The Kids' Book of Black Canadian History
by Rosemary Sadlier
Reviewed by Chris Vert
 The
Kids' Book of Black Canadian History is an enlightening and well presented
overview of a facet of Canadian history much ignored in children's non-fiction.
Students will find it useful for their research projects and an engaging
book to have during reading periods.
Using attractive two-page spreads, the book presents themes such as black
loyalists in the Maritimes, life in Canada west and fighting in two world
wars. The text is interspersed with sidebars offering facts, trivia, profiles
of significant figures in black Canadian history and information on relevant
issues, such as spirituals and heritage festivals. Maps, posters and excerpts
from newspapers and diaries accompany the colour illustrations.
Towards the end of the book there is a timeline of events. The appealing
presentation is suited for both skimming and cover-to-cover reading, and
the writing is accessible to young readers.
We learn about the different waves of black immigration to Canada - from
passengers on the underground railroad to Caribbean immigrants and African
refugees. Nor does Sadlier ignore incidents in our history that are as
ludicrous as they are insensitive, such as the federal government stopping
black immigration from 1911 to 1912, giving as a reason that blacks were
"unsuitable to the climate and requirements of Canada."
Teachers should be aware that sources and dates are not provided for
statistics in the sidebars. The population of Canada, for example, is
given as 28,500,000, a number surpassed back in 1996 according to Statistics
Canada's web site. The year of the data would have indicated to students
that they should look for more up-to-date figures.
Although there are several children's books about individuals or events
in black history, such as Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground
Railroad, only Sadlier's offers young readers a synopsis of black history
in Canada. It deserves a place on the bookshelf of every classroom and
library.
The Kids' Book of Black Canadian History, Kids Can Press, Toronto,
2003, ISBN 1-55074-892-0, hardcover, 56 pages, $19.95, tel 800-265-0884,
fax 416-960-5437, www.kidscanpress.com
Chris Vert teaches Grades 5 and 6 at Toronto Island Public/Natural
Science School.
Straight Talk for Principals
by Raymond E. Lemley
Reviewed by David Ennis
 With
barely 200 pages to its credit Straight Talk for Principals boasts
45 chapters and two appendices. This means that busy people can spot an
interesting chapter and read its three-pages worth in a couple of minutes.
Topics such as Teach, Model and Expect Loyalty, Understand the Non-rational,
and Avoid Fighting Useless Battles not only bring invisible issues to
the surface but provide down-home solutions that are readily achievable.
A tidy checklist of things to think about or do summarizes each chapter's
pearls of wisdom.
Raymond Lemley draws on 40 years of experience as a high school teacher
and principal, college English instructor, curriculum specialist, professor
and executive for two educational associations. He doesn't mince words
and there is an edge to his writing that suggests a low tolerance for
fools.
I would caution less experienced administrators that they may march boldly
into considerable difficulty unless they keep in mind that this writer's
vast experience (acquired in an American context) has been simplified
to a fault. Leadership is rarely as tidy as Lemley implies.
Having said that, this book should be on a nearby shelf because each
brief, passionate and wise chapter is written in a we-can-do-this style.
This is a heartening read for new and experienced administrators alike
because it encourages them to step back and regain their focus. An experienced
educator's passion for the job and his perspectives on vision, leadership,
culture, organizational change and the vagaries of human behaviour are
good medicine any time.
This book does not claim to be a panacea but its insights can motivate
educators to have vision, courage and the tenacity to do the right things
for students.
Straight Talk for Principals, Scarecrow Press, Lanham (Maryland),
2003, ISBN 0-8108-4615-2, softcover, 192 pages, US$34.95, tel 800-338-4550,
fax 717-794-3803, www.scarecrowpress.com
David Ennis is principal at John Dearness Public School in London.
After Early Intervention, Then What?
Teaching Struggling Readers in Grades 3 and Beyond
Editors, Rachel L. McCormack and Jeanne R. Paratore
Reviewed by Victoria Houston
 This
book offers a variety of creative strategies for changing the way unsuccessful
students understand reading, writing and themselves, as literate people.
