Karen ReczuchCritiques

An Ojibway grandfather and grandson spend time together, learning about the ways of Nature during three excursions into the wild, Morning, Noon, and Night. The encounter loons, an eagle, and a pack of timber wolves in their journeys.

In this book, Matthew hears a story from his grandfather about the farm. In this story, his grandfather explains their experience of the dust bowl.
This book is an example of historical fiction because it has historical facts, but the characters are not people that really lived during that time period. The Dust Bowl is a real historical event that happened, but Matthew and his family are fictional characters.
Age Appropriateness: late primary- early intermediate
Media: paint

This fiction book is about a boy and his grandfather canoeing on a lake. In this book there are 3 stories. The first is about the beauty of the lake they are canoeing on. The second is about hiking as the sun rises, and the third is about hiking and finding shelter as the sun sets. The main theme of this book is learning how to respect nature and find his own place in the world. This book has notable features such as descriptive illustrations. I would use this book as an instructional application to introduce the topic of respect and learning about yourself.

This is a retelling of Matthew's grandfather's experiences during the drought of the 1930's. His Grandfather explains how life was difficult, the good and the bad, and yet because of his love for the land, he could not leave. Matthew's family now tries to determine if they have the courage to stay on the farm through this latest drought.
I would classify this as realistic fiction because it is based on true people, but the people are not real people.
I would read this book to second through seventh grade.

'The Story of Life on Earth' is a picture book by author Margaret Munro and Karen Reczuch's illustrations. The book gives readers what scientist know about the creation of life on Earth. The story starts with the formation of our planet, Earth and its phases, and then the forming of billions of microorganisms. These cells evolving to use sun light as a source, released so much oxygen into the sky it changed the entire atmosphere and helped form the planet's ozone. This book tells how our world drastically changed in this, now, oxygen rich world, with nature experimenting with various life forms, with natural selection as its deciding factor of evolution. The book even describes what the earth went through during these times, with storms, splits and many, many ice ages and how creatures like Neanderthals survived these times.

This book is another poetic non-fiction picture book about Pacific salmon. This story is from the perspective of a salmon, a coho named Sumi, from birth to spawn... and eventually, death. All of the phases of Sumi's life are portrayed, from her trip down river to the ocean, to her time as a fully mature fish, to the obstacles between her and her spawning ground. I think this book is a great example of POV writing, as well as teaches more depth within the life cycle of the salmon, including what happens after the Salmon spawn.

This realistic fiction book tells the story of a farmer in the drought of the 1930's. The boy's grandpa tells him the story of when he first bought the farm, and how hard it was when the dust storm began in the 30s. He tells how people thought it was the end of the world, but his grandma believed that they would have green fields again one day. They did not give up, and things got better for their farm, until grasshoppers covered it a few years later. The drought ended, and they were better. This story gave the grandson and son hope for their farm, and helped them decide to stay at their farm instead of giving up.

There are parts of this book that are so rich that they just fly way over my head. This book could be taken apart page by page and examined and I still couldn't pick up everything she managed to fit so seamlessly together. It's a truly incredible book.

This is a book filled with love of the environment and respect for all iving things that share this universe. Great Book for all kids and adults too! I would defiantly recomend this book for people to read. I would defiantly read this book to my students because I feel that they need to know that the best family times come when you are in nature.

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Review: Although we do not know if this is a true story or not, it is known that events like the dust bowl and grasshoppers are real things that effect the farming lifestyle. The situation with the grandfather, father, and son is also realistic and is probably relatable to many boy students.
Media: Water Color

The book outlines the stages of a Coho salmon's life from birth to death. The reader follows Sumi, a baby salmon born in a creek, on her journey to the sea and back to her birhplace to mate, lay eggs and then die.
The beautiful pictures and narrative story makes this book a good education tool. It teaches children how the pacific salmon is endangered and what kids can do to help. Also, if kids enjoy this book about salmon, there are other books about other fish referenced at the back of the book. It is appropriate for ages 5-10.

Teaches children the value of tradition of the 1st Nations People. Emphasis on the rivers and on life. For beginner readers.

Summary:
This book is set in the 1980’s, however most of the book is about flashbacks from the dust bowl. It is told through a Grandfather’s narrative. Matthew eagerly listens to his grandfather tell about how they saved the farm their family lives on now and how they overcame the crisis that was the dust bowl.

Personal Reaction:
My grandmother used to tell me stories of the dust bowl. I always loved to hear her tales, and this brought on a pang of nostalgia. I really enjoyed this book and plan on using in my future classroom.

Classroom Extension Ideas:
1. I can see this book going well with a farming unit. I would have students discuss new farming practices that have helped prevent another dust bowl from happening.

2. This is leads perfectly into a unit over the dust bowl itself. I think this book sets the mood of the unit,
and will get them excited for it.

