Picture Book #9 -- The Junkyard Wonders

TITLE:  The Junkyard Wonders

 AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR:  Patricia Polacco

 GENRE:   Realistic Fiction

 THEME:  Self Esteem/ Self Pride

 AWARDS:None

 CHARACTERS: Trisha (she is never mentioned by name, but this book is a memoir of the author's childhood, at least part of it), Jody, Thom, Ravanne, Mrs. Peterson

 PUBLISHING DATE AND COMPANY: Philomel Books 2010

SUMMARY: This book is a snippet of part of Patricia Polacco's life as a child. The book is in first person from her point of view. I really like this book because it isn't just written in her point of view, but the recalling of details that she put in here is amazing. This book talks about how when she was a child many times the 'special' kids were placed in a separate classroom (much like they are now), however children in that time period were not as accepting of children who are different than them. When I first read the book and how the teacher also called the classroom 'The Junkyard' I was sort of offended. These children are not junk, they are amazing and many times are under estimated. Then I realized after I kept reading that while the teacher uses the term junkyard, she embraces it, and uses it as a teaching tool. I feel like she was way ahead of her time in the way that she was teaching her classroom, I love the techniques she used, as well as the attitude that she had. When it came time for the end of the book, it has a major turn, but I feel without it the book wouldn't be such a great read. This book can teach a lot to students, parents, and teachers.

I would not only love to use this book in my classroom, but at trainings for teachers as well. Not only does this book show the bullying that some special needs students face, but a way that teachers can deal with it. I love that Mrs. Peterson embraced the fact that the kids thought of them selves as junk, because while she never says it I think she used the mentality of 'one man's trash is another man's treasure'. This book is an amazing teaching tool for all ages. I recommend that any and everyone read The Junkyard Wonders.