Martindale's Musings

As part of an assignment I created several annotated bibliographies to share with others in general and also during any family night that I may have in my library. I am sharing them on here for all of my readers too. Click on the desired list for a PDF to use or print out. Pura Belpré Award List Elementary Graphic Novels List Caldecott Award List Enjoy!

Bell, C., & Lasky, D. (2014). El deafo. New York: Amulet Books. ISBN 978-1-4197-1020-9 Plot Summary: Cece Bell writes a graphic memoir about how she became deaf at 4 years old when she contracted meningitis.  Cece has to learn many things once her meningitis is cured. Once she starts school, she is able to attend a school with other deaf students where she feels normal and part of the group.  Her family has to move and she now has to attend a mainstream school. Being the “new kid” is already hard enough, having a huge hearing aid around your neck isn’t going to make the process any better.  The hardest part for her was feeling accepted and treated like a normal girl even though she is deaf and has to wear a hearing aid. Cece creates an alter ego who she names “El Deafo,” to help her cope with some of her issues with others.   Analysis: El Deafo is Bell’s first graphic novel as both author and illustrator.  In regards to the graphic novel...

DiCamillo, K., & Campbell, K. G. (2013). Flora & Ulysses : The illuminated adventures . Somerville, Mass.: Candlewick Press. Plot Summary: Flora has an air of seriousness and is self-proclaimed ­“natural-born cynic,” she quickly becomes best friends with a squirrel that she names Ulysses who she rescued from a vacuum cleaner. Flora’s favorite thing to read is a comic book titled Terrible Things Can Happen to You!  which allows her to think of things that most children her age can not.  She quickly learns that that he isn’t an ordinary squirrel, but one that has super powers, can fly, can understand when people speak, and can even type.  Flora along with her neighbor Tootie, and her great-nephew, William Spiver, who believes that his body is reacting to trauma by causing him to be blind, are very interested in Ulysses.  Flora’s divorced mom is also interested in Ulysses, interested in getting rid of him. Flora tries to explain to her mother th...

Krosoczka, J. (2009). Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians . New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 978-0-375-84684-7 Plot Summary: A group of friends who call themselves the “Breakfast Bunch,” are ending their school day when they encounter the librarian who gives them a bad feeling.  They inadvertently listen in on a conversation between a group of the city librarians as they plan to steal fundraising money & they just know they have to go to their trusty Lunch Lady and her assistant, Betty, for help.  Lunch Lady & Betty along with their gadgets come to the rescue in this graphic novel. I guess now we know what those ladies do when they are not serving up lunch. Analysis: This is the 2nd in the “Lunch Lady” graphic novel series.  In regards to the graphic novel layout, frames are used in varying sizes, sometimes whole page for one frame. Krosoczka asks of the reader to read faster or slow down with the way the frames are done, readers speed up wh...

I had an assignment to create a short audio recording (podcast of sorts) for my School Librarianship class. I chose Kathy Schrock because of how much she has done for the realm of education in regards to technology integration. Feel free to listen in here ... ~a