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Runninghead: Text Set Annotated Bibliography

Text Set Annotated Bibliography

Nicole Snider
March 11, 2015

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Text Set 2

Topic:Similes
SOL:4.5b
Objective:Theobjectiveofthistextsetistoprovideforthgraderswithexamplesof
waysthatwritersusesimilestomakecomparisons,andaddtothedescriptions,intheir
writing.Similesareusedinmanyworksofliterature,includingpoetry,toaddtothe
descriptivelanguageofthepiece.Thisselectionoftitleswillallowstudentstoeffectively
enhancetheirwritingthroughcomparisonsbyutilizingthewordslikeandastoallow
readerstorelatetotheirwriting.

James,B.,&DePalma,M.(2004).MyChair.NewYork,NY:Scholastic.

MyChairexploresthedescriptionsofdifferentchairsfromachildspointof
view.Eachcharacterdescribesthebenefitsofhisorherchair.Alittlegirl
explainsthatherchairislightasatumbleweed.Whileanothergivesher
chairpersonificationbysayingthat,Ithaspocketsinitscheekslikea
chipmunk.Later,alittleboyshowstheimportanceofhiswheelchairby
explaining,Mostchairsjustsitthere,butminesmorelikeahorseoratrain.
Itsnotquitelegs,andnotquitewingsitslikeglassesIputitoninthemorning.
Iwearmychairtozoomlikearollerskater,dancelikeabear.Theauthoruses
similesthateveryreadercanrelatetoallowingthemtoseetheworldfroma
childspointofview.Byplacingimportanceonsomethingassimpleasachair,

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theauthorisabletocreateapointofviewbyshowingthedifferentwaysinwhich
eachcharacterschairismorethanjustaplacetosit.

Cleary,B.,&Gable,B.(2009).SkinlikeMilk,HairofSilk:WhatAreSimilesand
Metaphors?Minneapolis,MN:MillbrookPress.

SkinlikeMilk,HairofSilk:WhatareSimilesandMetaphors?isa
wonderfulinformationalfictiontext,thatexplicitlyexplainsthemeanings
ofsimilesandmetaphors.Thisstorybreaksdowneverydaydescriptions
andcreatessimilesormetaphorstopresentyoungreaderswithanother
waytodescribe:soft,Herhairisassoftassilk;perceptiveorquick
witted,Shesassharpasanyspike;veryold,Mydadsasoldas
Moses;slowAsslowasthickmolasses; andmanyothers.Theauthor
notonlyprovidesyoungreaderswiththedefinitionofasimileSimiles
arephrasesthatcomparetwounlikelythingsallsimilescontainanasor
like;but,alsoprovidesstudentswithsimilesthatwouldberelativeto
theirwritingbyusingwellknowncomparisonswhichtapintoachilds
priorknowledge.Forexample,studentsknowthatmolassesmovesvery
slowlyandwouldbeabletoenvisionexactlyhowslowacharacteris
movingbasedonthecomparisonthatismade.Clearydoesagreatjob

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magnifyingthebenefitsofusingsimilesinoneswritinginorderfor
readerstomaketheconnectionsandvisualizationsthatwereintendedby
theauthor.

Greenberg,D.,&Munsinger,L.(2004).Snakes!NewYork:Little,Brown.

Snakes!isafictionalstoryaboutaboywhohasnofearsexceptforthoseof
snakes.Thestoryprovideslengthdetailsoftheboysfearsaboutsnakesfromthe
waysthattheyrestandmove,Tangledlikespaghettitohowuncontrollable
theyare,theresamomentaryriot.Asalltheotherstryit.Soonallthesnakes,
likeneontubes,ignite.Afterfacinghisfear,theyboyimaginesthesnakesas
otherobjects.Snakesasdrapes,asmeasuringtapes,asanimatedcleanersfor
yourears.TheauthorofSnakes!usesmanyliteraryelementsashiscraft.
Althoughheavyinsimiles,thestoryallowsstudentstowitnessexamplesof
incorporatingseveraldifferentliterarydevicesintheirwriting.

James,B.,&DePalma,M.(2004).MyChair.NewYork,NY:Scholastic.

