Literacy Matters - Winter 2020

contributed to the highly controversial radio broadcast as well as other important historical events associated with it. The text is also followed by a look into other widespread hoaxes in history and a section with links to websites with additional information relevant to the text, including a link to the full radio broadcast. Jarrow concludes the text with an author’s note describing her research into the subject and the relevance of the text in today’s society.

authors, they vary in structure and in terms of rhyme and general layout, making it possible for every reader to find at least one new favorite poem. The poems’ authors personify the different types of punctuation marks to engage readers. The illustrations take this personification a step further, showing the punctuation marks as cartoon people wearing clothes. From describing a dash as daring (as it interrupts when necessary) to describing a semicolon as a friendly man who serves as a link to put two phrases together, the authors’ descriptive nature is sure to draw in readers and encourage provoking thoughts about different types of punctuation marks. Between this personification and the whimsical illustrations throughout the book, readers are transported to another world—a world where punctuation marks are not confusing to children as their purpose is clearly stated. An introductory poem briefly introduces readers to punctuation marks, and the final poem urges readers to use each punctuation mark in their next literary work. Through Hopkins’ collection of poems, children of all ages are sure to love this book and may even find themselves with a new appreciation for punctuation marks.

Alma and How She Got Her Name

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Martinez-Neal, Juana. (2018). Unpaged. Candlewick. 978-0-7636-9355-8. $15.99. (Primary). —Caroline Mulligan Have you ever wondered where your name came from? Or how it makes you who you

are? Juana Martinez-Neal’s 2019 Caldecott Honor book is the story of Alma’s father telling her about the origin of her full name: Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela. Throughout the story, Alma’s father introduces the family members for whom she is named, highlighting what was special about them and their influence on her. He tells Alma about her grandmother Sofia, who loved books, poetry, and jasmine flowers, and Esperanza, her great-grandmother, who “hoped to travel, but never left the city where she was born.” Alma comes to realize she is a little bit of all of them, and this idea is manifested in her name. She is illustrated in pink, and her family members are illustrated with different shades of gray to indicate that they are from the past. These two colors side by side show how Alma is connected to her past through their names. The drawings use cool colors in the illustrations of her ancestors to draw attention to Alma’s bright curiosity, and the soft textures provide a warm feeling. The story shows the importance of finding your identity, and for Alma, she finds her identity in her name. As you flip through the pages of this book, hopefully you, too, will think about the significance of your name, the story behind it, and where you come from.

Spooked! How a Radio Broadcast and The War of the Worlds Sparked the 1938 Invasion of America Jarrow, Gail. (2018). 139 pp. Calkins Creek. 978-1-62979-776-2. $18.95. (Intermediate/ Young Adult). —Grace McClain “No one foresaw the 1938 invasion” (p. 13). Most readers probably know that the United

States enteredWorldWar II in 1941, but how many people know of the invasion three years prior? One radio broadcast detailed it so artfully, citizens of the United States did not need to see it to believe it: the horrifying invasion of a small New Jersey town that rapidly took out the greater United States. Gail Jarrow explores the realm of radio in this informational text about one fateful October night in 1938, when a radio broadcast turned the world upside down. Radio dramatists sought a new twist for their usual scripts, but startled Americans sought answers about the terror unfolding before their ears. Jarrow re-creates in readers the intense, unnerving feelings of radio listeners hearing about the invasion of the United States amid the growing tensions of war around the world. Although the terror and shock captivate readers, the development of the factual aspects of the story allows readers to uncover the truth: that there was no invasion and the radio drama had accurately created the illusion of a real news broadcast. Jarrow’s incorporation of factual material elevates the book and provides readers with historical knowledge of the event in an intriguing way. The combination of muted-tone photographs and illustrations throughout the text capture readers’ attention without distracting from the text. The images provide a stark contrast between fact and fiction, drawing a line between real life and radio drama. The historical photographs show the real- life people behind the broadcast and provide historical context for the day, as denoted by captions on the photographs. The illustrations provide a visual depiction of the action unfolding in the radio drama. Jarrow includes a timeline of events that

Thank You, Omu! Mora, Oge. (2018). Unpaged. Little, Brown. 978-0-3164-3124-8. $18.99. (Primary). —Kendall Mercer Knock! Knock! Knock! Good food and good company are what you will find in this story . Omu makes the most delicious stew and shares with many of her neighbors. In this story, community is important, and we see a refreshing bond form

among people from uncommon backgrounds over a simple meal. The delicious smell of Omu’s stew seeps out into the streets of the neighborhood and attracts her first visitor, a little boy. Then, as the day goes on, the stew, along with Omu’s generosity, continues to draw in visits from a variety of guests, including a police officer, a doctor, a baker, a bus driver, and even the mayor! This story was a 2019 Caldecott Honor book and won a 2019 Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award (Illustrator Award) for the vivid and dynamic artwork featured throughout

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