Corbyn's Corner

Falling Hard: 100 Love Poems by Teenagers - Poetry, Drama, Film and Response

2011-12-06T19:35:00.004-06:00

1. Franco, Betsy (ed.). Falling Hard: 100 Love Poems by Teenagers. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2008.

2. Overview. Poems collected by Betsy Franco from teenagers - both male and female - populate the pages of this collection. Falling between the ages of 13 though 18, these poems cover the many moods of love, from funny to solemn, from lighthearted to deadly serious, from playful to heart broken.

3. Critical Analysis. This volume of poetry surprised me. Perhaps because I'm older, when I think of "love poem" I think of descriptive words like sweet, happy, even suggestive. But these poems express lots of raw emotion, and they don't just hint about sex. The language is explicit in many of them; apparently they portray what teenagers are thinking about when they think "love poem." VOYA stated it nicely in their review: "its pages reveal tortured, timeless poetry, yearning hearts, broken spirits, and emotions on overload. Brutally honest, achingly tender, these glimpses of love through poetry are erotic, sibilant, and sexy." My how times have changed in the last two generations.

From a poetic standpoint, the poems are varied in style. Some rhyme, while some don't. Some have a rhythm, while some don't. Some have obvious meaning, while some don't. If teachers and librarians are interested in a book of poetry that will appeal to both boys and girls, this could be the one. However, it should be recommended with caution. This could be one of those books that brings backlash in a conservative community, so school staff need to be prepared to answer questions about its inclusion on a library shelf or suggested reading list. This one could bring out the censors.

A review from Booklist says it this way: "The teen poets in this lively anthology knock greeting-card clichés even as they celebrate their romance and their passion . . . . Some of the simplest lines say the most: “I want you less than I thought I did. / And I love you more than I ever knew.” From the pain of breakup and denial to affection and desire, the feelings in these poems will ring true to gay and straight teens alike."

Many poems show sophistication using techniques such as allusions to literature - "I am Poe's Lenore . . . Fitzgerald's Zelda . . . Homer's Muse"; or entertainment - "I enjoyed the confusion in your eyes / At my Monroe-meets-Hepburn dress"; or art - "Like a van Gogh in a museum, / It's look but don't / Touch." Parallel structure strikes a chord in lines like "It was good / then it wasn't / He was nice / then he wasn't / I was okay / then I wasn't / We both loved / then we didn't."

Betsy Franco is a noted author who at the time Falling Hard was released, had published more than 80 books, including three previous anthologies. I do not doubt that this volume would be a hit with teenagers while some of the adults in their lives may not be quite so enthusiastic.

Zombie Haiku - Poetry, Drama, Film and Response

2011-12-05T20:24:00.011-06:00

1. Mecum, Ryan. Zombie Haiku. Cincinnati, Ohio: HOW Books, 2008.

2. Overview. The world is being taken over by zombies. Contained within the pages of this book is the journal filled with haiku poems written by a newly converted zombie. The zombie loses his arm to Chris, the last known human in the area, and clutched in his hand is a journal. Chris begins writing in the journal, explaining the situation, and then finishing up with one final chilling haiku of his own.

3. Critical Analysis. What an interesting combination of reactions this little book holds for this middle-aged adult reader! The poems themselves are really quite amazing. That a whole story could be told in haiku (3 lines of 5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables respectively) is pretty unbelievable. At first, I found myself counting syllables. I suppose that is the English teacher in me. And yes, I did find a mistake or two where the syllables weren't quite right. But by the time I reached a fourth of the way into the book, the syllable counting was gone and I was focused on the story being told. Apparently zombies have voracious appetites for fresh meat (as in human flesh), so most of the book tells the tale of the zombie's quest for food. And this is where the mixed reactions come in. This book is classified as humor, and I did find myself laughing as I simultaneously cringed. Lines such as this

I can remember

good food that Mom used to make.

I bet Mom tastes good.

border somewhat on distasteful, until a few stanzas later I found

I loved my momma.

I eat her with my mouth closed,

how she would want it.

Then it really got almost too gross in its descriptions for me. But I can sure imagine some of my high school boys eating this up (pun intended!). It is definitely clever. And no English teacher is going to try to analyze the heck out of this one.

Some additional characteristics of this book which add to the interest include gross zombie photos that appear to be taken with a polaroid and taped into the book. Blood is splattered on many of the pages as the zombie has the book open to write his poems while feasting. Some of the poems are written directly on the journal pages while some are typed or written on scraps of paper and taped in. Older readers will realize they must suspend what is even possible in a zombie world when they are asked to believe that a zombie could write such brilliant haiku, let alone type some stanzas (where does the typewriter come from given that the zombie is traveling around looking for his next meal?) while taking pictures.

The funniest part of all was getting to the end and discovering that Ryan Mecum is/was a youth pastor for a Presbyterian church in Cincinnati. Somehow, that made perfect sense. (I've worked with quite a few youth pastors in my time and they are definitely a crazy bunch of guys).

If you "hunger" for more zombie haiku, take a tour of the website which includes zombie haikus sent in by other writers (check out the one sent by Billy Collins) and Mecum's own haikus mimicking what famous authors would have said had they written zombie haikus. Fun!
http://zombiehaiku.com/

Interestingly, criticism of this book from recognizable sources that I often quote (Booklist, School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly) are not to be found. However, fans of everything zombie had plenty to say:

"Simply one of the best zombie reads of the year... If you have a taste for horror, this quirky little book is for you. But if you're a zombie fiend like myself, you should make it your single minded goal to seek out this book and digest then savor it." -- Mark. L Miller, Ain't It Cool News

"Ryan Mecum obviously knows his zombie films well, and his book tells a gory, violent story that will warm the veins of Romero fans." -- Rue Morgue Magazine

"A thoroughly unique and entertaining experience. Ryan Mecum has quite possibly found the only corner of entertainment not yet infected by the zombie plague--haiku--and made me wonder why it took this long, as the two seem to go together like zombies and brains. I highly recommend it to fans of all things zombie." -- Robert Kirkman, author of The Walking Dead and Marvel Zombies

"The most inventive zombie book in years!" -- David Wellington, author of Monster Island

Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by Twentieth-Century American Art - Poetry, Drama, Film and Response

2011-12-05T19:40:00.003-06:00

1. Greenberg, Jan (ed.). Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by Twentieth-Century American Art. New York: Henry N. Abrams, 2001.

2. Overview. Heart to Heart is a book of poems and art. The poems were written by well-know poets, many of whom write for "young readers" and were inspired by famous works of American art, from paintings to sculpture to photographs. Printed in pairs with the work of art on one page and the poem on the facing page, both poetry and art come alive in this volume.

3. Critical Analysis. Poetry is seeing a revival among young people. Given the efforts of such poets as Robert Pinsky and Billy Collins, both U.S. Poet Laureates who began projects to bring poetry into schools, more and more young people are being exposed to quality poetry that is modern and engaging in addition to the classics that have traditionally dominated the English classroom. This book continues the move by bringing quality art and poetry together into one place. Called "ekphrasis" which is writing that is based on a work of art, these poems began with the art which inspired the words. The poems cover a wide range of tones including humorous, reflective, sad, and playful. While some poems are more challenging than others, I would venture to say that most middle and high school students would find poems they would admit they like. The art helps to support the meaning found in the words, so readers who believe they do not like poetry may find that the art helps them to construct meaning from the words more easily.

Older students who learned to love the verses of Jack Prelutsky and Shel Silverstein in elementary school should be able to move to these more advanced poems with ease (assuming a misdirected English teacher doesn't use them for traditional analysis and explication, killing the joy of reading them before it has even had a chance to begin). Perhaps because I'm an art museum junkie along with being a relatively recent convert to poetry, I label this volume as one of the best poetry books in my collection. It will introduce students to both great artists - both visual and verbal.

School Library Journal agrees. "Each work of art is impeccably reproduced, the color and design are exceptional, and each poem is given room on the page to breathe. The art glows, the words reflect the images and create more light....If a picture book is defined as a marriage of word and art, then Heart to Heart is not only a wonderful poetry collection, but also a picture book of the highest quality." The poems are grouped into four categories that are thoroughly explained in a well-written introduction by Greenberg:

STORIES - poems that recall a memory or relate an anecdote
VOICES - poems that assume the voice of the object or person depicted in the art
IMPRESSIONS - poems that examine the elements of the artwork and present word pictures of what is contained there
EXPRESSIONS - poems that explore aspects of the art and the artist

Other helpful features of this book include "Biographical Notes on Poets" and "Biographical Notes on Artists." Each piece of art is captioned with the title of the work, the year and the medium. Photographic credit for each art piece and poetry credits for each poem are printed at the end.

4. Additional Resources

I created a book trailer for this book to be used during Teen Read Week. This link should get you to the YouTube video.

Heart to Heart Book Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twzZ4_llRJQ

readwritethink - a site created by the joint efforts of the International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English have a lesson plan for high school students on ekphrasis that includes Heart to Heart.

readwritethink lesson plan
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/ekphrasis-using-inspire-poetry-1093.html?tab=1#tabs

Six Days in October - History, Biography and Nonfiction

2011-11-22T15:23:00.001-06:00

1. Blumenthal, Karen. Six Days in October: The Stock Market Crash of 1929. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2002.

2. Overview. Blumenthal takes readers through the first six days of the stock market crash of 1929. She opens with an Introduction that covers the 1920s and goes up to Wednesday night, October 23, 1929, when rumors started to circulate of problems with the market. Blumenthal then does an in-depth coverage of Black Thursday through Black Tuesday - October 24-29, 1929, by sequentially describing the events causing and following the crash. A section on the immediate aftermath of October 30, 1929, is then followed by an Epilogue describing the effects from 1930 through 1933.

3. Critical Analysis. Many people, including myself, do not choose to read nonfiction for enjoyment. However, this book goes on my list of one of my best reads of this year. Some things I love about this book:

A. I know very little about the ins and outs of the stock market, but Blumenthal's narrative made a very complicated concept mostly understandable. (There are still some places where I'm fuzzy, but that's probably to be expected from someone who doesn't even do the home budget.) Her tone is informative and geared toward younger readers (middle and high schoolers). The narrative is sequential and logical. The style is energetic and helps readers feel the urgency of what was happening during the crash.
B. There are tons of support materials. Reproductions of documents, cartoons, advertisements, news clippings and photographs again help readers understand a very complicated concept. The scope seems just right - the focus is on the six major days with the few years preceeding and following being discussed enough to provide context.
C. Text boxes that are separate from the narrative explain vocabulary terms/concepts in concrete ways. Terms which have text box explanations include: stock, stock exchange, bull and bear markets, opening gong, Dow Jones Industrial Average, bonds, brokerage house, plungers and pools, and stock split among others provide additional support for understanding terms that are used throughout the narrative.
D. Informational books can become dated very quickly. However, because this informational book is about a historical event, it will not lose it's meaningfulness. The information will not go out of date, and readers can gain better understanding of a major event in the history of the United States. Understanding what happened in the past can help us understand the future as well. As the stock market continues to experience major crashes, such as the ones in 1987 and 2008, understanding the original crash in 1929 can help us make sense of subsequent crashes that occur during our lifetime.

One thing that rather surprised me about the book is the way Blumenthal cites her sources. Rather than internal citations or footnoted references, she presents a simple list of references, chapter by chapter, at the end of the book. As Booklist noted, "Students using this for research may be frustrated by the source citations, which appear as an appended, generalized chapter-by-chapter listing of materials consulted rather than as specific notes that correspond to text passages." It is impossible to tell what information came from where without looking up every source. But this is the only weakness I notice in the book.

I'm old enough to have had relatives who lived during the stock market crash of 1929. So reading about the actual facts of the events is interesting as I have heard grandparents describe what they remember as young people. This was an event where they remembered where they were on October 24, 1929, much like 9/11 is for us today or the assassination of Kennedy for the generation preceeding mine. The information presented in Blumenthal's book is a great addition to my knowledge as an adult. For young people, particularly middle and high schoolers, this would be a great book to extend their learning after they see what their textbooks say on the topic. Six Days in October is a Robert F. Sibert Honor Book, an honor bestowed on the best informational literature for children each year.

I have already recommended this book to others. Interestingly, the others I've recommended it to are all adults. The topic is so specific that I'm not sure I would think to recommend it to my high school students as just a general suggestion unless the topic came up. However, with a little thought and a good book talk, the topic might be of interest to young people who love to read nonfiction. Unfortunately, my school library does not have this book, so I will not be able to try out my theory any time soon. But I personally feel much more informed for having read this book myself.

4. Review Excerpts.
Publishers Weekly: "This fast-paced, gripping (and all-too-timely) account of the market crash of October 1929 puts a human face on the crisis. Blumenthal ably chronicles the six-day descent and exposes the personalities, backroom machinations and scandals while debunking several popular myths about the crash (e.g., that it caused mass suicide and the Great Depression). A compelling portrait of a defining moment in American history."

Booklist: "But this still offers a riveting history, along with the basic terminology needed to grasp the events and to draw parallels between the volatile, sometimes corrupt, market of 1929 and the market today."

It's Not About the Bike - History, Biography and Nonfiction

2011-11-20T23:40:00.001-06:00

1. Armstrong, Lance, with Sally Jenkins. It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2000.

2. Overview. Armstrong tells the story of finding out that he had cancer, and weaves the story of his fight to overcome the disease that threatened to kill him with a description of his rise to becoming the biking legend of the Tour de France.

3. Critical Analysis. This memoir/autobiography (I've seen it called both) tells the combined story of how Lance Armstrong became the world-class cyclist of legend while simultaneously battling testicular cancer which metastasized to his brain and lungs. The focus of the book is on his life with cancer - from his diagnosis through the treatments and surgeries to his survival to become the greatest cyclist of all time. The stories are told with amazing candidness. It may not be a book for the squeamish as he describes medical treatments and side effects in detail. Interwoven with the cancer treatment is the story of his rise through the ranks of the cycling world to become the world-class cyclist that would win the Tour de France seven years in a row after surviving such overwhelming odds. His determination is admirable. His dedication to the single mother who raised him amidst much hardship is beautiful. Written in 2000, with only one tour win under his belt, he would go on to win six more, and the determination that he will do so is evident throughout the second half of the book where he discusses his treatments and then his experience in the first race.

Many reviewers remark about how this book will be inspirational to coaches and athletes alike. Amazon.com, for example, says, "Athletes and coaches everywhere will benefit from the same extraordinary detail provided about his training sessions--every aching tendon, every rainy afternoon, and every small triumph during his long recovery is here in living color." I agree that athletes and cancer victims/survivors alike will find many things to like about Armstrong's honest telling of his story.

However, unfortunately, perhaps, reading this memoir changed my feelings about Armstrong. I was one of the millions of people who watched the Tour de France and cheered Armstrong on during the years from 1999 to 2005 when he won those seven consecutive races. However, his halo tarnished a bit during that time when he and his wife divorced in 2003. She seemed so devastated by the dissolution of her marriage after five years while he did not. Then this past spring of 2011, reports began to surface about the fact that a grand jury had been convened to investigate allegations of doping among Armstrong's team during the years of their competition in the Tour de France. What a deeply disappointing thing to discover that this dream team may not have been competing fairly. Then this memoir revealed to me a man who is and always has been self-centered and critical. For example, his continuous criticism of Plano East High School as being an unaccepting, horrible place if you were anything but rich began to grate. (I'm a long-time resident of Garland, Texas, a neighboring Dallas suburb to Plano, and both my nieces graduated from Plano East. They're not rich, but they didn't see the school in the same light). The fact that he becomes angry and then simply refuses to speak to the person again for years, such as his falling out with Richardson Bike Mart owner and sponsor Jim Hoyt points to his overwhelming need to be right even when he's not. He was extremely critical of his birth father, and his step-father, and with good reason, but at some point I just wanted to tell Armstrong, "OK, but enough's enough. Time to let it go." Perhaps this is just the way focused athletes are. Artists of all kinds tend to the be same way. But not everyone falls into the trap of self-centeredness, and being an athlete or artist seems to be an excuse for bad behavior. In spite of his work with cancer patients and setting up his foundation to fund cancer research, I found him to be someone I don't think I would really like if I knew him in person. So all in all, the memoir was interesting, but I don't plan to read any other books by him.

Yet I can say that the chapters are well-written. Sally Jenkins, his co-author, may be the one to take the credit for that. She is a veteran sports reporter and author/co-author of several sports books and autobiographies. The writing style is conversational and easy to follow which makes for a quick read. Sixteen pages of photos in the center of the book provide interesting visual support for the text.

Would I recommend this book to my high school students? Definitely. Just because I find that I probably don't like the man doesn't mean I don't admire the athlete and respect his tenacity in fighting for his life in more ways than one. I believe many high schoolers would be inspired to stick it out when the going gets really tough, and many, many of the high schoolers I work with have a very rough go of it, albeit in different ways than Armstrong experienced. And while the jury is literally still out about the doping allegations, I hope they aren't true; although, I wonder if we'll ever know for sure or could ever really be without a nagging doubt about it.

4. Review Excerpts.
Amazon.com: "People around the world have found inspiration in the story of Lance Armstrong--a world-class athlete nearly struck down by cancer, only to recover and win the Tour de France, the multiday bicycle race famous for its grueling intensity."

Publishers Weekly: "The book features a disarming and spotless prose style, one far above par for sports memoirs. Bicycle-racing fans will enjoy the troves of inside information and the accounts of competitions, but Armstrong has set his sights on a wider meaning and readership: 'When I was sick I saw more beauty and triumph and truth in a single day than I ever did in a bike race.'"

School Library Journal: "This fabulous tribute to the strength of the human spirit is an inspiration to everyone."

Booklist: "Readers will respond to the inspirational recovery story, and they will appreciate the behind-the-scenes cycling information."

King of the Mild Frontier - History, Biography, and Nonfiction

2011-11-19T16:56:00.001-06:00

1. Crutcher, Chris. King of the Mild Frontier: An Ill-Advised Autobiography. New York: Greenwillow Books, 2003.

2. Overview. In this autobiography of young adult author Chris Crutcher, Crutcher takes us through many of his memories growing up as the middle of three children. Told in the same humorous style as his novels, this autobiography is engaging as he takes us through episodes involving his family, particularly his older brother John who convinced him to do "neat" things such as be the decoy for a life-size shooting gallery while the brother aims at him with a BB gun, or pee down the heat register grate that is in the middle of the living room floor one cold winter day when the furnace beneath it is hot. Chris recounts the story of the year John convinced him that "esus" was the older, secret brother of Jesus after the J fell off a plaque that read "Jesus Saves" along with many others that will have readers chuckling throughout the book.

3. Critical Analysis. Autobiographies are interesting - on one hand, we may have the idea that maybe we'll get the "real truth" for a change since the person who is telling the story is the person to whom the events actually happened. However, the person telling the story may want certain people or events to look "better" than they actually did, or they may leave some things they consider to be unflattering out altogether. But in the case of this particular autobiography, the author makes no claim to be telling "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth." In fact, on the copyright page, Crutcher makes the following claim, "Memory is selective and by nature faulty. That statement is probably doubly true for my memory. Add to that my penchant for exaggeration and the fact that I have changed some of the names for obvious reasons, and you have a memoir that may not stand up to close historical scrutiny. So be it." And that disclaimer is the first clue that the text the reader is about to enter is one filled with absolutely wonderful storytelling, with the great part being that most of it is at least mostly true.

Crutcher tells his stories in great storytelling fashion. In fact, Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville, IL published a review that stated, "Move over Garrison Keillor, David Sedaris ... An honest to goodness gut buster!!!" Humor, always one of Crutcher's strong suits, is plentiful in this collection of reminiscences. The people are portrayed as characters and the plot and setting are described in ways that draw the reader into the stories. I would guess there would be few people who are from multi-sibling families who would not read Crutchers descriptions of the events of his childhood and not think of similar stories regarding their own brothers and sisters, while laughing along with the Crutcher boys' antics. While some of his sentences are convoluted and difficult to follow (I stopped several times to reread sentences that didn't make sense on the first time through them), the writing overall is easy to follow.

So how much of the stories can be believe are true? Who knows. Perhaps we would need to talk to his older brother John to try to start figuring that out - and then it would be a task of guessing where in the middle the "truth" really lays, I'm sure! But as readers, we don't really have to care how true the stories really are. The beauty of this autobiography is in the knowledge that one of the best storytellers of Young Adult fiction is going to regale us with stories from his own past, and that we are going to gain some insight into where the ideas for several of his novels and short stories have come from.

Crutcher is my current favorite young adult author. I reviewed his novel Ironman in the October 22, 2011 blog, and I have also read Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes and Athletic Shorts. Because his characters tend to show up in more than one story (they can be the main character in one novel or short story, and a supporting actor in another), it is great fun to find out where he got his ideas for some of them. What it doesn't answer very well - as he addresses in the Epilogue - is how he went from wimpy kid to athlete, and why he uses sports as the backdrop for the settings of all his stories (but not so much so that those who aren't big sports fans would be put off). Nevertheless, reading about his childhood is a perfect way to spend a dreary, wintry day while curled up under the comforter in a favorite chair.

On the inside flap of the front cover, the last line says, ". . .you will close this book, close your eyes and hold it to your chest, and say, 'I, too, can be an author.' Hell, anyone can." Which is not the feeling I was left with. As an English teacher and former student writer, I was left with the thought, "I have nothing to write about. Heck, nothing interesting like that ever happened to me!" And that is a testament to the storytelling expertise of one of YA's best authors. He can make even the events of a boy's every day life into interesting fodder for a book I didn't want to put down.

However, near the end, Crutcher shifts gears and provides insight as to how his work as a therapist with abused and neglected children as well as abusive parents has influenced his writing, including why he has been willing to write in a manner that has placed him in USA Today's top-ten banned authors (along with Kurt Vonnegut and Mark Twain). He also describes what a hero is based on that work. "I think heroes aren't defined so much by what they do 'right' as by how they respond to what they do 'wrong.'"

Crutcher finishes up on the last page: "In my youth I could never have imagined seeing my name on a book unless I had carved it there with a sharp instrument," but lucky for us, his name is now on many.

4. Review Excerpts.
Booklist Starred Review: "This honest, insightful, revealing autobiography is a joy to read. Crutcher's fans will relish this intimate glimpse of the author, and the book may win some new readers for his fiction."

Publishers Weekly Starred Review: "Readers will clasp this hard-to-put-down book to their hearts even as they laugh sympathetically."

School Library Journal: "Tough and tender reminiscences focus primarily on family, social, and school conflicts, but lessons derived from his career as a teacher, therapist, and writer are also described. Hyperbole lightens the mood as the author portrays himself as a young crybaby, academic misfit, and athletic klutz, utterly without self-aggrandizement. Abrupt transitions, some convoluted sentences, and nonlinear progression may challenge some readers, but the narrative holds undeniable appeal for the author's fans and demonstrates the power of writing to help both reader and writer heal emotional/psychic wounds."

Twilight - Fantasy and Science Fiction

2011-11-08T20:31:00.000-06:00

1. Meyer, Stephanie. Twilight. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2005.

2. Plot Summary. Bella Swan has moved in with her father who lives in Forks, Washington. As she tries to settle in and get used to moving from sunny Arizona to rainy, overcast Forks, she notices the Cullen family at school - an odd group of siblings who seem to stick to themselves. Bella has a class with Edward, the handsome youngest son of Dr. Carlisle and Esme Cullen, and he has taken special notice of her. As she gets to know Edward, Bella's obsession with him grows until she can't stay away from him. She has also begun to figure out how Edward and his brothers and sisters are different; although, she can hardly believe it's true. Edward does everything he possibly can to repel Bella, knowing it's what he needs to do to keep her safe, but he's obsessed, too, but for a very different reason. Edward and his family are vampires, and Edward is drawn toward the scent of Bella's blood in a way he has never experienced before. Even though Edward and his family are "vegetarians" and only drink animal blood, it's not safe for her to be with him, but neither of them can resist the attraction that pulls them together.

3. Critical Analysis. I long ago read The Vampire Diaries series and enjoyed it well enough; however, I felt that they had provided enough vampire reading for a lifetime. Then one friend, and then another, and then another, asked if I'd read Twilight. After I'd said no repeatedly, just to be told how much I would love it, I decided it was time to give it a try. Those friends were right, I loved the book, and proceeded to read all four volumes in the course of a few days over a long holiday weekend.

As the idea of vampires would suggest, Twilight is a fantasy with fantastical beings mingling among the humans without their knowledge. Vampires and werewolves live undetected with the humans, and other than the fact that they're a little different from everyone else, no one seems to really take note of just how different. So as with any fantasy tale, the reader must suspend belief in what makes sense to appreciate the story. But that's not difficult in this series.

So for a reader who will consistently say that fantasy is not my cup of tea, what made this novel noteworthy?

1. For a story that involves the supernatural, the characters are completely believable and engaging. Edward is the mysterious stranger; Bella the naive girl-next-door. Meyer does a nice job of making their pull toward each other very believable. The plot is easy to follow, unlike much of "high fantasy" that is filled with weird, unpronouncable people and places with strange characteristics that sometimes make fantasy hard for me to follow (I just don't want to work that hard when I read for pleasure). She deftly sets up the meeting between Bella and Edward, and does a smooth job of laying out the clues Bella uses to figure out the mystery of Edward. (And just when the reader thinks that the vampire characters are far-out enough, she plops in the werewolves in the form of Jacob's clan, Bella's Native American neighbors in Book Two New Moon).

I enjoyed the twist on vampires that Meyers incorporates into her stories. They don't live in coffins during the day; they don't dissolve in sunlight; they aren't all blood-sucking demons. Come to find out - much to my enjoyment - vampires sparkle in the sunlight which makes it obvious that they are seriously different, so they must avoid it. To kill a vampire, one does not need silver bullets, crosses, stakes, or garlic - one simply needs to pull it apart and burn the pieces before they have a chance to pull themselves back together. She incorporates similarly different characteristics for her werewolves. These differences make this series not just another vampire story, which I found refreshing and fun.

Edward fills the role of a fantasy hero nicely. He and his family operate within a framework of morality with compassion for their human neighbors and a need to "make up for" their nature. Although they do not drink blood from humans, they still feel responsible to their human friends to go beyond what is truly necessary to look after them.

2. The plot is exciting. As in classic fantasy, Twilight centers around a quest - Bella's quest to have the relationship that seems to be starcrossed at every turn. The plot involved flux - the characters are involved in a world that is turned upside down by the deeds of a group of bad vampires that the Cullens must fight in order to protect their community and Bella in particular. But even with the implausible events, the action is ongoing and creates tension and apprehension.

3. The setting "makes sense" - it's not on some unheard-of planet with unexpected properties. It's Forks, Washington, a real live place where generally the reader can expect the expected. The setting is described in detail enough to make sense why the Cullens would choose to live there - it's the city in the U.S. with the least number of days of sunshine. And since it turns out that vampires do not die in sunlight, they simply can't reveal themselves in it, living in a perpetually cloudy, rainy city is perfect. They can participate in the daily life of the community this way which makes the story much more enjoyable than if the only action could be at night.

Young adults love the story. Of course, as would be expected, it's a story that will appeal to girls. Many young reviewers shared their feelings about the debut novel on Stephanie Meyer's website (http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/twilight_reviews.html). "Stephenie Meyer's first novel Twilight is a gripping journey through the united worlds of fantasy and high school. As soon as I started reading Twilight, I couldn't stop. The plot is the thing that led me to the book in the start. Boy meets girl, girl likes boy, boy turns out to be a vampire. The characters are so vivid, so intense, that you feel like if you look up from the pages Isabella or Edward or Alice is going to be staring at you. This suspenseful novel leaves me with one question... Is there going to be a second?" Kelly, 15 Now that the four books are out, I'm sure Kelly would join me in saying that once you start, chances are you will not want to put the books down until you have finished the series. Book 3 Eclipse was my favorite of the four, with the final installment being a disappointment, but that's a different blog! It doesn't deter me for joining my friends to ask, "Have you read Twilight yet? You should!"

