TMS Library BookBlog

2009-07-27T09:08:00.000-07:00

Den of Thieves by Julia Golding

DISCUSSION GUIDE

Discussion Questions:

1. Throughout the novel, keep a chart or discussion thread based on the reading strategy SCAMPER - see graphic organizer below

Setting - keep track of the setting and consider how both time and place affect the plot.

For instance, how would this story be different if it took place today? In Africa instead of Europe?

Why do you think authors often choose to set novels during times of momentous events or change?

Compare/contrast descriptions of Cat's hometown London and Paris. See example below. Use text evidence to support your comparison. These cities and the culture within them play an important role in the novel. Could you make the argument that the cities are also characters in the novel?

There is also a comparison of city vs. country in the novel. What are the pros and cons of living in the city according to Cat? the country? Do you agree/disagree? Why?

Character - Cat has a lot of friends and enemies in this novel, most of whom are male. Make a chart of all the men/boys in Cat's life and jot down characteristics of her relationship to them. See example below. Consider:
What does Cat think of them? Use text evidence to support your answer
What do they think of Cat?
What motivates them?
Are they similar to/different from Cat? How so?

2. Extension Activities:

Art:
- make a cockade to support the French Revolution, find instructions at
- create your own cover of the next installment of the "Tales of Cat of Drury Lane" using the following examples from GoogleBooks and the example on p. 111.
Dance:
- go to a ballet performance or have ballet instruction brought to the library,
- have ballet students visit and present/interview.
- read articles -
- read graphic novel -
Theater: Cat is a child of the theater, and on the pages just before the Prologue, she has named the principal characters in the play that is her life.
- Take one scene from the story and turn it into a script (either one to be acted or a Reader's Theater script) and perform. Think about how writing a script is different from writing a novel. What changes? What remains the same?
- Here are some resources on script writing:
History:
- Research the French Revolution. How is it similar to/different from the American Revolution?
Language Arts:
- Write a letter as if you were JF in answer to Cat's on pp. 411-413
- Invite a French teacher or native speaker of French to give a lesson or two on the French language
- Join an epals group with students from Paris to learn about the language and culture
Culinary Arts:
- In the novel, JF was quite a good cook. Research French recipes from the time of the Revolution and have a French feast - cook recipes and enjoy a potluck. Compile recipes into a "Cat's Cookbook."

2009-07-27T09:04:00.000-07:00

Book Review: THE EVOLUTION OF CALPURNIA TATE
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Kelly, Jacqueline. 2009. THE EVOLUTION OF CALPURNIA TATE. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company.

AWARDS/KUDOS: GMA's Best Books for Summer Reading, Amazon.com Best Books of 2009...so far.

FAN SITE: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Evolution-of-Calpurnia-Tate/90270728036?v=feed Give the author your ideas for a sequel!

PLOT SUMMARY:
In central Texas in 1899, 11-year-old Callie Vee tate is instructed to be a lady by her mother, learns about love from the older three brothers, and studies the natural world with her grandfather, leading to an important discovery.

REFLECTIONS:
It is fitting that I would read THE EVOLUTION OF CALPURNIA TATE in the middle of a Central Texas summer heatwave, because the novel starts with a statement that is still true today, "By 1899, we had learned to tame the darkness but not the Texas heat." Sitting in the shade of a pecan tree reading the novel, I longed to be like Callie Vee, to strip down to my chemise, jump in the river, enjoy the cool water, becoming "a river cloud, turning gently in the eddies." With details such as the chemise and colorful dialect, author Jacqueline Kelly masterfully intertwines details revealing all that has changed in 100+ years, contrasting it with all that remains the same. Although THE EVOLUTION OF CALPURNIA TATE is a historical novel of central Texas, it is also a timeless story of growing up and self-discovery.

What has changed is the technology; in the novel, Callie Vee's family gets a "wind machine," the town gets a telephone, and an automobile arrives at the county fair. This new technology and the dawn of a new century brings a shift in ideas about what roles men and women should play in society. What hasn't changed is the mix of excitement and trepidation that comes with growing up: recognizing first love, finding out what interests you, discovering that friends and family grow apart, learning to be more independent, and realizing that society may have expectations of you that you may need to challenge. It turns out, for instance, with hilarious complications, that three of Callie's brothers are sweet on her best friend, who seems more fit for romance than the science-loving protagonist, accelerating her own quest to figure out where she fits in the brave new world. Fortunately for Calpernia Virginia Tate, during this hot summer on the verge of a new milennium, she also discovers a kindred spirit and a strong ally in her grandfather.

For anyone who has had a special relationship with a grandparent or extended family member, THE EVOLUTION OF CALPURNIA TATE will ring so true that you'll find yourself setting the book down to reminisce and your heart will fill with even more love for that person. On one of their first nature walks together, Callie Vee and her grandfather are still trying to negotiate the uncharted territory of their newfound friendship when she takes his hand for support. "I...slipped my hand into his. The palm was calloused and weathered, the nails thick and curved, a miraculous construction of leather and horn. My grandfather looked startled, then pleased, I think, although I couldn't tell for sure. Nevertheless, his hand closed on mine."

It is in the relationship with Captain Tate, Callie Vee's grandfather that the novel takes on an unusual character, in that it describes in detail, how to be a naturalist and scientist. As with the historical and setting-specific details, the author has a light touch, so that the reader doesn't feel that he or she is being lectured to about the scientific method, but rather that, like Callie Vee, we are soaking up all the wisdom that grandfather can impart. As she begins to observe the natural world more closely, her family also comes into sharper focus, and Callie Vee ends the year much wiser and happier than she started the summer.

I won't give away the great discoveries that the pair make both in science and life, but the reading public has discovered an entertaining and thoughtful new voice in Jacqueline Kennedy. Her own expertise in science (she is a physician in Austin), I think, aids in the naturalness of the description in the novel, and her wry humor often transcends the young adult genre, so that I think both young adults and adults alike would enjoy the book. As a girl, I loved Little House on the Prarie, and THE EVOLUTION OF CALPURNIA TATE reminded me of it to the extent that Callie's voice is so entertaining, and that all the characters are strongly drawn that I hope she will write a sequel. I'd like to know whether Harry goes to university or ditches it all for the lovely Fern, whether Lula does indeed fall for one of Callie's brothers, whether grandfather gets to ride in an automobile after all, and whether Callie can check off any of her New Year's resolutions.

So, although THE EVOLUTION OF CALPURNIA TATE is a historical novel, it transcends its setting, revealing a timeless character in Callie Vee, whose sense of humor and good-hearted gumption will leave you wanting more. Bring on the sequel!

CONNECTIONS:
*General: This would be a fantastic book for an all-city One Book or community read. It would appeal to young adults, upper elementary, and adults alike, especially those of us who live in or have lived in rural Texas communities.
*Science and Critical Thinking: The descriptions of Texas wildlife and the scientific method lend themselves to reading the book aloud (in particular the passage beginning on p. 103 which describes collecting and looking at pond water through a microscope, taking detailed notes, then researching in the library), and then conducting field research around the school. A good companion book would be FROG SCIENTIST which details Dr. Tyrone Hayes and his students studying frogs in the field.
*Social Studies and Critical Thinking: This book is packed with anecdotes from Texas History - from the description of Austin in 1899, to a story about a bat caught in a battle along the Sabine River (p.40), along with the well-researched details of daily life in Texas at that time. I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of the cotton harvest and gin (p. 197), and it would be great to take 7th grade students out to Burton, TX to see the running of the oldest operational cotton gin in America. See http://www.cottonginfestival.com/ for more information.

2009-07-08T13:08:00.000-07:00

Book Review: IF THE WITNESS LIED
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Cooney, Caroline B. 2009. IF THE WITNESS LIED. New York, NY: Random House Children’s Books.

2. PLOT SUMMARY:
The four Fountain children are orphans. First, their mother dies of cancer shortly after the birth of her fourth child, Tris, and because she chose to have the baby rather than chemo, Tris’s birth becomes a media flashpoint. Then, soon after the mother’s death, the father is killed in a freak accident by Tris, turning the toddler into an even bigger headline. But with the family disintegrating and the children’s guardian selling the story to make a docudrama, the three older siblings don’t know who to trust or how to protect little Tris from the true evil lurking in their lives.

3. REFLECTIONS:
Caroline B. Cooney, famed author of THE FACE ON THE MILK CARTON, has penned another tightly packed thriller in this realistic drama. Somehow, she has managed to create a story which both unwinds and winds up at the same time. By offering different perspectives on the Fountain family’s tragedies (each sibling, the siblings’ friends, Tris’s babysitter, school officials, and the media) details of both the mother’s slow death during her pregnancy with Tris, and the sudden death of Tris’s father in a freak accident, unwind the story which has been twisted by TV, and each brother or sister’s feelings of guilt. At the same time, Tris’s two sisters, Madison and Smith, and brother Jack become bound more and more tightly by the realization that their “Aunt” Cheryl has not only sold their story to a TV show intent on presenting it as a “docudrama,” but also may have killed their father, then lied about it to make Tris caused the accident.

A master storyteller, Cooney winds up the tension as the three kids, along with their friend and Tris’s babysitter try to solve the crime while protecting Tris from the TV spotlight and “Aunt” Cheryl. I found myself rooting right along with “Team Tris” as they call themselves, and trying to figure out how four high school kids could possibly thwart an evil adult who has legal custody of the family and evade the media at the same time. By the end, the book is impossible to put down, and although some critics have lamented that the title gives away Aunt Cheryl’s crime and that the ending is a bit too tidy, this isn’t really a mystery, but rather a thriller, so the question isn’t what did the aunt do, but why and how can the kids prove it. As far as the tidy ending is concerned, the entire novel hints at divine intervention – the fact that Tris’s two older sisters decide to come home on the same day, and that Jack decides to cut school and go home, fearing that Cheryl will throw out treasured possessions that belonged to the parents – possessions which ultimately the aunt’s true crimes. Each sibling wonders at some point if the parents are trying to send them a message, and an underlying theme of the book is faith, so when the grandparents show up at the end to help save the day, it may just be another example of heavenly help.

Regardless, IF THE WITNESS LIED is more about the strength of family and friends, healing and trust, and less about a crime and how it’s solved, so inconsistencies and tidy resolutions can be, in my opinion, dismissed. The novel also brings up many ethical questions about the role of the media in the lives of ordinary people who have suffered a tragedy. Reading IF THE WITNESS LIED during the coverage and frenzy surrounding the early passing of Michael Jackson led me to think again and again of his children and how they will manage to heal under the seemingly insatiable public eye. Hopefully, young adults who read the novel will come away having been entertained, but also with empathy for those who end up front page news.
IF THE WITNESS LIED will appeal to anyone who enjoys realistic thrillers/dramas, such as April Henry’s SHOCKPOINT, Sarah Dessen’s novels, or THE BLUFORD HIGH series.

4. CONNECTIONS:
*Science and Critical Thinking: While reading the book, students could chart the clues and use a series such as 24/7: Science Behind the Scenes Forensic Files to write a continuation of the story, building a legal case against “Aunt” Cheryl with the evidence found by the characters in IF THE WITNESS LIED.

*ELA and Critical Thinking: IF THE WITNESS LIED brings up a bevy of questions about the ethics of media coverage and the rights of minors. After brainstorming the questions raised by the novel, students could form teams and research issues such as who gets custody of children after the death of parents, at what age should a sibling be allowed to become guardian of a younger sibling, what laws could protect minors from unscrupulous guardians, how can minors be protected from invasive media coverage, what should/shouldn’t the media cover, etc. The topics could then be discussed in terms of pros and cons and the class could engage in a debate. It would be an excellent way to get students to use text/factual evidence to support opinions.

2009-07-02T13:24:00.000-07:00

Book Review: PETRONELLA SAVES NEARLY EVERYONE
Book One in the series: The Entomological Tales of Augustus T. Percival
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Low, Dene. 2009. PETRONELLA SAVES NEARLY EVERYONE: ENTOMOLOGICAL TALES OF AUGUSTUS T. PERCIVAL. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

2. PLOT SUMMARY:
16-year-old upper-class English girl Petronella Arbuthnot only has thoughts of her coming out party and her best friend Jane’s dreamy older brother James, when her whole world is turned upside down by a double kidnapping, ransom notes, and the strange bug-eating behavior of her uncle and guardian, Augustus T. Percival. What ensues is a wonderful romp through British manners and mores as Petronella, her friends, her uncle, assorted relatives, and even her butler attempt to apprehend the kidnappers, avoid an international incident, and save the day.

3. REFLECTIONS:
Mysteries are not normally my genre, but PETRONELLA SAVES NEARLY EVERYONE is charming, funny, and filled with enough non-stop action that any reader who enjoys a spunky heroine will love it. Set in Victorian England, the mystery pokes good-natured fun at the manners and mores of the British, while touching on historical events such as the building of the Panama Canal, the invention of the telephone, and the discovery that mosquitoes carried yellow fever and malaria.

Having lived in England during my own middle school years, I enjoyed the setting and the dialogue immensely. The author captures the dialect of both the upper and lower classes well. For instance, the thoroughly aristocratic love interest James has a penchant for calling people “old egg” and “old stick” and teasing the main character by saying, “…you have said nothing about my hirsute splendor. Your curls, by the way, are ravishing, and if I were not currently enamored of a chit playing the part of Isabelle in the West End, I would be in danger of losing my heart.” (p.10) Other characters, such as a street vendor, speak with a heavy Cockney accent, remarking to Petronella, “Laws, no, dearie. Sorry to say, I ain’t seen no one like that. ‘Ope you finds ‘im, I do.” Petronella’s own narration is as funny and astute as any of the characters’, and readers who enjoy witty wordplay will find themselves chuckling out loud.

PETRONELLA SAVES NEARLY EVERYONE isn’t simply a historical mystery, however. Much like Meg Cabot’s series THE MEDIATOR, author Dene Low deftly weaves humor and romance into the story, making it at once a fun and “frothy” romp (in the words of reviewer Caroline Severmer) that many of the middle grade girls who crave smart romance without the mean girls and gossip of other series will enjoy.

Sadly, while Petronella saves nearly everyone (you’ll have to read to find out why only nearly everyone is saved), she doesn’t get the boy, James, although there is enough handholding, accidental embracing, and eye-gazing to give us all hope that in the books to come the mystery and romance will only increase!

4. CONNECTIONS:
*Science: As an “entomological tale,” the novel introduces many fascinating facts about bugs, the first of which is that bugs are regularly eaten in some cultures, and sometimes by unsuspecting British uncles! It would be great to pair the novel with IT’S DISGUSTING AND WE ATE IT by James Solheim.

This short nonfiction title has eye-catching illustrations and tells the history of strange things eaten by cultures around the world. (Thank you to Cheri Cowart for donating a copy to the TMS library!) In addition, science teachers could incorporate a webquest or even field trip (if in the Austin, Texas area) of the Texas Natural Science Museum’s exhibit “Winged Wonders” which explains not only the science of winged flight, but also how insects produce the beautiful and diverse colors we see on their wings. (http://www.utexas.edu/tmm/exhibits/winged_wonders/index.html)

2008-07-20T08:03:00.000-07:00

Book Review: THE KILLING SEA

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Lewis, Richard. 2006. THE KILLING SEA. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

2. PLOT SUMMARY:
In the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami in Sumatra, two teenagers, American Sara and Acehnese Ruslan, meet and continue together their arduous climb inland, where Ruslan hopes to find his father and sarah seeks a doctor for her brother.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

On one level, I dreaded reading this book. On another, I knew that, as a Junior Library Guild pick, the novel would be well-written, but each time I tried to pick it up, images of the 2004 tsunami flashed in my head. Well, I shouldn't have hesitated; THE KILLING SEA is a wonderful novel filled with love, friendship, courage, family, and yes, tragedy. Author Richard Lewis doesn't spare the reader realistic descriptions of the death and destruction wrought by the tsunami, but he weaves it into such a story of love and survival, that the overall sense is one of love and hope.

At the story's beginning, Sarah and Ruslan meet, and this encounter clearly highlights how completely different their worlds are. Soon their paths part, with each one's story being told in alternating chapters. This allows us to get to know both Sarah and Ruslan, their talents, weaknesses, dreams and fears. By the time they find each other again in the aftermath of the disaster, their worlds have changed, and they now live in an unimaginable place of death and danger. As Ruslan's faith in God is tested, Sarah's faith in family is renewed, and both find comfort in each other's strength. Their friendship and will to survive will leave you laughing and crying in turns.

I recommend this novel for anyone who likes adventure, survival stories, or stories of family and friendship. If you liked HATCHET or THE SHE, you'll like THE KILLING SEA.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S):
BOOKLIST: Drawing from his own experience as a rescue worker, Lewis creates a powerful fictional tale of survival and cooperation in the wake of the 2004 tsunami that killed nearly a quarter of a million people and devastated much of the Southeast Asian coastline....Although many of Lewis' descriptions are horrifyingly vivid, Ruslan's resilience and Sarah's emotional numbness will give readers some shielding.

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: The author treats cultural differences with a gentle and honest touch. He also creates a vivid picture of the many horrors and challenges faced in the immediate aftermath of a large-scale natural disaster. Despite drawbacks, this book will appeal to fans of survival adventures like Gary Paulsen's Hatchet

5. CONNECTIONS
* 7th Grade SCIENCE - This novel, along with Plum-Ucci's THE SHE have sections that would be great read-alouds when studying earthquakes and tsunamis. The dramatic retelling of what happens would help students visualize the physical process. (pp. 18-42)

* 6th Grade SOCIAL STUDIES - Indonesia is not only a country torn apart by a natural disaster, but also one which is torn apart by a civil war fought by a dictatorial military government and rebel armies. THE KILLING SEA addresses both, along with the customs of the country's Muslim people. This novel would be an outstanding read-aloud while studying Indonesia.

* 6th-8th ELA - Structurally, THE KILLING SEA makes a good example of telling a story by starting with two main characters together, then splitting them in two by using alternating chapters, and bringing them together just before the climax and resolution. It is realistic fiction that also shows the importance of research. There are some really good examples of how to weave factual information (pp. 12-15, 32, 58-59 about tsunamis, the ocean, and leeches) into a fictional piece.

2008-02-03T11:43:00.000-08:00

Book Review: PARANOID PARK

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Nelson, Blake. PARANOID PARK. 2006. New York, NY: Viking Juvenile.

2. PLOT SUMMARY:
A 16-year-old skater knows he's taking a risk in going to Paranoid Park, a tough unofficial street skating "park" on the bad side of town, but he never thinks the night will end in murder. When it does, he keeps it secret, but, as a result, his life begins to unravel.

3. REFLECTIONS:
This is a gritty novel which is recommended by the School Library Journal for 7th grade and up. Nelson's first-person narrator is completely believable, and I spent the whole novel feeling depressed and tense as I sympathized with him.

As my students all know, "Mrs. K" likes fantasy more than realistic fiction, so I can't say that I enjoyed the novel, but I would recommend this title to those who like to read books that tend to be darker and more soul-searching. If you like Edgar Allen Poe or Dostoevsky, PARANOID PARK may scratch the morbid little itch that's been bothering you.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S):
Booklist: "Readers will have a visceral reaction to this story, but on a literary level, they'll also appreciate Nelson's clever plotting and spot-on characterizations...Nonstop page turning until the surprising conclusion."

