Memorable Characters in Biography and Fiction
A Book Review Column
Linda D. Labbo
Reviews Section Editor
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia, USA
Sherry L. Field
Guest Reviewer
Editor's Note: Books reviewed in this column can help children learn more about memorable characters as they are encountered in biographical and fictional narratives. In addition to the reviews and extension activities, the reviewer, Sherry Field, provides a brief rationale for studying biographies and studying people through fiction, noting that “learning about both triumphs and tragedies that people have experienced helps prepare children to deal with similar situations in their own lives.” Books reviewed portray the lives of a wide range of fascinating people, including John Muir and Martin Luther King, Jr. Characters who themselves are children are introduced in accounts of Chi-Hoon, an 8-year-old Korean girl; Anne Frank; and Spotted Deer, the Chippewa grandson of Moose Horn. Adults who wish to extend children's engagement with memorable characters through extension activities will find a half dozen ideas at the close of the column.
Introductory Comments from the Reviewer
Helping children become ready for the responsibilities of citizenship is a primary function of schooling in many countries. Throughout their history, public and private schools have offered character education and education for citizenship in diverse ways, though at times this has been relegated to a minor role. Today, however, finding innovative methods by which to teach about people's characters and lives seems to be viewed with renewed interest.
The 1998 report of the Bradley Commission on History in Schools, Building a History Curriculum: Guidelines for Teaching History in Schools (abstract online), notes as two “foremost aims” of education “the preparation of all our people for private lives of personal integrity and fulfillment, and their preparation for public life as democratic citizens,” and recommends the use of biography for all children (p. 5). Additionally, a study of biography “takes advantage of the students' natural human traits: curiosity about other people and the tendency to dream of being a different person in a different world” (Kirkman, 1991, p. 1). During a meaningful biography study, for example, children and their teachers may find “that they are not singularly alone in either their dreams and aspirations, or their loneliness, frustrations, and disappointments,” and that they can be inspired to “make their own personal commitments to using their gifts and talents for the betterment of the world and all its inhabitants” (Flack, 1992, pp. 1-2). Learning about both triumphs and tragedies that people have experienced helps prepare children to deal with similar situations in their own lives.
Although the books reviewed below can be read for pleasure or as part of the language arts curriculum, they also lend themselves to study within the social studies. The disciplinary emphases of the social studies naturally engage students in the study of memorable people -- as intrinsic parts of history, as geographers and transformers of the earth's geography, as social beings, and as developers of economic systems. The column reviews biographies and fictional accounts of such memorable people and suggests extension activities that can be pursued after reading.
The biographies reviewed are as follows:
The works of fiction reviewed are as follows:
Where possible, links to authors' and publishers' websites are provided. Clicking on any of these links will open a new browser window.
Anne Frank. Written by John F. Wukovits. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven/Lucent, 1999. ISBN 1-56006-353-X. 96 pages. Recommended for ages 10 to 14.
Anne Frank is the subject of this new biography in Lucent Books' The Importance of... series. The terror faced by Jewish families such as Anne's during the Holocaust is sensed throughout in this book that includes insets, historical maps, photographs, and excerpts of writings from those who survived. Anne Frank's own writings are heralded, and children will be fascinated to learn how her diary came to be publicized and published. The story does not end with Anne's murder but continues to report the lives of Anne's father and of Miep Gies, who saved the diary. A bibliography of additional readings and listing of sources used accompanies the text.
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Chi-Hoon: A Korean Girl. Written by Patricia McMahon; photographs by Michael F. O'Brien. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills, 1998. ISBN 1-56397-720-6. 48 pages. Recommended for ages 8 to 12.
Readers are invited to share a week in the life of Chi-Hoon, an 8-year-old Korean girl, through a gentle narrative, diary entries, and spectacular photographs. By reading her thoughts about her family relationships and daily events such as attending school, playing, going to the market, visiting with friends, and enjoying a typical weekend, children will gain important insights into the life of a child very much like themselves. Books with multicultural themes and those about children are particularly helpful for the development of young readers' “insider” perspectives. In this one, we really get to know Chi-Hoon, her motivations, her devotion to family, and her likes and dislikes.
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Martin Luther King, Jr. Written by John F. Wukovits. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven/Lucent, 1999. ISBN 1-56006-483-8. 112 pages. Recommended for ages 10 to 14.
Adding impressively to a growing collection of books for young people about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., this biography by John Wukovits is well written and extremely readable. Another in the publisher's The Importance of... series, the biography carefully portrays the life of Martin Luther King, Jr., as one with which children may identify. King is not depicted as an always-heroic figure but one who was mischievous, had a close family and many friends, and who sometimes got into fights. Especially impressive is the attention to historical detail and documentation of the social fabric of the South prior to and during the American Civil Rights movement. Children will enjoy reading excerpts by other King biographers provided in this version.