4. Review Excerpts.

Amazon.com: "Meyer has achieved quite a feat by making this scenario completely human and believable. . . .The precision and delicacy of Meyer's writing lifts this wonderful novel beyond the limitations of the horror genre to a place among the best of YA fiction."

Publisher's Weekly starred review: "The main draw here is Bella's infatuation with outsider Edward, the sense of danger inherent in their love, and Edward's inner struggle—a perfect metaphor for the sexual tension that accompanies adolescence. These will be familiar to nearly every teen, and will keep readers madly flipping the pages of Meyer's tantalizing debut."

Entertainment Weekly: "The world's most popular vampire novelist since Anne Rice."

Feed - Fantasy and Science Fiction

2011-11-06T20:33:00.064-06:00

1. Anderson, M. T. Feed. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press, 2002.

2. Plot Summary. Titus and his friends head to the moon for spring break to find something to do so they don't have to stay home where they will be expected to complete chores and be bored. While there, Titus meets Violet, a girl who at first seems like the rest of them. However, as Titus gets to know Violet back at home, it becomes evident that she is actually quite different. Each of the young adults has a "feed" implanted in his or her brain which sends them a constant barrage of advertising and information, and Violet is trying to fight the feed and teach Titus the importance of thinking for himself. Unfortunately, Violet's feed is degenerating and her father doesn't have the money for repairs, and it becomes obvious that Violet will not survive if it is not fixed. Violet races to teach Titus what she believes is important about life while he attempts to cope with losing someone he has begun to love.

3. Critical Analysis. Feed is a dystopic, futuristic story which presents a grim, all-too-possible scenario of the future. Part of the "cyberpunk" type of science fiction, it deals with the power of communication, particularly power used to manipulate people." (See reference at end of this section). Many people are implanted with a "feed" that reads and stores information about each of them and creates personalized advertising and news for each of them in return. Additionally, keeping in touch with friends and family can be done instantaneously and without effort. Having the feed eliminates the need to read; however, it also takes over basic body functions such as breathing and muscle movement. Imagine a world where it is possible to have an internet feed sent directly to the brain 24/7, and that might sound pretty nice. No need to sit at a computer or pull out a smart phone. However, in this satire, Violet tries to show Titus, this may not be the best thing. She is fighting the feed and encouraging him to do the same thing. Unfortunately, she has little time as she realizes that her feed is not working well and is continuing to get worse.

This futuristic fantasy definitely has the creepiness factor that has been seen in other futuristic novels such as 1984 or Farenheit 451. Big brother is not only watching, but he is constantly feeding information to the public to influence beliefs, purchasing, and behavior. Perhaps what makes these kinds of novels feel so weird is how we see bits and pieces of them in action now: e-mail using data mining technology to "read" our e-mails and create personalized advertising strips along the edges; parents keeping up with their children through GPS devices in their teens' phones or even through direct implants in their younger children for tracking them in the event of a kidnapping; the justice system keeping track of house arrest prisoners with devices that are impossible to remove without setting them off. People have 24/7 access to others through smart phones, iPads, and other devices that are almost instantaneous in their communication capabilities. So having an implant in the brain where it all happens automatically doesn't seem that far fetched.

However, not everyone is able to afford the same level of quality. Violet's system was cheaper because it is what her dad could afford, and when it goes awry, he doesn't have the ability to have the necessary repairs done. They petition the company for help; however, their request is rejected. Starts sounding a bit like health insurance, or the legal system - if you have the money, you can be taken care of, but if you don't, then too bad. The constant noise that happens in the minds of those who have the Feed is another issue for some of them, while not a big deal to others. In a world where some of us need quiet time but find it difficult to turn off the noise, the idea of such a constant barrage of information is scary indeed. Just try to find a restaurant that doesn't have a TV blaring in every corner and that thought is definitely disturbing. Newsday's review summarizes these thoughts well: “As with the best futuristic fiction, it’s scary how little needs to be exaggerated.”

M. T. Anderson' Blog (http://mt-anderson.com/blog/his-books/books-for-teens-and-adults/feed-2/) gives some interesting back-story to the novel which was written in 2001 before some of the technology of today was even in existence. However, Anderson remarks, "It is out of the memory of my anger as a teen at the bullying maneuvers of “youth marketing” that I wrote the book – but also out of the knowledge that even now, I’m part of this system of desire. I still can’t get out of my head the images of who I’m supposed to be." That love/hate relationship with hyper-marketing created the story that became the novel Feed.

Nilsen, Aleen Pace, and Kenneth L. Donelson. Literature for Today's Young Adults. (8th ed.) New York: Pearson, 2009.

4. Review Excerpts.
“This satire offers a thought-provoking and scathing indictment that may prod readers to examine the more sinister possibilities of corporate- and media-dominated culture.” – Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Satire at its finest.” – Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Brilliant … Relentlessly funny . . .” – Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, starred review

“M.T. Anderson has created the perfect device for an ingenious satire of corporate America and our present-day value system…Like those in a funhouse mirror, the reflections the novel shows us may be ugly and distorted, but they are undeniably ourselves.” – The Horn Book, starred review

“Merciless and very clever.” — The New Yorker

“This dystopic vision is dark but quite believable. Sad and strong and scary.” – Chicago Tribune

Missing Angel Juan - Fantasy and Science Fiction

2011-11-05T19:35:00.000-05:00

1. Block, Francesca Lia. Missing Angel Juan. New York: Harper Trophy, 1993.

2. Plot Summary. Witch Baby and Angel Juan have been together since they were kids. Now, suddenly, Angel Juan tells Witch Baby that he feels the need to go to New York to pursue his music by himself. Devastated, Witch Baby, eventually goes to New York to try to find Angel Juan to either be with him there or to bring him back home. With nothing to go on but one postcard which she received from him, Witch Baby sets off to find Angel Juan, which is like finding a needle in a haystack. Assisted by the ghost of her "almost grandfather" and a host of unusual characters and fantastical objects (a magic camera, for example), Witch Baby scours the streets of New York looking for the love of her life and the meaning of her existence.

3. Critical Analysis. Missing Angel Juan is part of the "Weetzie Bat" series, which has received much critical acclaim, including awards such as "ALA Best Book for Young Adults," "School Library Journal Best Book," and "ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers." Reviews often focus on Block's writing. The New York Times says, "The writing continues to dazzle" and Sassy states "As always, Francesca Lia Block's writing is a dream - minimalist yet poetic." When it comes to Block's prose, I would agree: "Morning. Strawberry sky dusted with white winter powder-sugar sun. And nobody to munch on it with." (p. 37) In reading reviews on Goodreads and Amazon, which are written by readers of all ages, I discovered this work to be many readers' favorite Witch Baby book. When comparing it to other Weetzie Bat books, readers felt this one developed the character of Witch Baby better than other stories that involve her. For example, from Goodreads, Cera commented, "My favourite of the Weetzie Bat books; it's Witch Baby's coming of age, and does a pitch-perfect job of being a fairy tale in which the fantasy elements dramatise psychological development." I found the character of Witch Baby to be unusual. She is wearing rollerskates all around New York City as she searches for Angel Juan, but the unusual part of that for me is that fact that she doesn't seem to have any shoes with her at all. She is either wearing the skates or she's wearing nothing but socks and her feet are freezing, and her tangled mass of hair and purple eyes paint a pictures of a teen who is vastly different from the "average" young adult in a way that makes her both interesting and odd.

This story flows in and out of reality. Witch Baby is staying in the abandoned apartment of her "almost grandfather," and his ghost continues to reside inside. He leads her around the city, in and out of real and fantastical places inhabited by real people and ghosts. The movement in and out of reality and fantasy is seamless. As such, it makes the creepy ending when Witch Baby discovers Angel Juan in the basement filled with the mannequin children difficult to understand. What exactly is going on? It reminds me of the horror movie "House of Wax" with Vincent Price where the sculptures are actually made out of real people, but it's difficult to tell if the mannequin children are all filled with the real children or not. I think so, but in some cases their are several mannequins that are based on the same child, and Angel Juan is one of the children that has been reproduced numerous times. However, the night after escaping from the macabre place, Witch Baby asks Angel Juan who the man was. "'He was our fear,' says Angel Juan. 'My fear of love and yours of being alone. But we don't need him anymore.'" I'm confused.

The structure of the story is done in an interesting way. Scattered through the book are letters Witch Baby has written to Angel Juan. Again, there is some confusion on my part as to when she wrote the letters - they include information about what is happening at the moment, so it is unclear whether she wrote the letters after the story is finished, before it started and it just fits here, or whether we readers must seriously suspend our understanding of the convention of letter-writing and know that this is just a way for Block to convey information in an interesting and unusual way. However, I found one of Witch Baby's letters about what is meant by the phrase "soul mates" to be particularly interesting. The concept of soul mates is the topic and it's a topic under constant discussion in TV, movies, other stories, and conversation - whether or not we believe in soul mates, how do we know if we've found our soul mate, etc. I found Witch Baby's thoughts on soul mates to be interesting: "your souls get married without even meaning to - even if you can't be together for some reason in real life, your souls just go ahead and make the wedding plans." Perhaps an intriguing explanation for why so many people seem unhappy in their marriages - their souls are actually married elsewhere when the physical marriage didn't work out for some reason.

If asked if I like the Weetzie Bat books, I would have to say no. The stories are on the weird side to me. Generally in fantasy where the reader must suspend their beliefs, the plots still seem cohesive, and even with odd, unpronounceable names of people and places, the characters are mostly believable and the conflicts and resolutions are understandable. I find this not to be the case with the Weetzie Bat books. While I haven't read them all, this is my third one, and I cannot say I liked any of them. Perhaps it is simply my age. This will be my last attempt to read books from the Weetzie Bat series barring any school reading that requires me to break that pledge to myself. However, if the positive comments from critics and reader alike are any indication, I'm definitely in the minority.

4. Review Excerpts.
School Library Journal: "Missing Angel Juan is an engagingly eccentric mix of fantasy and reality, enhanced-this time-by mystery and suspense. It is also magical, moving, mischievous, and-literally-marvelous. It establishes, once again, that Block is a brilliant visionary who imagines worlds where paradise is a possibility; where every sight and sound is a blessing; and where love, in its infinite varieties, is both humankind's natural estate and heart-magic strong enough to redeem any loss."

Booklist: "This third story in the Weetzie Bat saga exhibits Block's ability to combine romantic language, poetic slang, and character eccentricity into a viable plot (complete with tree spirits, a "truth" camera, and sexual passion); and it packs an emotional wallop that makes it a strong choice for young adults."

Kirkus Reviews: "In her fourth book, Block's lyrical interplay of leitmotifs and artful allusions (statues, mannequins, drag queens; photos, mirrors, ghosts; pimps, wholesale butchers, vegetarians; and, of course, angels) continues to be uniquely fascinating and provocative."

Notes from the Dog - Adventure, Sports and Mystery

2011-10-22T20:53:00.095-05:00

1. Paulsen, Gary. Notes from the Dog. New York: Wendy Lamb Books, 2009.

2. Plot Summary. Fourteen-year-old Finn is looking forward to the summer when he won't have to talk to anyone. He has set a goal of talking to no more than a dozen people for the entire summer break, with a life goal of getting a job where he doesn't have to talk to anyone. He just doesn't feel comfortable with people. And then Johanna, a college student, moves in next door to housesit for the summer. She hires Finn to plant a garden, and suddenly he is talking to people left and right, much to his consternation. However, Johanna has breast cancer, and as she trains to participate in a triathlon geared to raise money for breast cancer research, Finn begins to realize how important people really are to living a fulfilled life.

3. Critical Review. Gary Paulsen is king of the adventure story for Young Adults. When I think of Paulsen, I think of stories that are set in the wilderness with one of the major conflicts being man vs. nature.   Notes from the Dog is one of his novels that does not fit in this category, though there is a dog. Finn lives in the suburbs, and his dog is a border collie who starts bringing Finn notes such as, "You're not as ugly as you think." Finn figures out quickly the notes are from Johanna and is surprised to realize later, after he receives the fifth and last one, that they have had a positive effect on his self-confidence.

I found the handling of the cancer part of the story to be sensitively done; however, I also thought it was handled somewhat unrealistically with Johanna being almost too upbeat all the time. Yet she does have issues with nausea (she throws up all over Finn and his buddy Matthew after one of her chemo treatments), and she's obviously ill as Finn notices how thin and pale she is along with the fact that they discover her red hair is actually a wig.  A review in VOYA agrees when the reviewer says, "in this book, the dialogue and story line seem a little too pleasant and the lives of the teens lack any real angst or conflict outside the horrors of Johanna's chemo side effects."   The same reviewer makes a note of the fact that this book is written for boys and states, "Given the brevity of the book and its inclination to be a book for boys, it could be recommended to reluctant readers." Brief it is. At 132 pages, this is an easy read that might appeal to middle school readers - both boys and girls. The characters are in junior high, and have the feeling of being younger than high school, and the conflict is definitely light. Finn's journey from self-proclaimed loner to integrated member of a budding community lacks the emotional conflict that most 14-year-olds endure when they are experiencing an upheaval of their world.

Nevertheless, this book is Paulsen, and I have yet to read a Paulsen novel that disappoints. Matt Campbell, Grade 8, describes reading Gary Paulsen novels in this way, "While reading Gary Paulsen's books I get the feeling that he shares my feelings about animals. I enjoy reading his books so much because of how he describes everything, and makes you feel like you are the main character."
(http://comminfo.rutgers.edu/professional-development/childlit/paulsen1.html) I find this to be true of all of the Paulsen novels I have read. The characters are well-developed, and it is easy to find myself lost in the plots, often unwilling to put the book down until I have finished it. However, for readers who love Paulsen for novels such as Hatchet and the Brian books, The Foxman, or Dogsong, this novel may feel just a little too "tame." But for experienced Paulsen readers who understand at the outset that this story will be a different type of adventure, Notes from the Dog will provide a stepping stone to enjoying the eclectic mix of excellent stories Gary Paulsen creates.

4. Review Excerpts

Publishers Weekly:   "The plot is straightforward, but Paulsen's thoughtful characters are compelling and their interactions realistic. This emotional, coming-of-age journey about taking responsibility for one's own happiness and making personal connections will not disappoint."

Children's Literature: "Gary Paulsen has written another treasure, but the challenge this time is not weather or wildlife but befriending a young woman with cancer."

School Library Journal: "Paulsen's fans may miss his trademarks: the notorious exploits of boys, the page-turning wilderness adventures, or the sled dogs that often take center stage. Yet this candid and tender tale, told with his signature humor, is a salute to the bravest of the brave."

Ironman - Adventure, Sports and Mystery

2011-10-22T15:11:00.004-05:00

1. Crutcher, Chris. Ironman. New York: Greenwillow Books, 1995.

2. Plot Summary. Bo Brewster doesn’t get along with his father – at all. He doesn’t get along with his English teacher, and ex-football coach, Mr. Redmond, either. All his anger lands him in Mr. Nak’s Anger Management class as a condition of returning to school after a suspension. At first, Bo is afraid of attending the early-morning group. He’s not like the kids in that group - they’re seriously disturbed, truly criminal, definitely weird. However, given that his choices are very limited, Bo consents and joins the group which turns out to be a life-changing experience. As Bo trains for the Yukon Jack triathlon and goes to Anger Management, he learns more about life than he ever expected.

3. Critical Analysis. Chris Crutcher is known as a Young Adult author who writes “sports adventures.” While sports is always an element of the setting and plot, sports really simply provides a backdrop for delivering powerful stories of young adults who are facing fairly serious obstacles. Crutcher’s prose is a fabulous combination of serious intensity and entertaining humor. One minute he’s delivering a line to live life by (“if I ever want to see how something works, look at it broken”) and the next he has readers chuckling with his descriptions of the characters actions. And the characters are a strong suit of this novel. The eccentric kids in “Nak’s Pack” – the Anger Management group – are definitely the weird, scary group Bo thought they would be, but Crutcher develops each one so that he or she is a dynamic character, changing as the group progresses, and they all find out they are not so different from each other after all. Even very minor characters, such as Lonnie Gerback, one of Bo’s competitors in the triathlon who surprisingly switches bikes with Bo for the race to help Bo gain an edge he’ll need for the race, is a nicely drawn character who moves the plot along. As a teacher, I’d love to have Mr. Nak’s insight into life and the knack of saying just the right thing at the right time, which while somewhat unrealistic, might make any reader wish he had that teacher in high school.

The primary theme of how father/son relationships affects both the fathers and the sons is played with a fairly heavy hand. Not only is there the conflict between Bo and his father, but dysfunctional relationships with fathers is the underlying issue with most of Nak’s Pack. While some may think that the character of Bo’s father is unrealistic, he definitely reminds me of a father I know, though thankfully not my own! I’m sure many teenagers have parents like Bo’s father, as well as some of the other fathers described in a sad light. The good relationship that exists between Lonnie and his father, which has a positive impact on Bo’s participation in the triathlon, exists in the distant background, providing just a hint of a reason to be optimistic that not all fathers are jerks (or worse).

Teenage readers will surely find themselves experiencing some of the same feelings as the kids in Nak’s Pack, even if their lives are relatively good. I can’t imagine anyone reading the book without being on the edge of his seat waiting to see how the triathlon works out. I believe readers will love the humor, the strength and perseverance of the young adult characters who are fighting against many things that are not fair. Bo leaves readers feeling hope that even though life doesn’t go the way they want it too, they can still turn out all right and have a positive impact on the world around them.

4. Review Excerpts.

Publisher’s Weekly: “the narrative crackles along in the author's inimitable style”

School Library Journal: “Powerful, perceptive, and wickedly funny.”

Booklist: “With its highly charged intensity channeled into riveting prose, an array of eccentric and strong characterizations, and dramatic plot climax (messagey conclusion notwithstanding), Ironman is a combination of the psychological and the sports novel at their best.”

Teenreads.com: “Chris Crutcher is a master when it comes to capturing the essence of intelligent teen angst. His prose is crisp, funny and fast moving. His characters have genuine depth and undeniable heart. . . . It is bright, thoughtful young adult fiction at its best.”

The Terrorist - Adventure, Sports and Mystery

2011-10-18T21:37:00.002-05:00

1. Cooney, Caroline B. The Terrorist. New York: Scholastic Press, 1997.

2. Plot Summary. Sixteen-year-old Laura Williams and her family have moved to London for one year while her father closes the Eurpoean offices of the floundering company he works for. She and her eleven-year-old brother Billy attend the London International Academy with students from all over the world. One day, on their way to school, Billy is handed a package, and too late, realizes that it is a bomb. In order to protect the people in the crowded tube entrance, he curls himself around the box just before it explodes, killing him. Laura, not ever one to pay attention to world events, is suddenly thrust into a reality that involves terrorism as she fights to discover who killed her brother, and why.

3. Critical Analysis. Caroline Cooney has long been one of my favorite authors for young adults. Her novels include sympathetic characters caught up in over-the-top adventure that most people will never experience. In this story, there is a combination of adventure and mystery as Laura spends the novel trying to figure out who killed her brother and finds that she suspects everyone and trusts no one. As the story unfolds, Laura's character is developed through her interactions with her classmates, students from around the world. She seems to be the only teenager who doesn't know, and doesn't care, how the relationships between various countries affects the relationships among the students at the school, and she realizes quickly that her ignorance hinders her ability to think through who may be responsible. As might be predicted, her naivete also leads her into trouble. Interestingly, the characterization of Laura seems to be developed more weakly than I expect from Cooney's protagonists. The reader actually learns more about Billy through his family's reactions and responses to various stimuli as the proceed through a fog of trauma after his death, and I found myself enjoying the development of Billy much more than the development of Laura.

As a mystery, the plot itself includes plenty of characters who are possible suspects; however, none of them is developed very fully, and when Laura becomes involved with the actual terrorist, she seems to be the only one who doesn't realize it. The storyline is thin as Laura decides to hone in on her classmates and goes from person to person, annoying and frustrating most of them. When the terrorist is finally known, the terrorist's motivation is unclear, and so is her connection to the people whom Laura had met living with her.

While this story has verisimilitude - enough reality to convince the reader that the story is plausible - it is simply not as engaging as the stories I've come to love from Cooney. The plot and amateur detective work of Laura is not intricate enough to create the suspense that is so captivating in some of Cooney's other novels. While her classmates get annoyed with Laura, I as the reader am annoyed as well. Unfortunately, it's not the kind of annoyance that Cooney may have intended. Her family's grief over Billy's death as they insist on remaining in London despite the pleading from family, business associates, and the London police to return to the States will bring an occasional tear but not the tension and anxiety Cooney fans love.

What started as excitement over the fact that I was "required" to read a Caroline Cooney novel for homework fizzled into a bit of disappointment at it not being one of her best novels. Absent are the fast-moving plot and quick-thinking teenagers of novels such as Flight #116 is Down and Flash Fire. Absent are the characters that are dynamic and sympathetic such as Janie in The Face on the Milk Carton series. Absent are the twists and turns that keep the reader wanting to turn the pages until the conflicts are resolved. The best chapter is Chapter One when we meet Billy and discover that he has been the target of a terrorist that results in his death at the end of the chapter. The best parts of the remaining chapters are when characters reminisce about what Billy was like, or when they think about how he was likely to act or feel in the current situation.

The cover art was done by Tim O'Brien, husband of Elizabeth Parisi, Executive Art Director at Scholastic. It is a beautifully painted package wrapped in brown paper, intricately tied with twine, and complete with the cheap cellophane tape that Billy mentions in Chapter One. The cover art wraps completely around the front and back covers and the spine in one unbroken picture. O'Brien is also the creator of the cover art for The Hunger Games series from Scholastic. A gifted artist, O'Brien's work is worth checking out at his website http://www.obrienillustration.com/ and his blog http://www.drawger.com/tonka/?

4. Review Excerpts.

teenreads.com: "Underneath the action, suspense, and the seemingly ordinary life of an American teenager in an English school is the sorrow and the confusion that only the violent death of a son and a brother can cause in a family's life."

School Library Journal: "Indeed, readers come to know the short-lived Billy better than many of the other characters, including the vaguely draw villain, whose motivation is never really clear. Cynicism rather than honor is the victor at the tale's conclusion; it ends not with a bang, but a whimper."

Kirkus Reviews: "The novel isn't perfect: Laura's transformation from a self-involved ``ugly'' American abroad to vengeful paranoiac is fairly convincing, although readers may have trouble getting past their initial dislike of her and her self-satisfied oblivion. While most of the characters are as real as their grief--making human choices, and suffering the consequences--others simply fade out of the story, and the culprit is based more on a stereotype than on logic. If the novel requires a few big leaps of faith, readers will be glad they stayed with it, and will be caught up in exciting, compulsive reading."

Speak - Realism, Romance and Censorship

2011-10-02T18:41:00.001-05:00

1. Anderson, Laurie Halse. Speak. New York: Scholastic, 1999.

2. Plot Summary. "I have entered high school with the wrong hair, the wrong clothes, the wrong attitude. And I don't have anyone to sit with. I am Outcast." So begins the story of Melinda. A few weeks before school is to start, she attends a party where many high school kids are celebrating the last glorious days of summer. However, Melinda calls the police to come break up the party. Everyone knows she did it, but no one knows why. And she's not telling - anyone. So when school finally begins, Melinda is a marginalized member of a class who knows she ruined everyone's fun. As the year progresses, Melinda finally begins to find ways to express her frustrations and fears through art, and when the students in her class find out what really happened at that party, Melinda's year of being unable to speak is finally over.

3. Critical Analysis. Anderson hooks readers immediately with the first few paragraphs in her novel. Melinda is an outcast, and it becomes quickly evident that something is going on besides the angst that goes along with the first day of high school. Something has happened that has caused her friends to reject her, and Melinda isn't talking to anyone about what it was. In fact, Melinda is not talking much at all. For her entire freshman year, Melinda rarely says a word to anyone. The only place where she feels comfortable is in art class, where her teacher Mr. Freeman - something of a rebel and constantly in some kind of trouble with administration - has given a year-long project to students to create art out of a word drawn randomly from a pile of words. Melinda has drawn the word "tree" and is spending the year sketching, painting, sculpting and creating trees. Interestingly, her trees always look half dead, but Mr. Freeman continues to encourage her to go where her heart is leading her. He understands that something is on Melinda's mind that she is unable to share. He quietly, gently offers to listen if she ever wants to talk, but in the meantime, the tree obviously has meaning for Melinda and he encourages her to continue to work with it. Mr. Freeman is the one sympathetic adult in this novel.

Melinda is exhibiting the symptoms that many young adults show when they have a traumatic experience. Melinda has been raped at a party by an older student. For reasons she doesn't explain, Melinda doesn't tell anyone until her friend Rachel begins dating the rapist. Then Melinda begins to feel compelled to warn her friend. However, that goes wrong, too, for a while. But Melinda perseveres, and in the end, she is obviously going to be a survivor of her ordeal. At the end of the novel, after everything has come out, she is surprised by the fact that she not only is no longer an outcast but something of a hero.

Some reviews criticize the unlikely coincidence that the girls' lacrosse team happens by when Melinda is struggling with Andy after he's trapped Melinda in a janitor's closet with him. However, anyone who has hung around in a high school for very long knows that many students stay at school for hours after classes are over - athletic practices, club meetings, social organizations all keep kids and teachers at school long after the last bell rings. This doesn't seem to be such a stretch for me as a high school teacher. However, the nice part is that Melinda has already turned the situation before the girls arrive when she manages to threaten Andy with a piece of broken mirror which she's pushed into his throat. She gets the help she needs AFTER she has begun to provide the help for herself, after she's been able to scream "NO" to him and to herself, after she has been able to start to regain her voice, literally and figuratively.

In response to the 10-year anniversary of Speak in 2009, Anderson wrote a poem titled "Listen" which uses the words and phrases from thousands of letters she and Melinda received over the years. Anderson reads the poem on her website. If you have read Speak, you MUST go listen to her poem. What a powerful, moving piece.

The website is http://madwomanintheforest.com/youngadult-speak/

A copy of the poem, for those of us who are also visual and like to combine the sound of the poem with the look of the poem can be found on her blog at http://speakupaboutspeak.blogspot.com/ Scroll down to the Thursday, February 26, 2009 entry to find a copy of the poem which can be printed.

4. Review Excerpts
Publisher's Weekly: "In a stunning first novel, Anderson uses keen observations and vivid imagery to pull readers into the head of an isolated teenager."

School Library Journal: "This is a compelling book, with sharp, crisp writing that draws readers in, engulfing them in the story."

The Horn Book, starred review: "An uncannily funny book even as it plumbs the darkness, Speak will hold readers from first word to last."

Kirkus Reviews, pointer review: "The plot is gripping and the characters are powerfully drawn...its raw and unvarnished look...will be hard for readers to forget."

Hope was Here - Realism, Romance, and Censorship

2011-10-01T22:47:00.001-05:00

1. Bauer, Joan. Hope was Here. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2000.

2. Plot Summary. Hope and her aunt Addie travel around the country following the work they can find. Addie is short order cook extroidinaire and Hope is "the best waitress under 30 I've ever seen," according to one of the other waitresses at the Welcome Stairways Diner in Mulhoney, Wisconsin, where Hope and Addie have just moved after having to close their diner in New York City. Hope couldn't even finish out her sophomore year, and having to move yet again - out to the middle of nowhere no less - is almost more than Hope can endure this time. However, she and Addie quickly find themselves embroiled in a political duel between incumbant Mayor Millstone and G. T. Stroop, the owner of the Welcome Stairways who decides to join the race, challenging what he believes has been a corrupt city government. In unexpected twists and turns, the election and the story have emotional endings.

