scholarly journals Artificial Eyes by B. Sheen

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean Borle
Keyword(s):  
Junior High School ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Reading Level ◽  
Children's Books ◽  
Children’S Books ◽  
Text Book ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Black And White

Sheen, Barbara.  Artificial Eyes. Norwood House Press, 2017.Artificial Eyes is one of a series of non-fiction books called Tech Bytes, that “explores...new technologies and how they are changing the way people perform everyday tasks.” Barbara Sheen, author of almost 100 children’s books, explores the history of artificial eyes, how they are made, their effect on people’s lives, and future developments. This is a detailed work that is designed to be a reference or text book for Grades 4 – 6. It is an odd combination of factual presentation and anecdotal stories about individuals. For example, “When Teddy was two years old, he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in his eye. To rid him of the disease, his eye was surgically removed.”  Squeamish children may find some content disturbing. To balance the dense text, most pages have a photograph, diagram, or side-bar containing interesting information. There are also “Did you know?” boxes, which allow for some level of interaction. For example, “Did you know? Bionic eyes only provide black-and-white vision. Experts are working on software that would let wearers see colors.”  The end of each chapter also has text-based questions and potential research projects. In this way it is more like a text book, but it is unlikely that a classroom would need textbooks on a subject this specific.While the short sentence and paragraph structures are appropriate for the upper elementary reading level, many of the words and word-combinations will be difficult for students in these grades. They may require help in understanding the content. There are few children’s books about artificial eyes, so this would be a good addition to public libraries and both elementary and junior high school libraries. Recommended: 3 stars out of 4Reviewer: Sean C. BorleSean Borle is a University of Alberta undergraduate student who is an advocate for child health and safety.

scholarly journals The Pear Violin by B. Zhao

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean Borle
Keyword(s):  
Child Health ◽  
Undergraduate Student ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Picture Book ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Children's Books ◽  
Children’S Books ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Fantasy World ◽  
Suspension Of Disbelief

Zhao, Bingbo. The Pear Violin, illustrated by Gumi. Starfish Bay Children’s Books, 2016.Bingbo Zhao, who publishes under his first name, Bingbo, has published more than 370 children’s books and won more than 50 awards.  The Pear Violin is an imaginative picture book which starts from the idea that pears and violins are shaped alike. In Bingbo’s fantasy world, a squirrel cuts a pear in half, uses a twig and some of his whiskers to make a bow, and begins playing.  In this world foxes, elephants, bears, lions and a variety of other animals all inhabit the same forest.  The music of the violin is so powerful that it can make the fox stop chasing the chicken and the lion “let the rabbit lie in his arms, so that the rabbit would feel warmer when listening to the music.”  The music also has the power to make a small pear seed grow quickly into a tree and grow many pears.  All the animals make the pears into cellos, violins and violas and all play beautiful music together. Throughout the book Gumi (no last name given) illustrates the motion and emotion of the animals.  The animals’ faces show curiosity when the seed starts to grow and excitement when they play together in the concert. A suspension of disbelief is required for the enjoyment of this book.  Some children will ask, “Why don’t the pears rot?” and “Why are bears and elephants in the same forest?”   However, for most, it will just be a fun book which carries the message that music brings people together.  This book would be good for public libraries and school libraries.Recommended: 3 stars out of 4Reviewer:  Sean BorleSean Borle is a University of Alberta undergraduate student who is an advocate for child health and safety

scholarly journals The Sound of All Things by M. Uhlberg

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean Borle
Keyword(s):  
Public Libraries ◽  
Picture Book ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Reading Level ◽  
Deaf Children ◽  
Amusement Park ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Deaf Person ◽  
Adult Reading ◽  
Intimate Knowledge

Uhlberg, Myron.  The Sound of All Things, illustrated by Ted Papoulas, Peachtree Publishers, 2016.This is an autobiographical story about Myron, who is the child of two deaf parents, attempting to explain sounds to them as they spend a day at the Coney Island amusement park. The illustrations in this book are spectacular. Ted Papoulas captures not only the detail of the amusement park, the library and fireworks, he also captures whole stories in the expressions on people’s faces. All of the illustrations reflect the 1920s, when Myron was a child. Many of the illustrations have a dark tone to them, using browns for building interiors, street scenes and evenings, adding to a vintage look. For a picture book this text is wordy, dense, and written at an adult reading level. Myron’s voice, however, is authentic. Only the child of a deaf person would be able to write, “My mother’s hands sat silent in her lap.” The text displays the intimate knowledge that Myron has of the deaf world and his struggles to translate sound to his parents. '“What does the ocean sound like?”  “It is loud,” I answered again. “Don’t be lazy,” [my father] signed.  I squirmed in my seat. I didn’t have enough words to tell my father what he wanted to know”'. Because the text is sophisticated for a picture book, it would be appropriate for upper elementary and above.I would recommend this book for public libraries and school libraries and to anyone who teaches deaf children or children of deaf people. Recommended: 3 stars out of 4Reviewer:  Sean BorleSean Borle is a University of Alberta undergraduate student who is an advocate for child health and safety. 

