Children's Literature
Sharing my thoughts on some exceptional books...
Oppel, K., & Klassen, J. (2015). The nest. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. This is a book about a boy named Steve. He experiences anxiety and stress over his newborn baby brother who was born ill and weak. These stresses appear to trigger strange dreams about what at first he believes to be an angel talking him. She tells him that she along with the others have come to him to save his baby brother. She makes him believe that she can make him 'normal'. He soon discovers that she is not an angel but instead a life-sized wasp. It is important to note that he is allergic to wasps and as a result has a fear of them. She seems very caring and concerned for Steve and his family and tries very hard to convince him that she is going to 'fix' the baby. Her workers are working very hard to take care of the new baby that is growing inside the wasp's nest right outside baby Theo's window. Because Steve is not sure whether the wasp is real, he begins to doubt if she can really help him. She reassures him that she is there to help ease his stress and make things better for everyone, so Steve agrees to accept the new baby. He then finds out all of the details of what he must do to gain the new baby and he no longer wants to participate. The wasp tells him that it is too late, therefore; he must comply. In the end, Steve does everything he can to save his baby brother from the wasps. This story's theme deals with coping with difficult situations and anxiety. Another theme that is implicit is wishing for perfection in a world that is not perfect. Steve wants so badly to have a perfect brother because he believes that his parents will be happier. Oppel does a nice job at expressing the mood in the story. The illustrations along with the text keep the reader continually feeling eerie about the queen wasp and her plans. Watch a book trailer here: https://youtu.be/7ZdbWYGHJ80
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Nora RuizI'm a stay-at-home mom who has three daughters ages 7, 4, and 1. I like spending time with family and enjoying a cup of coffee with sweet bread! Assignments:Textbook #2
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