3. Critical Analysis. Hope was Here was named a 2001 Newbery Honor Book, and for good cause. This novel has strong young adult characters, and the themes are clear - life is hard and young people can make a difference. Hope may not be an entirely realistic character. She seems to take her hardships easier than most teenagers would. However, she does explain that she is heartbroken to be leaving her friends and her home in New York City. Mulhoney, Wisconsin does not have any of the things she has grown to love in New York - no museums, no concerts, and no sushi. She discovers, though, that believing in a cause can unite people of all ages, and fighting for that cause makes life meaningful.

Hope has not struck out on her own yet; nevertheless, her journey with her aunt is a quest to discover who she is. Hope has an eccentric mother who is in and out - mostly out - of her life. She has left a string of friendships behind with each move. She legally changed her name from Tulip to Hope after 12 years of enduring the embarrassment of her birth name, and with that change, she has consciously been trying to live up to her new name. Hope finds the father she's been looking for all her life in an unlikely person, and she begins learning to relate to her first boyfriend. Lots of changes in a 16-year-old's life, and Hope handles them mostly with grace and success. After all the forced new beginnings, readers are left with a feeling of relief that, in spite of some further tragedy in Hope's life, she and her aunt have finally found the security of a place which they will never need to leave again.

Bauer does a terrific job of building suspense in the story surrounding the town's mayoral election, and the endings to the plot points do not all resolve in a "happily ever after" kind of way, but the story is satisfying and young adults, especially girls, will find a good role model in Hope and proof that there are adults who are supportive, loving and special.

I have particular interest in the titles of stories and novels, and Hope was Here is one of my favorites. The play on the word "hope" as both Hope's name and what she experiences makes this title especially nice. High schoolers who must fight with their lives not turning out exactly as they wish they would should enjoy reading about Hope's life.

4. Review Excerpts.
Kirkus: "As always from Bauer, this novel is full of humor, starring a strong and idealistic protagonist, packed with funny lines, and peopled with interesting and quirky characters."

School Library Journal: "When it comes to creating strong, independent, and funny teenaged female characters, Bauer is in a class by herself."

Booklist: "It's Bauer's humor that supplies, in Addie's cooking vernacular, the yeast that makes the story rise above the rest, reinforcing the substantive issues of honesty, humanity, and the importance of political activism. Serve this up to teens--with a dash of hope."

Amazon.com: "Here's a book that's as warm and melty as a grilled Swiss on seven-grain bread, and just as wholesome and substantial. . . .Joan Bauer, who won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Rules of the Road, has served up a delicious novel in Hope was Here, full of delectable characters, tasty wit, and deep-dish truth."

Boy Toy - Realism, Romance and Censorship

2011-09-25T18:57:00.011-05:00

1. Gaiman, Neil. Boy Toy. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2007.

2. Plot Summary. Josh is a senior in high school. He's about to graduate, but a secret from his past has come back to haunt him. Unfortunately, it seems that pretty much everyone knows the secret, and he hasn't been able to escape from it for the last five years. But a lot is going on in his life. He's one of the star baseball players on his high school team, and he's being scouted for college. His coach is giving him a hard time. His best friend Rachel has been out of his life since the incident in seventh grade and now wants back in.  But Eve is back, bringing the past with her, and Josh can't seem to get past it - because Josh doesn't know the truth.

3. Critical Analysis. Fitting squarely into the Modern Problem Novel genre, the main character Josh appears to the rest of the characters in the book to be coping; however, he has not effectively dealt with the issue that is constantly at the front of his consciousness: the fact that he had sex in seventh grade with his history teacher, Evelyn Sherman.  As with many problem novels, the adults in this novel are removed from the main character. They are neither sympathetic nor supportive.  Even though Josh's therapist is sincere and Josh appreciates his help, Josh has not been able to count on any of the adults in his life to help him through the mental and emotional turmoil he is going through.

Boy Toy is a difficult book to read as an adult, and as a teacher who works with adolescents. The center section of the novel is a flashback to seventh grade when Mrs. Sherman begins a deliberate process to seduce Josh. He's abused over a period of several months before an incident between Josh and his best friend Rachel brings the issue to light.  The scenes are graphically described throughout the section, and it's hard to "watch" a boy be systematically abused by someone he likes and trusts in a way that makes it impossible for him to understand that it wasn't his fault, even now as a senior. His parents are angry with him for refusing to testify against Mrs. Sherman, which has alienated them from him. His friends do not really understand him. Only his friend Zik seems to instinctively understand what Josh needs, which is mostly not to talk about it. It is only through his own actions that Josh finally makes a breakthrough and realizes that the blame he has placed on himself for five years is unfounded. At that point, the reader feels that there is hope for Josh to be emotionally OK.

Young Adult literature guru Teri Lesesne, author of Heinemann's Reading Ladders, cautioned classroom teachers about having this title on the shelf in a presentation I attended.  Based on her comments, as a teacher, I have chosen to not keep a copy of Boy Toy on my classroom library shelf, not as an act of censorship, but rather because I feel that this particular novel is better recommended on a person by person basis. The subject matter is extremely sensitive. Anyone reading the book who is not mature enough to handle the subject matter may react in a way that shows little sensitivity toward fellow students who may have suffered sexual abuse at the hands of a trusted adult, and I would never want someone who is dealing with such a painful experience to hear fellow students sniggering over the descriptions of the relationship between Josh and Mrs. Sherman.

[Ironically, after reading this novel over the summer in preparation for this blog, a teacher at my high school was arrested for having sex with one of her students. I recommended Boy Toy to an adult who made comments about how the teacher should not have to go to jail because the boy probably "had the time of his life" and will have this to "drool over for the rest of his life." The situation is slightly different - 13 versus 16 years of age.  However, damage is done, and there will be much for the student to deal with.]

The encounter with Mrs. Sherman near the end of the story is powerful. The reader is left with the hope that Josh is going to be all right because for the first time since he was 13, Josh actually begins to believe that he will be all right. But what a long, painful process it was to get there.

4. Review Excerpts.

On his website, Barry Lyga has published a review of Boy Toy by Caitlin, and high school senior. In her review, she states, "People can be absorbed by a good book so that they can't stop talking about it, but few have ever been haunted by a book. Boy Toy was my literary poltergeist for the past few days" and "this book forces you to think about a dozen different issues . . . . When you finally think you have an opinion about the scandal, you're forced to rethink it because Josh changes his mind many times over throughout the course of the story. (http://barrylyga.com/new/boy-toy-caitlin.html)

New York Times: "This is an upsetting, intense, intricately drawn portrait of the fallout from a 12-year-old boy’s involvement with his seventh-grade teacher. . . . an unsettling read, but that’s exactly what it ought to be."

The House of the Scorpion - Classics and Awards

2011-09-20T23:06:00.002-05:00

1. Farmer, Nancy. The House of the Scorpion. New York: Atheneum Books, 2002.

2. Plot Summary. Matteo Alacran has grown up on land belonging to El Patron, the ruler of Opium - a strip of land between the United States and what was once Mexico. His "mother" has been Celia, and until he was almost six, she was the only person he ever saw. She warned him that no one else must EVER see him. But one day, three other children, including a little girl named Maria, wander close to the little cottage where Celia and Matt live, and while Celia is at work, Matt makes friends with the children. On one of their visits, Matt crashes through a window, and once he is carried to the main house in order to fix his cuts, he realizes that something isn't quite right. At first everything is fine, but suddenly everything changes, and he is locked up and treated like an animal. One day, Matt asks El Patron's body guard when Matt's birthday is, and the body guard's response is "you were harvested." Matt was created in a test tube and grown inside a cow, and most people see him as a beast rather than a human. However, El Patron treats Matt as the special person that he is - the person who holds El Patron's life within his own body. And once Matt realizes why he has been created and what his purpose is, he begins a race to save his own life.

3. Critical Analysis. Farmer has created a story full of suspense as Matt goes on a quest to find out the truth about his existence and figure out how to stop the trajectory his life has been created to follow. The House of the Scorpion takes readers into a science fiction world of the future where humans create clones to be used for organ harvesting later. At first, Matt cannot believe that El Patron will use him this way, but it becomes evident that this is exactly what El Patron intends to do. With the help of Celia, and one of El Patron's body guards, Matt concocts a scheme to escape from Opium, a feat that is supposedly impossible to accomplish, but he does it. And at first, it seems that Matt has gone from the frying pan and into the fire when he ends up crossing the border only to be placed into child labor with other orphans.

The emotions displayed by Matt lead the reader through a range of feelings from confusion about Matt's origins, to horror as his fate is realized, into fear as he tries to escape that fate, and finally relief as Matt's perseverance, intelligence, and determination lead him and three other boys to safety. In the end the real savior of the situation turns out to be a very unlikely, and perhaps unrealistic, source in Maria's long-lost mother; Maria who was the only friend who always treated him like a human during the years Matt lived in El Patron's house. As a seeker on a quest to find the truth about his existence, Matt's journey is compelling, if sometimes unlikely. Young adults should admire his tenacity when the journey become extremely difficult, his courage when he is faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles, and his concern for others when he is unable to leave his young friends behind. And while the ending seriously stretches the logic of what is possible even in a futuristic world, young adult readers will be glad to find that Matt is successful in his journey to find a new life.

The House of the Scorpion won The National Book Award, and was named as both a Newbery Honor Book and a Printz Honor Book. Students who like science fiction should appreciate Farmer's story-telling.

4. Review Excerpts.

*"Farmer's novel may be futuristic, but it hits close to home, raising questions of what it means to be human, what is the value of life, and what are the responsibilities of a society. Readers will be hooked from the first page."--Publishers' Weekly, starred review

*"...Farmer has a talent for creating exciting tales in beautifully realized, unusual worlds. With undertones of vampires, Frankenstein, dragons' hoards, and killing fields, Matt's story turns out to be an inspiring tale of friendship, survival, hope, and transcendence. A must-read for SF fans."--Kirkus Reviews, pointer review

[A] solid modern classic."--U.S. News & World Report.

*"[A] remarkable coming of age story...."--Booklist, starred review.

The Graveyard Book - Classics and Awards

2011-09-19T19:08:00.000-05:00

1. Gaiman, Neil. The Graveyard Book. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 2008.

2. Plot Summary. He was only eighteen months old when his mother, father, and older sister were brutally murdered while they slept. By by some twist of fate, the toddler had managed to leave the house before the killer reached his room at the top of the house. At the top of the hill, he squeezed through the iron bars of the fence into the graveyard and was immediately taken in by Mr. and Mrs. Owens who had inhabited the old cemetery for over a hundred years. With the help of the rest of the cemetery's residents and Silas, the guardian, Nobody Owens grew from toddler to young man. Unable to leave the graveyard due to the continuing threat to his life, Nobody, Bod as he was called, was given the Freedom of the Graveyard which allowed him access to all areas of the cemetery, as well as providing him with many skills that would protect him should he find himself in danger. As Bod grows up, he encounters gouls, the ancient Indigo Man, the Sleer, and the graveyard witch. But his only human friend Scarlett unintentionally leads him to the greatest danger he will ever encounter. Will the ghosts be able to protect him?

3. Critical Analysis. Neil Gaiman won the Newbery Award for this work of fantasy that pits a young boy and his supernatural caretakers against a very real and dangerous threat. As in many works of fiction for Young Adults, Bod does not have parents. While he has loving, caring surrogate parents in the forms of the ghosts Mr. and Mrs. Owens, he fits the orphan archetype and must in the long run take care of himself and prove his ability to make the decisions that will ultimately save his own life.

After finding out what happens to Bod's family, the story moves through a series of seemingly unrelated events as Bod grows up that provides the backdrop for Bod to learn what he will need to know when the story eventually circles back around to the danger that has been threatening him his entire life. Once Bod becomes aware of the Jacks of All Trades, he puts the education that seemed useless before to use as one after another he uses the skills he has been taught to protect himself from the fate that is determined to take him. In the end, Bod successfully defeats the enemy and the danger is finally passed, his ghost parents and his guardian send him from what has been his home for 15 years to live the life that all humans should live - a life of adventure, excitement, and experiences.

Inspired by Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book, the novel is 307 pages, broken into eight chapters. These long chapters might be daunting for reluctant readers. However, the illustrations by Dave McKean that are spaced throughout provide support for the story in interesting, sometimes creepy scenes. The pictures range in size from small sketches on the corner of a page to full two-page spreads. As Bod converses with the residents of the graveyard throughout the story, their years and epitaphs are provided parenthetically for many of them, adding interest for readers who have a background in cemeteries and headstones. Readers will meet characters such as Digby Pool (1785-1860, As I Am So Shall You Be) and Miss Euphemia Horsfall (1861-1883, She Sleeps, Aye, Yet She Sleeps with Angels).

My favorite line in the book happens when Bod is discussing the reason some of the ghosts who live in the cemetery died. When Bod has the realization that some have killed themselves, he asks his guardian, Silas, if they are happier once they are dead. His answer is, "Mostly no . . . . Wherever you go, you take yourself with you. If you see what I mean." Indeed, wherever we go, we take ourselves with us.

4. Review Excerpts.

Amazon.com Review: In The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman has created a charming allegory of childhood.

School Library Journal: Gaiman has created a rich, surprising, and sometimes disturbing tale of dreams, ghouls, murderers, trickery, and family.

The New York Times: “The Graveyard Book,” by turns exciting and witty, sinister and tender, shows Gaiman at the top of his form.

A Day No Pigs Would Die - Classics and Awards

2011-09-14T21:51:00.003-05:00

1. Peck, Robert Newton. A Day No Pigs Would Die. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1972.

2. Plot Summary. Young Rob Peck lives on a Vermont farm, the son of Shaker parents. When the Pecks' neighbor, Mr. Tanner, offers 12-year-old Rob a piglet as a thank you for Rob helping his old cow calve her twins as well as removing a goiter from the old cow's throat (resulting in great injury to himself), Mr. Peck declines the offer at first. "We thank you, Brother Tanner," said Papa. "But it's not the Shaker Way to take frills for being neighborly. All that Robert done was what any farmer would do for another." (p. 21) However, with some gentle persistence, Rob's father is persuaded to allow Rob to accept the piglet, and Rob begins a journey with Pinky, the first thing to ever really belong to him. As summer turns to winter, Rob must face harsh obstacles which force him to grow up and by the time he is 13, his life is completely changed.

3. Critical Analysis. At exactly 150 pages, this book is a relatively short, easy read, if by "easy" we mean a book which can be read quickly. However, the content of the novel is anything but easy at times. The story includes events which can be hard for adults to read, let alone young adults, events such as the repeated forced, brutal mating of Pinky in an attempt to breed her, and the death of a family member. However, from an adolescent's point of view, what might make the book difficult to read is a lack of background knowledge of rural life. The story is generally told in a slowly unfolding manner without much of the adventure or excitement that young adults are used to in this era of video games and the constantly moving and changing experiences of urban and suburban life.

Peck's novel is a classic. A Day No Pigs Would Die was one of the earliest novels for young adults, along with S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders and Robert Cormier's The Chocolate War. While the the subject matter can be difficult to digest, Peck handle's it realistically, yet with sensitivity. When it was first published in 1972, more adolescents were rural dwellers than they are now, which may have drawn readers in more readily than it would now. However, many adult readers still discover the book and often comment on not only finding a powerful story, but also a humorous one. After Rob brings home a D in English on his report card, his Aunt Matty takes it upon herself to teach him grammar. After a particulary strenuous time of trying to diagram a sentence, Rob's mother asks, "How was the first lesson?" "Next time," said Aunt Matty, "I'll teach the pig." (p. 60)

The characters are well-developed, and the story is told from the viewpoint of Rob, who turns from 12 to 13 from beginning to end of the story. While the plot is a little slow at times, Rob's character passes through this "coming of age" story by successfully meeting the challenges with courage and strength. The emotions dealt with are emotions that are universal to young adults - fear, anguish, and uncertainty are all handled well by Rob without glossing over how difficult some of the situations are for him to confront. While the story has a tragic ending, the reader will feel the hope which Rob feels that despite the difficulty of the situations, he will be alright.

If this novel has a weakness, it will be that many young adults today will not relate to the setting of the farm. Adolescents who are used to fast-paced adventure stories with various and unique formats that are so readily available in YA fiction now may classify this novel as boring. On the flip side, the fight Rob describes on the first page which leads to him skipping school and consequently rescuing Mr. Tanner's cow from her distress may be enough to hook some readers where they will quickly find the graphic descriptions of the birth of the calf, the removal of the goiter, and the dragging of Rob through the cactus-infested field rendering him unconscious. The strength of the descriptions will keep readers engaged once they are involved in the story.

A Day No Pigs Would Die has had its share of controversy. It ranked seventeenth on the American Library Association's "The 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000" generally due to the graphic depictions of animal treatment and death. (Geoffrey Skinner, MLIS, Sonoma State University). Yet it also received several awards upon its release:

WINNER 1973 - School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

WINNER 1973 - Library of Congress Children's Books of the Year
WINNER 1972 - Colorado Children's Book Award
WINNER 1973 - ALA Best Books for Young Adults

4. Review Excerpts.

“Reading this book is like sipping hot cider in front of a crackling potbellied stove. Every page is suffused with wit and charm and glowing with warmth.”–Newsweek

“A lovely book. . . . Honest, moving, homely in the warm and simple sense of the word. . . . It is small, accepting and loving and it succeeds perfectly.”–Boston Globe

“You’ll find yourself caught up in the novel’s emotion from the very opening scene. . . . Love suffuses every page.”–The New York Times

"With plenty of Yankee common sense and dry wit, and some pathos as the boy at 13 takes on the duties of a man. For boys of this age and for the young of any age."--School Library Journal.

Young Adult Literature

2011-09-14T20:27:00.000-05:00

The next postings will focus specifically on Young Adult literature. A wide, deep, and interesting "genre," YA literature has changed from being geared mostly toward 12- to 18-year-olds to being more broadly aimed at ages 11 to 25 - the MTV generation.

We will explore several types of literature for Young Adults over the next several weeks, some you may have heard of and some which will be new - all will provide some interesting exploration.

New Fiction - TouchBlue

2010-11-16T18:10:00.001-06:00

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Lord, Cynthia. 2010. TouchBlue. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 9780545035316

2. PLOT SUMMARY

Tess knows them all – “Touch blue and your wish will come true” or “Start your journey with your right foot and good luck will walk with you.” When the state of Maine decides to close the island school where Tess lives, her family and others face the prospects of having to move to the mainland. However, the island residents have a plan. They decide to take in foster children in order to increase the number of children at the school, and Tess’s family decides to take in 13-year-old Aaron. Unfortunately, things don’t go as smoothly as Tess has envisioned, and suddenly it isn’t as much about keeping the school open as it is about helping Aaron feel like he has a place to finally belong. Tess invokes all the good luck she knows hoping to make her wish for a happy family, including Aaron, come true. But will it be enough for this boy who has been bounced from home to home?

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

TouchBlue is realistic fiction that will appeal to a wide range of readers. While TouchBlue is said by Scholastic to be for ages 9-12 or grades 4-7, this novel will appeal to older readers as well. Tess is eleven years old, but her voice is well beyond her years. While she hopes and wishes like an eleven-year-old might, her wisdom and understanding feel much more like a high school student. Younger readers will most certainly connect with Tess’s over-zealous attempts to make Aaron feel welcomed and at home. Older readers will be drawn to the themes that are portrayed in the older voice of this young girl. Themes include love of home, the importance of belonging, and the hope that things will “turn out right,” feelings most readers of any age will understand and to which they will be able to relate.

Tess invokes all the superstitions she knows to help things turn out right, and who among us hasn’t avoided stepping on cracks or pulled the petals off a daisy while reciting “he loves me, he loves me not” or thrown a coin into a fountain? Each chapter begins with a superstitious saying, and when Tess’s mom says, “You make your own luck,” Tess thinks, “Why take chances? Especially when it’s so easy to let the universe know what you want by touching blue or turning around three times or crossing your fingers.” (p. 48) Her pockets are filled with good luck objects, and she is constantly repeating the sayings or doing the rituals she believes will insure the best outcome in her family.

Tess is an endearing character. Her wishes – as well as those of the entire island – start off rather selfishly: they want to save the island schoolhouse. But quickly Tess’s wishes become more centered around Aaron and hoping he will be truly happy. Her thoughts are compelling, and the reader finds herself pulling for Aaron and Tess as they struggle through the difficulties of adjustment, bullying from another island kid, defining “family,” and learning to trust.

TouchBlue is a story that will leave older readers thinking and all readers satisfied. As the story comes to a close, Tess talks with Aaron about whether he will stay with her family or not, giving him reasons to consider it. “Stay because you want to be here. Stay because we would miss you. And stay because you can belong in more than one place, and one of your places is with us.” What a beautiful reminder of the realities of belonging.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS

*Horn Book (starred review): “Features a thoughtful first-person narration by Tess that gives readers a real feeling for island life, with vivid descriptions of the sights and sounds and smells of the place Tess loves and desperately doesn't want to leave.”

*Kirkus Reviews: “Realistic characters, humor, and a charming setting make this a great choice for collections of all sizes.”

*Christian Science Monitor “...a truly timeless novel, perfect for sharing.”

*Booklist: “The tight-knit community and lobster-catching details make for a warm, colorful environment. This is a feel good story about letting go of your expectations and accepting the good things already in front of you.”

*Publishers Weekly: “Lord interlaces themes of loss, luck, superstition, family, and belonging, but at the heart of this tightly woven story is Tess's longing to help Aaron overcome his hurt and anger at having been taken from his alcoholic mother (years before) and shuffled among foster homes, and to make him feel like he's part of her close-knit family.”

*School Library Journal: “Each chapter opens with a different saying that is used in the context of the story, which keeps readers guessing about its significance. They will feel an enormous amount of hope as they read Tess and Aaron's story. It delivers the message that everything happens for a reason, and that sometimes all you need to do is believe.”

*Girl's Life: “Touch Blue is a great novel about new beginnings, family and friendship. Plus, readers will learn tons of cool facts about the ocean, islands and boats! (Psst, did you know that an island is the top of an underwater mountain? Too cool!)”

5. CONNECTIONS

*Students may enjoy keeping track of Tess’s superstitions and adding to them with some of their own. Look up other superstitious sayings at
http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0769362.html
or
http://everything2.com/title/Things+on+which+you+can+make+a+wish

*Write about experiences with making wishes. When is a time you remember a wish coming true? Have you ever regretted a wish you made?

*Read other stories about making wishes. Some possibilities:

• Midas

• “Those Three Wishes” by Judith Gorog http://www.fortbend.k12.tx.us/campuses/documents/Teacher/2007%5Cteacher_20071116_1636.pdf

• “The Monkey’s Paw” by W. W. Jacobs

• Wand Wishes and Other Stories by Emma Thomson

Dad, Jackie, and Me - Inclusive Literature

2010-08-08T15:38:00.001-05:00

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Uhlberg, Myron. DAD, JACKIE, AND ME. Illustrated by Colin Bootman. Atlanta: Peachtree, 2005. ISBN 1561453293.

2. PLOT SUMMARY

In the summer of 1947, the Brooklyn Dodgers made history when they signed new first baseman Jackie Robinson. Jackie’s grace under fire of prejudice and discrimination is inspiring to one young white boy and his deaf father who begin to go to Dodgers’ games to watch and cheer for Jackie during this special summer.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Told in first person, Myron Uhlberg delivers a wonderful story of a boy who “was glued to the radio, like every other ear in Brooklyn” on the opening day of the 1947 baseball season, the first season where a black man plays for a major league team. When his father comes home with tickets to a Dodgers’ game, and the boy gets to see Ebbets Field for the very first time, he knows he will never again see anything as beautiful. But many in the crowd yell at Jackie, calling him horrible names, and other players treat him disrespectfully. Additionally, the boy is a little embarrassed by his father who begins yelling for Jackie. The boy’s father is deaf and his call of “Jack-ie, Jack-ie” comes out more like “AH-GHEE, AH-GHEE” causing the crowd around them to stare at him. Yet as the game progresses, father and son notice the grace with which Robinson plays, ignoring the taunts and names, and the boy notices that the crowd is paying less and less attention to his father as well. This story progresses through the entire season, ending with a surprising and touching final scene at the last game.

The watercolor paintings by Bootman are simply magical. My favorite might be a sequence scene in the painting where Robinson is up to bat, hits the ball, and slides into base. (This book has no page numbers). The illustrations throughout support the text nicely, in once instance even giving me the meaning of a term I was not familiar with. During a Cardinal / Dodger game, a Cardinal crossed first base and “spiked” Jackie on purpose. The painting clearly shows the Cardinal player stepping squarely on Robinson’s leg, the spikes from his shoe going into his ankle as he gets to first base knowing he’s going to be out. Bootman, who has won the Coretta Scott King honor award for his illustrations in Almost to Freedom does a superb job here as well. Facial expressions are genuine, skin coloring is varied, street and crowd scenes are complex and full of detail, and his portrayal of the game are spirited and lively.

At the end of the story, Uhlberg, in his “Author’s Note,” explains that this story is fiction with some grounding in real life. His father and mother were both deaf, and his father took him to many games. His father explained that Jackie would have a chance to show the world that he is as good as they are, despite the color of his skin. That note also goes on to tell the story of another baseball player, William Ellsworth Hoy, who was deaf and proved that he was as good as – actually even better than – any other baseball player. The hand signals used by umpires to signal balls and strikes was a direct result of Hoy’s efforts. (Did other hand signals used in baseball come about as a result of Hoy as well? Perhaps that is also a direct descendent of the balls/strikes signals, but the note doesn’t say.) The endpapers of the book are reproductions of scrapbook pages with actual newspaper articles and pictures taped in.

An excellent read-aloud for younger children, and a great addition to any collection that can be accessed by baseball fans of any age, this story weaves fact and fiction together into a wonderful story of perseverance under adversity.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS

*Publishers Weekly: “Ultimately, this is an affecting tribute to Robinson, to a dedicated son and to a thoughtful, deep-feeling father. And, of course, to baseball.”

*School Library Journal: “Bootman's lovely watercolor paintings add detail and wistful nostalgia. Baseball fans may be disappointed with the narrative's slow pace and the fact that Robinson is little more than an iconic figure, but others will appreciate the story's insightful treatment of deafness as viewed through the eyes of a child.”

*Children’s Literature: “Bootman’s watercolor illustrations work beautifully in conjunction with the text to bring to life the 1940s neighborhood and Ebbets Field. He has successfully captured the emotions of the story and the action on the baseball diamond. This is a fine book for fathers and sons to share together, and a thought-provoking piece for a middle school or a high school class to share together. Readers can glean an interesting perspective on history from the newspaper clippings and the photographs that comprise the scrapbook end papers.”

*Library Media Connection: “The discrimination shown to Jackie Robinson, the first black baseball player, as well as the prejudices against his hearing impaired father are sensitively written. Robinson's determination to overcome thoughtless intolerance in order to prove himself worthy parallels the life of the author's father in his everyday trials. This is a great read-aloud and discussion starter for its historical information and emotional treatment of inequality.”

5. CONNECTIONS

• Research Jackie Robinson. This story actually uses Robinson as background for the central story of the boy learning about his father, so more information about Robinson’s time as a major player might be interesting to older students, particularly those who love sports.

• Depending on the age of the readers, research into prejudice and discrimination during his years in major league baseball.

• Research deafness. What difficulties and challenges have deaf people historically had to overcome. (The book talks about how deaf people were labeled as “dumb,” and deaf children weren’t thought to be able to participate in athletics.) Learn to finger spell a simple, positive message.

Habibi - Inclusive Literature

2010-08-08T15:29:00.000-05:00

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Nye, Naomi Shihab. HABIBI. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1997. ISBN 0689801491.