scholarly journals Potatoes on Rooftops: Farming in the City by H. Dyer

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandy Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Urban Agriculture ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
The United States ◽  
Reading Level ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Text Book ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Urban Gardening ◽  
Growing Conditions ◽  
The City

Dyer, Hadley.  Potatoes on Rooftops: Farming in the City.  Toronto:  Annick Press, 2012. Print. With the increased public interest in urban agriculture, this is a timely book.  While the publishers present it as being for grades 4-7, the content and reading level is much higher,  scoring at the Tenth Grade on the Coleman-Liau Index and 9.2 on the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level test. The design looks like a children’s book, with backgrounds composed of bright colour blocks, small monochrome drawings and many irregularly shaped photographs with overlapping captions that look as if they are hand-printed.   The text is often informal, using contractions and questions to engage the reader.  “What’s a city dweller to do if she doesn’t want to pay a king’s ransom for an egg?” (p. 18). However, the content is dense and covers urban agriculture almost like a text book.  It begins with a substantial introductory section on the state of food and the need for urban agriculture then moves through examples of small scale urban agriculture, larger scale urban agriculture and ends up with some of the larger social and political movements and philosophies.  There is also a glossary, resource list and index. While the author is from Toronto and this book received Ontario Arts Council Funding, there is little Canadian content.  While the author does cite a number of international examples including some from Africa, Japan and Scotland, it is clear that the market for this book is the United States.  There are a few Toronto projects mentioned and the Inuvik Community Greenhouse, which is an old arena, but there is little said about the practicalities of urban gardening in Canada.  Climate is a major factor in successful gardening anywhere and the growing conditions of most American locations are quite different from those in most of Canada.  It is a lot easier to be an urban gardener in Florida than it is in Edmonton. This book is a good introduction to the concepts of urban gardening but will be most useful to teen and adult readers.  Recommended for high school and public libraries. Recommendation:  3 stars out of 4Reviewer:  Sandy CampbellSandy is a Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Alberta, who has written hundreds of book reviews across many disciplines.  Sandy thinks that sharing books with children is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give.

scholarly journals Our Last Issue

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Desmarais
Keyword(s):  
Junior High School ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Editorial Team ◽  
Children's Books ◽  
Children’S Books ◽  
Current Form ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Children's Stories ◽  
The University

Dear Readers, After publishing our beloved journal for nearly ten years, the time has come for us to publish a final issue of the Deakin Review in its current form. We hope it will enjoy a second life at a later date under the auspices of another group at the University of Alberta. On behalf of the editorial team, I would like to thank all of our book reviewers for their hard work and dedication. Your reviews were always a joy to read and were it not for your invaluable contributions, the journal would not have been a success for so many years. It’s amazing to think that our large team of reviewers included people united not only by their keen interest in children’s books but also by family bonds. Indeed, we regularly received reviews from people who are related to each other, like Kirk MacLeod and his daughters Lorisia and Kaia MacLeod, who all share a wonderfully infectious enthusiasm for children’s literature and libraries. We also benefited from the support of prolific reviewers like Leslie Aitken and Sandy Campbell. Remarkably, since our very first issue, Sandy introduced many new librarians, family members, and others who have a love of childrens' books to review for the Deakin Review.   Fortunately, our journal always benefited from the support of a highly capable team of editors. Accordingly, I would like to thank my fellow editors, Kim Frail, Debbie Feisst, Janice Kung, and Denis Lacroix, for volunteering their services so generously. They always carried out their work with tremendous enthusiasm and collegiality. I am also grateful to all of our former editors, including David Sulz, Hanne Pearce, Allison Sivak, and Cam Laforest, for their help and encouragement. Over the years, I had opportunities to interview some fascinating authors who shared wonderful insights about their work for the enjoyment of our readership. Our journal also benefited greatly from the contributions of colleagues like Lynne Wiltse and Joanne de Groot who gave their students opportunities to write reviews of contemporary children’s books and have them published in the Deakin Review. Other UofA colleagues wrote guest editorials and reviews for special issues. In one of our special issues, we were proud to partner with teachers from Ben Calf Robe - St. Clare Elementary/Junior High School who asked their students to submit book reviews for a class assignment during READ IN Week. Thanks are due as well to our namesake, Dr Andrea Deakin, who has been an inspiration to us all for her lifelong enthusiasm for children’s stories. I am grateful to Margaret Law for introducing me to Andrea so many years ago. I reserve special thanks for you, our devoted readers, for taking a lively interest in our journal and the books we reviewed. I sincerely hope that your passion for children’s books continues to flourish and grow. Please take good care of yourselves, especially during these trying times, and may you always draw comfort from good books, family, and friendships. All the best, Robert Desmarais, Managing Editor  

scholarly journals I'm Sad by M.I. Black and D.R. Ohi

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean Borle
Keyword(s):  
Young Child ◽  
Child Health ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Ice Cream ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Young Readers ◽  
The One ◽  
Whipped Cream

