Kimberly WeinbergerCríticas

Poor Clifford gets confused when everyone yells at him for digging holes but then wants him to dig a ditch and form a berm to protect the town library from a storm surge. A good lesson about picking the appropriate time and place.

FOR REFERENCE:

Adapted by Kimberly Weinberger and illustrators Del and Dana Thompson from the television script "Stormy Weather" by Dev Ross for the Clifford the Big Red Dog PBS Kids animated series, Season 1, Episode 8, September 13, 2000. (Note: The book's title page gives a co-credit to Bruce Talkington for the television script, but his name is not in the actual episode's closing credits, only Dev Ross.)

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My first-grade niece read this to me. Why do biographies for children insist on over-simplifying and whitewashing to such a painful degree? Could we, for instance, include the fact that Washington was a slave-owner in a children's biography? Seriously. If they can learn about war, they can learn that people are not all 100% heroes. Let's start that critical thinking early, please!

I really enjoyed this book because it gave an accurate description of Pocahontas’s real life, allowing the reader to learn about who the true Pocahontas was and not the character developed by Disney. The story is short and gives only a basic overview of the Native American Princess, so I was left with wanting to know more about her life. However, its simplicity is what makes it such a great children’s book. Young students can practice their reading skills and gain an introduction towards the non-fiction genre of, biographies.
When reviewing the criteria well written biographies often cover, this book would receive an average rating. Pocahontas is depicted as a peaceful mediator between the English settlers and her Native tribe, doing only good for both parties. While these strengths are important to her story, her weaknesses aren’t discussed, providing a single outlook that may be viewed as biased. That being said, Pocahontas’s actions were in favor of all people and conflicts arose over the land and resources of Virginia. I wouldn’t say the author, Kimberly Weinberger, presents a biased point of view, but instead a broad overview of what was happening at the time and how Pocahontas helped solve issues of her native people and new acquaintances. By not going into great detail on some of the gruesome acts that were occurring between these two groups, Weinberg maintains an appropriate reading/subject matter for the target audience.
This biography uses basic vocabulary for students learning to read, meaning more experienced readers like myself, may find the language to be bland. While the text isn’t very descriptive, it is clear and to the point, perfect for children learning to read. However, Pocahontas’s life is interesting, so it’s the storyline that keeps the reader engaged. The story is in chronological order of Pocahontas’s life, but the end feels very abrupt. One minute the reader is learning about her life overseas in England, and suddenly the last page appears, with a quick summary about how people today remember her as a, “brave woman who helped bring peace to her land,” I was left wondering what happened with the rest of her life and her newly formed family. I realize Weinberger probably wanted to keep the story concise, as not to lose her target audiences attention, but she should have at least given a quick overview of what happened to Pocahontas after leaving America, before coming to an end.
The people discussed were not characters as depicted in the Disney version of Pocahontas’s life, but rather an accurate account was shown. For example, the book mentioned how Pocahontas protected John Smith from her tribe by throwing herself in front of him, similar to one of the movies final, dramatic, scenes. The difference was that in reality, this brave act was just that, acting. Her tribe put on a play to show that John Smith was a friend of the Natives and they would protect him from harm.
Weinberger writes about Pocahontas in a third person point of view and as mentioned earlier, grabs the reader’s attention through the fascinating plot of the princess’s life. The conflicts between settlers and Native Americans keeps the audience wanting to find out more, as well as the way the text is spaced out. Weinberger repeatedly ended pages with captivating statements. For example, one page ended with, “Pocahontas was given a special role to act out in the play,” making the audience want to read on and discover what would happen next; in this case, what role she would take on.
The illustrations added to this effect since they provided realistic paintings of the events taking place, adding to the drama of the hardships and love being discussed. The paintings were dark and had a serious tone to them, fitting the darker themes of Pocahontas’s struggles. Between the continuous disagreements between parties and peaceful resolutions provided by Pocahontas, the reader was forced to consider both points of view and recognize how working with one another and putting aside ones differences was what allowed all people to thrive and be happy. When the settlers and Natives worked together, they could share resources through tough times like a harsh, cold winter. They could also learn about one another’s culture and in Pocahontas’s case, find love and make a family. The reader is left with the idea that helping all people, no matter their background, race, or customs, is beneficial for everyone and important for total success.

clifford tries to dig holes around the town but doesn't do it quite right. finally there is a storm coming and clifford finally can help by digging a giant hole to help protect the town.
1 book

An in-depth beginners ancient history lesson in ancient Egypt and the fascinating process of the making of a mummy This book presents an insightful look at the life of the ancient Egyptians, with very basic, easy-to-comprehend text. In four brief chapters, readers learn important facts about the Egyptians' belief on life and death, stories and superstitions surrounding their gods and goddesses, intriguing facts about burial tombs filled with treasures, and the origin of the practice of making mummies.

History doesn't have to bore children. This is simple biography of the first president of the United States. Learning about the first president of the United States can be fun and fascinating. To engage children, you can encourage students to use the words that pertain to George Washington and have them create their own word search puzzle. Upon completion, have the students exchange puzzles with their peers to locate the hidden words.

This book is cool for boys. There are pictures and information on each page about tools and how their using them to build things. The vocabulary is a little old for kindergarten, but they would love to just look at the pictures of all the different tools.

This book talks about not only Columbus’s travels to America, but also how he was motivated to explore the seas from a very young age. In the end Weinberger writes that even though he made a mistake in calling the Americas India, we still honor him. This is a good point for elementary students because they need to know it’s ok to make mistakes; we learn and grow from them. It also shows them that if they really dedicate themselves to something, they can do it.

My first-grade niece read this to me. Why do biographies for children insist on over-simplifying and whitewashing to such a painful degree? Could we, for instance, include the fact that Washington was a slave-owner in a children's biography? Seriously. If they can learn about war, they can learn that people are not all 100% heroes. Let's start that critical thinking early, please!

The Book: Hello Kitty Star Ballerina by Kimberly Weinberger

The Publisher: Scholastic 2004

The Plot: Just three more days 'til the dance recital! Hello Kitty is ready, but her friend Kitty bunny has the jitters. Will Hello Kitty manage to calm her friend's fears in time for the dance recital?

The Good Stuff: The book includes stickers-lots of stickers-so you can garnish the story!

The Bad: The storyline is simple and not particularly engaging.

The Moral: Be a star like Hello Kitty. Help a friend in need!

The Thing I'll Remember Most About This Book Ten Years From Now: It's vibrant illustrations!

this is fantastic book

this is all about christopher columbus and it is boring

Good for kids learning to read.

A story about a dolphin who is afraid to swim. This is not a great early reader. It's designed for a look-say approach, so even though sentences are short and the text is sparse, many of the words are sight words only. This will be a fine book when my children have a little more reading under their belts. They do enjoy the story.

This book is about the classic madam, Rapunzel, who is played by Barbie. Rapunzel is desperate to get out of the castle and find her prince, but mean Gothel is determined to keep her captive.
I remember reading thisbook as a child and wishing my hair was as long as Repunzel's. It is a magical stoy with a wonderful story line.
Most girls love this book. To get the boys interested they could cut out and color dragons. The girls could make dolls with hair to the floor out of yarn.

CJ follows clues on a map to find treasure. He uses pictoral and directional clues to figure out where to go, and finally makes it. He is trailed by the evil snail, but the snail doesn’t want his treasure- a surprise bithday party!

The things that happen during winter.
6 books

Lesson: What is a Map?