Monster

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Myers, Walter Dean. 1999. MONSTER. illus. by Christopher Myers. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN 9780064407311.

PLOT SUMMARY
Sixteen year old Steve Harmon is on trial for the murder of a convenience store owner. He is accused of being the lookout for a robbery gone wrong and is in jail awaiting the outcome of the trial. The prosecuting attorney calls him a Monster. Steve wants to be a film maker and copes with his incarceration by making the trial and the events that led up to it a documentary in his mind. The story is written like a movie script. The reader is able to read the transcript of the trial and then witness the flashbacks as Steve plays back the events in his mind to determine how things could have gone so horribly wrong. The reader is left to determine if the sentence Steve receives is just.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This book was written in such a unique way. Author Walter Dean Myers grabs the reader at the beginning when Steve is thinking with gray and handwritten pages. This visual method makes the transition between the jail, courtroom and flashbacks to the event easy to understand. Myers then "rolls the credits" before beginning the story. The lead actor, producer and director are all Steve Harmon. The way it was written on the page reminded me of the Star Wars beginning and that would appeal to young readers too. The trial begins to unfold and Myers uses transcripts which makes it more interesting. Young adult readers like books that are edgy. The topic, a sixteen year old on trial for murder, and the style of the book's presentation both manage to do that.

Students always have thoughts they don't share with others. Steve voices his fears of prison in his head, the fear of disappointing his parents, the fear of his life ending. These are all realistic life stories that some readers could relate to. Young adults like to read about people their age, in real life situations. Myers story paints a realistic picture of life in jail and how youth can be treated in a trial. A powerful statement Steve thinks is to warn a friend about how he lives his life. The phrase he repeats is, "Think about all the tomorrows of your life". Many teens feel that nothing will happen to them; they are untouchable. They live for the moment and don't project how the actions of their youth can affect the rest of their life. Jail is a jarring reality and Steve wants to warn his friends to think twice before they do something stupid. This is a good message for the reader.

A number of students have dreams of making movies. Steve's method of shooting this as a documentary enables him to cope with being locked up. He doesn't want to allow himself to act like the other prisoners because he doesn't see himself as a criminal. Myers writing this as a movie allows him to use fewer words as he moves between scenes and it is effective.

Illustrator Christopher Myers is the son of the author. He has collaborated with his father before on previous books. The black and white photographs are grainy and simple. C. Myers portrays the characters as criminals would be - not carefully staged photographs but a quick shot. The type in the book is like that from an old crime book done on a typewriter.

Myers never really defines the absolute truth of the crime. He gives everyone's point of view and leaves it up to the reader to decide what really happened. That's real world. Things aren't always black and white and clearly defined. Myers ends the book with a question to cause the reader to reflect on the story and answer it by themselves. This book would be great for an open discussion in an English class.

PERSONAL OPINION
I really liked this book. Part of the appeal was the way in which the book was presented. I liked that Myers lets the reader decide the truth. It's the kind of book you want someone else to read so you can discuss it with them.

AWARDS
Michael L. Printz Award
Corretta Scott King Honor Book
National Book Award Finalist
Boston Globe - Horn Book Award Honor Book
Publisher's Weekly Best Book
Book Sense 76 Pick
ALA Best Book for Young Adults

REVIEW EXCERPTS
From School Library Journal
"Grade 7 Up-Steve Harmon, 16, is accused of serving as a lookout for a robbery of a Harlem drugstore. The owner was shot and killed, and now Steve is in prison awaiting trial for murder. From there, he tells about his case and his incarceration. Many elements of this story are familiar, but Myers keeps it fresh and alive by telling it from an unusual perspective. Steve, an amateur filmmaker, recounts his experiences in the form of a movie screenplay. His striking scene-by-scene narrative of how his life has dramatically changed is riveting. Interspersed within the script are diary entries in which the teen vividly describes the nightmarish conditions of his confinement. Myers expertly presents the many facets of his protagonist's character and readers will find themselves feeling both sympathy and repugnance for him. Steve searches deep within his soul to prove to himself that he is not the "monster" the prosecutor presented him as to the jury. Ultimately, he reconnects with his humanity and regains a moral awareness that he had lost. Christopher Myers's superfluous black-and-white drawings are less successful. Their grainy, unfocused look complements the cinematic quality of the text, but they do little to enhance the story. Monster will challenge readers with difficult questions, to which there are no definitive answers."