Black, Michael I, and Debbie R. Ohi. I'm Sad. Simon & Shuster Books for Young Readers, 2018. This book is about a sad flamingo and his friends, a girl and a potato, who try to cheer him up. This absurd collection of characters talk about whether or not flamingo will always feel sad and what makes them feel less sad. Much of the dialog is silly.  When the potato says that he knows what cheers him up, the picture is of a happy potato and the word “DIRT!!!” in giant letters.  Coming after a discussion of ice cream as a “cheer me up”, “dirt” is unexpected and funny. At the end of the book the flamingo asks, “Will you still like me if I’m sad again tomorrow?” The potato responds with an almost nasty, “I don’t even like you now.”  This response is meant as a joke and the next two pages show uproarious laughter.  However, young children may not understand that it is not usually an appropriate response and some people would find it hurtful.   Debi Ridpath Ohi’s simple illustrations do a good job of presenting expressions and emotions. There are often broken black lines around the images, which, strangely, make the characters, particularly the flamingo, look like they are constantly trembling. Apart from that, the images are fun. The most amusing is the one showing the potato as a fourth scoop of ice cream on a cone, with whipped cream and a cherry on top.  This book might give a sad young child a few moments of laughter and in the end delivers the message that it’s OK to feel a little bit sad. With these two thoughts in mind, this book is recommended for libraries for young children: daycares, schools, and public libraries.   Recommended:  3 out of 4 starsReviewer:  Sean Borle Sean Borle is a University of Alberta undergraduate student who is an advocate for child health and safety.

scholarly journals Deakin Announcements

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Desmarais
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Resource Selection ◽  
Annual Report ◽  
Editorial Team ◽  
Children's Books ◽  
Children’S Books ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Publishing Program ◽  
Scholarly Article ◽  
Faculty Of Education

Dear Deakin Readers,I hope you enjoyed a restful and happy holiday! Our editorial team met recently to develop a publishing plan for the coming year and we would like to communicate some important news. To keep everyone in the loop about our editorial plans and related activities, we will update our readers with an annual report, which we intend to publish at the end of each volume year. Thus, our first report will be published later this summer. On the matter of peer-reviewed issues, the editorial team will continue to solicit articles for review, so please consider contacting us if you are interested in writing a practitioner-themed scholarly article about children’s books (e.g., building a children’s science library; developing a young adult publishing program; writing picture books about children with disabilities; etc.). We intend to publish our second peer-reviewed article later this year, following on the success of our first peer-reviewed article in last year’s health issue (Vol. 4, No. 2).Finally, the April publication (Vol. 4, No. 4) will be a special double issue reserved for University of Alberta graduate students who are studying children’s literature, resource selection, and evaluation of children’s books in the Faculty of Education. We look forward to reading their thoughtful opinions and recommendations! In the meantime, we have recommended many good books to help you ward off the winter doldrums. Enjoy!Best wishes,Robert Desmarais, Managing Editor

scholarly journals Down by the River: A Family Fly Fishing Story by A. Weiner

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandy Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Public Libraries ◽  
Health Sciences ◽  
Reading Level ◽  
Fishing Trip ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Fly Fishing ◽  
Young Readers ◽  
The University ◽  
Riverine Landscapes

Weiner, Andrew.  Down by the River: A Family Fly Fishing Story. Harry N. Abrams, 2018.  This is a beautifully illustrated book that tells a simple story about a boy, Art, who goes on a fly-fishing trip with his mother and grandfather. The story recalls a time when Art’s grandfather taught his mother to fish.  April Chu has used a subdued palette for her two-page riverine landscapes, with lots of green and rich autumn colours in the environment. The book has a calm and peaceful feel about it that mirrors the contemplative nature of fly-fishing.  The text is simple and descriptive of a day spent on the river. The reading level is too difficult for the intended Kindergarten to Grade 2 audience, so an adult will need to read the book aloud, especially those sentences that could confuse young readers with difficult concepts or complicated jargon: “The line arced forward and the fly landed softly a few feet above the rock. It drifted with the current past the rock. There was a splash and the line went tight.”  The last three pages contain information about fly fishing, the clothing worn by fly fishers and where to get more information about the sport. The end pages are decorated with images of intricate flys with such fun and mysterious names as: “Ian’s Crunch Caddis,” “Black Fur Ant,” and “Purple Parachute Adams.” This book is a good introduction to fly fishing for younger children that also tells a charming story. Highly recommended for school and public libraries. Highly Recommended: 4 stars out of 4 Reviewer:  Sandy Campbell Sandy is a Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Alberta, who has written hundreds of book reviews across many disciplines. Sandy thinks that sharing books with children is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give. 

