Literature for Children & Young Adults
Welcome to my book review page!
My name is Katie Webb. I am a wife, mother of twins, and middle school English teacher who is in training to be a librarian. I took Literature for Children and Young Adults more than 6 years ago when I was completing my Master of Arts in Teaching degree. I loved the course and found the website creation and book trailer making to be a lot of fun! Since that time, I have read many more books! I listed the ones I could remember below. Now that all these years have passed, I am taking the course again for my Library Science program. I've always loved reading and books, so it's nice that this course sort of acts like bookends to my educational career! Enjoy! |
Picture Books
HELLO, LIGHTHOUSE
By: Sophie Blackall Bibliography: Blackall, Sophie. Hello, Lighthouse. New York, Hachette Book Group, Inc., 2018. Plot Summary: This story follows a man and his journey as a lighthouse keeper. The beginning of the story focuses on his life living in the lighthouse, logging events that happen and ships he sees, and writing letters to his love. As the story develops, his wife joins him to live in the lighthouse. She soon becomes pregnant. The baby is born, and toward the end, a machine is installed to shine the light, allowing the keeper and his family to return to the mainland. Critical Analysis: This book ebbs and flows with the seasons of the year. A lighthouse keeper who was once lonely, is reunited with his wife who shortly becomes pregnant. I enjoyed that the book sought to give the reader a realistic portrayal of the emotional ups and downs of being a lighthouse keeper. The responsibilities are difficult, but the main character found ways to manage the time he spent alone by sending letters to his love on shore. When his wife eventually joins him, their lives unfold and they quickly shift into a family routine that brings them a sort of normalcy amidst such a unique position.The illustrations within the story ignite the emotions within each scene. The details are vivid and connect to the emotions and daily happenings within the plot. The repetition of “Hello” is nice to read in this story, and I think the author portrays loneliness within this story through personification. The objects and animals around him begin to “speak” hello, adding to the impossible loneliness the keeper experiences. Even in the midst of the keeper’s solitude, one could conclude that he is not actually alone. The ships, whales, the tender, the storms, and the weather all become his community, in a way. Overall, this book is wonderfully written and illustrated, and is a must read for children. Themes: Themes within this book include loss, loneliness, and family. Awards:
"A fascinating, splendidly executed peek into both the mundane and the dramatic aspects of lighthouse life." ―Kirkus Reviews, starred review "Blackall's soft yet precise line and watercolor illustrations provide inviting details." ―BCCB "A delightful bedtime read perfect for one on one sharing." ―School Library Journal, starred review Related Books:
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KNUFFLE BUNNY
By: Mo Willems Bibliography: Willems, Mo. Knuffle Bunny. New York, Hyperion Books for Children, 2004. Plot Summary: A little girl named Trixie accompanies her dad to the laundromat, several blocks from their home. She helps put the clothes in the washer and the money into the machine. The pair begin to walk back home, but about a block into the return trip, Trixie begins to make a commotion. Not yet able to use words, she uses incoherent babbling to try to communicate her discombobulation to her father. Trixie becomes progressively more upset as they get closer to her house. Just as they reach the house, Trixie’s mother opens the door and asks “Where’s Knuffle Bunny?” The source of Trixie’s frustration was that she lost her Knuffle Bunny (special stuffed animal). Then the quest continues as the family returns to the laundromat to retrieve Knuffle Bunny, except, Knuffle Bunny is missing! With a bit of determination, dad is able to find the precious stuffed animal within the wash, saving the day and making Trixie happy once again. Critical Analysis: The images really bring the story to life, offering a variety of images to enjoy, from cartoon-drawn characters to realistic pictures to set the background or setting of each page. This book is important because it provides young readers, who might not know how to speak or what to say, see another character they can relate to, as Trixie is not talking yet and instead uses mumbles to express herself. After reading the book’s dedication and learning more about this story, it is based on real experiences of the book’s author and his daughter, recounting how she lost a special possession of hers at a young age. Themes: Responsibility, Communication, Family Awards:
“Knuffle Bunny earned Mo Willems his second straight Caldecott Honor and swiftly became a family classic. Inspired by a real-life misadventure with his own daughter, he understands just how serious it is when a favorite lovey is missing. His illustrations are infused with empathy and humor. His cartoon-style characters are drawn over black-and-white photographs of Trixie's neighborhood -- a distinctive look that showcases his gleeful artwork….” ― Common Sense Media Related Books:
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ARE YOU MY MOTHER?
By: P.D. Eastman Bibliography: Eastman, P. D. Are You My Mother? New York, Random House, 1960. Plot Summary: In the beginning of the book, a mother bird leaves her egg to find some food. While she is away, the egg hatches, looking for his mother. Since she isn’t around, the baby bird ventures out from the nest to find his mother. In a comical turn of events, the baby bird walks right past his mother, her too busy gathering food to notice, and the hatchling unaware of what its mother looks like. Baby bird comes across several animals, asking each one of them, “Are you my mother?” None of them is its mother, so the baby bird keeps searching, coming across an old car, a boat, and an airplane in its seemingly futile search. It finally comes across a large power shovel, thinking that the machine is its mother; however, a loud “snort” from the machinery causes the baby bird to realize that this is also not its mother. The baby bird seeks to escape, but at that moment the power shovel begins moving. Luckily, the shovel dumps the baby bird in its nest, just as its mother returns with food. She asks the baby if it knows who she is, and he replies by listing all the things she is not, finally concluding that she is his mother. Critical Analysis: This is a good book for young children because it portrays a lot of different emotions that kids can connect to. Also, this book provides some humor, which any child could appreciate, because the little bird asks a variety of animals that do not look like it if they are its mother. I think the author/illustrator do a great job of portraying a simple story about a bird looking for his mom. The writing is simple enough that children can begin to read it on their own at a relatively young age. And the array of animals and machines allows for imaginative out-loud reading, whether alone or with a parent. Themes: Family, Motherhood, Identity, Emotions, Determination Awards:
“In this funny and sweet picture book, Eastman gives us a charmingly funny little bird who just won’t quit.” ―Through the Looking Glass Children’s Book Review “Hilarious illustrations amplify tale of confused baby bird.” ―Common Sense Media Related Books:
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Traditional Literature
THE RUNAWAY TORTILLA
Written by: Eric A. Kimmel Illustrated by Erik Brooks Bibliography: Kimmel, Eric A. The Runaway Tortilla. Illustrated by Erik Brooks, WestWindsPress, 2015. ISBN 978-1943328703 Plot Summary: A tortilla is made and because it is so light and fluffy, it has the capacity to run away. Tia Lupe and Tio Jose try to chase the tortilla and convince it to return to their restaurant, but they do not succeed. Along the way, several other animals join in the chase, but the tortilla is able to outrun them all. Toward the end, the tortilla meets a coyote who finds a way to trick him. Critical Analysis: This story encompasses a lot of vivid language and culture. One line that stands out is “Light as a cloud and soft as the fuzz on a baby’s cheek.” This simile refers to the tortilla's texture being so desirable. Once the tortilla comes to life and decides to run away, it looks as if it is leaping off the page as the author speaks of it leaping away from Tia Lupe and Tio Jose. With each turn of the page, a new group of animals joins the chase to catch the tortilla. The illustrations show the new animals on one side, and a silhouette of the entire group on the other side. The author introduces the new animal/people groups with their English word, and when he re-lists the whole troupe of tortilla chasers, he describes them with their Spanish term. The tortilla sings a little song each time a new animal joins the story. The author repeats the tortilla’s song at the end of each little section, which gives it a parallel structure to the song, “Twelve Days of Christmas”, using animals and gerunds that represent them and English and Spanish words to extend the culture presented at the start, throughout the book. The plot of the story doesn’t seem to have a strong base, it starts nicely with the story of Tia Lupe and Tio Jose, but once the animals come into play, the story takes a flat approach with the repetition. Once the coyote is introduced, the scenario can be viewed as a sort of punch line ending, teaching us that just because you can run, doesn’t mean you can hide. Themes: Trust, freedom Awards: This book in particular has not won any awards, but the author has won numerous awards for his books including a Caldecott Honor Book for Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins. Reviews: "Perfection can be dangerous, as restaurateurs Tía Lupe and Tío José discover when one of their delicious tortillas comes to life and runs away. The handmade tortillas, "light as a cloud and as soft as the fuzz on a baby's cheek," are so gravity-defying that one takes off, pursued at first by the couple, and then by a parade of conejos (rabbits), sapos cornudos (lizards), vaqueros (cowboys), and other locals. The story should sound familiar; it's a Spanish-sprinkled update of The Gingerbread Man...." –Kirkus Reviews "The Runaway Tortilla is a classic takeoff on The Gingerbread Man traditional children's story, sort of the Southwestern equivalent featuring Hispanic, Native American influences, and desert animals, people, customs, and foods.....The interweaving of Spanish terms is seamless in the narrative, inviting children ages 5 and up to enjoy this refreshing Southwestern American version of a beloved classic." –Children's Bookwatch Related Books:
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THE UGLY DUCKLING
Written by: Hans Christian Andersen Illustrated by: Jerry Pinkney Bibliography: Andersen, Hans Christian. The Ugly Duckling. Adapted and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney, Morrow Junior Books, 1999. Plot Summary: This story follows the story of a duck and her six eggs. One egg looks big and dark, and doesn’t hatch with the first five. The large duckling finally hatched and the mother notices all of the difference such as a long neck and dull color. Several neighbors of animals notice the difference of the duckling, too, and at one point bother the duckling biting at him. The duckling’s mother protects him, but over time, the problems persist. One night he ran away and found a peaceful place. He wished to stay there forever, but then he heard a gunshot. The shots continued for several moments, so he hid away as best he could. Hound dogs ended up finding him, but didn’t touch him. He thought, “I am too ugly even for a dog to eat!” The journey continued for the duckling, and he encountered a hen and a cat who lived with an old lady. They pointed out more faults of the duckling, but the old lady said he could stay. He didn’t produce any eggs and craved the water for swimming, so he left yet again. Seasons changed and snow arrived. The duckling got caught in the icy water, but a man saw what happened and helped the duckling escape. He gave him to his children who warmed him up, fed him, and tried to play with him. He didn’t understand the play part, so he ran off again. He tagged along with some beautiful swans. In these moments he was able to see his reflection in the water, and found that he was actually a swan. Soon, the other swans were celebrating him. At the end of the story, some children from the village came by and said “the new one is the best....his feathers and beak are the brightest of all.” Hearing this, the swan knew that all the suffering and loneliness was worth having, now that it is clear who he is. Critical Analysis: Jerry Pinkney has slightly adapted Hans Christian Andersen's famous story of The Ugly Duckling. As far as the text is concerned, it is well written with a good amount of words on each page. The story is a pretty straight forward adaptation, but what sets this book apart from the others is Pinkney's artistry. His drawings are realistic, very naturalistic, and gives stunning visuals to Andersen's words. One line that stood out was “You can’t imagine how delicious it is to feel it rushing over your head when you dive straight to the bottom.” This natural desire for the duckling to want to be in water was portrayed vividly through these words, but the images on the two pages reveal even more. The pages are flooded, so to speak, with water, aquatic life, bubbles, and vegetation. The ugly duckling is swarming through it all, showing the reader how truly amazing it must feel to dive to the depths of the pond. Themes: Identify, self-esteem, family, and acceptance. Awards: Randolph Caldecott Medal Reviews: "Outstanding illustrations and some new characters make Pinkney’s retelling of a familiar tale memorable. This time around, there’s an old woman who befriends the duck for its egg-laying potential, a hunting dog that happens upon the duck, a man who pulls the duck out of a frozen river and provides warmth and shelter, and children who comment on the once-ugly duckling’s arrival at a pond, saying it is the finest of the flock. As in the original, suffering and loneliness are appeased, and the enduring lessons are reaffirmed: suffering may be necessary for growth and happiness, and loneliness may be overcome. A spirited, artistic adaptation, and a welcome addition to the shelves." –Kirkus Reviews Related Books:
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THE THREE NINJA PIGS
Written by: Corey Rosen Schwartz Illustrated by: Dan Santat Bibliography: Schwartz, Corey Rosen. The Three Ninja Pigs. Illustrated by Dan Santat, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2012. Plot Summary: Three pigs face a wolf who is trying to destroy all of the homes in the land. Their plan to defeat the wolf is to take on various martial arts practices. The story line follows the classic rule of three, but with some twists and turns. Pig One and Pig Two are the brothers of the trio, and they stop practicing sooner than they should. Their lack of practice shows up when the wolf arrives and they cannot find a way to take him down. Pig Three spends a good amount of time with her practice and she is patient with the process. When it is all said and done, the Pigs defeat their enemy in the climax of the plot (thanks to the sister, Pig Three) and aim to pass on their skills by creating their own dojo. Critical Analysis: Nothing compares to the classic tale of The Three Little Pigs, but The Three Ninja Pigs comes close. This modern retelling takes us on a journey of three pigs who take a stab at new martial arts practices such as aikido, jiu jitsu, and karate in order to take care of the well-known bully: the wolf. The cover has a picture of the three pigs in various poses, ready to take on the wolf, pictured behind them in a scary pose ready to attack. The images on the inside allow the story to unfold nicely. Temples and cherry blossoms create a familiar and calm atmosphere allowing the action of each page to take precedence. The images portray a setting that could potentially conjure ideas of what many Americans perceive martial arts training to be. The pages are filled with color and design that sometimes look like a picture book and other times look like a graphic novel with speech bubbles full of onomatopoeia. When Pig One runs to his brother’s house (Pig Two), the wolf naturally follows. Pig Two replies to the wolf’s demands by using the classic line “not by the hair on my chinny-chin-chin.” The stance Pig Two takes on these pages makes it look like his hoof is coming off of the page toward the reader. The pages are full of excitement and entertainment and keep the reader wanting more. Pig Three saves the day, but not just because of the “rule of three.” While her brothers approach their disciplines half-heartedly, Pig Three masters the practice of karate by hard work and dedication. She returns to practice day after day and even though it is hard, she still finds the strength to push through. This rehashing of a classic fairy tale injects new lessons into a time-honored story. The illustrations look well organized and support the text on each page. The bricks Pig Three throws later in the story (when the wolf tries to attack the final time) look like they are thrown and destroyed in such a natural way, and the illustration provides a superb action shot. The rhyming patterns chosen by the author create a sustainable pace for the reader that pushes the story along. Overall, this is an excellent book with some laughable moments and serious lessons learned. Themes: Persistence, patience, family, determination, and feminism. Awards (Partial):
Reviews: "A fractured fairy tale to outcharm the original, “The Three Ninja Pigs” manages to one-up the well-worn story by setting it in Japan, sprinkling it with the language and discipline of martial arts. All in hilarious, impeccable rhyme." — The New York Times Book Review "A standout among fractured fairy tales, masterfully combining rollicking limerick verse with a solid story. . . ." — Kirkus Reviews Related Books:
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Poetry
Bibliography:
Hoberman, Mary Ann. The Llama Who Had no Pajama. Illustrated by Betty Fraser, Harcourt, 1998. Plot Summary: This book has 100 poems to fit any reader's desires. The topics range from animals to food to pastimes, and more. Critical Analysis: This book is a wonderful additional to any elementary classroom or library or children's library. The topics within take you back to your childhood, however, some readers might find topics inside that are new. For example, "Ice Skating" might be a mirror for those living in colder regions, but could be a window for those who may have never experienced ice or cold weather before, allowing them to see a taste of what the world is like with ice skating. The detailed drawings accompany the poems allowing the reader to see deeper into the words of each poem with the imagery provided. Most of the poems within this book are very literal in translation, giving a good first glance into poetry for readers of a young age. Using common topics and images that mostly replicate the world of a young child at play, this book masters the art of connecting to real and imaginary themes. At times the poems shift into topics that are strange and random such as Permutations and Advice, but in any case, the playfulness of the poems can have you turning the pages in anticipation. Themes: Animals, Hobbies, Bugs, Life Awards:
Reviews: "Hoberman's rhythms are lively and agile, and her imagination and sense of humor are still in tune with young readers. Fraser's simple but detailed gouache and watercolor illustrations exhibit the same qualities . . . Good for beginning or experienced readers of poetry, this should indeed become a favorite." — School Library Journal "Poems drawn from Hoberman's previous works…are packaged to delight a new generation of youngsters. Children may be reminded of A.A. Milne's poetry…but Hoberman's poetry goes deeper, offering children a new way to look at things." — Booklist "This collection of some forty years of Hoberman verse is a charmer." — The Horn Book Related Books:
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Bibliography:
Alexander, Kwame. The Crossover. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014. Plot Summary: Two brothers live with their mom (also their assistant principal) and dad (a former professional basketball player and have to navigate life in high school amidst new girlfriends, hurt feelings, health issues, and the changing world around them that they can't stop. Critical Analysis: I couldn't find something wrong with this book. Written in poetry, Kwame Alexander has a way to draw you into the world of Josh and Jordan Bell in The Crossover. One can appreciate this story not just for the way Alexander writes the words on the page with fun and silly fonts and shapes, but also through a heart-clenching story about two brothers in transition. The balance between sports and life will keep you glued to the page and asking for more. When Miss Sweet Tea enters the story, things take a turn. Brothers now question "what does life look like without the person I've spent my entire life with?" The book takes us from the "warm-up" to the "fourth quarter" within approximately 200 poems. The words move you through this story not just by the unique way they are laid on the page (visual pictures through text placement in Dribbling at the start of the story and realistic communication through Text Messages From Mom Part One) but also the realistic nature of the relationships between the characters. The author has a way of taking you from the court to the dinner table with emotions that make this an easy book to connect to: Excitement. Brotherhood. Sadness. Fear. Worry. Solitude. Peace. There were times when I laughed (like in On the way to the game when Josh hits Jordan with his jockstrap) and times when I cried (like in Dear Jordan when Josh says, "without u - i am empty - the goal - with no net - seems my life was broken - shattered - like puzzle pieces on the court - i can no longer fit..."). If you love basketball, you will love this book. If you don't love basketball, you, too, will love this book. Worth the read; I highly recommend. Themes: Family, brotherhood, sports, passion, friendship, trust, relationships, life, loss. Awards:
Reviews: "A beautifully measured novel of life and line." --The New York Times Book Review In this novel in verse, the brothers begin moving apart from each other for the first time. Jordan starts dating the "pulchritudinous" Miss Sweet Tea, and Josh has a tough time keeping his jealousy and feelings of abandonment in control....Underscoring the sports and the fraternal tension is a portrait of a family that truly loves and supports one another. Alexander has crafted a story that vibrates with energy and heart and begs to be read aloud. A slam dunk. — School Library Journal. Related Books:
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Bibliography:
Lewis, J. Patrick. Please Bury Me in the Library. Illustrated by Kyle M. Stone, Harcourt, 2005. Plot Summary: This is collection of 16 poems centered around books, reading, writing, and all the magical things in between. Critical Analysis: This is a fun and unique collection of poems that anyone (book lover or not) could easily learn to love. There are 16 poems within the book (17 if you include the acknowledgements which is also written as a poem!) Most poems refer to reading and books and use language that is warm and inviting. The title poem “Please Bury Me in the Library,” has a slight feeling of death, but that quickly escapes one’s mind as the author cleverly rhymes “stacks” with “paperbacks,” and requests for “long-stemmed proses” as opposed to “roses” (often given at a memorial of someone who recently passed) warming the hearts of every bibliophile. The poems are short and contained on one page, allowing an image to compliment the fantastical word play and imagery on the opposite page. Most images that accompany the poems are whimsical (a child flying high over earth on a large paper airplane) and magical (a boy in pajamas sitting atop a large, uneven stack of books). There are some funny images, too, such as the sheep pictures opposite the poem “What If Books Had Different Names?” which refers to several well-known stories with mixed up names such as “Green Eggs and Spam,” and “The Emperor Has No Clues.” The image shows a sheep holding a fork and knife and wearing a bib with an image of a lobster. On the plate in front of it is a serving of green eggs and spam. The puzzling nature of picture mirrors the puzzling composition of the poem with its silly connections and quirky suggestions. Overall this is a book that most people will enjoy; definitely a standout among children’s poetry. Themes: Books, reading, language, humor Awards:
Reviews: "In 16 poems, all but two appearing here for the first time, the Midwest’s cleverest living comic poet enjoins readers, “Please bury me in the library / With a dozen long-stemmed proses.” He suggests altering classic titles (“Green Eggs and Spam”), offers reading-related haiku, a library acrostic—and even literary criticism, from “A great book is a homing device / For navigating paradise” to “A bad book owes to many trees / A forest of apologies.” Stone debuts with broadly brushed, page-filling acrylics to match... Finishing with “Acknowledgements” to “Shel and Jack and Myra Cohn,” plus other “word wizards,” this offering from the prolific Lewis won’t stay buried long, no matter where it’s planted." — Kirkus Reviews "Despite its clever title, Lewis (Arithme-Tickle ) and Stone's combination of sentimental rhymes and at times ghoulish whimsy creates a volume of poetry about reading that may leave bookworms with a bit of indigestion. The verses range from the uplifting schoolmarmish acrostic, "Necessary Gardens" ("Libraries/ Are/ Necessary/ Gardens,/ Unsurpassed/ At/ Growing/ Excitement"), to a silly ditty about Elaine, "The Big-Word Girl": "I took her to a horror show—/ (Godzilla Meets tooth Fairy )—/ But she could not unglue her eyes/ From Webster's Dictionary." While many of debut illustrator Stone's paintings are interesting when taken individually, they do not always capture the spirit of the poems..." — Publishers Weekly Related Books:
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BOOK TRAILER: LONG WAY DOWN BY JASON REYNOLDS
NONFICTION & BIOGRAPHY
Bibliography: Bryant, Jen. A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin. Illustrated by Melissa Sweet. New York, Alfred A. Knopf, 2013.
Plot Summary: A self-taught painter finds a way to get back to his love of art after facing many challenges along the way. From winning an art contest, to working various jobs to support himself and his family, to fighting in the war - Horace Pippin never loses his love for painting. Critical Analysis:This book is a positive and important contribution to literature, highlighting the life of a man who had a dream and held on to it, in the midst of many trials and tribulations. In a time when many books highlight the stories of the African-American experience, this book highlights the simple life of a man who served his country in a time of war, worked many mundane jobs, yet never gave up on his love of the visual arts. The author's didn't shy away from talking about slavery, but it wasn't the focal point which allows the reader to have a more direct view into Pippin's life and work. The story unfolds quite organically. The authors did not embellish the details of Pippin’s life; rather, they simply laid out the facts and let his story speak for itself, both in his words and in his artwork. It’s in the details of “100 layers of paint” and the repetition of friends, family, and neighbors asking Pippin to draw a picture for them that really calls attention to the depth of his artistry. These details can draw a reader in, no matter whether their go-to genre is nonfiction or not. The details within the illustrations don’t overpower the original artwork, displayed prominently throughout the book. Reading this book is a bit like stepping into an art museum. Themes: Dreams, Art, Perseverance, African-American Artists, Museum-level Art Awards:
Reviews: "...In a well-structured narrative with recurring themes and a highly accessible style, Bryant writes short sentences full of memorable details, from Pippin’s first box of colored pencils to the scavenged house paints he used to paint his wartime memories. Combining drawings and printed elements with watercolor and gouache paints, Sweet’s mixed-media illustrations have a refreshing, down-home style and a brilliance all their own. The artwork incorporates large-print quotes, giving Pippin a voice here as well. Outstanding." -- Booklist “Quotations from Pippin about the psychological scars of war and his artistic process are hand-drawn into Sweet's images, underscoring how art was not only a joyful outlet for Pippin, but also a vital means of interpreting the world.” -- Publisher's Weekly “Bryant’s meticulously researched, eloquent text makes this a winning read-aloud, while Sweet’s vibrant, folksy illustrations, rendered in watercolor, gouache, and mixed media, portray the joys and hardships of the man’s life, using his trademark palette…with just a splash of red.” -- School Library Journal Related Books:
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Bibliography: Greenberg, Jan and Sandra Jordan. Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring. Illustrated by Brian Floca. New York, Roaring Brook Press, 2010.
Plot Summary: Tells the true story of Martha Graham’s choreographic process as she created the Appalachian Spring ballet with the help of composer Aaron Copland, and set designer and craftsman Isamu Noguchi. Critical Analysis: As a dance major and Pioneer Woman myself, I can affirm that the only thing better than this book is the dance itself. Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring tells the amazing true story of a modern ballet dancer and her process of layering the various parts of a dance with her composer and set designer. For most choreographers, the process is much more important than the product, and in this regard, the authors and illustrator did Martha's process justice. In the same way that Graham collaborates with her partners for the dance, authors Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan take on the same approach when they invite Brian Floca to read their work and design illustrations to capture the essence of the story. All three modern-day artists take a close look at Martha’s life and work to develop a strong connection between what they know of her and the work they created about her. The words of the story ebb and flow alongside the movements one would see in a theater. The author's closely (if not exactly) align their writing to the true discoveries of Martha's story through research, making it a strong piece worth writing. Floca’s illustrations reflect the actual movement of the dancers and set design so eloquently created by Isamu Noguchi. The amount of effort put forth by Floca shows great detail not just for Martha and her troupe, Noguchi and his art, and even Copland and his music; he also brought in many aspects of history that elevate the work to the next level. One example is the image of the Library of Congress. Floca intentionally kept the building’s dome unlit, as it reflected what that building really looked like during World War II. Many people have seen a ballet or dance before, but to learn the backstory is a whole other experience. Every choreographer has a different process, and to understand Martha Graham's process allows one to better understand what made her work so great. The research and effort put forth into this book makes the story one you’ll want to read in one sitting. Another line from the book that really shows the strength of the work is “My dancers never fall to fall. They fall to rise.” Overall this book beautifully echoes Martha's original work. It boasts of simplistic but rare movements and design as well as simplistic music (a Shaker hymn) that transposes one amazing dance from the stage to the page. Themes: Dance, Collaboration, Art Process, Trailblazers. Awards:
"Dance. Music. Set. All of these elements contribute to the experience of Appalachian Spring, an American classic that continues to thrill audiences. But authors Greenberg and Jordan are less concerned with presenting the ballet (although readers do get a strong sense of it) and more interested in how such an extraordinary collaboration came to be.... The book as a whole beautifully captures the process of artistic creation. The extensive back matter that concludes is welcome, but what readers will surely want after putting this down is to see and hear Appalachian Spring for themselves." -- Booklist Related Books:
Additional Resource: LOC Video Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring. 2011. Video. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/webcast-6844/>. |
Bibliography: Say, Allen. Drawing from Memory. New York, Scholastic Press, 2011.