2. PLOT SUMMARY

Liyana and her family have lived in St. Louis her entire life when the summer before she is to begin high school and her brother Rafik is to begin middle school, her parents tell them the family is going to move to Jerusalem where her father was born. This seems like a good time, her mother explains, for the family to make a move. Liyana’s parents have always talked about moving so that the children could experience both sides of their history, but it has always been a faraway rumor until now. So Liyana leaves the only life she has known to encounter a new one that includes cobblestone roads, refugee camps, and violent political uncertainty while also introducing her to a grandmother she’s never met, friends who hope for the same peace that she wishes for, and a handsome young man named Omer who may just replace the boyfriend she had to leave behind.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Naomi Shihab Nye creates two sympathetic characters in Liyana and Rafik. The difference in their ages is shown through a happy-go-lucky Rafik who is excited about the adventure of moving across the ocean, and less-than-excited Liyana who is not only about to enter high school, but has just gotten her first kiss. However, Liyana sets her mind to making the best of a bad situation and embarks on a journey that will at times be difficult, but will be full of hope and excitement, and happiness. The story is told in chapters almost resembling vignettes. Each chapter reveals new experiences for the family: the estate sale in anticipation of the move, the first meeting of the extended family in Jerusalem upon their arrival, the butcher shop with live chickens slaughtered on the spot, and the clashing of modern western culture with the older culture of the Middle East. The stories are interesting and draw the reader into the vicarious experience of moving far away to a new place.

Young adult readers who have experienced this type of cross-global move themselves should relate to the experience of Liyana or Rafik, while those who have not can gain an understanding of the feelings associated with leaving the home one has always known for one that is literally foreign. Even Liyana’s parents experience unexpected events that emphasize the dichotomous life they are living – neither fully American nor fully Arab. “Sometimes she [even] heard her father say, ‘We are Americans,’ to his relatives” – her father who had always been Arab before. The push and pull of living in a culture that is completely different is felt throughout the story. The danger that lurks just around the corner if you forgetfully do something unacceptable in this new place, the stressful relationships between Arabs and Jews balancing precariously in this torn city, and the difficulty of making friends when you do not speak their language are deftly portrayed. However, the difficulties are nicely paired with the joys of new adventures, the love of family, and the hospitality of strangers.

This semi-autobiographical novel “feels” realistic without having cultural markers packed in so tightly as to feel didactic. With nice, short chapters, children from fifth through ninth grade should enjoy this novel, told by an Arab-American who was born in St. Louis of an American mother and Palestinian father like Liyana, and has lived in Ramallah (Jordan), Jerusalem, and San Antonio. Journal entries and essays written by Liyana and Rafik are interwoven into the story, and while these sometimes feel disconnected from what is happening, they are short and easy to read through.

Habibi is the winner of the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award, given by the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS

*Publishers Weekly: “This soul-stirring novel about the Abbouds, an Arab American family, puts faces and names to the victims of violence and persecution in Jerusalem today. . . .Nye's climactic ending will leave readers pondering, long after the last page is turned, why Arabs, Jews, Greeks and Armenians can no longer live in harmony the way they once did.”

*Booklist: “The story is steeped in detail about the place and cultures: food, geography, history, shopping, schools, languages, religions, etc. Just when you think it is obtrusive to have essays and journal entries thrust into the story, you get caught up in the ideas and the direct simplicity with which Nye speaks. She does try to cover too much--no book can tell the whole story of the Middle East--but this is a story that makes us ‘look both ways.’”

*School Library Journal: “Though the story begins at a leisurely pace, readers will be engaged by the characters, the romance, and the foreshadowed danger. Poetically imaged and leavened with humor, the story renders layered and complex history understandable through character and incident. Habibi succeeds in making the hope for peace compellingly personal and concrete...as long as individual citizens like Liyana's grandmother Sitti can say, ‘I never lost my peace inside.’”

5. CONNECTIONS

• Read some of Shihab Nye’s poetry and compare the language in the poetry to the language in the novel. Notice poetic language in the novel. Lines such as “For years the word floated in the air around their heads, yellow pollen, wispy secret dust of the ages passed on and on. Habibi,” (p. 204). While reading, keep a notebook of lines and phrases that catch your attention.

• Listen to Shihab Nye reading her poetry on youtube.com. One of my favorites is “One Boy Told Me,” a ‘found’ poem that is a collection of lines said by her son when he was young. She emphasizes the fact that we all are poets, some of us just stop trying to find that poetry.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biJ3FP8aDjY&feature=related
Her deep voice is a pleasure to listen to as she reads her own poetry.

• Youtube.com also includes interviews with Shihab Nye, her father Aziz Shihab, and speeches Shihab Nye has made at colleges and in other settings about her writing and her wish for a world where we share with each other. Go to youtube.com and type in “Naomi Shihab Nye.”

• Have students write stories that give vignettes of their experiences in going someplace they’ve never been before, whether it’s a new country, a new city, or even a new school (moving from elementary to middle, or middle to high school).

Boy Meets Boy - Inclusive Literature

2010-08-08T15:18:00.001-05:00

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Levithan, David. BOY MEETS BOY. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2003. ISBN 0375824006.

2. PLOT SUMMARY

Paul is a sophomore in high school. He’s known he is gay for as long as he can remember, but it was confirmed when his kindergarten teacher made a note on his report card to that effect: “PAUL IS DEFINITELY GAY AND HAS VERY GOOD SENSE OF SELF.” Many of his friends carry the same self-confidence as he does, and some do not; some have understanding families like Paul’s, while another gay friend has a family trying to pray their child from Satan’s grip while grounding him to his room. However, some of Paul’s self-assurance is shaken when Noah - his new boyfriend, Kyle - his ex-boyfriend, and Tony and Joni - his best friends, intersect in his world in unexpected ways. Will it all work out?

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Paul is a dynamic character. Almost too self-assured at the beginning of the novel, his life reads like a gay-rights activist’s resume. Aside from the note from his kindergarten teacher on his report card, he 1) is the first openly gay class president in the third grade, 2) asks Cody to the fifth-grade semi-formal, 3) forms the first gay-straight alliance in sixth grade with several friends, and 4) in eighth grade has a gay food column in the local paper called “Dining OUT.” However, by the end of the novel, Paul has had to figure out how to help his friend Tony whose parents have freaked out after his revelation that he’s gay. He has also had to grapple with feelings he has for an ex-boyfriend while experiencing the excitement of falling for a new guy at his school. Paul shows courage in sticking by Tony and helping Tony face his family, and he grows through the painful experience of losing his longest-standing friend over her choice of a boyfriend.

The back cover says Paul is “at a high school like no other,” and it’s true. This is obviously a fantasy setting which creates a world more as it should be, not as it is; a world where teenagers are just teenagers, accepted no matter what they are like or how they express themselves. Students who are truly this self-confident in who they are rarely exist in the real world. Much of the self-confidence is really bravado used to hide the fear, confusion, and doubt that tends to run rampant at this stage of life. However, Paul is absolutely comfortable with who he is, as are many of his other friends including other gay students, as well as the straight students who are truly their friends. This high school, as well as the community, includes a group of “Joy Scouts” who left the Boy Scouts when they decided that gays had no place in their organization (p. 66). The community also has P-FLAG – Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays – that “is as big a draw as the PTA” (p. 115). The school’s quarterback is 6’5” and nicknamed Infinite Darlene, a cross dresser who is both the star quarterback and the homecoming queen this year.

While Paul says that Infinite Darlene “doesn’t have it easy,” and he mentions the time he himself was tackled by wrestlers who were actually insulting him when they called him queer and faggot, this story displays very little of the angst that kids who are gay or transsexual have to put up with from their peers. Tony’s parents and people from their church completely lose their objectivity when they think Tony and Paul are a couple, but the rest of the community seems to be completely at peace with the gay and cross-dressing community.

Nevertheless, the kids deal with some serious issues, but humor infuses the story with lighted-heartedness that makes this a fun read. The gay-straight alliance was formed to help the straight kids learn to dance. The cheerleaders ride Harleys. But even with the levity, the kids in the story are facing issues such as learning how to handle shifting relationships, how to support each other during difficult experiences, and how to confront each other when they believe their friends are making serious mistakes.

While the high school and community are idealized, this story will still be meaningful to high school students who are trying to figure out who they are and how they fit into the social schema around them.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS

*Booklist: “Though at times arch and even precious, this wacky, charming, original story is never outrageous, and its characters are fresh, real, and deeply engaging. In its blithe acceptance and celebration of human differences, this is arguably the most important gay novel since Nancy Garden's Annie on My Mind; it certainly seems to represent a revolution in the publishing of gay-themed books for adolescents.”

*Kirkus: “With wry humor, wickedly quirky and yet real characters, and real situations, this is a must for any library serving teens.”

*Children’s Literature: “This touching story focuses upon the emotions and humor involved in teenage relationships. If the book did not start with an introductory chapter filled with gay stereotypes, it would have a strong appeal to any teenager. The stereotypes serve to de-humanize the characters rather than present them as ordinary teens with human problems. Positively, the story progresses with strongly developed characters that carry the rich storyline, making the book an enjoyable read.”

*CCBC (Cooperative Children’s Book Center): “David Levithan constructs a remarkable and hopeful fantasy: a world where gay teens and straight teens are all just teens. By the third chapter of this remarkable novel, that world feels like something that seems quite possible.”

5. CONNECTIONS

• Make this book available to students by placing it on classroom or library bookshelves for students to pick up to read. Perhaps do a book talk so students know it is there. This book would be a great read aloud for high school teachers who feel like their classes can handle the subject matter.

• Have students keep journal entries as they read the story documenting their connections to the story; whether they are gay or straight, they are likely to relate to the characters in this novel who are grappling with normal teenage issues.

• Display this book among others in a rotating display of multicultural literature in the classroom or the library.

A Single Shard - Asian American Literature

2010-07-31T21:52:00.001-05:00

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Park, Linda Sue. A SINGLE SHARD. New York: Clarion, 2001. ISBN 0395978270.

2. PLOT SUMMARY

Tree-ear has lived under a bridge with Crane-man for as long as he can remember, foraging for food from trash heaps and gathering rice left behind in fields after the harvest. Tree-ear and Crane-man are honorable, and believe in hard work. Tree-ear has become interested in the work of the master potter Min, hiding behind the leaves of a paulownia tree to watch the master create the beautiful celadon pieces prized by royalty and temples, until one day, Tree-ear accidentally damages one of Min’s pieces and begins to work off the debt by doing chores for Min. Hoping that this will lead to a time when Min will teach Tree-ear to throw pots on the wheel, Tree-ear works diligently for the short-tempered potter. After the debt is paid off, Tree-ear continues to work for Min, still hoping for that longed-for day when he, too, can learn to be a potter. Eighteen months later, still having not been allowed to work the potter’s wheel, Tree-ear volunteers to do a dangerous yet important job for Min with an unexpected outcome.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This novel won Linda Sue Park the Newbery Medal in 2002 for good reason. A beautiful story with a few twists and turns throughout, A Single Shard creates vivid pictures of the life of a young orphan boy and what it might have been like to be homeless in 12th century Korea at a time when virtually no one was homeless. “Have you eaten well today?” was the standard greeting among villagers. However, Tree-ear, and his guardian of the last 10 years Crane-man have turned the saying upside down, greeting each other with, “Have you hungered well today?” as their own little joke, for hunger is a constant companion for the pair. Tree-ear has happened upon a windfall of rice unexpectedly, and thus opens the story of this boy, who is perhaps twelve according to Crane-man’s estimations. Although the setting is foreign to young readers today, the descriptions are so vivid that readers can easily make mental pictures of the setting and the characters, as well as their daily activities as the village potters and their assistants prepare for the arrival of the royal emissary who will offer a commission to one of the lucky potters in the village.

The “Author’s Note” at the end of the novel explains several of the interesting points in the story, including the evolution of the role of potters in Korea, why the homelessness of Tree-ear and Crane-man would have been highly unusual in 12th century Korea, and even why Tree-ear may have had an irrational fear of foxes. The notes help provide the details of Park’s research that led to plot points and setting descriptions in the novel and are quite interesting.

Similar to Tracy Chevalier’s novel Girl with a Pearl Earring in which Chevalier creates a fictional account of how Vermeer’s painting of the same name came to be created, Park uses the famous "Thousand Cranes Vase, “the finest example of inlaid celadon pottery ever discovered [that] has been dated to the twelfth century,” and one of Korea’s most prized treasures, as the springboard for this novel. While the names of people, places, and artifacts may be difficult to pronounce, Park weaves the culture of 12th Century Korea seamlessly through the story in a way that is easy for the reader to follow. The only spot that gave me any trouble at all were the opening four paragraphs, which upon rereading twice, for a total of three times through, finally made sense. This worried me for the rest of the novel, causing me to believe I would not like it. That is unfortunate because this is one of the best stories I have ever read. I hope that the problems I encountered with the opening of the story were due to some reason specific to me, and not what other readers will experience. I would hate to think that a reader would not continue past the first page due to confusion surrounding the joke about the greetings with which the story begins.

While there is some predictability to the ending of the story, readers will nonetheless undoubtedly enjoy reading of Tree-ear’s experiences in this novel that covers approximately two years of his life, ending with a jump far into the future in the final paragraphs – a trip worth taking with him in this beautiful novel of determination and hope.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS

*Publishers Weekly: “Park molds a moving tribute to perseverance and creativity in this finely etched novel set in mid- to late 12th-century Korea. . . . Readers will not soon forget these characters or their sacrifices.”

*Booklist: “This quiet, but involving story draws readers into a very different time and place. Though the society has its own conventions, the hearts and minds and stomachs of the characters are not so far removed from those of people today. Readers will feel the hunger and cold that Tree-ear experiences, as well as his shame, fear, gratitude, and love. A well-crafted novel with an unusual setting.”

*School Library Journal: “This quiet story is rich in the details of life in Korea during this period. In addition it gives a full picture of the painstaking process needed to produce celadon pottery. However, what truly stands out are the characters: the grumpy perfectionist Min; his kind wife; wise Crane-man; and most of all, Tree-ear, whose determination and lively intelligence result in good fortune. Like Park's Seesaw Girl (1999) and The Kite Fighters (2000, both Clarion), this book not only gives readers insight into an unfamiliar time and place, but it is also a great story.”

5. CONNECTIONS

• Go to this website to see examples of pottery that Linda Sue Park based her descriptions on. The pictures are fascinating, particularly after having read the book. http://www.lindasuepark.com/books/singleshard/singleshardbs.html

• This feature from the Metropolitan Museum of Art allows readers to interactively explore Korean ceramics with questions and pictures. Also on the opening page, readers can click on “Arts of Korea” in the text, then click on “Ceramics” and finally on any of the three pots under “Koryo Dynasty” to see further examples of the celadon pottery created by the masters of the 12th and 13th centuries. http://www.metmuseum.org/explore/celadon/html/startpage.htm

• In the “faq” section of her webpage, Park gives an address where readers can write, and if they include a self addressed, stamped envelope, she says she will write back and send an autograph! Have students write her a letter, including a return envelope, and see what happens. http://www.lspark.com/index.html

• Have students rewrite a scene from the book from one of the other character’s point of view – Min, Min’s wife, or Crane-man.

The Year of the Dog - Asian American Literature

2010-07-28T14:36:00.000-05:00

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Lin, Grace. THE YEAR OF THE DOG. New York: Little, Brown, and Company, 2006. ISBN 0316060003.

2. PLOT SUMMARY

When Pacy finds out that it is the Year of the Dog, which is a good year for making friends and “finding yourself,” she decides to find out exactly who she is going to be when she grows up. She makes a new best friend when another Taiwanese girl comes to her school, and she finds out more about her close-knit family, but as she tries to figure out who she is supposed to be, she hits one snag after another, from losing the science contest, to talking herself out of trying out for the lead in the play. Pacy is afraid she will never figure it out. She doesn’t seem to be very good at anything. But just as time is running out on this Year of the Dog, something happens and she suddenly knows exactly what she will do with her life.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This first novel by prolific children’s author and illustrator is a delightful read. Told in first person from elementary-aged Pacy’s point of view, the reader will find stories within the story as Pacy’s mom and other friends or relatives stop to tell a story. “Did I ever tell you about Grandma and the paper piano?” Pacy’s mother asks. Then in a different font, a story is launched, including its title “The Paper Piano.” Pacy learns about her family through these stories, most of which help Pacy learn about her history and help her clarify confusions she has about who she is. Is she “Chinese,” “Taiwanese,” or “American”? Why is has her name been Pacy all her life until she starts school where suddenly she is now known as Grace? Her loving parents help her start to sort through some of the issues she has with being from a parallel culture.

Included throughout the novel are line drawings which Lin has included in just the right places to help the reader picture what the story is about. Children who are Chinese or Taiwanese will see themselves in these pictures of how to draw a dog for the Year of the Dog, what a New Year Tray looks like, and what the symbols for “tiger” and “pig” look like that Grandma painted on Pacy’s neck. Children who are not from these cultures will have a deeper understanding of what Pacy’s family is like.

Cultural markers are included throughout, again to the benefit of Chinese American children as well as those from other cultures. Sayings are directly translated in the same sentence or the following one. “ ‘Gong xi-gong xi! Xin Nian hao!’ they said. ‘Happy Chinese New Year!’ ” Pacy’s family eats foods like roasted duck, fried rice with pink shrimp, golden brown dumplings, steamed buns “that looked like enormous marshmallows,” New Year candy, and pan fried fish. They participate in the Red Egg party for baby Albert, and combine traditions from both Chinese holidays and American holidays as they celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas. The cultural markers are woven naturally and easily into the story, with enough description of each to help the reader understand anything that is unfamiliar, without going overboard and making the book feel didactic.

In an “Author’s Note” at the end of the story, readers find out that this book is inspired by Lin’s life, and while it’s “mostly true” some things did get “switched around and mixed up.” Readers age 8-12 will particularly enjoy this novel. It would be a lovely first chapter book for the readers at the younger end of the scale.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS

*Publishers Weekly: “Lin creates an endearing protagonist, realistically dealing with universal emotions and situations," in this "autobiographical tale of an Asian-American girl's sweet and funny insights on family, identity and friendship.”

*Booklist: “Lin does a remarkable job capturing the soul and the spirit of books like those of Hayward or Maud Hart Lovelace, reimagining them through the lens of her own story, and transforming their special qualities into something new for today's young readers.”

*School Library Journal: “This is an enjoyable chapter book with easily identifiable characters.”

5. CONNECTIONS

• Lin invites readers to find out which parts of her book are exactly true and which are not. Have students go to her web page to find out which is which. www.gracelin.com

• Have students write about an incident in their lives, punctuating the story with simple drawings. Which parts of their story would most benefit from drawings to help the reader understand?

• Grace Lin’s husband Robert died a few years after they were married from cancer. Before his death, Grace wrote a book called Robert’s Snow about a mouse who wasn’t allowed to play in the snow. Later, she and Robert created a fundraiser where they bought 150 flat wooden snowflakes and asked their children’s book artist friends to paint them. They auctioned them off, raising over $100,000. View some of the snowflakes, then have students create some. Students might even want to participate in the 2010 Robert’s Snowflakes for Cancer Cure by donating to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute http://www.gracelin.com/content.php?page=family_robert

Tea with Milk - Asian American Literature

2010-07-28T14:22:00.000-05:00

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Say, Allen. TEA WITH MILK. New York: Walter Lorraine Books, 1999. ISBN 0395904951.

2. PLOT SUMMARY

May was born in the United States and has lived there all her life when her parents decide they are homesick and move the family back to Japan when May is a teenager. Now she doesn’t fit in at all. Although both her parents are from Japan and May speaks Japanese, she’s more American in the sight of her classmates and teachers than she is Japanese. She’s tired of trying to sit on the floor like a “proper Japanese lady” and is appalled when her parents hire a matchmaker to find her a proper husband. May feels like an outsider and longs to be an independent woman like she would have been in America where she would have graduated from high school and gone to college if her family had stayed there. One day, she puts on the brightest dress she has brought from the United States and sets out to find a life that fits who she wants to be. Will May find her place in this strange land that is foreign, but at the same time, “home”?

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Allen Say’s story about his mother’s journey toward finding “home” is a moving story. Filled with the heartache of her situation, May is sympathetically portrayed in both words and illustrations. Say describes May in realistic terms that help the reader understand the serious feelings she is experiencing without getting sappy or heavy handed. “Once they arrived in Japan, she felt even worse. Her new home was drafty, with windows made of paper. She had to wear kimonos and sit on floors until her legs went numb. No one called her May, and Masako sounded like someone else’s name. . . .I’ll never get used to this place, she thought with a heavy heart.” Writing teachers are constantly admonishing their students to “show, not tell” when they write. Say does an exceptional job of showing through his words what May is going through.

But his words are not the only story-tellers in this book. Say’s watercolor paintings are some of the most expressive paintings I’ve seen. The illustration accompanying the passage excerpted above is one of a hopelessly sad teenager who lives in a place that does not feel like home. The slight tilt to her head, the flat gaze lacking any spark, and the down turned mouth of girl who has exchanged dress for kimono and is surrounded by the trappings of a Japanese home all draw the reader into the life of this girl who is extremely unhappy. Together the words and illustrations take us through the life of a young woman who is born in the United States to Japanese parents, and who learns to find home and happiness in a world she did not choose.

Tea with Milk is generally stated as being for grades K-6, with Booklist placing it in the grades 4-8 age range. However, I am sure the students of immigrant families I work with in high school would be able to relate to the feelings May expresses. They are first generation Americans, having been born in the U.S. of parents born in other countries, and don’t feel quite right in either place. Students who feel out of step in both their birthplace (U.S.), and their parents’ birthplace (generally a Central American country), will relate to May and how hard it is to fit in when you don’t fit in.

My only complaint with Tea with Milk is the title. Throughout the book, Say uses the phrase “tea with milk and sugar.” I would have liked for the title to be the full phrase and wonder why he shortened it. Otherwise, this is a wonderful story of a young person trying to find a place in the world.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS

*Publishers Weekly: “Say's masterfully executed watercolors tell as much of this story about a young woman's challenging transition from America to Japan as his eloquent, economical prose . . . . Through choice words and scrupulously choreographed paintings, Say's story communicates both the heart's yearning for individuality and freedom and how love and friendship can bridge cultural chasms.”

*Library Journal: “This perfect marriage of artwork and text offers readers a window into a different place and time.”

*School Library Journal: “This is a thoughtful and poignant book that will appeal to a wide range of readers, particularly our nation's many immigrants who grapple with some of the same challenges as May and Joseph, including feeling at home in a place that is not their own.”

5. CONNECTIONS

• Before reading the book, show students the illustration on p. 7 where May is in Japan, dressed in traditional Japanese clothing in a Japanese home. Have students write their own story about this girl. What is she thinking? What is happening to her? After writing their own stories, read the book aloud and discuss similarities and differences between the book and the students’ stories.

• Have students write definitions of “home.” What does it mean when someplace feels like home? Students who are from parallel cultures may want to share their experiences with their classmates.

• May hates sitting on the floor in Japan where her legs go numb. Show students pictures from other cultures that include differences in foods, furniture, customs, etc. What is something you would particularly miss if you had to leave the culture of the U.S. to live somewhere else?

Navajo: Visions and Voices Across the Mesa - Native American Literature

2010-07-19T19:40:00.000-05:00

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Begay, Shonto. NAVAJO: VISIONS AND VOICES ACROSS THE MESA. New York: Scholastic Inc., 1995. ISBN 0590461532.

2. PLOT SUMMARY

In this volume, Shonto Begay, celebrated Navajo artist, pairs 20 of his paintings collected from his body of work with 20 of his original poems and prose writings to present an intimate view of Navajo life. From the perspective of someone who endures the “constant struggle for balance – balance in living between the “New World” and the ancient world of [his] people, the Navajo,” we see the past and the present, the ancient and the modern, the spiritual and the every day expressed in his deeply personal words and pictures.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Shonto Begay begins this volume with an Introduction which is both touching and revealing. He describes the painful time in the past when he was sent to a boarding school at the age of five as required by law, and moves into the present where he splits his time between his “square-cornered house” during the week surrounded by all the modern conveniences, to his Hogan built on the site of his birthplace where he spends his weekends with no electricity, running water, television or telephone, and where no English is spoken. The Introduction sets the stage for the words and pictures that will reveal a life that embraces both past and present.

Begay dedicates this volume to those who do not know what it is like to be an Indian. “To those who yearn for vision into our world, I give this collection of paintings, which are pieces of myself.” And it is the paintings which are the strength of this volume. Most are originally acrylic on canvas, with a few being watercolor, pencil and ink on paper. But they all present strong pictures of the life of the Navajo, both past and present, drawing the viewer into a sparse but warm kitchen, to a deserted hogan where someone has died, or out to the empty villages of the Anasazi who were blown away by a strong wind for their disobedience long before the Navajo arrived. Portrayals of people still living are warm and welcoming – people we would like to meet if we had the chance. Spirits of the past subtly haunt the backgrounds of some where the people are no longer present in the physical sense.

The poems are intensely personal and strictly Navajo, but do not have the same power as the paintings. Still, they will give the reader a sense of what the life of the modern Navajo is like as the traditions and teachings of the past meld with the modern world. Begay’s volume is organized “in a certain order to recreate the essence of my world.” He begins with the spiritual world and the traditional stories, to the Navajo community and rituals, and finally ends on a note of hope for this and future generations. “In My Mother’s Kitchen” is my personal favorite, both the painting and the poem. In the hectic suburban lifestyle I lead, it is a chance to escape to a peaceful, warm, restful place, and in some regards, experience life as it seems it should be and as I often wish it were.

This volume is a wonderful collection that will speak to readers through both words and visuals. Navajo: Visions and Voices Across the Mesa should be included in libraries and classrooms where readers can experience the beauty that is the Navajo Nation. This volume is the newest addition to my personal library.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS

*Publishers Weekly: “With these heartfelt paintings, poems and memoirs, the noted Navajo artist fulfills his stated goal of taking the reader ``into the corners of my world, the Navajo world. . . . each reveals an intimate knowledge of a people in harmony with the land.”

*Children’s Literature: “By pairing his striking oil paintings with powerful and graceful poetry, Navajo artist Shonto Begay shares many aspects of his life and culture in a very personal way. As explained in the introduction, the twenty paintings and poems cover a wide range of Navajo life, from memories of his past, to rituals, and his feelings about protecting the earth. This beautiful, large-format picture book should appeal to a wide range of readers.”

*Booklist: “Although his poetry especially speaks to the ongoing struggle of living in a "dual society," his paintings are firmly rooted in the Navajo culture. His work is not angry or sentimental; there is an honesty and straightforwardness that allows his readers/viewers insight into his world-view. The variety of images reflects the complexity of life that many contemporary Navajo face. An excellent addition to poetry and art collections.”

*School Library Journal: “Powerful and appealing in both word and image, this reflective book should find a wide audience of sympathetic readers.”

5. CONNECTIONS

• Create a sensory chart by labeling five columns “sight,” “sound,” “taste,” “touch,” and “smell.” Place the images from the poem “In My Mother’s Kitchen” (p. 21) into the chart in order to see how Begay uses all the senses to help us feel like we are in the kitchen with him.

• Have students use “In My Mother’s Kitchen” (p. 21) as a template for writing a poem about a room in their own house or apartment. Use sensory images (as analyzed above) to help the reader feel as if he or she is there.

• Compare the creation story of “Creation” (p. 10) with the creation story from Genesis 1 in the Bible. Find creation stories from other cultures to read and compare. How are they alike? How do they differ?

• Many of the paintings seem to be inspired by pointillism – a style of painting where the paint is dotted onto the canvas. (See pp. 19, 20, 38, 41-42 for examples) Try creating a piece of art using the same technique.

Indian Shoes - Native American Literature

2010-07-18T22:10:00.000-05:00

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Smith, Cynthia Leitich. INDIAN SHOES. Illustrated by Jim Madsen. New York: HarperCollins, 2002. ISBN 0803722761.

