narration in Jack and great, fantastical stories told by Early
Plot Engagement: Tad bit slow to start, faster once we get to know Early
Originality: Not unique, but strong enough elsewhere to not matter
Believability: At first it is hard to see where Early's stories are headed, but once we learn about his connection to the Fish, we start seeing them in a different light
Thank You to the publisher for my advanced copy
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Release Date: 01/08/2013
ISBN 13: 978-0385742092
Buy Navigating Early Here
Supporting texts would include: 
Investigations, both mathematical and scientific, on pi
WWII and era oriented synopses
Appalachian Bears and Timber Rattlesnakes
Comparisons of Maine and Kansas
Rowing crew
The Appalachian Trail

Clare Vanderpool won the prestigious Newbery Medal for her debut novel Moon Over Manifest. She lives in Kansas with her family. She did lots of jumping up and down in January of 2011. You can read more about it on her website.

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 © 2007-2013 Cheryl Vanatti for www.ReadingRumpus.com

A 9-11 Lesson from Tom Brokaw on "A Society Just Going About Their Business"

I wasn't going to do a 9-11 post. There would be too many, "here's a list of 9-11 books" posts; I was sure. A post detailing my, "where were you" moment (teaching a 6th grade class) would hold little attention when compared to what others were doing (loading bombs onto fighter jets - like my husband). But then, I saw the New York Times/YouTube collaboration and stumbled upon Tom Brokow's reflection. Not his reflection on his own place in history, but his reflection on where he thought we would go and where we have gone.

My teacher wheels started spinning..... and I threw together this quick lesson plan with Mr. Brokaw's help:

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead - review (sort of) post

Last summer, I got the bright idea that I was going to start these happy little book clubs all over the school where children could read for pleasure and talk about books. There wouldn't be worksheets; there wouldn't be projects; no mention of standardized test skills would leave our lips. With my principal's blessing and cute name (Book Dens), I went forth to conquer our school.

Lots of students signed up! Plenty of teachers jumped on board too! I got them all going and then, finally, I got my group. I didn't play favorites, I took the leftovers: Six boys, seventh grade, all labeled 'struggling readers.'

At our first meeting I touted their luck. They got the reading specialist, the one in charge, the one who held the key to all the books available. While the other groups were selecting from 3 or 4 titles, they would get to choose from the whole lot!

And they chose one of my favorites. "Trickery," my fellow den leaders called. It was my secret wish, my fingers crossed, eyes tightly shut hope. My boys picked When You Reach Me, the 2010 Newbery winner.

Isn't it amazing when you re-read a book you've loved and are reminded why you loved it? I read a lot of books. I wish I were a more tenacious writer and told about them all here. I should have written about When You Reach Me. Though the fancy gold seal and mandated library purchase now trail the glowing reviews, I should have told you that the last chapters will leave you breathless. You'll want to read it again. And maybe, if you're lucky like me, you'll get to read it again with those seeing it new. Magical!

Blessing's Bead by Debby Dahl Edwardson - book review

Here I go again…. Another title that would have lounged on a library shelf never to cross my mind had it not been for the Cybils:

Blessing's Bead is a mix of historical fiction brought into the modern day through a familial connection across the years and miles of Alaska. The first section of the book tells the story of Nutaaq who travels with her family to an annual trading fair. While there, Nutaaq’s sister meets a Siberian boy and is married. Before she sails for Siberia, she promises Nutaag that when they meet at the next fair, she will bring a beautiful blue bead for each member of their family. Nutaaq never gets to see her sister again as the flu epidemic of the early 20th century changes their course in history.

One Crazy Summer by Rita Willaims-Garcia - book review

Even with all the buzz surrounding One Crazy Summer, I didn’t really expect to like it and I certainly wouldn’t have ever picked it off the shelf as a fun read. I thought I’d quietly read the 50 pages (like I promised my Cybils pals) and move on to the next one. Of course I always read the last chapter (because I’m an ending freak), so I thought I’d spend maybe an hour with One Crazy Summer and move along to the next title on our massive 146 book list. Four hours later, while soaking in a nice warm bath, I found a tear rolling down my cheek as I closed the book on a historical time period I never thought I’d care to know much about.