Plot Summary: Allen Say spent his preteen years growing up in WWII Japan. First living with his grandmother, and then by himself, he transitions from studying at an elite school to apprenticing with a master cartoonist. He studies with the sensei alongside another budding artist. This book examines Say’s time with the famous artist, as well as the opportunity Say took to move to the U.S. with his estranged father. Critical Analysis: In this autobiographical story, Allen Say shows us that even though our stories are complex, we can still come out on the other side successful. Because this is an autobiography, getting a true capture of Allen Say's life might prove difficult. Even though the story is told from his perspective, we can still learn many things - especially through his use of photography - that reflect reality in his way. Most autobiographies are not intended for children, but this book seems to be written for the pre-teen to teen aged reader, especially with the graphic novel format and mix media within. The book is interspersed with Say’s drawings, comic strips, and photographs from his childhood. Themes: Japanese - American Artists, Family, Determination, Mentors, Change, Discovery Awards:
Reviews: "Exquisite drawings, paintings, comics and photographs balance each other perfectly as they illustrate Say’s childhood path to becoming an artist." -- Kirkus "Drawing from Memory serves the dual purpose of tipping its hat the man who became a kind of surrogate father, as well as teaching kids about a chapter in the life of one small determined boy." -- School Library Journal "In this graphic-novel-style memoir, Caldecott Medal winner Allen Say recalls his childhood and teenage years in Japan, where from a young age, he followed his dream to become an artist." -- Junior Library Guild Related Books:
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Historical Fiction
The War That Saved My Life
By: Kimberly Brubaker Bradley Bibliography: Bradley, Kimberly Brubaker. The War That Save My Life. New York, Puffin Books, 2015. Plot Summary: A young girl, who is born with a club foot, takes it upon herself to escape the confines of her mother's small apartment, to survive the impending war. From London to the countryside, Ada learns she is worthy of love and a happy life. Critical Analysis: Ada is a ten-year-old girl from London. Her story takes us from the third floor apartment, where she lives with her mother and brother, to the countryside where she aims to take refuge from the impending attack on Britain by the Nazis. Ada’s story takes us deeper than that, though, as life in London is more tragic to her than the war itself. Being born with a club foot, Ada’s mother always made her feel like the ailment was Ada’s own fault. The mother sequestered Ada completely, not even allowing her to go to school, and she didn’t even teach Ada how to walk. As Britain prepared for an air assault, the government moved to ship urban children to rural areas for safekeeping. Knowing that their mother would make no attempt to protect her, Ada sneaks out and follows her brother Jamie to the trains. That painful walk to the tracks set the tone of determination throughout this story. 1939 sets the tone of this moving story, but life in the countryside was much different than the city. Mrs. Smith, although hesitant at first, provides Ada and her brother with a sense of stability that they never knew prior to the war. Unlike life in London, Ada and Jamie have a clean bed, multiple sets of clothes, blankets and sheets, and are allowed to have sugar in their tea. Ada’s setting changes from the confined walls of her mother’s small apartment, to the countryside, with an abundance of physical and emotional support that she had never previously encountered in her life up to that point. Ada has found refuge in this new world that circumstance has placed her in. Bradley paints a sharp picture of war-time Britain, down to fine details like food rations and bomb shelters. With these historically accurate details, she gives readers a glimpse life was like during World War II. In a time when so many kids were being displaced from their worlds of comfort, Jamie and Ada found refuge in more ways than one could imagine in this new place they hope to call home. Themes: War, determination, family, self-doubt, discrimination Awards:
Reviews: “Ada's voice is brisk and honest; her dawning realizations are made all the more poignant for their simplicity. . . . Things come to an explosive head, metaphorically and literally. Ignorance and abuse are brought to light, as are the healing powers of care, respect and love. Set against a backdrop of war and sacrifice, Ada's personal fight for freedom and ultimate triumph are cause for celebration.” --Kirkus "There is much to like here—Ada's engaging voice, the vivid setting, the humor, the heartbreak, but most of all the tenacious will to survive." --School Library Journal “Expertly operating on many different levels, this exquisitely written novel incorporates themes of self-discovery and self-worth, strength of family, the power of love, and the many different kinds of courage. . . . Heart-lifting.” —Joy Fleishhacker for School Library Journal Related Books:
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Elijah of Buxton
By: Christopher Paul Curtis Bibliography: Curtis, Christopher Paul. Elijah of Buxton. New York, Scholastic, 2012. Plot Summary: A boy, the first born freely in the town of Buxton, Canada, faces what life is like in pre-Civil War America when he courageously crosses the border to help his friend. Critical Analysis: Elijah of Buxton follows the story of Elijah, the first free Black person born in Buxton, Ontario, Canada, a small town where former slaves now live. Christopher Paul Curtis does an excellent job of weaving historical facts with authentic characters. It's the mid-1800s, and Elijah is a believable 11 year old kid who lives in a home with his parents, makes jokes with his friends, and chunks rocks. The community of Buxton operates in a cooperative way, where everyone participates and helps out. Important characters are the protagonist, Elijah, secondary characters Mr. Leroy and Mrs. Chloe, and the antagonist the preacher (although one could also argue that slavery is the real antagonist). Elijah’s parents worry that he may be too “fra-gile” to cope with the realities of the world; he was, as stated above, the first in the community born outside the scourge of slavery. He is smart, but also innocent. In the midst of several townspeople working to save up money in order to buy relatives’ freedom, a preacher from another community, named Right Reverend Deacon Doctor Zephariah Connerly the Third, comes to Buxton, he offers help to the community but ends up making off with Mr. Leroy’s money. Mr. Leroy and Elijah race off to try to catch Zephariah across the border in the United States, but Mr. Leroy ends up dying from a heart attack. Elijah faces not only tragedy of losing his friend, but also has to determine if he should continue on their quest or return home. Elijah makes the brave decision to press on alone. He ends up catching up with the preacher, but quickly realizes his duty to get the money back shifts into helping some slaves (including Mrs. Chloe) who are chained up and need Elijah to help save them. The riveting plot takes the reader on a fast paced journey that takes us on a trek alongside Elijah into the world of slavery for the first time. This book encompasses several tense moments, but also some lighthearted and humorous ones, like when Elijah, as an infant, throws up on none other than Frederick Douglass. From start to finish, we can see Elijah growing up and taking a stand about what he believes is the right thing to do. In addition, Curtis’s use of terms like conjurer, haint, and paddy roller show that the author did his research in crafting this story. To this point, Curtis did not shy away from showing the grim realities of American slavery, and all readers will be better for having read this book. The author's note at the end of the book shares details and information about Buxton, Elgin Settlement, and Buxton's National Historic Site and Museum, showing more and more the historical accuracies within Curtis's writing. Themes: Freedom, slavery, community, responsibility, courage Awards:
Reviews: "This is Curtis's best novel yet, and no doubt many readers, young and old, will finish and say, 'This is one of the best books I have ever read..." --Kirkus "As in his previous novels, Curtis is a master at balancing the serious and the lighthearted... His latest book is another natural award candidate and makes an excellent case, in a story positively brimming with both truth and sense, for the ability of historical fiction to bring history to life." --New York Times Book Review Related Books:
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FICTION, FANTASY, & YA
El Deafo
By: Cece Bell Bibliography: Bell, Cece. El Deafo. New York, Amulet, 2014. Plot Summary: In this autobiographical graphic novel, Cece Bell writes about her life after an illness takes away her hearing at age 4. Cece experiences life in a way she could never have imagined. Living with hearing loss brings about many challenges with friends and social situations, but she finds a way to break through those awkward moments by transforming herself into a superhero named El Deafo. Critical Analysis: I now know why this book walked off the shelf in my classroom a week after I got it. This unique story is a treasure; one that I know can bring a sense of empathy to any reader. It's excellent description of Cece's world is something special and not like anything else I've read. This is based on Cece Bell's life, and she recreated her family and friends into a book. Bunnies represent the characters in her world, which help make this story engaging for young to middle school aged students. Cece contracts meningitis at age 4. The story walks us through what that looked like for her from getting sick, to going to the hospital, to losing her hearing. At age 4 one can only imagine what this must have been like, but now, thanks to Cece Bell, we have a whole new understanding of what it can sometimes mean to live in a world where friends and peers make you feel awkward for things they may not understand. As Cece grows up, she goes through many challenges from people not understanding her, to her not understanding them - and in more ways than language can describe. She wants to reveal herself and share her thoughts, but she is also afraid that in doing so, it will send people away. She is nervous about her hearing devices and at times tries to hide them from her peers. Emotional tolls change Cece. They make her question people and their actions, makes her wonder what life would be like without her impairment. She eventually creates a sort of alter-ego superhero of herself and she imagines what life would be like if "El Deafo" would defeat the trials and tribulations she faces with her friends and family. El Deafo, for example, can speak up and tell the truth even though it's hard. El Deafo can reveal to people that she has the superpower of reading lips and doesn't need sign language in the gym before school. Cece tells her autobiographical story in a way that anyone can grasp; the story is relatable in several ways. I cried for the first several pages of this book because it allows the reader to get into the place where Cece really was as a 4 year old. The book does an outstanding job explaining how people without a hearing loss should behave around those with hearing loss - which is like their normal selves! For example, Cece oftentimes wishes her friend would stop speaking so loudly and slowly. She wishes the girls at a sleepover would have known to keep the lights on while they chatted, so she could read lips and better understand. The images within this graphic novel reveal raw emotions and clearly portray Cece's own experiences. As time goes by, Cece goes from being 4 years old to being in the 5th grade. Friends come and go, and even a boy who moves in across the street. She gains more confidence when she and her new crush figure out a cool way to utilize Cece's microphone device for the good of their class. Cece truly feels like her imagined superhero El Deafo, and things seem to take a turn for Cece, allowing her to have more confidence and make friends, but most importantly, to not try to hide her differences. The author's note at the end of the book talks about how the books reflects the feelings and emotions of Cece's upbringing, and while things are not 100% accurate, the emotional core of the book is spot on. Bell continues to educate the reader with details about Deaf Culture, and the readers of this book will learn so much about how to interact and empathize with people who may be different than them. Themes: Childhood, disabilities, differences, hearing impairment, friendship, identity Awards:
Reviews: "Part of what makes memoirs so appealing is their universality. There’s solace in the fact that no matter the individual, no matter the circumstances, we all experience moments of isolation, humor, frustration, and joy. In graphic novel El Deafo, Cece Bell presents these universal emotions from a perspective that is quite unique – that of a kid with a hearing impairment. A book that, I dare say, has never dealt with this experience so beautifully, honestly, and lovingly." --School Library Journal "A standout autobiography. Someone readers will enjoy getting to know." --Publishers Weekly, starred review "Worthy of a superhero." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review Related Books:
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The Fault in Our Stars
By: John Green Bibliography: Green, John. The Fault in Our Stars. New York, Penguin, 2012. Plot Summary: Two teenagers meet at a support group for cancer patients and begin spending time together. 16-year-old Hazel is fighting thyroid cancer, while 17-year-old Augustus is in remission. In the midst of searching out the reclusive author of Hazel's favorite book, Hazel and Augustus end up falling in love. The couple finally get to meet the author, which turns out to be a huge disappointment. On the way home from the trip, Augustus reveals that his cancer has returned with a vengeance, and he dies soon after. Critical Analysis: This story rides on language. Green has a way with words that transforms the story on the page into a conversation with our hearts and minds. Constantly challenged and inspired by the words within the book, I definitely recommend picking it up, if you haven't already. If you've already read the book, chances are, you might want to read it again. I rarely say that about books, but this is one that I could take on again simply because the words Green uses are so telling of characters and emotions, that I didn't really want it to stop. Green takes us down a path that is real and although that can be scary, somehow he finds a way to include lighthearted moments in the story. This is more than a story about two teens falling in love (I fell in love the way you fall asleep. Slowly and then all at once page 125). It's about philosophy of life, about coping with mortality, and about grasping onto hope in what seems like dire circumstances. There are not many contemporary books that deal with such large topics in such a riveting way, and I think that is what makes this book so popular. The verbal connection between Hazel and Augustus is intriguing and entertaining, because they can fluidly go back and forth in their conversations. Green's use of metaphorical language brings the story to another level, connecting the reader to each character in a deeper way. One metaphor that stood out: "The sun was a toddler, insistently refusing to go to bed; it was past 8:30 and still light (Green, 178). The book changes mood according to how the characters are experiencing the day to day. You can sense the shifts in the story based on what the character is experiencing. Reading a book about two young people who fall in love in one of the darkest moments of their lives can be a tear jerker, but it also reminds us that there is hope even in troubling times. Green has a way of taking the reader down a certain path with figurative language, dialogue, characterization, and more. Themes: Cancer, love, life, terminal illness Awards:
Reviews: “In its every aspect, this novel is a triumph.” --Booklist, starred review “[Green’s] voice is so compulsively readable that it defies categorization. You will be thankful for the little infinity you spend inside this book.” --NPR.org “[Green] shows us true love—two teenagers helping and accepting each other through the most humiliating physical and emotional ordeals—and it is far more romantic than any sunset on the beach.” --New York Times Book Review Related Books:
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Other books I've read in 2020
Mananaland by Pam Munoz Ryan
Mananaland by Pam Munoz Ryan
Books I've read between 2017 and 2019:
Landline by Rainbow Rowell
As Brave as You by Jason Reynolds (in progress)
Dry by Neal Shusterman
Kalahari by Jessica Khoury (in progress)
Scythe by Neal Shuterman (in progress)
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson (in progress)
Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (in progress)
Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor (in progress)
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
Good Dog by Dan Gemeinhart (abandoned)
The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart
The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas
Women of the Dunes by Sarah Maine
Watch Me Disappear by Janelle Brown
The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez
How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
American Marriage by Tayari Jones
Where'd You Go by Maria Semple
Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman
A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner
Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk
Tell Me Something Real by Calla Devlin
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
The Circle by David Eggers
Into the Water by Paula Hawkins
The Handmaid's Tale by Valerie Martin (Audiobook In Progress)
We Are Okay by Nina LaCour
Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
American Pastoral by Philip Roth (In Progress)
Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
Shipwreck Island by S.A. Bodeen
Red Kayak by Priscilla Cummings
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler
2016 BOOKS:
Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
The Smell of Other People's Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke
Speak by: Laurie Halse Anderson 224 pages
Like Water for Chocolate by: Laura Esquivel 256 pages
Pictures of Hollis Woods by: Patricia Reilly Giff 176 pages
The Impossible Knife of Memory by: Laurie Halse Anderson 416 pages
The Girl on The Train by: Paula Hawkins 336 pages
Bone Gap by: Laura Gap (currently reading) 368 pages
A Sudden Light by: Garth Stein 432 pages
All the Light We Cannot See by: Anthony Doerr (currently reading) 531 pages
The Art of Racing in the Rain by: Garth Stein 321 pages
Cyberstorm by: Matthew Mather 358 pages
Pure Genius by: Don Wettrick 170 pages
The One and Only Ivan by: Katherine Applegate 320 pages
Teach Like A Pirate by: David Burgess 192 pages
Flowers for Algernon (short story) by: Daniel Keyes 23 pages
Wonder by: R.J. Palacio 320 pages
The Julian Chapter by: R.J. Palacio 85 pages
2015 BOOKS:
The Giver by: Lois Lowry (second read) 240 pages
Gathering Blue by: Lois Lowry 256 pages
The Messenger by: Lois Lowry 176 pages
Son by: Lois Lowry 400 pages
The Games of Silence: Louise Erdrich 288 pages
Pines by: Blake Crouch 315 pages
Fahrenheit 451 by: Ray Bradbury 249 pages
2014 BOOKS:
Creating Innovators by: Tony Wagner 288 pages
And Then There Were None by: Agatha Christie 300 pages
The Transall Saga by: Gary Paulsen 248 pages
The Outsiders by: S.E. Hinton 224 pages
The Birchbark House by: Louise Erdrich 256 pages
Still Alice by: Lisa Genova 400 pages
The Goldfinch by: Donna Tartt 784 pages
Looking for Alaska by: John Green 221 pages
Creativity, Inc by: Amy Wallace, Ed Catmull 368 pages
Landline by Rainbow Rowell
As Brave as You by Jason Reynolds (in progress)
Dry by Neal Shusterman
Kalahari by Jessica Khoury (in progress)
Scythe by Neal Shuterman (in progress)
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson (in progress)
Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (in progress)
Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor (in progress)
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
Good Dog by Dan Gemeinhart (abandoned)
The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart
The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas
Women of the Dunes by Sarah Maine
Watch Me Disappear by Janelle Brown
The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez
How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
American Marriage by Tayari Jones
Where'd You Go by Maria Semple
Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman
A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner
Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk
Tell Me Something Real by Calla Devlin
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
The Circle by David Eggers
Into the Water by Paula Hawkins
The Handmaid's Tale by Valerie Martin (Audiobook In Progress)
We Are Okay by Nina LaCour
Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
American Pastoral by Philip Roth (In Progress)
Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
Shipwreck Island by S.A. Bodeen
Red Kayak by Priscilla Cummings
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler
2016 BOOKS:
Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
The Smell of Other People's Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke
Speak by: Laurie Halse Anderson 224 pages
Like Water for Chocolate by: Laura Esquivel 256 pages
Pictures of Hollis Woods by: Patricia Reilly Giff 176 pages
The Impossible Knife of Memory by: Laurie Halse Anderson 416 pages
The Girl on The Train by: Paula Hawkins 336 pages
Bone Gap by: Laura Gap (currently reading) 368 pages
A Sudden Light by: Garth Stein 432 pages
All the Light We Cannot See by: Anthony Doerr (currently reading) 531 pages
The Art of Racing in the Rain by: Garth Stein 321 pages
Cyberstorm by: Matthew Mather 358 pages
Pure Genius by: Don Wettrick 170 pages
The One and Only Ivan by: Katherine Applegate 320 pages
Teach Like A Pirate by: David Burgess 192 pages
Flowers for Algernon (short story) by: Daniel Keyes 23 pages
Wonder by: R.J. Palacio 320 pages
The Julian Chapter by: R.J. Palacio 85 pages
2015 BOOKS:
The Giver by: Lois Lowry (second read) 240 pages
Gathering Blue by: Lois Lowry 256 pages
The Messenger by: Lois Lowry 176 pages
Son by: Lois Lowry 400 pages
The Games of Silence: Louise Erdrich 288 pages
Pines by: Blake Crouch 315 pages
Fahrenheit 451 by: Ray Bradbury 249 pages
2014 BOOKS:
Creating Innovators by: Tony Wagner 288 pages
And Then There Were None by: Agatha Christie 300 pages
The Transall Saga by: Gary Paulsen 248 pages
The Outsiders by: S.E. Hinton 224 pages
The Birchbark House by: Louise Erdrich 256 pages
Still Alice by: Lisa Genova 400 pages
The Goldfinch by: Donna Tartt 784 pages
Looking for Alaska by: John Green 221 pages
Creativity, Inc by: Amy Wallace, Ed Catmull 368 pages
2015: An Update
When I started this book blog, I was finishing up my Master of Arts in Teaching from Texas Woman's University. Now that I am well into my second year as an English teacher, I've decided to continue my book blog, as a way to document the books I've read. Because I am a teacher, and a mom of 5-year-old twins, I am crunched for time. I listen to audiobooks on my commute, and I also read on the weekends. Last year I had an after school book club, and I hope to continue that book club this year, too! In addition, I host a community book club at my house once a month with a handful of sweet ladies from my town. All this to say, I will be posting small reviews of the books I read. The reviews will not be as extensive as the ones below. Also, this blog is my personal book blog, and my opinions are my own; they are not affiliated with my employer. Enjoy! :)
POETRY, HUMOR, AND NEW MEDIA
(MODULE NINE)
(MODULE NINE)
HOW ANGEL PETERSON GOT HIS NAME
WRITTEN BY: Gary Paulsen
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Paulsen, Gary. How Angel Peterson Got His Name: And Other Outrageous Tales about Extreme Sports. New York: Wendy Lamb Books, 2003. Print.
PLOT SUMMARY: How Angel Peterson Got His Name is a memoir by renowned young adult author Gary Paulsen. He shares two recollections in the foreword that really set the tone for the rest of the book: one, twelve-year-old Paulsen floating over the dam in his northern Minnesota town in an oak barrel; and two, Paulsen’s son urinating on an electrified fence. This introduction of Paulsen’s childhood hometown and the fact that boys of all generations will try dumb and foolish things preface the remaining stories in this book. For the rest of the book, Paulsen recounts story after story from his childhood in the mid-1950s, bringing the reader into each of his and his friends’ juvenile adventures. From an attempt to break the world speed record for skis to an accidental backflip while biking, Paulsen gleans his childhood memories and brings to his readers some stories that might today fit into the realm of extreme sports (although he does spend a couple pages at the beginning of the book explaining how times were different back then and how no one should try these things at home). In 1950s small-town Minnesota, kids had to create their own entertainment, and How Angel Peterson Got His Name presents the best selection of young boys’ adventures, whether to impress themselves, their friends, or even the girls.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
The first strength that popped out at me regarding this book was the way that Paulsen describes the happenings to the reader. Take, for example, this reminiscence from Paulsen’s first story: “But for now, we watched in awe. The skis stopped dead. Stopped dead when they hit the gravel and Carl skipped out of them like a rock across the top of a pond – that is, if the rock weighed a hundred and thirty-five pounds and if it were made out of flesh and blood encased in sheepskin and if it were being towed by a car at over eighty miles an hour, and if the water were snow and ice.” (p. 29). Paulsen paints a vivid picture for the reader; it is as if you are sitting next to Gary Paulsen and his childhood friends as they reminisce about their past around a toasty campfire.
And Paulsen’s use of imagery goes beyond merely his word choice. Later in the book, Paulsen recounts a friend’s attempt to jump over a car with his bike: “He didn’t…quite…make it and left a face print on the windshield of the car” (p. 69). Paulsen uses the very structuring of his sentence to paint a picture for the reader; as the sentence progresses, the reader can feel Paulsen’s anticipation that his friend JUST MIGHT succeed in his wild effort.
As the reader watches the antics unfold in each story, he/she sees Gary Paulsen question whether or not he should stop his friend from pursuing the dangerous stunt. However, his curiosity always ends up getting the best of him, and we see Paulsen wondering “just what would happen” if his friend were able to complete the crazy stunt (p. 16, 47, 89). Overall, Paulsen’s ability to craft a fine narrative gives the reader a chance to transport themselves to post-World War II northern Minnesota and take part in the sophomoric stunts that held such a prominent place in the memories of these young men.
REVIEW/EXCERPTS:
“Wayne completed the only true backward flip off a bicycle but he didn’t take the bike with him…So he angled right, really moving now, just a blur, with King [a huge dog] coming after him – and ran into the Nelsons’ clothesline…Both feet straight out, the bike traveling on, Wayne’s body swinging up and up and back over the top of the line and then down to land across all four clothesline cables and then bounce on the ground. King was there in an instant. I thought, Lord, the dog will kill him. But the dog went past him and attacked the bicycle. It was bicycles he hated and he tore both tires off while Wayne sat up and pointed at his throat, which had a red line across it, and then fell over to the side sucking air and making a sound like a broken vacuum cleaner. A perfect backward somersault off a bicycle.” (pp. 71, 74-75). This quote perfectly captures the imagery that Paulsen uses throughout the book to describe his friends’ antics. He uses just the right words to succinctly, yet effectively, depict defining moments in his and his friends’ lives, as they searched for their next thrill. In addition, this quote highlights how Paulsen foreshadows some events, and they end up in a completely different way than the reader might have thought.
Booklist review: Gr. 6-9. Every boy who is 13 or about to be 13 or who remembers being 13 should read this short story collection based on people and events from Paulsen's own life. Even though the action takes place 50 or so years ago, they will recognize themselves. And every girl who has ever liked a 13-year-old-boy, or been related to one, or wondered about one, should read this, too, because although the book doesn't explain why boys like to do things like pee on electric fences, it does give an insight into how their funny little minds work. Writing with humor and sensitivity, Paulsen shows boys moving into adolescence believing they can do anything: wrestle with bears; shoot waterfalls in a barrel; fly eight-by-twelve-foot Army surplus kites--and hang on, even as they land in the chicken coop. None of them dies (amazingly), and even if Paulsen exaggerates the teensiest bit, his tales are side-splittingly funny and more than a little frightening.
DeCandido, G. (2002). How Angel Peterson Got His Name. Booklist 24. Retrieved from http://libraryclassbooks.blogspot.com/2009/05/how-angel-peterson-got-his-name.html.
AWARDS:
2004 Margaret A. Edwards Award
2004 YALSA Best Books for Young Adults
2004 Texas Lone Star Reading List
2004 ALA Best Books for Young Adults
2004 Kentucky Bluegrass Master List
RELATED BOOKS:
THE 6TH GRADE NICKNAME GAME By: Gordon Korman
MY LIFE IN DOG YEARS By: Gary Paulsen
MASTERS OF DISASTER By: Gary Paulsen
THE TARANTULA IN MY PURSE: AND 172 OTHER WILD PETS By: Jean Craighead George
KNOTS IN MY YO-YO STRING By: Jerry Spinelli
PERSONAL COMMENTS:
Although Gary Paulsen is an extremely well known writer, I have yet to read any of his literature (aside from this book I just completed, of course). However, after reading How Angel Peterson Got His Name, I hope to start reading Hatchet very soon. His use of imagery completely pulled me in to the story; I felt as if I was riding in a car next to Gary Paulsen as he watched his friend being dragged behind a hot rod on nothing but military-grade skis. The stories are very humorous, and Paulsen makes sure to include stories that really help you to get to know his friends. This book is well worth the read, and I think it would be particularly useful for young boys who might be hesitant to pick up a book.
WRITTEN BY: Gary Paulsen
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Paulsen, Gary. How Angel Peterson Got His Name: And Other Outrageous Tales about Extreme Sports. New York: Wendy Lamb Books, 2003. Print.
PLOT SUMMARY: How Angel Peterson Got His Name is a memoir by renowned young adult author Gary Paulsen. He shares two recollections in the foreword that really set the tone for the rest of the book: one, twelve-year-old Paulsen floating over the dam in his northern Minnesota town in an oak barrel; and two, Paulsen’s son urinating on an electrified fence. This introduction of Paulsen’s childhood hometown and the fact that boys of all generations will try dumb and foolish things preface the remaining stories in this book. For the rest of the book, Paulsen recounts story after story from his childhood in the mid-1950s, bringing the reader into each of his and his friends’ juvenile adventures. From an attempt to break the world speed record for skis to an accidental backflip while biking, Paulsen gleans his childhood memories and brings to his readers some stories that might today fit into the realm of extreme sports (although he does spend a couple pages at the beginning of the book explaining how times were different back then and how no one should try these things at home). In 1950s small-town Minnesota, kids had to create their own entertainment, and How Angel Peterson Got His Name presents the best selection of young boys’ adventures, whether to impress themselves, their friends, or even the girls.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
The first strength that popped out at me regarding this book was the way that Paulsen describes the happenings to the reader. Take, for example, this reminiscence from Paulsen’s first story: “But for now, we watched in awe. The skis stopped dead. Stopped dead when they hit the gravel and Carl skipped out of them like a rock across the top of a pond – that is, if the rock weighed a hundred and thirty-five pounds and if it were made out of flesh and blood encased in sheepskin and if it were being towed by a car at over eighty miles an hour, and if the water were snow and ice.” (p. 29). Paulsen paints a vivid picture for the reader; it is as if you are sitting next to Gary Paulsen and his childhood friends as they reminisce about their past around a toasty campfire.
And Paulsen’s use of imagery goes beyond merely his word choice. Later in the book, Paulsen recounts a friend’s attempt to jump over a car with his bike: “He didn’t…quite…make it and left a face print on the windshield of the car” (p. 69). Paulsen uses the very structuring of his sentence to paint a picture for the reader; as the sentence progresses, the reader can feel Paulsen’s anticipation that his friend JUST MIGHT succeed in his wild effort.
As the reader watches the antics unfold in each story, he/she sees Gary Paulsen question whether or not he should stop his friend from pursuing the dangerous stunt. However, his curiosity always ends up getting the best of him, and we see Paulsen wondering “just what would happen” if his friend were able to complete the crazy stunt (p. 16, 47, 89). Overall, Paulsen’s ability to craft a fine narrative gives the reader a chance to transport themselves to post-World War II northern Minnesota and take part in the sophomoric stunts that held such a prominent place in the memories of these young men.
REVIEW/EXCERPTS:
“Wayne completed the only true backward flip off a bicycle but he didn’t take the bike with him…So he angled right, really moving now, just a blur, with King [a huge dog] coming after him – and ran into the Nelsons’ clothesline…Both feet straight out, the bike traveling on, Wayne’s body swinging up and up and back over the top of the line and then down to land across all four clothesline cables and then bounce on the ground. King was there in an instant. I thought, Lord, the dog will kill him. But the dog went past him and attacked the bicycle. It was bicycles he hated and he tore both tires off while Wayne sat up and pointed at his throat, which had a red line across it, and then fell over to the side sucking air and making a sound like a broken vacuum cleaner. A perfect backward somersault off a bicycle.” (pp. 71, 74-75). This quote perfectly captures the imagery that Paulsen uses throughout the book to describe his friends’ antics. He uses just the right words to succinctly, yet effectively, depict defining moments in his and his friends’ lives, as they searched for their next thrill. In addition, this quote highlights how Paulsen foreshadows some events, and they end up in a completely different way than the reader might have thought.
Booklist review: Gr. 6-9. Every boy who is 13 or about to be 13 or who remembers being 13 should read this short story collection based on people and events from Paulsen's own life. Even though the action takes place 50 or so years ago, they will recognize themselves. And every girl who has ever liked a 13-year-old-boy, or been related to one, or wondered about one, should read this, too, because although the book doesn't explain why boys like to do things like pee on electric fences, it does give an insight into how their funny little minds work. Writing with humor and sensitivity, Paulsen shows boys moving into adolescence believing they can do anything: wrestle with bears; shoot waterfalls in a barrel; fly eight-by-twelve-foot Army surplus kites--and hang on, even as they land in the chicken coop. None of them dies (amazingly), and even if Paulsen exaggerates the teensiest bit, his tales are side-splittingly funny and more than a little frightening.
DeCandido, G. (2002). How Angel Peterson Got His Name. Booklist 24. Retrieved from http://libraryclassbooks.blogspot.com/2009/05/how-angel-peterson-got-his-name.html.
AWARDS:
2004 Margaret A. Edwards Award
2004 YALSA Best Books for Young Adults
2004 Texas Lone Star Reading List
2004 ALA Best Books for Young Adults
2004 Kentucky Bluegrass Master List
RELATED BOOKS:
THE 6TH GRADE NICKNAME GAME By: Gordon Korman
MY LIFE IN DOG YEARS By: Gary Paulsen
MASTERS OF DISASTER By: Gary Paulsen
THE TARANTULA IN MY PURSE: AND 172 OTHER WILD PETS By: Jean Craighead George
KNOTS IN MY YO-YO STRING By: Jerry Spinelli
PERSONAL COMMENTS:
Although Gary Paulsen is an extremely well known writer, I have yet to read any of his literature (aside from this book I just completed, of course). However, after reading How Angel Peterson Got His Name, I hope to start reading Hatchet very soon. His use of imagery completely pulled me in to the story; I felt as if I was riding in a car next to Gary Paulsen as he watched his friend being dragged behind a hot rod on nothing but military-grade skis. The stories are very humorous, and Paulsen makes sure to include stories that really help you to get to know his friends. This book is well worth the read, and I think it would be particularly useful for young boys who might be hesitant to pick up a book.
FICTION
(MODULE EIGHT)
WE ARE THE SHIP: THE STORY OF NEGRO LEAGUE BASEBALL
WRITTEN BY: Kadir Nelson
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Nelson, Kadir. We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball. New York: Hyperion Books, 2008. Print.
PLOT SUMMARY: We Are the Ship tells the story of Negro League baseball, from African-Americans’ involvement in baseball’s early history and the formation of the first official Negro National League in 1920, to its rapid decline after Jackie Robinson left the Negro League to become the first African-American to play Major League Baseball. Nelson breaks the book up into nine chapters, or “innings,” taking the reader into the shoddy playing fields and cramped buses that made men such as Oscar Charleston, Wilber “Bullet” Rogan, and James “Cool Papa” Bell. These men played baseball just as good as the white men in the major leagues, but the segregation of that period prohibited any real competition between the races on the diamond. The narrator, an anonymous Negro League player, guides the reader through the entire time line of the NLB, highlighting stories of its greatest players along the way. All throughout the book, Nelson has interspersed the story with paintings of Negro League baseball players and teams.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS: Kadir Nelson truly takes the reader to another world in We Are the Ship. Nelson’s carefully researched book provides vivid detail for the major events of Negro League baseball. And he could not have crafted a more perfect narrator. Though unnamed, the reader can tell that the narrator played alongside all of the big players described throughout the book. The narrator’s informal and relaxed voice gives him an authority to tell this story, his story, if you will; whereas a more formalized voice would not nearly as well communicate the “story” behind the facts. The narrator truly makes it feel as if you are right there with him. And this helps to convey the discrimination that these baseball players endured. Amongst the stories of unbelievable athletic feats, Nelson tells stories like one in which a team slept on their buses before an out-of-town game because none of the hotels would offer them lodging. Today’s readers have not experienced the Jim Crow era, but this book does an effective job of giving the reader a realistic look. One of the book’s biggest strengths are the numerous paintings sprinkled throughout the book. Painted by Nelson himself, they portray either specific players or particular events from the Negro League’s history. As if Nelson’s word choice and research (among other things) did not do enough to create a striking narrative, his paintings definitely add to the story. It is as if the characters in the book are staring right at you, pulling you away and into the story of baseball during the times of segregation.
REVIEW/EXCERPTS:
“We played in a rough league…what made our time a bit harder than most is what we had to deal with in addition to that. White fans would call us names and throw stuff at us on the field, and we couldn’t say a word…Hotels were segregated, too. Many times we would get to a town after riding all day, only to spend a few more hours searching for a place to stay.” P. 23-24 –It was hard to narrow a quote about discrimination to only a few lines (because there were many parts of the book about this, and because shortening them did not do them justice), but I feel this was the best, because it also shows the laid-back nature of the narrator, as well as showing the reader what sorts of segregation the baseball players faced. The narrator does not sound overly bitter in his description of segregated times; it is a matter-of-fact recollection.