MyChairexploresthedescriptionsofdifferentchairsfromachildspointof
view.Eachcharacterdescribesthebenefitsofhisorherchair.Alittlegirl

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explainsthatherchairislightasatumbleweed.Whileanothergivesher
chairpersonificationbysayingthat,Ithaspocketsinitscheekslikea
chipmunk.Later,alittleboyshowstheimportanceofhiswheelchairby
explaining,Mostchairsjustsitthere,butminesmorelikeahorseoratrain.
Itsnotquitelegs,andnotquitewingsitslikeglassesIputitoninthemorning.
Iwearmychairtozoomlikearollerskater,dancelikeabear.Theauthoruses
similesthateveryreadercanrelatetoallowingthemtoseetheworldfroma
childspointofview.Byplacingimportanceonsomethingassimpleasachair,
theauthorisabletocreateapointofviewbyshowingthedifferentwaysinwhich
eachcharacterschairismorethanjustaplacetosit.

Lawlor,L.,&Long,E.(2010).MuddyasaDuckPuddleandOtherAmericanSimiles.
NewYork:HolidayHouse.

MuddyasaDuckPuddleandOtherAmericanSimilesisaninformationalfiction
story,whichexplicitlyexploressillycomparisonsthroughtheuseofsimilesfrom
AtoZ.Mostofthesimileslistedinthisbookarestillusedtothisdayacross
thecountry.Forexample,insteadofsayingthatitisdarkoutside,somepeople
saythatitisas,darkasapocket.Toexplainthatitissodarkthatthereisno
formoflightsourcepresent.Eachsimilehasadefinitionlistedwithit.For
exampleacowboyswayofdescribingabravepersonisbysayingtheyare,as

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grittyasfisheggsrolledinsand.Whendescribingalethargicperson,theyare,
Lazyasahoundthatleansagainstthefencetobark.Theauthorenlightens
readerswithphrasesandcomparisonsthattheymaynothaveformallybeen
exposedto;inordertoeducatethem,andultimatelyencouragereaderstouse
similesintheirownwriting.Thepresentationofthestoryengageseventheleast
interestedreaders,whichmakesitagreattextforstudentsofmanyagesand
interests.

Leedy,L.(2008).CrazyLikeaFox:ASimileStory.NewYork:HolidayHouse.

CrazyLikeaFox:ASimileStorytellsthestoryofRufusthefox,whois
actingstrangely,Herunsacrossthemeadowasfastaslightning,and
then,tiptoesupbehindBabette(thesheep)likeathiefinthenightand
roarslikealion.ThismadeBabette,asmadasahornet.As
BabetteandRufuschaseeachotherallovertownandsoonenough
Babetterealizesthepurposebehindthisgameofcatandmouse.The
authorusesahumorousplottopresentreaderswithsimilesinawaythat
flowswiththestory.Sheencouragesherreadersbyshowingthemjust
howeasytheuseofsimilescanbe,whilegivinganabundanceof
examplestosupportearlydescriptivewritingskills.

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Loewen,N.,&Watkins,A.(2011).StubbornasaMuleandOtherSillySimiles.

Mankato,MN:PictureWindowBooks.

StubbornasaMuleandOtherSillySimiles,tellsthestoryofMr.Moe,whois
asbaldasaneggastallasagiraffeandasthinasarail,asheventuresoutto
meetafriend.Inpreparation,Mr.Moe,polisheshisshoesuntiltheyshinelikea
newpenny.Onthewaythere,hewalks,atasnailspace.Theauthorwrote
blurbsthatactasinterrupters,oneachpagetofurtherexplainthecomparisons
thatwerebeingmadeinthestory.Theseinterruptions,aswellasservingasa
powerfulteachingtool,alsoaidintheauthorspurposetoinform.

Pen,H.(2013).MyDogisasSmellyasDirtySocksandOtherFunnyFamilyPortraits
(Unabridged.ed.).NewYork:Schwartz&WadeBooks.

MyDogisasSmellyasDirtySocksandOtherFunnyFamilyPortraits,isastory
aboutaboywhoisasked,byhisteacher,todrawafamilyportrait.Whenheis
finished,helooksatthepictureanddecidesthathedoesnotlikeitbecausethere
aresomanythingsthatthepicturedoesnotshowabouthisfamilysuchas,his
dad,isasjumpyasaspringandasplayfulasaspinningtop.Heisasfunasa
partyfavor,butsometimesheisasstubbornasarope.Thelittleboythendraws
anewpictureofhisdadandaddstheobjectsthatheusedascomparisonstohis

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picture.Next,heredrawshismom.Hesaysthatsheis,assoftasthesoftest
fluffandasbrightasthebrightestlight.Sheisastastyasthecrunchiestcookie.
No,TASTIER!Sheisasdeliciousasacroissant.Hethenmakesanewpicture
placingalloftheobjectsonherfacejustashehaddonewithhisdad.Thestory
continuesthisway,makingcomparisonsthroughsimilesandaddingtheobjectsto
thefamilymembersfacetocreatethenewpicture.Theauthorofthistextmimics
thewritingprocess(theboyhadaplainfamilyportrait,butthenrealizeditwas
tooplainanddidntportraytheinformationthathewantedpeopletoknowabout
hisfamilywhentheysawhisportrait.Justasweencouragereaderstoshownot
tellintheirwriting)throughtheencouragementandeducationoftheuseof
similestomakeastory(ordescription)better.