School Library Journal: " Thus, this novel, which probes the cultural divide separating the narrator from the rough-and-tumble Streeters, examines the chasm separating moral responsibility from the eternal damnation of keeping a horrible secret. The story is less resolved than Michael Cadnum's Calling Home (Viking, 1991), but many teens will relate on one level or another to this teen's terrible dilemma."

5. CONNECTIONS
*This would pair well with classics such as CRIME AND PUNISHMENT by Dostoevsky or CALLING HOME by Michael Cadnum.
* This novel also deals with the alienation caused by divorce and would be a good choice for a literature group discussion of alienation, divorce, or moral dilemmas.

2008-02-03T10:50:00.000-08:00

Book Review: GABRIEL'S HORSES and GABRIEL'S TRIUMPH

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Hart, Alison. GABRIEL'S HORSES. 2007. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree Publishers.

2. PLOT SUMMARY:
12-year-old Gabriel lives as a slave on a plantation in Kentucky during the Civil War. While Gabriel's father fights to buy his mother's freedom, Gabriel hopes to use his skill riding horses to win enough money to buy his own freedom, too. But when the plantation owner hires a new horse trainer who is cruel to both slaves and horses alike, he sees his dream dying. Will he have the courage to risk his life by standing up for himself and his horses?

3. REFLECTIONS:
The first two novels of this trilogy are fast-paced, short, and very well researched. Considering the slim size of the books, the author manages to pack in a lot of historical material about slaves, the civil war, and the Kentucky horse racing tradition without slowing down the plot or bogging down the lively characters.

I read each novel in less than six hours (I know this, because I read them during a road trip of about that length!) and the endearing character of Gabriel captured my imagination so much that not only didn't I get car sick, but I couldn't help but tear up at the end of the book! Hart does a wonderful job of creating dialect which is at once of the period and very believable. The conversation between characters flows naturally, and the descriptions of the races were riveting.

GABRIEL'S HORSES and GABRIEL'S TRIUMPH will appeal to all level of readers, both advanced and reluctant, and will have special appeal to young adults who enjoy reading about horses, the Civil War, and African-American history.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S):
Booklist: "The boy's first-person, present-tense narrative brings close the thrilling horse racing––on the plantation, at the race course, and in the war––and the African American history in all its complexity."

School Library Journal: "The author grounds this fast-paced tale in historical fact by providing a nonfiction epilogue. Readers will find this wonderful blend of history and horses appealing."

5. CONNECTIONS
* At Taylor Middle School, 8th grade students study the Civil War in both ELA and Social Studies classes. This novel would be great to read as a class novel or part of a literature circle.
* In the month of February, we celebrate Black History Month, and this series would be a welcome addition to a display of books by and about African-Americans.

2007-12-02T16:16:00.001-08:00

Book Review: THE BURN JOURNALS
*Note: this blog was created for a class at TWU

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Runyon, Brent. 2005. THE BURN JOURNALS. New York, NY: Random House Books.

2. PLOT SUMMARY:
Brent Runyon's memoir describes the year he attempted suicide by setting himself on fire from the depression he felt in the days leading up to it, to the excruciating months of hospitalization and physical therapy he underwent until he was able to return to public school.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
THE BURN JOURNALS are shocking, demoralizing, and beautiful all at once. Runyon begins his memoir with the day leading up to his suicide attempt, and the prose reveals a smart, funny, popular kid, who is deeply anxious and depressed about his life and actions. Like his family and friends, the reader is shocked when he pours gasoline on himself and lights it on fire. When he wakes up in the hospital, the prose is short, painfully broken, reflecting his physical state, and I found myself holding my breath, concerned that he wouldn't make it.

As Runyon begins to heal, his entries slowly regain some humor, but it isn't until almost three quarters of the way into THE BURN JOURNALS that he really begins to deal with the depression and guilt he feels for putting his family through everything. The fact that the journals don't try to have the pacing of a Disney movie is one of the aspects that keeps the memoir honest. Brent isn't always insightful or grateful to be alive. He's sometimes petty and stubborn, and fails to recognize how much his life and his family's life have changed as a result of "the accident."

Although at the end of the memoir, Brent is just beginning to attend public school again, and will face many challenges in the future, THE BURN JOURNALS leave the reader with a sense of hope for Brent's future, and a profound respect for his will to survive. At the end of the book, Brent thanks his editor for keeping him honest, and for forcing him to write the book. He also advises anyone who is depressed to get help and admits that depression is something with which he will always struggle. The website http://www.burnjournals.com/content.htmlhas resources for those with depression and who may be considering suicide as well as a photo gallery and information about what Brent is doing now.

THE BURN JOURNALS have been banned in some schools, and while we don't have it in our middle school library, it is available at the high school, and I have recommended it to 8th grade students on an individual basis. Sometimes it is compared with RUNNING WITH SCISSORS, a book which I felt contained a lot of details intended purely for shock value, and I wondered if parts had been exaggerated. In my opinion, THE BURN JOURNALS have much more merit, and should not be put in the same category.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S):
Booklist (starred review): "Runyon has, perhaps, written the defining book of a new genre, one that gazes as unflinchingly at boys on the emotional edge as Zibby O'Neal's The Language of Goldfish (1980) and Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak (1999) do at girls. Some excruciatingly painful moments notwithstanding, this can and should be read by young adults, as much for its literary merit as for its authentic perspective on what it means to attempt suicide, and, despite the resulting scars, be unable to remember why."

5. CONNECTIONS
* This book could be paired with FIREGIRL by Tony Abbott, which compassionately describes the (fictional) experience of a boy who befriends Jessica, a new girl in school who has been badly burned in an accident. The two books together reveal the effects of such a tragedy from different perspectives.

2007-12-02T15:39:00.000-08:00

Book Review: ELSEWHERE
*Note: this blog was created for a class at TWU

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Zevin, Gabrielle. 2005. ELSEWHERE. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.

2. PLOT SUMMARY:
Fifteen-year-old Liz Hall just wants to be invited to the prom and get her driver's permit, but when she is hit by a taxi and killed, sending her "elsewhere," to a place both like and unlike Earth where the dead grow younger every year until they return as babies to begin a new life, she must learn how to "live" all over again.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
This is, by far, the most difficult analysis of all the books I've read this semester. Why? Because, unlike the reviewers, I only kind of liked the book, and yet I can't put my finger on why. So, let me start by talking about two books which I liked better, and which came to mind while I was reading ELSEWHERE.

One is a slim novel by Gary Soto entitled THE AFTERLIFE. There are two immediate reasons why I prefer this novel to ELSEWHERE. First, the voice of the protagonist, Chuy, is distinct, clear, and intriguing. He peppers his conversation with Spanish, he reveals more curiosity, and offers more humor. Second, Chuy explores the afterlife more actively and expresses a lot more love and forgiveness. Although he may have taken a lot for granted while he was living, he's a lot less selfish than Liz. And although some critics have called Zevin's prose poetic, Gary Soto is the master of the beautiful phrase ("the sun rose pink as a scar" and "laundry hung like faded flags of defeated nations") Soto's story has been criticized for not really have a strong plot structure, but I think that was inevitable if you've got a character who can't really dictate where he is going. ELSEWHERE bogs down in a similar way, but I still enjoyed THE AFTERLIFE more, maybe because it is shorter?

The second is THE LIFE OF PI by Yann Martel. While it's true that Pi doesn't die in the novel, the world which he knew before being stranded in the ocean certainly did. Like Liz, he loses everything and everyone he knew, but unlike Liz, he has a much more unique voice, an incredible imagination, and a ton of faith. Martel really delved into the philosophical implications of life, death, faith, and fate, and didn't just use the afterlife as a neato setting for a romance novel.

ELSEWHERE on the other hand, has a petulant, flat, boring protagonist, who, while bemoaning the mundane nature of her life on Earth, her funeral, her last words (that was pretty funny, that her last word was "Um," - and maybe that's the point and a sum of her character), she still couldn't break out of her pettiness to embrace things like her grandmother's unusual wardrobe. Just as Liz found Elsewhere boring, I found that I was bored and couldn't really get myself to care what she learned in the afterlife.

Nor do I think ELSEWHERE was as "fresh" and "inventive" as it was touted. There are lots of books, not to mention soap operas that use the afterlife, the spirit world, purgatory, heaven, or hell as a setting. (I remember one whole season of General Hospital in which purgatory played an important role.) And although the whole Canine language thing was my favorite part because the dogs had the strongest voices of all the characters in the book, that's not a new idea either (FIRESTORM, HARRY POTTER, just to name a couple).

Sorry to be so personal, but I was truly disappointed in ELSEWHERE because I liked the premise so much!

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S):
Booklist (starred review): "Far more than just a vehicle for a cosmology, this inventive novel slices right to the bone of human yearning, offering up an indelible vision of life and death as equally rich sides of the same coin."

Horn Book (starred review): "With an intriguing and well-developed premise, thoughtful characterization, and refreshing style, Zevin's poignant novel rewards readers with a view of death that celebrates the rich complexities of being alive."

5. CONNECTIONS
* Compare the narrator's view of life and death with that of Chuy in THE AFTERLIFE and Susie in THE LOVELY BONES.

2007-12-02T14:30:00.000-08:00

Book Review: HITLER YOUTH
*Note: this blog was created for a class at TWU

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. 2005. HITLER YOUTH: GROWING UP IN HITLER'S SHADOW. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc.

2. PLOT SUMMARY:
Through research, eyewitness interviews, anecdotal accounts, and photographs, Susan Campbell Bartoletti reveals the story of the young people who lived through Nazi rule, whether as Hitler Youth, Resistance Swing Youth, soldiers, or prisoners.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
In the Author's Note at the end of HITLER YOUTH, Susan Campbell Bartoletti explains the impetus for the book. After reading an article about how the Nazis "rode to power on the shoulders of politically active youth," her heart turned over and she wondered about these young people. Were they willing participants, brainwashed victims, or something in-between?

These questions led her on a journey to Washington, DC, Berlin, and Nuremburg. Bartoletti's research, interviewing, and reflecting took two years, and in the end, she wrote a book which she says is her "attempt to make sense out of the fact that adults taught young people to hate, to kill, and to feel superior over others. After all, the Hitler Youth weren't born Nazis; they became Nazis." As she says, the stories in HITLER YOUTH are complicated and they include the stories of "Aryans and Jews, devoted Nazis and Nazi resisters, leaders and followers, oppressors and victims."

HITLER YOUTH isn't easy to read, but the stories in it are told so honestly, and so openly that they really do make your heart turn over. Like Russell Freedman in his biography of Marian Anderson, Bartoletti doesn't start with a chronological history of Nazi Youth organizations, but with a snapshot of one incident, the murder of Hitler Youth Herbert Norkus at the hands of the Reds, a gang of Communist boys. Anyone who has ever run from bullies instantly knows how Herbert must have felt when running from the Reds. By personalizing the story of German youths, the author allows the reader to feel empathy for them. This empathy is necessary later, when the hate-filled acts condoned and even perpetrated by these youth are described. Yes, many were brainwashed and others were terribly afraid, but many were also swept up by the nationalism and charisma of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Yet it wasn't all hate, either. Bartoletti depicts the fun and adventure that many enjoyed at the youth camps, showing smiling campers, boys with accordions, and girls dancing. She also describes the combat conditions the young soldiers and medics endured. And finally, the author describes life after the war, including the deNazification process and punishment many of the youth went through.

Reading the accounts is emotionally wrenching, and would not be complete without also reading the Epilogue, in which we learn what became of the young people featured in HITLER YOUTH. Like their stories, their fates were diverse, some wrote books about their experiences, others have difficulty talking about them, some bear guilt over telling on parents and family members even as adults, and still others did not survive the war, leaving only their stories behind.

HITLER YOUTH was a Newbery, Orbis Pictus, and Sibert Honor book, and the 2005 Parents' Gold Choice Award winner. This book is a must read for everyone, because it is a lesson in forgiveness and a reminder to be constantly vigilant against the insidious ways in which hate can creep into our lives.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S):
School Library Journal (starred review): "The final chapter superbly summarizes the weighty significance of this part of the 20th century and challenges young readers to prevent history from repeating itself. Bartoletti lets many of the subjects' words, emotions, and deeds speak for themselves, bringing them together clearly to tell this story unlike anyone else has."

Booklist (starred review): "What was it like to be a teenager in Germany under Hitler? Bartoletti draws on oral histories, diaries, letters, and her own extensive interviews with Holocaust survivors, Hitler Youth, resisters, and bystanders to tell the history from the viewpoints of people who were there."

5. CONNECTIONS
* HITLER YOUTH has many social studies curriculum connections. At our middle school, students complete an interdisciplinary study of Holocaust in 8th grade social studies and read THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK in language arts class. This book would be a great addition to the reading list for the Holocaust unit along with novels such as THE BOOK THIEF by Marcus Zusak, DANIEL HALF-HUMAN by David Chotjewitz, MILKWEED by Jerry Spinelli, NUMBER THE STARS by Lois Lowry, and SOLDIER X by Don Wulffson, and would be an option for readers who prefer nonfiction to fiction.

2007-12-02T12:54:00.000-08:00

Blog Review: THE AGE OF ____________?
*Note: this blog was created for a class at TWU

1. ADDRESS:
http://theageof.blogspot.com/

2. SUMMARY:
This blog is created and maintained by Tom Philion, an associate professor at Roosevelt University, and includes reviews, commentary, and booktalks on all of the 2007 Prinz Award Winner and Honor Books as well as Alex Award winners and Top 10 Books for Young Adults. He focuses on making text-to-world connections.

3. REACTION:
Philion's reviews are well-written, and his short booktalk videos would be easy "borrow" from for my own booktalks and teachers who aren't comfortable booktalking could even show them to students.

While the blog doesn't have much visual razzle dazzle (which isn't what I'm looking for anyway), I like the fact that it is fairly focused in both terms of the books he reviews and the text-to-world connections. This is a blog aimed at teachers, librarians, and library science students, and he makes recommendations as to how and to whom to promote the books, how to use them in the classroom, and what themes seem to permeate young adult literature today.

For example, he noted that several of the 2007 Prinz Award Winners dealt with both a fear of terrorism/violence and with cultural confusion. Citing five of the novels, and providing links to government studies and recent media articles, he explores how the books reflect the world we live in now. Here's an excerpt of this commentary:

"According to a report of the Council of Economic Advisors, the United States is becoming an increasingly diverse nation, characterized by an unprecedented degree of social heterogeneity. However, the heterogeneity that increasingly defines American culture is not evenly distributed; gaps exist between regions and locales in terms of the quantity and degree of social diversity. In addition, some evidence exists that members of different ethnic and social groups have very different perceptions of and attitudes toward public policy issues. It seems fair to say that the representation of cultural diffusion and confusion in contemporary young adult literature mirrors the highly dynamic social environment of the United States, an environment that is increasingly multicultural, diverse, and self-aware with regard to issues of cultural diversity, yet also fraught with considerable challenges, misunderstandings, and conflicts."

Philion then continues to tie in each novel to recent events such as the Virginia Tech shootings and the Don Imus affair.

4. CONNECTIONS
* This would be a great blog to refer to when teachers chose to use one of these award-winning novels in the classroom, especially for pulling research and non-fiction articles linked to the major themes of the novels. I remember when I taught SLAUGHTERHOUSE 5 to my 11th graders last year, I spent a lot of time gathering information about the history of post-traumatic stress disorder and about instances of it among Iraq War veterans. The students were fascinated by it, and it helped them not only feel compassion for the characters in the novel, but also to see the novel's relevance today. Using the research and links from this blog could do the same for the new award-winning novels.

2007-12-02T12:18:00.001-08:00

Blog Review: PEARLS FROM THE GODDES OF YA LITERATURE
*Note: this blog was created for a class at TWU

1. ADDRESS: http://professornana.livejournal.com/

2. DESCRIPTION:
Teri Lesesne's blog, "Pearls from the Goddess of YA Literature," contains 90% reviews of the latest YA literature, 5% videos and links of interest, and 5% Teri's personal news and life. A perfect mix. And congratulations to her on the ALAN Award!

3.REACTION:
I trust this woman implicitly. So far in my fledgling career as a librarian, I have been able to go to two of her presentations of "Hot Off the Press: The Best and Newest Books for YAs," and I have thoroughly enjoyed both. At the most recent one last month, she pointed us all toward her blog, and it doesn't disappoint. She puts her presentations on it, updates it constantly, and does a tremendous amount of reading and reviewing.

Here's an excerpt of her review of LESSONS FROM A DEAD GIRL by Jo Knowles: "One thing this taut psychological tale demonstrates so aptly is that there is sometimes a thin line that separates victim and victimizer. Without giving away too much here, readers will empathize with Laine but also not villify Leah in the process. This very careful balancing act provides readers with some real insight into the complexity of friendship and relationships and life."

Teri gives concise summaries, and then, as the above quote demonstrates, cuts right to the heart of the story in her analysis. So far she has never steered me wrong, and I enjoy that she reads so widely, incorporating fantasy, realistic fiction, sci-fi and nonfiction into her reviews.

4. CONNECTIONS
* Teri's blog is a great one to check often for the latest and greatest.

2007-12-02T11:52:00.001-08:00

Book Review: THE VOICE THAT CHALLENGED A NATION
*Note: this blog was created for a class at TWU

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Freedman, Russell. 2004. THE VOICE THAT CHALLENGED A NATION: MARIAN ANDERSON AND THE STRUGGLE FOR EQUAL RIGHTS. New York, NY: Clarion Books.

2. PLOT SUMMARY:
With text, photographs, and ephemera, Russell Freedman's biography of Marian Anderson tells not only of this great African-American singer's life and career, but also of the changes her voice as a powerful and popular woman brought to segregationist and discriminatory policies of the United States in the 1920s through the 1960s.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
In my opinion, Russell Freedman is to biography writing as Ken Burns is to documentary filmmaking. Any topic he touches, Freedman makes personal, immediate, fascinating, and important. And with all his topics, he researches and documents his sources meticulously, but does not clog his prose with facts, but allows the theme to shine through. In his photobiography of Lincoln, the thematic thread was that, from the beginning, Lincoln's image often obscured the real man. I remember how well he described details such as Lincoln's household, with his son Tad's goat sleeping in the same bed with the boy, and the way Freedman lined up photographs of Lincoln from the time he was elected to his last year in office so the weight of leading the country could be seen etched into the president's face as time passed. These same techniques, those of personalizing detail, insightful photographs, and a thought-provoking theme are also employed in A VOICE THAT CHALLENGED A NATION.

As the title implies, Freedman focuses on the theme of challenge in Marian Anderson's life. He begins A VOICE not at her birth, as many biographies would, but at a crucial point in her life, her concert at the Lincoln Memorial before 75,000 people. And Freedman does not begin with a description of Anderson herself or her singing, but with the weather and the atmosphere in the crowd. He has placed the reader right there, squeezed in with the young mothers, Boy Scouts, and businessmen, all waiting to hear the woman who had sung for royalty, but who had been denied access to the Constitution Hall by the Daughters of the American Revolution simply because of her race. The reader sees her on the steps, lonely and vulnerable, until she opens her mouth to sing.