New York Times Book Review: The painter Kadir Nelson has illustrated several award-winning children's books, including some on black history. This is the first book he has both illustrated and written, and it's absolutely gorgeous. He uses the conversational, first-person voice of a fictional, anonymous player. It's a device that generally works well and allows him to include many of the great old tales of the Negro Leagues; he conveys the humor, showmanship and joy that were an integral part of the game, without soft-soaping how hard it all was…Nelson's visual narrative is nothing short of magnificent. –Kevin Baker
AWARDS:
2009 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal
2009 Coretta Scott King Award for Authors
RELATED BOOKS:
Shades of Glory: The Negro Leagues and the Story of African-American Baseball By: Lawrence D. Hogan
Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans By: Kadir Nelson
Negro League Baseball: The Rise and Ruin of a Black Institution By: Neil Lanctot
PERSONAL COMMENTS:
This book truly sweeps you off your feet. Nelson’s choice of narrator and his magnificent pictures were two things I think added so much to the story. Between the warm narrator, the well-researched facts, and stunning paintings of the Negro League’s greatest players, We Are the Ship captures the reader; once you start reading, you will not be able to put it down.
WRITTEN BY: Kadir Nelson
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Nelson, Kadir. We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball. New York: Hyperion Books, 2008. Print.
PLOT SUMMARY: We Are the Ship tells the story of Negro League baseball, from African-Americans’ involvement in baseball’s early history and the formation of the first official Negro National League in 1920, to its rapid decline after Jackie Robinson left the Negro League to become the first African-American to play Major League Baseball. Nelson breaks the book up into nine chapters, or “innings,” taking the reader into the shoddy playing fields and cramped buses that made men such as Oscar Charleston, Wilber “Bullet” Rogan, and James “Cool Papa” Bell. These men played baseball just as good as the white men in the major leagues, but the segregation of that period prohibited any real competition between the races on the diamond. The narrator, an anonymous Negro League player, guides the reader through the entire time line of the NLB, highlighting stories of its greatest players along the way. All throughout the book, Nelson has interspersed the story with paintings of Negro League baseball players and teams.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS: Kadir Nelson truly takes the reader to another world in We Are the Ship. Nelson’s carefully researched book provides vivid detail for the major events of Negro League baseball. And he could not have crafted a more perfect narrator. Though unnamed, the reader can tell that the narrator played alongside all of the big players described throughout the book. The narrator’s informal and relaxed voice gives him an authority to tell this story, his story, if you will; whereas a more formalized voice would not nearly as well communicate the “story” behind the facts. The narrator truly makes it feel as if you are right there with him. And this helps to convey the discrimination that these baseball players endured. Amongst the stories of unbelievable athletic feats, Nelson tells stories like one in which a team slept on their buses before an out-of-town game because none of the hotels would offer them lodging. Today’s readers have not experienced the Jim Crow era, but this book does an effective job of giving the reader a realistic look. One of the book’s biggest strengths are the numerous paintings sprinkled throughout the book. Painted by Nelson himself, they portray either specific players or particular events from the Negro League’s history. As if Nelson’s word choice and research (among other things) did not do enough to create a striking narrative, his paintings definitely add to the story. It is as if the characters in the book are staring right at you, pulling you away and into the story of baseball during the times of segregation.
REVIEW/EXCERPTS:
“We played in a rough league…what made our time a bit harder than most is what we had to deal with in addition to that. White fans would call us names and throw stuff at us on the field, and we couldn’t say a word…Hotels were segregated, too. Many times we would get to a town after riding all day, only to spend a few more hours searching for a place to stay.” P. 23-24 –It was hard to narrow a quote about discrimination to only a few lines (because there were many parts of the book about this, and because shortening them did not do them justice), but I feel this was the best, because it also shows the laid-back nature of the narrator, as well as showing the reader what sorts of segregation the baseball players faced. The narrator does not sound overly bitter in his description of segregated times; it is a matter-of-fact recollection.
New York Times Book Review: The painter Kadir Nelson has illustrated several award-winning children's books, including some on black history. This is the first book he has both illustrated and written, and it's absolutely gorgeous. He uses the conversational, first-person voice of a fictional, anonymous player. It's a device that generally works well and allows him to include many of the great old tales of the Negro Leagues; he conveys the humor, showmanship and joy that were an integral part of the game, without soft-soaping how hard it all was…Nelson's visual narrative is nothing short of magnificent. –Kevin Baker
AWARDS:
2009 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal
2009 Coretta Scott King Award for Authors
RELATED BOOKS:
Shades of Glory: The Negro Leagues and the Story of African-American Baseball By: Lawrence D. Hogan
Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans By: Kadir Nelson
Negro League Baseball: The Rise and Ruin of a Black Institution By: Neil Lanctot
PERSONAL COMMENTS:
This book truly sweeps you off your feet. Nelson’s choice of narrator and his magnificent pictures were two things I think added so much to the story. Between the warm narrator, the well-researched facts, and stunning paintings of the Negro League’s greatest players, We Are the Ship captures the reader; once you start reading, you will not be able to put it down.
HISTORICAL FICTION
(MODULE SEVEN)
OUT OF THE DUST
WRITTEN BY: Karen Hesse
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Hesse, Karen. Out of the Dust. New York: Scholastic Press, 1997. Print.
PLOT SUMMARY: Out of the Dust follows the Kelby family, particularly Billie Jo, the daughter, as they struggle against the elements in western Oklahoma during the worst days of the Dust Bowl. At the beginning of the novel, she is the only child. Life is hard, as the dust storms have ruined many farms, forcing many Okies (like Billie Jo’s best friend) to move to California in search of better opportunities. However, the family finds joy in the fact that Mama is pregnant. The reader also sees some joy in Billie Jo when she plays the piano, a hobby at which she excels. Life is hard for the Kelby family, but there is enough love to go around.
Shortly before the birth of the baby, even more tragedy strikes the Kelbys. As Mama is cooking at the stove, she reaches down for a pail of water. Unfortunately, the pail is filled with kerosene. The accident leaves Mama grossly disfigured and Billie Jo’s hands permanently scarred. A few days later, a tragic accident throws the family into utter turmoil. Billie Jo must push through the incident, in spite of her painfully scarred hands, and she and her father slowly drift apart. Billie Jo does find some relief when she enters a local talent show, but the physical and emotional pain still ache far too much.
Throughout all this, the dust storms still continue, and the worst one yet strands Billie Jo and her father at a stranger’s house. Soon after, she decides that life is too hard in Oklahoma, so she jumps on a train. She spends a few days on the train before realizing that, no matter how hard things may be at home, it is the people around her that make it home. So, she returns to Oklahoma.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
We Are the Ship tells the story of Negro League baseball, from African-Americans’ involvement in baseball’s early history and the formation of the first official Negro National League in 1920, to its rapid decline after Jackie Robinson left the Negro League to become the first African-American to play Major League Baseball. Nelson breaks the book up into nine chapters, or “innings,” taking the reader into the shoddy playing fields and cramped buses that made men such as Oscar Charleston, Wilber “Bullet” Rogan, and James “Cool Papa” Bell. These men played baseball just as good as the white men in the major leagues, but the segregation of that period prohibited any real competition between the races on the diamond. The narrator, an anonymous Negro League player, guides the reader through the entire time line of the NLB, highlighting stories of its greatest players along the way. All throughout the book, Nelson has interspersed the story with paintings of Negro League baseball players and teams.
REVIEW/EXCERPTS:
February 1934
Rules of Dining
“Ma has rules for setting the table.
I place plates upside down,
glasses bottom side up
napkins folded over forks, knives, and spoons.
When dinner is ready,
we sit down together
and Ma says,
"Now."
We shake out our napkins,
spread them on our laps,
and flip over our glasses and plates,
exposing neat circles,
round comments
on what life would be without dust.”
Hesse, page 23
-Students learn about the Dust Bowl in their history classes, but for most, it is simply an event they read about. This excerpt provides the reader vivid imagery as to the daily troubles that families on the Great Plains faced as their farmlands blew away into monstrous dust clouds.
Autumn 1935
“Hard times are about losing spirit,
and hope,
and what happens when dreams dry up.”
Hesse, page 225
-At this point in the book, Billie Jo has reached a point of utter despair. The tragedy that occurred still resonates in her mind, her father is more distant than ever, and the dust storms continue to blow all the hope away. This quote is a perfect summary of Billie Jo’s state.
Publishers Weekly said this of Out of the Dust: “This intimate novel, written in stanza form, poetically conveys the heat, dust and wind of Oklahoma. With each meticulously arranged entry Hesse paints a vivid picture of her heroine's emotions.” I particularly like the point they make about how the verse form paints a picture of Billie Jo’s emotions. The reader may not see Billie Jo’s emotions explicitly written in the text, but Hesse’s use of verse form and occasional visual poetry aid the reader in reading between the lines to see and hear all the things that Billie Jo is saying without saying it.
AWARDS:
1998 Newbery Medal
Scott O'Dell Award
ALA Notable Children's Book
ALA "Best Book"
School Library Journal "Best Book of the Year"
Booklist "Editors' Choice" award
Book Links "Lasting Connection"
Publishers Weekly "Best Book of the Year"
New York Public Library "100 Titles for Reading and Sharing"
RELATED BOOKS:
ROLL OF THUNDER, HEAR MY CRY By: Mildred D. Taylor
BUD, NOT BUDDY By: Christopher Paul Curtis
ESPERANZA RISING By: Pam Munoz Ryan
PERSONAL COMMENTS:
I really enjoyed this book. I am a big fan of Woody Guthrie and attend the Woody Guthrie Music Festival every summer in Okemah, Oklahoma. It is a different town than noted in this book, but the lyrics Woody Guthrie contributed speak of a similar story. The Dust Bowl. Two weeks ago we attended the festival for our 6th year in a row and were pleased to hear various professors all the way from England to El Paso share stories and documentation of the distress and struggle of the people during the Dust Bowl and beyond. I found Out of the Dust brought me to a deeper and more realistic place. Attending a music festival is a good experience and you get to hear a lot of folk music directly derived from Woody, however, it is 3-4 days a summer. This story will sit with me for a while, and it was a way to expand my understanding of life of Okies during the early 1930’s.
WRITTEN BY: Karen Hesse
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Hesse, Karen. Out of the Dust. New York: Scholastic Press, 1997. Print.
PLOT SUMMARY: Out of the Dust follows the Kelby family, particularly Billie Jo, the daughter, as they struggle against the elements in western Oklahoma during the worst days of the Dust Bowl. At the beginning of the novel, she is the only child. Life is hard, as the dust storms have ruined many farms, forcing many Okies (like Billie Jo’s best friend) to move to California in search of better opportunities. However, the family finds joy in the fact that Mama is pregnant. The reader also sees some joy in Billie Jo when she plays the piano, a hobby at which she excels. Life is hard for the Kelby family, but there is enough love to go around.
Shortly before the birth of the baby, even more tragedy strikes the Kelbys. As Mama is cooking at the stove, she reaches down for a pail of water. Unfortunately, the pail is filled with kerosene. The accident leaves Mama grossly disfigured and Billie Jo’s hands permanently scarred. A few days later, a tragic accident throws the family into utter turmoil. Billie Jo must push through the incident, in spite of her painfully scarred hands, and she and her father slowly drift apart. Billie Jo does find some relief when she enters a local talent show, but the physical and emotional pain still ache far too much.
Throughout all this, the dust storms still continue, and the worst one yet strands Billie Jo and her father at a stranger’s house. Soon after, she decides that life is too hard in Oklahoma, so she jumps on a train. She spends a few days on the train before realizing that, no matter how hard things may be at home, it is the people around her that make it home. So, she returns to Oklahoma.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
We Are the Ship tells the story of Negro League baseball, from African-Americans’ involvement in baseball’s early history and the formation of the first official Negro National League in 1920, to its rapid decline after Jackie Robinson left the Negro League to become the first African-American to play Major League Baseball. Nelson breaks the book up into nine chapters, or “innings,” taking the reader into the shoddy playing fields and cramped buses that made men such as Oscar Charleston, Wilber “Bullet” Rogan, and James “Cool Papa” Bell. These men played baseball just as good as the white men in the major leagues, but the segregation of that period prohibited any real competition between the races on the diamond. The narrator, an anonymous Negro League player, guides the reader through the entire time line of the NLB, highlighting stories of its greatest players along the way. All throughout the book, Nelson has interspersed the story with paintings of Negro League baseball players and teams.
REVIEW/EXCERPTS:
February 1934
Rules of Dining
“Ma has rules for setting the table.
I place plates upside down,
glasses bottom side up
napkins folded over forks, knives, and spoons.
When dinner is ready,
we sit down together
and Ma says,
"Now."
We shake out our napkins,
spread them on our laps,
and flip over our glasses and plates,
exposing neat circles,
round comments
on what life would be without dust.”
Hesse, page 23
-Students learn about the Dust Bowl in their history classes, but for most, it is simply an event they read about. This excerpt provides the reader vivid imagery as to the daily troubles that families on the Great Plains faced as their farmlands blew away into monstrous dust clouds.
Autumn 1935
“Hard times are about losing spirit,
and hope,
and what happens when dreams dry up.”
Hesse, page 225
-At this point in the book, Billie Jo has reached a point of utter despair. The tragedy that occurred still resonates in her mind, her father is more distant than ever, and the dust storms continue to blow all the hope away. This quote is a perfect summary of Billie Jo’s state.
Publishers Weekly said this of Out of the Dust: “This intimate novel, written in stanza form, poetically conveys the heat, dust and wind of Oklahoma. With each meticulously arranged entry Hesse paints a vivid picture of her heroine's emotions.” I particularly like the point they make about how the verse form paints a picture of Billie Jo’s emotions. The reader may not see Billie Jo’s emotions explicitly written in the text, but Hesse’s use of verse form and occasional visual poetry aid the reader in reading between the lines to see and hear all the things that Billie Jo is saying without saying it.
AWARDS:
1998 Newbery Medal
Scott O'Dell Award
ALA Notable Children's Book
ALA "Best Book"
School Library Journal "Best Book of the Year"
Booklist "Editors' Choice" award
Book Links "Lasting Connection"
Publishers Weekly "Best Book of the Year"
New York Public Library "100 Titles for Reading and Sharing"
RELATED BOOKS:
ROLL OF THUNDER, HEAR MY CRY By: Mildred D. Taylor
BUD, NOT BUDDY By: Christopher Paul Curtis
ESPERANZA RISING By: Pam Munoz Ryan
PERSONAL COMMENTS:
I really enjoyed this book. I am a big fan of Woody Guthrie and attend the Woody Guthrie Music Festival every summer in Okemah, Oklahoma. It is a different town than noted in this book, but the lyrics Woody Guthrie contributed speak of a similar story. The Dust Bowl. Two weeks ago we attended the festival for our 6th year in a row and were pleased to hear various professors all the way from England to El Paso share stories and documentation of the distress and struggle of the people during the Dust Bowl and beyond. I found Out of the Dust brought me to a deeper and more realistic place. Attending a music festival is a good experience and you get to hear a lot of folk music directly derived from Woody, however, it is 3-4 days a summer. This story will sit with me for a while, and it was a way to expand my understanding of life of Okies during the early 1930’s.
ADVENTURE, SPORTS, MYSTERIES, AND WESTERNS
(MODULE SIX)
(MODULE SIX)
PAPER TOWNS
WRITTEN BY: John Green
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Green, John. Paper Towns. New York: Dutton Books, 2008. Print.
PLOT SUMMARY:
Paper Towns begins with the main character, Quentin Jacobsen, describing his friendship with Margo Spiegelman. They grew up as neighbors in Jefferson Park, FL. At the age of nine, they wandered upon a dead body while playing together in their neighborhood park. While Quentin takes two steps back in horror, Margo takes two small steps forward in amazement. Quentin’s parents call the police, and later that night Margo and Quentin discuss the day’s events. After that night, Margo and Quentin gradually grow apart.
The book then fast-forwards to Quentin’s senior year of high school, and the reader meets his two best friends, Ben and “Radar.” The reader sees an ordinary day in the life of Quentin (also known in the book as “Q”), and all seems normal until the end of that day. Just before midnight, Margo knocks on his bedroom window. Though initially reluctant, Q joins Margo on a mission to perform a list of eleven tasks, mostly for revenge. While Margo does most of the talking all night, Quentin reflects on the romantic feelings he has felt for Margo since they were young. As reserved and introspective as Q is, Margo is equally vivacious, rowdy, and unpredictable. She is a popular student, and she is known for her erratic behavior, leaving for several days at a time, with seemingly random clues left behind. This late night trip, which includes breaking into SeaWorld, seems to be something Margo would do, but Quentin can’t think of a more exciting night in his life. This only fuels his suppressed romantic feelings for Margo, but she lets Q know that this won’t happen. That night, Margo tells Q that they live in a “paper town,” but Q is not quite sure what she means.
The next morning, a very tired Quentin arises for school, and there is no trace of Margo. At lunch, Q shares with Ben all the details from the previous night’s adventures. Then, the reader finds out that several of the people whom were victims of Margo’s actions had trashed the bikes of several underclassmen. Inspired by Margo’s fearlessness the night before, Quentin fights back against their retaliation and ensures that the innocent victims were properly compensated. When Q returns home that afternoon, he walks in on his and Margo’s parents talking with a police detective. Her parents are fed up with the erratic behavior and vow to change their locks. The detective warns Quentin about girls like Margo, who seem to endlessly float around, but reassures him that she will return home. Quentin shares the information with Ben, and when they go to peek through Margo’s window, they see a poster of Woody Guthrie that they take to be a sign from Margo. Later, Q, Ben, and Radar sneak into her house, discovering a wealth of vinyl records in her room, along with a copy of Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass.
At school the next day, Quentin runs into Lacey, another victim of Margo’s crazy night. The two girls were once friends, but a misunderstanding has created a rift between them. As the days pass, Margo has still not returned, and the group of friends is preparing excitedly for prom (though Q is more focused on Margo). Following clues from Leaves of Grass, Quentin and his friends find a clue from Margo: the address to an abandoned strip mall (they called them “pseudovisions,” abandoned residential developments). The boys drive out to the strip mall and discover signs that someone (maybe Margo) has been staying there. All the while, Quentin has painful deliberations over whether Margo intended for him to find her alive. On prom night, Q lies to his parents, telling them he has suddenly decided to go stag to the prom; in reality, he drives out again to the strip mall. There, he discovers that the entryway they made into the strip mall had been taped up; in addition, Q found minor changes to the area they had discovered, and he re-reads Leaves of Grass in an attempt to better understand Margo and her actions. He passes out in the strip mall, woken up by a phone call from an obviously drunk Ben, who wants him to act as designated driver. Quentin reluctantly complies, and his time at the party leaves him frustrated by all the superficiality shown by the partygoers. Quentin and his friends investigate the other four “pseudovisions” in their area, but there is no sign of Margo. As graduation approaches, Quentin’s friends are frustrated that he spends so much time searching in vain for Margo. He spends more time with them, but his thoughts inevitably gravitate toward Margo. Q is on the verge of giving up his search for Margo, but at the last minute he discovers a clue, and a series of other clues lead Q and his friends to discover Margo’s location: New York state. Margo leaves a clue on a user-edited internet encyclopedia article regarding “copyright infringement protection on maps”: towns that existed only on maps to discourage forgery; these were also known as “paper towns,” which Q realized was the same thing as their “pseudovisions.”
Quentin, Ben, Radar, and Lacey decide to ditch graduation and make the 19-hour drive from Florida to New York. Radar calculates their exact route, down to the speed and pit stops. The readers have an hour-by-hour commentary of the road trip, as Quentin intermittently shares his rapidly changing feelings about Margo with the reader. The trip has been so good, in spite of several obstacles; so good, in fact, that Quentin thinks he can thrive with his friends, and without Margo. After twenty-one hours, the friends finally make it to Algoe, NY, a “paper town” where Margo might possibly be. After a little exploring, they find Margo, who is in no trouble at all. There is an initially happy reunion, but Margo’s seeming ambivalence toward their presence angers the entire group. Soon, Margo and Quentin discuss all the events of the past few weeks. Margo explains her actions to Quentin, and Q gradually understands that he has seen Margo in a light that did not necessarily mirror reality. They discuss their individual directions in life and finally gaining a more true perception of the other person.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
Paper Towns would be a great read for young adults. The main character, Quentin is intelligent and internet-savvy; the setting of the book closely resembles today’s high schools. The YA reader would walk into a literary world not too unlike his own. As Quentin goes throughout each day of the last month of high school, he shares with the reader his feelings about Margo and his feelings about the world. John Green does a fantastic job of showing Quentin’s personal emotional journey through the use of Walt Whitman’s poem “Song of Myself” in Leaves of Grass. Quentin begins the book having an idealized idea of Margo, but as he repeatedly reads Whitman’s poem and deliberates on the meaning of the word “grass” (underlined several times in Leaves of Grass by Margo), he continues to discover more and more about himself, as well as the ways in which he has inaccurately viewed Margo. Quentin refers several times to the connectedness of the entirety of the leaves of grass, and this corresponds to the feeling of connectedness between Quentin and the important people in his life. Green’s choice to use “Song of Myself” as a tool through which Q matures into a more self-aware person is perfect. It shows the multiple meanings of grass that Quentin (and presumably Green) found in Whitman’s poem, and it reflects the multiple identities that Quentin creates for Margo.
In addition to the evolving meaning of Green’s grass symbolism, paper towns, too, has an evolving meaning throughout the book. Initially, Margo uses the term to refer to the persons and towns surrounding them, full of superficial and shallow people. Later, Quentin mistakes the meaning of the word to refer to abandoned subdivisions (as he had made this seemingly true discovery online), and Q and his friends futilely search through several deserted strip malls. The true meaning of “paper towns,” it turns out, refers to towns that exist only on a map and not in reality. This revelation leads Quentin and his friends to the hiding place of Margo. In the end, Margo and Quentin realize they have created a “paper town” version of one another, something that exists only on paper, per se, and does not match up with reality.
I think that the point of view that John Green writes will make this book more enticing to YA readers. It is written from a first-person perspective. Quentin is a senior in high school and finds himself somewhere in the lower half of the social ladder. His comments and commentary throughout the book show no restraint, and the reader clearly sees all of Quentin’s strengths and vulnerabilities. Q’s language is up-front and informal; it is filled with technological jargon familiar to today’s gaming youth. The emotional struggles Quentin encounters (particularly regarding Margo) mirror those of many high school males, and this similarity of circumstances will draw in many high school male readers. The fact that this story could happen in their town, in their group of friends, will keep readers glued from start to finish.
This would be a good book for many high school readers. The adventure of searching for a missing friend will attract and hook YA readers, particularly males, into following Quentin on his journey from boy to man, from Florida to New York. The dialogue Green uses between the teenage characters, particularly between the boys, can sometimes be crude and crass, with some use of profanity. As such, this book might be set aside for older readers, and for those students who can appropriately handle the crude language.
REVIEW/EXCERPTS:
"Margo always loved mysteries. And in everything that came afterward, I could never stop thinking that maybe she loved mysteries so much that she became one." (Green, p. 8). " I love this quote from the prologue, because it is a perfect foreshadowing of Margo. Margo and Quentin were polar opposites, and her reaction to finding a deceased man is completely opposite of Quentin’s, which boggles him. Soon after this point in the book, we learn that Margo’s teenage years finding her disappearing completely for days at a time, and the bulk of the book centers on her most recent mysterious disappearance. From the beginning, Q admits that Margo is a mystery to him. This quote also foreshadows the fact that Quentin has never truly known Margo, as she has always been a mystery to him
"The fundamental mistake I had always made - and that she had, in fairness, always led me to make - was this: Margo was not a miracle. She was not an adventure. She was not a fine and precious thing. She was a girl." (Green, p. 199). This quote, a little over halfway through the book, serves as a good snapshot of Quentin’s changing feelings toward Margo. In the beginning of Paper Towns, Q finds himself infatuated with the mysterious Margo, his friends from younger days. As he spends more time with Margo, and spends more and more time searching for her, he gradually realizes that his view of Margo might not be the most accurate portrayal. This transformation is complete by the end of the book, and this quote shows that his ideas of Margo might not be real.
RELATED BOOKS:
AN ABUNDANCE OF KATHERINES By: John Green
LOOKING FOR ALASKA By: John Green
IF I STAY By: Gayle Forman
THIRTEEN REASONS WHY By: Jay Asher
PERSONAL COMMENTS:
The story builds up, and at the end, it doesn’t really satisfy that build-up. I didn’t want Quentin’s darkest fears to be true, but the build-up to the climax ended up being a bit of a letdown. At the end, Margo and Quentin bury a book that she had been writing in, but there was little explanation beforehand as to the book’s purpose. The author could have brought that book into the story earlier.
WRITTEN BY: John Green
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Green, John. Paper Towns. New York: Dutton Books, 2008. Print.
PLOT SUMMARY:
Paper Towns begins with the main character, Quentin Jacobsen, describing his friendship with Margo Spiegelman. They grew up as neighbors in Jefferson Park, FL. At the age of nine, they wandered upon a dead body while playing together in their neighborhood park. While Quentin takes two steps back in horror, Margo takes two small steps forward in amazement. Quentin’s parents call the police, and later that night Margo and Quentin discuss the day’s events. After that night, Margo and Quentin gradually grow apart.
The book then fast-forwards to Quentin’s senior year of high school, and the reader meets his two best friends, Ben and “Radar.” The reader sees an ordinary day in the life of Quentin (also known in the book as “Q”), and all seems normal until the end of that day. Just before midnight, Margo knocks on his bedroom window. Though initially reluctant, Q joins Margo on a mission to perform a list of eleven tasks, mostly for revenge. While Margo does most of the talking all night, Quentin reflects on the romantic feelings he has felt for Margo since they were young. As reserved and introspective as Q is, Margo is equally vivacious, rowdy, and unpredictable. She is a popular student, and she is known for her erratic behavior, leaving for several days at a time, with seemingly random clues left behind. This late night trip, which includes breaking into SeaWorld, seems to be something Margo would do, but Quentin can’t think of a more exciting night in his life. This only fuels his suppressed romantic feelings for Margo, but she lets Q know that this won’t happen. That night, Margo tells Q that they live in a “paper town,” but Q is not quite sure what she means.
The next morning, a very tired Quentin arises for school, and there is no trace of Margo. At lunch, Q shares with Ben all the details from the previous night’s adventures. Then, the reader finds out that several of the people whom were victims of Margo’s actions had trashed the bikes of several underclassmen. Inspired by Margo’s fearlessness the night before, Quentin fights back against their retaliation and ensures that the innocent victims were properly compensated. When Q returns home that afternoon, he walks in on his and Margo’s parents talking with a police detective. Her parents are fed up with the erratic behavior and vow to change their locks. The detective warns Quentin about girls like Margo, who seem to endlessly float around, but reassures him that she will return home. Quentin shares the information with Ben, and when they go to peek through Margo’s window, they see a poster of Woody Guthrie that they take to be a sign from Margo. Later, Q, Ben, and Radar sneak into her house, discovering a wealth of vinyl records in her room, along with a copy of Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass.
At school the next day, Quentin runs into Lacey, another victim of Margo’s crazy night. The two girls were once friends, but a misunderstanding has created a rift between them. As the days pass, Margo has still not returned, and the group of friends is preparing excitedly for prom (though Q is more focused on Margo). Following clues from Leaves of Grass, Quentin and his friends find a clue from Margo: the address to an abandoned strip mall (they called them “pseudovisions,” abandoned residential developments). The boys drive out to the strip mall and discover signs that someone (maybe Margo) has been staying there. All the while, Quentin has painful deliberations over whether Margo intended for him to find her alive. On prom night, Q lies to his parents, telling them he has suddenly decided to go stag to the prom; in reality, he drives out again to the strip mall. There, he discovers that the entryway they made into the strip mall had been taped up; in addition, Q found minor changes to the area they had discovered, and he re-reads Leaves of Grass in an attempt to better understand Margo and her actions. He passes out in the strip mall, woken up by a phone call from an obviously drunk Ben, who wants him to act as designated driver. Quentin reluctantly complies, and his time at the party leaves him frustrated by all the superficiality shown by the partygoers. Quentin and his friends investigate the other four “pseudovisions” in their area, but there is no sign of Margo. As graduation approaches, Quentin’s friends are frustrated that he spends so much time searching in vain for Margo. He spends more time with them, but his thoughts inevitably gravitate toward Margo. Q is on the verge of giving up his search for Margo, but at the last minute he discovers a clue, and a series of other clues lead Q and his friends to discover Margo’s location: New York state. Margo leaves a clue on a user-edited internet encyclopedia article regarding “copyright infringement protection on maps”: towns that existed only on maps to discourage forgery; these were also known as “paper towns,” which Q realized was the same thing as their “pseudovisions.”
Quentin, Ben, Radar, and Lacey decide to ditch graduation and make the 19-hour drive from Florida to New York. Radar calculates their exact route, down to the speed and pit stops. The readers have an hour-by-hour commentary of the road trip, as Quentin intermittently shares his rapidly changing feelings about Margo with the reader. The trip has been so good, in spite of several obstacles; so good, in fact, that Quentin thinks he can thrive with his friends, and without Margo. After twenty-one hours, the friends finally make it to Algoe, NY, a “paper town” where Margo might possibly be. After a little exploring, they find Margo, who is in no trouble at all. There is an initially happy reunion, but Margo’s seeming ambivalence toward their presence angers the entire group. Soon, Margo and Quentin discuss all the events of the past few weeks. Margo explains her actions to Quentin, and Q gradually understands that he has seen Margo in a light that did not necessarily mirror reality. They discuss their individual directions in life and finally gaining a more true perception of the other person.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
Paper Towns would be a great read for young adults. The main character, Quentin is intelligent and internet-savvy; the setting of the book closely resembles today’s high schools. The YA reader would walk into a literary world not too unlike his own. As Quentin goes throughout each day of the last month of high school, he shares with the reader his feelings about Margo and his feelings about the world. John Green does a fantastic job of showing Quentin’s personal emotional journey through the use of Walt Whitman’s poem “Song of Myself” in Leaves of Grass. Quentin begins the book having an idealized idea of Margo, but as he repeatedly reads Whitman’s poem and deliberates on the meaning of the word “grass” (underlined several times in Leaves of Grass by Margo), he continues to discover more and more about himself, as well as the ways in which he has inaccurately viewed Margo. Quentin refers several times to the connectedness of the entirety of the leaves of grass, and this corresponds to the feeling of connectedness between Quentin and the important people in his life. Green’s choice to use “Song of Myself” as a tool through which Q matures into a more self-aware person is perfect. It shows the multiple meanings of grass that Quentin (and presumably Green) found in Whitman’s poem, and it reflects the multiple identities that Quentin creates for Margo.