2. PLOT SUMMARY

Ray Halfmoon has been living with his Grampa Halfmoon in Chicago since his parents were killed in a tornado when Ray was a baby. This collection of inter-related stories follows Ray and Grampa from one adventure to another, from babysitting the neighborhood’s pets when everyone is gone for Christmas to getting creative with a very bad homemade haircut. Ray loves his grampa, and the stories illuminate their relationship in a way that will make readers wish they had a grampa just like Ray’s.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Although Ray and his grampa are members of the Seminole-Cherokee Nation, their experiences are universal to any child living in the United States, and the stories will appeal particularly to younger elementary children, many of whom may have helped take care of a friend’s pet, or had an art project ruined by too much water in the paint, or gotten a bad haircut. Each chapter is a separate story about something that has happened in Ray’s life, and how his grampa helps him overcome the obstacles with love, encouragement, and sometimes just by letting Ray figure out what to do on his own. Children will enjoy the fact that something mentioned in one chapter will be mentioned in another, carrying threads of the story along the entire book, making it feel cohesive rather than just like six separate stories. For example, in one chapter, Grampa’s truck has died its final death, and in the next chapter, Ray and Grampa are in Grampa’s new truck. Even “the worst Christmas ever” turns into a beautiful Christmas when Ray and Grampa weather it together.

Cynthia Leitich Smith, a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation herself, weaves cultural markers skillfully into the text, making them a natural part of the story without feeling contrived. In one story, Grampa notices a pair of men’s moccasins in a thrift shop, which reminds him of home, and in another, Ray is tucked in bed, cozy under a Cherokee Seven Clans quilt, not willing to crawl out for a pre-dawn fishing trip with his grampa. Each chapter has two or three pencil and paper illustrations that accurately portray descriptions in the text. Ray and his grampa have facial features and coloring that look Native American without becoming stereotypical. Grampa has long dark hair held back in a ponytail, and both Ray and Grampa dress as anyone who lives in Chicago would dress - in jeans, t-shirts, sweaters, sneakers and boots. The relationship between grandfather and grandson is close and nurturing. Even though they do not live on a reservation but rather in a suburban neighborhood, the close multi-generational relationships that exist in Native American families are nicely portrayed between Ray and Grampa.

Although the stories never reveal Ray’s age, the activities he participates in along with the illustrations lead readers to believe that he is six or seven. His age, coupled with the simplicity of the stories and predictable plot structure will appeal to younger elementary readers.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS

*Publishers Weekly: “Though the author affectingly portrays the strong bond between grandson and grandfather, the narrative bogs down with flowery or overwritten passages (e.g., "Ray's and Grampa's breath puffed cloudy as they trudged next door to the Wang home. In the driveway, Mrs. Wang's VW Bug waited to be freed from the snow like a triceratops skeleton embedded in rock"). Kids may have trouble sticking with this collection.”

*School Library Journal: “There are no mystical nature spirits or cathartic history lessons, only the everyday challenges common to any contemporary kid, as experienced by an Indian boy who is firmly grounded in his own family's heritage. With its unadorned portrayal of urban Indian life, Shoes is a good book for any elementary-aged reluctant reader, and a necessity for indigenous children everywhere.”

*Booklist: “The stories' strength lies in their powerful, poignant evocation of a cross-generational bond and in the description of the simple pleasures two charming characters enjoy.”

*Kirkus: “A very pleasing first-chapter book from its funny and tender opening salvo to its heartwarming closer. . . . An excellent choice for younger readers from the author of the bittersweet Rain Is Not My Indian Name (2001).”

*CCBC (Cooperative Children’s Book Center): “Smith has adroitly woven cultural details about her characters' Seminole-Cherokee heritage into the stories, and uses colloquial language to further enhance this fine collection of brief contemporary fiction.”

5. CONNECTIONS

• Research Cherokee Seven Clans quilts. What are they? Why are they made? This link shows an example of a Cherokee Seven Clans quilt.

http://museum.msu.edu/museum/tes/thc/exhibit%202.htm

Create a class quilt with blocks that represent the countries or nations that the students ancestors are from.

• Ray negotiates for the moccasins for his grampa because he understands that the moccasins represent “home.” Have children think about what represents home to them – what objects in their house are important to their parents?

• Have children find out what is in their homes that represent their ancestry. Perhaps have a show-and-tell time where children can bring something that is reflective of their family’s heritage.

The Heart of a Chief - Native American Literature

2010-07-18T22:02:00.002-05:00

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bruchac, Joseph. THE HEART OF A CHIEF. New York: Puffin Books, 1998. ISBN 0060295317.

2. PLOT SUMMARY

Chris Nicola is a member of the Penacook Nation, and he is leaving the reservation for the first time to attend the public middle school in town. Before long, Chris finds himself in the middle of two conflicts – one on the reservation where a casino is planned for the island in the heart of the reservation, and one at school where his English group is taking on the controversy over their school mascot, the Chiefs. Chris shows great courage as he expresses his opinions over these two issues while he and his family also deal with his alcoholic father. Through his thoughts and actions, Chris certainly shows that, even at his young age, he has the heart of a chief.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Bruchac’s novel opens with an "Author’s Note," explaining that because of the sensitivity of the issues in the novel (alcoholism, gambling, leadership), he is not using an existing reservation. Instead, he has created one where none exists. While the Penacook Nation is real, there is no reservation in New Hampshire, and in fact, there is currently no state or federally recognized Penacook community. However, the Penacook is a nation that is part of Bruchac’s own Western Abenaki people. Bruchac’s view of “contemporary Indian America” comes from years of working with Native American kids as an insider, and while this particular reservation is fictitious, the Nation is not, and Bruchac has insider knowledge.

This insider view seems to provide the sensitivity toward the issues included in the story, while still portraying the seriousness of each one. But it almost feels as if Bruchac is trying to address every major issue faced by Native Americans in one book – just in case this is the one book students read. From my adult reader’s point of view, it feels as if he’s overdoing it by covering the issues of alcoholism, casino gambling, poverty, mascot names, and prejudice in one story.

The story is filled with Penacook vocabulary which is immediately translated literally into English, and phraseology that is common to the Penacook speakers (i.e. “the sun is two hand high above the hills” p. 74) It is also tightly packed with cultural markers and motifs, including mentioning Indian names which are not to be spoken under certain circumstances, notice by the characters of inaccurate portrayals of Pocahontas in a doll, and other American Indians in novels such as Sign of the Beaver and Indian in the Cupboard, and a reference to problems with the Thanksgiving story. Chris even gives a description of “real” Indians on pp. 23-24. The traditional and spiritual characters of Gluskabe (assistant to the Creator) and the Manogies (“little people” who keep watch over things) are included. Couple the Native American cultural issues with the cultural markers and the book almost overwhelms.

Nonetheless, Chris and the classmates in his group are likeable (and definitely overly mature for their age). The story centers around the issue of the school’s mascot and why "Chiefs" is not an appropriate choice. Readers will be curious how that plot line resolves as many community members inside and outside the Native American community become involved. The kids act with wisdom and intelligence. The plot line dealing with the casino to be built on the reservation provides some tense moments, but resolves quickly and easily (perhaps too easily). A third plot line involving Chris’s interaction with his alcoholic father who is in a rehab facility adds yet another dimension. The subplots slightly weigh down the overall effect of the novel, but are not confusing or difficult to follow.

With all these plots going at once and all the issues Chris must deal with at once, is the story believable? I don’t know. It all seems a bit heavy-handed and like Bruchac has an agenda with this story. However, it is in enjoyable read mostly because of the way he handles the characters, and curiosity about how both the school mascot issue and the casino issue will resolve will keep students reading. It presents a strong portrayal of life for contemporary Native American children growing up in two worlds – that of the reservation and that of the outside – for children who live in both those worlds and those who do not. Because this book is written by an insider, one who is additionally knowledgeable of how children respond, The Heart of a Chief has the potential to provide lots of thoughtful questions and discussion points for readers between 5th and 9th grades.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS

*Publishers Weekly: “Bruchac explores what it means to be Native American in a modern society through the perceptive first-person narrative of 11-year-old Chris Nicola. Chris’s compelling voyage of self-discovery is grounded in everyday events that readers will recognize . . . allowing readers to see into the heart of this burgeoning chief.”

*Children’s Literature: “Bruchac writes with a passion and understanding of life on the reservation and expresses contemporary Native American conflict beautifully through Chris’s words and stories.”

*Booklist: “Bruchac has trouble weaving the three strands into a unified whole: the conflicts emerge quickly and are resolved too easily. What works are Chris' dignified struggle and the honest dialogue, which is never preachy despite the book's overtly political themes. Bruchac perfectly captures a boy's pride in his culture and the pain and anger he feels when his rich identity is mocked by a "tomahawk chop" from a sports fan. Readers who see injustice in their own lives will admire how much Chris accomplishes with a simple message of respect.”

*School Library Journal: “This upbeat narrative does not disguise the harsh realities of reservation life or the social and emotional struggles of Native Americans. Rather, the qualities of leadership emerge in Chris as he taps into his rich cultural past, recognizes his own potential, and stands up for his values.”

5. CONNECTIONS

• Do some research like Chris’s class did; brainstorm controversial topics and research them, preparing a class presentation. Or research Chris’s group’s topic of Native American mascot names. Do you agree with Chris’s group that it is disrespectful?

• Think about the management tools Chris employed as leader of his group (p. 95) – the talking stick and the fact that every member must agree with group decisions. Have small groups try these discussion rules. Many classrooms already utilize the “talking stick” idea, so students may be used to it, but have they ever tried it in a small group? Have them try it and report back their reaction. Are there other "norms" small groups thing are important to employ? What are they and why?

• Discuss the mascot issue. Provide articles about it, examples of schools that have changed their names, etc. Is it possible to “accidentally” offend someone even when you didn’t mean to? What should be done about that?

• Are there inaccuracies in how your own culture is portrayed or perceived by outsiders? How does it make you feel? Is there such a thing as being “too sensitive”?

• Research the topic of casino gambling. There is an American Indian casino very near Dallas, just over the state line in Oklahoma. What are the pros and cons? Do the casinos provide the income the reservations hope for? Are there any serious disadvantages?

A Fire in My Hands - Hispanic American Literature

2010-07-09T00:31:00.001-05:00

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Soto, Gary. A FIRE IN MY HANDS. New York: Harcourt, Inc., 2006. ISBN 9780152055646.

2. PLOT SUMMARY

This second edition of Gary Soto’s popular poetry collection combines former favorites with new additions. Focusing on events from everyday life, from the embarrassment of spewing root beer out one’s nose, to going on a first date, this collection of Soto’s poems are inspired by his childhood in California’s Central Valley. Although the poems are not totally autobiographical, they portray the normal events and thoughts of a boy growing from childhood to manhood in powerful, emotional language that teenagers in middle and high school will be able to relate to. One of the poems, "The Boy’s First Flight," was commissioned by NASA to celebrate the new millennium.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

While Soto writes from a distinctly male point of view, Soto’s poems are wide-reaching and will appeal to teenagers of all ages, both male and female. Over and over again, I found myself saying, “I felt just like that!” or “That happened at our house.” When the 17-year-old young man in “Some Words About Time” (p. 50-51) describes his boring job at the carwash, I thought about my similarly monotonous job as a clerk for the city police department, and when the 12-year-old child keeps hoping for his dog to return in “Hope” (p. 30-31), I thought about my little brother crying for his lost dog.

Soto also writes as a Mexican American in a voice that is authentic and real. He uses vocabulary from Spanish that is woven seamlessly into the English text. His use of Spanish occurs in specific instances – when there is no direct translation (for example food names such as tortilla and salsa), as part of dialogue (such as when his grandmother calls, “Baile, hijo, baile!” and to convey an intimate family relationship (such as when his refers to his grandmother as abuelita when he thinks fondly of her home). None of the nine Spanish words that I counted are translated literally. Two words that are not translated at all are words that have no direct counterpart in English but are familiar to most English speakers – tortilla and salsa. The other seven words have contextual translations with clues given in the English text of the poems in which they appear. While there is no glossary provided, there is no doubt that he respects both his monolingual readers and his bilingual readers. He provides enough context to allow monolingual readers to understand the poem while not bogging down bilingual readers with unnecessary translation. In the one or two instances (rancheras, baile), monolingual readers may lean over to their bilingual friends to ask for a translation, but even if there is no one handy for a quick English version, the comprehension of the poem will not be hindered. The overall effect is a natural use of Spanish that enhances the English-based text and draws all readers into the poems, whether they are Hispanic American or from another culture.

Other features of the text that enhance its likeability include an introduction by Soto which gives some background on the development of his career and these poems in particular, an anecdote for each poem that supplies the reader with the back story for each one (sometimes clarifying whether or not the poem is autobiographical), and a Question/Answer section at the end where Soto addresses common questions he receives about his writing.

Gary Soto has won numerous awards, and his second collection of poetry The Tale of Sunlight (1978) was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS

*Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA): “Soto explains that he writes poetry to give life to the small details of the days, moments that add up to life itself. The poems collected here are fine examples and excellent teaching tools to encourage teens to write about the small but ultimately meaningful experiences of their lives.”

*School Library Journal: “These simple, free-verse selections skillfully capture that which is commonplace and transforms it into something mesmerizing and lovely.”

*Booklist: “One of the best poems, Saturday at the Canal, captures the feelings of a teen sure that everything is happening somewhere else and dreaming of escape.”

5. CONNECTIONS

• Use Soto’s poems as models for writing lyric and narrative poems. He defines both and tells the reader where to find examples of each within the text.

• In the Q and A at the end of the volume, Soto stresses that poetry comes from everyday events and experiences, not special events or extraordinary occurrences. As a class, brainstorm personal experiences in various categories (i.e. embarrassing moments, sad/happy/scary moments, family memories, etc.) and select one to write about.

• For bilingual readers and writers, use Soto’s examples of contextual translations to try including words from the students’ home languages into English-based text. Analyze Soto’s use of words – how infrequently yet naturally he uses them, and how he translates them through contextual clues as models.

The Woman I Kept to Myself - Hispanic American Literature

2010-07-09T00:25:00.000-05:00

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Alvarez, Julia. THE WOMAN I KEPT TO MYSELF. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books, 2004. ISBN 1565124065.

2. PLOT SUMMARY

This volume of poetry is a collection of previously published and new poetry from Alvarez, well known for her novels How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents and In the Time of the Butterflies. Autobiographical in nature, the 75 poems present a picture of Alvarez’s thoughts and feelings based on experiences from both her childhood in the Dominican Republica and her youth and adulthood in the United States. From being called a spic in elementary school, to being an anorexic teenager, to getting divorced and finding love again, to pondering death, Alvarez’s voice speaks strongly through this collection.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Alvarez presents 75 poems – every one of which is 30 lines long broken into three stanzas of 10 lines each, causing me to wonder if these poems were some sort of exercise for the author in writing in this particular style. Each poem also feels less like poetry and more like very short stories. However, her use of language had me continually thinking, “that’s a very nice turn-of-phrase.” For example when describing how a branch of her family tree had found it’s way onto foreign soil when a great-aunt married a German, the result was “blond cousins / with year-round suntans.” A recurring metaphor through the collection is that of different trees representing various characteristics - the show-off maple, the mighty oak synonymous with strength, the vague elm best viewed from a distance, the arborvitae trees of life, the locust tree full of activity, the tall saman allowing views into neighbors’ yards, and the sad weeping-willow; all illuminate people and feelings throughout the poems.

Allusions to biblical references such as Isaac’s near-sacrifice, and Jesus multiplying the loaves to feed the multitudes, along with uncommon Spanish vocabulary such as campesinos, cortesia, and allegria have no explanations or translations at all. The volume does not include footnotes, a glossary, or even context clues for many of the references and words. Sheila Janega, in a review for the School Library Journal, says, “Teens approaching adulthood will appreciate the poet who turned to "paper solitude" and through many drafts discovered ‘the woman I kept to myself.’” However, I find that the content of most of the poems will probably appeal to the adult reader rather than the teen reader. Written from a strong woman’s point of view, this volume seems best suited for the adult woman from either culture – Hispanic or American.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS

*School Library Journal: “This tightly structured collection of 75 poems is divided into three sections, and each poem has three stanzas, exactly. Alvarez's voice, however, is as free and strong as the free verse she composes.”

*Library Journal: “Quotidian events, a storylike structure, and colloquial diction make Alvarez's latest book seem more like a memoir (albeit one written with attention to the sounds of language, especially alliteration) than a book of poetry. . . . Alvarez at her best writes in a style reminiscent of Billy Collins. There are deceptively simple conversational poems, like "Saman" and several others here, which resonate in a bright mesh of metaphors. Yet most of the work in this collection does not attain that level.”

*Publishers Weekly: “Author of the popular novels How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents and In the Time of the Butterflies, Alvarez continues to explore themes of cultural difference and personal experience in her new collection of poems. The book, which marks her fourth collection of poetry, comprises 75 poems of 30 lines each; the formal constraint is an organizing principle for these sometimes meandering autobiographical poems.”

5. CONNECTIONS

• Compare Alvarez’s poems to those of other women writers. Which do you like best and why?

• Try telling stories through poetic language as Alvarez does.

• Choose a poem and use it for inspiration for writing a fictional short story. For example, use the poem “Weeping Willow” as a basis for writing a story about why the father is crying. He seems to be in severe distress, but the poem does not answer the question “why?” Write a story about why, and how a young girl feels about seeing her father cry for the first time.

• Use photographs of family scenes from home, or pictures found in magazines and other print materials, as a jumping off place for writing narrative poems.

My Own True Name - Hispanic American Literature

2010-07-09T00:18:00.001-05:00

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Mora, Pat. MY OWN TRUE NAME: NEW AND SELECTED POEMS FOR YOUNG ADULTS, 1984-1999. Houston: Pinata Books, 2000. ISBN 1558852921.

2. PLOT SUMMARY

My Own True Name is a collection of poems, some published previously, and others presented here for the first time. The lyrical poems are selected with young-adult readers in mind, and were written between 1984 and 1999. They give glimpses into the life of the Mexican American family – the struggles, joys, and daily life of those whose ancestors recently made a new country their home. My Own True Name gives voice to the experiences of many Mexican American families.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

In this collection of Pat Mora’s work, many readers will wonder if all these poems are about her personal family and experiences. Based on the title of the volume, one might guess yes, but in the introduction, “Dear Fellow Writer,” she does not address this question. She does, however, give writing tips to those who would follow in her footsteps and become writers. Her suggestions are concrete, letting the reader in on “the secrets” of being a writer, and her encouragement is warm and genuine.

Many of the poems are immediately engaging. Some are more difficult to understand and are more suited to the high school reader who will enjoy them with guidance in getting into the poems. Titles are integral to the comprehension of many of them - the meanings of some poems may be cloudy until attention is paid to the title. Students who are bilingual and from families who recently immigrated (in the last generation or two) to the United States will undoubtedly recognize themselves, their parents, and their grandparents in the words of these poems. Those who are not from bilingual families will gain a better understanding of what it is like to immigrate to a new country and struggle with language and cultural issues. One of my favorite poems is “Elena” which is told from the point of view of a 40-year-old mother who is working to understand English so that she can communicate with her children who attend American high schools and no longer sit and converse with each other in Spanish. Through Mora’s words, it is easy to feel the fear and frustration of this mother who desperately wants to speak English well and is embarrassed that she cannot.

Mora uses footnotes for Spanish words or phrases which need translating. Four poems are printed side-by-side on a two-page spread with the English version on one side and the Spanish version on the other. Did Mora originally write the poems in Spanish and then translate them to English, or the other way around? No notes are included to answer these questions. A nice organizational technique she uses for the volume was the parts of a cactus – blooms, thorns, and roots – grouping poems in these categories according to the theme of each poem: joy and love, issues and concerns, and family respectively.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS

*Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA): “Mora celebrates her rich bilingual heritage, deep love for her desert environment, and passion for language--both English and Spanish. Mora's lyrical voice rings clear and true.”

*School Library Journal: “This anthology speaks to a young adult audience, and it should find many readers.”

*Booklist: “The rich, symbolic imagery, raw emotion, and honesty will appeal to mature teens, and young writers will find inspiration in the warm introduction addressed to "Dear Fellow Writer," and its challenge to ‘Listen to your inside self, your private voice . . . explore the wonder of being alive.’”

5. CONNECTIONS

• Use Mora’s poems as models for writing lyric poetry.

• Using the cactus metaphor of blooms, thorns, and roots, find other poems that fall into these categories. Create a new metaphor and use it to categorize poems students write throughout the year. By placing the metaphor on a bulletin board, students can post their personal poems as a way to self-publish and share their work.

• Use the poems as starting places for journal entries. Students who are moved by particular poems can write about their personal experiences.

Precious and the Boo Hag - African American Literature

2010-06-27T15:25:00.000-05:00

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

McKissack, Patricia and Moss, Onawumi Jean. PRECIOUS AND THE BOO HAG. Illustrated by Kyrsten Brooker. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2005. ISBN 9780689851940.

2. PLOT SUMMARY

Precious has a stomachache, but because it is corn planting time, Mama wasn’t able to stay home with her since every hand was needed in the fields. Precious assures Mama that she’s a big girl and will be fine. After dozens of dos and don’ts, Mama gives one final instruction – don’t let anyone into the house. As Brother heads out, he pulls Precious aside and warns her about Pruella, the Boo Hag, who will do whatever she can to get Precious to let her into the house. Brother’s last statement is, “Just remember this: No Boo Hag can get inside your house, less’n you let her in.” Is there really such a thing as a Boo Hag? Precious believes her brother was trying to play a joke on her and tell her stories until strange things start to happen and strange people start showing up at Precious’s house while everyone is gone. Is the Boo Hag real, and will Precious be tricked into letting her in?

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

From the legends of South Carolina’s Gullah culture, the Boo Hag is known to be a scary witch-like creature who will steal the skin of an unsuspecting victim to use during the night. McKissack and Moss create an original tale about a Boo Hag. Is it real? The story is engrossing as Precious first realizes that her brother has tricked her with yet another one of this stories, but she begins to change her mind as unusual things happen throughout the day to make her believe that a Boo Hag might be real after all. The language used is dialectical without becoming stereotypical of either African American or Southern speech patterns. It has the feeling of a folktale while still sounding authentic and believable. Mama instructs Precious by saying, “You need us, come a-running” and Brother describes Pruella, their neighborhood Boo Hag, as tricky and scary, “and she tries to make you disobey yo’ mama.” When Precious’s friend Addie Louise comes by to play jacks, Precious notices, “It looks like her, it walks like her, but it sure don’t talk like her.” Precious is able to hold her ground, which is very satisfying to the reader. As Precious tells her brother, “like you told me, a Boo Hag aine none too smart.”

The song Precious repeats when reminding herself not to let anyone in is catchy and will probably be heard in school hallways by young children who have heard the story a time or two. Perhaps through McKissack’s partnership with storyteller Moss, this book reads aloud with a flair for language that is not only fun to listen to, but fun for the one reading aloud as well.

Brooker’s art is a mix of oil paint and collage. The people are not rendered in a realistic way, but the technique makes Pruella the Boo Hag feel larger than life, and just a little bit scary. Facial expressions are exaggerated, but many of the pieces are “framed” in a realistic paintings of knotty wood with peeling paint. One of the pieces even includes some of Mama’s specific dos and don’ts, pulling the art directly into the story. The exaggerated characters are respectful, and they are not done in stereotypical ways.

Precious and the Boo Hag was a Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book for 2006, and was on the American Library Association’s 2006 Notable Children’s Books list.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT

*Publishers Weekly: “Brooker conveys the rowdy, larger-than-life goings-on in playfully exaggerated, stylized collage art which features a range of textures. The story's lively language, pleasing cadence and effective repetition of Precious's chant make this a buoyant read-aloud.”

*Booklist: “With the grand feel of a folktale, this lively story speaks to choosing right in a world full of temptation and peril.”

*Kirkus (Starred Review): “Brooker underscores the story's rustic flavor by surrounding most of her terrific paint and collage scenes with a peeling board frame and gives pigtailed Precious a winningly scared but resolute look.”

5. CONNECTIONS

• Older reader might like to read other stories about Boo Hags. Find one with a read aloud at http://americanfolklore.net/folklore/2010/05/boo_hag.html
Compare Precious’s Boo Hag encounter to the one Bobby Hansen has.

• Compare various versions of Boo Hags as found on the internet. How is McKissack’s and Moss’s Boo Hag different from other descriptions?

• Boo Hags are sometimes compared to the legend of the Vampire. How do Boo Hags compare to Vampires?

• Notice how the art uses collage. Create a piece of art that primarily uses crayons, pencils, or paints, and then add elements that are cut out and glued on to make unusual, original art.

A Cool Moonlight - African American Literature

2010-06-24T20:30:00.000-05:00

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Johnson, Angela. A COOL MOONLIGHT. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2003. ISBN 0803728468.

2. PLOT SUMMARY

Lila is about to turn nine, and she has never seen the sun. Born with xeroderma pigmentosum, a rare allergy to sunlight and certain types of artificial lights, Lila can never go outside during the day. However, two mysterious friends have given her cause to believe that when she turns nine, she will be able to go into the sun. So the three girls begin collecting items for the “sun bag” which will make it possible for Lila to dance in the sun. Finally, on the night of her birthday party, Lila and her family witness a miracle that helps Lila come to terms with her condition and realize “i’m [sic] really okay being a moon girl. there’s [sic] nothing wrong with moon girls.”

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Angela Johnson presents a strong picture of family loyalty and obligations in this novel. The youngest member of the family of four has a serious condition that affects the entire family in ways that require much sacrifice by all, but they have banded together to do what is necessary so that they all have happy, fulfilled lives. The strength of the family is on every page of Johnson’s story, to a fault. Lila’s older sister has been helping with her younger sister’s care for nine years. Now 18, Monk tirelessly bakes cookies with Lila, and takes her little sister with her into the city after dark when she goes to meet friends or when she does her “secret shopper” job. Lila’s mom home schools her since she is unable to go outside to attend regular school, and her dad builds her a special clubhouse to play in after dark. The family takes “night vacations” and plans night birthday parties, inviting the whole neighborhood. There is no sign of struggle or frustration on the part of any of the family members, especially the teenage daughter. The family is too perfect; the relationships are unrealistic. However, the fantasy of a family who has and continues to deal with a devastating, degenerative disease without conflict is a happy fantasy to enter into, even though the reader will be conscious of the flaw in the story.

It is also difficult to discern what is real and what is fantasy in the story. One begins to think that Lila’s friends Alyssa and Elizabeth are make-believe, but it’s difficult to tell for sure when Lila seems to spot them on one of her secret shopping trips with Monk. When new friend Jackie enters the story, again the reader finds some confusion as to whether she is real. Finally, when the reader gets to the scene where Lila gets her opportunity to dance in the light while covered in fireflies, he may wonder if this is real or another fantasy. I found it hard to remain comfortable with fantasy versus reality throughout the story.

Johnson uses unconventional sentence structure – she does not use any capital letters. Punctuation is grammatically correct, so reading fluency is not an issue. The language is simple and flowing and pages contain lots of “white space.” Lines are widely spaced and margins are wide. Adult readers will find that they can read this novel in an hour or two, while younger readers will find this small book less intimidating than some.

Angela Johnson is a three-time Coretta Scott King Award winner for her novels Toning the Sweep, Heaven, and The First Part Last.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT

*Publishers Weekly: “Johnson raises intriguing themes of the supernatural, the lure of nighttime and the heroine's yearning for the sun, but despite her lyrical language, fantasy and reality elements sit uneasily together in her latest novel.”