Throughout the next chapters, Freedman does go back to the beginning, and we learn that Marian Anderson had trained for that moment her entire life. From her single-minded focus on singing, to her travels to Europe to train, this great woman challenged the ideas of what a woman, an African-American, and above all, an African-American woman could and should do with her life. She refused to marry until she was good and ready, and even then chose not to have children. When she did marry, she married a white man (although he was a high school sweetheart). Upon her return from Europe, she chose to keep her Finnish accompanist, also a white man, in spite of warnings that American audiences, particularly in the South, would not accept a white man in that role. Even in her choice of music, she challenged the mores of the day, singing opera right along with gospel favorites.

While relating the events of Anderson's life, Freedman always brings the reader back to the voice, the power of Marian's voice. He does this with lyrics from the songs she sang, eyewitness commentary on hearing her in concert, and clippings of newspaper articles, recital program, and candid photographs. Finishing this book, I felt that I had not only learned a lot about Marian Anderson's life and United States history, but also about the power of following your heart and being true to yourself.

I wish everyone wrote biographies like Russell Freedman, and every time a student checks out that horrible biography we have on Nelly, I want to say, "That's not a biography, this is a biography," and put A VOICE THAT CHALLENGED A NATION into the student's hands. Sadly, Marian Anderson's biography hasn't ever been checked out of the library, not even by a teacher since it was purchased three years ago. But it will be this year, because I have plans for this book - I will feature it during Black History Month in February, play her music in the library, read an excerpt from it during announcements, and display it prominently along with Walter Dean Myers' biography of Martin Luther King, Jr. I'VE SEEN THE PROMISED LAND.

A VOICE THAT CHALLENGED A NATION has won several awards including the Robert F. Sibert Medal and is a Newbery Honor Book.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S):
School Library Journal: "This inspiring work once again demonstrates Freedman's talent for showing how a person's life is molded by its historical and cultural context."

Booklist: "In his signature prose, plain yet eloquent, Freedman tells Anderson's triumphant story, with numerous black-and-white documentary photos and prints that convey her personal struggle, professional artistry, and landmark civil rights role."

5. CONNECTIONS
* This, I think, would be a perfect mentor text for any biography unit. Short enough to be read aloud to a class using a document camera, the class could discuss how the book was organized structurally - by starting with a "snapshot" to grab the reader, then telling the person's life chronologically, as well as thematically, focusing on the "challenges" Anderson faced. I would then have students choose someone in their lives to write a biography on, structuring it similarly, and choosing a thematic thread (a list of character traits and thematic words could be supplied for those who might struggle with choosing one.) Once the biographies were written, students could present them, perhaps in multimedia format (PPT), to an audience of classmates and family, inviting the subjects of the biography if possible.

2007-12-02T08:49:00.000-08:00

Book Review: THE MEDIATOR SERIES
*Note: this blog was created for a class at TWU

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Cabot, Meg. 2000. THE MEDIATOR 1: SHADOWLAND. New York, NY: Avon Books.

2. PLOT SUMMARY:
In this series, high school sophomore Suze Simon wants to be a normal teen, but since she's a mediator, a liaison between the living and the dead, in a new town with a new stepdad and three new stepbrothers, and residing in a 200-year-old house fraught with ghosts, her life is far from simple.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
Fans of Meg Cabot's other series (PRINCESS DIARIES, ALL-AMERICAN GIRL) and fans of the TV Series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Heroes" will enjoy the adventures of Suze in THE MEDIATOR.

With her usual talent for capturing the witty, sarcastic, voice of a teen girl, Cabot hurtles the reader through one adventure after another, stopping only briefly to interject some romance, friendship, school politics, and family dynamics. THE MEDIATOR SERIES is a really relaxing, fun read, but I grew a little tired of Suze's boy crazy yearnings toward almost every guy in the book - her stepbrother, who had a "defined six-pack," Bryce the high school student she saves from an angry ghost, who had "curly, soft-looking hair, the kind of hair I could picture myself running my fingers through," and even the resident house ghost Jesse, whose face had "perfectly sculpted planes" to match his smoldering eyes and dark hair.

Apart from the over-the-top (for me) romanticism, the fantasy lover in me enjoyed Suze's brave yet rash "whooping" of wicked ghosts, and the knowledge that since this is a series, Suze will always manage to get out of any predicament and live to fight spirits again. THE MEDIATOR series was challenged at our middle school a few years back, because of the way the Catholic faith was portrayed (Suze attends a Catholic school), and even I thought that she could have refrained from saying "Oh, God," as much as she did while at school since it didn't really add to her character or the story.

THE MEDIATOR will appeal to many female teen readers who like lots of action with a heavy dose of romance and don't mind a few ghosts.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S):
Publishers Weekly: "As a narrator this teen is a bit too tough-talking and cocky to be credible. Still, the intriguing premise of a 16-year-old with a sixth sense may stand more than a ghost of a chance at snaring teen readers."

5. CONNECTIONS
* Girls who enjoy this series might also enjoy the VAMPIRE KISSES series by Ellen Schreiber, the DAUGHTERS OF THE MOON series by Lynne Ewing and maybe Scott Westerfeld's MIDNIGHTERS.

2007-12-02T08:07:00.000-08:00

Book Review: ALL-AMERICAN GIRL
*Note: this blog was created for a class at TWU

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Cabot, Meg. 2002. ALL-AMERICAN GIRL. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.

2. PLOT SUMMARY:
Less-than-popular Samantha Madison wants to impress her sister's artsy-emo boyfriend, on whom she has a crush, with her own artistic talents, but when she saves the president of the United States from an assassination attempt, her whole life changes. She learns that people are more than stereotypes, that fame has its disadvantages, and that she has a lot more to offer the world than she ever thought.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
Not to harp on the subject, but as I mentioned in a previous post, I am not a huge chicklit fan. I tend to lean more toward the sci-fi fantasy genre, so it was with gritted teeth that I picked up ALL-AMERICAN GIRL.

In this novel, Samantha Madison, in a spur-of-the-moment act of bravery, saves the president from assassination, and goes from school outcast to instant national celebrity. Celebrity is something author Meg Cabot knows about. At the middle school library, we opened our doors at the beginning of the year with three shelves full of THE PRINCESS DIARIES series, ALL-AMERICAN GIRL series, and THE MEDIATOR series. Within a week, we were down to one shelf, since two-thirds of the books were checked out, and it has remained that way almost 9 weeks into the school year. Her popularity is only matched by that of Lisi Harrison (Clique Series), the Bluford High series, and of course, anything by R.L. Stine.

At first, I wasn't too impressed. Apart from Cabot's knack for capturing the teen voice of Sam and her friends, I found the novel predictable and less funny than Louise Rennison's ANGUS, THONGS, AND FULL-FRONTAL SNOGGING. But then I became hooked into Sam's journey from "knowing to seeing." An accomplished artist for her age, Sam is used to drawing what's in her head, rather than really looking at what's in front of her with an open mind. And this is true of her relationships with people as well. She thinks her sister's poser boyfriend is a true rebel, and brushes off the president's son as a geek. In the end, our protagonist is humbled and does learn the lesson: "Sometimes you want what is right in front of you. All you have to do is open your eyes and see it." A truism even forty-year-old women like me could do well to remember now and then. Having opened her eyes to really see, Sam earns her happy ending by dumping the poser, standing up for what she believes, and opening her heart to David, the president's son.

ALL-AMERICAN GIRL is humorous and romantic and more accessible in terms of readability than ANGUS, THONGS, AND FULL-FRONTAL SNOGGING. It would make a great segue into more realistic fiction for those girls who get stuck in PRINCESS DIARIES mode. (The ones who constantly ask, "Do you have any other princess books?")

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S):
Publisher's Weekly: "Sam's spunky and intermittently affecting narrative, as well as the true-to-life voices of the supporting cast of characters, make this a convincing and diverting tale. As Sam learns important truths about herself, Cabot interjects a worthy message into her comedic caper."

Booklist: "Absurdly far-fetched? Absolutely, but like Cabot's previous books, that's exactly why this is so much fun. Cabot throws in plenty of obstacles and well-paced social angst to keep up the suspense, making Sam's romantic happy ending hard earned. There's also surprising depth in the characters and plenty of authenticity in the cultural details and the teenage voices--particularly in Sam's poignant, laugh-out-loud narration."

5. CONNECTIONS:
* Like Louise Rennison's ANGUS, THONGS, AND FULL FRONTAL SNOGGING, this book is just plain fun, and may not have too many curricular connections. See the ANGUS, THONGS blog entry for a discussion of books with lists as a story element. ALL-AMERICAN GIRL does have a tie-in with the theme of what it would be like to be the son or daughter of the president. Maybe as an extension activity in US History, students could study the children of presidents, including both real accounts such as FIRST DAUGHTERS: LETTERS BETWEEN U.S. PRESIDENTS AND THEIR DAUGHTERS by Gerard Gawalt and fictional accounts such as ALL-AMERICAN GIRL and FIRST BOY by Gary Schmidt.

2007-12-02T07:21:00.000-08:00

Book Review: ANGUS, THONGS, AND FULL-FRONTAL SNOGGING
*Note: this blog was created for a class at TWU

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Rennison, Louise. 1999. ANGUS, THONGS, AND FULL-FRONTAL SNOGGING. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishing.

2. PLOT SUMMARY:
Georgia Nicholson just wants three simple things: to be left alone by her parents, Uncle Eddie, and three-year-old sister, to hang out with her friends, and to have a boyfriend. In ANGUS, THONGS, AND FULL-FRONTAL SNOGGING, Georgia's diary entries reveal that she gets at least two of her wishes, along with always funny, sometimes sad ups and downs of being a teenager.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
As a self-proclaimed non-chicklit reader, I was ready to hate this book, but the funny title, and the Britishness of it drew me in since I spent three of my own early teen years living "on the economy" in the small British town of Bury. And I wasn't disappointed. ANGUS, THONGS, AND FULL-FRONTAL SNOGGING is laugh-out-loud, tears streaming from your eyes funny.

Written in diary form, Georgia's voice immediately shines through. She laments that her Uncle Eddie ("bald as a coot") treats her like a child and wishes she could scream at him, "I am bursting with womanhood, I wear a bra! OK, it's a bit on the loose side and does ride up round my neck if I run for the bus..." And that's just the first entry. Alternating between scathingly funny observations about the world, "Someone farted in assembly this morning...Whoever it was, it was really loud and during the silence we were having to think about all the poor people. And it wasn't just a quick one, it was a knee-trembler," and self-deprecating commentary on herself, "In my room in front of the mirror. Practicing smiling without making my nose spread. It's impossible. I must never smile again."

Yet sprinkled among the silly, funny, episodes of home, school, friends, and growing up, are some honest lessons about self-acceptance and not trying to grow up too fast. Georgia is the friend we all had who could make us laugh when things got tough, who always had the fun, crazy ideas, and didn't let what others thought stop her from being herself. I'd recommend ANGUS, THONGS, AND FULL-FRONTAL SNOGGING to any teen girl, although the author's constant use of slang and dry wit might cause some reluctant readers to struggle (although there is a "dictionary" in the back). And if the books aren't enough, her website has "fabbity-fab" extras such as the snogging scale and dance moves! http://www.georgianicolson.com/index.html

Louise Rennison captures voice of a teen much like Meg Cabot does, but with even more wicked humor, and less fantasy elements (princesses, saving The President, mediating with the dead), so I would definitely put it in the read-alike list with THE PRINCESS DIARIES, a cute little series by Nancy Krulik called HOW I SURVIVED MIDDLE SCHOOL, and SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS by Ann Brashares.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S):
School Library Journal: "It will take a sophisticated reader to enjoy the wit and wisdom of this charming British import, but those who relish humor will be satisfied. Fresh, lively, and engaging."

The Guardian: "You know when you really should stop laughing and everyone is looking at you? This was me reading the manuscript on the train. This is a brilliant book! ... I can't recommend it highly enough."

5. CONNECTIONS
* I don't know if there are any curricular connections with this book, since it's just plain fun, but I did think it might be neat to do a display of books that include lists as a story element. ANGUS, THONGS has "Six Things That Are Very Wrong With My Life," ALL-AMERICAN GIRL has "Top Ten Reasons I Wish I Were Gwen Stefani" among others, K.L. Going's book THE LIBERATION OF GABRIEL KING has his list of greatest fears (with humor), and HOW I SURVIVED MIDDLE SCHOOL has multiple lists such as "How I Know My Best Friend Is Really My BFF." I could then have a competition where students could submit their own funny lists. It could be done at the end of the school year, and the lists could be "Top Ten Ways to Survive Middle School/Seventh Grade/Algebra." Or maybe the ELA teachers could use that as a journal entry and springboard into listing as a drafting technique or story element. Lists are fun!

2007-12-02T06:16:00.000-08:00

Book Review: A WREATH FOR EMMETT TILL
*Note: this blog was created for a class at TWU

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Nelson, Marilyn. 2005. A WREATH FOR EMMETT TILL. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company.

2. PLOT SUMMARY:

Marilyn Nelson's book tells the story of Emmett Till, a fourteen-year-old boy who was murdered in 1955 because of his race, in the form of a heroic crown of fifteen interlinked sonnets, with each sonnet beginning with the last line of the preceding sonnet.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

Many Americans know the story of Emmett Till's brutal murder and the subsequent trial in which the white men accused of the murder were found not guilty through documentaries and history books on the civil rights movement, but Emmett's story has never been told in such a unique, personal, and moving way as in A WREATH FOR EMMETT TILL.

Beautifully illustrated by Philippe Lardy in a symbolic, collage-like style, A WREATH FOR EMMETT TILL begins with a note from the author explaining how she came to write a book about this horrific incident that she remembered happening when she was nine. The complex poetic form was, for her, a protection "from the intense pain of the subject matter, and a way to allow the Muse to determine what the poem would say."

Nelson's first sonnet considers what flowers would be chosen for Emmett's wreath, drawing from the language of flowers, a theme she twines, like a wreath, throughout the poems. The flowers are accompanied by the underlying structural theme of the tree, at times rotten to the core, at times the keeper of history (through its rings), and at times the bearer of death in lynching. Echoing these central themes, the illustrations incorporate elliptic shapes to recall the wreath and, as the artist explains in the note at the end of the book, "the 'cosmic egg,' the mythological origin of the universe."
There are a lot of layers here for the reader. For more advanced readers, vocabulary such as "dendrochronology," "populace," and "consciencelessness" would be an enticing challenge. In addition, each of the fifteen sonnets is full of allusions, which the author explains in a commentary at the back. Yet even without fully understanding the allusions, the poems' emotionally charged words and imagery combine with the content to create a powerful whole that would capture the interest of even reluctant readers. In the sonnet describing Emmett's mother's preparations for his train trip, the language is simple and heart wrenching:

and comic books. She'd given him a note
for the conductor, waved to his chubby face,
wondered if he'd remember to brush his hair.
Her only child. A body left to bloat.

The picture accompanying it on the next page is equally haunting, showing Emmett, peering through an oval, as if through the train window, surrounded by thorns, chains, and the five crows, waiting to lynch him. The boy's expression is one of curiosity and anticipation for the adventures he hopes to have on this trip to visit his aunt and uncle. He cannot see and could not imagine the horrors awaiting him outside the train.

Because of the multiple layers, A WREATH FOR EMMETT TILL has something for everyone: the poetry lover, the voracious reader, the reluctant reader, the visual learner, the child, and the adult. It is a beautiful and respectful homage the boy whose death has become a symbol of the ignorance and hatred the world needs to eradicate from our hearts.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Booklist (starred review): "When matched with Lardy's gripping, spare, symbolic paintings of tree trunks, blood-red roots, and wreaths of thorns, these poems are a powerful achievement that teens and adults will want to discuss together."

School Library Journal: "This memorial to the lynched teen is in the Homeric tradition of poet-as-historian. . . . This chosen formality brings distance and reflection to readers, but also calls attention to the horrifically ugly events."

5. CONNECTIONS
* Using an Elmo or other document camera, this book would be a powerful read-aloud in the social studies or language arts classroom. The teacher could show the illustrations while reading the text. A WREATH FOR EMMETT TILL would be an excellent mentor text for a poetry unit that went beyond the usual haikus, acrostic poems, biopoems, and diamantes we see in many middle and high school classrooms. I think in our district, students write some form of biopoem every year between 7th and 10th grade. Enough! It might help students not only write poetry which is deeper and more symbolic, but also technically more complex. While it would be difficult to write a heroic crown of sonnets, students could choose an element to explore such as iambic pentameter, the sonnet rhyme scheme, or the idea of writing a cycle of poems in which the last line of the preceding poem became the first line of the next poem. For the visual learners, the collage-like illustration techniques would also be an element to explore in illustrating poems.

2007-12-01T14:19:00.000-08:00

Book Review: Fallen Angels
*NOTE: This book review was created for a class at TWU.

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Myers, Walter Dean. FALLEN ANGELS. 1988. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc.

2. PLOT SUMMARY: Inner-city teen Richie Perry enlists in the Army after high school graduation to help earn money for his mother and little brother, but gets sent into combat in Vietnam where he makes friends for life, witnesses man's inhumanity to man, and searches for the role he will play in his own future.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

Walter Dean Myers, one of America's preeminent African-American authors for young adults, is noted not only for his ability to accurately describe the lives of young urban African-American teens, in novels such as MONSTER and SHOOTER but also for the variety of his work in both genre and content. From the diverse poetry of HERE IN HARLEM to the historical details of Victorian England in AT HER MAJESTY'S REQUEST, Myers takes any topic he chooses and makes it accessible, personal, and deeply reflective.

In FALLEN ANGELS, Myers draws from his own life and experiences to weave a story of growing up, finding friendship, and discovering one's role in the world through the horrific combat of the Vietnam War. He says, "My ideas come largely from my own background. I write a lot about basketball, and I've played basketball for years and years. I was in the army and I wrote FALLEN ANGELS. I lived in Harlem, and I write about Harlem... Ultimately, what I want to do with my writing is to make connections--to touch the lives of my characters and, through them, those of my readers." (www.teenreads.com) Myers' dedication to the novel reveals an even stronger connection to the war, as he honors his brother "whose dream of adding beauty to this world through his humanity and his art," ended when he died in combat in Vietnam.

Like Myers, the novel's main character, Richie Perry, joins the Army right after graduating from high school in Harlem, hoping to send money home to help his mother and younger brother, but also hoping never to see real combat. After a basketball injury, he is supposed to have a medical "profile" preventing combat duty, but as a result of the military's slow and arbitrary system of red tape, Perry finds himself in the "boonies" of Vietnam, witnessing horrors no one should ever face. Between intense scenes of battle, Perry and the friends he makes in his company try to make sense of the meaning of life and their roles in the world.