Piven,H.(2010).MyBestFriendisasSharpasaPencil:Andotherfunnyclassroom
portraits.NewYork:Schwartz&WadeBooks.

InthestoryMyBestFriendisasSharpasaPencil:Andotherfunnyclassroom
portraits,ayounggirlsgrandmotherisintown.Whileintown,thegrandmother
asksthelittlegirlaboutthepeopleinherlifeandthelittlegirlrespondsby
makingportraitsofthepeoplewithsmallobjectsthatshehascollected.The
pagesinthestoryshowtheportraitsshemadeofthemanypeopleinherlifesuch
asherteacher,Mrs.Jennings,who,talksinavoiceassweetascandysmells
aslovelyasaflower,andnoticeseverythingjustlikeapairofglasses;her

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bestfriendJaxwho,isassharpasapencilascuriousasamagnifying
glass,and,aspreciseasamicroscope;andMrs.Shelia,thelibrarianwho,
isasexcitingasamagiclampasinterestingasabookfullofstoriescan
beasfunnyasaclown,orasscaryasamonster.Theauthordoesanexceptional
jobofusinghumortocreateastory,whichencouragesthinkingoutofthebox.
Theuseofsimilesconnectedwiththeobjectsthatthelittlegirlusesinher
portraitsallowsstudentstoseewhythegirlmadeeachcomparisonwhen
describingtheimportantpeopleinherlife.Theflowthattheauthorcreates
makesthisbookamustreadwhenhighlightingtheuseofsimiles.

Robbins,K.(1999).AutumnLeaves.NewYork:ScholasticPress.

AutumnLeavesisanonfictionstory,whichexaminestheidentifyingfactorsthat
helptoclassifyleavesduringtheautumnmonths.Thestorybeginsbyeducating
readersonthedescriptorssuchas:size,width,edgetype,shape,thickness,vein
type,andluminositythatareusedwithcomparingtypesoftreeleaves.Nextthe
storyisbrokenintosectionsbasedonthetypeoftreeleaf.Eachsectioncontains
picturesaswellasatwotothreesentencedescriptionoftheleaves.Thesmoke
treesleavesareshapedlikepaddles.Whiletheleavesofthelindentreeare
shapedlikehearts.Thesweetgumtreehasleavesthat,arealmostalways
shapedlikestars,andthefernleafbeechsleaveslooklikequestionmarks.
Theauthordemonstratesachildfriendlywaytoidentifytreesbyrelatingthe

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characteristicsoftheleavestowellknownshapesorobjects.Withtheuseofthis
strategyincombinationwiththewriterscraft,theauthorisabletoensurethe
absorptionofknowledgebythereader.Thisalsoplacesimportanceontheuseof
awriterscraftinanonfictionpiece.

Yolen,J.,&Schoenherr,J.(1987).Owlmoon.NewYork:PhilomelBooks.
OwlMoonisastoryaboutafatheranddaughterandtheirowling(owl
watching)adventureononecoldwintrynightthatwasasquietasadream.
Aftertravelingintheicysnow,wherethegirlexplains,Icouldfeelthecold,as
ifsomeonesicyhandwasdownmyback.andtrekkingthroughthewoods,all
whilecallingouttotheowls,thegirlandherfatherfinallycametoaclearing.
Oncethere,anowlflewoverthemandlandedonabranch.Afterstaringatone
anotherformaybeevenahundredminutes,theowlpumpeditsgreatwings
andliftedoffofthebranchlikeashadowwithoutsound.Oncetheowlwasgone,
thefatherdecideditwastimetogohomeandthetwomakethetrekbacktowards
thehouse.Theauthorcreatesvividimagesthroughtheuseofsimilestoproduce
notonlyadescription,butinstilladesignatedfeelinginthereader.Shecould
haveexplainedthatthenightwasfrigid,butbycreatingtheimageofsomeones
icyhandonyourback,readersareabletorelatetojusthowcolditwasoutside.

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