In addition to the evolving meaning of Green’s grass symbolism, paper towns, too, has an evolving meaning throughout the book. Initially, Margo uses the term to refer to the persons and towns surrounding them, full of superficial and shallow people. Later, Quentin mistakes the meaning of the word to refer to abandoned subdivisions (as he had made this seemingly true discovery online), and Q and his friends futilely search through several deserted strip malls. The true meaning of “paper towns,” it turns out, refers to towns that exist only on a map and not in reality. This revelation leads Quentin and his friends to the hiding place of Margo. In the end, Margo and Quentin realize they have created a “paper town” version of one another, something that exists only on paper, per se, and does not match up with reality.
I think that the point of view that John Green writes will make this book more enticing to YA readers. It is written from a first-person perspective. Quentin is a senior in high school and finds himself somewhere in the lower half of the social ladder. His comments and commentary throughout the book show no restraint, and the reader clearly sees all of Quentin’s strengths and vulnerabilities. Q’s language is up-front and informal; it is filled with technological jargon familiar to today’s gaming youth. The emotional struggles Quentin encounters (particularly regarding Margo) mirror those of many high school males, and this similarity of circumstances will draw in many high school male readers. The fact that this story could happen in their town, in their group of friends, will keep readers glued from start to finish.
This would be a good book for many high school readers. The adventure of searching for a missing friend will attract and hook YA readers, particularly males, into following Quentin on his journey from boy to man, from Florida to New York. The dialogue Green uses between the teenage characters, particularly between the boys, can sometimes be crude and crass, with some use of profanity. As such, this book might be set aside for older readers, and for those students who can appropriately handle the crude language.
REVIEW/EXCERPTS:
"Margo always loved mysteries. And in everything that came afterward, I could never stop thinking that maybe she loved mysteries so much that she became one." (Green, p. 8). " I love this quote from the prologue, because it is a perfect foreshadowing of Margo. Margo and Quentin were polar opposites, and her reaction to finding a deceased man is completely opposite of Quentin’s, which boggles him. Soon after this point in the book, we learn that Margo’s teenage years finding her disappearing completely for days at a time, and the bulk of the book centers on her most recent mysterious disappearance. From the beginning, Q admits that Margo is a mystery to him. This quote also foreshadows the fact that Quentin has never truly known Margo, as she has always been a mystery to him
"The fundamental mistake I had always made - and that she had, in fairness, always led me to make - was this: Margo was not a miracle. She was not an adventure. She was not a fine and precious thing. She was a girl." (Green, p. 199). This quote, a little over halfway through the book, serves as a good snapshot of Quentin’s changing feelings toward Margo. In the beginning of Paper Towns, Q finds himself infatuated with the mysterious Margo, his friends from younger days. As he spends more time with Margo, and spends more and more time searching for her, he gradually realizes that his view of Margo might not be the most accurate portrayal. This transformation is complete by the end of the book, and this quote shows that his ideas of Margo might not be real.
RELATED BOOKS:
AN ABUNDANCE OF KATHERINES By: John Green
LOOKING FOR ALASKA By: John Green
IF I STAY By: Gayle Forman
THIRTEEN REASONS WHY By: Jay Asher
PERSONAL COMMENTS:
The story builds up, and at the end, it doesn’t really satisfy that build-up. I didn’t want Quentin’s darkest fears to be true, but the build-up to the climax ended up being a bit of a letdown. At the end, Margo and Quentin bury a book that she had been writing in, but there was little explanation beforehand as to the book’s purpose. The author could have brought that book into the story earlier.
FANTASY, SCIENCE FICTION, AND THE SUPERNATURAL
(MODULE FIVE)
SON
WRITTEN BY: LOIS LOWRY
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Lowry, Lois. Son. New York: Random House, 2012.
PLOT SUMMARY: Son follows Claire, a teenage girl in a seemingly utopian society. She was one chosen to be a “Vessel,” or a birth mother. However, during the labor process, complications occur, and later a committee in her utopian community informs her that she has been decommissioned from the birthing position and will now be working at a fish hatchery. At the hatchery, she befriends a girl who worked at the “Nurturing Center,” where newborns spend their first few years. Claire uses this friendship to spend time with her child, whom she had no contact with during birth. She learns from one of the attendants that her son hasn’t developed normally, and she spends every waking moment thinking about her son, even beginning to figure out ways to take him and run away from their community. However, before she has a chance to act on these thoughts, a boy named Jonas has taken her child and left the town. She then boards a supply boat that has brought things for their community in order to escape.
The boat wrecks out at sea, and Claire washes up in a distant seaside village. The villagers take her in, and she is gradually nursed back to health, though she has no memory of the past. As she spends time here, bits of memory return, though she still questions much about her origin. Additionally, she learns about the world outside of her community (for example, she previously had no concept of colors or animals, other than fish). Upon seeing a villager give birth, Claire’s birthing experiences return subconsciously, and she slowly begins to remember more and more of her past. She notices that she has a scar on her stomach and it brings back recollections of her birthing a child. She often thinks of the child and various memories continue to return to her. Claire finds a villager who has traversed the steep cliffs on the inner side of the village. She begins a friendship with him and he begins to teach her how to climb out of where they are. He trains her for years and prepares her to go and find her son. Once she climbs out, she runs into a man who holds a large amount of power- evil power. He has so much power he makes deals with people in place of a wish. She reluctantly makes a deal with him. She trades her youth for her son.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS: I am typically not a person that reads this kind of genre; however, this book spends so much time developing the characters that, when the climax finally occurs, you are so attached that you keep reading. The story follows Claire as she continually fights and pushes to find her son. Her mental journey from age 11 until she washes up on shore with no memory, to her discovery of a son, pushed the ideas of passion, love, and most of all determination. The supernatural portion of this book comes near to the end and by that time you are rooting for something special to happen so that Claire’s journey is fulfilled.
REVIEW/EXCERPTS:
The strength Claire has and the determination she holds resonates throughout the entire book as you see her journey from an automaton to a woman willing to give her life to find her son. “She would rather die, Claire realized, before she would give up the love she felt for her son” (Lowry, page 116) As a mother of two kids I can relate to Clare’s love she has for her child. "I must find him.” (Lowry, Book II, Chap. 8, p. 194)
As Claire is regaining her strength and her memory she begins to work with a midwife. She attends births and helps her as an assistant. Random thoughts and feelings return to her as she is helping with a birth. She says, “Give Bryn her baby!” (Lowry, book II, Chap. 7, p. 191) This shocks the midwife and she is confused as the thought of someone not being given their baby is inconceivable. This just confirms how starkly different these two worlds are. The community that Claire grew up in seems so distant and otherworldly that it is hard for Claire to remember ever being there.
RELATED BOOKS:
THE GIVER BY: LOIS LOWRY
GATHERING BLUE BY: LOIS LOWRY
MESSENGER BY: LOIS LOWRY
PERSONAL COMMENTS: I was very excited to see this book on the list for this week. I read The Giver long ago and looked forward to its sequel. I re-read The Giver so it would be fresh in my mind going into this book, although, if you haven't read the first book you can still read this one without interruption. I enjoyed Claire’s character and related to the love she has for her child. I would recommend reading the other two books within the series, as there are characters that are strewn throughout the books who come back into the picture. I typically do not lean toward books that are in the supernatural or fantasy genre, but this book changed my mind. Whether you read this book as a stand alone, or as the fourth book in the series, Son is a journey worth taking!
WRITTEN BY: LOIS LOWRY
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Lowry, Lois. Son. New York: Random House, 2012.
PLOT SUMMARY: Son follows Claire, a teenage girl in a seemingly utopian society. She was one chosen to be a “Vessel,” or a birth mother. However, during the labor process, complications occur, and later a committee in her utopian community informs her that she has been decommissioned from the birthing position and will now be working at a fish hatchery. At the hatchery, she befriends a girl who worked at the “Nurturing Center,” where newborns spend their first few years. Claire uses this friendship to spend time with her child, whom she had no contact with during birth. She learns from one of the attendants that her son hasn’t developed normally, and she spends every waking moment thinking about her son, even beginning to figure out ways to take him and run away from their community. However, before she has a chance to act on these thoughts, a boy named Jonas has taken her child and left the town. She then boards a supply boat that has brought things for their community in order to escape.
The boat wrecks out at sea, and Claire washes up in a distant seaside village. The villagers take her in, and she is gradually nursed back to health, though she has no memory of the past. As she spends time here, bits of memory return, though she still questions much about her origin. Additionally, she learns about the world outside of her community (for example, she previously had no concept of colors or animals, other than fish). Upon seeing a villager give birth, Claire’s birthing experiences return subconsciously, and she slowly begins to remember more and more of her past. She notices that she has a scar on her stomach and it brings back recollections of her birthing a child. She often thinks of the child and various memories continue to return to her. Claire finds a villager who has traversed the steep cliffs on the inner side of the village. She begins a friendship with him and he begins to teach her how to climb out of where they are. He trains her for years and prepares her to go and find her son. Once she climbs out, she runs into a man who holds a large amount of power- evil power. He has so much power he makes deals with people in place of a wish. She reluctantly makes a deal with him. She trades her youth for her son.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS: I am typically not a person that reads this kind of genre; however, this book spends so much time developing the characters that, when the climax finally occurs, you are so attached that you keep reading. The story follows Claire as she continually fights and pushes to find her son. Her mental journey from age 11 until she washes up on shore with no memory, to her discovery of a son, pushed the ideas of passion, love, and most of all determination. The supernatural portion of this book comes near to the end and by that time you are rooting for something special to happen so that Claire’s journey is fulfilled.
REVIEW/EXCERPTS:
The strength Claire has and the determination she holds resonates throughout the entire book as you see her journey from an automaton to a woman willing to give her life to find her son. “She would rather die, Claire realized, before she would give up the love she felt for her son” (Lowry, page 116) As a mother of two kids I can relate to Clare’s love she has for her child. "I must find him.” (Lowry, Book II, Chap. 8, p. 194)
As Claire is regaining her strength and her memory she begins to work with a midwife. She attends births and helps her as an assistant. Random thoughts and feelings return to her as she is helping with a birth. She says, “Give Bryn her baby!” (Lowry, book II, Chap. 7, p. 191) This shocks the midwife and she is confused as the thought of someone not being given their baby is inconceivable. This just confirms how starkly different these two worlds are. The community that Claire grew up in seems so distant and otherworldly that it is hard for Claire to remember ever being there.
RELATED BOOKS:
THE GIVER BY: LOIS LOWRY
GATHERING BLUE BY: LOIS LOWRY
MESSENGER BY: LOIS LOWRY
PERSONAL COMMENTS: I was very excited to see this book on the list for this week. I read The Giver long ago and looked forward to its sequel. I re-read The Giver so it would be fresh in my mind going into this book, although, if you haven't read the first book you can still read this one without interruption. I enjoyed Claire’s character and related to the love she has for her child. I would recommend reading the other two books within the series, as there are characters that are strewn throughout the books who come back into the picture. I typically do not lean toward books that are in the supernatural or fantasy genre, but this book changed my mind. Whether you read this book as a stand alone, or as the fourth book in the series, Son is a journey worth taking!
BOOK TALK: WHERE THINGS COME BACK BY JOHN COREY WHALEY
Hello! Here is the link for my video book talk geared toward young adults.
It is about the book Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley.
Enjoy and please feel free to leave any questions or comments you may have!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pI-VHwymDkg
It is about the book Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley.
Enjoy and please feel free to leave any questions or comments you may have!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pI-VHwymDkg
CONTEMPORARY REALISTIC FICTION
(MODULE FOUR)
THIRTEEN REASONS WHY
WRITTEN BY: JAY ASHER
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Asher, Jay. Thirteen Reasons Why. : Random House, 2012. Print.
PLOT SUMMARY: Hannah Baker is a teenage girl who committed suicide two weeks ago. What she left behind are a series of cassette tapes that outline, in detail, the various reasons (and more importantly) various people responsible. Could you imagine hearing your name on one of those tapes? The nerves leading up to hearing your name? The guilt you would feel after you realized what you did was that detrimental? Could you have saved her? Well, this haunting tale is exactly what 13 people experienced in this book as told through the eyes of Clay, the seventh person revealed on the tapes. The real-time interaction Clay reports as he listens to the tapes expose the dark secrets behind the high school and its students. Clay anonymously receives the box of tapes and is quickly drawn into the mystery surrounding the suicide of a girl he once cared for. A girl he connected with, on a night not many people will forget. Hannah’s life began to worsen, as people she thought were friends started rumors about her. Gossip and lies built up a reputation that was Hannah’s ultimate demise. Among this, teenage drinking, peeping toms, drugs, sex, rape, gossip, lies, death, betrayal and many other misfortunes flood Hannah’s life and lead her to what she thought was her only choice: ending her life. The secrets on the tapes could ruin the lives of the 13 people, as some of the incidents revealed are criminal in nature.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
This book was gripping from the start. Beginning with such a dark storyline was a little uncomfortable for me, as I haven’t read many books that share such gritty realism and dark subject matter. Once the reasons behind Clays inclusion are revealed, it is evident that he was a special part of her life, if only for a moment. It was not because he did something detrimental, rather, because of the romantic and close relationship both Hannah and Clay foresaw between them, it wasn’t a disappointment. As a reader I felt an understanding as to why Hannah included Clay in the tapes. She needed him to understand where she was. Where her mind and heart were the night they connected so closely. It was a bittersweet story that I attached to real quick. The author, Jay Asher, chose to write this book after walking in a museum tour and listening to a lady on tape tell him exactly what he was thinking about, regarding the art before his eyes. He was so intrigued by this mode of delivery that he chose to write a book in the same manner. This unique form of narration serves the reader well because it allows the reader to really dive into Clay and Hannah’s world.
REVIEW/EXCERPTS:
In the book Hannah continually refers to her experience at a snowball effect. It all started with a first kiss. A kiss she had dreamed about for a while. The kiss itself fulfilled her hopes, however, the rumors that continued thereafter was the start of her undoing. “A rumor based on a kiss ruined a memory that I hoped would be special. A rumor based on a kiss started a reputation that people believed in and reacted to.” (Asher, p. 30-31) Reputation is something Hannah seems to be running from in this book and that is an unfortunate thing as lies, gossip, and rumors can destroy a person, as played out in this story.
Some of the things Hannah reveals in her tapes are even deeper secrets than the listeners know. For example, when Clay is at the party with Hannah, he sees the two people on the couch next to her. He knows their names. He knows that Hannah is talking about them in the tapes but wonders why she doesn’t mention their names. The story continues and he realizes why. It’s because the girl, as later revealed, was raped as she was passed out at the party. She was protecting the girl, but Clay knew. Another time Clay figured out a deeper understanding of secret is when Hannah was talking about Bryce, a character who is known to be violent, especially with girls. “I know who Hannah's talking about now. I've seen his wrist-grabbing stunt before. (Asher, p. 48)”
(SPOILER ALERT) The ending of the book leaves you feeling as if Hannah’s death, and her story, was not totally in vein. “But Skye’s walking down the same stretch of hall where I watched Hannah slip away two weeks ago. On that day, Hannah disappeared into a crowd of students, allowing the tapes to say her good-bye. But I can still hear the footsteps of Skye Miller, sounding weaker and weaker the further she gets. And I start walking, toward her.” (Asher, p. 287) Clay sees the same situation possibly occurring all over again, and he doesn’t think twice about what to do. This time he has a chance to do something about it, and the reader can assume he does.
AWARDS:
2011 #1 New York Times bestseller (US/paperback)
2010 Georgia Peach Book Awards for Teen Readers
2009 International Reading Association Young Adults' Choice list
2009 Writing Conference's Literature Festival
2008 Best Books for Young Adults YALSA
2008 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers YALSA
2008 Selected Audiobooks for Young Adults YALSA
2008 California Book Award winner - Young Adult
RELATED BOOKS:
IF I STAY BY: GAYLE FORMAN
LOOKING FOR ALASKA BY: JOHN GREEN
BEFORE I FALL BY: LAUREN OLIVER
PERSONAL COMMENTS:
Overall I would say this book was tough and emotionally draining, and at the end amazing. I recommend it for readers who want to connect to a tragic yet sweet story. As the story unraveled one cassette tape after another, I understood more about Hannah and her feelings. I was left with laughter and tears. I was surprised and sad. I was hopeful for Clay and his life-altering journey through the last days of Hannah’s life, and thereafter.
WRITTEN BY: JAY ASHER
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Asher, Jay. Thirteen Reasons Why. : Random House, 2012. Print.
PLOT SUMMARY: Hannah Baker is a teenage girl who committed suicide two weeks ago. What she left behind are a series of cassette tapes that outline, in detail, the various reasons (and more importantly) various people responsible. Could you imagine hearing your name on one of those tapes? The nerves leading up to hearing your name? The guilt you would feel after you realized what you did was that detrimental? Could you have saved her? Well, this haunting tale is exactly what 13 people experienced in this book as told through the eyes of Clay, the seventh person revealed on the tapes. The real-time interaction Clay reports as he listens to the tapes expose the dark secrets behind the high school and its students. Clay anonymously receives the box of tapes and is quickly drawn into the mystery surrounding the suicide of a girl he once cared for. A girl he connected with, on a night not many people will forget. Hannah’s life began to worsen, as people she thought were friends started rumors about her. Gossip and lies built up a reputation that was Hannah’s ultimate demise. Among this, teenage drinking, peeping toms, drugs, sex, rape, gossip, lies, death, betrayal and many other misfortunes flood Hannah’s life and lead her to what she thought was her only choice: ending her life. The secrets on the tapes could ruin the lives of the 13 people, as some of the incidents revealed are criminal in nature.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
This book was gripping from the start. Beginning with such a dark storyline was a little uncomfortable for me, as I haven’t read many books that share such gritty realism and dark subject matter. Once the reasons behind Clays inclusion are revealed, it is evident that he was a special part of her life, if only for a moment. It was not because he did something detrimental, rather, because of the romantic and close relationship both Hannah and Clay foresaw between them, it wasn’t a disappointment. As a reader I felt an understanding as to why Hannah included Clay in the tapes. She needed him to understand where she was. Where her mind and heart were the night they connected so closely. It was a bittersweet story that I attached to real quick. The author, Jay Asher, chose to write this book after walking in a museum tour and listening to a lady on tape tell him exactly what he was thinking about, regarding the art before his eyes. He was so intrigued by this mode of delivery that he chose to write a book in the same manner. This unique form of narration serves the reader well because it allows the reader to really dive into Clay and Hannah’s world.
REVIEW/EXCERPTS:
In the book Hannah continually refers to her experience at a snowball effect. It all started with a first kiss. A kiss she had dreamed about for a while. The kiss itself fulfilled her hopes, however, the rumors that continued thereafter was the start of her undoing. “A rumor based on a kiss ruined a memory that I hoped would be special. A rumor based on a kiss started a reputation that people believed in and reacted to.” (Asher, p. 30-31) Reputation is something Hannah seems to be running from in this book and that is an unfortunate thing as lies, gossip, and rumors can destroy a person, as played out in this story.
Some of the things Hannah reveals in her tapes are even deeper secrets than the listeners know. For example, when Clay is at the party with Hannah, he sees the two people on the couch next to her. He knows their names. He knows that Hannah is talking about them in the tapes but wonders why she doesn’t mention their names. The story continues and he realizes why. It’s because the girl, as later revealed, was raped as she was passed out at the party. She was protecting the girl, but Clay knew. Another time Clay figured out a deeper understanding of secret is when Hannah was talking about Bryce, a character who is known to be violent, especially with girls. “I know who Hannah's talking about now. I've seen his wrist-grabbing stunt before. (Asher, p. 48)”
(SPOILER ALERT) The ending of the book leaves you feeling as if Hannah’s death, and her story, was not totally in vein. “But Skye’s walking down the same stretch of hall where I watched Hannah slip away two weeks ago. On that day, Hannah disappeared into a crowd of students, allowing the tapes to say her good-bye. But I can still hear the footsteps of Skye Miller, sounding weaker and weaker the further she gets. And I start walking, toward her.” (Asher, p. 287) Clay sees the same situation possibly occurring all over again, and he doesn’t think twice about what to do. This time he has a chance to do something about it, and the reader can assume he does.
AWARDS:
2011 #1 New York Times bestseller (US/paperback)
2010 Georgia Peach Book Awards for Teen Readers
2009 International Reading Association Young Adults' Choice list
2009 Writing Conference's Literature Festival
2008 Best Books for Young Adults YALSA
2008 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers YALSA
2008 Selected Audiobooks for Young Adults YALSA
2008 California Book Award winner - Young Adult
RELATED BOOKS:
IF I STAY BY: GAYLE FORMAN
LOOKING FOR ALASKA BY: JOHN GREEN
BEFORE I FALL BY: LAUREN OLIVER
PERSONAL COMMENTS:
Overall I would say this book was tough and emotionally draining, and at the end amazing. I recommend it for readers who want to connect to a tragic yet sweet story. As the story unraveled one cassette tape after another, I understood more about Hannah and her feelings. I was left with laughter and tears. I was surprised and sad. I was hopeful for Clay and his life-altering journey through the last days of Hannah’s life, and thereafter.
PRINTZ AWARD WINNER
(MODULE THREE)
WHERE THINGS COME BACK
WRITTEN BY: JOHN COREY WHALEY
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Whaley, John Corey. Where Things Come Back: A Novel. New York, NY: Atheneum, 2012. Print.
PLOT SUMMARY:
This book centers on the tiny town of Lily, Arkansas. The main character, Cullen Witter, narrates the goings-on in his boring town and takes the reader along on the traumatic experiences of the sudden and unexplainable disappearance of his brother, Gabriel. At the same time that Cullen and his family are searching for his brother (and deal with the stages of grief over his disappearance), a somewhat famous birdwatcher, John Barling, announces that Lily might be home to a Lazarus woodpecker, a bird that was supposed to have gone extinct more than half a century before. Cullen expresses more than a little frustration at the townspeople’s mania attitude toward the possibility of a long-lost bird making its home in Lily while they seem to be completely apathetic about the disappearance of Gabriel. Interspersed throughout the book is another storyline that begins with Benton Sage, an eighteen-year-old called to the mission field of Ethiopia. Benton finally has a chance to put his faith into action, but the realities of life in a foreign land quickly overwhelm him. Benton soon returns to the U.S., to a bunch of very disappointed friends and family. As mission work is now out of the question, Benton decides to go to college. These story lines seem pretty disparate, but as the book moves along, the author weaves the two stories together wonderfully.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
This was a great book. Whaley does a great job of keeping the reader on her/his feet. From the beginning, there is confusion regarding the two differing story lines, but by the end of the book it all makes sense. The reader may wonder why Whaley chose to write chapters that alternate between a first-person and a third-person narrative of completely different stories, but this issue resolves itself in the end, and this arc provides some meaning behind the book’s title. Whaley also does a great job of writing from the perspective of a bored teenager. It really feels as if you are following a teenager, as you see Cullen explain to the reader his doubts or his lack of understanding about a certain topic. There is utter honesty, for better or for worse. This honesty extends to Cullen’s perspective/opinion about living in a small town. He has some jaded and cynical words to say about the townspeople, especially when the town goes crazy for a woodpecker that may not be there, all the while not caring that a boy is missing. This is a good book for young adults, as they will readily identify with the main character, Cullen. His mix of teenage troubles and adult cynicism echoes the attitude of many teenagers, and teenagers living in small towns will likely identify with Cullen. Regarding educational value, the first thing that sticks out to me is the way that Whaley shows the stages of grief in a family with a missing member. For example, the mother seems initially to be okay, but she takes a sudden turn for the worse and loses the ability to function; the father, on the other hand, seems to have a nearly opposite path through grief. Readers also get a unique view into small-town Southern life and its prevalent attitudes through both sides of the story. Whaley addresses some mature themes and doesn’t shy away from curse words; while this is by no means a reason to take the book off the shelves, teachers or librarians may want to save this book for older readers.
REVIEW/EXCERPTS:
Because of the mature content, this book is good for high school students. This book dives into two separate stories, and it is likely readers will relate to most parts of the storyline. For example, at the beginning of the book it says: “Dr. Webb says that most people see the world in bubbles. This keeps them comfortable with their place and the place of others. What he means, is that most people, in order to feel okay about who they are and where they stand in relation to others, automatically group everyone into stereotypical little bunches.” This is an easy connection point as stereotyping is a typical experience for young adults. Seeing past the typical is sometimes hard to do, and this particular portion of the book not only addresses that, but also reels the reader in to want to know more.
The main character, Cullen, is telling the story and he continues: “...There are some, however, who seem to be immune to this epidemic of bubbles. They are people like Gabriel Witter, who is perhaps the most interesting person I’ve ever known, and I don’t say that just because he’s my brother. I say it because every morning since he turned eleven or so he would wake up before anyone else in the house, go out onto the porch, and read a chapter of a book. I say it because he listened to bands no one heard of. And he had amassed a college of nearly fifty ties by the time he got into junior high, ties he wore to school every single day. I guess the most interesting thing about Gabriel was that he didn’t seem to care what people were thinking about him.” This character description helps us see how being different is a unique feature that can be viewed as a positive thing, rather than negative. This passage also highlights how fond Cullen is of his brother, which sets the reader up for the coming events.
The title of this book, Where Things Come Back, seems initially to refer to the return of an extinct woodpecker. However, through a turn of events two separate stories are weaved together and Cullen (and the reader) find a renewed faith in life and the possibility of restoration.
AWARDS:
2012 Michael L. Printz Award
2012 William C. Morris Award
2011 Publishers Weekly Best Books 2011
2011 ABC Children's Group's New Voices 2011 Top Ten List for Teens
2011 Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance Spring 2011 Okra Pick
2008 Amazon.com Breakthrough Novel Award Semi-finalist
RELATED BOOKS:
IT'S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY By: Ned Vizzini
PAPER TOWNS By: John Green
THE BEGINNING OF EVERYTHING By: Robyn Schneider
PERSONAL COMMENTS:
I truly enjoyed this book, as it was different from anything I have ever read. It was hard to get going with this book because it seemed to jump around a lot. I empathized with Cullen as I have experienced living in a small town and didn’t have the outlook that his brother Gabriel did. The burning question until the end of the book was: would his brother come back? This book is about family and managing this tragedy of someone close to you gone missing. Weaving between two different stories, this book’s ending was everything. It captured me and made me care. It was unpredictable throughout, but at the end, it came together and made sense. Beautiful.
WRITTEN BY: JOHN COREY WHALEY
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Whaley, John Corey. Where Things Come Back: A Novel. New York, NY: Atheneum, 2012. Print.
PLOT SUMMARY:
This book centers on the tiny town of Lily, Arkansas. The main character, Cullen Witter, narrates the goings-on in his boring town and takes the reader along on the traumatic experiences of the sudden and unexplainable disappearance of his brother, Gabriel. At the same time that Cullen and his family are searching for his brother (and deal with the stages of grief over his disappearance), a somewhat famous birdwatcher, John Barling, announces that Lily might be home to a Lazarus woodpecker, a bird that was supposed to have gone extinct more than half a century before. Cullen expresses more than a little frustration at the townspeople’s mania attitude toward the possibility of a long-lost bird making its home in Lily while they seem to be completely apathetic about the disappearance of Gabriel. Interspersed throughout the book is another storyline that begins with Benton Sage, an eighteen-year-old called to the mission field of Ethiopia. Benton finally has a chance to put his faith into action, but the realities of life in a foreign land quickly overwhelm him. Benton soon returns to the U.S., to a bunch of very disappointed friends and family. As mission work is now out of the question, Benton decides to go to college. These story lines seem pretty disparate, but as the book moves along, the author weaves the two stories together wonderfully.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
This was a great book. Whaley does a great job of keeping the reader on her/his feet. From the beginning, there is confusion regarding the two differing story lines, but by the end of the book it all makes sense. The reader may wonder why Whaley chose to write chapters that alternate between a first-person and a third-person narrative of completely different stories, but this issue resolves itself in the end, and this arc provides some meaning behind the book’s title. Whaley also does a great job of writing from the perspective of a bored teenager. It really feels as if you are following a teenager, as you see Cullen explain to the reader his doubts or his lack of understanding about a certain topic. There is utter honesty, for better or for worse. This honesty extends to Cullen’s perspective/opinion about living in a small town. He has some jaded and cynical words to say about the townspeople, especially when the town goes crazy for a woodpecker that may not be there, all the while not caring that a boy is missing. This is a good book for young adults, as they will readily identify with the main character, Cullen. His mix of teenage troubles and adult cynicism echoes the attitude of many teenagers, and teenagers living in small towns will likely identify with Cullen. Regarding educational value, the first thing that sticks out to me is the way that Whaley shows the stages of grief in a family with a missing member. For example, the mother seems initially to be okay, but she takes a sudden turn for the worse and loses the ability to function; the father, on the other hand, seems to have a nearly opposite path through grief. Readers also get a unique view into small-town Southern life and its prevalent attitudes through both sides of the story. Whaley addresses some mature themes and doesn’t shy away from curse words; while this is by no means a reason to take the book off the shelves, teachers or librarians may want to save this book for older readers.
REVIEW/EXCERPTS:
Because of the mature content, this book is good for high school students. This book dives into two separate stories, and it is likely readers will relate to most parts of the storyline. For example, at the beginning of the book it says: “Dr. Webb says that most people see the world in bubbles. This keeps them comfortable with their place and the place of others. What he means, is that most people, in order to feel okay about who they are and where they stand in relation to others, automatically group everyone into stereotypical little bunches.” This is an easy connection point as stereotyping is a typical experience for young adults. Seeing past the typical is sometimes hard to do, and this particular portion of the book not only addresses that, but also reels the reader in to want to know more.
The main character, Cullen, is telling the story and he continues: “...There are some, however, who seem to be immune to this epidemic of bubbles. They are people like Gabriel Witter, who is perhaps the most interesting person I’ve ever known, and I don’t say that just because he’s my brother. I say it because every morning since he turned eleven or so he would wake up before anyone else in the house, go out onto the porch, and read a chapter of a book. I say it because he listened to bands no one heard of. And he had amassed a college of nearly fifty ties by the time he got into junior high, ties he wore to school every single day. I guess the most interesting thing about Gabriel was that he didn’t seem to care what people were thinking about him.” This character description helps us see how being different is a unique feature that can be viewed as a positive thing, rather than negative. This passage also highlights how fond Cullen is of his brother, which sets the reader up for the coming events.
The title of this book, Where Things Come Back, seems initially to refer to the return of an extinct woodpecker. However, through a turn of events two separate stories are weaved together and Cullen (and the reader) find a renewed faith in life and the possibility of restoration.