The beauty of FALLEN ANGELS lies in its complexity and clarity. Surrounding the story of Perry are important questions of race, sexuality, class, power, and ambition. The racial tensions go both ways, from the soldier who wants all the African-Americans to swear allegiance to each other, to the commander who seems to give the worst jobs to them. One soldier is gay, another Jewish, while others are fighting to rise in rank, or to fulfill the dreams of their parents. Yet all these differences melt away when the men fight with and for each other to survive. In the end, that seems to be the message Myers wants us to hear most clearly in FALLEN ANGELS. On the novel's last page, Perry, wounded but returning home, prays for the "fallen angels," the wounded, and those still fighting, "I knew I was mixing my prayers, but it didn't matter. I just wanted God to care for them, to keep them whole."

In 1989, a year after the novel was first published, it received the Coretta Scott King Award, and was named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. Since then, FALLEN ANGELS has been challenged at many high schools and middles schools for its language, graphic violence, and sexual content, but without these elements, the story wouldn't ring true, and to focus on them is to dwell on the details and miss the heart of the novel. I would recommend this novel to many young adults, and to all teachers of US History, especially 11th Grade Social Studies teachers in Texas.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S):
Kirkus (pointed review): "War-story fans will find enough action here, though it isn't glorified...thoughtful readers will be haunted by this tribute to a ravaged generation."

Booklist (starred review): "...this gut-twisting Vietnam novel...breaks uncharted ground."

5. CONNECTIONS:
* 11th Grade Social Studies: this novel would be a great class novel to read or literature circle read during units on the Vietnam War. An excellent photoessay lesson plan using the novel can be found at: http://www.galileo.org/schools/strathmore/english/english_33/index.html, along with a Thinkquest multimedia introduction.

2007-12-01T14:12:00.000-08:00

Book Review: AMONG THE HIDDEN
*NOTE: This blog was created for a class at TWU.

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Haddix, Margaret Peterson. 1998. AMONG THE HIDDEN. New York, NY: Aladdin Fiction.

2. PLOT SUMMARY:
Luke Garner is the "hidden" third child in a totalitarian society where families are limited to two children, and people live within a strict class system. Because a new housing development is encroaching on the family farm, Luke must never go outside or even look out the window for fear that the "Population Police" will discover his existence. But when Luke makes a discovery of his own, that another "hidden" has moved in next door, he learns the truth about himself and the world in which he lives.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

During adolescence, young adults often question authority and their right to freedom as they explore their own identities and assert their independence. In doing so, they also engage in "social perspective taking," or seeing an issue from another person's point of view. Dystopian titles such as Margaret Peterson Haddix's AMONG THE HIDDEN tap into this developmental stage of exploration by allowing young adults to experience a world in which people are much less free than they are in our society today, seeing it, in this case, from the point of view of a boy their own age, who, due to government restrictions, should never have been born.

Reminiscent of Lois Lowry's THE GIVER, Haddix's series, of which AMONG THE HIDDEN is the first installment, paints a picture of a society, not too different from our own, where the people in power have taken away the freedom of the population in order to "protect" them. In THE GIVER, society was protected from memories and emotions that were strong enough to result in conflict, anger, and sorrow, but paid the price by losing the other end of the spectrum: joy, diversity, and triumph. Haddix's society is "protected" from food and energy shortages through population control and a strict class system. Although their lives are happy, they've lost the freedom to have more than two children, buy what they want, and live as they want. Luke comes to the realization that if he remains hidden, he will never be free, but that he may pay for his freedom with his life. The action is fast-paced and the vocabulary is accessible, making it a quick read for even reluctant readers.

As a teacher, one of the most valuable parts of the novel is the way in which Luke Garner learns why he must stay "hidden." Jen, the "hidden" child who lives next door gives Luke stacks of books and articles discussing the issue of population control from both the point of view of the government and those who oppose the two children per family policy. He discovers the concept of bias and also the ways in which groups of people can attempt to change government policy by writing to media, staging rallies, and infiltrating the government itself. At the same time, his eyes are opened to the hypocrisy of the ruling class "barons" who break and flaunt the rules almost as a status symbol.

Bias and hypocrisy are difficult concepts to teach, and with students getting much of their information from the internet and media, it is vital that they look at information with a critical eye. AMONG THE HIDDEN provides a concrete and thought-provoking example by which to discuss bias, hypocrisy, and the role of the government in our lives.

At the end of the novel, Jen attempts to confront the government with the existence of the "hidden" and pays for her act of defiance with her life. She had argued that hope wouldn't change the world, only action would, but in reflecting on her death, Luke has a revelation that there are different kinds of actions, just as there are different perspectives. "Maybe he could succeed where Jen failed," he thinks, "precisely because he wasn't a Baron - because he didn't have her sense that the world owed him everything. He could be more patient, more cautious, more practical." Haddix then leaves the reader to pick up the next volume and cheer Luke on in his quest to free the "hidden" shadow children.

AMONG THE HIDDEN has won numerous awards and was both a Top 10 ALA Best Book for Young Adults and an ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S):
Publisher's Weekly: "the unsettling, thought-provoking premise should suffice to keep readers hooked."

School Library Journal (gr. 5-8): "As in Haddix's Running Out of Time (S & S, 1995), the loss of free will is the fundamental theme of an exciting and compelling story of one young person defying authority and the odds to make a difference. Readers will be captivated by Luke's predicament and his reactions to it."

5. CONNECTIONS
* Middle School English Language Arts classrooms could use this novel as part of lessons on point of view and persuasive writing. The class could read it together, analyzing the arguments for and against population control and control of food/energy resources. Then, as a group project, students could choose a book out of the "What's That Got to Do With Me?" series of titles from Smart Apple Media. Topics include racism, elections, war and conflict, drugs, etc., and each title shows different points of view through personal stories, articles, and interviews. Students could then choose to create a PPT presentation aimed at persuading the audience to agree with their stand on the issue, write a letter to a government official persuading him/her to take a stand on the issue, perform a debate giving pros and cons, or write a fictional story like "Among the Hidden" using information on their issue.

2006-12-01T16:43:00.000-08:00

Book Review: A STEP FROM HEAVEN
*NOTE: This review was created for a class at TWU.

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Na, An. 2001. A STEP FROM HEAVEN. Asheville, NC: Front Street. ISBN 1886910588

2. PLOT SUMMARY: In An Na's bittersweet realistic novel, A STEP FROM HEAVEN, Young Ju, a Korean girl, grows up, learns to make her way in America, and struggles to deal with her father's alcoholism and abuse.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
Often, a writer's first novel contains a very strong voice, but lacks craft, or vice versa. The 2002 ALA Printz Award-winning novel A STEP FROM HEAVEN is an exception, combining a clear voice with a well-crafted plot and structure. An Na's novel spans a girl's life from toddler to university student, and while the novel incorporates themes prevalent in realistic young adult fiction such as independence, generational conflict, powerlessness and dominance, rebellion and self-awareness, it also reflects the protagonist's journey into adulthood with a unique structure.

First, A STEP FROM HEAVEN addresses Young Ju's forays into independence, from the first resistance as a five year old to being pretty because it means "you cannot play in your nice clothes," to the young woman who is able to make straight A's in school, clean house, buy groceries, and cook while her mother works 3 jobs to keep the family together. Young Ju keeps the meaningful ways of her Korean past, but also forges her own path in America, becoming her mother's "strong girl."

The ways of the past, including traditional values such as being an obedient daughter and being subservient to the males in the family, creates a generational conflict between Young Ju and her parents, in particular, her father. As Young Ju matriculates through the American school system, she assimilates in to American culture, and cannot help but compare her family dynamics with those of her friend Amanda. In the chapter entitled "Daughter," Young Ju gets a ride home from an award ceremony at school where she was named 1st in her class. In the car, she smiles as Amanda's father begins to sing along to the radio, and winks at the girls in the rear view mirror. It is a stark contrast to what Young Ju finds at home. While her mother is very pleased with the girl's award, her father makes no mention of it and appears not to even have looked at it until Young Ju notices it has a smudge on it and smells like him, indicating he did see it. Her inability to have a close and loving relationship with her father tears at her, and she thinks, "An ache deep and wide as the sea threatens to drown my heart."

Yet, the conflict in Young Ju's family stems from more than the strictness of a tradition Korean family hierarchy. Young Ju's father, or Apa, is both alcoholic and abusive. Her mother, or Uhmma, is powerless to leave him, and any of her own small acts of rebellion such as demanding to know where he's been are rewarded with slaps and punches. Once Young Ju and her brother Joon are older, they both become victims of abuse, learning to "look blank as if you are listening when really you are trying to fly away from your body" in the face of the verbal abuse that always precedes the beatings. When Uhmma is nearly killed trying to protect Young Ju, the girl finally tips the scales on her father's dominance by calling 911. Although Uhmma refuses to press charges, this act ends the family's powerlessness, and eventually Apa returns to Korea without them.

In addition, A STEP FROM HEAVEN is a deeply personal account of a girl's developing self-awareness. And it is this theme which is most reflected in the novel's structure. Without being contrived, An Na succeeds in creating a narrative voice which ages as Young Ju ages. The first chapters are very short, with simple thoughts and sentences. "Cold. Cold water. Oh. My Toes are fish. Come here. Fast. Look." thinks the toddler Young Ju. Later, on her first day of school in America, five-year-old, Young Ju muses, "I think future must mean a long time away. Except school is not in the future. It is now. I do not understand how school is my future when it is not a long time away." Compare this to the self-assured narration of Young Ju as a high school senior, "The patch of grass is so small you can walk across in four long strides. But I don't care. It is ours. I walk barefoot back and forth across the vibrant green lawn, take in deep breaths of air. My toes clutch the tiny blades, revel in the softness and the damp earth beneath my feet. All ours."

Interwoven within the change in narrative style is not only Young Ju's growth as a young woman, but also her acclimation to America and the English language. Whereas the early chapters are filled with words and phrases she doesn't know yet such as when the teacher says "All right, class, come over here," and Young Ju hears "Ah ri cas, ca mo ve he," the quote above shows a woman whose vocabulary includes words such as "strides," "vibrant," and "clutch." The vivid words of a college bound graduate.

Finally, A STEP FROM HEAVEN, which deals with such difficult issues as abuse and acoholism, is an honest look at the complexity of family dynamics and life. A close look at the structure of the novel reveals that the chapters loosely alternate between good and bad memories, beginning and ending with a good memory. In the beginning, we have the happy memory of a toddler getting her first feeling of being in the ocean, under the safe and comforting watch of a loving relative, whom I assumed to be her grandmother. In the end, sifting through photographs, Young Ju sees one of her with her father, and that memory resurfaces, revealing that her father wasn't always an abusive, distant alcoholic. After living through Young Ju's terrible suffering, the reader glimpses Apa as a dreamer, with a "broad grin" and eyes which crinkle "like the eyes of sleepy cats in the sun," reminding us that people change, and perhaps forgiveness can heal.

An Na's bittersweet optimism, honesty, and shunning of didacticism, along with her evolving narrative style, bring A STEP FROM HEAVEN to a level above many young adult accounts of growing up. Readers will be able to connect with the struggles of Young Ju, and will rejoice in her independence, while gaining an understanding of the immigrant experience.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
BOOKLIST: (Starred Review) "This isn't a quick read, especially at the beginning when the child is trying to decipher American words and customs, but the coming-of-age drama will grab teens and make them think of their own conflicts between home and outside. As in the best writing, the particulars make the story universal."

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: "In fluid, lyrical language, Na convincingly conveys the growing maturity of her perceptive narrator who initially (and seamlessly) laces her tale with Korean words, their meaning evident from the context. And by its conclusion, readers can see a strong, admirable young woman with a future full of hope. Equally bright are the prospects of this author; readers will eagerly await her next step."

5. CONNECTIONS & STRATEGIES

* At the high school level, this book would be a good choice for a thematic unit on the immigrant experience in America. Pair A STEP FROM HEAVEN with other titles such as Sandra Cisneros's A HOUSE ON MANGO STREET (ISBN 0679734775) and REMIX: CONVERSATIONS WITH IMMIGRANT TEENAGERS (ISBN 0805051139) by Maria Tamar Budhos,to help students identify issues immigrant teens have at home, in school, and with the older generation. The teacher may want to find people in the community who would be willing to talk about their own immigrant experience and allow the students to conduct their own interviews in person or via email. For an insightful interview with An Na in which she discusses the influence of Sandra Cisneros's novel on her work, go to : http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/lit_resources/authors/interviews/AnNa.html

* Since A STEP FROM HEAVEN ends with a new beginning and revelations about Young Ju’s father, it would a good candidate for an activity called “The Rest of the Story.” Students create a summary of the story and then tell “the rest of the story” a la Paul Harvey using the subtext or a follow-up that wasn’t explicitly told. They might explore what happens later, whose story wasn’t told and now will be told, or what new twist or information might be added. For this lesson and other ideas on how to deepen students’ comprehension of texts, see Jeffrey Wilhelm’s ACTION STRATEGIES FOR DEEPENING COMPREHENSION (ISBN 0439218578)

2006-11-30T20:50:00.000-08:00

Book Review: THE GIVER
*NOTE: This review was created for a class at TWU.

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Lowry, Lois. 1993. THE GIVER. New York, NY: Dell Laurel Leaf. ISBN 0440237688

2. PLOT SUMMARY:
In THE GIVER, Lois Lowry's 1993 Newbery Medal-winning novel, Jonas lives in a world without fear or pain. All aspects of life in the community are stable, polite, and completely under the control of the Committee of Elders, from birth to death. This state of existence is fine with Jonas until, at the age of twelve, he is unexpectedly named Receiver of the community's collective memories. These memories are transmitted to him by the Giver, and as Jonas learns what has been sacrificed for the sake of stability, he realizes that he must risk everything and escape.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

"But at the same time, he was filled with fear. He did not know what his selection meant. He did not know what he was to become.
Or what would become of him." (The Giver, Ch. 8)

In four short sentences, Jonah, the main character of THE GIVER, conceptualizes the fear and uncertainty felt by all young adults when confronted with what they will become in the future and what society expects them to become. The simplicity of the world Lois Lowry creates in this novel, coupled with the spare and direct style of narration, allows the author to bring many of the major themes in young adult literature to the forefront of THE GIVER, resulting in a story which is both thought-provoking and unique in its clarity.

Because the prevailing themes in young adult literature include self-awareness and rebellion against the established order, the genre of dystopia is particularly suited this type of literature. As young adults become more aware of themselves in a quest to discern what their individual identity is, they in turn become more aware of the world around them and begin question the status quo. Dystopias add an element of fantasy, such as magic and other worlds, to this journey of self-discovery, often pitting the protagonist against newly discovered evil, transforming self-discovery into heroism. THE GIVER is a dystopia which succeeds in doing all this in a style that is engaging and touching without flowery prose that would distract from the important questions raised by Jonas's plight.

In the beginning, Lowry paints a picture of life which, while not perfect, is safe and comforting in its sameness. Everyone knows the rules and the status quo prevails. Students begin each day with "chanting" and a "morning anthem," performing polite public apologies when rules are broken, and being reminded over loudspeakers of the consequences of infractions. Each day ends with a ritual too, "the evening telling of feelings." While this stable life seems gentle and protective, Jonas's increasing sense of self-awareness causes him to be uncomfortable with the constraints of his community. He is reluctant to engage in the telling of feelings, finding them to be too complex, thinking that, "He wanted to share them, but he wasn't eager to begin the process of sifting through his own complicated emotions, even with the help that he knew his parents could give."

By the time Jonas is singled out from the rest of his age group to be appointed the special job of Receiver, his journey of self-discovery has also become a journey toward independence. This journey is facilitated by his growing curiosity about the world around him. Jonas questions everything, and is encouraged by his mentor, the Giver of memories. When he begins to see colors, he questions why no one else can see them. "Why can't everyone see them?" Jonas asks, "Why did colors disappear." At this point, Jonas learns that colors were "relinquished" when the community did away with differences, gaining control of one thing, but having to give up others.

From here, THE GIVER becomes dystopic, and Jonas's realization that the loss of freedom, beauty, and passion are too great a price to pay for sameness and safety, turns his journey of self-discovery into a quest for survival. When he decides to flee the community, which would release the memories he has received back to everyone, he takes with him Gabriel, a baby who going to be killed because he didn't fit in to the community's norms. At this moment, he heroically risks his own life, and transforms himself from Receiver of memories to Giver of life and the future. Almost dead with exhaustion, hunger, and cold, Jonas protects the baby and becomes "aware with certainty and joy that below, ahead, they were waiting for him; and that they were waiting, too, for the baby."

Lowry offers an optimistic ending echoing with allusions to the nativity, but one which is open-ended enough for the reader to form his or her own interpretation. THE GIVER is not didactic. In fact, this very open-endedness has caused the book to be controversial to some, who see in some of the Biblical allusions such as Jonas's and Gabriel's name, and the Christmas-time setting, a condemnation of religion. Yet it is that very freedom of interpretation for which the novel stands. THE GIVER poses serious questions about society's constraints in the interest of the "common good" without giving answers so that, like Jonas, the reader can "sift through" his or her own complicated thoughts independently.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
School Library Journal: (Starred Review) "The final flight for survival is as riveting as it is inevitable. This tightly plotted story and its believable characters will stay with its readers for a long time."

Booklist: (Starred Review) "The simplicity and directness of Lowry's writing force readers to grapple with their own thoughts."

5. CONNECTIONS & STRATEGIES
* Use color and music to springboard a discussion about the things the community gives up in order to be more "secure" and "safe." Put large sheets of butcher paper in different colors around the room. Students stand at each sheet for five minutes, writing down the things and feelings that come to mind when they think about that color. Then do a gallery walk, discussing each color and reflecting on feelings and connotations that shared by our society and why a society might want to avoid those feelings and connotations. A similar exercise would be to play clips of various songs and have students journal about the emotions those songs evoke. Why would a community want to ban music? Finally, students could journal on what things (if any) they would be willing to give up to make their community safer. For a lesson plan along these lines, go to http://www.teachers.net/lessons/posts/664.html

* At the high school level, this book would be an excellent choice in a genre study of dystopias in a book study or reader's circle format. The teacher could do brief book-talks about 5-6 dystopias such as Aldous Huxley's BRAVE NEW WORLD (ISBN 0060929871), Ray Bradbury's FARENHEIT 451 (ISBN 8445074873), George Orwell's 1984 (ISBN 0451524934), and Margaret Atwood's A HANDMAID'S TALE (ISBN 038549081X). Along with these classics, some contemporary dystopias include M.T. Anderson's FEED (ISBN 0763622591), Scott Westerfield's UGLIES (ISBN 0689865384) and PRETTIES (ISBN 0689865392), Susan Beth Pfeffer's LIFE AS WE KNEW IT (ISBN 0152058265), and Nancy Farmer's HOUSE OF THE SCORPION (ISBN 0689852231). After the book talks, student self-select which book they'd like to read and create groups of students who are reading the same book. Through journals, textual analysis, and discussion, students will identify the elements of a dystopia found in the book and report out to the rest of the class. Students may be assigned roles such as Connection Maker, Illustrator, Vocabulary Sleuth, etc., so that each will have an important part to play in the work and presentations. Harvey Daniels has some great ideas for book clubs in Ch. 9 of his book, SUBJECTS MATTER (ISBN 0325005958)

2006-11-29T20:58:00.000-08:00

Book Review: CRISS CROSS
*NOTE: This review was created for a class at TWU.