*School Library Journal: “The writing is lyrical and fluid, and uses no capitalization, but captures a child's feelings. "i feel like i've been eight for practically a hundred years. if i stay eight any longer, i will have gray hair when i turn nine." This small, poetic book requires a special reader, but those who meet Lila are likely to remember her.”

*CCBC (Cooperative Children's Book Center): “Angela Johnson's memorable first-person narrative captures the complexities and maturity of a child who has had to acknowledge her own mortality, and then go on with living.”

*Kirkus: “Poignant, evocative, and as lingering as sunburn, Lila's story is one of courage, hope, and dreams.”

5. CONNECTIONS

• A Cool Moonlight would make a good read aloud. Its length would make it manageable in a fairly short amount of time, and the topics (family ties, illness, friendship, imaginary friends) which could be discussed in an interactive read aloud would interest students of all ages.

• Although Lila has a debilitating disease that prevents her from interacting with children her own age through the usual channels, she has friends and neighbors her age who interact with her as they would with a “normal” child. Discussing how David and Jackie are Lila’s friends as the story progresses, and comparing those relationships to relationships students may have at their school or in their neighborhood can help children think about how to treat those who are different.

• Students, especially older elementary writers, may enjoy playing with conventions such as not using capitals. Why did Johnson choose to write without capitalization? Experimenting with other unconventional ways of writing will help them see that professional writers deliberately choose to “make mistakes,” but that they do not affect the reader’s ability to understand. What happens when the writer does not use periods, writes sentence fragments, leaves out quotation marks in conversation, etc.? Is the writing still comprehensible? Can it add to the power and interest of the writing?

The Moon Over Star - African American Literature

2010-06-24T20:15:00.000-05:00

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Aston, Dianna Hutts. THE MOON OVER STAR. Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2008. ISBN 9780803731073.

2. PLOT SUMMARY

On July 20, 1969, Mae and her family live in the town of Star, and like most of the rest of the world, they are watching the sky as Commander Neil Armstrong and his team land on the moon. The town prays for the safety of the men at church that Sunday morning, Mae and her cousins build their own spaceship at the family picnic that afternoon, and Mae and her gramps talk about the possibility of Mae going to the moon that evening. As the family sits under the stars looking at the moon where three Americans now fulfill John Kennedy’s dream, Mae learns to dream as well.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Aston’s text tells the story of an eight-year-old girl’s dream to go to the moon in a way that inspires readers to think about dreams. Using the Apollo 11 landing on the moon in 1969 as the backdrop, Aston tells of Mae’s dream through both her thoughts and her interaction with her grandfather. Gramps is proud of Mae, and encourages her. “Keep on dreaming, Mae,” he said. While the story is realistic and can help young readers feel what it was like to know three men stood on the moon that day, Mae’s thoughts and interaction with her family make her seem much more than eight, especially when she answers her cousins questions about the event using information she had read in the newspaper, when she wonders about her gramps’s dreams, and when she realizes that her gramps is “lifetime-tired.”

The format of the text is poetic in appearance; every line begins with a capital letter and the returns at the ends of the lines often create short lines. The returns feel random, though, and the capital letters at each line feel a little confusing, not seeming to contribute to the flow or telling of the story. However, facts from the historical event are woven seamlessly into Mae’s dream of becoming an astronaut.

The family is portrayed as a typical, middle-class family watching an event along with millions of other people around the world. Except for Mae’s name – perhaps in reference to Mae Jemison, the first African American female astronaut who was 12 when Apollo 11 landed on the moon – the story does not have any other references to African American culture. But as is often the case in African American literature, the family is a loving, extended family who worships together, fellowships together throughout the day, and finally sits in front of the television to hear Walter Cronkite announce “Man on the moon!” followed by Armstrong’s now famous statement, “The Eagle has landed.”

Jerry Pinkney’s graphite, ink, and watercolor artwork portray the earth and the moon in magical ways, and his paintings of the astronauts and the launch of the rocket make it easy to see why Pinkney was one of the official NASA-sponsored artists to commemorate the Shuttle Columbia launch in 1982. His portrayal of Mae’s family and her grandparents’ farm is warm and welcoming. The closeness of the family is evident in their facial expressions and gestures, as well as their coming together to share the day of this important event. Intragroup color differences are also evident. In the paintings of the children, the reader can almost hear them when they carry the heavy watermelon and when they imagine they are on a rocket hurtling into space as they play during the afternoon. Pinkney was one of the 2009 Coretta Scott King Honor recipients for his illustrations in The Moon Over Star, and the illustrations are definitely the strength of this picture book.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT

*Publishers Weekly: “In some of his finest watercolors to date, Pinkney supplies both his characteristically affectionate, realistic portrayals of African-American families and lyrical views of the moon, giving visual form to what Aston evokes: awe.”

*School Library Journal: “Pinkney's remarkable graphite, ink, and watercolor paintings evoke both the vastness of space and the intimacy of 1960s family life. Writing in the voice of a nine-year-old African-American girl, Aston is lyrical and sometimes evocative, though some of her narrative choices are overworked.”

*Booklist: “Spaced vertically in phrases like free verse alongside the large illustrations, the text combines dignity and immediacy in a clean, spare telling of events. Pinkney's evocative artwork, created using graphite, ink, and watercolor, depicts a black family captivated, and perhaps subtly changed, by the moon landing in 1969. A quiet, satisfying tribute to this milestone in human history and its power to inspire others.”

5. CONNECTIONS

• Follow up Aston’s story with Buzz Aldrin’s Look to the Stars, a picture book account of his Apollo 11 trip to the moon. Mae wondered what the astronauts could see from the moon. What can we learn from the account of one of those men who were there?

• Pair this fictional account of Mae’s experience of the Apollo 11 landing with the true account of the “Mercury 13 Women,” women who fought for their place in the male-dominated world of the astronaut. Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream by Tanya Lee Stone will demonstrate the difficulty of an “Other” group’s struggle to break into the world of the white male.

• Students can compare their dreams to Mae’s dream of being an astronaut. What are their dreams? What have they seen or experienced that inspires their dreams? Students may write their own stories incorporating facts from a historical event into their personal story.

• The Space Child’s Mother Goose is a funny book of poetry for older readers about space that would go nicely with Aston’s book. Students can select poems to share with each other in read-alouds or select pieces for their own illustrations.

Possum Magic - International Literature

2010-06-15T17:57:00.001-05:00

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Fox, Mem. POSSUM MAGIC. Illustrated by Julie Vivas. New York: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1983. ISBN 0152005722.

2. PLOT SUMMARY

Grandma Poss uses bush magic to make little Hush invisible in order to protect her from snakes. But one day, Hush wants to know what she looks like, so she asks Grandma Poss to make her visible again. Unfortunately, Grandma Poss cannot remember how to reverse the spell and she cannot find it in her spell books. She thinks the key might be in people food, so she and Hush take off on a trip across Australia eating delicious foods and bringing Hush back to visibility one little piece at a time.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

American readers will find it is immediately apparent from page one of Mem Fox’s Possum Magic that we are not in Kansas anymore. The pages are full of rich Australian detail from the animal characters (possums, wombats, kookaburras, dingoes, and emus), to the food (Anzac biscuits, mornay, Vegemite sandwiches, pavlova, and lamington), to the geographical locations (Adelaide, Melbourne, Darwin, Perth, and Tasmania). And then, of course, there’s the bush magic. The characters and landscape are authentic, and the simple map and glossary at the back of the book will help American readers get a feel for where Hush goes and what she eats in her quest to become visible.

The story is well-told; however, rhyming that occurs on the second page, and then later on an additional page, may confuse the reader who expects the story to rhyme throughout. (I had to start reading over when I thought I had missed the rhyme scheme on the third and subsequent pages). Having the text go in and out of rhyme interrupts the flow of the reading, especially the first time through. Once it is squared away that the book in general is NOT a rhyming text, the reading is easier.

Julie Vivas’s illustrations, many which are full two-page spreads, are watercolor paintings that are simply beautiful. Realistic enough to know what the various animals really look like and what they do, they are also sweet enough to convey the personalities of the characters in ways that will make older readers ooh and ahh in appreciation of their adorable expressions. Vivas does a nice job of portraying little Hush during her invisible days, as well. And the snake will stop readers in their tracks in his terrifying splendor. Showers of stars representing Grandma Poss’s magic are magical in themselves.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS

*Children’s Literature: “The book provides a warm, wonderful first exploration of Australia!”

*The Horn Book: “One enchanting book.”

*Children’s Book Review Service: Another treat from Mem Fox that is sure to be treasured.”

*Aussie Reviews: “This gorgeous story is sure to be a favourite with both children and parents because of its flowing, up-beat rhythm and cute ending. The detailed illustrations by Tony Oliver [sic] make a perfect complement to the text.”

*School Library Journal: “Although the characters, locales, and vocabulary are thoroughly Australian, Possum Magic has universal appeal. Fox chooses her words carefully, making readers believe that certain foods just might be magical. Vivas uses a variety of techniques, including splatter painting and washes to create full- and double-page watercolor illustrations which complement the text and will entrance readers. A perfect choice for storytimes, but also useful for curriculum enrichment, thanks to a simplified map and glossary.”

5. CONNECTIONS

• Choose an Australian animal or food to research.

• Research the concept of “bush magic” – what it is, who does it, how it works, is it real, etc.

• Use the stars as models for creating watercolor paintings.

• Create a map and glossary of your own neighborhood similar to the ones in the book, highlighting foods and places that might be particular to your area of the state or country.

The Paper Bag Princess - International Literature

2010-06-14T20:34:00.000-05:00

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Munsch, Robert. THE PAPER BAG PRINCESS. Illustrated by Michael Martchenko. Toronto: Annick Press, 1980. ISBN 0920236162.

2. PLOT SUMMARY

Prince Ronald and Princess Elizabeth plan to get married until one day a dragon burns up the kingdom and carries off Prince Ronald. In a twist of stereotypes, Elizabeth dons a paper bag after her clothes are all burned up, and goes to rescue Ronald from the dragon. In the process of outsmarting the dragon in order to save her prince, Elizabeth discovers that Ronald is not her idea of a good partner after all in a surprise ending that turns the traditional happily-ever-after fairy tale on its head.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This story is set in the typical fairy tale format, except for the role reversals. The wit and wisdom demonstrated by Elizabeth is refreshing for an original fairy tale. The ending is surprising and delightful, especially for the older reader (middle school and high school readers love this story when done as a read-aloud), and I must admit that this is one my favorite picture books of all time. Girls will definitely enjoy the princess being the heroine this time, and the boys will like it because the twist in the story will make them laugh almost every time while vowing they would never behave as Ronald does.

The illustrations are colorful and simple, but they support the story very nicely with characters who are engaging and full of expression and personality. The dragon is particularly delightful, especially as Elizabeth begins working her magic on him. The reader can almost begin to feel sympathy for him.

While this book was published in Canada, the story has no cultural markers that indicate it is an international story. Because the format is the fairy tale, the setting is in the time of dragons and castles. The setting and names are generic, perhaps leaning toward British royalty. But most children are so familiar with the “Once upon a time . . . . and they lived happily ever after” story, this story will be a new favorite to add to their collection.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS

*School Library Journal: “A wonderful translation of the story of a princess who rescues the prince, tricking and vanquishing the dragon. The book features humorous illustrations of the dragon and other characters, including a very clever heroine.”

*BookHive: “Witty illustrations and a flowing storyline create a funny tale with a great message.”

5. CONNECTIONS

• This story is a great example for students to use as a model for writing their own fairy tales.

• Students can compare this story to fractured fairy tales in order to see how authors such as Munsch and Jon Scieszka infuse humor into the traditional format, again to use as a model or just to enjoy the twist on the traditional tale.

• THE PAPER BAG PRINCESS would be an excellent text for students to use to try their hand at writing a Reader’s Theater script and then performing it. With the characters limited to three, and most of the dialogue being between Elizabeth and the dragon, the story could easily be scripted and performed by a group of 5 or 6, depending on how groups divide up the narrator parts.

The Pull of the Ocean - International Literature

2010-06-13T20:31:00.009-05:00

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Mourlevat, Jean-Claude. THE PULL OF THE OCEAN. Translated by Y. Maudet. New York: Random House, 1999. ISBN 0385733488

2. PLOT SUMMARY

Based loosely on Charles Perrault’s fable “Tom Thumb,” seven brothers, three sets of twins led by their youngest brother, flee from their abusive parents’ home in the belief that their parents intend to harm or kill them. Traveling west across France, the boys head toward the Atlantic Ocean. The book chronicles their journey across the countryside as they attempt to reach the coast under the direction of their unusually small, mute, yet wise and resourceful brother Yann.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This novel is immediately engaging as the reader is plunged into an adventure where seven brothers, aged 10 to 14, head into a stormy night in order to escape the fate they believe awaits them at the hands of their parents. Each chapter, told by one of the brothers or by one of the people they encounter as they travel toward the coast, offers an insight into the difficulties the children encounter as they find themselves in the world by themselves. A social worker, a truck driver, and a bakery owner, among others, offer fascinating insights into what they see as they encounter the boys. The journey is not easy, and most readers will have difficulty putting the book down until they discover the fate of the brothers.

The book was originally written in French, and the names of the characters and places reflect the setting of France, its countryside and people. However, while the names of people and places reflect the culture from which the story comes, the children could be any children growing up in a place where life is hard and families struggle just to survive. The people the boys encounter as they travel toward the ocean do not seem different from those the boys might have encountered were they traveling across rural America, which will make it accessible to U.S. children. The story is the driving force, while the cultural setting is a backdrop, adding texture to the adventure in which the boys find themselves. Readers looking for a book with a strong international flavor will not find that here. In fact, as the boys headed west to the Atlantic Ocean, I found myself thinking, “The Atlantic Ocean is not to the west. That would be the Pacific,” only to have to remind myself that the children were not in America, but in France, where the Atlantic Ocean is to the west.

The book is an easy read – the translation is friendly and the story engaging enough to hold the attention of young teen readers who will want to know what happens. Many, if not most, children have thought about being on their own, and to read a story where children must fend for themselves is a way to experience that vicariously. However, the ending will probably feel lacking to most readers. Too many questions are left unanswered, such as why the youngest brother decided to run away, where he is heading, and whether or not anyone ever finds out what happens to him and what the brothers think about being intentionally misled on this adventure. The conclusion might feel somewhat unsettling and unsatisfying to readers who like a tidy ending.

This book won the Batchelder award for outstanding book originally published outside the United States.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS

*Publisher’s Weekly: “Mourlevat enchantingly blends the harshly real and the make-believe, with the latter tipping the balance as this effectively haunting, fluidly translated tale comes to a close. Ages 12-up.”

*School Library Journal: “A well-crafted mystery awaits anyone reading this fabled jigsaw puzzle.”

*Booklist: “The ending leaves readers a bit at sea, but the story is intriguing, and the relationship among the brothers is heartwarming.”

5. CONNECTIONS

1. Once finished, readers may have many questions (and teachers can guide the readers toward questions) that would be great for formal or informal conversations that help them stretch their reading skills of prediction, understanding author’s craft, application, etc. Questions might include:

Did Yann mislead his brothers on purpose in order to get them to help him escape his home and achieve his dream of getting to the ocean?
If he did, was he right to do so?
What happened to his brothers? How do you think they felt upon finding out the the parents were not going to harm them, but rather the kittens?

2. Students can compare this story to Perrault’s “Tom Thumb.”

3. Students can compare the experiences of the boys to the experiences of children where they live. How are they boys’ experiences like their own or those they know?

A "New Year" - Multicultural and International Literature

2010-06-07T20:14:00.018-05:00

Almost a year has gone by since I posted my last blog. While my intention had been to continue it through the last school year, keeping up with my statistics classes kept me otherwise occupied.

I'm happy to be back. For the summer, I will be posting reviews of multicultural literature, some written for children and some for young adults. The choices will include literature written in other languages and subsequently translated into English, as well as literature written by and about various cultural groups in the U. S.

Visit your library, grab a book of your own, and read with me. Want an adult suggestion to start off with? Try the trilogy by Stieg Larsson. Written in Swedish and translated to English, this mystery series is a New York Times bestseller, and Entertainment Weekly says it is "a gripping, stay-up-all-night read." I have already read book one. I'm in the middle of the second book and hope to read it and book three over the next few weeks. Warning - I hear that if you start book two, you will have a hard time stopping until you've read book three as well. The trilogy is more like one (very) long story that was simply divided into three parts.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The Girl Who Played with Fire

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

Join me. Let's make this a summer of multicultural literature.

Happy reading!

Author Spotlight - Kevin Henkes

2009-07-06T19:44:00.016-05:00

My students grapple with lots of issues in the school where I teach. That is one of the reasons I like Kevin Henkes's work. Henkes (pronounced HENK-us) speaks to a number of issues in many of his children's books. And even though my students are a bit older than the youngsters in Henkes's stories, they love using the experiences of his characters as a springboard to write about their own issues.

My favorite book is Chrysanthemum in which character of the same name loves her name - it is the most perfect name for the most perfect little girl - until she gets to school and her name is teased and twisted so that it is no longer perfect. (How many of us have not had our names rhymed with something not-so-pleasant or had clever friends who figured out that by changing a letter or two, our name became something totally different?) Suddenly, school, which had seemed so exciting to little Chrysanthemum was no longer fun. And then Chrysanthemum and the rest of the students met Mrs. Twinkle, the special teacher who was able right the world again for Chrysanthemum. (I hope to be such a teacher for my kids!)

Henkes's Caldecott Honor Book Owen is the cute story of a little boy about to start school - but what to do about his blanket that he carries everywhere? Mrs. Tweezers, Owen's neighbor, has lots of "good" ideas for Owen's parents about how to separate Owen from his beloved blanket, but fortunately Owen's mom comes up with the best idea of all.

In Wemberly Worried, poor little Wemberly worries about everything all the time. Surely no one will come to her birthday party; then when they all do, she worries about not having enough cake for everyone. Her biggest worry of all was starting school. Wemberly's experience on the first day results in a miracle. (I won't need to read this book to my little Corbyn. Examples: ME: Corbyn, I can't find your Thomas train. HIM: Don't worry, Nonna. We'll find it later. ME: Corbyn, your bacon fell on the floor so you can't eat it. HIM: Don't worry, Nonna. I can just blow on it. ~Yikes!)

And finally, every school age child should read and think about what happens to best friends Chester and Wilson when a new kid comes to their neighborhood in Chester's Way. In fact, big people should probably read this one, too!

These books fall into Henkes's "mouse books," which are my favorites. But he has many other books, including some which are illustrated by others.

In 2005, Henkes won the Caldecott Medal for Kitten's First Full Moon, which is for very young children. The year before, in 2004, Henkes's young adult novel Olive's Ocean received the Newbery Honor, making Henkes one of the rare author/illustrators to have been recognized by both awards. Check out his website - there is a link to a great review of this author that was published in the New York Times in which Henkes was referred to as a "genius." I think I would have to agree!

http://www.kevinhenkes.com/

Author Spotlight - David Wiesner

2009-06-08T20:55:00.013-05:00

David Wiesner is an artist who has been illustrating children's stories since 1980. However, in 1988, he illustrated the first book which he also wrote, Free Fall, which was named as a Caldecott Honor book in 1989. Since then, he has become only the second author in the history of the Caldecott Medal to win the pretigious award three times:

2007 Flotsam
2002 The Three Pigs
1992 Tuesday

Sector 7 was also named a Caldecott Honor book in 2000.

His illustrations are beautiful pieces of art. Original paintings from Tuesday were displayed in a special exhibit in the Dallas Museum of Art several years ago, and I never would have thought I'd use the word "breathtaking" to describe pictures of flying frogs, but the pieces were beautiful.

Wiesner's fantasies fall into two categories - stories with words and stories without. Tuesday, Free Fall, and Sector 7 are some which fall into the wordless category. But the reader will have no trouble reading these stories. The art is engaging and easy to follow. His work is often described as cinematic for their ability to portray not only a snapshot of an exact moment, but also what led up to the moment and what followed. If you have never read a wordless picture book, Wiesner is the perfect place to start.

His books which have words are equally fascinating. My favorite may be Hurricane which has some of my favorite paintings. I particularly love looking for the boys' cat Hannibal in each piece of art. However, for those who love to collect variations on traditional literature, The Three Pigs is a must have. As the three brothers wander off the pages of their own folktale and head into the pages of others, all the while rescuing characters who are about to meet an untimely demise and enticing others to follow them in their adventure, the reader will be left wondering how this tale will turn out. This is a wonderful addition for the collector who already has variants on the traditional tale (some where the pigs get eaten, some where they don't, for example) as well as the fractured fairy tale The True Story of the Three Pigs by A. Wolf (Jon Scieszka, 1989).

Of course, when you have time, check out Wiesner's web page at Houghton Mifflin:

http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/authors/wiesner/home.html

Author Spotlight - Melanie Watt

2009-05-25T18:11:00.015-05:00

Let's change directions for the summer and look at some of my favorite authors.

MELANIE WATT

Melanie Watt is an author from Montreal that you will not want to miss! She has written many pictures books for Ages 1 - 9. She has two series that are my favorites, geared toward 4- to 9-year-olds.

The first is the Scaredy Squirrel series. Scaredy Squirrel is afraid of everything! He lives his life trying to figure out how to avoid the scarey things that are out there. In Scaredy Squirrel at Night, Scaredy Squirrel is afraid that if he goes to sleep, he will have a bad dream. He is particularly afraid that one of these could appear in that dream: ghosts, unicorns, dragons, fairies, vampire bats, and polka-dot monsters. But Scaredy Squirrel is exhausted, so he creates an action plan and gathers the things he will need to face his bad dreams, which includes cupcakes, safety cones, and molasses, among other things. See what happens when Scaredy Squirrel's night doesn't go according to plan.

This is Scaredy Squirrel's website. http://www.scardeysquirrel.com/ Check him out!

The second series is Chester and Chester's Back, co-written by Melanie and Chester the Cat, who isn't thrilled that Melanie is writing about a mouse. Before long, Chester has changed the story with his trusty red marker from that of a mouse who lived in the country to a book about himself. The dueling authors fight throughout the rest of the book for control of the story, with Chester making Melanie's life very difficult! See who wins in these fun stories!

http://www.melaniewatt.com/

Next time you are at the library, give yourself a treat and head to the children's section and sit down in a little chair and read some Scaredy Squirrel and Chester books. You will make some wonderful new friends!

Fantasy - A Review of AMONG THE HIDDEN

2009-04-29T21:19:00.002-05:00

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Haddix, Margaret Peterson. 2002. AMONG THE HIDDEN. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0689817002

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Luke has been hiding for his whole life. He’s never met another person outside his father, mother, and two brothers because no one knows he exists, not even his grandparents. Luke is a “shadow child.” He is the third child in a society that only allows families to have two children each. The penalties for having more than two children are severe, so Luke has learned to stay hidden. One day he notices a face in a window in the house across from his - a girl’s face in a house where two other boys already live. Suddenly Luke realizes he isn’t the only child in the world who is hiding. As he peers day after day through the vent in his attic bedroom, hoping to see the face again, he begins to hatch a plan for making contact with the person who is home alone all day just as he is. When he finally makes that contact and meets Jen, a whole new world opens up to Luke. Jen has access to the internet and TV, and she has made contact with what she believes are about 800 other shadow children. Jen has a plan to hold a rally in front of the president’s house. Surely with 800 third and fourth children, the government will have to acknowledge them and change its laws. Now Luke must decide if he will join her and the other shadow children, and he’s not sure he has the courage to do it. The results of the rally send events spiraling in an unexpected direction, and the future for Luke and other shadow children is suddenly in jeopardy.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Luke is a fairly ordinary boy who lives in extraordinary circumstances. This novel describes Luke in a way that makes it impossible not to ponder what it would be like to have to hide from everyone - forever. The plot gradually reveals what life is like from Luke’s perspective, and as the hopelessness of his fate sinks in with Luke, it likewise makes an impact on the reader. The setting feels like America sometime in the not-so-distant future; a world-wide famine has created a panic about the food supply which has caused many changes in the laws, including restrictions on family size. The Population Police is an ever-present force, and the government has created two classes - the working class barely able to keep their heads above water financially (by design of the government, unbeknownst to them), and the wealthy class known as the Barons. Readers will be struck by the unfairness of the situation, by the manipulation of the government, and by the negative consequences for both classes. Readers will find themselves hoping, maybe against hope, that Jen will succeed, and when the rally is over, sadness and rage will mingle in a “how could they do that?” which will linger in the mind for quite a while.

The science fiction “big brother” aspect of this novel may appeal to readers who do not like created worlds and creatures of high fantasy, but would rather ponder what life might be like under different circumstances where technology facilitates an evil sociological entity. Don’t expect a happy ending. Among the Hidden has an intense feeling that lasts all the way to the end and leaves the reader hanging somewhat. But the story is not over at the end of this book. This novel is one of seven in the series written by Haddix. The characters are intertwined through the stories. Readers who like characters in one novel will be happy to discover that they reappear in others. Double agents, secrets, daring risks and courageous children keep this story and the series engaging and exciting. Could our world really change like the one in this story? How far are we willing to go to stand up for what is right? How brave are we? This novel creates many questions that are interesting, if a little frightening, to ponder.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
* Kirkus: “In a chilling and intelligent novel, Haddix (Leaving Fishers, 1997, etc.) envisions a near future where a totalitarian US limits families to only two children. . . . these pages will give readers a new appreciation for their own world after a visit to Luke's.”
*The ALAN Review: “Although the denouement is swift and tidy, the fully realized setting, honest characters, and fast paced plot combine for a suspenseful tale of two youngsters fighting for their very existence.”
*VOYA: “This is an easily understood, younger reader's 1984 or Brave New World, presenting a chilling vision of a possibly not-too-distant future.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*Research a totalitarian government. What are countries like where a totalitarian government has existed? How far away are we from having to worry about being in a totalitarian society? Could it happen? What might cause it to happen?
*Create a shadow children network newspaper. (Teachers who have access to Moodle, Publisher, or other appropriate software might want to actually do this online). Students can imagine they are shadow children in contact with other shadow children online and write articles that would demonstrate what it would be like to live in this type of society.
*Students could create a diary written by Luke or Jen, but what might be even more interesting would be to write the diary from the perspective of Matthew or Mark, Luke’s older brothers. What might their life be like because of living with a hidden third child?

Review of THE FIRST PART LAST - Contemporary Realistic Fiction

2009-04-21T21:08:00.001-05:00

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Johnson, Angela. 2003. THE FIRST PART LAST. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0689849222

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Bobby loves New York City - the noise, the action, the people. He’s a teenager who is into what middle-class teenage boys are typically into - parties, hanging out with friends, having a girlfriend. However, on his 16th birthday, Bobby finds out that his girlfriend is pregnant, and his world changes. Bobby and Nia decide to give their baby up for adoption so they can go back to a normal life. But until the baby is born, Bobby is committed to going with Nia to her doctor appointments, bringing her pizza early in the morning, and rubbing her feet or her back when she’s feeling the stress of her changing body. But things don’t go as planned, and Bobby has to make a decision. Can he do the right thing, even when it’s the hardest thing he’s ever had to do?

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Bobby is a typical teen, which means there is so much more to him than one might see on the surface. Yes, he hangs out with friends, goes to parties, skips school on his birthday with his buddies to eat pizza and go to a movie. However, Angela Johnson is able to reveal the sensitive, insecure thoughts of an otherwise regular guy in a story that looks at the boy’s side of teenage pregnancy and its repercussions. Bobby isn’t a tough street kid, he’s just a normal high-schooler whose parents are divorced. Young adults - both male and female - will find Johnson’s portrayal of a young expectant father refreshing. What do boys think about when they find out that the “one time” turned into something much bigger? Do all boys just skip out and say, “Sorry, your problem”? Not this one. The setting of New York City serves to emphasize the difficulties of being responsible, and the commitment of this young man who is willing to step up to the plate to do what he believes is the right thing. Many young adult readers will be able to relate to Bobby - like them, there is so much more to this teenager than the often visible couldn’t-care-less attitude that rides on the surface of many teens as a defense against the struggles of their world. Johnson tells the story through chapters titled simply “now” and “then, revealing the details a little at a time in flashbacks that gradually explain the present situation until the reader crashes into the ending which is unexpected and heartrending.