AWARDS:
2012 Michael L. Printz Award
2012 William C. Morris Award
2011 Publishers Weekly Best Books 2011
2011 ABC Children's Group's New Voices 2011 Top Ten List for Teens
2011 Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance Spring 2011 Okra Pick
2008 Amazon.com Breakthrough Novel Award Semi-finalist
RELATED BOOKS:
IT'S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY By: Ned Vizzini
PAPER TOWNS By: John Green
THE BEGINNING OF EVERYTHING By: Robyn Schneider
PERSONAL COMMENTS:
I truly enjoyed this book, as it was different from anything I have ever read. It was hard to get going with this book because it seemed to jump around a lot. I empathized with Cullen as I have experienced living in a small town and didn’t have the outlook that his brother Gabriel did. The burning question until the end of the book was: would his brother come back? This book is about family and managing this tragedy of someone close to you gone missing. Weaving between two different stories, this book’s ending was everything. It captured me and made me care. It was unpredictable throughout, but at the end, it came together and made sense. Beautiful.
CHALLENGED/BANNED
(MODULE TWO)
THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER
WRITTEN BY: STEPHEN CHBOSKY
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Chbosky, Stephen. The Perks of Being a Wallflower. New York: Pocket Books, 1999. Print.
PLOT SUMMARY: The book is a collection of letters from Charlie, the main protagonist, to an anonymous recipient. The story begins with Charlie reeling from the suicide of his only friend, Michael, right before the start of his freshman year of high school. He also makes mention of another tragic death from earlier in his childhood, that of his Aunt Helen. Charlie initially finds some solace in his English teacher, Bill, who has picked up on Charlie's passion and natural ability for reading and writing. Charlie notices a student in his shop class that people call "Nothing." At a high school football game, he meets Nothing (who is actually named Patrick) and his stepsister, Sam, who both happen to be seniors. Afterwards, they all go a local fast-food restaurant, and a friendship begins between the three of them. From the moment they meet (and throughout the entire story), Charlie struggles with romantic feelings for Sam, although she lets him know that it wouldn't work out between them. As their friendship progresses, Charlie slowly joins in Sam and Patrick's group of friends, and tries out smoking, drinking, and drugs. In the midst of participating in these new things, we see Charlie process some traumatic experiences from his past, such as witnessing an incident of date rape and continually processing the traumatic death of his Aunt Helen (killed in a car crash on the way to buy him a birthday present). Amidst all the pain, shame, regret, curiosity, desire to understand, and inquisitive nature he possesses, Charlie is told by his new friend Patrick, that he is a wallflower. The meaning of wallflower takes shape as the book plays out Patrick's prophetic statement: "You're a wallflower. You see things. You keep quiet about them. And you understand." (page 37)
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
This book falls under the banned books list because of the open dialogue between the main character and his anonymous pen-pal regarding topics such as homosexuality, rape, drugs, abuse, and abortion. The author emphasizes Charlie's day-to-day events, as well as major life hardships that follow his thoughts throughout the book. His friend Patrick notices and points out that Charlie is a wallflower. The title of the book suggests that being a wallflower has perks. Perks are in the eye of the beholder, I suppose; as some might suggest this young man did not have perks, because he was quiet during the times he should have spoke up. As someone who looks for the good in people, I would say that it's not Charlies fault he did not speak up. Uncontrolled events in Charlie's life made him who he is; there is no stopping that, and there is no blame in that. The perk I'd like to point out is that even though he went through these things, there is still light at the end of the tunnel. It's not exactly a "happily ever after" story, but it is a story about friendship, and youth, and hardship, and pain. Charlie gets through the pain. And even though there are remnants of those issues as time goes on, he has ideas for what he is going to do, hopes and tangible things he can peruse to make a life for himself. THOSE are the perks.
REVIEW/EXCERPTS:
“So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be.” This is something so many of us can relate to. Not everything is always defined and the author so eloquently shares Charlie's experience with us.
"Sam and Patrick looked at me. And I looked at them. And I think they knew. Not anything specific really. They just knew. And I think that's all you can ever ask from a friend." I loved the realistic connection between these friends. I, too, have felt a close connection with a friend. Words are not always needed to express feelings, sometimes just sitting with someone is enough. This special moment stood out to me as I remember those moments in my own life, and crave more of these organic and close connections.
AWARDS:
Although this book did not receive any awards, the movie version was nominated for, and won multiple awards.
RELATED BOOKS:
LOOKING FOR ALASKA by: John Green
THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by: John Green
THIRTEEN REASONS WHY by: Jay Asher
PERSONAL COMMENTS:
This book was a wonderful read. I have seen the movie, but I enjoyed the book more. The book takes you to a deeper place and shares more details about the characters and the background than the movie was able to. Charlie is a boy whom I connected to at times, as he thought things that I, too, have found myself thinking such as: how a bad relationship looks down the road, and what people are going through on the day to day, curiosities about heart break and loads of work. Some of his behaviors hinted at some deeper issues for him, but I still like Charlie's character. I like how he analyzes almost everything/everyone that comes into his life. From conversations with his sister, to experiences that he went through, he is always writing letters and allowing the reader to go with him on his journey. Although he has faced some pretty tough trials, he celebrates in the fact that he has friends and that he is beginning to "participate" in life.
WRITTEN BY: STEPHEN CHBOSKY
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Chbosky, Stephen. The Perks of Being a Wallflower. New York: Pocket Books, 1999. Print.
PLOT SUMMARY: The book is a collection of letters from Charlie, the main protagonist, to an anonymous recipient. The story begins with Charlie reeling from the suicide of his only friend, Michael, right before the start of his freshman year of high school. He also makes mention of another tragic death from earlier in his childhood, that of his Aunt Helen. Charlie initially finds some solace in his English teacher, Bill, who has picked up on Charlie's passion and natural ability for reading and writing. Charlie notices a student in his shop class that people call "Nothing." At a high school football game, he meets Nothing (who is actually named Patrick) and his stepsister, Sam, who both happen to be seniors. Afterwards, they all go a local fast-food restaurant, and a friendship begins between the three of them. From the moment they meet (and throughout the entire story), Charlie struggles with romantic feelings for Sam, although she lets him know that it wouldn't work out between them. As their friendship progresses, Charlie slowly joins in Sam and Patrick's group of friends, and tries out smoking, drinking, and drugs. In the midst of participating in these new things, we see Charlie process some traumatic experiences from his past, such as witnessing an incident of date rape and continually processing the traumatic death of his Aunt Helen (killed in a car crash on the way to buy him a birthday present). Amidst all the pain, shame, regret, curiosity, desire to understand, and inquisitive nature he possesses, Charlie is told by his new friend Patrick, that he is a wallflower. The meaning of wallflower takes shape as the book plays out Patrick's prophetic statement: "You're a wallflower. You see things. You keep quiet about them. And you understand." (page 37)
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
This book falls under the banned books list because of the open dialogue between the main character and his anonymous pen-pal regarding topics such as homosexuality, rape, drugs, abuse, and abortion. The author emphasizes Charlie's day-to-day events, as well as major life hardships that follow his thoughts throughout the book. His friend Patrick notices and points out that Charlie is a wallflower. The title of the book suggests that being a wallflower has perks. Perks are in the eye of the beholder, I suppose; as some might suggest this young man did not have perks, because he was quiet during the times he should have spoke up. As someone who looks for the good in people, I would say that it's not Charlies fault he did not speak up. Uncontrolled events in Charlie's life made him who he is; there is no stopping that, and there is no blame in that. The perk I'd like to point out is that even though he went through these things, there is still light at the end of the tunnel. It's not exactly a "happily ever after" story, but it is a story about friendship, and youth, and hardship, and pain. Charlie gets through the pain. And even though there are remnants of those issues as time goes on, he has ideas for what he is going to do, hopes and tangible things he can peruse to make a life for himself. THOSE are the perks.
REVIEW/EXCERPTS:
“So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be.” This is something so many of us can relate to. Not everything is always defined and the author so eloquently shares Charlie's experience with us.
"Sam and Patrick looked at me. And I looked at them. And I think they knew. Not anything specific really. They just knew. And I think that's all you can ever ask from a friend." I loved the realistic connection between these friends. I, too, have felt a close connection with a friend. Words are not always needed to express feelings, sometimes just sitting with someone is enough. This special moment stood out to me as I remember those moments in my own life, and crave more of these organic and close connections.
AWARDS:
Although this book did not receive any awards, the movie version was nominated for, and won multiple awards.
RELATED BOOKS:
LOOKING FOR ALASKA by: John Green
THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by: John Green
THIRTEEN REASONS WHY by: Jay Asher
PERSONAL COMMENTS:
This book was a wonderful read. I have seen the movie, but I enjoyed the book more. The book takes you to a deeper place and shares more details about the characters and the background than the movie was able to. Charlie is a boy whom I connected to at times, as he thought things that I, too, have found myself thinking such as: how a bad relationship looks down the road, and what people are going through on the day to day, curiosities about heart break and loads of work. Some of his behaviors hinted at some deeper issues for him, but I still like Charlie's character. I like how he analyzes almost everything/everyone that comes into his life. From conversations with his sister, to experiences that he went through, he is always writing letters and allowing the reader to go with him on his journey. Although he has faced some pretty tough trials, he celebrates in the fact that he has friends and that he is beginning to "participate" in life.
CLASSICS
(MODULE ONE)
ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT'S ME, MARGARET
WRITTEN BY: JUDY BLUME
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Blume, Judy. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Bradbury, 1970. Print.
PLOT SUMMARY:
A 12-year-old girl, Margaret, moves from New York City to suburban New Jersey with her family. The book takes the reader through various situations that occur in almost every preteen’s life. The big life experiences that Margaret, the main character, goes through are puberty, boys, and religion. She joins a secret club with her friends and is challenged with these topics on a day-to-day basis. She also explores ideas about honesty, fitting in, and the role of faith in her life. A large part of the book speaks to her exploration of religion and how it plays out in her own life. She prays to God on a regular basis, visits various services with friends and family, sees the impact of a negative experience with her parents and grandparents, and digs a little deeper over time into what she believes. The book leaves her search in an "ongoing" status at the end of the book, which allows the reader to think past the pages and possibly question their own beliefs.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
Blume does a phenomenal job at bringing the reader into the world of young Margaret’s pre-teen days. Friends and family pressure Margaret to think certain ways and to believe certain things, but she is strong in her own pursuits of truth. The tone of the story is evident in the first chapter as there are lighthearted references to the humor in Margaret’s life. The book reveals Margaret as a strong and independent young lady, who still needs a little love and support from her grandmother; her confidant. Blume eloquently and lightly illustrates the realities of what teens go through during these sensitive times and provides a safe place for girls to connect to and understand some of the newness of becoming a woman. Most importantly Margaret takes this time to explore various religions. Her family is a mix of religions, her mom being Christian and her dad being Jewish. I think the fact that her parents are giving her an option to explore her own faith is wonderful in that it gives her a chance to take ownership of her faith. I think that for a 12-year-old girl having a time to search and discover her beliefs in a multitude of ways (visiting a Jewish service on a large holiday, going to a Christian service, etc.) is vital to her growth as an individual. This book does a great job at showcasing the multifaceted experiences preteens witness in their life. Teachers, parents, friends' parents, grandparents- these people all have wisdom, experience, and sometimes pressure when it comes to religion. I enjoyed how the author left out the teacher's response to Margaret's year-long study on religion. Blume made sure we knew he cared when he called out to her a few times, but the book immediately fast forwards to the end of the year and doesn't dive into his response at all. Seeing little snippets of Margaret's life is in a way reflective of an overarching theme- that we don't always see or hear everything. Margaret heard many things from Nancy throughout the year and most of the things she said were not true. Margaret talked about her parent's comments about her mom's parents' views of a Christian and Jewish person getting married, etc., but never actually said what their responses were. I sensed tension and that entire scene kept me interested as I wanted to know what happened those 14 years prior! The mystery behind these events, plus others, is somewhat similar to Margaret's pursuit of the truth. You will always being asking questions. Things will always be changing and shaping who you are. The open-ended nature of this book is one of the many things that makes it a classic.
AWARDS:
2012 Scholastic Magazine's Parent & Child 100 Greatest Books for Kids
2005 Time Magazine All-Time 100 Novels List
1980 Great Stone Face Award, New Hampshire Library Association
1979 North Dakota Children's Choice Book Award
1976 Young Hoosier Award, Indiana Media Educators
1975 Nene Award from the Children of Hawaii
1970 Outstanding Book of the Year, New York Times
REVIEW/EXCERPTS:
"The next day after school Mr. Bendict called me up to his desk. 'Margaret,' he said. 'I'd like to discuss your getting-to-know-you paper. For instance, why do you hate religious holidays?"
Was I sorry I wrote that! How positively stupid of me. If it was true he was trying to trying to find out if we were normal, I guess he thought I wasn't.
I half laughed. 'Oh, I just wrote that,' I said. 'I really don't hate them at all.'
'You must have had a reason. You can tell me. It's confidential.'
I raised my right eyebrow at Mr. Benedict. I can do that really good. Raise one without the other.I do it whenever I can't think of anything to say. People notice it right away. Some people acutally ask me how I do it. What I do is think about it and the eyebrow goes up. I can't do it with my left. Only my right.
Mr. Benedict noticed. But he didn't ask me anything about how I do it. He just said, 'I'm sure you have a perfectly good reason for hating religious holidays.'
I knew he was waiting for me to say something. He wasn't going to just forget about it. So I decided to get it over with in a hurry. 'None of those holidays are special to me. I don't belong to any religion,' I said."
(Excerpt from pages 38-39)
RELATED BOOKS:
1. BLUBBER By: Judy Blume
2. JUST AS LONG AS WE’RE TOGETHER By: Judy Blume
3. DEENIE By: Judy Blume
PERSONAL COMMENTS: As a new 8th English teacher I find that this book would not be something we would read as a class; however, it would be a book that is in our personal classroom library. There were moments I laughed and moments I indeed cried, but it was a sweet cry. I was taken along this journey with this character that developed into a young lady by the time the story was over. I definitely connected to her and will be giving this book to my daughter so she can experience a sense of normalcy regarding puberty, friends, and boys, as well as questioning her beliefs.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Blume, Judy. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Bradbury, 1970. Print.
PLOT SUMMARY:
A 12-year-old girl, Margaret, moves from New York City to suburban New Jersey with her family. The book takes the reader through various situations that occur in almost every preteen’s life. The big life experiences that Margaret, the main character, goes through are puberty, boys, and religion. She joins a secret club with her friends and is challenged with these topics on a day-to-day basis. She also explores ideas about honesty, fitting in, and the role of faith in her life. A large part of the book speaks to her exploration of religion and how it plays out in her own life. She prays to God on a regular basis, visits various services with friends and family, sees the impact of a negative experience with her parents and grandparents, and digs a little deeper over time into what she believes. The book leaves her search in an "ongoing" status at the end of the book, which allows the reader to think past the pages and possibly question their own beliefs.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
Blume does a phenomenal job at bringing the reader into the world of young Margaret’s pre-teen days. Friends and family pressure Margaret to think certain ways and to believe certain things, but she is strong in her own pursuits of truth. The tone of the story is evident in the first chapter as there are lighthearted references to the humor in Margaret’s life. The book reveals Margaret as a strong and independent young lady, who still needs a little love and support from her grandmother; her confidant. Blume eloquently and lightly illustrates the realities of what teens go through during these sensitive times and provides a safe place for girls to connect to and understand some of the newness of becoming a woman. Most importantly Margaret takes this time to explore various religions. Her family is a mix of religions, her mom being Christian and her dad being Jewish. I think the fact that her parents are giving her an option to explore her own faith is wonderful in that it gives her a chance to take ownership of her faith. I think that for a 12-year-old girl having a time to search and discover her beliefs in a multitude of ways (visiting a Jewish service on a large holiday, going to a Christian service, etc.) is vital to her growth as an individual. This book does a great job at showcasing the multifaceted experiences preteens witness in their life. Teachers, parents, friends' parents, grandparents- these people all have wisdom, experience, and sometimes pressure when it comes to religion. I enjoyed how the author left out the teacher's response to Margaret's year-long study on religion. Blume made sure we knew he cared when he called out to her a few times, but the book immediately fast forwards to the end of the year and doesn't dive into his response at all. Seeing little snippets of Margaret's life is in a way reflective of an overarching theme- that we don't always see or hear everything. Margaret heard many things from Nancy throughout the year and most of the things she said were not true. Margaret talked about her parent's comments about her mom's parents' views of a Christian and Jewish person getting married, etc., but never actually said what their responses were. I sensed tension and that entire scene kept me interested as I wanted to know what happened those 14 years prior! The mystery behind these events, plus others, is somewhat similar to Margaret's pursuit of the truth. You will always being asking questions. Things will always be changing and shaping who you are. The open-ended nature of this book is one of the many things that makes it a classic.
AWARDS:
2012 Scholastic Magazine's Parent & Child 100 Greatest Books for Kids
2005 Time Magazine All-Time 100 Novels List
1980 Great Stone Face Award, New Hampshire Library Association
1979 North Dakota Children's Choice Book Award
1976 Young Hoosier Award, Indiana Media Educators
1975 Nene Award from the Children of Hawaii
1970 Outstanding Book of the Year, New York Times
REVIEW/EXCERPTS:
"The next day after school Mr. Bendict called me up to his desk. 'Margaret,' he said. 'I'd like to discuss your getting-to-know-you paper. For instance, why do you hate religious holidays?"
Was I sorry I wrote that! How positively stupid of me. If it was true he was trying to trying to find out if we were normal, I guess he thought I wasn't.
I half laughed. 'Oh, I just wrote that,' I said. 'I really don't hate them at all.'
'You must have had a reason. You can tell me. It's confidential.'
I raised my right eyebrow at Mr. Benedict. I can do that really good. Raise one without the other.I do it whenever I can't think of anything to say. People notice it right away. Some people acutally ask me how I do it. What I do is think about it and the eyebrow goes up. I can't do it with my left. Only my right.
Mr. Benedict noticed. But he didn't ask me anything about how I do it. He just said, 'I'm sure you have a perfectly good reason for hating religious holidays.'
I knew he was waiting for me to say something. He wasn't going to just forget about it. So I decided to get it over with in a hurry. 'None of those holidays are special to me. I don't belong to any religion,' I said."
(Excerpt from pages 38-39)
RELATED BOOKS:
1. BLUBBER By: Judy Blume
2. JUST AS LONG AS WE’RE TOGETHER By: Judy Blume
3. DEENIE By: Judy Blume
PERSONAL COMMENTS: As a new 8th English teacher I find that this book would not be something we would read as a class; however, it would be a book that is in our personal classroom library. There were moments I laughed and moments I indeed cried, but it was a sweet cry. I was taken along this journey with this character that developed into a young lady by the time the story was over. I definitely connected to her and will be giving this book to my daughter so she can experience a sense of normalcy regarding puberty, friends, and boys, as well as questioning her beliefs.
GENRE SIX: FICTION, FANTASY, & YOUNG ADULT
SHIP BREAKER
WRITTEN BY: PAOLO BACIGALUPI
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Bacigalupi, Paolo. 2010. SHIP BREAKER. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.
PLOT SUMMARY:
Ship Breaker is set in the dystopian future, on the southeastern coast of the United States. The ice caps have melted and the government has fallen apart, leaving the country under the control of ten ruthless corporations. Nailer Lopez, the main character, works for one of them, as part of a “light crew”, scouring beached ships for copper wire. One day, a large clipper ship – a ship of the elite – runs aground near Nailer’s territory. In a hurry to scavenge the valuables before anyone else discovers the ship, Nailer and his friend, Pima, rush to the ship. Once they get there they find a survivor, who turns out to be the daughter of someone very important, and the two boys struggle with whether to humanely kill her or to spare her life in hopes of a bigger payday, and maybe even escape from the menial life they currently reside. All the while, Nailer is struggling to find a relationship with his father, who is a drug addict and pit fighter who cares little for Nailer, except for showing him how superior he is to Nailer. The novel follows Nailer as he navigates the treacherous emotional waters of how to deal with his father and how to deal with this new girl, who could possibly help him to escape his gloomy life.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS: Bacigalupi does a good job of presenting a world that is indeed dystopian but is still believable. The situations and settings are quite bleak, but it would be easy for a young adult reader to place themselves in this world. What I found to be most compelling about this story is the depth of the characters. Throughout the whole story, Nailer is questioning whether he can really make it out of his current situation or if he is doomed to follow in the footsteps of his despicable father. Even the minor characters have a depth to them that makes the reader feel like they really know the character. Additionally, the internal struggle that Nailer experiences throughout the novel is one that teenagers can readily identify with: whether they can survive their current situation and come out better on the other side. Additionally, the world that Paolo Bacigalupi sets up is more believable than most fantasy/dystopian novels I have read. For one thing, setting the story in the United States gives it a familiarity that other stories set elsewhere might not have. Furthermore, some of the subthemes in the novel correlate to current situations, so this is one more way that young adults – or any reader, for that matter – can further engage with the story.
AWARDS:
2010 Finalist- National Book Award for Young People's Literature
2011 Micheal L. Printz Award Winner
2011 Locus Award for Best Young Adult Book
2010 Nominee for the Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
"Stellar." (Publishers Weekly, starred review)
"Vivid, brutal, and thematically rich." (Booklist, starred review)
"This thriller will grab and keep readers' attentions as Nailer and Nita 'crew up' in their fight to survive." (The Horn Book, starred review)
CONNECTIONS:
This website provides multiple lesson plans that are meant to accompany this book. From Socratic discussions to group work and even quizzes, this site has an array of things to pair with the reading of this book.
http://www.nsd.org/education/components/docmgr/default.php?sectiondetailid=106059
RELATED BOOKS:
THE FAULT IN OUR STARS By: John Green
DIVERGENT By: VERONICA ROTH
THE DROWNED CITIES By: Paolo Bacigalupi
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Bacigalupi, Paolo. 2010. SHIP BREAKER. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.
PLOT SUMMARY:
Ship Breaker is set in the dystopian future, on the southeastern coast of the United States. The ice caps have melted and the government has fallen apart, leaving the country under the control of ten ruthless corporations. Nailer Lopez, the main character, works for one of them, as part of a “light crew”, scouring beached ships for copper wire. One day, a large clipper ship – a ship of the elite – runs aground near Nailer’s territory. In a hurry to scavenge the valuables before anyone else discovers the ship, Nailer and his friend, Pima, rush to the ship. Once they get there they find a survivor, who turns out to be the daughter of someone very important, and the two boys struggle with whether to humanely kill her or to spare her life in hopes of a bigger payday, and maybe even escape from the menial life they currently reside. All the while, Nailer is struggling to find a relationship with his father, who is a drug addict and pit fighter who cares little for Nailer, except for showing him how superior he is to Nailer. The novel follows Nailer as he navigates the treacherous emotional waters of how to deal with his father and how to deal with this new girl, who could possibly help him to escape his gloomy life.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS: Bacigalupi does a good job of presenting a world that is indeed dystopian but is still believable. The situations and settings are quite bleak, but it would be easy for a young adult reader to place themselves in this world. What I found to be most compelling about this story is the depth of the characters. Throughout the whole story, Nailer is questioning whether he can really make it out of his current situation or if he is doomed to follow in the footsteps of his despicable father. Even the minor characters have a depth to them that makes the reader feel like they really know the character. Additionally, the internal struggle that Nailer experiences throughout the novel is one that teenagers can readily identify with: whether they can survive their current situation and come out better on the other side. Additionally, the world that Paolo Bacigalupi sets up is more believable than most fantasy/dystopian novels I have read. For one thing, setting the story in the United States gives it a familiarity that other stories set elsewhere might not have. Furthermore, some of the subthemes in the novel correlate to current situations, so this is one more way that young adults – or any reader, for that matter – can further engage with the story.
AWARDS:
2010 Finalist- National Book Award for Young People's Literature
2011 Micheal L. Printz Award Winner
2011 Locus Award for Best Young Adult Book
2010 Nominee for the Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
"Stellar." (Publishers Weekly, starred review)
"Vivid, brutal, and thematically rich." (Booklist, starred review)
"This thriller will grab and keep readers' attentions as Nailer and Nita 'crew up' in their fight to survive." (The Horn Book, starred review)
CONNECTIONS:
This website provides multiple lesson plans that are meant to accompany this book. From Socratic discussions to group work and even quizzes, this site has an array of things to pair with the reading of this book.
http://www.nsd.org/education/components/docmgr/default.php?sectiondetailid=106059
RELATED BOOKS:
THE FAULT IN OUR STARS By: John Green
DIVERGENT By: VERONICA ROTH
THE DROWNED CITIES By: Paolo Bacigalupi
THE ODYSSEY
WRITTEN BY: GARETH HINDS
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Hinds, Gareth. 2010. THE ODYSSEY. Somerville: Candlewick Press. ISBN 9780763642662
PLOT SUMMARY: Gareth Hinds’s graphic novel follows the Homeric epic of the same name. Odysseus, King of Ithaca, has just finished fighting in the Trojan War and is about to return home to his family after several years. However, he upsets the sea God, Poseidon, and as a result, Odysseus is forced to wander the seas fighting monsters, encountering gods and goddesses, and overall, battling against the will of Poseidon in order to get back to his family and his kingdom, where most of the people believe Odysseus to be dead and, as a result, are fighting for his wife’s hand in marriage and Odysseus’s throne.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS: This adaption of an ancient story into the modern graphic novel genre is a really wise choice by Gareth Hinds. The illustrations are well-done; they are not overly detailed, but they still portray the essential qualities of each particular character and situation. As I read this, one thing that really stuck out in my mind is the value of this for students who may struggle to engage with stories from long ago. While “The Odyssey” is one of the oldest and most well-known stories, many kids today are not at all attracted to such things. Having an epic such as this in an illustrated form seems to be a valuable tool for middle school and high school teachers. While some teachers or literary purists might shudder at such a thought, I think that Hinds’s version would do them well. Hinds wrote and illustrated “The Odyssey” without taking away from the story; he did not sacrifice the details in his adaptation. Hinds’s graphic novel is neither too condensed nor too focused on action (as most graphic novels seems to be). In essence, Hinds presents the epic story of Odysseus in such a way that readers can be engaged with the stunning visual details as well as receive a fairly good telling of Homer’s tale.
AWARDS:
2011 Best Children's Books of the Year
2011 YALSA Top 10 Great Graphic Novels for Teens
2011 School Library Journal's Battle of the Kids' Books
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
"Gareth Hinds brings THE ODYSSEY to life in a masterful blend of art and storytelling. Vivid and exciting, this graphic novel is a worthy new interpretation of Homer’s epic."
—Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series
2010 "A timeless long-ago past comes alive in these images of gods and heroes, monsters and enchantresses; of mayhem, lovemaking, and touching reunions-all arrayed in frames whose shape, number, and palette expertly pace and propel the story. As introduction, outline, illustration, and visual translation, a worthy companion to its great predecessors." --The Horn Book (Starred Review)
2010 "Holds nothing back and is proudly, grittily realistic rather than cheerfully cartoonish... Big, bold, beautiful." --Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
2010 "Does genuine justice to Homer's epic poem...Thrilling." --The Wall Street Journal
2011 "... with this graphic-novel interpretation Hinds will hook some of those holdouts who have thus far resisted The Odyssey's lure. ...the depth of the dialogue, the outstanding individuation of characters, and the patient and lovingly developed flow between frames often in wordless stretches make the work accessible. Hinds' delicate pencil lines and softly blended watercolors coax an amazing variety of moods and settings from the sandy beiges and sea blues dictated by the Mediterranean milieu. Monstrous encounters and the suitor slaughter are satisfyingly sanguinary, and although Odysseus' dalliances are perhaps less discreetly presented than some middle-school collections will permit, librarians who subscribe to the "They've seen worse in the movies" school of thought will happily extend this to a junior-high audience." --Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (Starred Recommended, Gr. 9-12)
2010 "Does genuine justice to Homer's epic poem...Thrilling." --The Wall Street Journal --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
CONNECTIONS:
This website has a teacher's guide that provides ideas and questions to start discussions about the book as well as other lesson ideas.
http://www.candlewick.com/book_files/0763642665.btg.1.pdf
RELATED BOOKS:
BEOWULF By: Gareth Hinds
KING LEAR By: Gareth Hinds
THE MERCHANT OF VENICE By: Gareth Hinds
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Hinds, Gareth. 2010. THE ODYSSEY. Somerville: Candlewick Press. ISBN 9780763642662
PLOT SUMMARY: Gareth Hinds’s graphic novel follows the Homeric epic of the same name. Odysseus, King of Ithaca, has just finished fighting in the Trojan War and is about to return home to his family after several years. However, he upsets the sea God, Poseidon, and as a result, Odysseus is forced to wander the seas fighting monsters, encountering gods and goddesses, and overall, battling against the will of Poseidon in order to get back to his family and his kingdom, where most of the people believe Odysseus to be dead and, as a result, are fighting for his wife’s hand in marriage and Odysseus’s throne.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS: This adaption of an ancient story into the modern graphic novel genre is a really wise choice by Gareth Hinds. The illustrations are well-done; they are not overly detailed, but they still portray the essential qualities of each particular character and situation. As I read this, one thing that really stuck out in my mind is the value of this for students who may struggle to engage with stories from long ago. While “The Odyssey” is one of the oldest and most well-known stories, many kids today are not at all attracted to such things. Having an epic such as this in an illustrated form seems to be a valuable tool for middle school and high school teachers. While some teachers or literary purists might shudder at such a thought, I think that Hinds’s version would do them well. Hinds wrote and illustrated “The Odyssey” without taking away from the story; he did not sacrifice the details in his adaptation. Hinds’s graphic novel is neither too condensed nor too focused on action (as most graphic novels seems to be). In essence, Hinds presents the epic story of Odysseus in such a way that readers can be engaged with the stunning visual details as well as receive a fairly good telling of Homer’s tale.
AWARDS:
2011 Best Children's Books of the Year
2011 YALSA Top 10 Great Graphic Novels for Teens
2011 School Library Journal's Battle of the Kids' Books
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
"Gareth Hinds brings THE ODYSSEY to life in a masterful blend of art and storytelling. Vivid and exciting, this graphic novel is a worthy new interpretation of Homer’s epic."
—Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series
2010 "A timeless long-ago past comes alive in these images of gods and heroes, monsters and enchantresses; of mayhem, lovemaking, and touching reunions-all arrayed in frames whose shape, number, and palette expertly pace and propel the story. As introduction, outline, illustration, and visual translation, a worthy companion to its great predecessors." --The Horn Book (Starred Review)
2010 "Holds nothing back and is proudly, grittily realistic rather than cheerfully cartoonish... Big, bold, beautiful." --Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
2010 "Does genuine justice to Homer's epic poem...Thrilling." --The Wall Street Journal
2011 "... with this graphic-novel interpretation Hinds will hook some of those holdouts who have thus far resisted The Odyssey's lure. ...the depth of the dialogue, the outstanding individuation of characters, and the patient and lovingly developed flow between frames often in wordless stretches make the work accessible. Hinds' delicate pencil lines and softly blended watercolors coax an amazing variety of moods and settings from the sandy beiges and sea blues dictated by the Mediterranean milieu. Monstrous encounters and the suitor slaughter are satisfyingly sanguinary, and although Odysseus' dalliances are perhaps less discreetly presented than some middle-school collections will permit, librarians who subscribe to the "They've seen worse in the movies" school of thought will happily extend this to a junior-high audience." --Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (Starred Recommended, Gr. 9-12)
2010 "Does genuine justice to Homer's epic poem...Thrilling." --The Wall Street Journal --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
CONNECTIONS:
This website has a teacher's guide that provides ideas and questions to start discussions about the book as well as other lesson ideas.
http://www.candlewick.com/book_files/0763642665.btg.1.pdf
RELATED BOOKS:
BEOWULF By: Gareth Hinds
KING LEAR By: Gareth Hinds
THE MERCHANT OF VENICE By: Gareth Hinds
WHEN YOU REACH ME
WRITTEN BY: REBECCA STEAD
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Stead, Rebecca. 2009. WHEN YOU REACH ME. New York, NY: Random House
PLOT SUMMARY: In this young adult science fiction novel, Rebecca Stead recounts the story of Miranda Green during the late 1970s, following her in her life in the Upper West Side of New York City. It initially begins with Miranda and her best friend, Sal, but after an altercation with Marcus, a new kid in town, Sal utterly throws Miranda out of his life. Around this time, she finds a note in her library book asking her to chronicle some future events, and it also contains proof of being from the future. More notes come to Miranda, and she soon realizes that these notes are coming from someone who is going to save someone’s life. It turns out that the notes are indeed coming from the future; Marcus had somehow traveled to the past and placed the notes in Miranda’s path in order for her to see that he knows the future and that his actions are legitimate. This story reveals the unraveling of this young girls life as she faces an event involving the consequences of life and death.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS: This book is full of details, and somehow the details do not overpower the bigger story, and yet Stead nearly makes all of them equally important. Stead took her inspiration from several different areas. First, she took some ideas from her childhood growing up on the Upper West Side. Additionally, a New York Times article about a man with amnesia gave Stead the initial impetus for the concept of time travel in When You Reach Me. And lastly, Stead was inspired in various ways by the Madeleine L’Engle novel A Wrinkle in Time. One thing that this novel focuses on is the progression of friendships through adversity. When You Reach Me explores what Miranda goes through as her best friend, a boy she’s known since her toddler years, seems to abandon their friendship. Stead shows Miranda moving on to a new group of friends, and then goes back to the relationship between Miranda and Sal as it is revealed that the life that “future Marcus” is going to save is Sal’s. This book also explores the concept of time travel. Miranda loves the book A Wrinkle in Time, and in one part of When You Reach Me, Marcus explains a key part of A Wrinkle in Time’s plot involving time travel. Additionally, Miranda spends much of the time in the novel questioning if time travel is possible. And of course, the plot point of Marcus traveling back to the past is an obvious part of this subtheme.
AWARDS:
WINNER 2009 Kid's Indie Next List "Inspired Recommendations for Kids from Indie Booksellers"
WINNER 2009 New York Times Notable Book
WINNER 2009 Kirkus Reviews Best ChildrenÂ’s Books
WINNER 2009 Publishers Weekly Best Children's Book of the Year
WINNER 2009 School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
WINNER 2009 Booklist Children's Editors' Choice
WINNER 2009 Horn Book Fanfare
WINNER 2009 National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA) Gold Award
WINNER 2009 Parents' Choice Gold Award
WINNER 2009 Book Links Lasting Connection
WINNER 2010 Newbery Medal Winner
WINNER 2010 ALA Notable Children's Book
WINNER 2010 ALA Best Books for Young Adults Top 10
WINNER 2010 NCSS/CBC Notable Children's Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies
WINNER 2010 Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices
WINNER 2010 NCTE Notable Children's Trade Books in the Language Arts
WINNER 2010 IRA Children's Book Award for Older Readers
NOMINEE 2011 Hawaii Nene Award
NOMINEE 2010 Wyoming Indian Paintbrush Master List
WINNER New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
WINNER ALA Best Books for Young Adults
WINNER Chicago Public LibraryÂ’s Best of the Best books
NOMINEE Amelia Bloomer List Recommended Title
NOMINEE Maine Student Book Award
NOMINEE Pennsylvania Young Readers Choice Award
WINNER Texas Lone Star Reading List
NOMINEE Vermont Dorothy Canfield Fischer Book Award
NOMINEE Missouri Gateway Readers Award
NOMINEE Tennessee Volunteer State Book Award
NOMINEE Virginia Young Readers Program Award
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
Review, People Magazine, July 13, 2009:
"Absorbing."
Review, The Wall Street Journal, July 17, 2009:
"Readers ... are likely to find themselves chewing over the details of this superb and intricate tale long afterward."
Review, The Washington Post Book World, July 15, 2009:
“Incandescent.”
Review, The New York Times Book Review, August 16, 2009:
"Smart and mesmerizing."
CONNECTIONS:
From the teacher guide PDF found at http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/teachers_guides/9780375850868.pdf
Language Arts:
Discuss what the New York Timesreviewer means when she calls When You Reach Me “a hybrid of genres.” Ask students to discuss the definition of the following genres: science fiction, adventure, mystery, historical fiction, and realism. Divide the class into small groups and ask each group to prepare a debate about which genre(s) they think the novel fits. Ask them to cite passages from the novel to support their debate.The novel is set in the 1970s, before kids had cell phones and computers. Suppose the novel was set today. Have the class write Facebook or MySpace profile pages for Miranda, Sal, Annemarie, Julia, Colin, Marcus, and Alice Evans.
Music: Ask students to use Web sites to find the top songs of 1979 that might be playing on the jukebox at Jimmy’s place. Then, ask them to take clues from the song titles and identify a song that Miranda might want to dedicate to Sal at the end of the novel.
Art: Have the class create a mural in collage titled “Things That.” Allow students to work with a partner and assign each pair a category derived from one of the chapter titles. Instruct them to collect pictures and articles from magazines, newspapers, and the Internet that best fits their category. How does the class mural represent Miranda’s journey?
RELATED BOOKS:
WONDER By: R.J. Palacio
THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN By: Katherine Applegate
MOON OVER MANIFEST By: Clare Vanderpool
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Stead, Rebecca. 2009. WHEN YOU REACH ME. New York, NY: Random House
PLOT SUMMARY: In this young adult science fiction novel, Rebecca Stead recounts the story of Miranda Green during the late 1970s, following her in her life in the Upper West Side of New York City. It initially begins with Miranda and her best friend, Sal, but after an altercation with Marcus, a new kid in town, Sal utterly throws Miranda out of his life. Around this time, she finds a note in her library book asking her to chronicle some future events, and it also contains proof of being from the future. More notes come to Miranda, and she soon realizes that these notes are coming from someone who is going to save someone’s life. It turns out that the notes are indeed coming from the future; Marcus had somehow traveled to the past and placed the notes in Miranda’s path in order for her to see that he knows the future and that his actions are legitimate. This story reveals the unraveling of this young girls life as she faces an event involving the consequences of life and death.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS: This book is full of details, and somehow the details do not overpower the bigger story, and yet Stead nearly makes all of them equally important. Stead took her inspiration from several different areas. First, she took some ideas from her childhood growing up on the Upper West Side. Additionally, a New York Times article about a man with amnesia gave Stead the initial impetus for the concept of time travel in When You Reach Me. And lastly, Stead was inspired in various ways by the Madeleine L’Engle novel A Wrinkle in Time. One thing that this novel focuses on is the progression of friendships through adversity. When You Reach Me explores what Miranda goes through as her best friend, a boy she’s known since her toddler years, seems to abandon their friendship. Stead shows Miranda moving on to a new group of friends, and then goes back to the relationship between Miranda and Sal as it is revealed that the life that “future Marcus” is going to save is Sal’s. This book also explores the concept of time travel. Miranda loves the book A Wrinkle in Time, and in one part of When You Reach Me, Marcus explains a key part of A Wrinkle in Time’s plot involving time travel. Additionally, Miranda spends much of the time in the novel questioning if time travel is possible. And of course, the plot point of Marcus traveling back to the past is an obvious part of this subtheme.
AWARDS:
WINNER 2009 Kid's Indie Next List "Inspired Recommendations for Kids from Indie Booksellers"
WINNER 2009 New York Times Notable Book
WINNER 2009 Kirkus Reviews Best ChildrenÂ’s Books
WINNER 2009 Publishers Weekly Best Children's Book of the Year
WINNER 2009 School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
WINNER 2009 Booklist Children's Editors' Choice
WINNER 2009 Horn Book Fanfare
WINNER 2009 National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA) Gold Award
WINNER 2009 Parents' Choice Gold Award
WINNER 2009 Book Links Lasting Connection
WINNER 2010 Newbery Medal Winner
WINNER 2010 ALA Notable Children's Book
WINNER 2010 ALA Best Books for Young Adults Top 10
WINNER 2010 NCSS/CBC Notable Children's Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies
WINNER 2010 Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices
WINNER 2010 NCTE Notable Children's Trade Books in the Language Arts
WINNER 2010 IRA Children's Book Award for Older Readers
NOMINEE 2011 Hawaii Nene Award
NOMINEE 2010 Wyoming Indian Paintbrush Master List
WINNER New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
WINNER ALA Best Books for Young Adults
WINNER Chicago Public LibraryÂ’s Best of the Best books
NOMINEE Amelia Bloomer List Recommended Title
NOMINEE Maine Student Book Award
NOMINEE Pennsylvania Young Readers Choice Award
WINNER Texas Lone Star Reading List
NOMINEE Vermont Dorothy Canfield Fischer Book Award
NOMINEE Missouri Gateway Readers Award
NOMINEE Tennessee Volunteer State Book Award
NOMINEE Virginia Young Readers Program Award
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
Review, People Magazine, July 13, 2009:
"Absorbing."
Review, The Wall Street Journal, July 17, 2009:
"Readers ... are likely to find themselves chewing over the details of this superb and intricate tale long afterward."
Review, The Washington Post Book World, July 15, 2009:
“Incandescent.”
Review, The New York Times Book Review, August 16, 2009:
"Smart and mesmerizing."
CONNECTIONS:
From the teacher guide PDF found at http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/teachers_guides/9780375850868.pdf
Language Arts:
Discuss what the New York Timesreviewer means when she calls When You Reach Me “a hybrid of genres.” Ask students to discuss the definition of the following genres: science fiction, adventure, mystery, historical fiction, and realism. Divide the class into small groups and ask each group to prepare a debate about which genre(s) they think the novel fits. Ask them to cite passages from the novel to support their debate.The novel is set in the 1970s, before kids had cell phones and computers. Suppose the novel was set today. Have the class write Facebook or MySpace profile pages for Miranda, Sal, Annemarie, Julia, Colin, Marcus, and Alice Evans.
Music: Ask students to use Web sites to find the top songs of 1979 that might be playing on the jukebox at Jimmy’s place. Then, ask them to take clues from the song titles and identify a song that Miranda might want to dedicate to Sal at the end of the novel.
Art: Have the class create a mural in collage titled “Things That.” Allow students to work with a partner and assign each pair a category derived from one of the chapter titles. Instruct them to collect pictures and articles from magazines, newspapers, and the Internet that best fits their category. How does the class mural represent Miranda’s journey?
RELATED BOOKS:
WONDER By: R.J. Palacio
THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN By: Katherine Applegate
MOON OVER MANIFEST By: Clare Vanderpool
GENRE FIVE: HISTORICAL FICTION
THE GAME OF SILENCE
WRITTEN BY: LOUISE ERDRICH
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Erdrich, Louise. 2005. The Game of Silence. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0-385-32141-4
PLOT SUMMARY:
In this historical fiction book about a Native American community Omakayas's story is described with details surrounding the tribe of Ojibwe. Set in the 1850's near the Lake Superior area, the story starts out with the arrival of another group from the Ojibwe tribe who were attacked by white settlers. Omakayas is a 9 year-old-girl who gives a detailed account of what she sees and hears, and the daily activities of the tribal members around her.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
Erdrich does a wonderful job describing the Native American experience. When the tribe sets out to find the white settlers that attacked them, Omakayas provides much detail about the things she sees, sharing what clothes people are wearing, the language they use, and their customs and beliefs. As if the reader is sitting right next to her, descriptions and authentic language are used to bring you along in this story so full of substance. As the story develops it is clear that there is betrayal and hurt between the tribe and the white settlers. The story is described by the season it is in, which is one example that helps support the theme: change. The main theme I captured from the start was that there are going to be some new things happening in the life of the tribe, and change will be what Omakayas faces soon. She foreshadows this in the beginning when she first sees the people in the boats. I found it useful to see the Ojibwe words/language spelled out and defined for the reader in a glossary in the book. I was able to learn a lot by referencing it as I read. As much as I appreciated this book and what I learned about the way of life of these Native Americans, there is not too much excitement to draw in younger readers. All in all, the author does a great job of weaving a compelling story amid a strikingly accurate portrayal of the 19th century Ojibwe tribe. This book would be a good tool to introduce the struggles between Native Americans and white settlers, as well as showing the ins and outs of life in a Native American tribe at the brink of societal change.
AWARDS:
2006 ALA Notable Book for Middle Readers (Association for Library Services to Children)
2006 Winner, Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
School Library Journal, July 1, 2005 "Although the story is set on an island in Lake Superior in 1850, readers will identify with the everyday activities of the Ojibwa, from snowball fights to fishing excursions, providing a parallel to their own lives while encouraging an appreciation for one that is very different. The action is somewhat slow, but Erdrich's captivating tale of four seasons portrays a deep appreciation of our environment, our history, and our Native American sisters and brothers.”
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY "Like its sequel, The Birchbark House, this meticulously researched novel offers an even balance of joyful and sorrowful moments while conveying a perspective of America's past that is rarely found in history books."
CONNECTIONS:
Harper Collins offers a lesson plan on their website:
http://files.harpercollins.com/PDF/TeachingGuides/0064410293.pdf
Read The Birchbark House and describe how Omakayas has grown over time.
RELATED BOOKS:
THE PORCUPINE YEAR By: Louise Erdrich
THE BIRCHBARK HOUSE By: Louise Erdrich
CHICKADEE By: Louise Erdrich
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Erdrich, Louise. 2005. The Game of Silence. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0-385-32141-4
PLOT SUMMARY:
In this historical fiction book about a Native American community Omakayas's story is described with details surrounding the tribe of Ojibwe. Set in the 1850's near the Lake Superior area, the story starts out with the arrival of another group from the Ojibwe tribe who were attacked by white settlers. Omakayas is a 9 year-old-girl who gives a detailed account of what she sees and hears, and the daily activities of the tribal members around her.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
Erdrich does a wonderful job describing the Native American experience. When the tribe sets out to find the white settlers that attacked them, Omakayas provides much detail about the things she sees, sharing what clothes people are wearing, the language they use, and their customs and beliefs. As if the reader is sitting right next to her, descriptions and authentic language are used to bring you along in this story so full of substance. As the story develops it is clear that there is betrayal and hurt between the tribe and the white settlers. The story is described by the season it is in, which is one example that helps support the theme: change. The main theme I captured from the start was that there are going to be some new things happening in the life of the tribe, and change will be what Omakayas faces soon. She foreshadows this in the beginning when she first sees the people in the boats. I found it useful to see the Ojibwe words/language spelled out and defined for the reader in a glossary in the book. I was able to learn a lot by referencing it as I read. As much as I appreciated this book and what I learned about the way of life of these Native Americans, there is not too much excitement to draw in younger readers. All in all, the author does a great job of weaving a compelling story amid a strikingly accurate portrayal of the 19th century Ojibwe tribe. This book would be a good tool to introduce the struggles between Native Americans and white settlers, as well as showing the ins and outs of life in a Native American tribe at the brink of societal change.
AWARDS:
2006 ALA Notable Book for Middle Readers (Association for Library Services to Children)
2006 Winner, Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
School Library Journal, July 1, 2005 "Although the story is set on an island in Lake Superior in 1850, readers will identify with the everyday activities of the Ojibwa, from snowball fights to fishing excursions, providing a parallel to their own lives while encouraging an appreciation for one that is very different. The action is somewhat slow, but Erdrich's captivating tale of four seasons portrays a deep appreciation of our environment, our history, and our Native American sisters and brothers.”
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY "Like its sequel, The Birchbark House, this meticulously researched novel offers an even balance of joyful and sorrowful moments while conveying a perspective of America's past that is rarely found in history books."
CONNECTIONS:
Harper Collins offers a lesson plan on their website:
http://files.harpercollins.com/PDF/TeachingGuides/0064410293.pdf
Read The Birchbark House and describe how Omakayas has grown over time.
RELATED BOOKS:
THE PORCUPINE YEAR By: Louise Erdrich
THE BIRCHBARK HOUSE By: Louise Erdrich
CHICKADEE By: Louise Erdrich
PICTURES OF HOLLIS WOODS
WRITTEN BY: PATRICIA REILLY GIFF
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Giff, Patricia Reilly. PICTURES OF HOLLIS WOODS New York: Wendy Lamb, 2002. ISBN 0385326556.
PLOT SUMMARY:
Pictures of Hollis Woods is about a 12-year-old girl who is searching for a place to belong. She was abandoned as a baby and ever since has hopped around from foster family to foster family, yearning for a place to be, to feel safe. She finally finds a family she likes and whom she is happy with, but after an accident involving her foster brother, Stephen, she was placed in another home: Josie's home. Hollis wanted to stay with Josie because she was eager to feel like she belonged again. With guilt lingering in her mind that the accident with Stephen was her fault, she did whatever she could to keep Josie happy. Josie was a retired art teacher who helped Hollis with her artwork. She helped her understand a lot of things about life through art, but over time Josie's Alzheimer's grows and it started to affect the way she cared for Hollis. The roles were in a way reversed and soon enough "the mustard" woman, who was the social worker in charge of Hollis' case, said she had to move to another family. With this new information, Hollis has to make a decision on how to move forward. Each chapter begins with a picture that Hollis drew, and a description of the story behind it.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
This book really enthralls the reader with descriptions and experiences that one can easily connect to. Issues such as loneliness, insecurity, anger, and hurt are laced into this 12-year-old girl's life, and as the story continues you really start to root for her. Told in a first person narrative, Hollis teaches the reader how to use art to cope with life by explaining how her pictures relate to her life experiences. Using pictures to figure out life, Hollis examines personal situations and her desire for a family. The book challenges ideas and choices through self-perception as Hollis thinks about herself and her actions. I enjoyed how the book weaved from present to past stories and found it easy to follow along. Set in the New York countryside in the late 1980's, Pictures of Hollis Woods brings hope even in the darkest situations. This book is a good way for someone to get an idea of the foster care system in the later 20th century, examining both its positive and negative aspects.
AWARDS:
2003 ALA Notable Children’s Book
2003 Newbery Honor Book
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
“If someone looks into your eyes, I read in a book one time, he’ll see right into your soul. I didn’t want anyone to see into my soul.” - Hollis Woods, Pictures of Hollis Woods
“Drawing is what you see of the world, truly see...And sometimes what you see is so deep in your head you're not even sure of what you're seeing. But when it's down there on paper, and you look at it, really look, you'll see the way things are...that's the world, isn't it? You have to keep looking to find the truth.” Patricia Reilly Giff, Pictures of Hollis Woods
CONNECTIONS:
Hallmark Hall of Fame has a link to Crayola Dream Makers Lesson Plans
http://www.hallmark.com/online/hall-of-fame/images/Crayola_Lesson_Plans_HW.pdf
RELATED BOOKS:
LILY'S CROSSING By: Patricia Reilly Giff
LOVE, RUBY LAVENDER By: Deborah Wiles
OLIVE'S OCEAN By: Kevin Henkes
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Giff, Patricia Reilly. PICTURES OF HOLLIS WOODS New York: Wendy Lamb, 2002. ISBN 0385326556.
PLOT SUMMARY:
Pictures of Hollis Woods is about a 12-year-old girl who is searching for a place to belong. She was abandoned as a baby and ever since has hopped around from foster family to foster family, yearning for a place to be, to feel safe. She finally finds a family she likes and whom she is happy with, but after an accident involving her foster brother, Stephen, she was placed in another home: Josie's home. Hollis wanted to stay with Josie because she was eager to feel like she belonged again. With guilt lingering in her mind that the accident with Stephen was her fault, she did whatever she could to keep Josie happy. Josie was a retired art teacher who helped Hollis with her artwork. She helped her understand a lot of things about life through art, but over time Josie's Alzheimer's grows and it started to affect the way she cared for Hollis. The roles were in a way reversed and soon enough "the mustard" woman, who was the social worker in charge of Hollis' case, said she had to move to another family. With this new information, Hollis has to make a decision on how to move forward. Each chapter begins with a picture that Hollis drew, and a description of the story behind it.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
This book really enthralls the reader with descriptions and experiences that one can easily connect to. Issues such as loneliness, insecurity, anger, and hurt are laced into this 12-year-old girl's life, and as the story continues you really start to root for her. Told in a first person narrative, Hollis teaches the reader how to use art to cope with life by explaining how her pictures relate to her life experiences. Using pictures to figure out life, Hollis examines personal situations and her desire for a family. The book challenges ideas and choices through self-perception as Hollis thinks about herself and her actions. I enjoyed how the book weaved from present to past stories and found it easy to follow along. Set in the New York countryside in the late 1980's, Pictures of Hollis Woods brings hope even in the darkest situations. This book is a good way for someone to get an idea of the foster care system in the later 20th century, examining both its positive and negative aspects.
AWARDS:
2003 ALA Notable Children’s Book
2003 Newbery Honor Book
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
“If someone looks into your eyes, I read in a book one time, he’ll see right into your soul. I didn’t want anyone to see into my soul.” - Hollis Woods, Pictures of Hollis Woods
“Drawing is what you see of the world, truly see...And sometimes what you see is so deep in your head you're not even sure of what you're seeing. But when it's down there on paper, and you look at it, really look, you'll see the way things are...that's the world, isn't it? You have to keep looking to find the truth.” Patricia Reilly Giff, Pictures of Hollis Woods
CONNECTIONS:
Hallmark Hall of Fame has a link to Crayola Dream Makers Lesson Plans
http://www.hallmark.com/online/hall-of-fame/images/Crayola_Lesson_Plans_HW.pdf
RELATED BOOKS:
LILY'S CROSSING By: Patricia Reilly Giff
LOVE, RUBY LAVENDER By: Deborah Wiles
OLIVE'S OCEAN By: Kevin Henkes
BREAKING STALIN'S NOSE
WRITTEN BY: EUGENE YELCHIN
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Yelchin, Eugene. Breaking Stalin's Nose. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2011.
PLOT SUMMARY:
In BREAKING STALIN'S NOSE, 10-year-old Sasha Zaichik has grown up wanting nothing more than to be a part of the Young Soviet Pioneers. Naturally, in a Communist country, he is expected to revere Stalin and so he does, blindly. The day before the pioneers rally, a turn of events changes Sasha's life forever. From his father being captured by the State Security to to finding out the events surrounding his mother's death were false, it came to be the worse day of his life. The unfortunate events to follow gives way to the truths behind the group he so wanted to be a part of, and in turn clarifies the reality of the organization. As his dreams crash down Sasha's privy to the realities that turn his world upside-down. Sasha has to navigate through these muddy waters and through a fast-paced turn of events. The reader is forced to question whether or not Sasha will be captured and sent to an orphanage or if he will find what he is really looking for; the truth.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
This book does a good job of showing the hardships of living in the Soviet Union during the time of Stalin. The author shows the hardships of this young boy missing out on his dreams and that is relateable because hardships are universal. The turnaround for this boy is that the truth is found out and it's not at all what he thought it was. The authenticity in this historical fiction is evident in the portrayal of the difficulties Sasha faces in Stalinist Russia. The way of life, the interwoven habits brought to life, and the interactions between people make Sasha's fantasies about communism dissipate. The style that is evident in this book is greatly backed by the authors personal experience of living in Russia. It gives him a reference to use when painting a picture with words of Sasha's story. Another thing I appreciated about this book was the illustrations. The images so closely aligned with the communist attitude and it brought the harsh realities that Sasha faced to life for the reader. The main theme found in this book is that of independent thinking and questioning of blind devotion. The author will reel readers into this story of Sasha and his struggles, and, without realizing it, they will learn a great deal about life in communist Russia. The style of Yelchin makes this book easy to read for most children.
AWARDS:
2012 Newbery Honor Book
The Best Children’s Books of 2011 by Washington Post
2012 Distinguished Work of Historical Fiction Award - Children’s Literature Council of Southern California
2012 Capitol Choices Book, Noteworthy Books for Children
2012 Junior Library Guild Selection
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
San Francisco Chronicle: “A miracle of brevity, this affecting novel zeroes in on two days and one boy to personalize Stalin's killing machine of the '30s. …black-and-white drawings march across the pages to juxtapose hope and fear, truth and tyranny, small moments and historical forces, innocence and evil.”
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books: "The cat-and-mouse chase that pits Sasha’s whole world against him will rivet middle-grade readers, but this title will hold special appeal for older students whose grasp of content outstrips their reading proficiency."
CONNECTIONS:
Prereading lesson as well as chapter by chapter questions for discussion/journals
http://www.teachingbooks.net/media/pdf/macmillan/BreakingStalinsBG.pdf
RELATED BOOKS:
THE WALL: GROWING UP BEHIND THE IRON CURTAIN By: Peter Sis
I WANT TO LIVE: THE DIARY OF YOUNG GIRL IN STALIN'S RUSSIA By: Nina Lugovskaya
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Yelchin, Eugene. Breaking Stalin's Nose. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2011.
PLOT SUMMARY:
In BREAKING STALIN'S NOSE, 10-year-old Sasha Zaichik has grown up wanting nothing more than to be a part of the Young Soviet Pioneers. Naturally, in a Communist country, he is expected to revere Stalin and so he does, blindly. The day before the pioneers rally, a turn of events changes Sasha's life forever. From his father being captured by the State Security to to finding out the events surrounding his mother's death were false, it came to be the worse day of his life. The unfortunate events to follow gives way to the truths behind the group he so wanted to be a part of, and in turn clarifies the reality of the organization. As his dreams crash down Sasha's privy to the realities that turn his world upside-down. Sasha has to navigate through these muddy waters and through a fast-paced turn of events. The reader is forced to question whether or not Sasha will be captured and sent to an orphanage or if he will find what he is really looking for; the truth.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
This book does a good job of showing the hardships of living in the Soviet Union during the time of Stalin. The author shows the hardships of this young boy missing out on his dreams and that is relateable because hardships are universal. The turnaround for this boy is that the truth is found out and it's not at all what he thought it was. The authenticity in this historical fiction is evident in the portrayal of the difficulties Sasha faces in Stalinist Russia. The way of life, the interwoven habits brought to life, and the interactions between people make Sasha's fantasies about communism dissipate. The style that is evident in this book is greatly backed by the authors personal experience of living in Russia. It gives him a reference to use when painting a picture with words of Sasha's story. Another thing I appreciated about this book was the illustrations. The images so closely aligned with the communist attitude and it brought the harsh realities that Sasha faced to life for the reader. The main theme found in this book is that of independent thinking and questioning of blind devotion. The author will reel readers into this story of Sasha and his struggles, and, without realizing it, they will learn a great deal about life in communist Russia. The style of Yelchin makes this book easy to read for most children.
AWARDS:
2012 Newbery Honor Book
The Best Children’s Books of 2011 by Washington Post
2012 Distinguished Work of Historical Fiction Award - Children’s Literature Council of Southern California
2012 Capitol Choices Book, Noteworthy Books for Children
2012 Junior Library Guild Selection
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
San Francisco Chronicle: “A miracle of brevity, this affecting novel zeroes in on two days and one boy to personalize Stalin's killing machine of the '30s. …black-and-white drawings march across the pages to juxtapose hope and fear, truth and tyranny, small moments and historical forces, innocence and evil.”
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books: "The cat-and-mouse chase that pits Sasha’s whole world against him will rivet middle-grade readers, but this title will hold special appeal for older students whose grasp of content outstrips their reading proficiency."
CONNECTIONS:
Prereading lesson as well as chapter by chapter questions for discussion/journals
http://www.teachingbooks.net/media/pdf/macmillan/BreakingStalinsBG.pdf
RELATED BOOKS:
THE WALL: GROWING UP BEHIND THE IRON CURTAIN By: Peter Sis
I WANT TO LIVE: THE DIARY OF YOUNG GIRL IN STALIN'S RUSSIA By: Nina Lugovskaya
GENRE FOUR: NONFICTION AND BIOGRAPHY
ALMOST ASTRONAUTS: 13 WOMAN WHO DARED TO DREAM
WRITTEN BY: TAYNA LEE STONE
FORWARD BY: MARGARET A. WEITEKAMP
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Stone, Tanya Lee. 2008. ALMOST ASTRONAUTS: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream. Somerville, Mass.: Candlewick Press. ISBN 9780763636111.
PLOT SUMMARY
ALMOST ASTRONAUTS: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream by Tanya Lee Stone is a book that tells the story of the 13 women who went through various hoops in order to become astronauts and to fight for women's justice. After much effort one lady, Jerrie Cobb, was allowed to start the process for training for NASA. When it came down to the physical and psychological testing, she surpassed the records of the other men who took the same tests. The chronological retelling of these 13 ladies' experiences in the early 1960s shares the ups and downs they had to battle through in order to be considered for the space program. In the end these women were not able to go into space, but their efforts of dedication paved the way for women everywhere and opened doors that allowed women in the years following to represent the United States in space.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
ALMOST ASTRONAUTS: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream told the amazing story of 13 women who pushed and fought for women's rights in the 1960s. They had to push through various obstacles to be considered for the space program because at the time it was not "possible" for women to be astronauts. Although this story speaks for itself in a way, the author does a great job at collecting data over the years including editorial pictures, newspaper clippings, various letters between the higher-ups in Washington and at NASA and the 13 women who persued the dream to go into space. In the end, these ladies did not get the chance to go into space, but they did however open the door for other women, and for women's rights. NASA now allows women to train and go into space. Overall I enjoyed this book and learned something new about the story behind these women and women's rights. I appreciated the excess of pictures and clippings the author put in the book, and utilized the appendix for quick finds which was great. Even though they did not achieve their dreams, they made it possible for those who came after them. The impact that these women had on our culture and on women in America was profound and the author successfully highlighted that.
