Modern Fantasy

I chose City of Bones written by Cassandra Clare. This is a dystopian series based in New York City where Clary lives and she sees Jace one day after seeing a symbol for a while. After confronting Jace later on, Clary learns about Shadowhunters and their world where they see demons of all types and warlocks. Good book for adolescents and young adults (middle school) to read.
I feel like this is an excellent book for that shows Element Two: Respect for Others. "Students gain respect for the history and characteristics of people different from themselves. By building on the natural empathy of children, teachers encourage students to care about 'unfair' conditions that have affected others." Clary and Jace are very different in their own ways but so similar at the end. There is also Simon who is Clary's best friend who got exposed to the Shadowhunters' world.
The classroom activities would be having them create their own dystopian story and share it with the class if they wish. Can border on realistic fiction if they want to make their surrounding realistic similar to Harry Potter series.

Vlog: Realistic Fiction - The Goodbye Cancer Garden

Modern Fantasy: The Dark

Book's title: The Dark

Author: Lemony Snicket

Illustrated: Jon Klassen

Summary 

One boy, Laszlo was afraid of the dark despite on bright noon. He noticed the basement where all day long the dark, but he tried to call the dark there every morning. One night, Laszlo heard the voice of the dark. The dark visited his room. He asked the dark, "What do you want?" Then the dark answered him where the dark is. The result of book is interested story...

Kind of Modern Fantasy

The book is unlikely worlds or maybe possible to experience the happening. What the dark communicated with the boy is impossible, but I wonder that the dark mays ghost or spirit. I am still considering about the end of story has the result, too. Thus, someone can make a fantasy from the book. The dark may want to do important something for him, which is not scary story.

Six Elements of Social Justice Curriculum

According to the Six Elements of Social Justice Curriculum Design for Elementary Education, self-love and knowledge strongly related the book. Some children scare the dark because they cannot see everything or feel alone, including me, too. But the book help to make a new imaging or idea about the dark as character.
In the class, children can enjoy to play in the dark or different new story by the book. Also, children can consider meaning why the dark talk the boy. I want to suggest the book to read if child scare the dark.

Modern Fantasy/Sci-fi: 'Captain Raptor and the Moon Mystery'

Captain Raptor and the Moon Mystery

Written by: Kevin O'Malley

Illustrations by: Patrick O'Brien

The book I chose is called "Captain Raptor and the Moon Mystery" written by Kevin O'Malley and illustrated by Patrick O'Brien.

This high fantasy book is about a dinosaur called Captain Raptor, who lives on Planet Jurrassica and is called to go figure out what exactly was the light that raced across the sky and landed on the moon called Eon. The reader is taken through the journey that Captain Raptor and his crew take to get up to Eon on their massive spaceship. Along this journey they run into some problems and have to work as a team to figure out a solution. After working as a team to safely arrive on Eon they see an object in the distance and are faced by gunpoint by 'aliens' (humans). One of the aliens gets swooped out of the air by another creature and the two crews have to work together in order to save him...do they save him? You will have to read it to find out!

As mentioned before, this book is a high fantasy book that includes believable and detailed characters, events and an outer space world within the context of the story. The writing is rich and the structures of the story are clear. In addition, although this is a high fantasy book that is impossible of actually happening in modern times now, the author and illustrator are able to create meaningful themes that cause the reader to think about life and if it could be possible by adding in human characters and using the unknown of outer space to set up the plot.

According to the Six Elements of Social Justice Curriculum, the theme that is covered in this book is respect for others because readers are able to see how teamwork helps to solve problems and also how two different groups can come together to figure out one common goal. 

This book could be used in the classroom as an introduction to the importance of teamwork and a possible activity of having to work in teams to solve a problem, just as the dinosaurs and aliens had to do. 

~ Samantha Kiser ~

Modern Fantasy: "The Lorax" by: Dr. Seuss

         

          The modern fantasy book that I chose is called The Lorax written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss. This book is about the Once-ler’s story about how he found these beautiful Truffula Trees and he decided to chop them all down to use them to make Thneeds (a type of clothes).  Then the Lorax came along and warned the Once-ler to stop chopping down the trees because he was killing the environment. The Truffula Trees were a part of a complex community of organisms, like the Brown Bar-ba-loots and the Humming-Fish. The Once-ler had his eye on money and ignored the Lorax’s warning. Eventually he cut down all of the Truffula Trees and completely destroyed the environment. The Once-ler realizes his horrible mistake but it is too late. He tells this story and gives the last Truffula Tree seed to a boy in hopes that he does not make the same mistakes that he made.