I’m still not certain that I can appreciate the Black Panther movement of the 60’s, but I know that I can appreciate a protagonist with a voice so compelling I’m forced to read forward. That’s eleven-year-old Delphine, who, along with her two sisters, flies out to Oakland California to meet a woman she barely remembers when her father thinks it’s high time for his girls to get to know their mother. The three girl’s mother turns out to be a poet involved with the Black Panthers and she’s not much nicer than their paternal grandmother has told them. In fact, for all the character development of Delphine and her sisters, the author never got me to invest in their mother. Even as Delphine and her sister forgave their mother her faults, I muttered about a too tidy ending.

Could I ever invest in a character like Delphine’s mother? Could I feel some sympathy if the situation were extreme enough? Maybe author Williams-Garcia simply understood that most folks wouldn’t be shedding any of those tears for Delphine’s mother. I'm sure Ms. Williams-Garcia knew it was Delphine and the crazy summer she grew into a young lady of strength her mother could never have that makes One Crazy Summer an award-nomination worthy title.

Picture the Dead Live Webcast with special appearance by Lemony Snicket!

Have you heard about this new one?
I can't wait to get my hands on it!

But, until then....

London Calling by Edward Bloor - book review

I had the great fortune of hearing Mr. Edward Bloor read the first chapter of London Calling to my middle school students. A deep booming voice and broad smile made Mr. Bloor an excellent narrator who, after reading the first chapter, held the students rapt and led our desire to continue reading more about John Martin Conway, a seemingly average boy on scholarship to an exclusive preparatory school.

At All Souls Preparatory School, Martin is bullied and unhappy. In fact, Martin’s life stinks all around. His mother and father are separated, his father’s drinking problem finally driving him away from the family. His beloved grandmother dies within the first few chapters and Martin has taken to hiding in his dreary basement where he is having odd visions of a boy from the past.

Although the boy, Jimmy Harker, says that he is from the past and that he needs Martin’s help, it will take some proving as he leads Martin through a series of Da Vinci Code-like research mysteries to confirm his presence. It is Jimmy’s question of, “What did you do to help?” that motivates the plot and provides the backdrop for Martin to emerge from his depression on a historical hero-styled quest.

London Calling is an ambitious novel. It hits three genres squarely and offers multi-layered themes while switching through present and past settings. Mr. Bloor is an excellent writer and manages to keep the genre-setting-time-plot hopping in check, but he does so at the expense of character development. The multi-layered themes are excellent for discussion, especially for social studies educators.

One theme, the father-son struggle, has both Martin and Jimmy dealing with “daddy issues” that need resolving in order for their souls to progress. In fact, the grandfathers in Martin’s life also play a role in shaping who he is and who he might become. Another strong theme is the religion / humanist struggle. The religious characters are less than pious and those once great men held in high esteem appear more sinful than those on common stature. Still another lofty theme is the difference between what is written and what is known about historical events and what really happened. This ties with the theme of the righteous, privileged man versus that of the common man, and the sacrifices each make and how they are historically recorded through time. Thrown into that already overwhelming theme is the added question of what makes a real hero. Jimmy’s coming-of age heroism might rewrite history, but it’s the poignant epilogue that brings the tears.

London Calling has all the great themes from which teachers and librarians love to choose books, and I suspect London Calling is a favorite of several. However, the novel's weakness is its inability to click with the youthful reader. A few strong readers, especially those lovers of historical fiction, will enjoy the story; but its broad message and intricate execution limit mass appeal. 

For history classrooms and historical-mystery fiction readers.

-------------------- Resources --------------------

Genre: Historical Fiction & Mystery. Age: 9-12. Pages: 304.
Themes: Depression, Family, Individuality, Father-Son Issues, Religious Symbolism, Overcoming, Societal Injustice. Publisher: Knopf. Date: September 2006. ISBN-10: 0375836357 ISBN-13: 978-0375836350.
BUY London Calling HERE

Random House Teaching Guide Here

Interview at Random House

Edward Bloor began as an English teacher, which led to a job as an educational editor. After sitting around reading young adult novels all day, he decided to give writing for young adults a try. You can read more about Mr. Bloor & his various books on his website.
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© 2007-2009 Cheryl Vanatti. www.ReadingRumpus.com

Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran

There are three ways of examining Cleopatra's Daughter. One might view the story as an overlooked appendage to the famous story of Marc Antony & Cleopatra. One might also marvel at the novel’s historically significant timeframe. Or finally, one can view Cleopatra's Daughter as an engrossing story of political intrigue and romance. Choose any direction; you will not be disappointed.

