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The Chronicles Of Harris Burdick: 14 Amazing Authors Tell The Tales (2011)

by Chris Van Allsburg(Favorite Author)

3.83 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

0547548109 (ISBN13: 9780547548104)

languge

English

genre

Fantasy

publisher

HMH Books for Young Readers

review 1: The Chronicles of Harris Burdick: 14 Amazing Authors Tell the Tales is quite a compilation of written art. The stories are so diverse that anyone would find interest in at least one. Without prior knowledge of the pictures, Chris Van Allsburg or Harris Burdick, I am more than intrigued about who the actual illustrator was. I think that is the best mystery of the whole enterprise. I do have to say that some of the stories were a little disappointing in that I was hoping for a mystery without an end but got a story with an ending. The only reason that bothered me was because I feel like the whole purpose of the original publication of the pictures was to leave the viewer or reader wondering, never giving a conclusion and I hoped that all the stories would stay true to that. ... moreNevertheless, that is just my opinion. On the other hand, the writing of the authors is exquisite. I was quite impressed with issues that I believe several of the stories presented or camouflaged within the actual events of the narratives. Looking at the grade level equivalent reading level of this book and from my own reading, I do not think each story in the chronicle is appropriate for elementary school students in grades K-3. Unfortunately, I do not think the language used in some of the stories is simple enough nor are the events in the stories exciting enough to keep students in those grades engaged with the reading. There are exceptions like "A Strange Day in July," I do think that this story can understood and enjoyable for elementary students in grades 2-5 because of the humor involved and the constant stream of events that students can relate to in their own lives. Additionally, I think the main idea of the story is one that is very teachable for young students. Kindness and respect only exist in reciprocal relationships. The dress the children use in the story as their pretend sister takes revenge on them. But, for what purpose? I think it is very realistic to make the assumption that Timmy and Tina are very selfish and never respectful of others, including their invisible and "pretend" sister who gives them a taste of their own medicine. I also enjoyed this story because it still left the reader wondering about how the story "ends." The other story I think I could read to younger elementary students would be "Under the Rug." I enjoyed the use of colloquialisms, which could be a teaching point and basis for a post-reading activity. The dialogue used could also be used as examples when discussing punctuation in a writing lesson. I think the strong element of mystery and the struggle of the boy in the story would be interesting for many students. I also think the lessons to be learned from the story are important for children: listening to wise advice, asking for help and carrying out your responsibilities the correct way. I also really enjoyed "Archie Smith Boy Wonder." I think that the main idea of the story is very applicable to young students lives. We all need to learn at a young age that everyone is different, but differences do not make us unequal. Archie is different from other kids and he obviously struggles with that when it comes to his self-esteem, but he eventually finds success on his little league baseball team. I think Archie's story can teach students that everyone has value and anyone can be successful as long as they have the determination and love for what they are doing. I also love this mystery's play on imagination. Who are the voices that Archie hears? Are they two foreign beings or bodies that have entered his room? Is it his imagination? Or is it his subconscious telling him all those things that I just mentioned so that he is able to believe in himself more? Two of my other favorite stories from the "Chronicles" is "The Third Floor Bedroom" and "The Seven Chairs." I enjoyed the third floor bedroom because I felt like Kate DiCamillo artfully integrated an amazing amount of suspense in a rather mundane story from a narrator who was not in the best of moods. You never knew what the mystery was going to be, there were not really any hints or foreshadowing... you just had to wait to understand what would happen after the window was opened. I really enjoyed the use of "Mrs. Bullwhyte" in the letters that formed the story. I think that was the narrator claims that teacher taught her about language could spark some incredible discussions with older elementary students about the strength, uses and purposes of language. I also think that "Mrs. Bullwhyte" has endowed me with another addition to my list of favorite quotes: "It is our duty and our joy to communicate our hearts to each other. Words assist us in this task." I also think that this story could be used to introduce the format and purpose of letters and other types of correspondence in a writing or language arts lesson. Finally, I really enjoyed "The Seven Chairs." I do not think this story would be put to good use with students younger than grade 4. One of the issues presented in this story (or what I believe to be one of the possible hidden messages in the story) is the issue of women's rights and its passage over time. Lois Lowry delicately reveals this idea through the character of MK and a few clues, including the last few sentences of the story. I believe that this would be an incredible story to use with older elementary students in a lesson on main idea or author's meaning. It would be a text in which a great deal of investigation would be needed to determine the meaning and main idea. I think that with appropriate scaffolding, students could not only understand the main idea of this story, but begin to learn that as they get older, the texts that they will read will become more complex and with that comes a great deal of interpretation into meanings and ideas that are hidden or vague enough for readers to decide what they think the author was trying to communicate.
review 2: I read this book with the hope that some of the stories would be good to use with my high school students, and I would certainly use a few of them. The premise felt a bit gimmicky - after I read a couple of stories, I started to anticipate the eerie final twist that came at the end of each. I imagine they would be more powerful if I read them individually, as opposed to all at the same time. The standouts for me were Jon Scieszka's dark and playful "Under the Rug" and Cory Doctorow's moving "Another Place, Another Time". The latter was the only story that truly touched my heart. less

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