            Following the genre evaluation from the book, The Lorax meets all of the criteria for a quality piece of literature. The characters and story is completely fictional and fantasy, but it is logical and the message is clear. This story applies to real life environmental issues and presents it to children in a way that has these fantasy elements and colorful illustrations. The language is rich and has invented vocabulary that makes sense this fantasy world come to life.

            This book has many elements from the Social Justice handout, but the two most prevalent elements are “respect for others” and “social action”. Throughout the book, the Lorax tells the Once-ler the importance of respecting all the animals and trees because they are a part of a bigger self-sustaining system. The Lorax teaches that all things on earth deserve respect. The other element, “social action” occurs at the end of the book when the Once-ler gives a young boy the last Truffula Tree seed and tells him to do what he wants with it, but hoping he does not make the same mistake as he did. This is a call for action against deforestation and other environmental issues.

            In the classroom, this book can be used in many ways. This book can be used while teaching about deforestation or other environmental issues. Students can discuss the issues in the book and think of different things that the Once-ler should have done. Students can brainstorm ways they can take social action against environmental issues in our society and how to spread awareness. 

Eduardo Verdurmen

You can see this : https://youtu.be/zB2rUYg1als  (Trailler of book and the next movie)


REALISTIC FICTION     

               The book that I Chosen is Neirad by Eduardo Verdurmen.  Verdurmen is scriptwriter and 

working on television series from Panama. His very first book and one of his best selling books was 

Rex Angelorum it has only 80 pages and made movie too. After this first book, Verdurmen acquired

enough Knowledge to write the story and scripts of Neirad book. He also wrote Rex Angelorum II 

and the Ghost of Anny. He is currently working as editor , film director , composer , sound engineer, 

screenwriter, and also makes 3D animations in Panama. 

The Neirad book story invisible war with pharmaceutical business. Story begins with one of millionaire company sent scientists to Darien jungle in Panama.  

The Neirad book story is about invisible war with pharmaceutical business. Story begins with one of

 millionaire company sent scientific to Darien jungle in Panama to research about plants and 

minerals. That plants and minerals have develop the medicine with that plants and minerals, we 

could save so many people in the world.. because pharmaceutical business selfishness, we lose many 

peoples's lives.  

This book is right for social actions; which is one of the six social elements justice curriculum design for elementary education. Students will learn about what is meaning of the human rights and value are more important than economic value and how the students should act when they face with this of situation.

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Fantasy: Boy + Bot

Folklore: The lion and the mouse

Book’s Title: The lion and the mouse

Author: Jerry Pinkney

Poetry: "Hi, Koo!"

Book’s Title: Hi, Koo!

Author: Jon Muth

Summary

The book I chose is “Hi, Koo!” by Jon Muth. The book is written as a “Haiku,” a Japanese word for “俳句”—a Japanese tradition poetic form. It is divided into three lines with five, then seven, then five on (on is the sound part, the syllables). The author wanted to show haiku in English, but he said, “English syllables and on are not the same.” The book uses haiku to talk about Asia’s year of seasons.

The panda’s name is Koo, the main character, and s/he plays with two friends through a year of four seasons. The book is beautifully illustrated using watercolors and soft picture. These characters experience beautiful natures and traditional life style.

Poetry Style

The book is divided into individual poems and rhythm that follows the American alphabet on each page. The book followed the Japanese’s haiku style using English’s language and alphabet, which was creative idea. The storytelling seems to follow the American way of using the English alphabet to write poetry, which the American Sign Language (ASL) can be used to show Deaf children the alphabet. If the readers do not know Asia’s cultural background, they may have difficulty understanding the poem’s subject. Each page shows three lines with one to seven texts; thus, it is a simple, short story. Since I am Japanese, I can relate to the book, but the book does not explain enough about the “Chinese” culture and identity, which is shown only in the pictures.  Although Japanese tradition is a little different from China, the Chinese’s four seasons and the ambiences of life style are similar to Japan.

Six Elements of Social Justice Curriculum

The book is about self-love and knowledge and respect for others according to the Six Elements of Social Justice Curriculum Design for Elementary Education. Koo and two friends identify with the Chinese culture because Panda was born there. For example, the dragon and the colorful kite are Chinese’s traditional symbols. Students can learn about the Chinese cultural background and identity to respect the Chinese person.

The book is valuable for teaching different country’s culture and identity. Students can learn how to create a short poetry that is also a creative story. Also, sometime involving picture with short text will help make the images themselves. Another idea is looking for matching pictures and words that follow the alphabet during storytelling can motivate the students to learn the language.