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Saint Patrick. Written by Ann Tompert; illustrated by Michael Garland. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills, 1998. ISBN 1-56397-659-5. 32 pages. Recommended for ages 8 to 12.
Many children are aware that St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17, but few know much about the person honored on that day. This version of St. Patrick's life is sure to enhance children's understanding of the intrepid missionary who devoted most of his adult life to converting countless Irish people to Christianity, risking his freedom and often his life to do so. Tompert uses one of two primary sources left behind by St. Patrick as the basis for her prose, which children will find very understandable. They will also come to know more about the hardships, including enslavement, faced by St. Patrick -- and indeed, by many who lived during the fourth and fifth centuries -- as they read about his larger-than-life accomplishments. And while his adult life has been the subject of much reflection, his own words help children to understand that he was an unremarkable child. In the letter “Commandments,” St. Patrick confesses that he “did not know the true God...did not keep His commandments...and did not study like the others.” Michael Garland's illustrations capture the rugged beauty of Ireland and the stark reality of dispute between Celts and Britons.
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Stickeen: John Muir and the Brave Little Dog. Retold by Donnell Rubay; illustrated by Christopher Canyon. Nevada City, CA: Dawn Publications, 1998. ISBN 1-883220-79-3 (hardcover); 1-883220-78-5 (paperback). 32 pages. Recommended for ages 4 to 12.
Click the cover for a larger image. |
The story of Stickeen, a small Alaskan dog who befriended naturalist John Muir on one of his many explorations, has much to say about caring, courage, and trust. It is a story John Muir told often when he returned from his 1880 trip to Alaska, and one that children and teachers alike will want to read again and again. Accompanying Muir and his fellow adventurers in the summer of 1880, Stickeen impressed the group with his independence and intelligence. He did not bond with Muir, however, until the two went out together one day to view an approaching storm. In the course of their journey, they leapt over dangerous crevasses and climbed perilous peaks. As night approached, Muir knew he and Stickeen had to return to camp to survive. Their return trip, and the trust Stickeen had to place in Muir to lead the way, is a heartwarming read. Illustrator Christopher Canyon visited many of the glaciers seen by Muir in order to accurately capture their beauty and power. |
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Tea with an Old Dragon: A Story of Sophia Smith, Founder of Smith College. Written by Jane Yolen; illustrated by Monica Vachula. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills, 1998. ISBN 1-56397-657-9. 32 pages. Recommended for ages 10 to 14.
This biography of Sophia Smith, the founder of Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, USA, boasts a foreword by Ruth J. Simmons, current president of the famous women's school. Written from the point of view of 6-year-old Louisa Greene, the story captures a brief initial encounter and ensuing few months' friendship between Louisa and 71-year-old Sophia. After hearing about an “old dragon” in town, Louisa is determined to find out about Miss Sophy for herself. She bravely calls upon the lady and quickly learns that she is admired for her audacity. Louisa stays for ginger cake, conversation, and piano playing. Vachula's illustrations are notable in their historical accuracy, adding to readers' understanding of the wealthy, yet thrifty, Sophia Smith's life in 1967. Yolen includes a section at the end of the book that explains “What is true about the story.” Although Smith left behind scant archival material save for her will and a spiritual journal, stories passed down by neighbors and oral history interviews of people in her community contribute to making this an interesting and compelling story. Especially important to the history of schooling for women in the United States of the 19th century, it is a book worth sharing.
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The American Wei. Written by Marion Hess Pomeranc; illustrated by DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan. Morton, IL: Albert Whitman, 1998. ISBN 0-8075-0312-6. Unpaged. Recommended for ages 5 to 9.
Wei Fong and his parents, immigrants to the United States from China, have come to the federal courthouse to be sworn in as American citizens. In the excitement of the moment, his parents lose Wei and Wei loses his loose tooth. He will not be consoled until it is found and saved for the Tooth Fairy. The ensuing search for the tooth provides a situation full of humor, during which everyone arriving at the courthouse pitches in to help, despite the fact that there are only moments to spare before the swearing-in ceremony. The engaging story, with delightfully winsome illustrations, will charm all readers and will prompt those in the United States to think about what it means to be an American citizen. And, of course, Wei's thoughts as he goes to bed that night, wondering if the Tooth Fairy will be able to find him now that he is an American, will be familiar to many primary grade children.
