Hagood Library Analysis

MY CLASSROOM LIBRARY ANALYSIS by _
What are the 10 books that you use the most in your classroom -and/or- your 10 favorite books for
youth?
Be sure to complete all the elements of the analysis and include a thumbnail of the book cover.
EXAMPLE Book Analysis HARRY POTTER and the SORCERER’S STONE
Publication Date & 1997 - English
Language
Genre High Fantasy Novel
Author Ethnicity/Race JK ROWLING (author): British White
(Illustrator? Class/SES Poor (Rowling was divorced and struggling to pay her bills
) when writing the first HP book)
Sex/Gender Female / Feminine Straight
Authenticity Female-Male mismatch –Feminists asked if these books have been as popular
(match w/ if the main character had been Harriet Potter? Then, when the Hunger
Protagonist?) Games became a huge hit, those questions were reduced.
Other than gender though, Rowling shares a number of common experiences
w/ Harry – She had lost close loved ones to death, was abused at home by
her husband, was divorced, been poor, unemployed, and nearly homeless,
and clinically depressed as an adult before hitting it big with H.P.
Protagonist Ethnicity/Race HARRY POTTER; British White
Class/SES Lower Middle Class, Suburban
Sex/Gender Male / Masculine Straight
Family Orphaned when his parents were killed by an evil wizard, Harry is raised by
Structure an abusive aunt & uncle – hiding from the wizard world. Harry spends
much of his time seeking a family – either his dead parents or substitutes
like the Weasleys, Hagrid, Dumbledore, and Sirius Black. At the end of the
series, he starts a family of his own with Jenny Weasley.
EXAMPLE Book Analysis YOU SILLY GOOSE
Publication Date & 1992 - English
Language
Genre Picture Storybook – New Fable
Author Ethnicity/Race ELLEN STOLL WALSH (Author & Illustrator): US White
(Illustrator? Class/SES Upper Middle Class
) Sex/Gender Female / Feminine Straight
Authenticity Stoll Walsh’s childhood did not include many animals since she was raised
(match w/ in the city of Baltimore. She now lives near another city, Rochester, NY.
Protagonist?) Her father was a businessman, and her mother a storyteller.
However, she was raised in a large family like the geese family in the story.
Her childhood was filled with many neighbors who actively participated in
her life and family, like the other animals in this story.
Protagonist Ethnicity/Race GEORGE (Mouse speaking standard dialect)
Class/SES Appears to be homeless/alone? Poor? He seemingly has no possessions.
Sex/Gender Male / Effeminate? He is shown standing in feminine manners. He seems
physically affectionate with the Mother Goose ala ‘the safe gay friend.’
However, he is strong and aggressive in defending the goose family.
Family Single Adult; Best friends with Emily, a goose mother of multiple goslings –
Structure otherwise seemingly alone in the world? Orphaned? Adopted by the goose
family?
1.
Book Analysis Form Charlotte’s Web
Publication Date & Language 1952-English
Genre Realist fiction
Author Ethnicity/Race E. B. White (Author) American white
(Illustrator? Class/SES Author’s: Upper/Middle upper class. Attended Cornell University and
) graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1921
Sex/Gender Male/ Masculine Straight
Authenticity The author's biographer reveals that he loved animals and farms. There is
(match w/ the experience of a rope swing at the farm in the book, a probable
Protagonist?) homage to his love for animals. The protagonist, Fern Arable, also lives
on a farm taking care of piglets. The parallels lend credence to the
author’s ability to portray lines in the farms realistically based on her
personal experiences in the gardens and with the animals.
Protagonist Ethnicity/Race American White
Class/SES Middle Class

Sex/Gender Female/ Feminine Straight
Family Structure Young girl. Daughter of John. She forms close relationships with animals,
the only human capable of comprehending animal communication.
2.
Book Analysis Form Where the Wild Things Are
Publication Date & Language 1963- English
Genre Fairy tale
Author Ethnicity/Race Maurice Sendak (Author and Illustrator), Polish-Jewish parents
(Illustrator? Class/SES Middle Class, Attended Art Students League of New York
) Sex/Gender Male/ Masculine Straight
Authenticity Maurice loved children’s books from a young age. Hence, she tells a
(match w/ beautiful story about children for juvenile audiences. Max’s main
Protagonist?) character is a young boy who tries to mask himself playfully; hence,
children can identify with him. The author also led a lonely and painful
life after losing family members during the holocaust. Max also becomes
lonely on the island and wishes to go back home.
Protagonist Ethnicity/Race White