AWARDS
Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor
Jane Addams Children's Book Award Honor
NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor
Bank Street's Flora Stieglitz Straus Award
Robert F. Sibert Medal
ALA/YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Honor
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
San Francisco Chronicle: "Balanced but brimming with righteous indignation...carefully researched...exhilarating reading...stirring interviews and stunning archival photos."
Publishers Weekly: "a gripping narrative...[Readers] will undoubtedly be moved."
Natural History Magazine: "a much truer portrait of an era than the many self-congratulatory celebrations of the Moon landing published this year."
CONNECTIONS (Connections found at http://wildgeeseguides.blogspot.com/2010/01/almost-astronauts.html)
Art:
Inspired by the story of the Mercury 13 women create a piece of art which honors their contribution. Explain your use of color, form and texture in an artist’s statement which you also turn in with the project.
Language Arts:
Write a pamphlet biography about a woman who has been a pioneer in her field. Find at least five important facts about her work, five dates that were key in her life and who she inspired.
RELATED BOOKS
AMELIA EARHART By: Tayna Lee Stone
UP CLOSE: ELLA FITZGERALD By: Tayna Lee Stone
THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE BARBIE By: Tayna Lee Stone
FORWARD BY: MARGARET A. WEITEKAMP
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Stone, Tanya Lee. 2008. ALMOST ASTRONAUTS: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream. Somerville, Mass.: Candlewick Press. ISBN 9780763636111.
PLOT SUMMARY
ALMOST ASTRONAUTS: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream by Tanya Lee Stone is a book that tells the story of the 13 women who went through various hoops in order to become astronauts and to fight for women's justice. After much effort one lady, Jerrie Cobb, was allowed to start the process for training for NASA. When it came down to the physical and psychological testing, she surpassed the records of the other men who took the same tests. The chronological retelling of these 13 ladies' experiences in the early 1960s shares the ups and downs they had to battle through in order to be considered for the space program. In the end these women were not able to go into space, but their efforts of dedication paved the way for women everywhere and opened doors that allowed women in the years following to represent the United States in space.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
ALMOST ASTRONAUTS: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream told the amazing story of 13 women who pushed and fought for women's rights in the 1960s. They had to push through various obstacles to be considered for the space program because at the time it was not "possible" for women to be astronauts. Although this story speaks for itself in a way, the author does a great job at collecting data over the years including editorial pictures, newspaper clippings, various letters between the higher-ups in Washington and at NASA and the 13 women who persued the dream to go into space. In the end, these ladies did not get the chance to go into space, but they did however open the door for other women, and for women's rights. NASA now allows women to train and go into space. Overall I enjoyed this book and learned something new about the story behind these women and women's rights. I appreciated the excess of pictures and clippings the author put in the book, and utilized the appendix for quick finds which was great. Even though they did not achieve their dreams, they made it possible for those who came after them. The impact that these women had on our culture and on women in America was profound and the author successfully highlighted that.
AWARDS
Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor
Jane Addams Children's Book Award Honor
NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor
Bank Street's Flora Stieglitz Straus Award
Robert F. Sibert Medal
ALA/YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Honor
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
San Francisco Chronicle: "Balanced but brimming with righteous indignation...carefully researched...exhilarating reading...stirring interviews and stunning archival photos."
Publishers Weekly: "a gripping narrative...[Readers] will undoubtedly be moved."
Natural History Magazine: "a much truer portrait of an era than the many self-congratulatory celebrations of the Moon landing published this year."
CONNECTIONS (Connections found at http://wildgeeseguides.blogspot.com/2010/01/almost-astronauts.html)
Art:
Inspired by the story of the Mercury 13 women create a piece of art which honors their contribution. Explain your use of color, form and texture in an artist’s statement which you also turn in with the project.
Language Arts:
Write a pamphlet biography about a woman who has been a pioneer in her field. Find at least five important facts about her work, five dates that were key in her life and who she inspired.
RELATED BOOKS
AMELIA EARHART By: Tayna Lee Stone
UP CLOSE: ELLA FITZGERALD By: Tayna Lee Stone
THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE BARBIE By: Tayna Lee Stone
MOVE!
WRITTEN BY: ROBIN PAGE
ILLUSTRATED BY: STEVE JENKINS
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Jenkins, Steve, and Robin Page. Move! New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009. Print.
PLOT SUMMARY
This book gives a visual representation of various animals and the sounds and moves they make. With one animal's action leading to the next animal's action you can literally feel the animals moving. The details of the pictures show the animals moving and the verbs are true to what you are seeing. The inside cover of the book raves about how this is a "playful introduction to motion in the animal kingdom that invites young readers to guess some of the unusual ways that animals get around."
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This book is fun for all ages, but it really encoruages the younger crowd to get up and move. With easy transitions from one animal to the next, Jenkins and Page make this book very accessible and entertaining! The words are large and in bold text, making it easy to read. The illustrations highlight the verbs described for each animal by showing the animals in motion. The animals are jumping off the page and dancing their way through the book, which provides a lively and exciting way to learn about how these animals move, and how they relate to each other. Toward the end, the book encourages readers to get up and move themselves by saying, "Animals move in different ways ... how about you?" I especially appreciated how Jenkins and Page included a paragraph or two on the last page of every animal in the book describing other details and facts about them.
AWARDS
2006 New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Books of the Year
2006 Parenting Magazine Books of the Year
2006 Nick Jr. Family Magazine Best Books of the Year
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
E.R. Bird "With Page's words to guide him, Jenkins gives as much oomph and surprise action as he can to his illustrations without going so far as to make them three-dimensional. So if the word is "leap", you can bet your bottom dollar that both the armadillo and crocodile are going to be giving you your money's worth on that verb."
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, Starred "The texture- and color-rich cut-paper collages, displaying each animal in a characteristic pose, feature several layers of depth, providing young viewers with the potential for hours of exploration."
CONNECTIONS
After reading this book you can have students practice helping verbs and past tense verbs using worksheets found at this website: http://suzyred.com/pbks2008move.html
Students can play a verb matching game that matches the animal to the verb it uses. Game can be found at http://suzyred.com/pbks2008move.html
RELATED BOOKS
BIGGEST, STRONGEST, FASTEST By: Steve Jenkins
HOTTEST, COLDEST, HIGHEST, DEEPEST By: Steve Jenkins
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A TAIL LIKE THIS? By: Steve Jenkins
ILLUSTRATED BY: STEVE JENKINS
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Jenkins, Steve, and Robin Page. Move! New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009. Print.
PLOT SUMMARY
This book gives a visual representation of various animals and the sounds and moves they make. With one animal's action leading to the next animal's action you can literally feel the animals moving. The details of the pictures show the animals moving and the verbs are true to what you are seeing. The inside cover of the book raves about how this is a "playful introduction to motion in the animal kingdom that invites young readers to guess some of the unusual ways that animals get around."
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This book is fun for all ages, but it really encoruages the younger crowd to get up and move. With easy transitions from one animal to the next, Jenkins and Page make this book very accessible and entertaining! The words are large and in bold text, making it easy to read. The illustrations highlight the verbs described for each animal by showing the animals in motion. The animals are jumping off the page and dancing their way through the book, which provides a lively and exciting way to learn about how these animals move, and how they relate to each other. Toward the end, the book encourages readers to get up and move themselves by saying, "Animals move in different ways ... how about you?" I especially appreciated how Jenkins and Page included a paragraph or two on the last page of every animal in the book describing other details and facts about them.
AWARDS
2006 New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Books of the Year
2006 Parenting Magazine Books of the Year
2006 Nick Jr. Family Magazine Best Books of the Year
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
E.R. Bird "With Page's words to guide him, Jenkins gives as much oomph and surprise action as he can to his illustrations without going so far as to make them three-dimensional. So if the word is "leap", you can bet your bottom dollar that both the armadillo and crocodile are going to be giving you your money's worth on that verb."
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, Starred "The texture- and color-rich cut-paper collages, displaying each animal in a characteristic pose, feature several layers of depth, providing young viewers with the potential for hours of exploration."
CONNECTIONS
After reading this book you can have students practice helping verbs and past tense verbs using worksheets found at this website: http://suzyred.com/pbks2008move.html
Students can play a verb matching game that matches the animal to the verb it uses. Game can be found at http://suzyred.com/pbks2008move.html
RELATED BOOKS
BIGGEST, STRONGEST, FASTEST By: Steve Jenkins
HOTTEST, COLDEST, HIGHEST, DEEPEST By: Steve Jenkins
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A TAIL LIKE THIS? By: Steve Jenkins
WALT WHITMAN: WORDS FOR AMERICA
WRITTEN BY: BARBARA KERLEY
ILLUSTRATED BY: BRIAN SELZNICK
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Kerley, Barbara. Walt Whitman: Words for America. New York: Scholastic Press, 2004.
PLOT SUMMARY
This informational text provides the story of Walt Whitman in a chronological format. Centering around his time spent in the Civil War, Kerley and Selznick show an honest depiction of Whitman and his connections to America. Using poetry and illustrations, the book weaves in and out of Whitman's biographical story, giving the reader an opportunity to see Walt Whitman's world through his own eyes.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This book is very successful in that it shares a biographical story by using the subject's own words. Walt Whitman was a man who shared his compassion for America during the Civil War by writing poetry and sharing his travels and experiences during the war. The book was organized in a way that makes it accessible for the reader and highlights different poems by Whitman and illustrations that engage the reader even more. The story was delivered in a conversational sort of way that encourages the read to ask questions and think deeper into the story, into the life of Whitman. The themes presented in the poetry by Whitman, the biographic recount, and even the illustrations follow that of the time period Whitman wrote Leaves of Grass, which is his magnum opus. Details in the illustrations highlight the clothing of the time, war scenes, and even living conditions, allowing the reader an even deeper look into the Civil War era that so epically shook the 19th Century. Whitmans words bring a certain weight to the story that, when paired with Kerley's narrative, paint a picture Whitman himself would be proud of.
AWARDS
Sibert Honor Book
California Book Award
Best Book Award -- Oppenheim Toy Portfolio
ALA Notable Book
Best Children's Books -- Publishers Weekly
Best Illustrated Books -- New York Times
100 Titles for Reading and Sharing -- New York Public Library
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
"Vibrant." New York Times
"Outstanding." San Francisco Chronicle
"A visual and textual portrait of America's most revolutionary and celebrated poet. Kerley distills Whitman's wide-ranging biography, centering on the significant themes of his life: his passion for words, America, and the common man, as well as his torment over race, democracy, and the Civil War.... Depicting Whitman as both a literal and metaphorical journeyman, Selznick paints him hiking with the pages of his habitual notebooks floating around him, each with a word from his poetry, graphically bursting the boundaries of convention.... A cultural force rendered with power and immediacy for a new generation."
Kirkus Reviews, starred review
CONNECTIONS
*Discuss the different types of poems with students
*Have students write a poem about the Civil War
*Identify and research important figures during the Civil War
*Research other poetry from the Civil War era by Whitman that was not included in the book
RELATED BOOKS
POETRY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE: WALT WHITMAN By: Johnathan Levin
WONDERSTRUCK By: Brian Selznick
THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET By: Brian Selznick
ILLUSTRATED BY: BRIAN SELZNICK
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Kerley, Barbara. Walt Whitman: Words for America. New York: Scholastic Press, 2004.
PLOT SUMMARY
This informational text provides the story of Walt Whitman in a chronological format. Centering around his time spent in the Civil War, Kerley and Selznick show an honest depiction of Whitman and his connections to America. Using poetry and illustrations, the book weaves in and out of Whitman's biographical story, giving the reader an opportunity to see Walt Whitman's world through his own eyes.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This book is very successful in that it shares a biographical story by using the subject's own words. Walt Whitman was a man who shared his compassion for America during the Civil War by writing poetry and sharing his travels and experiences during the war. The book was organized in a way that makes it accessible for the reader and highlights different poems by Whitman and illustrations that engage the reader even more. The story was delivered in a conversational sort of way that encourages the read to ask questions and think deeper into the story, into the life of Whitman. The themes presented in the poetry by Whitman, the biographic recount, and even the illustrations follow that of the time period Whitman wrote Leaves of Grass, which is his magnum opus. Details in the illustrations highlight the clothing of the time, war scenes, and even living conditions, allowing the reader an even deeper look into the Civil War era that so epically shook the 19th Century. Whitmans words bring a certain weight to the story that, when paired with Kerley's narrative, paint a picture Whitman himself would be proud of.
AWARDS
Sibert Honor Book
California Book Award
Best Book Award -- Oppenheim Toy Portfolio
ALA Notable Book
Best Children's Books -- Publishers Weekly
Best Illustrated Books -- New York Times
100 Titles for Reading and Sharing -- New York Public Library
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
"Vibrant." New York Times
"Outstanding." San Francisco Chronicle
"A visual and textual portrait of America's most revolutionary and celebrated poet. Kerley distills Whitman's wide-ranging biography, centering on the significant themes of his life: his passion for words, America, and the common man, as well as his torment over race, democracy, and the Civil War.... Depicting Whitman as both a literal and metaphorical journeyman, Selznick paints him hiking with the pages of his habitual notebooks floating around him, each with a word from his poetry, graphically bursting the boundaries of convention.... A cultural force rendered with power and immediacy for a new generation."
Kirkus Reviews, starred review
CONNECTIONS
*Discuss the different types of poems with students
*Have students write a poem about the Civil War
*Identify and research important figures during the Civil War
*Research other poetry from the Civil War era by Whitman that was not included in the book
RELATED BOOKS
POETRY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE: WALT WHITMAN By: Johnathan Levin
WONDERSTRUCK By: Brian Selznick
THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET By: Brian Selznick
GENRE THREE: POETRY
MESSING AROUND ON THE MONKEY BARS
WRITTEN BY: BETSY FRANCO
ILLUSTRATED BY: JESSIE HARTLAND
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Franco, Betsy, and Jessie Hartland. Messing around on the Monkey Bars and Other School Poems for Two Voices. Somerville, MA: Candlewick, 2009. Print.
PLOT SUMMARY
Messing Around on the Monkey Bars is a poetry book made up of 19 poems and is ideal for two voices, although it can be read by more. It takes the reader to multiple places within an elementary school. From the classroom to the library, and, of course, to the playground, different characters and things interact with each other, providing a humorous picture of a day at school.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This book is interactive, in that it uses imagery to create a relate-able experience with the reader. The words really draw you in through rhythm and rhyme. Alongside the fun and exciting poems, the illustrations express the lighthearted innocence of childhood. It is successful in the humor it provides as it dabbles along the school day with the adventurous, social, and most often overlooked actions we experience at school.
In Jenny's Pencil, for example, Franco uses the word "tap" in the majority of the poem in order to bring the reader into the setting of the classroom. By doing this, Franco invites the reader to join in the action of tapping the pencil and feeling the anxiety and restlessness present in the classroom setting.
The illustrations in this book are another way the creators have made a connection to the hustle and bustle of a school day. The clear mental pictures, which look like a child's drawing, offer the simple understanding that pair with the words in the book to provide a laugh for the reader. For example, Wild Bus Ride is something I found hilarious, even as an adult. The image shows the front of a bus opening up like a mouth and directly represents the words within the poem that suggests the bus is "a beast with wheels," spitting the children onto the school grounds.
A lot of the poems within this book use action words that describe the sound of what is happening. It is easy to become animated as a reader as you go through the various pages. Messing Around on the Monkey Bars is a perfect snapshot of a literary work that shares the feelings and ideas of the children in the book with the reader. The simplicity of the rhymes and word choices make it accessible for the young reader and the illustrations drawn by Jesse Hartland help to bring those words to life. The distinctive style of poetry offered by Betsy Franco is intriguing and entertaining, and allows for an interactive experience children will love.
AWARDS
2013 Pandalist Book Award
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
(found on http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/240990)
Anatomy Class
By: Betsy Franco
The chair has
arms.
The clock,
a face.
The kits have
long and twirly tails.
The tacks have
heads.
The books have
spines.
The toolbox has
a set of nails.
Our shoes have
tongues,
the marbles,
eyes.
The wooden desk has
legs and seat.
The cups have
lips.
My watch has
hands.
The classroom rulers all have
feet.
Heads, arms, hands, nails, spines, legs, feet, tails, face, lips, tongues, eyes.
What a surprise!
Is our classroom alive?
“While the poems in this book can be read silently by one person, they are written for two or more voices and come alive when read aloud. Beginning with a verse about the bus ride to school, the selections cleverly incorporate alliteration and action. Franco adeptly uses meter and rhythm to capture the fast-paced action of jumping rope on the playground, and students will recognize the descriptions of typical classroom sounds that distract them from finishing schoolwork.”
School Library Journal
CONNECTIONS
Students could write poems based on the things around them in their own classrooms.
Encourage students to make a list of words that rhyme and a list of words based on listing to the natural world.
(Found on http://www.teachervision.fen.com/tv/printables/Candlewick/messingaround-monkeybars_tg.pdf)
RELATED BOOKS
JOYFUL NOISE: POEMS FOR TWO VOICES By: Paul Fleischman
BIG TALK: POEMS FOR FOUR VOICES By: Paul Fleischman
I AM PHOENIX: POEMS FOR TWO VOICES By: Paul Fleischman
ILLUSTRATED BY: JESSIE HARTLAND
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Franco, Betsy, and Jessie Hartland. Messing around on the Monkey Bars and Other School Poems for Two Voices. Somerville, MA: Candlewick, 2009. Print.
PLOT SUMMARY
Messing Around on the Monkey Bars is a poetry book made up of 19 poems and is ideal for two voices, although it can be read by more. It takes the reader to multiple places within an elementary school. From the classroom to the library, and, of course, to the playground, different characters and things interact with each other, providing a humorous picture of a day at school.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This book is interactive, in that it uses imagery to create a relate-able experience with the reader. The words really draw you in through rhythm and rhyme. Alongside the fun and exciting poems, the illustrations express the lighthearted innocence of childhood. It is successful in the humor it provides as it dabbles along the school day with the adventurous, social, and most often overlooked actions we experience at school.
In Jenny's Pencil, for example, Franco uses the word "tap" in the majority of the poem in order to bring the reader into the setting of the classroom. By doing this, Franco invites the reader to join in the action of tapping the pencil and feeling the anxiety and restlessness present in the classroom setting.
The illustrations in this book are another way the creators have made a connection to the hustle and bustle of a school day. The clear mental pictures, which look like a child's drawing, offer the simple understanding that pair with the words in the book to provide a laugh for the reader. For example, Wild Bus Ride is something I found hilarious, even as an adult. The image shows the front of a bus opening up like a mouth and directly represents the words within the poem that suggests the bus is "a beast with wheels," spitting the children onto the school grounds.
A lot of the poems within this book use action words that describe the sound of what is happening. It is easy to become animated as a reader as you go through the various pages. Messing Around on the Monkey Bars is a perfect snapshot of a literary work that shares the feelings and ideas of the children in the book with the reader. The simplicity of the rhymes and word choices make it accessible for the young reader and the illustrations drawn by Jesse Hartland help to bring those words to life. The distinctive style of poetry offered by Betsy Franco is intriguing and entertaining, and allows for an interactive experience children will love.
AWARDS
2013 Pandalist Book Award
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
(found on http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/240990)
Anatomy Class
By: Betsy Franco
The chair has
arms.
The clock,
a face.
The kits have
long and twirly tails.
The tacks have
heads.
The books have
spines.
The toolbox has
a set of nails.
Our shoes have
tongues,
the marbles,
eyes.
The wooden desk has
legs and seat.
The cups have
lips.
My watch has
hands.
The classroom rulers all have
feet.
Heads, arms, hands, nails, spines, legs, feet, tails, face, lips, tongues, eyes.
What a surprise!
Is our classroom alive?
“While the poems in this book can be read silently by one person, they are written for two or more voices and come alive when read aloud. Beginning with a verse about the bus ride to school, the selections cleverly incorporate alliteration and action. Franco adeptly uses meter and rhythm to capture the fast-paced action of jumping rope on the playground, and students will recognize the descriptions of typical classroom sounds that distract them from finishing schoolwork.”
School Library Journal
CONNECTIONS
Students could write poems based on the things around them in their own classrooms.
Encourage students to make a list of words that rhyme and a list of words based on listing to the natural world.
(Found on http://www.teachervision.fen.com/tv/printables/Candlewick/messingaround-monkeybars_tg.pdf)
RELATED BOOKS
JOYFUL NOISE: POEMS FOR TWO VOICES By: Paul Fleischman
BIG TALK: POEMS FOR FOUR VOICES By: Paul Fleischman
I AM PHOENIX: POEMS FOR TWO VOICES By: Paul Fleischman
THIS IS JUST TO SAY
WRITTEN BY: JOYCE SIDMAN
ILLUSTRATED BY: PAMELA ZAGARENSKI
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Sidman, Joyce. 2007. This Is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness. Ill. by Pamela Zagarenski. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
PLOT SUMMARY
This book is a poetry book compiled of 35 poems. The book has two parts: apologies and responses. The second half of the book has the responses to the apologies offered in the first half. Sometimes the apologies are accepted, and sometimes they are not. Topics range from serious to comical including: stealing food, touching someones nose without asking, and even the death of classroom pets.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
There are two parts of this book that provide loads of entertainment regarding each situation. The illustrations in the book puts a face to each story and that draws the reader in even more. This book was successful in that it ranged in a variety of subjects and offered an array of emotions proving poetry can cover all grounds. I had a hard time flipping back and fourth from part one to part two and that seemed a bit cumbersome.
Each of the poems in the book offer a personal story and give you a glimpse into a strangers experience. Some of the poems are evident with repetition like Not Really and A Waste of Heart. The other poems offer unique and individual rhythm along with a variety of emotions.
The illustrations in the book are delicate and clear portrayals of the events within the poems. The larger than life pictures show over-sized pencils, books falling from the sky, and some even have hidden messages within the elaborate details such as the picture found accompanying To Manga, My Hamster, which displays a partial definition of the word "apologize" on the handle of the bucket.
AWARDS
Claudia Lewis Poetry Award
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
New York Public Library's "100 Titles for Reading and Sharing"
2008 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award Honor Book
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
“Mrs. Merz assigns her sixth-grade students to write poems of apology, and what emerges is a surprising array of emotions, poetic forms, and subjects from dead pets and biting hamsters to angry siblings and betrayal of trust.” School Library Journal, starred review
“This is an important book both for its creativity and for its wisdom.” School Library Journal
“Zagarenski’s (Mites to Mastodons) inventive mixed-media illustrations brim with items found in a classroom: a dictionary entry on “apology,” for instance, becomes part of a student's clothing, and white hole reinforcements resemble a character's stolen doughnuts.”
Publisher’s Weekly
"Children will find much to identify with in the situations presented in the apology poems, and they’ll appreciate the resolutions given in the responses." Booklist
CONNECTIONS
Visit http://www.joycesidman.com to hear the author read her poems.
Lesson plans/ideas are also presented on the authors website that guide classrooms through the process of creating their own books like this, writing exercises, and discussion questions.
RELATED BOOKS
FORGIVE ME, I MEANT TO DO IT: FALSE APOLOGY POEMS By: Gale Carson Levine
FALLING DOWN THE PAGE: A BOOK OF LIST POEMS By: Georgia Heard
SLEEP LIKE A TIGER By: Mary Louge
ILLUSTRATED BY: PAMELA ZAGARENSKI
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Sidman, Joyce. 2007. This Is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness. Ill. by Pamela Zagarenski. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
PLOT SUMMARY
This book is a poetry book compiled of 35 poems. The book has two parts: apologies and responses. The second half of the book has the responses to the apologies offered in the first half. Sometimes the apologies are accepted, and sometimes they are not. Topics range from serious to comical including: stealing food, touching someones nose without asking, and even the death of classroom pets.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
There are two parts of this book that provide loads of entertainment regarding each situation. The illustrations in the book puts a face to each story and that draws the reader in even more. This book was successful in that it ranged in a variety of subjects and offered an array of emotions proving poetry can cover all grounds. I had a hard time flipping back and fourth from part one to part two and that seemed a bit cumbersome.
Each of the poems in the book offer a personal story and give you a glimpse into a strangers experience. Some of the poems are evident with repetition like Not Really and A Waste of Heart. The other poems offer unique and individual rhythm along with a variety of emotions.
The illustrations in the book are delicate and clear portrayals of the events within the poems. The larger than life pictures show over-sized pencils, books falling from the sky, and some even have hidden messages within the elaborate details such as the picture found accompanying To Manga, My Hamster, which displays a partial definition of the word "apologize" on the handle of the bucket.
AWARDS
Claudia Lewis Poetry Award
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
New York Public Library's "100 Titles for Reading and Sharing"
2008 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award Honor Book
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
“Mrs. Merz assigns her sixth-grade students to write poems of apology, and what emerges is a surprising array of emotions, poetic forms, and subjects from dead pets and biting hamsters to angry siblings and betrayal of trust.” School Library Journal, starred review
“This is an important book both for its creativity and for its wisdom.” School Library Journal
“Zagarenski’s (Mites to Mastodons) inventive mixed-media illustrations brim with items found in a classroom: a dictionary entry on “apology,” for instance, becomes part of a student's clothing, and white hole reinforcements resemble a character's stolen doughnuts.”
Publisher’s Weekly
"Children will find much to identify with in the situations presented in the apology poems, and they’ll appreciate the resolutions given in the responses." Booklist
CONNECTIONS
Visit http://www.joycesidman.com to hear the author read her poems.
Lesson plans/ideas are also presented on the authors website that guide classrooms through the process of creating their own books like this, writing exercises, and discussion questions.
RELATED BOOKS
FORGIVE ME, I MEANT TO DO IT: FALSE APOLOGY POEMS By: Gale Carson Levine
FALLING DOWN THE PAGE: A BOOK OF LIST POEMS By: Georgia Heard
SLEEP LIKE A TIGER By: Mary Louge
WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN'T KNOW
WRITTEN BY: SONYA SONES
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Sones, Sonya. What My Mother Doesn't Know. New York: Simon & Schuster for Young Readers, 2001. Print.
Reinders, Kate, perf. What My Mother Doesn't Know. Sonya Sones. Brilliance Audio, 2008. MP3.
PLOT SUMMARY
This young adult book shares the story of a girl named Sophie who is in 9th grade. She is telling the story of her love interests as she enters the 9th grade. Her friends Rachel and Grace have been best friends with her since 3rd grade. The book is compiled using free verse.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Sones uses free verse poetry as her form of writing for What My Mother Doesn't Know. Free verse rejects the common rules that lie in poetry in that the author is able to use whatever literary devices she wants. The descriptions she uses really draws the reader in by giving a closer look into the mind of a 9th grade girl. Sones is successful with free verse in that the book is broken up into smaller sections, each being told from the main charters point of view, making it seem like she is talking to the reader.
Although this book is named as an "ALA Top Ten Quick Pick For Reluctant Young Readers," it does address some tough issues in a way that does not make you run away. Issues such as Sophie distant feeling from her mother, who always watches soap operas and does not pay attention to her. Issues like the fact that the mother of Sophie's boyfriend makes a joke about the Jewish culture that she finds offensive as Sophie herself is Jewish. Also, during that same situation Sophie learns to deal with her boyfriend who let her down, adding to the list of people who have disappointed her.
A turn of events occurs as the author repeats "If only" at the beginning of each stanza in At the County Fair showing how Sophie is doubting her relationship with her first love Dylan. In the poems to follow, Sones foreshadows the demise of their relationship and complains about the lack of compatibility between the pair. This internal conflict leads up to the end of her first relationship.
I wonder if this book is largely popular with teenagers because they can relate to the streams of consciousness and day-to-day happenings of boy crushes, friendships, and disagreements with parents. This mostly sappy teenage poetry book is not for everyone, just those who are young at heart and want to be whisked away to a land of love and juicy emotions, to a land where the only thing important is the roller coaster of teenage romance.
The very end of the book leaves you with a happy-go-lucky turn of events that in a way surprises you in that it shows the first sign of courage for the main character. A quick read for the young adult crowd looking for an easy to follow love story.
AWARDS
A Junior Library Guild Selection
2001 Booklist Editor's Choice
2002 American Library Association Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
2002 American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults
2003 International Reading Association Young Adult's Choice
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
FROM PAGE 52- What My Mother Doesn't Know
HE'LL BE HERE ANY MINUTE NOW
and I'll watch him
from my bedroom window
when he hurries up the front walk
onto the porch
and he'll ring the bell
and my mother will answer the door
and he'll step into the hall
and they'll say hello to each other
and I'll come floating down the stairs
and his eyes
will singe my sweater
but my mother won't see.....
CONNECTIONS
From: BOOKS R4 TEENS (http://www.edb.utexas.edu/resources/booksR4teens/book_reviews/book_reviews.php?book_id=124)
By: Roxann Patrick and edited by Jennifer E. Moore
"Through the Character's Eyes" After students have read the majority of the text, have them chose a character from the work. Instruct the students to think of ten adjectives that they can use to define the personality of that character. Students should write the ten adjectives down on paper without sharing their work with anyone else. After all students have completed their lists, have students display their work in the classroom where it is visible to all students. Students try to determine which characters are being described using only the list of adjectives provided.
[Summarized from "Through the Character's Eyes" by John Forsyth in Classroom Notes Plus. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English. October 1992, page 2.]
RELATED BOOKS
STOP PRETENDING: WHAT HAPPENED WHEN MY BIG SISTER WENT CRAZY By: Sonya Sones
THE EARTH, MY BUTT, AND OTHER BIG ROUND THINGS By: Carolyn Mackler
STORY OF A GIRL By: Sara Zarr
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Sones, Sonya. What My Mother Doesn't Know. New York: Simon & Schuster for Young Readers, 2001. Print.
Reinders, Kate, perf. What My Mother Doesn't Know. Sonya Sones. Brilliance Audio, 2008. MP3.
PLOT SUMMARY
This young adult book shares the story of a girl named Sophie who is in 9th grade. She is telling the story of her love interests as she enters the 9th grade. Her friends Rachel and Grace have been best friends with her since 3rd grade. The book is compiled using free verse.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Sones uses free verse poetry as her form of writing for What My Mother Doesn't Know. Free verse rejects the common rules that lie in poetry in that the author is able to use whatever literary devices she wants. The descriptions she uses really draws the reader in by giving a closer look into the mind of a 9th grade girl. Sones is successful with free verse in that the book is broken up into smaller sections, each being told from the main charters point of view, making it seem like she is talking to the reader.