Methods are offered to improve the literacy of struggling students and
to involve students in the planning process to ensure that they play an
active part in developing their own literacy identity.
While the book presents an overall approach to advancing the reading
and writing abilities of students who are experiencing difficulties, specific
strategies are also given. Each chapter provides case studies featuring
a diverse group of students and noting that not all strategies work for
all students.
There are guidelines on constructing curriculum for differentiated instruction.
One chapter stresses the importance of establishing instructional strategies
across all learning settings, including strategies to identify children
in need of extra help, to plan and implement intervention and to monitor
progress. The importance of finding appropriate reading materials is stressed
throughout the book. Suggestions are also given on how to set up and implement
successful book clubs and after-school reading clubs.
Curriculum, instruction, staff development, organization, leadership,
environment and parents' roles are all discussed. Key points are listed
for each topic to illustrate that they are integral to the development
of literacy in a struggling reader.
This is an informative book and an excellent resource.
After Early Intervention, Then What?, International Reading Association,
Newark (Delaware), 2003, ISBN 0-87207-009-3, softcover, 252 pages, US$26.95,
tel 302-731-1600, fax 302-731-1057, www.reading.org
Victoria Houston is a secondary school technological education teacher
in Windsor.
Women Confronting Retirement
A Nontraditional Guide
Editors, Nan Bauer-Maglin and Alice Radosh
Reviewed by Ruth Dempsey
 "We
have barely even considered the possibilities in age for new kinds of
loving intimacy, purposeful work and activity, learning and knowing, community
and care …For to see age as continued human development involves
a revolutionary paradigm shift." Betty Friedan, Fountain of Age
In Women Confronting Retirement, 38 well educated women take up
Friedan's challenge as they consider the possibilities of aging in a series
of individual essays. The book is divided into three sections: thinking
about retirement, stages of retirement and never retiring.
The contributors range in age from 33 to 86 years and come from a variety
of racial, ethnic, religious and regional backgrounds. Their occupations
cover the spectrum from university professor to labour organizer, elementary
teacher to financial consultant, fashion editor to physician, and many
others besides.
Representing the first large wave of females continuously in the workforce,
these women were part of the pioneering movement that changed women's
lives. All have individual stories which, taken together, create a lively
discussion, a challenging debate and a probing meditation on retirement.
"My anxieties on the eve of retirement have less to do with what
I will be giving up than with what lies ahead," writes librarian
Esther Ratner.
Physician Doris Goldberg uses the image of tight clothes to explain her
response to retirement: "It felt freeing - like taking off a suit
of clothing that constrained, chafed, and no longer fit right."
The authors call for a new definition of retirement and for public policies
that reflect today's new paradigm of aging. Those who appear happiest
in retirement have adopted the dictate, "Follow your own muse."
What I appreciate most about this collection is the honesty and intimacy.
It offers courageous conversations and valuable life lessons.
Women Confronting Retirement, Rutgers University Press, Piscataway
(New Jersey), 2003, ISBN 0-8135-3126-8, softcover, 368 pages, US$22.00,
tel 800-446-9323, fax 888-471-9014, www.rutgerspress.rutgers.edu
A retired educator, Ruth Dempsey is a consultant specializing in the
area of human development and aging.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
by Mark Haddon
Reviewed by Elda Fredette
 According
to the Geneva Centre for Autism, "the latest statistics show that
one in 200 Canadian children are diagnosed with autism - a 600 per cent
increase in the last 10 years." What was once viewed as rare is now
recognized as the most common neurological disorder affecting children.
These children are students in our schools but few of us understand what
they're thinking when they lash out aggressively or obsessively follow
the same routines day in and day out. Many do not have a single friend.
