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CM . . . . Volume XVI Number 33. . . .April 30, 2010. 
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100th Day of School. (Celebrations in My World).
Reagan Miller.
St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2010.
32 pp., pbk. & hc., $9.95 (pbk.), $20.76 (RLB.).
ISBN 978-0-7787-4781-9 (pbk.), ISBN 978-0-7787-4763-5 (RLB.).
Subject Heading:
Hundredth day of school-Juvenile literature.
Grades 2-3 / Ages 7-8.
Review by Gail Hamilton.
***/4
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Columbus Day. (Celebrations in My World).
Molly Aloian.
St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2010.
32 pp., pbk. & hc., $9.95 (pbk.), $20.76 (RLB.).
ISBN 978-0-7787-4778-9 (pbk.), ISBN 978-0-7787-4760-4 (RLB.).
Subject Headings:
Columbus, Christopher-Juvenile literature.
Columbus Day-Juvenile literature.
America-Discovery and exploration-Spanish-Juvenile literature.
Grades 2-3 / Ages 7-8.
Review by Gail Hamilton.
***/4
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Eid al-Adha. (Celebrations in My World).
Robert Walker.
St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2010.
32 pp., pbk. & hc., $9.95 (pbk.), $20.76 (RLB.).
ISBN 978-0-7787-4779-6 (pbk.), ISBN 978-0-7787-4761-1 (RLB.).
Subject Heading:
Id al-Adha-Juvenile literature.
Grades 2-3 / Ages 7-8.
Review by Gail Hamilton.
***/4
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New Year’s Day. (Celebrations in My World).
Lynn Peppas.
St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2010.
32 pp., pbk. & hc., $9.95 (pbk.), $20.76 (RLB.).
ISBN 978-0-7787-4780-2 (pbk.), ISBN 978-0-7787-4762-8 (RLB.).
Subject Heading:
New Year-Juvenile literature.
Grades 2-3 / Ages 7-8.
Review by Gail Hamilton.
***/4
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Purim. (Celebrations in My World).
Lynn Peppas.
St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2010.
32 pp., pbk. & hc., $9.95 (pbk.), $20.76 (RLB.).
ISBN 978-0-7787-4782-6 (pbk.), ISBN 978-0-7787-4764-2 (RLB.).
Subject Heading:
Purim-Juvenile literature.
Grades 2-3 / Ages 7-8.
Review by Gail Hamilton.
***/4
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Remembrance Day. (Celebrations in My World).
Molly Aloian.
St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2010.
32 pp., pbk. & hc., $9.95 (pbk.), $20.76 (RLB.).
ISBN 978-0-7787-4783-3 (pbk.), ISBN 978-0-7787-4765-9 (RLB.).
Subject Heading:
Remembrance Day (Canada)-Juvenile literature.
Grades 2-3 / Ages 7-8.
Review by Gail Hamilton.
***/4
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Sukkot. (Celebrations in My World).
Reagan Miller.
St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2010.
32 pp., pbk. & hc., $9.95 (pbk.), $20.76 (RLB.).
ISBN 978-0-7787-4784-0 (pbk.), ISBN 978-0-7787-4766-6 (RLB.).
Subject Heading:
Sukkot-Juvenile literature.
Grades 2-3 / Ages 7-8.
Review by Gail Hamilton.
***/4
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Veterans Day. (Celebrations in My World).
Robert Walker.
St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2010.
32 pp., pbk. & hc., $9.95 (pbk.), $20.76 (RLB.).
ISBN 978-0-7787-4785-7 (pbk.), ISBN 978-0-7787-4767-3 (RLB.).
Subject Heading:
Veterans Day-Juvenile literature.
Grades 2-3 / Ages 7-8.
Review by Gail Hamilton.
***/4
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excerpt:
Ibrahim is another important Islamic prophet whom Allah sent messages to. Muslims believe Ibrahim was told by Allah to sacrifice his son Isaac, to prove his faith in Allah. Ibrahim agreed to do it. Ibrahim placed his son on an altar to sacrifice him to Allah.
At the last moment, Allah replaced Isaac with a ram when it was clear that Ibrahim had proven his devotion. Isaac’s life was saved. (From Eid al-Adha.)