Cleopatra's Daughter opens as Octavian of Rome has conquered Egypt. Marc Antony and Cleopatra have committed suicide, leaving three orphaned children. Octavian decides it wise to keep the children alive for future bartering, especially in view of their being the remaining heirs to the throne of Alexander the Great. As the three children set sail for Rome, readers join the perilous journey that will follow the first-person narrator, daughter Selene, to adulthood.

Cleopatra's Daughter is one of those first rate historical fiction novels where the strong setting is merely a footnote to the story of the people. While the reader is busy falling in love with the characters, she forgets all the rich culture and historical fact, only later to contemplate the significance and wonders of an epoch in both Egyptian and Roman history.

Because it is a coming-of-age tale, Cleopatra's Daughter works for both adult and young adult readers. While Cleopatra's Daughter definitely has the chops to hold an adult readers attention, especially those of us who love historical fiction, it is the strong voice of Cleopatra's only daughter, Selene, that makes Cleopatra's Daughter an excellent choice for teens searching for a tale rich in both history and romance. The Latin and Greek wording is kept to a minimum and the author provides support with both an opening cast of characters and a glossary of terms and author’s note at the tale’s end.

Teachers in high school might well recommended this tale to students interested in the historical context of the novel or those seeking more than the supernatural love stories of late.

Aint Nothing But A Man: My Quest to Find the Real John Henry by Scott Reynolds Nelson - Book Review & Teaching Activities

Ask a kid what he wants to be when he grows up. What will you hear? Race car driver? Ballerina? Doctor? Astronaut? Historian… Huh?

In Ain't Nothing But A Man: My Quest to Find the Real John Henry, Scott Reynolds Nelson has done for historians what Indiana Jones did for archeologists. While the book appears to explain whether a real John Henry, the steel driving man of folk legend, actually existed, it slyly tells a first person story of Scott Reynolds Nelson, historian.

Nelson's personal quest starts as a small kernel of wonder while researching the men who built the railroads. He looks up from his computer screen and a clue pops out at him. From there, Nelson is off to find out if there was a real John Henry.

Ain't Nothing But A Man describes the journey, dead ends and all, Nelson had to mount in order to get proof, one way or another. That journey, in another’s hands, might have been made of stereotypical stuffy old textbooks and kids nodding off to sleep; but Nelson wrote it in first person, sort of like a detective novel. That choice, along with a step-by-step narrative and a storyteller’s sensibility, makes me speculate that a few kids might answer my opening question with “historian” after reading this book.

Oh! And was there a real John Henry? I’ll not tell you the conclusion, it’s just too much fun to spoil, I’ll just recommend you go pick up Ain't Nothing But A Man: My Quest to Find the Real John Henry for both your classroom or library. You won’t be able to put it down.

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Genre: Nonfiction. Grades: 4th through secondary. Pages: 64.






Themes: History, Research Methods, Racial Tensions
Awards: Jane Addams Children’s Book Award, Publishers Weekly Best Children's Book of the Year, Booklist Books for Youth Editors' Choice, ALA Best Books for Young Adults, ALA Notable Children's Book
Thank You: Karen @ Media Masters
Publisher: National Geographic Children's. Date: December 2007.
ISBN: ISBN-10: 142630000X / ISBN-13: 978-1426300004

Buy Ain't Nothing but a Man: My Quest to Find the Real John Henry Here

Note: Ain't Nothing But A Man: My Quest to Find the Real John Henry also features old photographs, song lyrics, and various historical artifacts as well as appendices, a blurb on the birth of Rock & Roll as related to railroad men, a map, a note about research sources, an index of topics, suggestions for further reading and links where readers can find versions of the songs. It also includes the essay "How to be a Historian" by writer Marc Aronson. He also writes Nonfiction Matters for School Library Journal.

Lesson Plan & Activities

Pre-reading activity: Read or listen to the original song before reading the book to provide background knowledge on the subject. The New York Times has a review with a picture slideshow from the book which would also work well as a story starter activity. You can also listen to a recording of the song from the Smithsonian (left side) there.

Vocabulary (with page found): research 7, locomotive 7, trawling 9, scavenger 11, ammunition 13, impulse 13, jostles 15, archive 16, evidence 19, steam drill 23, nitroglycerine 24, wagered 26, anvil 31, penitentiary 35, contractor 37, archeologist 37, gully 38, theory 38, archivist 39, scholars 39, census 39, convicted 41, embankments 43, siege 43, midst 44, improvised 44, gnashing 44, barbaric 47, trove 52.