Family Structure Max lives with his family. He has a riotous relationship with the family
members. His mother calls him “Wild Thing”, to which he responds, “I
will eat you up.” He tries to conquer animals on an Island but fails.
3.
Book Analysis Form If You Give A Mouse A Cookie
Publication Date & Language 1985, English-
Genre Fairy tale Literature
Author Ethnicity/Race Laura Numeroff (Author)-White, Felicia Bond (Illustrator)
(Illustrator? Class/SES Author: Middle class, she grew up surrounded by resources such as music,
) books, and artwork.
Authenticity Laura’s early childhood experiences resonate with those of the protagonist,
(match w/ Oliver. This relates to the sheer joy that both derive from reading literary
Protagonist?) works. For example, when the mouse visits Oliver, he asks for a book to
read. The animal also draws a picture and has it hung on the refrigerator.
Perhaps this happens as part of Laura reminiscing about the childhood
that introduced her to reading culture and drawing. The overall impact of
the similarities is the enhanced authentication of the events in the story
through real-life situations.
Family Structure Though the boy appears to stay alone, he lives in a house that practices
hospitality. The protagonist welcomes the traveling mouse and
accommodates it. Additionally, he feeds his guest with cookies and a
glass of milk. The mouse also asks for a pair of scissors and a mirror,
which the host gives him. Thus, these illustrations underline the close
association that the character makes with relative ease in interacting with
other characters.
4.
Book Analysis Form Same, Same But Different
Publication Date & Language 2011, English
Author Ethnicity/Race Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw
(Illustrator? Class/SES Upper class, startled when water is given to her in a basin for bathing
) Sex/Gender Female/Feminine Straight
Authenticity Jenny’s actual journey to South Asia has similar experiences to those of the
(match w/ protagonists in her creative work. She took a trip to SE Asia in 2000 with
Protagonist?) a friend and wrote a saying: “Same, Same but Different” that they had
heard in Thailand. The saying is relevant to the situations of Elliot and
Kailash. They share the same activities and hobbies, such as traveling and
writing, yet their family settings are different. The difference connects to
the author’s experience in Nepal in 2002. She is given a bucket of cold
water and thinks that it is for cleaning something, only to be told that it is
for her bathing. This strangeness may relate to Kailash’s family, with
twenty-three relatives living together. This is different from the Elliot’s
with the children and their parents. Thus, the author tries to give the story
a background by relating her plot experiences.

Protagonist Ethnicity/Race The protagonists are Elliot and Kailash. Are white American and Hindi,
respectively
Class/SES Elliot: middle class, Kailash: Somehow Poor
Sex/Gender Both are male/ Masculine Straight
Family Structure The family structure of the protagonists is different. Elliot lives in an
American family. It is a small unit with two children, Elliot, and his baby
sister. On the other hand, Kailash lives in a big extended family of
twenty-three individuals. Though different, the two families provide the
characters with similar things they cherish. Among them are the pets,
which are also different. Also, the two enjoy a form of family in the
schools they attend. Both enjoy taking rides in buses to school and
talking about similar communities save for the diverse traffic. Overall,
these two boys have managed to form a family marked with both
similarities and diversities. The new form of a union results from the
understanding that they are the same despite differences in their
situations.
5.
Book Analysis Form The Giving Tree

Genre Fairy tale
Author Ethnicity/Race Shel Silverstein, Jewish
Authenticity The book can situate similarities between the author’s personal experience
(match w/ and the major episodes of the book’s plot. The author suggests his
Protagonist?) encounter of strong relationships that lead to dependence on others
through the book. Silverstein appears to be devastated by her daughter’s
death, Shoshanna, due to a cerebral aneurysm in 1982. This leads him to
dedicate a book to her as a symbolic depiction of the affection that
underlined their association. Even though it happened after he had written
this book, there are parallels between the experience and the narrative.
Correspondingly, the storybook is about a boy who develops a close
relationship with an apple tree. The effect bonding leads to the boy
depending on the tree for survival since it gives him the fruits that sustain
him. The devastation that the association shows entails the boy’s inability
to attain maturity. He is too dependent on the tree to survive on his own;
hence, he calls him ‘boy’ even when he is old. Thus, the two situations
combine to show the author’s appreciation of how personal connections
may lead to devastations.
Class/SES Poor? Perhaps yes, has to depend on the tree’s apple for survival until old
age.
Sex/Gender Male.
Family Structure The boy forms a form of family relationship with a tree. The relationship
involves a form of exploitation in which the tree gives the boy fierce,
selfless love. The boy finds it hard to fend for himself since he always
gets apples from the apple. Hence, there is no real growth in the boy.
Little wonder the tree calls him a boy even when he is past the boyhood
stage in life. This is a symbolic way of lampooning his inability to fend
for himself all his life.
Book Analysis Form A Bad Case of Stripes
Publication Date & Language 1988 English
Author Ethnicity/Race David Shannon
(Illustrator? Class/SES Upper Class
Authenticity The aspect of authenticity in this context relates to the author’s perception
(match w/ of a good story. He believes that a good story should have both sides to
Protagonist?) be meaningful. The case stems from his fondness for villains that
underscore his idea about the two-sidedness of children’s literature. The