I wish I had a copy of this book to hand to everyone who finds out I’m a high school teacher and says, “Wow, how can you stand to work with teenagers? They’re so disrespectful and misbehaved.” No, they’re just kids who are trying to figure out life, often in circumstances that many of us can only imagine. Bobby says, “. . . if the world were really right, humans would live life backward and do the first part last. They’d be all knowing in the beginning and innocent in the end.” There are many more Bobbys in the world than many adults realize. If only they would take the time to get to know a few of them. This young man would be a good place to start.

The book received the 2004 Michael L. Printz Award and was selected as one of the YALSA 2004 Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT
*Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy: “The novel's effective alternating now/then organizational pattern reinforces the theme that the present and past are inextricably connected on the basis of choices that we make for ourselves, particularly bad choices made by youngsters who knowingly engage in risky behavior.”
*KLIATT Review: “Johnson has a way of getting to her readers’ emotions with few words, creating characters we really care about. Her young people are thoughtful, conscientious, and loving--certainly with failings, but trying to do better.”
* Kutztown University Book Review: “This is a well written and touching book that will appeal to young adult readers for its true-to-life characters."

5. CONNECTIONS
*Students who enjoy this book may want to read Angela Johnson’s previous novel Heaven. There is a connection to this previous novel at the end of The First Part Last. Conversely, this novel would also be a good follow up for students who have already read Heaven, which received the Coretta Scott King Award.
*Students can seek out other books - fiction and nonfiction - about teenage fathers. While books from the young father’s perspective are fewer, they do exist and students may want to compare experiences.
*To emphasize the theme of the novel - life is hard when you’re a kid trying to raise a kid - students who read this book can keep a journal for a week of their activities. Then reviewing the journal, think about what would have to change if they were full time parents with an infant. Rewrite the journal as a story, expanding the entries to include feelings, emotions, and thoughts.

Comtemporary Realistic Fiction - A Review of HOOT

2009-04-20T19:37:00.003-05:00

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hiaasen, Carl. 2002. HOOT. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 0375821813

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Roy is new at his school - again. Because of his father’s job with the Department of Justice, Roy’s family has moved many times. Newly transplanted from Montana to Florida, Roy once again becomes the target of a big bully. However, as Roy’s face is being smashed into the school bus window, he sees something interesting - a barefoot boy running like the wind through the neighborhood near one of the bus stops. Roy’s curiosity leads him to find and follow the boy. What is the boy up to? Why isn’t he in school? How is he able to run like that? Roy finds the boy and the adventure that ensues in pursuit of answers to his questions plops Roy into events he never could have anticipated.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
“Roy had resigned himself to the fact that there was no change of seasons in South Florida, only mild variations of summer.” The hot, humid weather of south Florida, often sunny but just as likely to break into a thunderstorm at any moment, is an ideal backdrop for this funny tale of a boy who finds himself in the middle of an unlikely situation. With events that are wacky, funny, and sometimes tense, Roy tries to unravel a mystery is happening in his corner of the community of Coconut Cove. Something is definitely “fishy,” and Roy is determined to figure out what it is. The plot is quick and funny with a hint of suspense - enough to keep the reader flying forward to find out what is happening. And once the situation is discovered, to find out how it will turn out. Roy is a smart, witty twelve-year-old who attends Trace Middle School. He’s an immensely likeable, if not exactly realistic, middle-schooler who has discovered different ways to cope when faced once again with being the new kid. Young adult readers will find his ability to outsmart the bully quite satisfying. They will enjoy his happy, sincere demeanor, and will most likely appreciate his relationship with his parents, which is solid and positive. Roy tries to help “Mullet Fingers,” the barefoot boy who doesn’t enjoy the same advantages of a loving, supportive home. While the end of the story leaves Mullet Fingers with an unknown, uncertain future, the reader is left with the hope that he will be able to make his way in the world. Adult readers will appreciate the fact that not all the adults are portrayed as completely incompetent bumblers who are unable to do anything right. While the tale is definitely offbeat, most readers will like the outcome for both the adult and kid characters alike. Carl Hiaasen, writer for the Miami Herald and author of best-selling novels for adults, has definitely hit a homerun with this first novel for young adults which was a Newbery Honor book and the recipient of a YALSA Best Book for Young Adults award.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
*The Horn Book: “Hoot is quintessential Hiaasen - a mystery/adventure set in South Florida, peopled with original and wacky characters.”
* Booklist: “It seems unlikely that the master of noir-tinged, surrealistic black humor would write a novel for young readers. And, yet, there has always been something delightfully juvenile about Hiaasen’s imagination; beneath the bent cynicism lurks a distinctly 12-year-old cackle."
* The Miami Herald: “A tale torn from the pages of Hiaasen’s past and South Florida’s present, a rollicking, righteous story about two middle-school eco-warriors."

5. CONNECTIONS
*Research burrowing owls - What do they look like? Where are their roosts? What are their habits? What are land developers’ responsibilities toward them?
*Find out more about Environmental Impact Studies. Companies must conduct one before commencing with construction. What are the responsibilities of companies who are planning new developments? What are the results if they falsify or hide the results of their EIS?
*Plan a protest - what would be some effective ways to protest if something were planned for your community that you believed was wrong? Strategize the process that students could use to realistically protest.

*Hoot was made into a major motion picture directed by Wil Shriner and starring Luke Wilson. It was release in 2006. Students might enjoy knowing they can rent the movie to watch after reading the book.

Historical Fiction - A Review of MATILDA BONE

2009-04-12T19:55:00.002-05:00

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cushman, Karen. 2000. MATILDA BONE. New York: Clarion. ISBN 0395881560

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Matilda has lived for 14 years in a fine manor house where the hardest thing she had to do was find her way to the privy in the dark. However, through unfortunate circumstances, Matilda finds herself thrust into the job of apprentice to Peg the Bonesetter who lives in Blood and Bone Alley. Suddenly, she must assist with all sorts of jobs that are beneath her pious upbringing. The last words of Father Leufredus ring in her ears constantly: “Remember all I have taught you, about right and wrong, sin and Hell, and the evils of joy and pleasure. Do always as you think I would have you do, remember your Latin, and pray ceaselessly.” Now, every time she turns around, she is asked to do something lowly which requires neither her spirituality nor her education. While Matilda yearns to seek higher things, she begins to learn about life for those who must live in the every day world.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Matilda is a judgmental, self-centered character throughout the story and does not mature as many readers might expect at the outset of the novel. While we get a glimpse of the fact that she is recognizing that perhaps what she was taught by Father Leufredus does not take the realities of life into consideration, that realization does not come until the very end of the story. Although she is given opportunity after opportunity to realize her short-sighted attitudes, she only inches toward the discovery that prayers and Latin are not the be-all and end-all of life. However, how many people do we know who are just like she is? The frustration that many readers may feel every time Matilda thinks Master Theobald superior to Doctor Margery may easily translate to the feelings they have had about friends or family members who just do not seem to “get it.”

Matilda is a character who gets lost in this story that focuses on the interesting details of medieval medicine and life among those who must live day by day. Although the author states in her “Author’s Note” that she is concerned about the story sounding too much like a text book, the story itself is still subordinate to the setting. However, many younger readers (middle schoolers, in particular), will enjoy the descriptions of bone setting, bleeding, and remedies such as pounded earthworms, ants’ eggs, and bull urine. They may be surprised to find that barbers were as likely to cut off legs as hair. However, readers who are more interested in character and conflict may not find enough to keep them engaged with the story. For those who thoroughly enjoy the setting, the bibliography of books dealing with medieval medicine used by the author may spur readers on to further nonfiction reading.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
*Kirkus: “This has much to commend it: a robust setting, the author's deft way with imagery (Peg's decent face is "beslobbered with freckles") and an impressive command of medieval medical detail.”
*The ALAN Review: “This book, with its delightfully gory descriptions of "prescriptions," leeches, medical treatments and beliefs, would make a wonderful choice to read aloud to a class.”
*Horn Book: “Cushman reveals her concern that her research on the medicine of the day not overwhelm her story; the truth is, this information is just as interesting as Matilda's tale.”
*VOYA: “No one has a better grasp of the flavor of the Middle Ages than Cushman. . . . Students studying the Middle Ages will find this novel a delightful way to learn about fourteenth-century English town life, and those who enjoy historical fiction will treasure the independent spirit of young Matilda Bone.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*Social Studies’ teachers could use this well-researched book to help students get a better picture of the Middle Ages. English Language Arts teachers would find this book an interesting read-aloud.
*Students interested in the topic of medieval times may find reading about medicine a great research topic, especially if they can get a copy of Eyewitness Books Medicine from Dorling Kindersley (which is now out of print). This book was referenced by Cushman in her bibliography, and the full-color pictures that dot each page will help readers picture what medicine throughout history has been like.
*Students may want to read other books set in the Middle Ages - including Cushman’s Catherine, Called Birdy and The Midwife’s Apprentice. Or teachers could use these three books all set in the same time period to compare characters and details of the setting through literature circles.

Historical Fiction at Its Best - A Review of THE LAND

2009-04-05T22:24:00.003-05:00

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Taylor, Mildred D. 2001. THE LAND. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 0439434173

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Paul-Edward Logan was born in post-Civil War Georgia - his mother a freed part black-part Indian slave, his father her former master. Paul has grown up being treated as his father’s child. He and his sister Cassie sit at the family table with their three white brothers, George and Hammond who are older than Paul, and Robert who is the same age. Because of his unique situation of having a father who cared for him, and the fact that he could pass as white, Paul has not learned about the realities of being “a man of color” in a white world. His brother Robert is his best friend as well as his brother. However, changes start to happen when Edward Logan, their father, sends the boys separate ways for their education. Then Robert betrays his brother during one of their vacations home when he and two white buddies get in a fight with Paul, and Robert sides with his friends. Paul has also established an uneasy truce with Mitchell, the son of a sharecropper on his father’s land. Their relationship has slowly evolved into one of respect and friendship. Unfortunately, Mitchell has a temper, and after attacking a white man who cheated Paul out of pay, he and Paul find themselves on the run. Unable to return home, Paul begins a journey of trying to establish a life for himself in a difficult world where he doesn’t fit in with whites or blacks. Paul had always loved his father’s land - land which he had assumed might one day be his. So now Paul is trying to find his life and the land where he will establish his own family.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
I have never met a family like the Logans - a family full of passion and strength living at a time when there was so much heartache. Perhaps because the Logans are based on Mildred Taylor’s family and their stories and experiences, she is able to portray them in a way that allows the reader to feel what it was like to be black at a time in history that is difficult for many of us to face. I fell in love with Cassie and her brothers in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, and while I had read many stories describing prejudice and discrimination, none touched me like that story - and Taylor’s subsequent novels - did. I realized that I had had no concept of what it felt like to be black in a country where emancipation did not mean acceptance, opportunities were hard-fought, and “life is not fair” was such an unbelievable understatement.

The Land takes us back to Cassie’s grandfather, Paul-Edward. A prequel to all the other stories, it does not disappoint. The descriptions of the people and times are vivid and authentic. Paul-Edward’s struggle to purchase the piece of property he fell in love with is based on Taylor’s own struggle to obtain a piece of land she found in the Rocky Mountains and paid dearly to purchase - not only financially, but emotionally as well. (Taylor sold among other things, at great emotional sacrifice, the typewriter on which she wrote Roll of Thunder in order to make payments on time). Thus the anxiety, tension, hard work and fear are palpable. We find out how John Wallace, whom we grew to hate in The Friendship, and Tom Bee were first introduced to the Logan family. And we meet the young Caroline, Cassie’s Big Ma. Taylor weaves the importance of family into this novel in a way that reveals the pain of family betrayal. I have left each novel thinking about how much I would have loved being friends with the Logans, and how impossible that would have been, and it is heartbreaking. In her “A Note to the Reader” Taylor states, “it has been my wish to have readers walk in the shoes of the Logan family, who are based on my family, and to feel what they felt.” She goes on to say that she hopes this understanding will help readers further understand what millions of families endured as well as the Civil Rights movement.

Taylor provides a description, a chart and a family tree to help the reader keep the Logan family saga sequenced, given that the novels were not written in chronological order. A biography of Mildred Taylor is also included, giving the reader insight as to where the stories originated. “Further Readings” are included along with “Questions for Discussion” and “Connections to U. S. History.”

All in all, this novel succeeds in continuing the story of the Logans, providing another layer of the complex story that spans the 1870s through the 1950s. The characters and setting hopefully help those of us living in another time to increase our understanding of a world where injustice reigned, hopefully providing the motivation to help continue the fight for civil rights for all who live in our country. In our multicultural society, Mildred Taylor should be required reading for all students, for unfortunately, the wrongs of prejudice and discrimination described between the covers of her books have not all been righted and we are responsible to continue the struggle.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
*Booklist starred review: “Drawing directly on her family history, especially what [Taylor] knows about her great-grandfather, she goes back to the time of Reconstruction to tell a searing story of cruelty, racism, and betrayal. She also tells a thrilling coming-of-age story about friendship, hope, and family strength.”
*Children’s Literature: “Written with great care, accuracy and emotion, The Land is a wonderful novel, telling a family story that will move and enrich its readers. Readers will come away with a deeper understanding of what life in the South was like for African-Americans struggling to make their way in a society grounded upon prejudice.”
*Horn Book: “Taylor masterfully uses harsh historical realities to frame a powerful coming-of-age story that stands on its own merits.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*Use the discussion questions and host a reading club in the library, perhaps during Black History Month.
*Use Related Novels in the Further Reading suggestions and compare the experiences of the Logans to those written about by other authors. Classroom teachers can conduct Literature Circles using related novels to cover this point in history. This would be particularly effective for Social Studies teachers if they can find the time to conduct this meaningful reading in their tight curriculums. *Students may want to interview their family members to discover their family’s history. What a powerful thing it is to know where your family has come from and how it has shaped who you are. Have students write their own novels or short stories based on their own family stories.

Jip: His Story - Historical Fiction, a Review

2009-04-01T21:09:00.002-05:00

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Paterson, Katherine. 1996. JIP: HIS STORY. New York: Lodestar. ISBN 0525675434

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Jip fell off the back of a wagon on West Hill Road when he was a toddler, and no one came back looking for him. When he was picked up by a passerby, he ends up at the town poor farm, which becomes his home; the animals, his friends. One day Put arrives at the farm, a lunatic whose rages from his wooden cage terrify everyone. However, as Jip cares for Put, a friendship grows during Put’s long stretches of lucidity. Then Lucy arrives at the farm with her family following the death of her father, and she and Jip begin attending the one-room school house. Jip’s relationships with Put, Lucy, Teacher, and her sweetheart Luke Stevens change Jip’s life. However, a suspicious stranger shows up at the farm asking questions about Jip, and as Jip begins to discover the truth about his past, he finds he must escape if he is to avoid the horrible consequences.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Set in 1855-1856 Vermont, the novel begins immediately with a mystery - who would lose a child and not come back for him? Jip’s story is compelling, and as the truth of his past begins to unfold, the story becomes urgent and breathless. The setting is an integral part of story - first by providing a backdrop of rural America which allows Jip a fairly stable, if sometimes hard, life. Near the end as the plot races toward its climax, the reader finds a thread of pre-Civil War America and the Underground Railroad woven in as well. The plot and setting are realistic, with the plot being the driving force and the setting being the vehicle that carries the story forward.

Jip is not a totally realistic character. He’s definitely older than his 11 years. Charged with taking care of much of the farm, as well as Put when he arrives, Jip handles more than many adults today would be able to cope with. But Jip’s sensitive, caring nature makes him a sympathetic character, one the reader quickly cares and worries about. The universal theme of man’s inhumanity to man sadly encompasses this child who has had to become an adult too quickly. And it is with gratefulness that the reader is able to experience the introduction of Teacher and Luke into young Jip’s life - people who see him as the child he is with all the potential which that entails. Their willingness to put their lives and reputations on the line for him brings tears to the eye. This Scott O’Dell Award Winner does not end “happily ever after,” and the reader will be left with lots of questions about what happens next, but the reader will nevertheless be happy he took the trip through this part of Jip’s story.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
*Booklist starred review: “It's not often that the revelations of the plot are so astonishing--and yet so inevitable--that they make you shout and think and shiver and cry. . . . Paterson's simple sentences lay bare the dark historical truth and the transforming light of love.”
*Kirkus starred review: “As usual for Paterson, all the characterizations are penetrating--even the villains are interesting.”
*Horn Book: “The narrative flows effortlessly, and a riveting pace is maintained throughout.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*This book may be particularly interesting to boys since the protagonist is male. This book could be a real winner for boys who have trouble finding chapter books that they enjoy reading for pleasure.
*This novel would be excellent for analyzing literary elements such as plot, setting, characters, and theme.
*Jip: His Story would make a good read-aloud. Teachers could easily use a Directed Reading-Thinking Activity where students make predictions, beginning with the Prologue, then confirm, adjust, and add to their predictions as the reading proceeds.

The Boy on Fairfield Street - A Biography Review

2009-03-18T19:13:00.004-05:00

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Krull, Kathleen. 2004. THE BOY ON FAIRFIELD STREET: HOW TED GEISEL GREW UP TO BECOME DR. SEUSS. Ill. by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher. New York: Random House. ISBN 0375922989

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Everyone knows Dr. Seuss. He authored the best selling children’s books ever, with his books selling hundreds of millions of copies. But how did Dr. Seuss get to be Dr. Seuss? This informative and interesting book by Kathleen Krull begins, “Once upon a time, there lived a boy who feasted on books and was wild about animals.” The biography starts with the day Ted was born and describes his childhood growing up with loving immigrant parents. It continues with a description of his school years when Ted’s German background created hardships for Ted as the U.S. headed into war with Germany. Ted made it through college, his parents’ dream for their two children, but just never could seem to get serious about anything but his drawing and humorous quips. What was Ted going to do? “It wasn’t as if men could doodle for a living.” But when The Saturday Evening Post published a drawing of two tourists riding camels, with other offers from magazines soon to follow, Ted began signing his works “Dr. Seuss,” and at twenty-two, Geisel was off to New York to find his place in the world.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Most kids and adults know of Dr. Seuss, even if it is only for The Cat in the Hat or How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the power of TV and the major motion picture!) Because Dr. Seuss is a familiar author, many will find this biography thoroughly entertaining. Krull tells Ted Geisel’s story in fun details that help bring this legendary author to life. What child would not be thrilled to find that someone so famous got in trouble in school for doodling and not paying attention? The text is lively and full of information that is both interesting and engaging. The older reader who grew up with Dr. Seuss books close at hand may find that he or she knows nothing of Dr. Seuss’s beginnings, and finding out about the early years of this beloved storyteller adds to the charm of the long-loved tales.

The main text of the book begins when Ted Geisel is born and continues until he is 22 when he gets his first big break by selling the picture to The Saturday Evening Post. Following this, there is a section titled “On Beyond Fairfield Street” which picks up in a smaller font at Geisel’s move to New York when he was 22 and tells the rest of his story up to his death at the age of 87. Finally, the book ends with a list of great works written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss, a list of further reading (perhaps the bibliography for this book, but not specifically stated as such), and web sites. (Most of the web site addresses are no longer working addresses, but the http://www.seussville.com/ site is still operational as is the address for the Forest Park Zoo.) Interestingly, the publication information that usually occurs at the beginning of a book is found at the back along with the credits for illustrations taken from Dr. Seuss books.

The main illustrations for this picture book are paintings created by husband-and-wife team Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher. While the realistic pictures are beautiful, they are in sharp contrast to the art of Dr. Seuss himself, whose drawings are included on every page. Perhaps the paintings of Johnson and Fancher can help the reader see Ted Geisel as a real boy with real dreams, passions, and hard times – just like all children. But it is the drawings of Dr. Seuss himself that will have readers smiling with memories of their own favorite Dr. Seuss adventures. A photograph of a gray-haired Dr. Seuss is also included at the end.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
*Booklist: “Krull’s pithy text is extended by full-page paintings that glow with the memory of yesteryear and capture the mix of humor and poignancy that comes with trying to fit in.”
*Publishers Weekly: “Johnson and Fancher's (New York's Bravest) representational, nostalgic paintings effectively evoke both the period and Geisel's appealingly puckish personality. Featured in spot art, familiar Seuss characters frolic through these pages, thematically complementing the illustrations while reminding readers why Geisel's life is worth celebrating.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*Take a trip to the library and read books by Dr. Seuss. Kids can pick out their favorites or give a review of one they’ve never read before.
*Older students may want to find books written by Theo Lesieg (another pen name used by Geisel for books he wrote that were illustrated by someone else. Note that Lesieg is Geisel spelled backward). Compare Lesieg books to Seuss books. Which do you like best? Why?
*Students may continue enjoying Dr. Seuss by visiting http://www.seussville.com/.

The Top of the World: Climbing Mount Everest - A Review

2009-03-17T14:42:00.005-05:00

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Jenkins, Steve. 1999. THE TOP OF THE WORLD: CLIMBING MOUNT EVEREST. New York: Houghton Mifflin . ISBN 0395942187

2. PLOT SUMMARY
What do you need to know if you want to climb Mt. Everest? Jenkins takes the reader on a journey to climb Everest which begins with background information on the mountain itself (its location, how tall it is, how it was formed, its religious significance to the inhabitants of the region, etc.). He continues by describing the attempts of early mountaineers who sought to reach the top, the gear one would need to make the attempt, and the mountain features a climber would encounter on the way up, such as the Khumbu Icefall and the animals and plants of the lower elevations. The dangers encountered along the way make reaching the summit especially exciting.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The facts presented in this picture book are varied and interesting. Several short paragraphs are presented on each two-page spread, each with its own title and accompanying illustration. The very last page of the book includes a comparison chart of the tallest mountain on each continent, records from Everest (up through January, 1999), additional websites, and a bibliography. Unfortunately, this volume did not include any information about the author or the art. While there is no table of contents, the headings of the paragraphs help the reader locate information if he’s willing to flip through the entire book to find particular facts. Rather than being a book that would be appropriate for research, this volume is more appropriate for pleasure reading by a child who is interested in mountains. It makes a great introduction to the highest mountain in the world, Mt. Everest.

The illustrations appear to be made from cut and torn handmade papers and fibers which give each page texture and interest. Different colors of papers layered on each other give a 3-D appearance. The fibers which create the snow and clouds are particularly interesting. The fact that all the equipment is also cut from paper is amazing – the detail is surprising. An older reader would enjoy analyzing the illustrations along with reading about Everest.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
*The Bulletin: “An invigorating and fact-filled look at the great peak.”
*Horn Book, starred review: “Mount Everest may be imposing, but Steve Jenkins takes its measure in a strikingly executed picture book. . . .From start to finish, Jenkins has created a breathtaking tour-de-force.”
*School Library Journal, starred review: “Readers will cheer with the climber illustrated on the summit and want to go back and pore over the details in the words and pictures again. . . [an] excellent example of pictorial nonfiction.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*Check out the additional websites on Mt. Everest. The websites listed in the book are no longer in existence, but there are plenty more that are, including http://www.mnteverest.net/ , and www.nationalgeographic.com/everest .
*Social Studies teachers might find this to be a good source of additional reading for a unit on world geography. English Language Learners in particular will find this volume accessible.
*Art students would enjoy looking at the illustrations and trying to create similar illustrations of their own on a topic of interest to them. Using torn and cut paper creates interesting effects that would be fun to mimic.

Nonfiction - A Review of The Forbidden Schoolhouse

2009-03-16T16:53:00.003-05:00

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Jurmain, Suzanne. 2005. THE FORBIDDEN SCHOOLHOUSE: THE TRUE AND DRAMATIC STORY OF PRUDENCE CRANDALL AND HER STUDENTS. New York: Houghton Mifflin . ISBN 0618473025

2. PLOT SUMMARY
In October of 1831, Prudence Crandall, at the age of 28, opened The Canterbury Female Boarding School in the town of Canterbury, Connecticut. Then in January 1933, Prudence accepted Sarah Harris as a student in her school, and suddenly everyone began to talk. Sarah was black, and while Prudence knew that accepting a black student into her school might create problems in the town, she was unable to face Sarah with a disappointing answer. As expected, the town reacted. As Daniel Frost, a prominent lawyer, explained to Prudence, the men who had come to protest her school were not against educating black people; they just didn’t want to educate them in their hometown. Prudence, although not an abolitionist, believed people of color deserved an education just as much as whites, and she made the decision to not only accept Sarah, but to convert her school to a school which would educate young middle-class black women. Over the next eighteen months, Prudence, her staff, and her students endured threats, jeers, arrests, fines, boycotts, and fires aimed at getting the school to close. Yet Prudence was determined to provide an education to the girls she’d grown to love.

Suggested for ages 10 and up, the story takes the reader on the journey with a young woman determined to do what she believed was right even when she could find very few supporters. Her determination and resolve are an inspiration to readers even now, 175 years later.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Jurmain’s account of Prudence Crandall’s experiences is told in a narrative format that is gripping and builds suspense as readers wait to find out what will happen while keeping their fingers crossed that truth and justice will win out. One can’t help but cringe when the girls are called horrible names, are pelted with rotten eggs, and are even threatened with being whipped by the town leaders if they don’t go home. In this pre-Civil War era, many readers may be surprised to find that even states that were anti-slavery weren’t exactly supportive of blacks, and prejudice and discrimination reigned. The text will keep readers engaged to the very end and includes enough historical background to put the conflict between Prudence and her community in context. Details such as the fact that women could not vote and were not allowed to speak out in public meetings helps modern readers understand the difficulty Prudence had fighting this battle. An explanation of the bloody Nat Turner rebellion helps make more clear why white people would have been hesitant to assist black people. A final chapter and epilogue give a brief summation of Prudence’s life after the school closed.

What makes this book particularly exceptional are the reference aids and access features. The author provides A Note to the Reader which explains the use of offensive words such as “colored” and “nigger” and why they are used in certain places. Photographs of Crandall’s house, now a museum, are included along with portraits of Crandall and other principal players in this story. Prints of advertisements, newspaper articles, and art provide visual context throughout the chapters. Kids will particularly enjoy reading about what happened to the students, teachers, friends, and enemies of the school in the Appendix. The Notes section provides detailed information, chapter by chapter, as to how the author recreated Crandall’s words, conversations, and letters. A Bibliography, an Index, and a Photo Credits section round out the reference aids.

Although Prudence Crandall is an obscure historical figure, her story will provide inspiration to many who read this informational book.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
*Booklist, starred review: “Jurmain has plucked an almost forgotten incident from history and has shaped a compelling, highly readable book around it.”
*Horn Book: “Crandall's obscurity may limit the appeal of this book, though readers looking for the individual who bravely fights for the rights of others will be inspired by her dedication, strength, and moral compass.”
*Kirkus: “Jurmain adopts a storyteller's voice to tell the tale, lacing it with excerpts from primary sources, but always locating readers in the emotional heart of the conflict.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*Some of the bibliographic entries include web sites. Students may continue their reading on related topics by looking up some of the sites.
*Social Studies teachers can use this book as supplemental reading when looking at American history leading up to the Civil War and emancipation of the slaves.
*Students may research education today – how are opportunities for blacks different? Are there ways in which they are the same? Has desegregation worked?
*Older students (high school) might want to compare the issue of the rights of blacks in the 1800s with modern day issues such as immigration and illegal residents.