Discussion Questions:
Chapter 1:
Predict what Mr. Nelson might have seen with “the clue that changed everything.” (try to get students to back-up predictions with textual clues from Mr. Nelson’s writing in Chapter 1. Example: “Mr Nelson said that he was researching men who worked on the railroad so maybe he saw a picture that reminded him of how John Henry might look”)

Chapter 2:
What is “making the grade?” (Answer: p. 9 photo caption)

Why does Mr. Nelson become a historian? (Answer: whole chapter gives examples of his love of finding the undiscovered clues to how people lived)

Chapter 3:
Who were trackliners? (Answer: p.15 men who go out day after day to realign and maintain the tracks)

How would singing a song help the trackliners? (Answer: p. 17 -18 They would be able to sing the song in a way to create a rhythm between the men realigning the track)

Is Mr. Nelson really trying to find John Henry to prove his existence? (Answer: p. 19 No, he is trying to find out information about the 40,000 missing men)

Chapter 4:
Discuss the steam engine illustration technology vs. technology today. How must people have felt when a mechanical device could do their job? Do you think people today feel the same way about computers and robotics? (own ideas)

Chapter 5:
Mr. Nelsons begins his quest at Big Bend Tunnel. Why? (Answer: p.29 many versions of the songs mention the name Big Bend and there is even a statue there of John Henry)

Why does Mr. Nelson believe that Big Bend is the wrong place to look for John Henry? (Answer: p. 29-31 The rock is too soft there, there was evidence of men working – not machines, the tunnel was not large enough for a steam engine)

Chapter 6:
What do you think? Could Mr. Nelson be on the right track? (Answers that might disprove research = size wrong, name common, no death listed, criminal…)

Chapter 7:
Remind students of the Civil War and the freeing of slaves. Let students discuss how uneasy the country must have been with distrust, prejudice and fear motivating the legal system.

Chapter 8:
Mr. Nelson gets his proof about Big Bend. How does he get it? (Answer: p. 51-52 A library in Ohio has railroad records that state that only men where used on the Big Bend Tunnel)

Where does the report lead Mr. Nelson? Why? (Answer: p.52 to the Lewis Tunnel where the old reports state that men were tested against machine and from old newspaper reports)

How does Mr. Nelson piece this all together? (Answer: conclusion - No machine at Big Bend + Machine & contest at Lewis tunnel + John Henry at Lewis Tunnel)

Chapter 9:
How does Mr. Nelson believe the legend/song got passed to Big Bend? (Answer: p.56 there was a cook and a waterboy who transferred from Lewis to Big Bend)

Did Mr. Nelson find his original answer? Do you believe him?
(Answer: p.57 He believes that the song was a warning about the hardships of working for the railroad, not a literal John Henry died-right-then tale.)


Extend the book further with:
Art: Research the painter Palmer C. Hayden p.8.

Wikipedia lists two other possible theories, both by historians, as to the origins of John Henry. Do a compare and contrast Venn diagram of the theories.

Research folksongs: Mr Nelson tells us that one way historians trace history is to listen to the songs of a specific time period for clues (p.16). He mentions three songs: The Big Rock Candy Mountain, Ring around the Rosy & Bingo. Research the origins, dates and relevant information of these songs.


A study of folklore: Compare to books/stories on folk legends like Paul Bunyan, Johnny Appleseed, Pecos Bill, Mike Fink, etc… Here are a couple good websites to help: American Folklore and The American Folklife Center.

This is the US postage stamp honoring John Henry. Have students make stamps honoring other book or folklore characters that have inspired them to learn more.



Some book recommendations?

From Sea to Shining Sea: A Treasury of American Folklore and Folk Songs

American Tall Tales







Or what about the Steven Kellogg series?
Johnny Appleseed, Paul Bunyan, Mike Fink,

Pecos Bill









And don't forget these two titles to accompany the fun:
John Henry by Julius Lester with illustrations by Jerry Pinkney




John Henry: An American Legend by Ezra Jack Keats




Scott Reynolds Nelson is a professor of history at the College of William and Mary. He was recently awarded a Newberry Library fellowship to research the history of financial crashes. Ain't Nothing but a Man: My Quest to Find the Real John Henry grew out of his adult research book on the same topic, Steel Drivin' Man: John Henry, the Untold Story of an American Legend. You can read a bit more about him on his website or read an interview transcript on Sound Authors.
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© 2007-2009 Cheryl Vanatti for www.ReadingRumpus.com