The Scrambled States of America

Very fun book! I got this for my son on his birthday and he loves it. Funny story, but has state facts on the inside covers.

CMB

Once upon a time all the states were living peacefully everywhere except for Kansas, who was bored. Then he decided to make a party for all the states to come together and meet everyone. It's a funny book, and also teaches you where the states go.

The states are sick of staying in the same place with the same neighbors all the time! They decide to trade places and try something new.

This is a fun fantasy and informational book for students learning about the United States. The states are given human characteristics and they decide to switch places with one another. The story could not happen in reality because states can't move around like that, but it seems believable. There

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is information given about the different state locations. The plot is person against self, since it is Kansas who is unhappy with where he is until he realizes that where he is is just right. His home is right in the middle of all the other states. The main type of media used in this book is pencil, with all differnt kinds of shading and colors. It is a good way to introduce upper primary students to the state locations.

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This book would be great to read when the class is learning all of the states. The book is really fun and it has great pictures! It would really help the kids learn where all of the states are.

This would be good to use when you are studying states. The book is very silly so children would find it entertaining. The book starts with Kansas getting bored and wanting to switch locations with other states.

This book is wonderful. I read it to a class of fifth graders before starting a states unit and they loved it. The humor it is great and easy for young readers to understand. I think there are great characteristics attached to each state and seeing the states seperated from where they normally

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belong helps the reader to learn the shape of each state. There are so many fun projects that can be done after reading this book. I highly recomend it. I read it under the document camera because there are small details that would be hard to see if you just held up the book.

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The United States were not very happy with their location because they never met any new states. So, they organized a social to all meet. While they were their, they decided to switch locations with each other so they could all see a different part of the country. After some time, they realized

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that the place they fit in best was where they were before so they all went back to their original spots. Genre: Modern fantasy because in reality states do not have thoughts, feelings, ability to speak, or opinions. Each character in this book (or state) was relatively flat because none of them were thoroughly developed through the narrator or by other means. It was also difficult to develop each because there were so many to introduce throughout. Media: acrylic paint, colored pencils, markers, collage

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I enjoyed it so much! It's totally unique and charming. All the states are bored because they've always been in the same place; Kansas has a great idea - they should all switch places! Hilarity ensues until they all come to the conclusion that they were perfectly happy where they'd been all along.

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It's a very light geography lesson that manages to engage and entertain quite happily.

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Keller, L. (2008). The Scrambled States of America. New York: Henry Holt and Company.

0805079971

Bored one night, the states decide to have a talent show. The states take on different tasks to prepare for the show. Through the preparations, the structure of a state's counties and cities are shown

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(with emphasis on Georgia), as well as the macro geography of the globe. Once the talent show begins, the states perform acts (that have very little to do with the actual states themselves).

With a lot of text, dialogue bubbles and character illustrations all over the pages, the book could seem a little overwhelming for some readers.

Activities to Do with the Book:

The Scrambled States of America would be good to help children learn the states in the same way that Alpha Oops helps younger students with the alphabet. Since the states are shown multiple times with their names written within their borders, this would be a good book to help with learning the shape of each state as well as to discuss how counties and cities are contained within the state. Students could research their home state (or other favorite states) and make reports of the produce, cities, population etc.

This book is an interesting addition to a geography unit. Especially since there's a game that a teacher could purchase to go along with the book. Since there are so many small snippets of dialogue around the page and since it's hard to read the states' names unless the reader looks closely, this would probably be best as an independent read or a read aloud with only a couple of children.

This book can also be used with students who are putting on a talent show or other school performance since the book explore issues like stage fright and how to deal with it.


Favorite Quotes:

“It all started quite simply, really. In the middle of the night, New York woke up from a dream and shouted "Hey everyone--Let's have a talent show!"

"Just before intermission, The New States on the Block brought the audience to their feet!"

"Pennsylvania played a peppy tune on the Liberty Bell."

For more of my reviews, check out sjkessel.blogspot.com.

