Garnet JacksonReseñas

This story describes the first Thanksgiving celebration and tells how Native Americans helped the Pilgrims through that first difficult year.

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Elijah McCoy used to love watching the trains go by when he was a little boy. He watched and watched until they stopped. He did not know why they stopped much back then. Later, he found out that the trains were stopping because the wheels needed to be oiled. Elijah knew then that he wanted to be an engineer. But it was not the right time in history for Blacks to want to be schooled, especially in the United States. Once again, from Canada to Michigan, McCoy was on the move. Next stop, Scotland. It will be here that Elijah would study mechanical engineering. Coming back to the United States was no easy task. No one was looking for or would even hire a black engineer. So Elijah had to settle for oiler. Fed up with oiling wheels, McCoy put to good use his schooling in Scotland and invented something called a lubricator in 1872. This allowed for the oiling of train wheels as the train chugged along. And it seems that even though his invention was often imitated, but never duplicated, Elijah's invention was the one that every wanted for their planes, trains, and cars, too. Everyone wanted "the Real McCoy".½

This book talks about the first thanksgiving and how it came about.

The First Thanksgiving is a cute book that incorporates the Thanksgiving story. The Thanksgiving story included details of the Mayflower, the hardships of the first winter, and the starting of the colony, which is pretty typical. I did however really think this book did a fantastic job of mentioning Samoset, Squanto, and the Patuxet Wampanoag tribe by name, explaining how Squanto had been kidnapped and brought back, and how the “Native” people had died from a terrible sickness. I did not like how the “feast” is a typically presumed gorging; food just wasn’t wasted like that back then.½

The story is about Thurgood Marshall a black lawyer and Supreme Court Justice. In school he was mischievous but knew the constitution, and was very much in civil rights as a kid. He became the first black supreme court justice and as he came to that level always help people who had no money for a lawyers. This is a great book to show that if you put your mind to what you believe you will go places in life. This book should be in every library in America.

Summary: This biography is about Rosa Parks. The author informs the reader about how she was raised and how she was taught to stand up for herself. She and her husband did numerous things to help the African American people who were treated unjustly. She gets on a bus one day to go home, but since it was too full, the bus driver told her to give up her seat to a white man. She stood up for herself and refused. They arrested her and sent her to jail. She was on trial and this caused an uproar. Finally, the Supreme Court decided she was right and allowed African Americans to sit wherever the wanted to. This event led to other laws to change as well and helped bring the black and white people together.

Personal Reaction: I liked this story because it got straight to the point and is easily readable for younger children. I would definitely read this book to my class.

Classroom Extensions: 1. This would be a good platform for a history lesson about Civil Rights.
2. The students would discuss the changes Rosa Parks paved for the African Americans in the South.

A lively and informative Level 2 non-fiction Hello Reader about the life of George Washington, the first president of the United States. Born in a Virginia farmhouse, and proving himself early on to be an honest, intelligent, natural leader, George Washington grew up to become the very first president of the United States.

Genre: Informational/Realistic Fiction
Review: The author stays true to the genre of both informational and realistic fiction by weaving facts about George Washington into a narrative story. It follows George from him birth all the way through his presidency and beyond.
Media: Watercolor

This early reader is a perfect story for explaining the story of Thanksgiving. There's the right amount of detail - not too much - for grade two students. Cartoon-style drawings emphasize the festive and happy mood of the presentation of the story of the pilgrims and the Native Americans and their first feast together.

This book discusses the Pilgrims arrival in the New World, their first harsh winter, and their relationship with the Natives. The Natives taught them how to survive in the new land, and their celebration of their first harvest in which they gave thanks and later was proclaimed as Thanksgiving to be celebrated once a year in November as we know it.
This story covers the Pilgrims voyage and the history of Thanksgiving in a kid friendly way. The author uses just enough historical information to set the setting for the story. The illustrations presented give a brief but clear view of the times.
This story can be used as part of a History class to discuss the Pilgrims voyage, Religious Persecution, or the First Colonies. It can also be used to discuss the relationship between the Native Americans and the Pilgrims, to discuss Thanksgiving, or the effect of the English occupation in the New World.

Age appropriatness: intermediate
This book is a good example of a biography because it is a short story of Martin Luther King Jr.'s life told by the author.
The media in this book is a combination of photography and pencil.

Summary: “Rosa Parks: Hero of our Time” by Garnet Nelson Jackson is a biography. The story focuses on the trials and tribulations of the civil rights. It was a rough time for Black Americans. It was a time of segregation, where everyone was not treated equally. The book covers the incident where a young black woman did not want to move to the back of the bus. She rode the bus one afternoon, she was told to move to the back or the police would be called. She continued to stay in her sit and stand up for what she believed in. Her determination caused a movement that helped changed America. Her stand helped changed some of the Nation’s unfair laws.
Personal Response: The book’s illustrations are drawn beautifully and it looks like they are colored with color pencils. I really enjoyed this book and it is very encouraging. It is a great book to teach students that one person can make a difference.
Extension: I would use this book in my classroom probably during black history month. We would read the book and probably make notes as a class of the special things she did for the United States. Another extension I would probably have the students draw their favorite picture of Rosa and illustrate it with a quote she said or some simple facts about her.

This informational book tells facts about the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr. It begins with Luther’s birth and childhood and the segregated life he and other Blacks lived. The book also tells of Luther’s life as a pastor and how that turned into a life of protest for equal rights.
A teacher could use this book read to children while going through a unit on the Civil Rights Movement. Students could write a research paper on Martin Luther King Jr. or other aspects to the Civil Rights Movement.
Since this is an informational book, there really isn’t much elements of literature. The book does however contain elements of a plot such as the conflict (lack of equality) and a resolution (Luther speaking out for freedom).
Media: Photography½

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