scholarly journals Skraelings by R. & S. Qitsualik-Tinsley

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandy Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Public Libraries ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Oral Storytelling ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Black And White ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
History Of ◽  
Age Appropriate ◽  
The University ◽  
Blue Eyes

Qitsualik-Tinsley, Rachel and Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley.  Skraelings. Illus. Andrew Trabbold. Iqaluit, NU:  Inhabit Media, 2014. Print.This volume is the first in the Arctic Moon Magick series.  In it writing duo, Rachael and Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley, have recreated an Inuit world at the time of Viking contact, presented through the eyes of a young Inuit hunter, Kannujaq.  In his travels, he comes across people of the Tuniit culture, of whom he has only heard legends.  He meets Siku, a boy-shaman, whose name means “ice” and is named for his blue eyes.  The Tuniit have been attacked in the past by Vikings from Greenland.  They return each spring and Kannujaq finds himself in the middle of a battle, where he becomes a reluctant warrior. The title Skraelings, which means “Weaklings”, is a Viking taunt to the Tuniit.This is a well written chapter book for ages 12 and older and the language is age-appropriate. There are a few black and white drawings that complement the text.   While much of the story proceeds logically along the plot line,  occasionally, the authors break in, not as narrators, but simply to give the reader additional information.  For example:  "Oh, we forgot to tell you:  Shamans were pretty clever when it came to the things that plants and other natural materials could do" (p. 26). While this is unusual in a novel and breaks the flow of the story, it is completely in keeping with oral storytelling and is rather endearing.  However, this book should not be mistaken for simple story.  It is an engaging read, culminating in a final plot twist that demonstrates the authors’ broad and compassionate understanding of the regional history of the Eastern Arctic. This is an excellent work and unique in young adult Arctic literature.  It should definitely be included in junior high and middle school libraries and public libraries everywhere.Recommendation:  4 stars out of 4Reviewer:  Sandy CampbellSandy is a Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Alberta, who has written hundreds of book reviews across many disciplines.  Sandy thinks that sharing books with children is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give. 

scholarly journals Northern Dancer: King of the Racetrack by G. Joyce

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandy Campbell
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Junior High School ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
School Libraries ◽  
Health Sciences ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
The World ◽  
The University ◽  
Thoroughbred Racing

Joyce, Gare.  Northern Dancer: King of the Racetrack.  Markham, ON:  Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2012. Print.It is not often that you find a biography of an animal, but in this case, the animal was a national icon.  According to Gare Joyce, Northern Dancer, the great racehorse “made more money as an accomplished racehorse and sire than any Canadian athlete in history – even more than Wayne Gretzky ”.  The book begins with a genealogical chart that shows that of the 19 horses starting in the 2011 Kentucky Derby, 18 were descended from Northern Dancer.This book chronicles Northern Dancer from his birth through to his wins and standing at stud until his death at age 29.  Through his story, the reader also learns about the world of North American thoroughbred racing.  We meet the great jockeys:  Ron Turcotte, Willie Shoemaker and Bill Hardtack who all rode Northern Dancer to victories. We learn about the development of racehorses and the major races:  The Preakness, The Belmont, The Kentucky Derby and the Queen’s Plate.   Joyce writes informally and conversationally, as though he is telling one long story.  For example, he tells us that Northern Dancer “became unruly around his stall…At least once he ripped the shirt off his trainer.” Later we are told that a trainer inadvertently let Northern Dancer run hard the day before a race and people thought that no thoroughbred could “run the equivalent of two races on two consecutive days.   As it turned out, the only ones hurting after the Florida Derby were those who hadn’t bet on the heavily favoured Northern Dancer.”  The text is accompanied by many photos of Northern Dancer, including archival images of horse and jockey in races, at the wire and in the winners’ circle.           Overall, this is an enjoyable story of a remarkable horse.  Northern Dancer: King of the Racetrack is highly recommended for junior high school libraries and public libraries everywhere.  Highly recommended:  4 stars out of 4Reviewer:  Sandy CampbellSandy is a Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Alberta, who has written hundreds of book reviews across many disciplines.  Sandy thinks that sharing books with children is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give. 

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