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Perkins, Lynne Rae. 2005. CRISS CROSS. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books. ISBN 0060092726

2. PLOT SUMMARY:
The Newbery Award-winning novel CRISS CROSS weaves a story of interconnected lives and moments of missed meaning. The main character, Debbie, and her group of friends all sense that they are on the verge of something, yet feel that nothing ever happens in their small world, centered around the town of Seldem. Each of them is constantly changing and growing, taking in new experiences like a sponge, especially Debbie. She learns to fix a sink, drive a stick shift, pop the clutch to start a dead battery, and stave off an elderly neighbor's diabetic episode with orange juice and sugar, and in one synchronicitous morning, she must do all of these things, leading her to also find, for three brief days, what might be love with Peter. But life goes on, her love returns to California, and Debbie and her friends connect and miss connections all over again.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
The Russian writer Marina Tsvetaeva once said that poets don't compose poetry, they just tune their inner antennae to the cosmos and let it fill them up. But the question arises, while you're tuned into the cosmos, what are you missing on earth? In much the same way, the characters in Lynn Rae Perkins' realistic young adult novel, CRISS CROSS, are, at various times, tuned into new experiences that shape their developing identities, while missing other connections that might have profoundly impacted them. The author's language, illustrations, and multi-genre format reinforce both the coming-of-age story and pondering of concepts such as fate, destiny, and man's own inability to be "tuned in" to life.

While on one level CRISS CROSS meditates upon philosophical questions of existence and the meaning of life, it is ultimately a realistic novel of growing up that bears the hallmarks of the best of today's young adult literature. First, the novel is written from the viewpoint of young people and details their struggles to become independent. Debbie, Hector and all their friends could live right down the street from any of us, and their struggles to begin to define themselves, such as changing clothes on the way to school, learning to play guitar, ditching their glasses, and letting their hair grow out, can be seen on any high school campus today. This urgent need to be different from the children their parents still saw them as is described as "cultural evolution," away from "mothers who were stranded in the backwaters of a bygone era" and who weren't "going to get it" no matter how much you argued. In her gently humorous way, Debbie resolves the problem by stating, "At some point you just had to go change your clothes in a bush."

The gentle and humorous narrative style points to another characteristic of quality young adult literature; CRISS CROSS is not didactic. The adolescents in the novel do have moments of insight and grapple with important emotions, but they stay in character, not dwelling or lecturing, but moving on to the next event in their lives. When Hector is chastised by Patty for not recognizing that girls like boys for their looks, just as boys like girls for their looks, he reflects that he "saw what she was getting at, but he didn't think it applied. He liked Meadow for her inner beauty. Which happened, in her case, to be accompanied by outer beauty. He thought her outer beauty might even be a result of her inner beauty. A time honored line of reasoning that encompasses both truth and quicksand." Hector goes on to hope his own inner beauty was visible from the outside, commenting, "I'm a hunk in my soul." The prose balances insight and humor to both address and assuage the fears and concerns that can sometimes overwhelm adolescents.

Finally, the real genius in Perkins' book lies in the way the multi-genre structure supports the story. This structural support is particularly evident in two themes: the idea that we are more or less "tuned in" to life at certain times, and the idea that although we sometimes miss connections, if those connections are meant to be made, they will be made at another time. The first concept is embodied by the term "satori," which comes from Zen Buddhism and is loosely defined as a moment of individual enlightenment. Though this concept may seem esoteric, it is made approachable in the second chapter when Hector is taken out of his usual surroundings and joins his sister in a coffeehouse to listen to music. Perkins writes, "He didn't realize he was in a sponge state but, having been separated from his moorings - couch, TV, pizza - and led into unfamiliar territory, there was a spongy piece of him left open and receptive to the universe in whatever form it might take, and the form it took was a guitar." Later, this state is described as satori, "a mystical, wordless moment of understanding about Music and Life..." and illustrated with photographs of the Civic Arena's roof opening when the weather clears, beautifully representing the abstract concept in concrete detail. Visual representation of an emotional state is exemplified in Chapter 22, "Wuthering Heights/Popular Mechanics" where the entire chapter is placed on the page in the form of two columns, the left hand column bearing Debbie's experience, and the right-hand column simultaneously describing Lenny's experience, which is frustratingly parallel, but off by moments, resulting in the two characters missing a chance to connect with one another by a paragraph.

Other states and emotions are explored through haiku, fable, script, and cartoon, creating a layered effect which belies the surface simplicity of the spare prose and, with the exception of the day Debbie saved Mrs. Bruning from a diabetic seizure, mundane events. And, ultimately, that may be the lesson to be learned from CRISS CROSS. Things are not as they appear on the surface, and missed opportunities may come again, because, although we fail to connect all the time, if we keep "tuning in" to the universe, we will connect and achieve moments of satori. Achieving individual enlightenment, however fleeting, brings us to a final characteristic of outstanding young adult literature - optimism. CRISS CROSS is optimistic. The novel ends with lightning bugs blinking their "Here I am," ready to make the next connection, achieve satori, and maybe even true love, encouraging the reader to follow nature's lead and continue to let her light shine. Taken together, the realism, depth of thought, optimism, and structural complexity of CRISS CROSS combine to create a Newbery-worthy novel.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
School Library Journal: (Starred Review) "There is a great deal of humor in this gentle story about a group of childhood friends facing the crossroads of life and how they wish to live it. Young teens will certainly relate to the self-consciousnesses and uncertainty of all of the characters, each of whom is straining toward clarity and awareness."

Booklist: (Starred Review) "...most readers will find their contemporaries in these characters. Best of all are the understated moments, often private and piercing in their authenticity, that capture intelligent, likable teens searching for signs of who they are, and who they'll become."

5. CONNECTIONS & STRATEGIES
*At the high school level, this novel could be studied in conjunction with other books or stories that call into question whether there is such a thing as "destiny" or are we simply buffeted by series of coincidental events? Is there a greater plan? In groups, students could list the "near misses" and "coincidences" in the novel, and develop an argument as to whether they think the author, Lynne Rae Perkins, is arguing that there is true love out there, and, in spite of many near misses, it will find you, or that we're all just victims of happenstance. Then, looking at it from a philosophical point-of-view, students could read some of the stories in COINCIDENCE OR DESTINY? STORIES OF SYNCHRONICITY THAT ILLUMINATE OUR LIVES (ISBN 157324824X) and take their own stand on the issue, using the stories as evidence. Or, looking at it from a "scientific" standpoint, they could read A LITTLE BOOK OF COINCIDENCE (ISBN 0802713882), which guides the reader through the solar system, pointing out beautiful patterns in nature, and leading to the question, could something so beautiful and perfect, just be chance?

* CRISS CROSS would be an excellent selection when looking at multi-genre writing. Avi's book, NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH (ISBN 038071907X) would be another good novel to use as a mentor text for multi-genre writing. Students could then try their own hand at writing about the same subject through different genres. It's an excellent way to discuss purposes for writing and point-of-view. A teacher's resource book for approaching multi-genre writing in the classroom is Tom Romano's BLENDING GENRE, ALTERING STYLE: WRITING MULTI-GENRE PAPERS (ISBN 0867094788).

2006-11-10T17:59:00.000-08:00

Book Review: BUD, NOT BUDDY
*NOTE: This review was created for a class at TWU.

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Curtis, Christopher Paul. 1999. BUD, NOT BUDDY. New York, NY: Delacorte Press. ISBN 0385323069

2. PLOT SUMMARY:
In BUD, NOT BUDDY, Newbery Award-winning author Christopher Paul Curtis tells the Depression-era story of a young orphaned boy named Bud, who runs away from an abusive foster home and goes in search of his long lost father. Along the way, he draws upon the wisdom of his mother and his own wry sense of humor to survive, befriending a ragtag bunch of musicians and finally finding a home where he belongs.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
Christopher Paul Curtis's Depression era novel, BUD, NOT BUDDY, set a high standard for young adult historical fiction by seamlessly integrating the setting with characters who are real, believable, and relevant today. The themes of dignity under desperate circumstances, courage, and hope all accurately describe the spirit of those who survived the trials and tribulations of the Great Depression in America.

First, the setting is integrated in things Bud sees, places he goes, and the conversations he has with other characters. In chapter six, when Bud waits in line for food at the "mission," he sees a sign that aptly depicts the irony of the average American's situation in "the land of milk and honey." The sign portrays a rich family of four, with "big shiny eyes and big shiny teeth and big shiny cheeks and big shiny smiles," wearing "movie star clothes," and riding in a car that "looked like it had room for eight or nine more people in it." The top of the sign reads, "There's no place like America today," to which a character jokes, "Well, you got to give them credit, you wouldn't expect that they'd have the nerve to come down here and tell the truth." Later, Bud and a friend arrive in one of the "Hooverville" tent cities, bleakly described as "a bunch of huts and shacks throwed together out of pieces of boxes and wood and cloth." Yet, once again, Curtis relieves the dark situation with humor as a woman hands the boys "plates" for their meal. Bud narrates, "a woman handed me and Bugs each a flat, square, empty tin can. 'That, m'lords, is your china. Please be careful not to chip it.' My china had the words JUMBO A&P SARDINES stamped into the bottom of it."

Second, the characters in the story are real, believable, and relevant today, especially the protagonist BUD. Just as in the thirties, 21st century children are growing up with single parents, and most people can relate to Bud's stash of sentimental objects that serve as memories of a distant relative or loved one. Anyone who has searched for someone or longed to know someone better can relate to Bud's quest to find his father. If Bud's desires and motivations are relevant, his thoughts and speech make him real and believable. Phrases such as "get holt," "kiss my wrist," and "woop, zoop, sloop," bring Bud's voice to life, and once he meets up with H.E. Calloway and the Dusky Devastators of the Depression, the boys in the band breath life into the lingo of the times with words like "chops," "scoop," "cop a squat."

While historically accurate, BUD, NOT BUDDY is most memorable for the truly charming and witty voice of its eponymous main character. Through Bud's eyes, Christopher Paul Curtis reveals the gritty realities of the Depression era, and compassionate characters whose strong doses of humor help everyone to keep hope alive and survive one of the worst periods in our country's history. This was my second reading of this outstanding novel, and even though I knew how it ended, I still found myself crying right along with Bud when I got to Chapter 14.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Children's Literature: "Curtis' book follows a young African-American boy as he struggles to find a home during the Depression. The author takes on a difficult time and seemingly sad plot, but Bud, the hero, has humor and originality that will open new doors and understanding about this era."

Publisher's Weekly: "As in his Newbery Honor-winning debut, The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963, Curtis draws on a remarkable and disarming mix of comedy and pathos, this time to describe the travails and adventures of a 10-year-old African-American orphan in Depression-era Michigan."

5. CONNECTIONS & STRATEGIES
*Create a "Frozen Tableau" to help students better understand what it was like to live during the Depression. Give students copies of Depression Era photographs (perhaps the work of Dorothea Lange) and have students journal to react to them. In a discussion forum, clear up any misconceptions or confusion the pictures may have engendered. Then in groups, students pose as people in one of the pictures, creating a "frozen tableau." While in their frozen poses, the students answer questions from the teacher who acts as a "reporter," wanting to know the more about the people, the times, and the emotions in the picture. Use the instructions for creating a "Frozen Tableau" for THE WATSONS GO TO BIRMINGHAM as a guide. They can be accessed at: http://www.learner.org/channel/workshops/tml/workshop5/authors1b.html

* Compare and contrast the protagonists in A SINGLE SHARD (ISBN 044041581) and BUD, NOT BUDDY. Both novels tell the story of young orphaned boys trying to find their home in the world. I was struck by the similarities in the "wisdom" imparted to them by loved ones which each carried within them as a source of strength. Students could reflect on words of wisdom their own family and mentors may have imparted and write a short autobiographical narrative interweaving those words into the story.

2006-11-10T17:04:00.000-08:00

Book Review: THE MIDWIFE'S APPRENTICE
*NOTE: This review was created for a class at TWU.
*Illustration by young artist from: www.dbrl.org/outreach/book-cover/03/

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Cushman, Karen. 1995. THE MIDWIFE'S APPRENTICE. New York, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN 0395692296.

2. PLOT SUMMARY:
The Newbery Award-winning novel A MIDWIFE'S APPRENTICE weaves the coming-of-age tale of a young orphan girl, cruelly nicknamed "Dung Beetle" and "Brat," who, through hard work and perseverance, becomes a capable young woman, Alyce. Wanting only "a full belly, a contented heart, and a place in this world," Alyce suffers ostracism, disappointments, and crisis of faith in herself before coming to realize that her place in the world is as a midwife's apprentice, and her family is what she makes it: a bitter midwife, a stray cat, and a village full of characters.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
The hallmarks of good historical fiction include that the history is accurate, it isn't sugar-coated, it is seen through the eyes of a young protagonist, it comes to life through the patterns of daily life, and it isn't revealed through too much historical detail. Karen Cushman's novel A MIDWIFE'S APPRENTICE contains all these hallmarks along with a wonderful girl's coming-of-age story.

There can be no doubt that history isn't sugar-coated when a novel starts with the line, "When animal droppings and garbage and spoiled straw are piled up in a great heap, the rotting and moiling give forth heat. Usually no one gets close enough to notice because of the stench." In fact, most of the settings in THE MIDWIFE'S APPRENTICE reveal that medieval life didn't really resemble the Hollywood "knight saves princess" tales we've all come to love. No, in this story, boys torment cats, husbands cheat on wives, making soap stinks up the whole yard, and our young protagonist, Alyce, doesn't take a bath until 3/4 of the way through the plot!

If life is less than rosy, it is even more so through the eyes of the orphan girl known as Brat, Dung Beetle, and finally Alyce. While she begins the story with only an empty belly and hard experiences, her keen curiosity and perseverance leads her to a happy existence as the midwife's apprentice and allows the reader to soak in all the details of village life. Through her eyes, we learn that "columbine seeds speed birth" and cobwebs are used for "stanching blood," we see "pennants flying...copper kettles, rubies and pearls, ivory tusks from mysterious animals," and "pies stuffed with pork and raisins," at the market in Gobnet-Under-Green, and we feel the "stiff vellum" used by Master Reese to write his great encyclopedia. Because Alyce is so inquisitive by nature, these historically correct descriptions never feel unnatural, but rather is a natural extension of the daily patterns she experiences.

Only one section of the novel seemed less than realistic to me, and that was the chapter entitled "The Devil." While I enjoyed the descriptions of medieval superstitions, I had difficulty believing that Alyce, working most of the day as the midwife's apprentice, and having no real skills as a woodworker (even though it does mention she likes to watch the woodworker at work), would be able to carve two blocks to look like animal prints. Even if she could do that, how would she be able to use them to create a trail that led to someone committing an evil deed without also leaving footprints and/or being detected. And what are the chances that the townspeople would catch the culprits in the act every time? It just seemed far-fetched to me.

Yet the rest of the novel is delightfully fast-paced, and keeps a nice balance of historical detail and action. Karen Cushman works wonders with characterization, describing Jane the midwife as "a woman neither old nor young but in between. Neither fat nor thin but in between. An important-looking woman, with a sharp nose and a sharp glance and a whimple starched into sharp pleats." Other, more minor characters are characterized with similar care. Joan, the bailiff's wife, "washed her linen each week and never let herself be seen even in summer," and Master Reese was "long and skinny as a heron, with black eyes in a face that looked sad, hungry, and cold."

Like many young adult novels, THE MIDWIFE'S APPRENTICE is a bildungsroman of self-discovery, but Cushman avoids a Disney-like ending by foregoing hugs and happy reunions which would ring false in the difficult times of fourteenth-century England, and opting for a simpler closure. When Alyce finally regains the courage to return to the midwife after disgrace and ask to be an apprentice again, she is initially rejected, but perseveres, refusing to leave the midwife's front step, setting up the final scene: "The door opened. Alyce went in. And the cat went with her." We are left to speculate whether Alyce would grow up, become an even better midwife due to her caring heart, and fall in love with the local red-haired boy.

Delightful characterization, fascinating details, and a charming protagonist, make THE MIDWIFE'S APPRENTICE an enjoyable story for those who love medieval times, Chaucerian foibles, and spunky protagonists.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS:

From School Library Journal: "Characters are sketched briefly but with telling, witty detail, and the very scents and sounds of the land and people's occupations fill each page as Alyce comes of age and heart. Earthy humor, the foibles of humans both high and low, and a fascinating mix of superstition and genuinely helpful herbal remedies attached to childbirth make this a truly delightful introduction to a world seldom seen in children's literature."

From Booklist: "The characters are drawn with zest and affection but no false reverence... Kids will like this short, fast-paced narrative about a hero who discovers that she's not ugly or stupid or alone."

5. CONNECTIONS
* Students could use THE MIDWIFE'S APPRENTICE as an introduction to a medieval unit in 6th grade social studies. After reading the novel, the class could split into groups, each taking a different village building (midwife's cottage, farm, woodworking shop, mill, tavern, manor) and research what it would look like an what it would contain. Then each group could create a three-dimensional model of the building, labeling important areas/items. After presentations, the buildings could be arranged to create an entire medieval village.
* Use in a girls' book club and compare to A DAUGHTER OF VENICE by Donna Jo Napoli (ISBN 0440229286) and TRUE CONFESSIONS OF CHARLOTTE DOYLE (ISBN 0380782550) by AVI. All three novels are historical, deal with a girl's coming of age, and the stereotypes and constraints put upon women during the time in which they lived. Discussions could center around the treatment of girls and women throughout cultures and history.

2006-11-10T04:19:00.000-08:00

Book Review: A SINGLE SHARD
*NOTE: This blog was created as part of a class at TWU.

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Park, Linda Sue. 2001. A SINGLE SHARD. New York, NY: Dell Yearling. ISBN 0440418518

2. PLOT SUMMARY: Set in 12th century Korea, the Newbery Award winning novel A SINGLE SHARD tells the tale of 12-year-old orphan Tree-ear, who lives under a bridge with the wise but crippled old Crane-man. Longing to become a potter himself, Tree-ear begins to work for a master celadon maker, Min, and through adventures not only garners Min a royal commission, but gains courage, a home, and a future as an artist.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
As historical fiction goes, A SINGLE SHARD has all the elements to envelope readers in another time and buoy them through the events in young Tree-ear's life, while glimpsing accurate views of another place and time. The setting, 12th century Korea, is integral to the plot, the characters are vividly drawn and believable, and the plot and theme are realistic to the time period and yet touch upon issues relevant today.