Summary: A grandpa tells his grandson stories of what their farm has gone through, and how being patient always paid off in the end.

Genre: Historical Fiction

Critique: This is a great example of historical fiction, because the drought of the 1930's did happen, but the characters are not real.

Theme: This story is about the importance of hard work and not giving up on things like big projects that take many years to accomplish, like having a prosperous farm.

Media: Graphite pencil and watercolor on Lanaquarelle paper

A wonderful resource for children interested in our natural world and students studying Pacific salmon, Salmon Creek is a beautifully illustrated picture book about one Coho salmon: Sumi. Beginning when Sumi first feels and hears the creek around her, “Sumi was blind, but she could hear the wind whispering through the cedars. She could hear the creek stones lifting and falling as the salmon mothers built their nests. And if she pressed against the curve of her egg, she could hear her salmon mother singing. Home is the scent of cedar and creek. Home is the journey’s end.” Richly detailed illustrations show us the wildlife that frequents the banks of the stream (bears, raccoons, heron, ducks and eagles) and Sumi’s growth and travels from alevin to fry, smolt and finally a fully grown fish, ready to spawn.

The afterward includes illustrations of and information about the life cycle of the Coho salmon, a commentary regarding threats to wild salmon, additional resources, a glossary and suggestions for how kids can help.

Morning on the Lake is a story about a Ojibway boy and his grandfather. The story takes you on a journey with the boy as he travels with his grandfather to his special place. Relationships are very important in this culture and the boy wants to experience the woods as his grandfather has. The boy and his grandfather travel together learning about love, trust, and nature.

This story is an amazing example of family and love. The illustrations are well crafted and help the reader to understand the respect the boy and his grandfather have for nature and each other. Readers can learn a lot about this culture by reading this book.

After reading the book students can complete a journal entry where they talk about a special relationship they share with an older family member or friend.

A boy spends the day with his grandfather. They spend some time on the lake, they see a loon. Next they climb a cliff and see an eagle. Then the boy comes face to face with a wolf but is brave enough to not run, the wolf turns and goes the other way. On the way home the boy is so tired the grandfather has to carry him.

I loved this book because it shows the special bond that exists between a grandfather and grandson.

I would use this book around grandparent’s day. I would have the student’s think about a grandfather or someone that is special to them. I would have the students list the things that make that person special to him or her. Finally I would have the student compose a letter to that person, telling the person why he or she is special to the student.

Best read one story at a time, but as it's a little long and difficult to follow even then, it may be better as a source offered follow up on at the end of any workshop on Native cultures than as one to read aloud.

Genre: This is a great example of Historical fiction because the dust bowl actually happened so the event is true but the three characters in the book, the grandpa, father and son Matthew are made up characters and thus not real people.½

This is a great example of historical fiction in that the grandpa recalls many factual events that took place in his time that he tells his grandson about, but some of those were filled in by the author. The author also adds a fictional element to the book in the sense that the author set the scene and introduced her own characters before the grandpa told his story about the Dust Bowl in which he provided factual details.
Media: graphite pencil and watercolor

Age appropriateness: primary, intermediate
Genre: Historical Fiction
Media: watercolor, pencil

This book is a good example of a historical fiction picture book because it brings together historical facts and the imagination. The author has created a fictional family but has placed them back in a time period that actually took place. In this story Matthew’s family is in the drought that occurred in the 1930’s known as the Dust Bowl.½

A good example of historical fiction because it takes an actual historical event or era, the Dust Bowl of 1930's Midwest America, and personalizes it by presenting a family going through these hard times. The grandpa tells his account of the Dust Bowl, including how to deal with the dust, hopes that the rain would soon come, other farmers leaving, and the grasshoppers. While the setting is the late 1980's or so, most of the story involves a flashback storytelling of the 1930's. This contributes to its genre and the plot. Everything the grandpa tells Matthew about his past has to do with the historical Dust Bowl, involving tales about what other farmers were doing, how to deal with the dust in the house, and other difficulties relating to the drought.

Media: pencil and watercolor

This story provides great information about that period of time in history. That makes this story a great example of historical fiction. The story about their lives during this point is very relatable and similar to other families at that time. The illustrations in this book are wonderful. They really show the setting and emotions throughout this story.

An Ojibway boy and his grandfather set out in a birchbark canoe to visit grandfather's special places in the northern wilderness. Sacred encounters with loons, and eagle and wolves are felt with awe and wonder, and an appreciation of native spiritualism. The love between the grandfather and his grandson also shine out. Beautiful illustrations by Karen Reczuch.
Highly recommended.

Media: Pencil and Watercolor
Genre: Realistic Fiction/Historical Fiction
Critique: I would consider this book both realistic and historical fiction because it is about a grandfather telling his grandson about the great dust bowl and the depression in the 30's. This book is a good example of setting because the story about a current draught and the dustbowl in the 30's puts the home in the prairies of the US.½