These eight titles are the latest additions to the now 31-volume "Celebrations in My World" series designed for young readers. Each title examines the history, traditions, beliefs, symbols and celebrations of the featured holiday. Written in kid-friendly language, using fairly short sentences and simple vocabulary, the text is printed in a large, simple font on coloured backgrounds, adding visual appeal. Abundant, vibrant colour photographs and drawings highlight the main concepts while "Did you know?" arcs provide additional information. A table of contents, a glossary and an index are included.
Celebrated in schools in Canada, the U.S., Great Britain and other countries around the world, 100th Day is primarily for young children. 100th Day of School shows readers the many creative ways in which children and their teachers mark this event. Ideas range from math activities and sports challenges to learning about what school was like 100 years ago and what it might be like 100 years into the future.
Columbus Day focuses on the October 12th holiday commemorating Christopher Columbus’ arrival in North America. This title provides a brief history of the explorer’s voyages from Spain which took him to the areas now known as Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas and South America, and which opened the door to European settlement in the Americas. Since 1970, when it was declared a national holiday in the U.S., Columbus Day has been celebrated with parades, special foods and events. Spain, Italy and many Latin American countries also mark this holiday.
Eid al-Adha features one of the most important holidays of the Muslim calendar. This title explains to readers the basic tenets of Islam, the history behind the seven-day holiday (when God spared the life of Ibrahim’s son after Ibrahim proved his devotion to God), and the various customs and traditions associated with it, including prayer, the sacrificing of an animal for the feast, the preparation of special foods, visiting the graves of loved ones, and giving to the needy.
Julius Caesar was the first person to declare that New Year’s Day should be held on January 1st, but not all countries or religions celebrate the holiday at that time. New Year’s Day showcases Chinese New Year and Rosh Hashanah but primarily features the many symbols and activities surrounding the January 1st New Year’s celebration. These include parades, fireworks, songs, resolutions and eating foods believed to bring good luck. Of the parades, the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, CA, is probably the oldest and most famous.
Purim focuses on a fun, springtime holiday observed by Jewish people. A man in Persia, angry with a Jewish person, convinced the king to let him kill all Jewish people. But the queen revealed to her husband that she was Jewish and asked him to warn her people, thereby saving many lives. During Purim, Jews must perform four tasks: give to charity, help people they know, have a feast, and listen to the story of Queen Esther from the Megillah. Costume parties, parades and special foods are some of the ways that this holiday is observed.
Remembrance Day pays tribute to men and women who have served their country during times of war. The first Remembrance Day was held on November 11th, 1919, and was called Armistice Day. This book explains the meaning behind symbols, such as the poppy and the poem “In Flanders Fields,” as well as showing how people in Canada honor veterans for their courage and sacrifice. Some examples include the placing of wreaths at cenotaphs, visiting the National War Memorial and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Ottawa, attending Remembrance Day services, and school children writing letters of thanks to veterans. There is also mention of tributes held in other countries around the world.
The autumn festival of Sukkot lasts for seven days and seven nights. It celebrates a specific time in Jewish history when Moses led his people from Egypt into Israel, a journey that lasted 40 years. Sukkot refers to the shelters that God told the Jews to build. In Sukkot, there is information on how to build a sukkah (singular of sukkot), how Jews celebrate the autumn harvest with feasting and making charitable donations to the less fortunate, and the symbolism behind the four species- myrtle, willow, palm shoot and citron- which are used in special blessings.
In Veterans Day, readers will learn about the November 11th holiday which honours the men and women who have served in the U.S. military in both combat and peacekeeping missions. The difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day, which is held in May, is that the former pays tribute to all those who have served in the armed forces, while the latter honours only those who have lost their lives in battle. Various monuments are featured in this title, including the National World War II Memorial and the Freedom Wall, both located in Washington, D.C. There is also mention of veterans’ organizations and some ways in which the government provides support and assistance to veterans. (Much of the information in this title is similar to that contained in Remembrance Day. Perhaps these two titles should have been combined. It should also be noted that the first Armistice Day was in 1919, not in 1918 as stated in Veterans Day.)
Though some titles in this series are a little better than others, generally this is a good series that would prove useful in a school or classroom library.
Recommended.
Gail Hamilton is a retired teacher-librarian in Winnipeg, MB.
To comment on this title or this review, send mail to
cm@umanitoba.ca.
Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.
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