same viewpoint exists in the story’s protagonist’s portrayals. Shannon.
Camilla's villainy has her conform to damaging peer pressure. She ends
up assuming a chameleon-like personality of blending into her different
surroundings. For instance, she cannot eat lima beans since her friends
are against them.
Nonetheless, the next parts of her story relate to the good in her ability to
adopt desirable traits. For example, she learns about her identity through
a “nightmare metamorphosis.” She regains her true self by the time the
story ends and can eat lima beans, which is helpful to her health. She
enjoys the reversal to the former self and wants to remain that way. Thus,
the incidences support the author’s view of bringing out the good and the
evil in children’s literature.
Class/SES Rich grows up in a family with a family physician who advises her to eat
lima beans to heal from her sickness.
Family Structure Camilla lives in a supportive family at home with a family physician ready
to help her stay healthy. Nonetheless, she also has a deadly form of
family in her friends who negatively influence her life. For instance, they
forbid her from eating lima beans even though the character loves the
food. She is forced to conform to their ways; hence, she risks destroying
herself completely. She endures name-calling and jeers from people when
she fails to practice what they like. However, her family saves her from
the near destruction through a doctor.

7
Book Analysis Form My Life as a Book
Genre Realist Fiction
Author Ethnicity/Race Janet Tashjian
(Illustrator? Class/SES Middle class
) Sex/Gender Female/Feminine Straight
Authenticity Janet talks about her liking for summer events related to her personal story.
(match w/ She also reveals her liking for reading from an early age. The same
Protagonist?) evidence is in the protagonist of this story, Derek Fallon. He looks
forward to pelting the UPS vehicle with water balloons. Again, he hopes
to climb the garage roof and balloons, climb the garage roof, and
conducting silly investigations. However, his parents disrupt his plans
when he is sent to a reading camp to read ‘real’ texts. Hence, there is a
truism about actual life experiences that the author seeks to advance in
her children’s story.
Protagonist Ethnicity/Race white
Class/SES Middle class sent on a reading camp by parents.
Family Structure The protagonist lives in a supportive family. The family tries to encourage
him to become a better reader. They send him to a learning event where
he is to read ‘real’ books.
Book Analysis Form Six Dots: A Story of Young Louis Braille
Genre Biography
Author Ethnicity/Race Jen Bryant, white
(Illustrator? Class/SES Lower. Grew up next to Bryant grew up close to a funeral home. Her father
) and grandfather worked in the facility where her father and grandfather
were undertakers. They had a manual typewriter that fascinated her.
Authenticity Bryant and Braille share the sheer will they had to learn to read and write.
(match w/ As a young girl, Bryant was eager to use her father’s typewriter to write
Protagonist?) and always read obituaries. The same case is in Braille’s story. The
character finds it hard to write and read since the environment where he
grew up does not support people living with blindness. For instance, his
school has a reading aid for the blind; hence, he has to devise a learning
strategy. His determination leads to him inventing a new alphabet that he
uses to read. Hence, the authority in the relationship exists in terms of the
strong will to read in them.
Protagonist Ethnicity/Race White, French
Class/SES Lower class, struggles to find books for him. He attends a school that has
no books he can use
Family Structure The protagonist struggles to know how to write even in his family. His
support at home and school is not enough to make him read and write.
Hence, he invents an alphabet that assists his learning experiences.
Book Analysis Form Heartland # 1: Coming Home
Genre Realist Fiction
Author Ethnicity/Race Lauren Brooke, white American
(Illustrator? Class/SES Middle Class, Grew up on a Virginia ranch.