Although this book is named as an "ALA Top Ten Quick Pick For Reluctant Young Readers," it does address some tough issues in a way that does not make you run away. Issues such as Sophie distant feeling from her mother, who always watches soap operas and does not pay attention to her. Issues like the fact that the mother of Sophie's boyfriend makes a joke about the Jewish culture that she finds offensive as Sophie herself is Jewish. Also, during that same situation Sophie learns to deal with her boyfriend who let her down, adding to the list of people who have disappointed her.
A turn of events occurs as the author repeats "If only" at the beginning of each stanza in At the County Fair showing how Sophie is doubting her relationship with her first love Dylan. In the poems to follow, Sones foreshadows the demise of their relationship and complains about the lack of compatibility between the pair. This internal conflict leads up to the end of her first relationship.
I wonder if this book is largely popular with teenagers because they can relate to the streams of consciousness and day-to-day happenings of boy crushes, friendships, and disagreements with parents. This mostly sappy teenage poetry book is not for everyone, just those who are young at heart and want to be whisked away to a land of love and juicy emotions, to a land where the only thing important is the roller coaster of teenage romance.
The very end of the book leaves you with a happy-go-lucky turn of events that in a way surprises you in that it shows the first sign of courage for the main character. A quick read for the young adult crowd looking for an easy to follow love story.
AWARDS
A Junior Library Guild Selection
2001 Booklist Editor's Choice
2002 American Library Association Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
2002 American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults
2003 International Reading Association Young Adult's Choice
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
FROM PAGE 52- What My Mother Doesn't Know
HE'LL BE HERE ANY MINUTE NOW
and I'll watch him
from my bedroom window
when he hurries up the front walk
onto the porch
and he'll ring the bell
and my mother will answer the door
and he'll step into the hall
and they'll say hello to each other
and I'll come floating down the stairs
and his eyes
will singe my sweater
but my mother won't see.....
CONNECTIONS
From: BOOKS R4 TEENS (http://www.edb.utexas.edu/resources/booksR4teens/book_reviews/book_reviews.php?book_id=124)
By: Roxann Patrick and edited by Jennifer E. Moore
"Through the Character's Eyes" After students have read the majority of the text, have them chose a character from the work. Instruct the students to think of ten adjectives that they can use to define the personality of that character. Students should write the ten adjectives down on paper without sharing their work with anyone else. After all students have completed their lists, have students display their work in the classroom where it is visible to all students. Students try to determine which characters are being described using only the list of adjectives provided.
[Summarized from "Through the Character's Eyes" by John Forsyth in Classroom Notes Plus. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English. October 1992, page 2.]
RELATED BOOKS
STOP PRETENDING: WHAT HAPPENED WHEN MY BIG SISTER WENT CRAZY By: Sonya Sones
THE EARTH, MY BUTT, AND OTHER BIG ROUND THINGS By: Carolyn Mackler
STORY OF A GIRL By: Sara Zarr
GENRE TWO: TRADITIONAL LITERATURE
DON QUIXOTE AND THE WINDMILLS
WRITTEN BY: ERIC A. KIMMEL
ILLUSTRATED BY: LEONARD EVERETT FISHER
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Kimmel, Eric A., Leonard Everett Fisher, and Saavedra Miguel De Cervantes. Don Quixote and the Windmills. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2004. Print. ISBN13: 9780374318253
PLOT SUMMARY
Don Quixote and the Windmills is a fascinating yet humorous story of a misadventure conducted by a man named Senor Quexada. He had read so many stories about knights in shining armor that he began to think he was one, and in turn renamed himself “Don Quixote.” The humor and misfortune come in when he entrusts his new sidekick, Sancho Panza, to assist him in the battles against the evil and “monstrous giants.” The kicker is that the “giants” are actually windmills. Don Quixote never really understands this fact and convinces Sancho to follow him after being convinced that his enemy, the wizard named Freston, actually tricked him into thinking the windmills were giants. After it is all said and done, the pair of adventurers rides off to another superficial battle against yet another imaginary enemy.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Although quite humorous I think this book is meant for an older audience of children. Younger readers might not grasp the humor and irony toward the end of the book. Understanding the delusional habits of Don Quixote might be a bit much for a 5 year old. I think readers age 8 and up are a good age for this book. The illustrations are full of meaning and share this vibrancy about the characters that the words might not encompass. It’s an entertaining story for all ages, but there are lessons for the older readers who are paying attention.
AWARDS
Fall 2004 Picture Books Parents choice: RECOMMENDED- Parents Choice Foundation
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
"Kimmel's narrative maintains the wry tone of Cervantes's original...youngster's will find themselves rooting for The Knight of the Mournful Countenance...Fisher's signature illustrations are the ideal accompaniment to the sprightly text...An ideal appetite whetter." -- School Library Journal
"Veteran artist Fisher, known for his solid, impressive renderings, brings a suppleness to the artwork that captures a story bubbling with action." -- Booklist
CONNECTIONS
Lesson plan: Chasing Windmills with Don Quixote found at http://www.coreknowledge.org/mimik/mimik_uploads/lesson_plans/153/CHASING%20WINDMILLS%20WITH%20DON%20QUIXOTE.pdf
RELATED BOOKS
BEYOND THE SEA OF ICE: THE VOYAGES OF HENRY HUDSON (GREAT EXPLORERS) By: Joan Elizabeth Goodman
ADVENTURES OF DON QUIXOTE (DOVER CHILDREN'S THRIFT CLASSIC) By: Argentina Palacios
LUNCH MONEY By: Andrew Clements
ILLUSTRATED BY: LEONARD EVERETT FISHER
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Kimmel, Eric A., Leonard Everett Fisher, and Saavedra Miguel De Cervantes. Don Quixote and the Windmills. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2004. Print. ISBN13: 9780374318253
PLOT SUMMARY
Don Quixote and the Windmills is a fascinating yet humorous story of a misadventure conducted by a man named Senor Quexada. He had read so many stories about knights in shining armor that he began to think he was one, and in turn renamed himself “Don Quixote.” The humor and misfortune come in when he entrusts his new sidekick, Sancho Panza, to assist him in the battles against the evil and “monstrous giants.” The kicker is that the “giants” are actually windmills. Don Quixote never really understands this fact and convinces Sancho to follow him after being convinced that his enemy, the wizard named Freston, actually tricked him into thinking the windmills were giants. After it is all said and done, the pair of adventurers rides off to another superficial battle against yet another imaginary enemy.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Although quite humorous I think this book is meant for an older audience of children. Younger readers might not grasp the humor and irony toward the end of the book. Understanding the delusional habits of Don Quixote might be a bit much for a 5 year old. I think readers age 8 and up are a good age for this book. The illustrations are full of meaning and share this vibrancy about the characters that the words might not encompass. It’s an entertaining story for all ages, but there are lessons for the older readers who are paying attention.
AWARDS
Fall 2004 Picture Books Parents choice: RECOMMENDED- Parents Choice Foundation
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
"Kimmel's narrative maintains the wry tone of Cervantes's original...youngster's will find themselves rooting for The Knight of the Mournful Countenance...Fisher's signature illustrations are the ideal accompaniment to the sprightly text...An ideal appetite whetter." -- School Library Journal
"Veteran artist Fisher, known for his solid, impressive renderings, brings a suppleness to the artwork that captures a story bubbling with action." -- Booklist
CONNECTIONS
Lesson plan: Chasing Windmills with Don Quixote found at http://www.coreknowledge.org/mimik/mimik_uploads/lesson_plans/153/CHASING%20WINDMILLS%20WITH%20DON%20QUIXOTE.pdf
RELATED BOOKS
BEYOND THE SEA OF ICE: THE VOYAGES OF HENRY HUDSON (GREAT EXPLORERS) By: Joan Elizabeth Goodman
ADVENTURES OF DON QUIXOTE (DOVER CHILDREN'S THRIFT CLASSIC) By: Argentina Palacios
LUNCH MONEY By: Andrew Clements
THE THREE LITTLE PIGS
RETOLD AND ILLUSTRATED BY: BARRY MOSER
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Kimmel, Eric A., Leonard Everett Fisher, and Saavedra Miguel De Cervantes. Don Quixote and the Windmills. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2004. Print.
PLOT SUMMARY
The Three Little Pigs, retold and illustrated by Barry Moser, is a twist on the classical version of the Three Little Pigs. This book starts out with three pigs being sent into the world by their mother pig, who gives them fair warning about the big bad wolf. The three pigs find three different types of supplies and build their homes out of straw, wood, and bricks. The wolf makes his rounds and, just like the original, proves his strength by blowing down the first two houses and eating the first two pigs. However, the fractured part of the story breaks through when the third pig that used bricks outsmarts the wolf. He ends up tricking the wolf many times and by the end of the book proves to be triumphant over the wolf.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Giving the wolf a taste of his own medicine is quite a humorous turn of events for someone who has only read the original story. I think it is important for early readers to be familiar with the original book before venturing into the fractured version. Once familiar with the original, Barry Moser’s retelling can provide loads of laughs as each turn of event with the third pig becomes more and more exciting and even far-fetched. The author is clever in his version of the classic and can keep both children and adults excited for what comes next.
AWARDS
No awards for this book listed
REVIEW EXCERPTS
"Barry Moser has a gift for endowing the commonplace with elegance, the familiar with new perspectives..." -- The Horn book, May/June, 2001
CONNECTIONS
Lesson Plan for Fractured Fairy Tales: http://www.scribd.com/doc/52138129/Fractured-Fairy-Tales-Lesson-Plan
RELATED BOOKS
THE TRUE STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS By: Jon Scieszka
LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD By: Trina Schart Hyman
THE THREE LITTLE JAVELINAS By: Susan Lowell
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Kimmel, Eric A., Leonard Everett Fisher, and Saavedra Miguel De Cervantes. Don Quixote and the Windmills. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2004. Print.
PLOT SUMMARY
The Three Little Pigs, retold and illustrated by Barry Moser, is a twist on the classical version of the Three Little Pigs. This book starts out with three pigs being sent into the world by their mother pig, who gives them fair warning about the big bad wolf. The three pigs find three different types of supplies and build their homes out of straw, wood, and bricks. The wolf makes his rounds and, just like the original, proves his strength by blowing down the first two houses and eating the first two pigs. However, the fractured part of the story breaks through when the third pig that used bricks outsmarts the wolf. He ends up tricking the wolf many times and by the end of the book proves to be triumphant over the wolf.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Giving the wolf a taste of his own medicine is quite a humorous turn of events for someone who has only read the original story. I think it is important for early readers to be familiar with the original book before venturing into the fractured version. Once familiar with the original, Barry Moser’s retelling can provide loads of laughs as each turn of event with the third pig becomes more and more exciting and even far-fetched. The author is clever in his version of the classic and can keep both children and adults excited for what comes next.
AWARDS
No awards for this book listed
REVIEW EXCERPTS
"Barry Moser has a gift for endowing the commonplace with elegance, the familiar with new perspectives..." -- The Horn book, May/June, 2001
CONNECTIONS
Lesson Plan for Fractured Fairy Tales: http://www.scribd.com/doc/52138129/Fractured-Fairy-Tales-Lesson-Plan
RELATED BOOKS
THE TRUE STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS By: Jon Scieszka
LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD By: Trina Schart Hyman
THE THREE LITTLE JAVELINAS By: Susan Lowell
THE LION AND THE MOUSE
BY: JERRY PINKNEY
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Pinkney, Jerry, and Aesop. The Lion & the Mouse. New York: Little, Brown and for Young Readers, 2009. Print.
PLOT SUMMARY
The Lion and the Mouse is a classic and popular storybook that shares the strength of two opposite characters. The lion is strong and big, naturally, but the mouse shows an equal amount of strength as he helps the lion in distress. This book doesn’t have any text but it does show onomatopoeia describing the various sounds within the region where the story takes place. The story promotes trust, as a lion catches and releases the mouse when he could have eaten him; and the mouse returns the favor by helping the lion escape from a poachers trap.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The Lion and the Mouse is a story that positively promotes trust. I think Pinkney really captures the essence of this story through these main characters and the events that come to the lion over time. This book really comes to life because of the illustrations and shares the idea that just because you are small doesn’t mean you are not powerful, and vice-versa, just because you are big doesn’t mean you have to stay true to your stereotype, and bully those smaller than you. Overall, I think this book is for a larger-ranged audience as younger readers can relate to the pictures and older readers can see the uniqueness of these characters' action that show trustworthiness. The moral of the story rings true as the book comes to a close and that is always be willing to help someone because even small deeds are felt.
AWARDS
New York Times Best Illustrated Book of 2009
2010 Book of the Year Winner, New Picture Book - Indies Choice
2010 Horn Book Awards Honor Book - Boston Globe
2010 Randolph Caldecott Medal - American Library Association
REVIEW EXCERPTS (Amazon.com)
"Pinkney enriches this classic tale of friendship with another universal theme - family - affectingly illustrated in several scenes as well as in the back endpapers... African species grace splendid panoramas that balance the many finely detailed, closeup images of the protagonists. Pinkney has no need for words; his art speaks eloquently for itself." (Publishers Weekly, starred review )
"A nearly wordless exploration of Aesop's fable of symbiotic mercy that is nothing short of masterful... Unimpeachable." (Kirkus Reviews, starred review )
"Pinkney's luminous art, rendered in watercolor and colored pencil, suggests a natural harmony... The ambiguity that results from the lack of words in this version allows for a slower, subtle, and ultimately more satisfying read. Moments of humor and affection complement the drama. A classic tale from a consummate artist." (School Library Journal, starred review )
"By retelling Aesop's fable entirely in his signature pencil and watercolor art, Pinkney encourages closer exploration of the pleasing detail with which he amplifies it... It will be a challenge for libraries to make every gorgeous surface available, but it's a challenge worth taking on." (The Horn Book, starred review )
CONNECTIONS
The Lion and the Mouse Lesson Plan from: Philanthropic Literature Unit
"Learning to Give"
http://learningtogive.org/lessons/unit63/lesson2.html
RELATED BOOKS
A SICK DAY FOR AMOS MCGEE By: Phillip C. Stead
GREEN By: Laura Vaccaro Seeger
FIRST THE EGG: Laura Vaccaro Seeger
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Pinkney, Jerry, and Aesop. The Lion & the Mouse. New York: Little, Brown and for Young Readers, 2009. Print.
PLOT SUMMARY
The Lion and the Mouse is a classic and popular storybook that shares the strength of two opposite characters. The lion is strong and big, naturally, but the mouse shows an equal amount of strength as he helps the lion in distress. This book doesn’t have any text but it does show onomatopoeia describing the various sounds within the region where the story takes place. The story promotes trust, as a lion catches and releases the mouse when he could have eaten him; and the mouse returns the favor by helping the lion escape from a poachers trap.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The Lion and the Mouse is a story that positively promotes trust. I think Pinkney really captures the essence of this story through these main characters and the events that come to the lion over time. This book really comes to life because of the illustrations and shares the idea that just because you are small doesn’t mean you are not powerful, and vice-versa, just because you are big doesn’t mean you have to stay true to your stereotype, and bully those smaller than you. Overall, I think this book is for a larger-ranged audience as younger readers can relate to the pictures and older readers can see the uniqueness of these characters' action that show trustworthiness. The moral of the story rings true as the book comes to a close and that is always be willing to help someone because even small deeds are felt.
AWARDS
New York Times Best Illustrated Book of 2009
2010 Book of the Year Winner, New Picture Book - Indies Choice
2010 Horn Book Awards Honor Book - Boston Globe
2010 Randolph Caldecott Medal - American Library Association
REVIEW EXCERPTS (Amazon.com)
"Pinkney enriches this classic tale of friendship with another universal theme - family - affectingly illustrated in several scenes as well as in the back endpapers... African species grace splendid panoramas that balance the many finely detailed, closeup images of the protagonists. Pinkney has no need for words; his art speaks eloquently for itself." (Publishers Weekly, starred review )
"A nearly wordless exploration of Aesop's fable of symbiotic mercy that is nothing short of masterful... Unimpeachable." (Kirkus Reviews, starred review )
"Pinkney's luminous art, rendered in watercolor and colored pencil, suggests a natural harmony... The ambiguity that results from the lack of words in this version allows for a slower, subtle, and ultimately more satisfying read. Moments of humor and affection complement the drama. A classic tale from a consummate artist." (School Library Journal, starred review )
"By retelling Aesop's fable entirely in his signature pencil and watercolor art, Pinkney encourages closer exploration of the pleasing detail with which he amplifies it... It will be a challenge for libraries to make every gorgeous surface available, but it's a challenge worth taking on." (The Horn Book, starred review )
CONNECTIONS
The Lion and the Mouse Lesson Plan from: Philanthropic Literature Unit
"Learning to Give"
http://learningtogive.org/lessons/unit63/lesson2.html
RELATED BOOKS
A SICK DAY FOR AMOS MCGEE By: Phillip C. Stead
GREEN By: Laura Vaccaro Seeger
FIRST THE EGG: Laura Vaccaro Seeger
GENRE ONE: PICTURE BOOKS
ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY.
Written By: Judith Viorst
Illustrated By: Ray Cruz
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Viorst, Judith. 1972. ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY. Ill. By Ray Cruz. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0689300727
PLOT SUMMARY
This book follows a young boy through one very bad day. He wakes up with gum in his hair, then proceeds to trip on a skateboard. And it only goes downhill after that. The book shows Alexander experiencing unpleasant situations throughout his day, from morning until night, and the reader sees Alexander react with open emotion towards these negative things. The book ends with Alexander’s mother reassuring him that everyone has bad days.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Viorst’s book is a glimpse at one child’s very bad day. While the book may first come off as excessively negative, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day ends up being a very honest rendition of the way that a young child might feel when the day is just not going his way. Told from the perspective of the young boy Alexander, this book helps young readers to both identify and empathize with the troubles of Alexander.
The illustrator Ray Cruz does a wonderful job of using his illustrations to add emotional clout to Judith Viorst’s writing. Each page shows the particular situation drawn in black and white, and Alexander is the only part of the picture drawn in color. This serves to vividly show the isolation that Alexander feels throughout his day as more and more things just don’t go his way.
This is a good book for children young and old. Although the younger readers may not understand the complexities of Alexander’s terrible day, this book will help to show children that everyone has a bad day.
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
AMAZON.COM: “a great antidote to bad days everywhere, sure to put a smile on even the crabbiest of faces.”
Ben Miller from Goodreads.com says "This is one of those books that has so many levels (like a parfait, or an onion). It begs for multiple readings. On one level it is the story of Alexander, an ordinary kid whose day doesn't go as he wants it to. Yet it is also a treatise on the human condition - our selfishness and self-centeredness, the travails and hardships that assail each person's life, and the resolute courage needed to stand our ground and live our lives where we find ourselves, one day at a time. Even on the days we'd rather move to Australia."
AWARDS:
ALA Notable Children’s Book
George G. Stone Center Recognition of Merit
Georgia Children’s Book Award
CONNECTIONS
Using the "Subtext Strategy" students will use this picture book to look beyond the text and the pictures, and relate to each character's inner thoughts. Clyde, J.A. (2003). Stepping inside the story world: The Subtext Strategy–A tool for connecting and comprehending. The Reading Teacher, 57, 150–160.
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/exploring-subtext-strategy-thinking-310.html
RELATED BOOKS
HOW TO NEGOTIATE EVERYTHING Written By: Liza Lutz, Illustrated By: Jaime Temairik
CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS Written By: Judi Barrett, Illustrated By: Ronald Barrett
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE Written By: Maurice Sendak
Illustrated By: Ray Cruz
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Viorst, Judith. 1972. ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY. Ill. By Ray Cruz. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0689300727
PLOT SUMMARY
This book follows a young boy through one very bad day. He wakes up with gum in his hair, then proceeds to trip on a skateboard. And it only goes downhill after that. The book shows Alexander experiencing unpleasant situations throughout his day, from morning until night, and the reader sees Alexander react with open emotion towards these negative things. The book ends with Alexander’s mother reassuring him that everyone has bad days.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Viorst’s book is a glimpse at one child’s very bad day. While the book may first come off as excessively negative, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day ends up being a very honest rendition of the way that a young child might feel when the day is just not going his way. Told from the perspective of the young boy Alexander, this book helps young readers to both identify and empathize with the troubles of Alexander.
The illustrator Ray Cruz does a wonderful job of using his illustrations to add emotional clout to Judith Viorst’s writing. Each page shows the particular situation drawn in black and white, and Alexander is the only part of the picture drawn in color. This serves to vividly show the isolation that Alexander feels throughout his day as more and more things just don’t go his way.
This is a good book for children young and old. Although the younger readers may not understand the complexities of Alexander’s terrible day, this book will help to show children that everyone has a bad day.
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
AMAZON.COM: “a great antidote to bad days everywhere, sure to put a smile on even the crabbiest of faces.”
Ben Miller from Goodreads.com says "This is one of those books that has so many levels (like a parfait, or an onion). It begs for multiple readings. On one level it is the story of Alexander, an ordinary kid whose day doesn't go as he wants it to. Yet it is also a treatise on the human condition - our selfishness and self-centeredness, the travails and hardships that assail each person's life, and the resolute courage needed to stand our ground and live our lives where we find ourselves, one day at a time. Even on the days we'd rather move to Australia."
AWARDS:
ALA Notable Children’s Book
George G. Stone Center Recognition of Merit
Georgia Children’s Book Award
CONNECTIONS
Using the "Subtext Strategy" students will use this picture book to look beyond the text and the pictures, and relate to each character's inner thoughts. Clyde, J.A. (2003). Stepping inside the story world: The Subtext Strategy–A tool for connecting and comprehending. The Reading Teacher, 57, 150–160.
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/exploring-subtext-strategy-thinking-310.html
RELATED BOOKS
HOW TO NEGOTIATE EVERYTHING Written By: Liza Lutz, Illustrated By: Jaime Temairik
CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS Written By: Judi Barrett, Illustrated By: Ronald Barrett
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE Written By: Maurice Sendak
BOOK FIESTA!
Written By: Pat Mora
Illustrated By: Rafael Lopez
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Pat Mora. 2009. BOOK FIESTA!: CELEBRATE CHILDREN’S DAY/BOOK DAY; CELEBREMOS EL DIA DE LOS NINOS/EL DIA DE LOS LIBROS. Ill. by Rafael Lopez. New York, NY: HarperCollins Children’s Books. ISBN 0061288777
PLOT SUMMARY
Book Fiesta! is a celebration of reading. The book showcases children reading in all sorts of places, from the top of a mountain to the mouth of a whale. There are various fantastical places that the author shows children reading, celebrating the virtues of reading.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Pat Mora is the founder of the family literacy initiative “El Dia de los Ninos/El Dia de los Libros; Children’s Day/Book Day,” and this book is a perfect piece to highlight the joys of reading for children. There is not a definitive storyline; the book is comprised of various situations in which children and families are reading together. Mora strives to make reading a universal leisure activity, telling the young reader that, “We read in English and Spanish, in Chinese and Navajo too. We read by ourselves, we read with a friend.”
The entire book is written concurrently in both English and Spanish, with side-by-side translation on each page. The illustrations include animals on nearly every page, and all characters on each page are portrayed in a celebratory manner. Book Fiesta! encourages an appreciation for a multicultural learning environment.
This is a good book to encourage children to read liberally, and it is also a good way to introduce Spanish to the young reader. Every page has an illustration that highlights books and reading and shows reading to be a positive and tangible pastime for everyone.
AWARDS
ALA Notable Book, 2010
CCBC Choices, 2010
Americas Commended List, 2010
Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts, 2010
Pura Belpre Illustrator Medal Book, 2010
REVIEW EXCERPTS
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “This lively selection will motivate and excite children about the adventures they can go on through reading.”
PAPER TIGERS: “Budding book lovers will delight in this upbeat and celebratory offering.”
CONNECTIONS
An in-class survey to compare which holidays each student celebrates, and ways to use this book to celebrate Children's Day
http://littlemisskindergarten.blogspot.com/2012/04/book-fiesta.html
RELATED BOOKS
GRACIAS/THANKS Written By: Pat Mora
ALL THE WORLD Written By: Liz Garton Scanlon
MY NAME IS CELIA/ME LLAMA CELIA Written By: Monica Brown
Illustrated By: Rafael Lopez
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Pat Mora. 2009. BOOK FIESTA!: CELEBRATE CHILDREN’S DAY/BOOK DAY; CELEBREMOS EL DIA DE LOS NINOS/EL DIA DE LOS LIBROS. Ill. by Rafael Lopez. New York, NY: HarperCollins Children’s Books. ISBN 0061288777
PLOT SUMMARY
Book Fiesta! is a celebration of reading. The book showcases children reading in all sorts of places, from the top of a mountain to the mouth of a whale. There are various fantastical places that the author shows children reading, celebrating the virtues of reading.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Pat Mora is the founder of the family literacy initiative “El Dia de los Ninos/El Dia de los Libros; Children’s Day/Book Day,” and this book is a perfect piece to highlight the joys of reading for children. There is not a definitive storyline; the book is comprised of various situations in which children and families are reading together. Mora strives to make reading a universal leisure activity, telling the young reader that, “We read in English and Spanish, in Chinese and Navajo too. We read by ourselves, we read with a friend.”
The entire book is written concurrently in both English and Spanish, with side-by-side translation on each page. The illustrations include animals on nearly every page, and all characters on each page are portrayed in a celebratory manner. Book Fiesta! encourages an appreciation for a multicultural learning environment.
This is a good book to encourage children to read liberally, and it is also a good way to introduce Spanish to the young reader. Every page has an illustration that highlights books and reading and shows reading to be a positive and tangible pastime for everyone.
AWARDS
ALA Notable Book, 2010
CCBC Choices, 2010
Americas Commended List, 2010
Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts, 2010
Pura Belpre Illustrator Medal Book, 2010
REVIEW EXCERPTS
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “This lively selection will motivate and excite children about the adventures they can go on through reading.”
PAPER TIGERS: “Budding book lovers will delight in this upbeat and celebratory offering.”
CONNECTIONS
An in-class survey to compare which holidays each student celebrates, and ways to use this book to celebrate Children's Day
http://littlemisskindergarten.blogspot.com/2012/04/book-fiesta.html
RELATED BOOKS
GRACIAS/THANKS Written By: Pat Mora
ALL THE WORLD Written By: Liz Garton Scanlon
MY NAME IS CELIA/ME LLAMA CELIA Written By: Monica Brown
THIS IS NOT MY HAT
Written/Illustrated By: Jon Klassen
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Klassen, Jon. 2012. THIS IS NOT MY HAT. Somerville, MA: Candlewick. ISBN 0763655990
PLOT SUMMARY
In this picture book, Jon Klassen shows a small fish who has just stolen a much larger fish’s hat. Throughout the story, the small fish explains why he thinks it is okay that he stole the larger fish’s hat and why he believes he won’t get caught. Some of pages have no words and the pictures leave it up to the reader to determine what is happening. The illustrations inform the reader that the larger fish indeed cares about his stolen hat and is searching for the thief.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This book shows the reader the effects and consequences of stealing. The small fish spends his time swimming away from the bigger fish and explaining why he thinks he won’t get caught. In the end, the illustrations make it evident that the bigger fish indeed cares about the hat, and catches up with the smaller fish. They meet in a large clumping of seaweed and once this scene occurs the pages have no writing and simply give the reader the freedom to figure out the rest of the story. The pictures show the seaweed, then the large fish swimming away, and then the large fish floating contentedly in the water, wearing his hat. This alludes to the fact that the big fish did indeed catch the small fish. The book seems to communicate to its young readers that, no matter why you think it may be okay, and no matter if you think you can get away with it, it is not okay to steal, because you will most likely be caught. It is unclear at the end if the bigger fish ate the smaller fish or simply got his hat back. It's up the reader to decide.
AWARDS
Amazon Best Books of the Year 2012
2013 Caldecott Medal Award Winner
Irma S. and James H. Black Honor for Excellence in Children’s Literature
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Review in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “This not-to-be-missed title will delight children again and again.”
Review in KIRKUS REVIEWS: “Klassen combines spare text and art to deliver no small measure of laughs in another darkly comic haberdashery whodunit…Hats off!”
CONNECTIONS
Teaching Ideas and Invitations for grades K-8
http://classroombookshelf.blogspot.com/2013/02/2013-caldecott-medal-winner-this-is-not.html
RELATED BOOKS
I WANT MY HAT BACK Written By: Jon Klassen
EXTRA YARN Written By: Mac Barnett
THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN Written By: K.A. Applegate
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Klassen, Jon. 2012. THIS IS NOT MY HAT. Somerville, MA: Candlewick. ISBN 0763655990
PLOT SUMMARY
In this picture book, Jon Klassen shows a small fish who has just stolen a much larger fish’s hat. Throughout the story, the small fish explains why he thinks it is okay that he stole the larger fish’s hat and why he believes he won’t get caught. Some of pages have no words and the pictures leave it up to the reader to determine what is happening. The illustrations inform the reader that the larger fish indeed cares about his stolen hat and is searching for the thief.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This book shows the reader the effects and consequences of stealing. The small fish spends his time swimming away from the bigger fish and explaining why he thinks he won’t get caught. In the end, the illustrations make it evident that the bigger fish indeed cares about the hat, and catches up with the smaller fish. They meet in a large clumping of seaweed and once this scene occurs the pages have no writing and simply give the reader the freedom to figure out the rest of the story. The pictures show the seaweed, then the large fish swimming away, and then the large fish floating contentedly in the water, wearing his hat. This alludes to the fact that the big fish did indeed catch the small fish. The book seems to communicate to its young readers that, no matter why you think it may be okay, and no matter if you think you can get away with it, it is not okay to steal, because you will most likely be caught. It is unclear at the end if the bigger fish ate the smaller fish or simply got his hat back. It's up the reader to decide.
AWARDS
Amazon Best Books of the Year 2012
2013 Caldecott Medal Award Winner
Irma S. and James H. Black Honor for Excellence in Children’s Literature
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Review in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “This not-to-be-missed title will delight children again and again.”
Review in KIRKUS REVIEWS: “Klassen combines spare text and art to deliver no small measure of laughs in another darkly comic haberdashery whodunit…Hats off!”
CONNECTIONS
Teaching Ideas and Invitations for grades K-8
http://classroombookshelf.blogspot.com/2013/02/2013-caldecott-medal-winner-this-is-not.html
RELATED BOOKS
I WANT MY HAT BACK Written By: Jon Klassen
EXTRA YARN Written By: Mac Barnett
THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN Written By: K.A. Applegate