#reading log 3

[beeslibrarylist]

Early Reader in Brief: The Vampire Bunny

Bunnicula and Friends: The Vampire Bunny Written by James Howe, illustrated by Jeff Mack

Publishing Information:

Published by Simon Spotlight, August 1, 2005. Hardback dimensions measure  6 x 0.2 x 9 inches

Awards Won:

None found.

Story or Concept Theme:

The Monroe family brings home a pet rabbit, and their cat, Chester, is suspicious that he is a vampire.

Target Audience/Age:

Ready-to-Read 3: Reading Proficiently. Ages 6-8.

Narrative Plot

Beginning: The Monroes bring home Bunnicula. Chester is immediately suspicious, and when they find vegetables that have been drained of all their juice, Chester insists that Bunnicula is a danger to the family. Middle: Chester is suddenly no longer suspicious of Bunnicula, and Harold, the family dog, realizes something is wrong. He stays up to watch Chester all night, and learns that Chester has been guarding the vegetables with garlic to keep Bunnicula away from them. End: Harold breaks Bunnicula out of his cage and helps him get into a salad so he can eat the greens. Mrs. Monroe decides to take all the animals to the vet, and they put Bunnicula on an all-juice diet.

Coherence/relation between text + visual pictures:

There is enough text on each page that the illustrations only show one aspect of what’s happening. They do a good job of distinguishing the most important image, and setting the tone for the page.

Storytelling techniques used:

This book uses suspense and tension. It’s interesting because it’s a horror genre book, but doesn’t portray vampirism as scary from the narrator’s point of view because Bunnicula only targets vegetables.

Physical structure/design:

Physical copy has 48 pages. The text is set in a large, serif font that fills each page. Lines are spaced fairly close together. There are no two-page spreads.

Brief assessment of the book's quality:

This book is exciting and fun! It engages readers by introducing something scary but harmless, and by centering the story on the other pets. The illustrations are fun, but not distracting, and the plot doesn’t sacrifice story elements to accommodate the format or intended audience.

Brief assessment of potential use of book with young readers, if applicable:

I could see this book being very successful as an independent reader, but not especially so for group reading. Because Bunnicula is such an iconic series, this book makes an excellent gateway out of Easy Readers, especially for readers who are daunted by the transition to juvenile fiction. 

Brief assessment of the book's appeal to potential readers:

Bunnicula celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2019, and I think that’s part of the appeal here - this is a series that has stood the test of time, which makes it recognizable for caregivers, and proves its popularity with readers. Its unique take on horror themes is fun and engaging, and it’s a great stepping stone to further reading.

Edited 4/10/21 to change “Easy Reader” to “Early Reader”

[beeslibrarylist]

On Gendering Children’s Books

I object to labeling children’s books by gender in my reading log for several reasons.

First, my aim here is to document children’s books I’ve read in an effort to understand children’s literacy, not to study the perpetuation of patriarchal gender norms. While I recognize that all children’s media is designed and marketed to appeal to set gender demographics, focusing on these assigned categories would become a distraction from the literary, artistic, and educational qualities that I am studying. In my opinion, it would be reductive to neglect the content of a book and to classify it instead based on market demographics that are built off of stereotypes.

Furthermore, children have interests that exist regardless of category. Labeling things like colors, activities, toys, and books based on gender teaches children that they are only allowed to enjoy certain things. Presenting an item as being for certain people boxes them in, and others out. No matter how a book is marketed, I wouldn’t put it on my library shelf with a gender sticker, so I won’t classify books that way here, either.

Lastly, classifying any kind of media based on gender is antithetical to gender equality. Doing so lends legitimacy to sexist, antifeminist, and transphobic ideologies, and disregards the lived experiences of people of all genders. As a transgender person with a nonbinary identity, I am uncomfortable using a classification method that is rooted in the same principles as the systemic oppression I face.

I understand that a child’s gender can be an important aspect of their identity, and that it may influence their reading preferences. While others may find it to be an important factor in understanding and classifying children’s literature, I prefer to focus elsewhere.

[libby-and-the-library]

Prince Fly Guy - Reading Log 3

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Prince Fly Guy By Tedd Arnold Cartwheel Books (2015) 32 pages Ages 4-7

Prince Fly Guy is an early reader level 2 book that does not take itself too seriously at all. In this story, the eponymous character is written into a fairy tale as part of his human friend Buzz’s homework. At first Buzz wants to turn fly guy into an ugly troll or a smelly pig herder, but apparently Fly Guy has personal standards just like everyone else and is instead transformed into a prince doing stereotypical fairy tale things. With a twist.

Most of the story takes place through Fly Guy’s imagination via large, illustrated thought bubbles. The text is mainly interaction between Buzz and Fly Guy with some onomatopoeic interjections from Fly Guy such as “yikezz!” The artwork is very stylized and the text is illustrated on the page which is helpful for young readers who may not know all the words or are having a hard time following the story. The story is fairly straightforward, but the words handsome, beautiful, and porridge are a bit beyond what I would consider vocabulary for a level 2 book. 

Though the book is clearly boy oriented with two male protagonists, one an insect, and rough around the edges artwork, it’s the rescued princess who ends up saving the day by knocking out the giant with her crown. The role reversal was surprising and a welcome surprise from a story where I did not expect to find any.

Though it's not one of my favorite books I’ve read for this log, this book could be used to talk about common characters in fairy tales or it could be used to lead into a project for children to write their own fairy tales.

[libby-and-the-library]

Showdown in Space! - Reading Log 3

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Showdown in Space! (DC SuperHero Girls) Written by Courtney Carbone and Illustrated by Pernille Ørum Random House Children’s Books (2017) 32 pages Ages 5-8

Anything geeky always has a special place in my heart, but when I was little you either like the often only female character or have no female role models. These days I am very pleased to see mainstream media increasingly willing to let their female geek flag fly. DC Superhero Girls has been coming out with fiction books for children of all ages for the past couple of years. This Step Into Reading Level 3 book is an example of what they offer for younger children.

The story is fairly straightforward, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, and Starfire leave Super Hero High take part in a Model United Planets when the meeting is suddenly under attack. They are able to thwart the attack and make some new friends along the way. There is a defined beginning, climax, and resolution with a fast moving pace and actions, but this is a book for younger readers who appreciate shorter stories. 

A lot of the genre specific vocabulary such as asteroids, heat vision, and force field may be a bit difficult for some readers to understand, but the illustrator does a good job demonstrating the action. I only wish the cast was a bit more diverse, blue skinned people don’t count.

This is a fun story for any super hero lover of any gender, but a particular delight to female fans. However, the age range seems a little low to me. I would age the book from up to 6 - 8.