The setting in this bittersweet novel of hope and courage influences every aspect of the story, yet is integrated into the story subtly. From the very first lines, when Tree-ear's mentor, Crane-man, humorously twists the traditional greeting of "Have you eaten well? ("Shik Sa Ha Syeoss Ship Nee Ka?") to "Have you hungered well?" Linda Sue Park breathes life into the setting through the character's speech, their conduct towards one another, details of everyday events, and descriptions of the places in the novel. The young protagonist is an orphan, and as such, on the lowest level village society. After being apprenticed by a local master potter, Tree-ear is fed by the potter's wife, and treats her with such respect that he rarely speaks and does not dare to look at her but keeps his head bowed. When the wife gives him winter clothes, Tree-ear expresses his thanks by saying, "Deepest gratitude to the honorable potter's wife." Throughout the book, this level of respect and sense of place in society permeates the characters' dialogue and actions, sustaining the historical setting. Everyday details further strengthen the sense of time and place. Tree-ear sees a man on the road carrying a jiggeh, which is then briefly described as "an open-framed backpack made of branches," revealing the simplicity and ingenuity of the times, and later watches the potter Min make a prunus vase, introducing the reader to the Korean art of flower arranging and artistic esthetic: "It would be a prunus vase - the most elegant of all the shapes. Tall and beautifully proportioned, rising from its base to flare gracefully and the round to the mouth, a prunus vase was designed for one purpose - to display a single branch of flowering plum." All the descriptions of the steps involved in making the village's famous celadon ware are fascinatingly detailed and accurate, from the digging of the clay, to the mixing of the slip, and the firing process. Finally, the physical details of the village, and the towns, mountains, and valleys Tree-ear passes through on his way to the capital, Songdo, are captivatingly described with the innocence and wonder of a 13-year-old. The marketplace in the town of Puyo is especially vibrant, with each stall holding a wonder of items for every taste and desire. "The onggi seller's stall displayed every size of vessel," writes Park, "from tiny sauce dishes to kimchee jars big enough for a man to stand hidden within."

Park spares no descriptive talent on the characters, either. Crane-man's spirit of life and sense of humor shines through in spite of his deformity, Min's tender heart is revealed beneath his exacting nature and gruff exterior, and Tree-ear's transformation from child with a sliver of hope, to young man with confidence and a vision for his future unfurls before the reader's eyes. Near the end of the story, Tree-ear has his defining moment after being set upon by robbers and having his precious cargo, two of Min's pots, smashed on a cliff below him. The author writes, "Tree-ear rolled onto his side and vomited. He retched again and again, until his stomach felt as empty as his spirit...Failure. The most dishonorable failure. He had been unable to keep the vases safe." Yet Tree-ear does not give up, and "suddenly, a last flicker of hope flared within him. The second vase - he had not heard the crash. Perhaps it had fallen into the water, perhaps it was still unbroken." Although he finds only a single shard, a single sliver of hope, Tree-ear musters the courage to continue his journey and present just that piece to the king's emissary. Ultimately, Tree-ear is successful and although his return is bittersweet due to Crane-man's death, he becomes part of Min's family and a true potter's apprentice.

The plot and theme in A SINGLE SHARD is appropriate for 12th century Korea, revolving around questions of honesty, respect, and courage, and yet are relevant today. First, Tree-ear's struggle to find and define himself, to figure out where he belongs, is one that adolescents make every day. Second, although very respectful, Tree-ear often feels shame and resentment when he feels that he has been treated unjustly, although he realizes later that learning things the hard way is often the best way. And finally, he learns that "leaping into death is not the only way to show courage," by persevering and having the courage to go into the palace with only a single shard to show the king's emissary. Students today often view courage as something from the realm of video games and graphic novels, and the wisdom of Crane-man could help them to understand that courage isn't always visible, but comes from inside and is drawn upon everyday by almost everyone.

Throughout A SINGLE SHARD, Linda Sue Park inlays the stories and maxims of Crane-man, creating a well of wisdom from which Tree-ear dips to nourish and strengthen himself on his long journey. These stories, like the descriptions of pottery-making are never intrusive, and lend a uniqueness and subtlety to the novel which would enchant most readers, and pique the curiosity of many about the ancient culture of Korea.

In an author's note Park explains the historical basis for the characters and events, telling where vases such as the ones described in the novel can be found. (I almost booked a flight to Seoul!) She also describes the changes in Korea's history since the 12th century, and that fact that several locations in the book remain, but under different names. My edition of the novel also included an afterword, "What's So Special About Celadon" and an interview with the author.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS:
From Publisher's Weekly: "Park (Seesaw Girl) 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. Ages 10-14."

From 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."

5. CONNECTIONS
* This novel would be an excellent read for 6th grade in Texas, to complement the World History focus of 6th grade social studies. After reading the book, local potters could be invited to the school to give a demonstration and allow students to try their hands at throwing a pot, or student could take a field trip to a museum to view celadon pottery up close and in person.
* Chapter 11, where Tree-ear is robbed and the vases are smashed, and Chapter 12, where he meets with the royal emissary would be good sections for students to adapt into a Reader's Theater script and act out.
* Read THE YEAR OF IMPOSSIBLE GOODBYES by Sook Nyul Choi (ISBN 0440407591) which takes place in war-time Korea and details the harrowing trek a young girl and her family must make to escape the Communists in the aftermath of the war. Comparing the two protagonists would be a great springboard to a discussion of courage and perseverance, allowing the students' to connect to their own lives, while deepening their understanding of Korean history. It might also be interesting to create maps of the journeys each character takes and see where they might intersect.

2006-10-23T18:36:00.000-07:00

Book Review: AN AMERICAN PLAGUE
NOTE: This book review was created for a class at TWU
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Murphy, Jim. 2003. AN AMERICAN PLAGUE. New York, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN 0395776082

2. PLOT SUMMARY:
AN AMERICAN PLAGUE tells the story of the Philadelphia Yellow Fever epidemic of 1793, from the very first days in August, before the citizens of the city of brotherly love realized that a dreaded disease was in their midst, to the late October days of the city's recovery. The story is told in narrative style through the eyes of the citizens who suffered, died, or survived. The final two chapters are devoted to the history of changes in the plague's aftermath, to the discovery of yellow fever's carrier, the mosquito in the early 1900s.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

For many students, just the thought of reading a non-fiction title about early American history can cause symptoms similar to those described in AN AMERICAN PLAGUE. Said pupil, when confronted by such a task may feel feverish, "depressed, confused, and delirious." Yet even the most non-fictionophobic reader would find his or her aversion to informational texts disappear by the end of the first paragraph of Jim Murphy's wonderful retelling of the events during the Philadelphia yellow fever epidemic of 1793.

Although the book is highly accurate and meticulously researched and documented, AN AMERICAN PLAGUE reads like a historical mystery novel. Witness the following excerpts from the first page: "Saturday, August 3, 1793. The sun came up, as it had every day since the end of May, bright, hot, and unrelenting. The swamps and marshes south of Philadelphia had already lost a great deal of water...Dead fish and gooey vegetable matter exposed and rotted...Mosquitoes were everywhere, though their high pitched whirring was particularly loud near rain barrels, gutters, and open sewers." The book begins like a journal entry, and within a few short lines, the reader is immersed in the time period and setting. Murphy has even introduced the prime suspect in the mystery - the mosquito.

Once the reader has been drawn in to his tale, the author then supplies fascinating facts, explaining the 18th century sewer system that used open gutters and "sinks" to remove waste, and describing in vivid detail the symptoms of the yellow fever victim. Accompanying the text throughout the book are engravings, excerpts from newspapers, maps, advertisements, cartoons, and portraits.

Accuracy is not sacrificed for imagery, however, and Murphy uses precise language where needed. He describes the last stage of the yellow fever patient thusly, "The skin and eyeballs turned yellow, as red blood cells were destroyed, causing the bile pigment bilirubin to accumulate in the body; nose, gums, and intestines began bleeding; and the patient vomited stale, black blood." If the author had "dumbed-down" the description and left it at "The patient vomited black blood," it would not only be less informative, but less interesting as well.

Each chapter of AN AMERICAN PLAGUE begins with a similar journal-like entry, building upon a cast of characters, from Dr. Rush, whose early warnings were ignored, to Reverend Helmuth, who visited stricken patients throughout the city. Murphy's narrative is interspersed with quotes from such eyewitnesses, providing not only fascinating details, but also different perspectives on those terrible months in 1793.

Throughout the book, the questions of what caused the yellow fever, how it spread, and how another epidemic could be prevented, flow beneath the unfolding events. Like Philadelphia citizen Dr. Rush, the reader looks for clues in every eyewitness's story, until finally, at the end of the book, Murphy narrates how, in the early 1900s, doctors discovered that yellow fever was a mosquito borne virus. The mystery solved, it still took almost 40 years to come up with a vaccine, and many more years to make government changes to help prevent another epidemic. Indeed, AN AMERICAN PLAGUE brings us almost up to the present, connecting real world current health threats with the yellow fever threat of over 200 years ago.

AN AMERICAN PLAGUE has won numerous awards, including the Robert F. Sibert Award for outstanding non-fiction. Like all of Jim Murphy's books, it was born out of his curiosity and developed through research into a wonderful narrative about a terrible disaster. In his acceptance speech for the Horn Book Award, Murphy said that, "Writing about any disaster provides a natural story line with a beginning, middle, and end, but readers deserve more. Broader historical issues, odd and intriguing characters, and humor, to name a few." In AN AMERICAN PLAGUE Murphy provides everything the readers deserve, including the cure for non-fictionophobia.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
School Library Journal: "Black-and-white reproductions of period art, coupled with chapter headings that face full-page copies of newspaper articles of the time, help bring this dreadful episode to life. An afterword explains the yellow fever phenomenon, its causes, and contemporary outbreaks, and source notes are extensive and interesting. Pair this work with Laurie Halse Anderson's wonderful novel Fever 1793 (S & S, 2000) and you'll have students hooked on history."

Booklist: "History, science, politics, and public health come together in this dramatic account of the disastrous yellow fever epidemic that hit the nation's capital more than 200 years ago. Drawing on firsthand accounts, medical and non-medical, Murphy re-creates the fear and panic in the infected city, the social conditions that caused the disease to spread, and the arguments about causes and cures."

5. CONNECTIONS
*Science: After reading AN AMERICAN PLAGUE, students could tackle questions of world health and mosquito-borne diseases such as yellow fever, malaria, and the West Nile virus. Students could watch program four "Deadly Messengers" of PBS's award-winning series "Rx for Survival" and role play how disease spreads. Following the role play, students brainstorm ways to halt the spread of disease in a global economy. Use the lesson that accompanies the program for guidance: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/rxforsurvival/series/teachers/pdf/rx_guide_messengers.pdf

*Language Arts/US History: Use exerpts from AN AMERICAN PLAGUE along with selections from Laurie Halse Anderson's novel FEVER 1793 (ISBN 0689848919), parts of the recently published treatise on how yellow fever could be used as a biological weapon, entitled YELLOW FEVER: A DEADLY DISEASE POISED TO KILL AGAIN (ISBN 1591023998) by James Dickerson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "Evangeline," Phillip Freneau's short poem "Pestilence" written in 1793 (http://xroads.virginia.edu/~MA96/forrest/WW/feverlit.html), and "Ye Heroes of Ye Epidemic" a long narrative poem written about a Florida yellow fever epidemic in 1888 (http://fulltext10.fcla.edu/DLData/NF/NF00000039/file2.pdf), to learn more about America's early history, and about how one topic, yellow fever, can be described from different points of view and for different purposes. Students could then research another event in early American history, such as the Salem Witch Trials, and try their hand at writing a nonfiction chapter, a short story, poetry, or a modern day take on that event.
* Jim Murphy's acceptance speech for the Horn Book Award is hilarious and enlightening. It would be a wonderful way to begin a discussion of how to write nonfiction and/or what it means to be a writer. The transcript can be found at: http://www.hbook.com/publications/magazine/articles/jan05_murphy.asp

2006-10-21T12:10:00.000-07:00

Book Review: LINCOLN: A PHOTOBIOGRAPHY
*NOTE: This review has been created for a class at TWU.
Image courtesy of: http://www.amazon.com

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Freedman, Russell. 1987. LINCOLN: A PHOTOBIOGRAPHY. New York, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN 0899193803

2. PLOT SUMMARY:
U.S. President Abraham Lincoln's biography is told in both pictures and words by Russell Freedman in LINCOLN: A PHOTOBIOGRAPHY. In seven chapters, Freedman details Lincoln's life, beginning with a general introduction discussing how Lincoln's image was captured by both those who knew him and modern day historians, and how we are still fascinated by the president who is now "admired as a folk hero." Using photographs, drawings, primary documents, and text, Freedman describes Lincoln from childhood to his death. The end of LINCOLN: A PHOTOBIOGRAPHY contains a section of quotes by the great man, a travel itinerary for those interested in following in his footsteps, a resource list of books about Lincoln, and a detailed index for easy reference.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
Accuracy is the most important criterion in judging a nonfiction title, and Russell Freedman's "photobiography" of Abraham Lincoln is both meticulously researched and highly accurate. Freedman has written over 50 books for young people, and LINCOLN: A PHOTOBIOGRAPHY is a Newbery Medal winner. In researching Lincoln's life, Freedman traveled in Lincoln's footsteps, gathering information from experts on Lincoln's life and work from around the United States. As a bonus for readers, the author shares his sources in the Acknowledgements section at the back of the book, along with a list of books about Lincoln with reading suggestions. Freedman also includes a list of historic sites that "played an important part in Lincoln's life, career, and death." The list includes a description and contact information so that we, too, can "walk in Lincoln's footsteps."

Yet accuracy is just scratches the surface of what LINCOLN: A PHOTOBIOGRAPHY has to offer. Apart from the first chapter, the book is organized in chronological order, beginning with Lincoln's birth and childhood, and ending with the President's untimely death. The first chapter, however, really grabs the reader's attention. Entitled "The Mysterious Mr. Lincoln," this chapter not only gives a short history of how Lincoln was viewed during his day up to the present noting the elusiveness of both man and myth, and clearly showing Freedman's passion for his subject matter. "Abraham Lincoln wasn't the sort of man who could lose himself in a crowd," writes the author, "After all, he stood six feet four inches tall, and to top it off, he wore a high silk hat."

Throughout the rest of the biography, Freedman uses a variety of techniques to engage the reader. In Chapter Two, lively comparisons evoke vivid images of Lincoln as a child. He is described as "a tall spider of a boy," growing fast and "shooting up like a sunflower." Later in the chapter, well-quotes from Lincoln's relatives further enhance the description, and the use of dialect puts the reader right into the time and place of Lincoln's childhood. The author quotes a cousin who describes Lincoln as "the gangliest awkwardest feller," who "would carry a book out to the field with him, so he could read at the end of each plow furrow, while the horse was getting its breath." Quotes are used again with great effect in the final chapter of Lincoln's life entitled, "Who is Dead in the White House?" Here, Freedman quotes Lincoln himself, saying, "I long ago made up my mind that if anyone wants to kill me, he will do it. If I wore a shirt of mail, and kept myself surrounded by a bodyguard, it would be all the same. There are a thousand ways of getting at a man if it is desired that he should be killed."

In other parts of LINCOLN: A PHOTOBIOGRAPHY, the attractive design engages the reader. As the author mentions in the first chapter, Lincoln was the most photographed man of his time, but Freedman doesn't simply sprinkle his text with photographs. Instead, he puts them in thought-provoking compositions, as in Chapter Four, where, along the bottom of the two-page spread, four photos of Lincoln from late 1860 to early 1861 show his transformation by growing a beard. The progression is both intriguing and humanizing. Photographs are not, however, the only type of visual element used in the book. Text is accompanied by manuscripts, engravings, and political cartoons. In Chapter Five, a political cartoon ridiculing Lincoln's clandestine arrival in Washington illustrates the following anecdotal description: "Word of Lincoln's secret night ride spread fast...They taunted him Lincoln as a hick with a high-pitched voice and a Kentucky twang, an ugly gorilla and baboon."

Finally, Freedman fills his "photobiography" with fascinating facts so numerous, there isn't space to list them all here, but one that sticks in this reader's mind is the fact that Lincoln had a house full of pets, including a goat, which slept on his son Tad's bed. Taken in total, all these techniques, the use of quotes, a variety of visual elements, the inclusion of anecdotes, fascinating facts, and lively comparisons, combine to create a biography of a great man that is engaging, thought-provoking, and humanizing. LINCOLN: A PHOTOBIOGRAPHY sets the bar high for juvenile biographies and works of non-fiction.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Booklist Editor's Choice: "A realistic, perceptive, and unromanticized photobiography of Lincoln, including a sampler of quotations from his writings and speeches."

School Library Journal: "Well-organized and well-written, this is an outstanding example of what (juvenile) biography can be. Like Lincoln himself, it stands head and shoulders above its competition."

5. CONNECTIONS
*Explore Lincoln's life and times further with the aid of the PBS series "The American Experience." Compare and contrast the video documentary "Abraham and Mary Lincoln: A House Divided" with Freedman's book. Lesson plans to go with the film can be found at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/lincolns/tguide/index.html

*LINCOLN: A PHOTOBIOGRAPHY is a great mentor text for students writing biographies of role models in their lives. Using it, along with other great biographies such as DARE TO DREAM: 25 EXTRAORDINARY LIVES (ISBN 1591022800) by Sandra McLeod Murphy, which offers engaging, short sketches easily accessible to reluctant readers and THE MAN WHO MADE TIME TRAVEL (ISBN 0374347883) written by Kathryn Lasky and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes, which exemplifies how to create a picture book biography, students can gather information on someone in their lives whom they admire to create their own biographical sketches. A starting point might be the list of monthly character traits used in many schools. Students could brainstorm people they know who share each character trait. Then, in mini-lessons, the teacher could demonstrate the craft of "showing, not telling" in writing. Students could then narrow their topic down to one character trait and role model, choosing someone whom they could interview. After conducting interviews with the role model and those who know the role models, students create either a "photobiography," biographical sketch, or picture book biography. Once the biography projects are complete, students invite the role models to a reading and present the projects to the role model as a gift. At Taylor Middle School, we do this project every year in December with the 7th grade students, and it is motivating for the students and memorable for the role models.

2006-10-18T17:16:00.000-07:00

Book Review: AUTUMN ACROSS AMERICA
*Note: This book review was created for a class at TWU.
Photograph courtesy of www.mooseyscountrygarden.com

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Simon, Seymour. 1993. AUTUMN ACROSS AMERICA. New York, NY: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 0152163956

2. PLOT SUMMARY:
Author Seymour Simon takes the reader on a photographic journey across America in autumn while describing the scientific reasons for the season, along with its effects on flora, fauna, and man in this informational trade picture book. Beginning with a description of autumn's beauty, continuing with information about why the seasons change, why leaves change colors and fall, why animals migrate, how the season affects insects, how plants distribute seeds during the autumn, and how the season differs in each region of America, the book ends as it began, with a description of autumn's beauty and meaning for the Earth.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
Although AUTUMN ACROSS AMERICA was written more than 10 years ago, it contains many of the qualities that have come to define engaging informational picture books in recent years. The book's design is very attractive, with a beautiful mix of text and photography that draws the reader from page to page, alternating breathtaking landscape shots of trees, country roads, and mountains, with close-ups of fallen leaves, unusual insects, and pumpkins. The most striking picture is that of the lowly milkweed, releasing its seeds like a miniature fireworks display. The text accompanying the milkweed picture intertwines in-depth factual information such as "Seeds...contain an embryo, or young plant, and a supply of food," with more lyrical descriptions of how the seeds are scattered. "When a pod splits open in October," writes Simon, "only a few seeds at a time are released. Their silken parachutes catch the faintest breeze, and they sail off to unknown destinations." Such compelling details, and little known facts, as in the section on the monarch butterfly, which flies "from ten to 15 miles per hour, traveling eighty miles or more a day," are enhanced with fascinating comparisons. Seeds are "travelers" "hitchhiking" and aspens are a "slash of golden light" amid the green of fir trees. While the colorful subject matter will appeal to younger readers, Simon does not "dumb down" the vocabulary, using scientific terms that will inform older readers as well. For this reader, who quickly tires of theories, facts, and figures, AUTUMN ACROSS AMERICA was a refreshing and eye-catching change, and a reminder that the seasons both inspire poetry and serve nature's purposes.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
School Library Journal: "Since there is no index and no table of contents, children looking for specific information will be frustrated. The book's main attraction is its design-beautiful photographs set in pages of glowing fall colors... Seasonal materials are always in demand; this one is a good choice for browsers."