In The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mark Haddon
shows us the world through an autistic teenager's eyes. Christopher John
Francis "knows all the countries of the world and their capitals
and every prime number up to 7,057." He relates well to animals but
has no understanding of human emotions. Although gifted with a superbly
logical brain, Christopher is autistic. Everyday interactions and admonishments
have little meaning for him. Routine, order and predictability shelter
him from the messy wider world.
Christopher's world starts to unravel when he finds his neighbour's dog
impaled with a garden fork. In his quest to solve this mystery he believes
himself to be Sherlock Holmes. We see things from his viewpoint and feel
emotionally wrenched by his insistence that the world must be logical.
The author takes us on a journey that is at once funny and heartbreaking.
In his debut novel Mark Haddon has given us a mystery story and a unique
narrator in Christopher. This fascinating characterization of autism is
fun to read and can offer valuable insight into the minds of our autistic
students.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Random House
of Canada, Mississauga (Ontario), 2003, ISBN 0-385-65979-2, hardcover,
240 pages, $29.95, tel 905-624-0672,
fax 905-624-6217, www.randomhouse.ca
Elda Fredette is a special education resource teacher at St. James
School in Oakville.
Kids Can Learn with Franklin
Printing Practice / Measurement / Math Stories: Addition / Math Stories:
Subtraction / Vocabulary Puzzles
by Paulette Bourgeois
Reviewed by Laurel Van Dommelen
 This
new series of workbooks features the delightful storybook character, Franklin
the turtle. The material is well presented and educators will find the
links to the Ontario curriculum on each activities page useful for guiding
their students' progress and their own expectations.
The workbooks are most effectively used with adult supervision since
the language is often beyond the reading ability of children in Kindergarten
or Grade 1.
Inserts are included in these books, such as cut-out rulers to assist
children with relative sizes of non-standard-unit measuring, and cut-and-paste
scenes to help children visualize word problems in mathematics.
Each book also contains a set of four collector cards featuring characters
from the Franklin storybooks. The tactile activities are a great way to
shift the focus away from pencils, paper and writing for children who
may need a change of pace.
A guide on the inside cover of each workbook explains what aspect of
development the book supports and suggests areas of continued learning
that can be pursued as everyday activities.
On the last page is a Certificate of Achievement that can be photocopied,
filled in and presented to each child who has completed the activities.
Franklin Series - K-1: Printing, Measurement; Grade 1: Subtraction,
Addition, Vocabulary; Kids Can Press, Toronto, 2003, softcover, each
32 pages, $4.95, tel 800-265-0884, fax 416-960-5437, www.kidscanpress.com
Laurel Van Dommelen, a member of the College, is a children's librarian
with the London borough of Enfield, England.
Kids Can Learn with Franklin
Alphabet Mazes / Numbers / First Phonics
by Paulette Bourgeois
Reviewed by Andrea Murik
 These
fun-filled, easy-to-use workbooks help motivate young children to learn
the alphabet, numbers and first phonics. Kids will love seeing their favourite
characters from the Franklin storybooks as they trace letters and work
through puzzles and mazes.
Geared toward children in Pre-K and K, the books will give young students
a head start in mastering basic academic skills.
First Phonics gives children opportunities to explore letter sounds,
rhyming patterns and word families. This workbook encourages children
to develop simple word-recognition skills as well as early reading strategies.
Alphabet Mazes is designed for the child who is beginning to distinguish
between some letters of the alphabet and can identify some upper and lower
case letters by name. Most of the learning in this workbook comes in the
form of letter mazes that require the student to draw with a crayon or
pencil.
In Numbers, children can match numbers to pictures and use a number
line to count from one to ten. Number and word recognition are encouraged
throughout the book.
The books in this series are reproducible and provide valuable learning
tools for young children, both at school and at home.
Franklin Series - Kindergarten: First Phonics; Pre-K: Alphabet Mazes;
Pre-K and K: Numbers; Kids Can Press, Toronto, 2003, softcover, each
32 pages, $4.95, tel 800-265-0884,
fax 416-960-5437, www.kidscanpress.com
Andrea Murik is on maternity leave from the Simcoe County District
School Board where she is a special education resource teacher.