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Fantasy for intermedaite grade levels. Personified states each play a part in this story about the states becoming bored with thier positions and each wanting to move somewhere else. This rearranges the country. This book is also informative as it provides facts for the states. Media: acrylics,

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pencils, collage

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It is a cute book about the fifty states and how they become scrambled. It starts when Kansas is unhappy about being in the middle of the country with nothing to do. His neighbor states help arrange the party for the other states so that the other states can meet each other. After the party, the

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states decide to move to another part of the country. Kansas ends up in Hawaii's place and becomes miserable in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with no other state around. The states move back and share their experiences on switching places. It is a fun way to learn about the fifty states.

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Age: Intermediate, Middle School
Media: Acrylic paint, colored pencil, and marker

The genre of this book is fantasy. it is a fantasy book because it the states are alive in it and in real life, that is not true. States cannot just get up and go somewhere else. It was a very humorous book though.

Some of the states decide that they should all come together and have a party. After a while, it becomes a mess. Finally they go back to their normal position, but they all have a new found friendship with each other. At the end of the book there is information on each state, such as population and

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land size.

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Very funny story with a lot of detail and silliness in the illustrations. The video version includes every single little word and aside, which makes the video very long. When reading aloud you can skip most of that, just pointing out the most amusing ones. Would be a great book to sit down with and

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find all the little jokes.

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Age: Intermediate

Genre: This book is fantasy because it involves the states of America talking and moving around there spots. This obviously cannot happen in the real world. There were true parts of this story in that people who want change don't always realize the consequences of there actions.

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This story is about that type of situation. Overall it was a good example of a fantasy because it has elements that are possible and not possible.

Character Review: Kansas is the antagonist of the state. He is the one who causes the conflict within the story and even though he is a main character he is flat because we know little about him. He is also dynamic because while he is unhappy in the beginning of the story, he is happy by the end.

Use: Have students name all of the states/capitals in america

Media: colored pencil

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This is a good book for introducing students to the state names and abbreviations with a fun story to draw it out.

My son and I had fun looking at the illustrations that coincided with the story. The illustrations are comical, goofy and rough. It adds texture and eye appeal.

A very cool book depicting the gross side of nature. From how a reptile eats to how it moistens his eye without an eyelid. A table of content, index, glossary, internet site, and more books are available in this book.

As soon as I picked this book up, I knew I was going to enjoy it. One of my favorite subjects to learn about is Geography. The shapes and positions of this land we call the USA has so much to do with the people that live there and the formation of the state itself. This book makes the states come

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alive in a literal and figurative sense. The story starts with the state of Kansas not liking it in the middle of the United States anymore. He says he's lonely and wants to see and live in another part of the country. So he organizes a meeting of all the states, and at this meet and greet they decided to all switch places. Kansas ends up taking a the place of Hawaii and again is still not happy. He's still lonely and still now he really has know one to talk to. In the end, all the states realize that they are happiest where they were originally. It is a wonderful story to have in the classroom because of its ability to answer questions about this country, and the teacher can let the students read it themselves.

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Genre: Fantasy

Critiques: This is a fantasy book because states have human-like characteristics such as talking, movement, behaviors, and they have arms and legs. The author and illustrator create a believe place in which unbelievable things happen as the states of the United States attempt to trade

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places with one another.
This book is full of elements of style. For example, many hyperboles are used such as "yum," "wow," "hmmm," and "uhhhh." These help to develop the specific character traits of each state and bring to life the behavior and language of each state.

Media: acrylic paint, colored pencils, markers, and collage on illustration board

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All the states were getting tired of being in the same place with the same states. So Kansas came up with the idea of having a party and inviting all the states. All the states were having a blast at the party. The Virginia and Idaho thought of a plan. Since everyone is tired of being in the same

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place they will all switch places. Everyone went home and packed and then they all switched. Everything was great but not for long. All the states realized they were not as happy as they thought they would be. They rather go back to their home and that's just what they did. They all shared their experiences and went to bed very happy that night. This a great book to show when learning the different states. Its a fun way to help students remember and learn the states and where they are located.

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This is a fun book about the U.S. states! The illustrations are colorful and very clever. The back of the book has snapshots of each state, with square mileage and population. Cute!

This is one of my favorite books because it makes students think of the relationships between the states. This is a terrific introduction to learning about the 50 states. You can have students have name tags with a state on it and go around the classroom sharing information about a specific state

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with other students like the characters in this book. It tells a story about the states in an amusing narrative.

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