Booklist: "Simon's first book in a series about the changing seasons introduces autumn as a 'season of memory and change.' By the book's end, readers will grasp the significance of that phrase. Throughout this tribute, each double-page spread contains at least one, sometimes two, four-color photographs of a typical fall scene opposite two or three paragraphs of Simon's information-packed text, all appearing on a brilliant background color. This makes each turn of the page a delightful shock, not unlike the astonishment of seeing the first orange tree of fall."

5. CONNECTIONS
*Use this book with others about how foliage changes such as Sylvia Johnson's HOW LEAVES CHANGE (ISBN 0822595133) and AUTUMN LEAVES (ISBN 0590298798) by Ken Robbins to support students in creating an observation notebook of changes in foliage in their own neighborhood. This could help to teach the scientific method, descriptive writing, or, in combination with students' photographs, become the basis of a photo essay. Other activities connecting to fall foliage and photosynthesis can be found on EducationWorld at: http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson024.shtml
* Using Simon's format as a model, older students in World Geography could write their own "Autumn Across _____________" children's book, choosing different countries, continents, or regions of the world. Students could then present the books and discuss similarities and differences in the season around the world.
*Read "Autumn Across America" and other nonfiction titles about the seasons in conjunction with selected poems from POETRY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE: SEASONS (ISBN 1402712545) to inspire seasonal poetry writing.

2006-10-12T16:59:00.000-07:00

Book Review: WHAT IS GOODBYE?
*NOTE: This book review was created for a class at TWU.

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Grimes, Nikki. 2004. WHAT IS GOODBYE? Ill. by Raul Colon. New York, NY: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 0786807784

2. PLOT SUMMARY:
WHAT IS GOODBYE? is a book of narrative poems in the two voices of a brother and sister, Jerilyn and Jesse. In the space of a little more than a year, each works through shock, pain, sorrow, remembering, healing, and moving on after the death of their older brother Jaron. The poems illustrate the different ways the two cope with their brother's death and with the reaction their parents have to his death. Although the family appears to have been irreparably torn apart by the tragedy, time heals, and the book ends with the family unified again.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
Nikki Grimes and Raul Colon collaborate to handle tough issues surrounding dealing with the death of a close relative. Although the book is somber, the poems of Jerilyn and Jesse, written in distinctly different styles to reflect the children's different voices, detail the stages of grief beautifully. Beginning with hearing the news of Jaron's death, the brother and sister react similarly, but express their shock differently. Jesse's simple rhymed lines reflect his younger age and temperament: "My ears aren't working./My hearing's broke./Mom's lips are moving./Is this some joke?" In contrast, Jerilyn's unrhymed verse is filled with similes and metaphors such as "Daddy told me in a whisper/sharp as a switchblade," and "Mommy also hid/her eyes dull coins/peeking from the pockets/of her lids."

Recalling the death of my own grandfather when I was young, I could immediately identify with shock, numbness, and then anger in the days following his death. In particular, I remember being upset that I was supposed to play with all the relatives who had come over after the funeral, when all I wanted was for them to leave so I could walk through the house remembering all the little things he used to do. Just like Jerilyn, who reflects,

"I wander through this
silly crowd, wondering why
no one tells the truth.
Dead is dead.
Not "gone away."
Not "lost."
Not "passed" - as if
my brother's life
were some test
he got a good grade on,
and now he's gone.

I didn't understand all the euphemisms that were meant to ease the hollowness I felt inside. In many parts of the novella, Jerilyn and Jesse react differently, Jesse acting out, and Jerilyn turning inward, but their closeness as siblings is poignantly revealed in the poems entitled "First Fear" which are placed together on the page, intensifying the sense that they occur simultaneously. Jerilyn observing, "Look at him/head buried/in the black cushion/of Lucky's coat,/tears raw as rain," while Jesse worries, "Me and Lucky/two of a kind./Boy and dog whimpering./Does Jeri mind?" The poem ends with the two hugging, beautifully illustrated by Colon, whose details such as the eye pattern on the wallpaper visually illustrates the inner landscape of the children, who feel like everyone is watching them to see if they will crumble under the grief.

This inner landscape is revealed in Colon's lithographic illustration which accompanies Jerilyn's version of "Rush" In the poem, the girl wants her mother to hurry up and return to the way she was before Jaron died, and in particular, yearns for the closeness she felt with her mother when "...we were/holding hands/the way we used to." To illustrate this, Colon depicts mother and daughter, dressed identically, each sitting in an upper right hand corner of the picture, hands clasped on the lap. An inset between them shows the daughter's and mother's hands reaching to hold one another. In an exquisite detail, the pattern on the carpet at their feet has keyholes, symbolizing that holding hands is, in Jerilyn's mind, a key to regaining her relationship with her mother.

Both children grow as time passes, and Jesse's poems become more complex, incorporating more imagery, similes, and metaphors, as when he says, "Folks wind my sadness like a clock." The children mature, are able to simply enjoy a day, mend the relationships with their parents, and learn to love the memories of Jaron each both hold dear. Jerilyn comes to an understanding that this loss has made her appreciate her own life more, too. She writes,

Ordinary days
are golden,
like ancient coins
recovered from
a treasure hunt.
More of them is
what I want
now that I've learned
to spend
or save each one
as if
it matters.

In the end, both speak together in the poem for two voices "Photograph." The family is unified in taking a portrait, and the poetic form reflects that. WHAT IS GOODBYE? touchingly illustrates both how to approach a difficult topic, and how form can enhance and enrich function. I wish I had had this novella in verse to help me through my grief when my grandfather died.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Booklist: "In poems that alternate between voices, Jerilyn and Jesse describe their complicated, private thoughts as they grieve for their beloved brother."

School Library Journal: "Grade 3-8–Grimes's novella in verse is a prime example of how poetry and story can be combined to extend one another."

5. CONNECTIONS
*This book may help teachers and librarians broach a difficult subject such as death. Other books for children dealing with death can be found at: http://www.barrharris.org/barbooks.html#For
*Explore other books written in two voices, such as Paul Fleischman's classics JOYFUL NOISE (ISBN 0064460932), and Jim Harrison's FARMER'S GARDEN (ISBN 1590781775)
*Use the two voices in the story to discuss both voice and point of view, then try writing two-voice poetry using readwritethink.org's lesson plan at http://www.readwritethink.org/lesson_images/lesson391/two-voice.pdf

2006-10-12T15:01:00.000-07:00

Book Review: BOW WOW MEOW MEOW

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Florian, Douglas. 2003. BOW WOW MEOW MEOW. Ill. by Douglas Florian. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc. ISBN 0152163956

2. PLOT SUMMARY:
In this beautifully illustrated picture book, Douglas Florian presents 21 poems, 11 about dogs of all breeds and sizes, and 10 about cats from domesticated to wild. The poems are thoughtful and humorous. Each selection is short and could be read aloud. The target audience for this book is age 4-8.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
I wonder if author Douglas Florian is playing favorites by writing 11 poems about dogs and only 10 about cats in his funny and insightful picture book entitled, BOW WOW MEOW MEOW. One thing is for sure, Florian doesn't play favorites with poetic form. The poems run the gamut from long strings of rhymed couplet as in "Cat Chat" to concrete poems of pure fun as in the curly poem-shapes in "The Poodles," to poems of haiku-like simplicity, as in "The Manx."

Who always yanks
The tail off the Manx?

Florian's play with poetic form is accompanied by plays on words, playful sounds, fanciful images, and surprising poetic turns. BOW WOW MEOW MEOW shows a definite penchant for puns, describing the bloodhound as "Scent-sational" and the jaguarundi as wearing "jaguarundi-wear." Playful sounds abound, too, with the Chihuahua barking "Chi-hua! hua! hua! hua! hua! hua! hua!" and the Persian cooing about its "purrrrsian" "pet-igree." Fanciful imagery is evoked by both poem and picture working together. My favorite example of imagery, being a dachshund owner, is "The Dachshund." This short poem, which begins, "Short up front/And short behind/But so long in-between," is accompanied by a naive watercolor dachshund snaking along the page below a curvy cityscape. Inside the dachshund's body, tiny figures can be seen, illustrating the poem's final lines, "The fleas all ride/Upon my side/In my s t r e t c h limousine." Finally, Florian uses the old Shakespearean technique of the poetic turn in a surprising and light-hearted fashion. In "The Bulldog," the bulldog is praised for its pride, wisdom, straight chin, strong nose, and great brow, only to find out that the praise is somewhat forced, since, "I'd say his face was full of charm/If he would let go of my arm." "The Pointers," too, offer surprises:

Some pointers point at foxes
Some pointers point at hares.
Some pointers point at pheasants.
Mine points at Frigidaires.

Each poem is delightfully illustrated with detailed, yet naive watercolors on paper, which the endnote explains, are brown paper bags. From the bulldog's four pointy teeth, to the ants' antennae, Florian uses an economy of brushstrokes to pull the very essence of each animal into the picture. This book is aimed at ages 4-8, but will be enjoyed by dog, cat, and art lovers of any age.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Starred Review in BOOKLIST: "...it's clear that Florian's latest poetry collection has all the exuberance of his previous works. Once again, he combines playful, animal-inspired verse and childlike watercolors."

Review in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: This is a delightful selection to read aloud to younger children, and it offers older students models of simple poems that really work. A definite contender for 'best in show.'"

5. CONNECTIONS
*Read other poetry books by Douglas Florian such as LIZARDS, FROG, AND POLLIWOGS (ISBN 015202591X) and INSECTLOPEDIA (ISBN 0152013067) and compare/contrast.
*Read other dog and cat poetry such as LITTLE DOG AND DUNCAN (ISBN 061811758X) or CATKU: WHAT IS THE SOUND OF ONE CAT NAPPING? (ISBN 0740741691)
*Use Florian's naive/primitive artistic style to springboard into a discussion of outsider art such as the art of Mose Tolliver, whose work will be showcased in the picture book, MOSE T: A TO Z by Anton Haardt, due out November 1.

2006-10-12T05:04:00.000-07:00

Book Review: MAKE LEMONADE
*NOTE: This book review was created for a class at TWU.

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Wolff, Virginia Euwer. MAKE LEMONADE. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc. ISBN 059048141X.

2. PLOT SUMMARY: Virginia Euwer Wolff weaves an uplifting story of hope in the novel in verse, MAKE LEMONADE. It tells the story of 14-year-old inner-city African-American LaVaughn who takes a part-time job sitting for 17-year-old Jolly's two children, Jilly and Jeremy. LaVaughn comes to realize her love for the children at about the same time she realizes that Jolly isn't going to make it on her own. Although she is 3 years younger than Jolly, LaVaughn shows great maturity in helping the single mother "take hold" and get her life back. In doing so, LaVaughn is constantly battling to keep her own dreams of college alive. The ending is bittersweet, with Jolly's little family growing away from LaVaughn in their new-found independence.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS: Symbolism, startlingly vivid slice-of-life imagery, and rhythm propel the reader through a story of loss, struggle, hope, and finally, independence in MAKE LEMONADE. Wolff has taken the 19th century genre of "novel in verse" and made it fresh again by confronting real-life dangers such as sexual harassment and drug use in unrhymed free verse so packed with imagery and truthful expression that the reader senses the narrator's immediacy and feels like she is present, telling her story. This intimate sense of the present permeates the first lines of the novel, as the narrator says, "I am telling you this just the way it went...Other people would maybe tell it different/but I was there." Wolff's simple, not always grammatically correct, but always frankly observant lines capture 14-year-old LaVaughn's voice brilliantly.

Subtle symbolism runs throughout the narrative in the form of the lemon seeds LaVaughn plants in a pot for Jolly's son Jeremy. The seeds fail to grow, and LaVaughn brings in new seeds. The two young women argue briefly over whether to tell Jeremy that these are new seeds because his seeds didn't grow or just to plant the new seeds and pretend they're the old ones. At first glance, it seems like a simple argument, but tied up in it are Jolly's attempt to shelter her children from the great disappointment she's suffered in her short life, and LaVaughn's belief that the truth, even if it's dissapointing, is more important. Eventually, with a little fertilizer, the seeds sprout, Jolly starts to make it on her own, and she stops LaVaughn in the hall at school to say, "Hey, you wouldn't guess what come up out of that dirt...We got a little green thing, a little lemon thing comin' up."

For all the dark elements in the novel, the story balances dark with light, especially in the slice-of-life imagery interwoven with the dialogue and action. In Chapter 34, LaVaughn takes Jolly to high school with her, a place that for Jolly holds nothing but broken dreams and shameful memories. As the approach the building, Jolly begins to walk in a way that LaVaughn calls Underdrive, a shimmy full of unease and false bravado. The description is heavy and heartbreaking, until LaVaughn notices the way Jolly's son Jeremy is walking, like "there's a band inside him giving him rhythm," and that everyone has a shimmy, the whole crowded campus of students. The description ends with, "and if I squint my eyes it's a circus,/somebody ought to sell cotton candy,/and there should be confetti." In ten short lines, dark has turned light, and hopelessness has become hope.

Finally, MAKE LEMONADE reflects the ebb and flow of life and emotion through rhythm. This rhythm is created through several poetic devices, including repetition, line length, and the use of capitalization. All three devices work together in one scene where LaVaughn, who is babysitting for Jolly, confronts a potential catastrophe. First, repetition of the word "and" fast-forwards the action:

And in comes Jeremy. "Looky," he says, holding up his hand
and from her bed has already come
a scream that the world is ending.
In Jeremy's hand like the Statue of Liberty
is a bunch of hair, clean sheared,
I quick look around his head -
How did he get scissors at his age,
what has he cut,
and where's the blood,
and will I be calling 911, all these things I'm thinking at once.

Wolff immediately follows the short, choppy waves of emotion and action with two long lines, expressing LaVaughn's undercurrent of thought.

But underneath I think I knew the instant I saw his face
the same time with her screaming I absolutely think I knew.

The scene is masterfully crescendos when LaVaughn finally bursts out, "Jeremy, I canNOT beLIEVE what you've DONE/to your SISster," the capitalized syllables stamping out a rhythm as well as any stress marks in iambic tetrameter.

This analysis only touches upon a few of the masterful techniques Wolff employs to create a novel which is light and dark, sad and hopeful. My grandmother often says, "The devil's in the details." In MAKE LEMONADE, the truth is in the details, details of life which can be fleeting, but which can also contain the essence of truth. Readers both young and old are sure to relate to the disappointments, triumphs, and seeds of wisdom found in MAKE LEMONADE.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
School Library Journal Starred Review: "The poetic form emphasizes the flow of the teenager's language and thought. The form invites readers to drop some preconceptions about novels, and they will find the plot and characters riveting. MAKE LEMONADE is a triumphant, outstanding story."

Publishers Weekly: "Radiant with hope, this keenly observed and poignant novel is a stellar addition to YA literature. Ages 11-14."

5. CONNECTIONS
*For at-risk students, this book could be one of several read which deal with teen pregnancy, dropping out, struggling and succeeding such as Angela Johnson's THE FIRST PART LAST (ISBN 0689849230) and STEALING HENRY (ISBN 1596430451) by Carolyn McCullough.
*This novel could be part of a genre study on novels in verse. Others to consider would be Karen Hesse's OUT OF THE DUST (ISBN 0590360809) and SPLIT IMAGE (ISBN 0688162495) by Mel Glenn.

2006-09-28T20:01:00.000-07:00

Book Review: IN A DARK, DARK ROOM
*NOTE: This book review was created for a class at TWU.

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Schwartz, Alvin. IN A DARK, DARK ROOM. Ill. by Dirk Zimmer. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0060252715

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Alvin Schwartz retells seven scary stories from around the world in this "I Can Read" book geared toward children K-3. The stories range in subject matter from ghosts in a graveyard, a headless woman, close encounters with the undead, and pirates.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Alvin Schwartz has produced a selection of scary stories gathered from around the world in the "I Can Read" book entitled, IN A DARK, DARK ROOM. This is only one of several volumes by Schwartz in which he gathers stories from around the world and retells them, in this case in language that could be easily read by a child aged K-3. The author appears to have carefully selected a range of stories that fit well into the traditional literature and children's literature genres. For instance, in stories such as "The Teeth" and "In the Graveyard," elements of repetition found in traditional literature combine with patterns found in predictable children's books to engage readers and encourage participation in a format with which they are both comfortable and familiar. The interjection "oooh!" is repeated by the fat woman in "In the Graveyard" every other line, inviting the audience to call out along with her. Similarly, the title story from the volume, "In a Dark, Dark Room," uses repetition and patterning in a cumulative tale much like "The House That Jack Built," but with a spooky surprise at the end. Schwartz even includes poetry with the short rhyming piece "The Ghost of John." It is interesting to note that the rhymed words "John," "gone," and "on," are all spelled differently, reinforcing for the emergent reader that rhyming words sound the same, but can be spelled differently.

While the stories have scary elements, Schwartz's foreword and the illustrations keep the tone of the volume light. In the forward, the author writes that, "Most of us like scary stories because we like feeling scared. When there is no real danger, feeling scared is fun." Reinforcing the feeling of fun, Dirk Zimmer's pen and ink drawings are at once colorful and humorous, and if the reader is especially observant, he will notice that most of the tales include a black cat who is patently unfrightened by the events, even when the woman's head falls off in "The Green Ribbon."

Finally, at the end of the book, Schwartz details where each folktale originated. The variety of sources is fascinating, including a Surinamian story from the 1920s and a traditional song. In true folktale fashion, none of the tales have authors with the exception of "The Ghost of John" which was the creation of an 8-year-old Californian.

At first glance, to the adult reader, IN A DARK, DARK ROOM may seem to be somewhat homogenous and lacking in cultural details. However, considering the universality of traditional literature, and the audience for whom the book was written, IN A DARK, DARK ROOM will continue to appeal to most children and be reread and retold over and over again.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
ALA Notable Children's Book
School Library Journal Best Book
BookHive.com: "It is a great book for the beginning reader who is interested in ghosts, skeletons, pirates, and other things that go bump in the night."
Booklist: "The simplicity of the easy-reading text and the comically sinister pictures are perfect for these old stories that draw you right into the suspense without spelling everything out."