) Sex/Gender Female/ FeminineStraight
Authenticity Both the author and the protagonist have experiences with horses. Lauren
(match w/ Brooke was raised on a ranch in Virginia by a mother and a father who
Protagonist?) were into horse business in real life. She still takes part in horse races.
The story relates to the protagonist’s life at the ranch. Through her
mother’s assistance, she became close to horses and became a horse
whisperer. In a sad twist of fate, Amy Fleming has to endure the loss of
her mother, who dies in an accident. The ensuing struggles are something
that Brook can portray the best, especially because of her awareness
about the issues of raising the animals. Thus, this is an essential aspect of
the believability of her story through the protagonist.
Class/SES Middle upper. Father, a prominent horse dealer
Family Structure Amy Fleming’s story revolves around her supportive family. Her mother
helps her to become a horse whisperer, and she enjoys her work. She
develops close relationships with the horses that take refuge in their
ranch. The close connection is evidenced further in the anguish she
suffers following her mother’s death.
10
Book Analysis Form Because of Winn-Dixie

Author Ethnicity/Race Kate DiCamillo, white
) Sex/Gender Female/ Feminine Straight
Authenticity DiCamillo’s empathy is reflected in the story’s protagonist. She appears to
(match w/ have gotten the trait due to her troubled childhood. The author suffered
Protagonist?) from chronic pneumonia and was in the hospital often. She identifies with
the protagonist, Opal, who learns that the people she meets suffer in
silence. She starts to help them in any way she can to make their lives
relatively more comfortable. For example, she becomes friends with
Gloria Dump, a recovering alcoholic. Opal and Gloria have a party to
which they invite all the people. The illustrations authenticate the author
as someone who uses both emotion and reason to present a believable
children’s book.
Protagonist Ethnicity/Race India Opal Buloni, White
Class/SES Middle Lower, she has no money and decides to work for the pet store to
earn it.
Family Structure Opal lives with her father and loves taking care of animals. She is
especially fond of a dog, Winn-Dixie, she takes home and cares for. She
seeks to be good to her neighbors after learning that they had personal
struggles in life.
Statistical Analysis of all 10 Books:
Use PERCENTAGES, Please.
BOOK FACTS
Year Originally Published
<1950 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s>
0% 10% 20% 0% 20% 0% 20% 30%
SPECIFIC Genres Do NOT use the categories “Children’s Books” or “Young Adult Books”
Autobiography Biography Informational Drama Sports Fantasy Poetry Mystery
0% 10% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Legend Tall Tale Fairy Tale Fable Myth Realistic Science Historical
Fiction Fiction Fiction
0% 0% 30% 0% 0% 60% 0% 0%
Other: Other: Other: Other: Other:
0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
DEMOGRAPHICS
(National statistics are approximate - look for your local data using the weblinks provided in the course. For
what you cannot find, approximate the percentages on the basis of the best information you have or your best
guesstimate)
Language
USA Student Homes in Books
My School or District
Chinese 0.8% 0.3% 0%
English - Mainstream
English - Mountain Appalachian 82.1% 87% 100%
English - Southern Rural
English - African American
French 0.6% 0.3 0%
Korean 0.3% 0.2 0%
Spanish 11.0% 12% 0%
Vietnamese 0.4% 0% 0%
Tagalog 0.5% 0% 0%
German 0.5% 0.2% 0%
Other: 0% 0% 0%
Other: 0% 0% 0%
Other: 0% 0% 0%
Ethnicity & Race
USA Students in My Book Authors & Book Protagonists
School or District Illustrators
Arab/M. East 1% 0.5% 0% 0%
Black/Af. Amer. 16% 14.5% 0% 0%
East Asian 2% 1% 0% 0%
Latino/Hispanic 24% 25% 0% 0%
Native Amer. 1% 1% 0% 0%
South Asian 2% 2% 0% 8.3%
White/Anglo 50% 54% 100% 83.4%
Mixed 4% 2% 0% 0%
Animal/Not App. 0% 0% 0% 8.3%
Class/SES
Upper/Rich 15% 10% 0% 0%
Middle Class 45% 55% 90% 70%
Lower/Poor 40% 35% 10% 30%
Biological Sex
Intersex <1% <1% 0% 0%
Female 50% 50% 60% 33%
Male 50% 50% 40% 77%
Gender Expression
Feminine 35-45% 35-45% 60% 33%
Non-Binary/ Genderqueer 10-30% 10-30% 0% 0%
Masculine 35-45% 35-45% 40% 77%
Family/Household Structure
USA Students in My School Book Protagonists
or District
Adoption 1% 2% 10%
Divorced 50% 40% 0%

