Click on a thumbnail to go to Google Books.
Loading... Where's Rodney?by Carmen Bogan
None Loading...
Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. Story followed by “How To Visit A Park”. I enjoyed this book for 2 main reasons. Firstly, Rodney, the main character, is very relatable to a lot of students. I think high-energy students can connect to the way that he gets reprimanded by his teacher. When he plays during class and has trouble paying attention, his teacher tells him "Sit down, Rodney!" Secondly, I think this story has great diversity. The story takes place at a school in a seemingly low-income area where the students go somewhere they have never been before: the park! The students are Black, Asian, and of other ethnicity. The big idea of this story is that things are not always what you expect! A somewhat hyperactive boy who was always acting up a bit in class, and who longed to be outside, Rodney didn't have many chances to explore. If he was not in school, his Momma wanted him home and safe, far away from the small, scraggly city park near his home. Then his class went on a field trip to a national park - one assumes Yosemite, given the publication information here - and he discovered just how majestic the outdoors could be... Published by Yosemite National Park's Yosemite Conservancy, Where's Rodney? pairs an engaging, well-written narrative from author Carmen Bogan with luminous illustrations by Floyd Cooper. Although this is my first title from Ms. Bogan, I am very familiar with Cooper's lovely work, and was even fortunate enough to see a demonstration of his method once, at an event. I appreciated the messages implicit in this story - the importance of getting out into the wild; the idea that energetic children need an outlet for their energy, and should be handled with patience, as Rodney's teacher does - and found the conclusion quite moving. I seem to recall reading somewhere that our national parks are under-utilized by the African-American community, so it's good to see a book depicting a child from the community enjoying the beauty of one such park. no reviews | add a review
Rodney is that kid who just can't sit still. He's inside, but he wants to be outside. Outside is where Rodney always wants to be. Between school and home, there is a park. He knows all about that park. It's that triangle-shaped place with the yellow grass and two benches where grown-ups sit around all day. Besides, his momma said to stay away from that park. When Rodney finally gets a chance to go to a real park, with plenty of room to run and climb and shout, and to just be himself, he will never be the same. No library descriptions found. |
Current DiscussionsNone
Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.6Literature English (North America) American fiction 21st CenturyLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
Is this you?Become a LibraryThing Author. |