Rock with the Dinosaurs
by Lois Linder
Reviewed by Majella Atkinson
 Rock
with the Dinosaurs is a cross-curricular classroom musical and study unit
about dinosaurs. The unit contains a music CD with both rehearsal and
performance accompaniment tracks; a reproducible script and lyrics to
help children learn their parts; 25+ learning activities; reproducible
patterns for activities; reproducible dinosaur pictures and numerous other
handouts.
Ideally, the musical is a culminating unit in a study about dinosaurs
and it is designed for any level from third through sixth grade.
There are 30 short speaking parts. But activities within the unit incorporate
most areas of study and can be adapted to any class size or setting. Music,
research skills, creative art, dance, public speaking/performance and
technology are just some of the skills that students will use.
Co-operation is a large aspect of the activities, encouraging students
to work together and learn from one another. Learning is brought to life
and made fun!
Rock with the Dinosaurs, Warner Bros. Publications, Miami, 2002,
ISBN 0-7579-9264-1, softcover, 63 pages, US$19.95 (includes CD), tel 800-327-7643,
fax 305-621-4869, www.warnerbrospublications.com
Majella Atkinson teaches Grade 8 at St. Pius X School in Toronto.
Don't Laugh at Me
by Peter Yarrow Productions and Educators for Social Responsibility
Reviewed by Stephanie Swenson
 In
Don't Laugh at Me, Peter Yarrow, of the acclaimed musical group Peter,
Paul and Mary, contributes to a structured program designed to eliminate
ridicule and bullying from your classroom through a foundation of risk-taking,
fun, group work and communication.
Yarrow concentrates on celebrating diversity by focusing on the social
and emotional development of students and building a caring and accepting
classroom community.
This program is based on the Don't Laugh at Me song. The kit includes
a comprehensive teachers' guide packed with useful and ready-to-use lessons,
a VHS tape of the music video, Don't Laugh at Me along with Yarrow's
explanation of the program for students and teachers, and a CD including
some Peter, Paul and Mary children's favourites.
Unfortunately, while Yarrow's effusive and sentimental presentation may
appeal to primary students, junior students may find it childish. If you
can leave the cheesy and sometimes condescending lyrics behind, you will
find the Teacher's Guide can be used independently. It is practical, detailed
and user-friendly, including many ready-to-implement, thought-provoking
activities and ideas to inspire students to think about their role in
society and how to be caring, compassionate, functional members of their
classroom, school and community.
Don't Laugh at Me, Operation Respect: DLAM, New York, 2001, package
includes CD, VHS video and teacher's guide, most materials are offered
at no cost or for a small donation, 212-904-5243, www.don'tlaugh.org/programs.htm
Stephanie Swenson is a special education resource teacher with the
York Region District School Board.
Dolphin Worlds
by Bobbie Kalman
Reviewed by Majella Atkinson
 The
five Dolphin books: A Dolphin's Body, Dolphins, Dolphins Around the
World, Fun with Dolphins and Life in a Dolphin Pod are part
of a wider series titled Science Alive! Nature Unfolds, which also covers
weather, materials, the human body, earth and the solar system, air and
water.
The Dolphin Books provide descriptions of physical characteristics, behaviour
and habitats. Photographs and accompanying captions accentuate the facts
being taught.
Intended for Grades 4 to 5, the books are presented in an easy-read fashion
and are suitable for research projects and story-time sessions. Parents
would also enjoy reading the books to their younger children. School libraries
will definitely benefit from having this selection on their shelves as
it complements the science curriculum so well.
Dolphin Worlds Series, Crabtree Publishing, St. Catharines (Ontario),
2002, each 38 pages, hardcover $20.76, softcover $8.06; tel 800-387-7650,
fax 800-355-7166, www.crabtreebooks.com
Majella Atkinson teaches Grade 8 at St. Pius X School in Toronto.
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