Dual Income 53% 55% 5%
Extended/Multigenerational 12% 15% 10%
Orphan <1% 1% 0%
Same Sex/Gender Parents 5% 7% 65%
Single Parent 35% 33% 10%
Step-Parents 50% 48% 0%
Traditional Married 26% 28% 0%
Narrative Analysis of the Data (~300 words)
The above entries reveal balances and imbalances between my selected classroom library and my
classroom. The elements include the relative responsiveness to the language demand in the classroom setting.
For instance, the books are in English, and most of the students, 87%, are native English language speakers. The
case means that the learners will have relative ease in reading and understanding the plot. Additionally, having
non-American major characters is also an essential point of comparative balancing achieved in this context. For
example, in Six Dots: A Story of Young Louis Braille, a French character portrays life in Paris. The case can
appeal to the non-native Americans, especially the French in the class, who may want to relate to a foreign
country like the ancestral home. Corresponding, the story, Same, Same But Different, that has its part of setting
in India reflects the same desirability in the diverse selection of characters with different extraction. The book
demonstrates unity in diversity. For example, it ends with each character writing to each other: “We’re best
friends even though we live in two different worlds. Or do we? Different, different but the same!” (40). Again,
Eliot writes, “I have pets too, but not as nearly as many as you! Same, same but different!” (31).
However, some areas demand improvement in the selection due to the class’s profile’s misbalance. For
example, the selected books are by white people who are mainly male. This may work against enhancing gender
balance and cultural inclusivity in learning. This is important since the whites population is about 54% of the
whole class. Hence, it will be inappropriate to select the book for the course. Thus, the choice should try to
balance the racial lines of the students and the authors.

Based on the above point, my selection process for the next ten addition will be defined by the following
goals:
i) To achieve the racial balance between by class racial profile and that of the authors/Illustrators
ii) To try to create a balance in the economic background of the author/ illustrators since the current
ones are mainly from middle-class personalities.
iii) To use books initially published in other languages and later translated into English. This can
achieve literary aesthetics linked to a variety of settings.

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MY CLASSROOM LIBRARY ANALYSIS by _

EXAMPLE Book Analysis HARRY POTTER and the SORCERER’S STONE

Publication Date & 1997 - English

Genre High Fantasy Novel

Author Ethnicity/Race JK ROWLING (author): British White

) when writing the first HP book)

Sex/Gender Female / Feminine Straight

Protagonist?) Games became a huge hit, those questions were reduced.

Other than gender though, Rowling shares a number of common experiences

and clinically depressed as an adult before hitting it big with H.P.

Protagonist Ethnicity/Race HARRY POTTER; British White

Class/SES Lower Middle Class, Suburban

Sex/Gender Male / Masculine Straight

series, he starts a family of his own with Jenny Weasley.

EXAMPLE Book Analysis YOU SILLY GOOSE

Publication Date & 1992 - English

Genre Picture Storybook – New Fable

Author Ethnicity/Race ELLEN STOLL WALSH (Author & Illustrator): US White

(Illustrator? Class/SES Upper Middle Class

) Sex/Gender Female / Feminine Straight

Protagonist?) Her father was a businessman, and her mother a storyteller.

Protagonist Ethnicity/Race GEORGE (Mouse speaking standard dialect)

Class/SES Appears to be homeless/alone? Poor? He seemingly has no possessions.

Sex/Gender Male / Effeminate? He is shown standing in feminine manners. He seems

However, he is strong and aggressive in defending the goose family.

Book Analysis Form Charlotte’s Web

Publication Date & Language 1952-English

Genre Realist fiction

Author Ethnicity/Race E. B. White (Author) American white

) graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1921

Sex/Gender Male/ Masculine Straight

on a farm taking care of piglets. The parallels lend credence to the

author’s ability to portray lines in the farms realistically based on her

personal experiences in the gardens and with the animals.

Protagonist Ethnicity/Race American White

Class/SES Middle Class

the only human capable of comprehending animal communication.

Book Analysis Form Where the Wild Things Are

Publication Date & Language 1963- English

Genre Fairy tale

Author Ethnicity/Race Maurice Sendak (Author and Illustrator), Polish-Jewish parents

) Sex/Gender Male/ Masculine Straight

lonely on the island and wishes to go back home.

Protagonist Ethnicity/Race White

Sex/Gender Male/ Masculine Straight

members. His mother calls him “Wild Thing”, to which he responds, “I

Book Analysis Form If You Give A Mouse A Cookie

Publication Date & Language 1985, English-

Genre Fairy tale Literature

Author Ethnicity/Race Laura Numeroff (Author)-White, Felicia Bond (Illustrator)

) books, and artwork.

Sex/Gender Female/ Feminine Straight

Perhaps this happens as part of Laura reminiscing about the childhood

the similarities is the enhanced authentication of the events in the story

through real-life situations.

Protagonist Ethnicity/Race White

Class/SES Middle Class

Sex/Gender Male/ Masculine Straight

hospitality. The protagonist welcomes the traveling mouse and

accommodates it. Additionally, he feeds his guest with cookies and a

Book Analysis Form Same, Same But Different

Publication Date & Language 2011, English

Genre Realist fiction