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A Portrait of Spotted Deer's Grandfather. Written by Amy Littlesugar; illustrated by Marlowe deChristopher. Morton, IL: Albert Whitman, 1997. ISBN 0-8075-6622-5. Unpaged. Recommended for ages 6 to 10.
In the early 1800s, artist George Catlin painted portraits of Native Americans in order to capture their way of life before it disappeared. This gentle story focuses on the loving relationship between a devoted grandson, Spotted Deer, and his wise grandfather, Moose Horn. Spotted Deer appeals to his grandfather to have his image recorded “on the Medicine Painter's cloth,” but Moose Horn resists. He believes that if he is painted he “gives away his face.” He would lose his spirit and would not be able to find his way “to the village of the western sky.” After a vivid dream one night that foreshadows the inevitabile encroachment of the white man, Moose Horn decides that he will be painted by Catlin, to keep from “blowing away forever.” Author Littlesugar develops in her readers an abiding sense of caring for the protagonists in the story, and deChristopher's illustrations capture essences of daily life among the Chippewa.
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Robinson Crusoe. Written by Daniel Defoe; abridged by James Dunbar; illustrated by Julek Heller. New York: Dorling Kindersley, 1998. ISBN 0-7894-3625-6. 64 pages. Recommended for ages 9 to 12.
Young readers will be fascinated by this interesting version of the classic Robinson Crusoe, which was first published in 1719. Abridged for easier reading by James Dunbar, the story maintains the excitement and adventure of the original. A visually stimulating book, each short chapter contains bright illustrations, commentary, and background material to supplement the fictional tale. Sidebars and additional information help the reader to imagine the rest of the world and its events during the time of Crusoe's island habitation. A detailed map of the imaginary island, information about the author, and an informative piece highlighting interest in the story over the years supplement the text.
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Extension Activity Ideas
- Consider the character traits that were most prominent in the subject of each biography. Pay special attention to evidence from the subject's childhood that may have influenced development of his or her adult character.
- Place subjects of each biography or work of fiction on a time line. A time line may be kept for all biographies read during the school year, or individual time lines may be created for each subject. It is important for children to make the critical chronological connection so that they will not be confused about the times during which subjects lived. Superimposing a time line of events in world history will help children make connections between the historical era in which the person lived and the events of the person's own life.
- Create a map for each biography. Students should develop a map key and color code for each continent, country, state or province, or city that was part of the subject's life. They should be prepared to write a brief narrative about the geographical influences that pertained to a person's life paths.
- Create a museum exhibit in the classroom for biographies read. Attend to the important elements of museum displays, such as colorful graphics, clear descriptions, multiple sources of information, and accurate information. Museum exhibits may also include a collection of artifacts that are representative of a person's life. For example, a compass, maps, field glasses, notebooks, and a dog dish were important to John Muir. After reading the book, children will want to explore how the artifacts represent different story events.
- Invite parents to a Biography Night, during which students dress as a character from the books they have read. Each student should create a display or poster in order to explain about her or his chosen character's life. Alternately, students may report about the museum display they created.
- Celebrate and reinforce the tough choices made by the subjects of biographies read, and make connections to everyday and school life. A chart might be kept relating this information.
- Invite students to keep a “memorable character” journal. They may write entries about memorable characters they have met on the pages of fiction and biographical accounts, or in the course of their daily life. Open-ended discussions that allow children to reflect on why certain characters are memorable will be beneficial. In addition, students may wish to write about what aspects of their own lives they would like to become memorable to others.
References
Bradley Commission on History in Schools. (1988). Building a history curriculum: Guidelines for teaching history in schools. Washington, DC: Educational Excellence Network. Abstract available: http://www.edrs.com/Webstore/Detail.CFM?Ednumber=ED310008
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Flack, J.D. (1992). Lives of promise: Studies in biography and family history. Englewood, CO: Teacher Ideas Press.
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Kirkman, S. (1991, November). The importance of biography. History Matters, 1.
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About the Reviewer
Sherry L. Field (e-mail sfield@coe.uga.edu) is an associate professor in the Department of Social Science Education at the University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA. She is interested in elementary social studies teaching and learning, elementary social studies curriculum, and the history of social studies. She serves on the College and University Faculty Assembly of the National Council for the Social Studies and on the board of directors of the Georgia Council for the Social Studies. She is a past chair of the American Educational Research Association special interest group on research in social studies. She is the editor of Social Studies & the Young Learner, a publication of the National Council for the Social Studies.
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Reading Online, www.readingonline.org
Posted February 2000
© 2000 International Reading Association, Inc. ISSN 1096-1232
