Photos: By the book
The Enterprise — Melissa Hale-Spencer
Close reading: Brennan Reiner carefully considers Where the Wild Things Are, which won the Caldecott Medal in 1964. He, along with other fifth-graders at Altamont Elementary School, made their own choices for the prestigious award last week.
The Enterprise — Melissa Hale-Spencer
Caldecott circle: Fifth-grade teacher Robert Whiteman talks on Jan. 30 about illustrations as kids make their own notes evaluating art in past Caldecott winners. The fifth-graders also read candidates for this year’s Newbery Medal and planned to learn the results by watching Monday’s press conference live in their classroom. Because of the snow, school was canceled but Whiteman sent the students links to watch the announcements live from home. He then spent the day on an email thread with much of his class as students offered their thoughts on the Caldecott and Newbery choices.
The Enterprise — Melissa Hale-Spencer
Altamont Elementary librarian Anne Johnson looks at the 1956 Caldecott winner with Brittany Grant. Several students had chosen the actual Caldecott winner — Dan Sarat’s The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend, tracing the journey of an imaginary friend searching for his perfect match — although the mock committee majority had chosen Sam and Dave Dig A Hole, which won a Caldecott Honor. See editorial.
The Enterprise — Melissa Hale-Spencer
What does this book capture? Amelia Lavin writes notes on Flotsam by David Wiesner, the 2007 Caldecott winner. She points out the picture book has no words. “But it captures the movement and it captures the feeling,” she said, as it tells the story of a boy who finds a camera on the beach and discovers fantastical under-the-sea scenes.