BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lyon, George Ella. 2010. THE PIRATE OF KINDERGARTEN. Illustrated by Lynne Avril. New York: Antheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN 9781416950240.
PLOT SUMMARY
Ginny suffers from an undiagnosed vision problem. It causes her to see two of everything making it hard to read, cut paper, and even walk without running into things. When the school nurse diagnoses her problem she becomes a pirate who no longer sees double.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)
The illustrations do a wonderful job of helping children comprehend how Ginny sees two of everything. Without the illustrations children might not understand the book as well. You can see a change in Ginny's confidence in her face when she gets her patch and can see things more clearly.
One interesting thing for teachers is that the teacher in this book unintentionally makes things harder for Ginny. She told Ginny, "don't squint," "we read it just once," and "we read with our eyes, not our noses." These things are a good reminder that there are things going on with students that we do not always know about. It's important for teachers to stop and talk to their students when they have ongoing struggles in class.
I did not find any cultural markers in this book, but it is about a subject on which we do not see many books published. This book is a great way to show young children how even though we might not know some students see things differently. It is a great book to use to lead into conversations about students hearing, acting and looking different from everyone else.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)
The illustrations do a wonderful job of helping children comprehend how Ginny sees two of everything. Without the illustrations children might not understand the book as well. You can see a change in Ginny's confidence in her face when she gets her patch and can see things more clearly.
One interesting thing for teachers is that the teacher in this book unintentionally makes things harder for Ginny. She told Ginny, "don't squint," "we read it just once," and "we read with our eyes, not our noses." These things are a good reminder that there are things going on with students that we do not always know about. It's important for teachers to stop and talk to their students when they have ongoing struggles in class.
I did not find any cultural markers in this book, but it is about a subject on which we do not see many books published. This book is a great way to show young children how even though we might not know some students see things differently. It is a great book to use to lead into conversations about students hearing, acting and looking different from everyone else.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “Ginny suffers from undiagnosed double vision, and seeing two of everything is causing her difficulties in school… Lyon's short, descriptive sentences set up the situation deftly, and Avril's astute chalk, pencil, and acrylic drawings of "two of everything" provide a vivid window into Ginny's pre-treatment world.”
BOOKLIST: “Avril’s bold and wonderfully vivid mixed-media illustrations sometimes portray the classroom through Ginny’s eyes, with overlapping images of chairs, books, and people, though they usually present an outside perspective. Based on Lyon’s own experience, the sensitively written story radiates empathy and good humor. Even children who have not experienced Ginny’s problem will understand her occasional frustration and find it intriguing that one person can literally see the world differently from another.”
CONNECTIONS
Share this book with young students and discuss how we should treat those that look different.
Look at this website for more books on disabilities and learning differences
http://www.monroe.lib.in.us/childrens/booklists/disabilitybib.html
http://www.monroe.lib.in.us/childrens/booklists/disabilitybib.html
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