5. CONNECTIONS
*Continue with retellings of American scary stories by reading books such as WHEN BIRDS COULD TALK & BATS COULD SING (ISBN 0590473727)
by Virginia Hamilton, and Paul Yee's DEAD MAN'S GOLD AND OTHER STORIES (ISBN 0888994753). Discussions could center on elements commonly found in traditional literature such as the use of repetition, time passing quickly, and settings in the distant past. Students could then note differences and discuss how, although universal, some traditional stories are colored by the culture (in the case of Hamilton's book the American South, and of Yee's book the culture of recent American immigrants from Asia) in which they are told.
*Use the stories and an investigation of Schwartz's other books as a springboard for gathering oral tales from parents, grandparents, extended family members, maybe even the residents at local retirement communities. Students could then choose a tale to type up and illustrate based on the oral interviews.
*For older students, do a unit on the oral tradition and storytelling. Students could pick on of Alvin's Schwartz's tales to learn and tell to younger students at a nearby elementary campus or public library during story hour. As part of a reading or speech class, such a unit would help students' presentation skills while building confidence in a safe environment. See websites such as "Literacy Connections" at literacyconnections.com for storytelling tips.

2006-09-27T20:34:00.000-07:00

Book Review: CINDERLILLY
*NOTE: This book review was created for a class at TWU.

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Ellwand, David and Christine Tagg. CINDERLILLY. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 0763623288

2. PLOT SUMMARY
In this adaptation of the Cinderella story, the Sultan hold an Autumn Ball to choose his bride, the fairest bloom of them all. Predictably, Cinderlilly would like to attend, but is thwarted by her evil stepsisters. With the help of a fairy, Cinderlilly is magically transformed and enchants the Sultan. But, according to her spell, she must leave at midnight. As she runs away, a petal falls, leaving the only clue to her identity. After trying the petal on scores of flowers, the Sultan recognizes Cinderlilly and asks her to marry him. She put on the petal, magically becomes beautiful again, and marries the Sultan.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In the best cases, children's books incorporate text and illustrations which both complement and enrich each other while being outstanding on their own merits. In the worst cases, both illustrations and text are lacking. With CINDERLILLY, the reader gets a mixed bag.

The text, which is written in rhymed couplets, is an adaptation of the Cinderella story. Some aspects of the text are charming. For instance, I enjoyed that the text was written in Acts and kept many of the conventions of a ballet or stage performance, and I liked the way the font changed to highlight some of the words. However, strain of forcing the story into couplets shows in the meter. For instance, in the beginning of the story, we read, "Her name is CINDERLILLY,/and she's beautiful but shy./Forlorn and sad, she smoothes her petals-/she's trying not to cry." Metrically, the second and fourth lines should match up, but the second line has 7 beats, while the fourth only has 6. Such rhythmic awkwardness occurs often enough to cause the reader to stumble and have to reread lines.

In terms of plot, it appears that the story has been changed to suit the illustrations, but not consistently. The prince becomes a sultan, because, I presume, the petals used to make his breeches and his petal hat make him look Middle-Eastern. Yet, rather than listening to beautiful Persian melodies, the characters dance a waltz at a ball. Apart from the mention of the sultan, there are no other cultural trappings accompanying the plotline. It makes the change seem superfluous. Why couldn't he just have been a prince in petal pants?

The illustrations, on the other hand, created with real flower petals and other natural materials, such as fern fronds for trees, and manipulated using Adobe Photoshop are mesmerizing. The way David Ellwand uses the stamens to represent the characters' legs, replete with anther ballet slippers, is beautiful. Dark backgrounds throughout the book add to the three dimensional quality of the photographs. On the pages where Cinderlilly dances alone with broom, her legs and skirt petals have been so ingeniously placed that she literally seems to twirl across the page in her own private ballet. The dustcover notes mention that the poses are based on actual ballet and gymnastic steps, and the back page lists the names of the flowers used to create each character. It would be fun to plant a "Cinderlilly" garden to learn more about the flowers that went into the making of this book.

What the story lacks, the illustrations more than make up for, especially since most children know the Cinderella story by heart. CINDERLILLY would appeal to the gardener, ballet enthusiast, and fairytale lover alike.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
School Library Journal: " Tagg's text, written in reasonably well-rhymed couplets, is thin on plot, character development, and imagery."
Children's Literature: "...this innovative approach stimulates the reader to envision characters and the natural world in new ways. Children easily see the world as animate, and this story will draw them into the garden to find their favorite characters."

5. CONNECTIONS
*For older children studying PhotoShop in their digital graphics classes, CINDERLILLY and other children's stories which include illustration created in PhotoShop such as Don Woods' JUBAL'S WISH (ISBN 043916964S) and Richard Michelson's GRANPA'S GAMBLE(ISBN 0761450343). A good resource for discussing the artists' techniques is Carolyn Phelan's informative article from the December 2000 issue of Booklist, "COMPUTERS AND THE ART OF PICTURE BOOK ILLUSTRATION.," which can be accessed at www.booklistonline.com
*Compare with other variants of the Cinderella story. The best website I found that has reviews of many of these versions is Children's Literature's site at http://www.childrenslit.com/th_cinderella.html

2006-09-20T19:09:00.000-07:00

Book Review: The Legend of the Bluebonnet
NOTE: This review was created for a class at TWU
drawing by Natalie R. from spaghetticlub.com

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
DePaola, Tomie. THE LEGEND OF THE BLUEBONNET. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons. ISBN 0399224114

2. PLOT SUMMARY-
In a retelling of an old Comanche tale, we learn of the origin of the state flower of Texas, the bluebonnet. After a long drought, the Comanche ask the Spirits what to do and receive the answer that they must make a burnt offering of their most prized possession. No one in the tribe is willing to make this sacrifice, except for She-Who-Is-Alone. The young girl, who has lost her whole family, gives up the last tie to that family, a warrior doll with blue feathers. After making her sacrifice, she falls asleep and awakens to find the hillside covered in blubonnets and a warm rain falling. The tribe gives thanks and renames her One-Who-Dearly-Loved-Her-People.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Tomie DePaola's retelling of the Comanche tale in THE LEGEND OF THE BLUEBONNET is an excellent example of both traditional and multicultural literature. It is a classic "porquoi tale," explaining the appearance of bluebonnets each spring. Like most traditional stories, it requires us to suspend our disbelief and embrace the universal theme of generosity and sacrifice. DePaola masterfully embeds repetition and the number three into the tale, evoking the sense that it comes from the oral tradition. "For three days," says the narrator, "the dancers danced to the sound of the drums, and for three days, the People called Comanche watched and waited." The sense of oral language is reinforced in poetic line breaks and the use of alliteration such as, "dancers danced," "watched and waited," belt of bone...beautiful blue feathers." THE LEGEND OF THE BLUEBONNET also fosters an awareness of the Comanche people without stereotyping the characters. Since the book is a folktale, the characters are fairly flat, and the plot simple, but the people are shown as both good and bad, selfish and selfless. DePaola uses culturally accurate details in describing the shaman and the dress of the girl's warrior doll. Beautifully illustrated in DePaola's signature simple, soft style, THE LEGEND OF THE BLUBONNET is a must-read for any resident of Texas and any fan of folktales.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Children's Literature: "Tomie dePaola provides a charming retelling of the Native American legend about the origin of Texas' state flower, the bluebonnet."
Spaghetti Book Club: "I recommend this book for everyone because it teaches you about giving up something that is important. I think students of all ages can enjoy this book and learn about sharing." (Natalie R., age 9)

5. CONNECTIONS
*For older students, use THE LEGEND OF THE BLUEBONNET to study female voices in picture books. Examples: McKissack, Patricia C. GOING SOMEPLACE SPECIAL, and Paul, Ann Whitford. ALL BY HERSELF
See also the following website for ideas:
http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/%7ekvander/Feminist/fempic.html
*Create a unit around the children of Indian folklore using books such as FIRST SALMON by Roxane Beauclair Salonen and Cynthia Rylant's LONG NIGHT MOON. Themes can include the importance of ritual in our lives, the importance of nature and giving back to the earth. Would be a great tie-in for Earth Day.
*Read and compare DePaola's other legends of flowers - THE LEGEND OF THE INDIAN PAINTBRUSH and THE LEGEND OF THE POINSETTIA. Use the books as a springboard for creating a classroom garden or for studying the native flowers of Texas.

2006-09-12T22:33:00.000-07:00

Book Review: The Three Pigs
Note: This book review has been created as part of a course at TWU.

Picture courtesy of http://www.vickiblackwell.com/lit/threepigs/html

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Wiesner, David. 2001. THE THREE PIGS. New York, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN 0618007016

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Wiesner's tongue-in-cheek take on the classic folktale The Three Little Pigs plays with plot and perspective in a postmodern break from traditional narrative. The story begins familiarly enough, replete with beautiful Grimm's style pen and ink illustrations. Yet things go awry quickly when the wolf blows the first pig right out of the story. This, in turn, saves the pig from being eaten, allowing it to save the other two pigs. The reunited threesome then wreaks havoc on the pages of the story, using one to make a paper airplane on which to fly. After a bumpy landing, the pigs enter a nursery rhyme and classic knight's tale in succession, taking a nursery rhyme cat and the dragon with them. Upon returning to the original story, the dragon makes short work of the wolf, and the pigs, plus dragon and cat, retire to the third pig's brick house to live "happily ever after."

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Wiesner's truly brilliant interplay of illustrations, text, and white space create a story that is fresh and enduring. At the beginning, The Three Pigs is as traditional as a Grimm's fairytale, with beautiful illustrations, but as soon as the first pig is blown out of the story, the illustrations take on a life of their own. Any part of a character which has escaped from its text is drawn in pen and ink in a more realistic manner, with three dimensionality and shading. One of my favorite examples of this is when the pigs enter the nursery rhyme "Hey Diddle Diddle." Unless the reader is looking closely, she might not notice that the cat with the fiddle has one paw outside the text, but it foreshadows the cat's imminent escape to join the pigs.

Yet the escaped characters are not the only ones affected by the blurring of textual boundaries. If one looks closely at the pages left behind, one will notice that the characters and story have changed to reflect the absence of one or more characters. This is best represented near the end of the story when the pigs, cat, and dragon are roaming between pages of stories which surround them like rows of walls reminiscent of "The Matrix." On this page, flying fish and a little boy appear to be gaping at the entourage from their story.

Wiesner plays with perspective as well. First, in depicting the three pigs flying on a paper airplane made from one of the pages of their story, the author uses the white space of the book to show them zooming in toward the reader, then away to the very upper corner of the text. In another case of tinkering with perspective, one of the pigs is illustrated up close, its face filling more than a page, as if inspecting the reader while commenting, "I think...someone's out there."

The Three Pigs plays with text, illustration, and tradition in many other ways that beg the reader to open the book again and again. Each reading brings new discoveries and new life to an old beloved story.

Wiesner won his second Caldecott Award for this book in 2002. His first Caldecott was awarded for his book, Tuesday.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
BOOKLIST: Starred review. "Wiesner has created a funny, wildly imagined tale that encourages kids to leap beyond the familiar, to think critically about conventional stories and illustration, and perhaps to flex their imaginations and create wonderfully subversive versions of their own stories."
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: Starred review. "Witty dialogue and physical comedy abound in this inspired retelling of a familiar favorite."

5. CONNECTIONS
*Use this book with secondary students to illustrate elements of post-modernism/point of view
*Check out this great website that has lots of ideas for using the book in the classroom: http://www.vickiblackwell.com/lit/threepigs.html
*Find other books that play with perspective such as Wiesner's wordless picture book FREE FALL (ISBN 068810990X) or Istvan Banyai's ZOOM (ISBN 0140557741) and RE-ZOOM (ISBN 014055694X)
*Collect several versions of The Three Little Pigs to compare and contrast.

2006-09-10T10:54:00.000-07:00

TALKING WITH ARTISTS
Note: This book review was created for a class at TWU
Book Review: TALKING WITH ARTISTS, VOL. 3

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cummings, Pat (ed.). 1999. TALKING WITH ARTISTS, VOL. 3. New York, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN 0395891329

2. PLOT SUMMARY
In the third volume of the series, Talking with Artists, Pat Cummings compiles the first-person stories of 13 children's book illustrators, along with snapshots of them as children and adults, works they created as children, and illustrations they've published as adults. Each artist also answers five to ten questions focusing on what it's like to be an artist, the daily work of an artist, techniques, and inspirations. At the end of the book, the artists give "secret techniques" they use in illustrations, and list four or five of the favorite books they've illustrated.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Cummings has compiled another volume of inspiring and thought-provoking portraits of well-known children's book illustrators, centered on five basic themes: where their inspirations come from, whether they were always good artists, what their days are like, why they became artists, and their advice for becoming an artist. The theme of growth and change is highlighted by the way the text and illustrations work together, and is one of the most valuable aspects of the work. The reader not only gains insight into the artists as people, but begins to recognize that even if one is a "born" artist, becoming and artist, much like becoming an adult, is the result of experience, practice, and growth. The book both demystifies and personalizes art, while encouraging artists of all ages.

The volume is well-organized and easy to navigate with each artist's section following the same pattern. First, there is a picture of the artist as a child, along with the artist's signature (sometimes a work of art in itself) and birthday. Next, the artist tells his or her own story, followed by a current photograph of the artist. One is immediately struck by how much the person has changed and yet stayed the same. For instance, Betsy Lewin remarks that, "The things I liked to draw best as a child were horses, elephants, fish, and people peeking out from behind trees...Even today, when I'm drawing for my own pleasure, or developing characters for a new story, I find that my old childhood favorites keep popping up on paper and sometimes find their way into my books." The artist's stories are fresh and unpretentious, sounding as though they came right from the heart. Third, a picture of the artist's early work as a child, including size, media, and age at which the work was created is accompanied with a quote by the artist, and followed by interview questions and answers. Sometimes the answers are surprising. Responding to the question of what he likes to draw the most, Peter Sis said, "Water, because I'm from a landlocked country. We had no oceans where I grew up, no sea." A third photo of the artist and/or children and pets is included, and on the final pages of the artist's section, there is a large color example from one of the books that artist has illustrated. Again, the reader is invited to compare the early childhood work with the mature art.

The book is beautiful, with glossy color pictures and illustrations, and very accessible, with readable, engaging prose that reveals the artists as individuals.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Review in BOOKLIST: "Beautifully designed to draw readers, this book will inspire many children to make art and possibly even to choose it as a career some day."

Review in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "While many readers will find the artists' tips that conclude the volume useful, all will appreciate these insightful conversations."

5. CONNECTIONS
*At the secondary level, this book could be used to inspire students to write and illustrate their own memoirs or children's books in writing class, or in the art classroom as a springboard for discussing what it means to be an artist.
*Collect all three volumes of Pat Cummings's books entitled Talking with Artists
*Partner these books with other texts where writers and illustrators talk about their work and core beliefs.
TIKVAH: CHILDREN'S BOOK CREATORS REFLECT ON HUMAN RIGHTS. ISBN 0587170981 (Serious and definitely thought-provoking - suitable for grades 9-12)
SPEAK! CHILDREN'S BOOK ILLUSTRATORS BRAG ABOUT THEIR DOGS. ISBN 0152778489 and PURR: CHILDREN'S BOOK ILLUSTRATORS BRAG ABOUT THEIR CATS. ISBN 01572008373 (Fun and for a good cause - proceeds go to a non-profit that offers grants to animal welfare agencies)

2006-09-09T14:10:00.000-07:00

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE
Note: This book review was created for a class at TWU

Book Review: I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Martin, Bill Jr. and Michael Sampson. 2002.I PLEDGE ALLIEGIANCE. Ill. by Chris Raschka. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 0763616486

2. PLOT SUMMARY
In this colorful picture book, whimsically illustrated by Chris Raschka, children's book author Bill Martin, Jr., and literacy expert Michael Sampson guide children through the meaning behind the words of the Pledge of Alliegiance. Along the way, the authors offer insight into the history and background of the words every school-aged child knows by heart. Each page defines and illustrates one or two words from the Pledge, reveals the symbolism of the flag, and details the historic dates associated with our flag and the Pledge itself. The final pages include the Pledge in its entirety, along with some thoughts on what the United States of America stands for, what the American flag symbolizes, and how these abstract concepts connect to the lives of children.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Bill Martin, Jr., famed author of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? joins Michael Sampson to tackle the Pledge of Allegiance with insight and creativity, while avoiding didacticism and over-simplification. The authors define such difficult terms as allegiance, "Allegiance is loyalty," and indivisible "Indivisible means unbreakable - our country cannot be split into separate parts." At each key concept, they pause to elaborate, as in the case of indivisible, "No matter how much we might disagree about some things, we all agree on one thing: we are strongest when we stick together and help each other out." The language is precise and fresh, breathing life back into words that have become an exercise in rote memorization for many. Through this book, young and old will discover the beauty of Francis Bellamy's words and the depth of meaning underpinning them.

Chris Raschka's illustrations complement and reinforce the text in this book beautifully. Mixed-media pictures, using torn paper and watercolor, function to visually extend the meanings of the words defined on each page. For example, the text definition for pledge reads, "A pledge is a promise." A promise is still an abstract concept, but with the help of Raschka's playful watercolor sketch of two people clasping hands, highlighted by a square of red paper for the background behind the clasped hands, the abstract becomes concrete. Near the end of the book, Raschka uses the same torn squares of paper in a myriad of colors to represent "all." Each square contains an understated sketch of a face, with the merest of brushstrokes indicating hair, eyes, and expression. Yet each is so different that the reader is drawn in to examine every one carefully.

Even the authors' notes on back flap of the dust jacket are insightful. Each gives a quote responding to what the Pledge means to him. Bill Martin, Jr. calls it "the most beautiful chain of language I know," while, surprisingly, Chris Raschka comments that his parents "have always respectfully refused to recite the Pledge..." and that he was drawn to the project because in America, "we each have the freedom to choose, including the freedom to choose whether or not to say the Pledge."

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Starred Review in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "Raschka's eye-catching and appealing illustrations done in ink and torn paper add interest and lightness to the pages."
Starred Review in BOOKLIST: "Finally, here's a picture book that helps young children move beyond rote recitation of the Pledge to find meaning in its language."

5. CONNECTIONS
*Although this book is primarily aimed at children aged K-4, the abstract concepts in the book and the engaging presentation would make it a great springboard for discussion in both 8th and 11th grade U.S. History classes.
*Collect other books illustrated by Chris Raschka, winner of the Caldecott Award. Look at how he adapts his artistic style to fit the content of the book, from Dylan Thomas's A CHILD'S CHRISTMAS IN WALES to his most recent effort, A KICK IN THE HEAD: AN EVERYDAY GUIDE TO POETIC FORMS.
*Other books for children about the American flag and the American spirit:
Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. THE FLAG MAKER. ISBN 0618267573
Celebrating America (ed.). A COLLECTION OF POEMS AND IMAGES OF THE AMERICAN SPIRIT. ISBN 0399220364

2006-08-29T04:50:00.000-07:00

Aaah, summer vacation! A mere memory now, as work and grad. school fill up the hours of each day. Hopefully, the healing waters of Manitou Springs will sustain me through this semester!

But enough silliness! In the future, this blog will include reviews of books for my Children's and Young Adult Literature class. Stay tuned for new postings...