Out of the Dust - a Review of a Novel in Verse

2009-03-08T19:18:00.002-05:00

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hesse, Karen. 1997. OUT OF THE DUST. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 0590360809

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Fourteen-year-old Billie Jo Kelby knows what it is like to live in the despair of the Oklahoma dust bowl of the mid-1930s. The crops have died and blown away. The land is barren. And the wind blows and blows, bringing with it the inescapable dust that settles into every crevice and on every surface. Yet her little family still seems to find some joy - the sweet music that Billie Jo and her mother are able to coax from their beautiful piano; the apple trees that bloom in spite of the loss of all other vegetation; the perpetual optimism that things will be better soon. Then a terrible tragedy takes her mother and baby brother with it, and life seems unbearable. When Billie Jo leaves Oklahoma to find a better life out of the dust, she realizes that her life is more firmly rooted in the strength of her father than she had realized, and “what I am, / I am because of the dust. / And what I am is good enough. / Even for me.”

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Out of the Dust is written in free verse that helps create the melancholy tone of the story. The narrative is moved forward by separate poems, each with a title, that describe events in the life of Billie Jo and her family. The date at the end of each poem also gives the story the feel of a diary as we see the tragedy of the dust bowl through young Billie Jo’s eyes. The poetry creates haunting images that stay with the reader long after the story is over. Children who read the book can gain an appreciation of the hardness of this time that coupled the Great Depression with the drought that created the dust bowl in the central United States. Through the imagery of the poetry, the reader can almost feel the dust coating the bedsheets, taste the grit of the dirt in the milk, and see the black clouds moving in as the next dust storm approaches. The emotional impact is genuine and strong. The description of the accident that claims the life of Billie Jo’s mother and baby brother is short, yet powerful, and it’s impact on Billie Jo and her father is felt throughout the rest of the story. With regard to the plot structure, there doesn’t seem to be a clear climax to the story, but there are many images that will haunt long after the novel is complete.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
*Publishers Weekly: “Readers may find their own feelings swaying in beat witht the heroine’s shifting moods as she approaches her coming-of-age and a state of self-acceptance.”
*Horn Book: “Filled with memorable images—such as Billie Jo's glimpse of her pregnant mother bathing outdoors in a drizzle—the spare verses showcase the poetry of everyday language . . . .”
*School Library Journal: “Hesse's ever-growing skill as a writer willing to take chances with her form shines through superbly in her ability to take historical facts and weave them into the fictional story of a character young people will readily embrace.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*This book is a good candidate for performing in a Readers’ Theater. Have students create scripts from their favorite passages.
*Social studies teachers may find this novel useful as a supplemental piece for their students when studying about the Depression. Seeing this period of time through the eyes of someone close to their own age could help this period of U.S. history come alive as well as helping children sympathize with the difficulties families faced.
*Compare this novel to one that is told in diary format, such as Ann M. Martin’s Sunny in her California Diaries Series. How is Out of the Dust similar? different? As students write a personal narrative, have them try doing it in diary or free verse style.

Once Upon a Tomb - A Review

2009-03-01T21:40:00.003-06:00

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lewis, J. Patrick. 2006. ONCE UPON A TOMB: GRAVELY HUMOROUS VERSES. Ill. by Simon Bartram. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 100763618373

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Epitaphs - we’ve all seen some interesting ones. This picture book volume of poetry includes epitaphs for professions of all kinds, from the dairy farmer to the teacher, the fortune teller to the gardener, the mailman, and many others. Need ideas for what to put on the tombstone of a loved one? This group of 22 hilarious poems may provide just the answer.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
While this book is advertised as being for children ages 6-10, this collection of poems seems suited for the older reader, which makes this volume perfect for middle school and high school students. Lewis uses vocabulary and puns which may fly over the heads of the younger reader but will delight the more experienced reader. “Here lies” on the tomb of a fortune teller, for example. Or how about the mailman who was “Returned to Sender.” Older children will enjoy figuring out the meanings of some of the verses so they can understand the humor behind them. Most of the poems rhyme in a-b-a-b or a-a-b-b fashion. While most are rhythmic and read aloud easily, one or two are difficult to read as the rhythm is sacrificed for the sake of the rhyme. But otherwise, the poems roll easily off the tongue.

The vividly colorful illustrations by Simon Bartram have a cartoon-like quality that adds to the humorous mood and in some cases clarifies the meanings of the poems they accompany. What an interesting thought that a pizza delivery guy would take a pie to the food critic in his grave. The vine, reminiscent of Jack in the Beanstalk, that takes the gardener to heaven is another fun visual. The acrylic paintings are very bright and fanciful. Even the front and back endpapers with rows of gray tombstones against a navy blue background with a sprinkling of red flowers adds to the fun.

This would not be a book for those easily offended by verse that may seem to be disrespectful of the recently departed, but most will find it laugh-out-loud fun.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
*Publishers Weekly: “Meticulously rendered, Bertram's paintings toy with traditional icons of death. The fortune teller gazes glumly at a tiny Grim Reaper in her crystal ball, while the actual unwelcome visitor himself looms behind the clairvoyant.”
*School Library Journal: “Bartram's surrealistic acrylic illustrations heighten the humor and, in some cases, clarify the meaning of Lewis's ubiquitous puns. A great selection for a Halloween read-aloud or reluctant poetry readers.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*Pair this book with research on actual epitaphs that are found on real grave markers. Students may be surprised to find that there are humorous verses on the tombstones of real people.
*Children might want to try their hand at creating humorous epitaphs for historical figures.
*What would you want your tombstone to say? Children can write their own epitaphs. (This one could be a bit touchy. Feel this assignment out carefully before requiring students to create their own tombstones. Perhaps this could be one option among several where students think about their goals and what they want to be remembered for.)

Toasting Marshmallows: Camping Poems - A Review

2009-03-01T20:08:00.006-06:00

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
George, Kristine O’Connell. 2001. TOASTING MARSHMALLOWS: CAMPING POEMS. Ill. by Kate Kiesler. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 061804597X

2. PLOT SUMMARY
This book of poetry by award-winning poet Kristine O’Connell George centers around the theme of a camping trip. Each poem tells of a part of the adventure that a family has as they camp, from setting up their tent when they arrive, to packing up and arriving home where the daughter - the narrator of many of the poems - unpacks and places her flannel shirt in the bottom drawer “where no one will find it/and wash away/my memories." In between, the family enjoys many aspects of their trip, which include observing wildlife, going fishing, visiting a bait shop, and, of course, toasting marshmallows.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This collection of 30 poems covers a wide range of styles in picture book format. Some are concrete poems, such as “Tent” and “Eavesdropping” (can you find the crescent moon?). Some poems have rhyme such as the description of toasting marshmallows where our narrator says it’s an art “a time of serious reflection/as my pillowed confection/slowly reaches golden perfection.” And some are freeform narratives telling the story of visiting a cave or the morning the little brother falls into the lake. But whether the poem includes rhyme or not, the language is always lyrical and musical. The reader can feel the mosquito in the onomotopoeia that brings the buzz to the ear, enjoy the path that takes the wanderer where “you didn’t know/you wanted to go” and feel the fear of something scratching on the tent outside. This collection of poems will have adults nostalgically remembering camping experiences and children and adults alike yearning to get outside and enjoy nature for the first time or all over again.

The poems are beautifully illustrated by Kate Kiesler’s acrylic paintings that draw the reader in and compliment the words of the poem. The reader will see the twinkling stars, feel the breeze blowing across the long grass of the meadow, and hear the buzzing of the bees in the field of wild mustard. Memories of an annoying little brother, quiet moments alone under a tree, or exciting times hand feeding a chipmunk will surface again through the vivid illustrations. While the paintings are realistic, the “soft focus” of each one will have the reader seeing the outdoors through a romantic lens. Even the mosquitoes and rain will seem like a pleasant experience. And as the book jacket flap states, the collaboration between George and Kiesler “will leave you with lively memories of a camping trip - even if you’ve never been on one.”

Children will find the poems fun and may clamor to go on a camping trip of their own. Many children will be able to relate to the brother and sister in these poems and will find the adventures very exciting. For kids who live in large cities and may not have had the chance to go camping, George and Kiesler can take them on a virtual trip that will feel almost as if they’ve been there themselves.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
*Starred review, School Library Journal: "...a child-focused sense of wonder...the poems are varied and inventive, replete with marvelous images and universal truths...A terrific idyll for summertime sharing, even for confirmed couch potatoes.”
*Starred review, Booklist: "Infused with the wonder and thrill of living outdoors, these are direct, satisfying poems that will engage kids at school, across the curriculum, or at home."
*Starred review, Publisher's Weekly: "...This volume by George and Kiesler is as delicious as a roasted marshmallow treat. George's poems shine, the images clear and startling."
*Children's Literature: "One can almost see the starlit night, taste the marshmallows, and hear the buzzing insects as words and illustrations combine in this unique collaboration."
*Kirkus: "Altogether, an engaging trip."

5. CONNECTIONS
*Teachers can ask children to compare the experiences of the children in the poems to their own experiences. Children may want to try writing and illustrating their own poems about outdoor experiences.
*Almost every child camps in the living room or the back yard at one time or another. Parents can use this volume to enhance the experience by reading poems and using flashlights on the ceiling or toasting marshmallows in the fireplace. Take a hike through the neighborhood after reading about the chipmunk, the moose, and the deer looking for wildlife native to the area, even if its simply the neighborhood cats, dogs, and birds.

Review - Porch Lies: Tales of Slicksters, Tricksters, and Other Wily Characters

2009-02-20T18:19:00.003-06:00

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
McKissack, Patricia C. 2006. PORCH LIES: TALES OF SLICKSTERS, TRICKSTERS, AND OTHER WILY CHARACTERS. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books. ISBN 9780375836190

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Many hot summer evenings, everyone in the family, often joined by those from the neighborhood, would frequently settle on the front porch to enjoy iced tea or lemonade, homemade tea cakes, and a good story. Porch lies they were called - “tales of humor and exaggeration told to listeners of all ages.” This collection of original creations mimics the stories from the author’s past. Myths, legends, and historical figures from the African American oral tradition are placed into the author’s original stories. Meet Pete Bruce, a rascal who schmoozes several pieces of coconut cream pie from a local baker for free. Or what about Link Murphy, a scoundrel who procures a job as a chauffer for Mis Crickett Thompson and then begins a business on the side using her car. (And was he really trying to save her, or just steal her jewelry?) Then there’s that slickster Montgomery Red who tricks Ralph, the King of the Ghosts with an ordinary rock. These and many other “wily characters” are waiting to entertain the reader. Take the book onto the porch with some iced tea and enjoy the stories.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The stories in this collection are great for reading aloud with others. The stories are a unique blend of legend and history. While the stories are from the imagination of the author based on stories she heard on her grandparents’ front porch, she weaves in characters such as Jesse James and the Ku Klux Klan. The stories are not told in dialect, which might disappoint some who would like the stories to sound authentically African American. However, this may make reading the stories aloud easier for most readers and listeners.

Each story is accompanied by one illustration by noted caricaturist Andre Carrilho of Portugal. The illustrations are black and white, and are interesting and unusual, commanding a second look. The illustrations are perfect compliments to the interesting and unusual characters presented in the stories.

McKissack gives background to the ideas for the stories by painting an engaging picture of listening to “Porch Lies” on her grandparents’ front porch when she was a child in the author’s note at the beginning of the book.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
*Starred Review in Publisher’s Weekly: “Readers of these spry tall tales will have a grand time”
*Booklist: “In black and white, Carrilho's full-page illustrations--part cartoon, part portrait in silhouette--combine realistic characters with scary monsters."
*AudioFile: “Listeners and their children will enjoy Patricia McKissack's stories so much they might not even notice how this Caldecott winner has subtly woven in African-American history."

5. CONNECTIONS
*Research the historical references in the stories - such as Jesse James and the Ku Klux Klan. How do the tales in Porch Lies fit with the historical figures?
*Create illustrations of other scenes in the stories.*Read aloud for the fun of a good story that was meant to be read aloud. Discuss the characters. Do they remind you of anyone you know? Have you ever met a slickster, trickster or other wily character?

*Try downloading the audiobook and listening to the stories. What is the difference in reading them yourself and hearing them read professionally?

The Legend of the White Buffalo Woman - A Review

2009-02-19T22:15:00.001-06:00

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Goble, Paul. 1998. THE LEGEND OF THE WHITE BUFFALO WOMAN. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society. ISBN 0792270746

2. PLOT SUMMARY
One of the most important Lakota legends tells how the Lakota people came to receive the first pipe from the White Buffalo Woman. After a brief history of the Lakota people, starting with their flood myth and proceeding through the rebirth of the nation and sad times of being forced from their land by their enemies, the people meet a beautiful, mysterious woman who visits the tribe, presents them with a pipe sent from Wakan Tanka, the Great Spirit, and declares that “from today, your people and my Buffalo Nation will be one family.” This pipe allows the people to pray to the Great Spirit, giving them great hope. Following the gift of the pipe from the Great Spirit, the Buffalo People later gifted the red stone so that everyone could make pipes.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The book jacket states that The Legend of the White Buffalo Woman is told “in stirring prose” and with some of Paul Goble’s “most breathtaking images.” I couldn’t agree more. The main story is that of how the Sacred Calf Pipe came to be given to the Lakotas of the Great Plains. But it is framed by the myths of the flood, the rebirth of the nation by the marriage of a Woman of the Earth and the Eagle of the Sky, and the war which caused the people great sadness and pain. The legend of the pipe is then followed by the legend of the buffalo path where the red stone was discovered that can now be used to create additional pipes. The combination of legends tells a rich, full story of the beliefs of the history of the Plains Indians. Bold print headings help the reader navigate smoothly from legend to legend.

Primary and Secondary references are included, along with an author’s note explaining the background of the pipe and the legend surrounding it, an illustration of a pipe that was given to the author from a pipe-maker in South Dakota with the symbolism of some of the parts explained, and some background on Pipestone Quarry in southwestern Minnesota, the place of the red rock which is now a national monument.

The images are breathtaking. (I was unable to determine specifics about the paintings). The colors are earthy and saturated. The clothing is authentically rendered in the style of the 1870s. In a forward written for All Our Relatives by Dr. Joe Medicine Crow, Crow Tribal Historian and the oldest living man of the Crow tribe, he writes about Paul Goble: “His art is tremendous because he is able to recreate the traditional forms with great accuracy and detail…He is able to recreate the spirit of the old stories with his illustrations and his words."

The rays of the sun are a must-see, and the battle scene with blood splatters and heads rolling will capture the attention of many young readers. The white buffalo calf joining the Buffalo Nation after presenting the pipe to the Lakotas, however, steals the show.

This book is an item that would be an asset to any collection of native American literature and art.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
*Kirkus: “Drawn just above ground level and clad in spectacular ceremonial costume, Goble’s stylized figures seem appropriately larger than life, and the Lakota prayers and comments he quotes further enhance the reverent tone.”
* Booklist: “In this picture book for older readers, Goble uses his characteristic decorative paintings to help retell an important sacred legend of the Lakota people."
* School Library Journal: “The Caldecott Medal-winning author tells the inspiring story of the first peace pipe, presented to the Lakota people to connect them to the Great Spirit, who will guide them through the hardships of life. One of Goble’s most stunning offerings to date."

5. CONNECTIONS
*Compare Goble’s illustrations with those of other picture book illustrators of Native American culture, in particular Byrd Baylor (I’m in Charge of Celebrations is my favorite.) How do the colors compare? How are the styles of the illustrations similar and different?
*Now compare the stories and how they’re told. Which do you prefer - the first person
point of view that is often used by Baylor, or the third person narrator point of view?
*Compare Goble’s art to other artists of the Southwest and Native America, for example Amado Pena or G. E. Mullan.
*Create your own art for a traditional Native American legend.

Review - Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella

2009-02-15T14:52:00.002-06:00

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
San Souci, Robert D. 1998. CENDRILLON: A CARIBBEAN CINDERELLA. Ill. by Brian Pinkney. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0689848889

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Cendrillon has a godmother who loves her very much and wants us to know the real story. "You may think you know this story I am going to tell you, but you have not heard it for true." When Cendrillon’s haughty step-mother Madame Prosperine will not allow Cendrillon to attend the birthday ball for the handsome Paul Thibault, Cendrillon’s godmother, whom Cendrillon affectionately calls “Nannin’,” comes up with a plan to use her magic mahogany wand to help Cendrillion get to the party, where she meets the love of her life. Her beloved Nannin’ watches on, delightedly eating chocolate sherbet.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The story is told in lively language that includes French Creole vocabulary sprinkled throughout. (A glossary and pronunciation guide is provided at the end for the reader’s benefit). The style is humerous and full of imagery; for example, “the girl’s big foot, with toes like sausages . . .” provides a laughable look at the step-sister Vitaline’s attempt to get her foot into the delicate pink slipper. A slight twist in this variant of the Cinderella story is when Cendrillon has the opportunity to allow Nannin’ to use her magic that same day Vitaline claims to own the shoe. Nannin’ uses the wand to recreate the trappings of the night Cendrillon met Paul, but Cendrillon decides against meeting Paul under the spell, allowing the young man to meet her as she really is. The story is based on life on the island of Martinique, and the costumes and descriptors are based on West Indian culture.

Brian Pinkney’s illustrations using scratchboard, luma dyes, gouache, and oil paints are bold and vibrant. The brush strokes provide a sense of movement to each illustration. Particularly interesting is the fact that most of the two-page spreads include one larger illustration that covers both pages with another smaller painting included in the text box which is surrounded by a painted border. The beautiful green island of Mer des Antilles is lushly illustrated and Paul’s manor house sets the grand stage for a ball.

The illustrations by this Caldecott Honor Award winner and the text by the acclaimed author of over 50 children’s picture books is a treat to be shared by young and old alike who enjoy the Cinderella story.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
*Publisher’s Weekly: “The lyrical cadences of the text spattered with French and Creole words combine with the sensuous paintings to bring the tropics to life.”
* Starred Review in Booklist: “Particularly vibrant, both in its melodious language and its spirited art. . . A vital rendition of an old favorite."
* Starred Review in School Library Journal: “An outstanding Cinderella variant for any collection."

5. CONNECTIONS
*Use Macmillan’s Caribbean coloring books to allow children to create illustrations of their own which they can then use to author their own original stories.
*Read The Illustrated Anansi: Four Caribbean Folk Tales by Philip Sherlock and illustrated by Petrina Wright and compare the stories with Cendrillon. How are they alike? How do they differ?
*Compare the illustrations in Cendrillon to photographs of the West Indies. Discuss how Pinkney’s illustrations capture the “feel” of the beautiful islands of this region of the world.
*Compare Cendrillon with other Cinderella versions and variants. Allow students to write their own reviews of Cinderella stories to present to the class. Then compile the reviews to create a class book.

Review - A CALDECOTT CELEBRATION: SIX ARTISTS AND THEIR PATHS TO THE CALDECOTT MEDAL

2009-02-06T17:27:00.003-06:00

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Marcus, Leonard S. 1998. A CALDECOTT CELEBRATION: SIX ARTISTS AND THEIR PATHS TO THE CALDECOTT MEDAL. New York: Walker and Company. ISBN 0802786561

2. PLOT SUMMARY
How does a Caldecott Award winning book go from doodles and ideas to finished works worthy of the highest honor in children’s book illustrations? Children’s book historian and critic Leonard S. Marcus looks at six winners - one from each decade beginning with the 1940s and going through the 1990s, when Marcus’s book was published. The children’s works covered include Make Way for Ducklings (1942) by Robert McCloskey, Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper, (1955) by Marcia Brown, Where the Wild Things Are (1964) by Maurice Sendak, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble (1970) by William Steig, Jumanji, (1982) by Chris Van Allsburg, and Tuesday (1992) by David Wiesner. The book begins with an introduction about the award itself. Then the featured books and illustrators are discussed (in the cases of these six books, the illustrator is also the author). Finally, reference material including a list of the Caldecott Medal Winners from 1938-1998, a glossary of terms used within the book, and an index of proper nouns bring the book to a close.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Marcus’s book is fascinating, especially for those who love children’s picture books but don’t have much knowledge of how they come to be. While it’s not necessary for enjoying the “tours” of the books, familiarity with the six works definitely adds to the appeal of this read. The authors/illustrators and the stories of their award-winners come to life with engaging text and a behind-the-scenes look at each author and his or her featured work. Every turn of the page delights the reader with anecdotes, photos, descriptions of where the authors got their ideas, thumbnails and dummies of the art included in the books, other pieces produced by the artists and much more. Even with all that fun packed in, the book is bound in the size and shape of a children’s picture book, and is every bit as enjoyable to read.

The introduction gives historical background, explaining why the six books included were chosen, and providing information about how the dates work (the date the book was published versus the date the medal was given). Reference materials in the back include a list of Caldecott Medal winners spanning the 60 years from 1938 through 1998, a glossary of terms used throughout the book, and an index of proper nouns.

The reader will walk away from Marcus’s book feeling like these six artists and their special works are good friends. However, a word of warning is in order: your pocketbook may take a hit as you lay down this book to head to the bookstore to purchase not only these six treasures, but others in the Caldecott medal family as well.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
*Starred review in PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: “Filled with witty anecdotes and pithy observations, Marcus’s approach to examining the works of six Caldecott Medalists will be of as much interest to adults as to picture book readers.”
*Starred review in BOOKLIST: “Marcus, who interviewed each artist, provides a lively, informative introduction to each book and its maker. A beautifully made book, this will serve as a fine resource for children interested in illustration and for teachers researching author/illustrator studies." --Booklist (starred review)
Children’s Book Page: “My only gripe about this lovely little book is that it isn't longer!”

5. CONNECTIONS
*Use this book to introduce children to the inner workings of creating books.
*Allow children to go through the process of creating their own books by creating sketches and thumbnails, writing text, and creating final illustrations. Bind pages and create a classroom library of “local authors.”
*Gather the six books, examine each one while reading that section in Marcus’s book, and simply enjoy the amazing art and the wonderful stories. Find a friend to share it with.

Click, Clack, Moo - A Picture Book Review

2009-01-30T23:52:00.003-06:00

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cronin, Doreen. 2000. CLICK, CLACK, MOO: COWS THAT TYPE. Ill. by Betsy Lewin. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0689832133

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Farmer Brown can’t believe his ears when he hears the sound of a typewriter in the barn. Cows that type? Then he can’t believe his eyes when he finds a note nailed to the barn door. The cows are cold and want electric blankets! Soon the hens join in and go on strike with the cows. As demands and negotiations fly back and forth between Farmer Brown and the cows, Duck’s involvement as the neutral third party doesn’t quite go as Farmer Brown intended. Finally an agreement is reached - or is it? The twist at the end will delight readers of all ages.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Doreen Cronin’s background as an attorney sparkles in this, her first book in the Farmer Brown series. The simple text is lively. The negotiations are hilarious. Children may not know about a typewriter, but they get a good idea of how one sounds. “Click, clack, moo. Click, clack, moo. Clickety, clack, moo.” Typed notes are integrated seamlessly into the text, and Farmer Brown’s incredulous exclamations to the notes draw the human readers into the story. (Animal readers may have trouble if they do not understand Moo.)

Betsy Lewin’s watercolor illustrations are bold and bright. While the text indicates the passing of time with transitions such as “The next day” and “early the next morning,” the illustrations help readers differentiate between what is happening during the day between Farmer Brown and the animals, and what is happening at night in the barn as the colors go from bright to shades of gray. The expressions on the animals’ faces are full of personality and spunk. Farmer Brown certainly has his hands full with this bunch!

Fortunately for us, Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin have collaborated on several books with the promise of more to come.

• A Caldecott Honor Book
• An ALA Notable Book
• A School Library Journal Best Book
• Child Magazine’s Guide to Top Books,Videos, and Software of the Year
• Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Book of 2000/Picture Book

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
*School Library Journal: “A terrific picture-book debut for Cronin.”
*Horn Book: “That typewriters may be as anachronistic to today's kids as rumble seats and spinning wheels won't lessen their enjoyment of this amusing story.”
*Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy: "A read-aloud must for teachers who wish to create classroom space for conversations about literacy and power with even the youngest of readers."

5. CONNECTIONS
*Have children log on to doreencronin.com and click on “Writer U” for fun ideas for writing stories of their own.
*Read some of the books on doreencronin.com under “Good Reads.” Talk about why she might like these books in particular.
*Read more books in the series - Giggle, Giggle, Quack and Duck for President were the next two, but there have been others as well. Children may then want to try writing their own adventure with Farmer Brown’s animals to add to the collection.
*Discuss the power of the written word as demonstrated by the notes in the book. How can our writing provide us with a voice that might otherwise be ignored?

Review - Caldecott Award Winner THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET

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1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Selznick, Brian. 2007. THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 0439813786

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Twelve-year-old Hugo Cabret’s life is one of fear and hiding. Living behind the walls of the Paris train station, Hugo fights to survive after his father dies and his uncle disappears. Hugo’s life changes forever when he is caught stealing from a toy booth by the bitter old man who runs it. Hugo had been using parts from the toys to try to rebuild an automaton that his father had been working on before his death. Certain that the automaton held a message for him from his father, Hugo is desperate to finish it. However, getting caught gets in the way of his repairs. As he struggles to fix the mechanical man and discover the secret message, Hugo finds that the toy booth owner has a deep secret of his own that is threatening his well-being. Through an interesting twist of events, Hugo’s attempts to unlock the mysteries of the mechanical man and uncover the secrets of the old man suddenly become one and the same quest.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
“I want you to picture yourself sitting in the darkness, like the beginning of a movie.” Thus states the introduction. The book begins with the idea of being in a cinema, and the black pages of the book simulate the movie theatre. Text boxes provide a white background for the black text that is easy to follow. Dialogue among the characters accompanies the narrator’s verbal descriptions. The language is simple, yet has an elegance to it which befits the 1931 setting. The story moves quickly and builds dramatically as Hugo tries to solve the mystery of the mechanical man.

However, the real jewel of this book is not the text alone, but the pencil drawings which accompany the text - 284 pages of them. Selznick tells a large part of the story through illustrations that pick up where text leaves off and tell the story until the text resumes. Most of the illustrations are Selznick’s own art; however, appropriately placed throughout the story are movie stills from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and works by the filmmaker Georges Melies. The illustrations are fascinating as the reader turns page after page to see the beautiful drawings while continuing to “read” the story the pictures tell. They are full of movement and adventure. It would be impossible to separate the text from the illustrations. Neither can tell the story without the other.

This winner of the 2008 Caldecott Medal is fascinating, and the intriguing story will capture the imaginations of young readers and adults alike.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
*Starred Review in Publishers Weekly: “Here is a true masterpiece - an artful blending of narrative, illustration and cinematic technique, for a story as tantalizing as it is touching.”
*Starred review in Kirkus: “a uniquely inventive story told in text, sequential art and period photographs and film.”
*Starred review in School Library Journal: With characteristic intelligence, exquisite images, and a breathtaking design, Selznick shatters conventions related to the art of bookmaking in this magical mystery set in 1930s Paris.

5. CONNECTIONS
*Older elementary-aged children who are eager to break into the world of “big kids” chapter books may really appreciate this book. At 526 pages, this book looks like a real challenge. However, with nearly 300 pages of pictures, children will easily be able to finish this challenge and feel proud for having done so.
*Many of the drawings, especially the ones from the collection of George Melies, make good pictures for students to practice writing captions or short stories. In reverse, children may want to draw illustrations for portions of the story told in text.
*www.theinventionofhugocabret.com is a wonderful website to accompany reading of the book. Links take the reader to YouTube to actually view Melies’s A Trip to the Moon, see an actual automaton, learn about Brian Selznick, and much more.

Welcome!

2009-01-21T08:13:00.002-06:00

Welcome to Corbyn's Corner! Stay tuned for reviews of some of the best children's books available today and ideas on ways to use literature in your classroom or at home with your own children or grandchildren. I look forward to sharing some time with you!