From Booklist
"Myers combines an innovative format, complex moral issues, and an intriguingly sympathetic but flawed protagonist in this cautionary tale of a 16-year-old on trial for felony murder. Steve Harmon is accused of acting as lookout for a robbery that left a victim dead; if convicted, Steve could serve 25 years to life. Although it is clear that Steve did participate in the robbery, his level of involvement is questionable, leaving protagonist and reader to grapple with the question of his guilt. An amateur filmmaker, Steve tells his story in a combination of film script and journal. The "handwritten" font of the journal entries effectively uses boldface and different sizes of type to emphasize particular passages. The film script contains minimal jargon, explaining camera angles (CU, POV, etc.) when each term first appears. Myers' son Christopher provides the black-and-white photos, often cropped and digitally altered, that complement the text. Script and journal together create a fascinating portrait of a terrified young man wrestling with his conscience. The tense drama of the courtroom scenes will enthrall readers, but it is the thorny moral questions raised in Steve's journal that will endure in readers' memories."

CONNECTIONS
Divide the class into characters - Steve Harmon, James King, Bobo Evans, Osvaldo Cruz and have them defend themselves as a group with oral arguments to the rest of the class.

For a writing assignment, ask students to write what they think Steve should have done when asked to be the lookout.

Have students answer in writing the last question posed in the book, "What did she see?" (There is no right or wrong answer as long as it is thought out).

Students who liked this book might like:

Anderson, Halse. SPEAK ISBN 9780141310886

Cormier, Robert. THE CHOCOLATE WAR. ISBN 9780375829871

Draper, Sharon M. TEARS OF A TIGER. ISBN 9780689806988

Johnson, Angela. THE FIRST PART LAST. ISBN 9780689849237

The Higher Power of Lucky

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Patron, Susan. 2006. THE HIGHER POWER OF LUCKY. illus. by Matt Phelon. New York, NY: A Richard Jackson Book, Antheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN 9781416901945.

PLOT SUMMARY
Ten year old Lucky Trimble lives in a trailer park in Hard Rock Pan, California (population 43). She lives with a guardian and longs to belong to someone. With the electrocution death of her mother two years earlier and a father who isn't around to care, Lucky is living with a French ex-wife of her father. Lucky listens to several dependence groups (Alcoholics Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous and Smokers Anonymous) talk about the Higher Power while completing her job of cleaning up trash after their meetings. She tries to to find a way to learn about her higher power and find a place to permanently belong.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The setting of the book is one probably unfamiliar to many readers - a trailer park. The part that Lucky lives in is welded to another trailer to make it longer. As the story begins, we learn that Lucky's mother was electrocuted by stepping on a live wire after a storm. With no father figure, a guardian had to be found as Lucky was only eight at the time. Enter Brigette, a French ex-wife of Lucky's absentee father who is not married, has no children and has never met Lucky before. Both are coping with each other but Lucky constantly worries that Brigette will go back to France and leave her without a guardian. Author Patron addresses this issue adequately. Children often have fears and don't voice them. Many times parents don't discuss issues with their children as they think they can't handle it. The fact that Brigette talks to her mother every day in France and is homesick worries Lucky. She worries about not being perfect enough for Brigette to stay. Lucky carries around a survival backpack. I think subconsciously she wanted to be ready if she lost her guardian and went to a foster family.

Lucky is somewhat quirky. Her dog is named HMS Beagle and isn't a beagle. Her friend Lincoln spends his time tying intricate knots. She cleans up trash at the Found Object and Wind Chime Museum, where the dependency meetings are held (and she eavesdrops). The illustrations by Phelan scattered throughout the book give insight to what the characters and setting look like.

Patron introduces situations that readers may not be aware of - Alcoholics Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous and Smokers Anonymous (is there such an organization?!) Many times people who live in trailer parks don't have as stable a home life as those who live in permanent houses. These organizations, while in every city of the United States, could definitely exist in a trailer park. With a population of 43, some of the members would have to overlap groups! Lucky decides that one way to find your Higher Power was to hit rock bottom. When that day arrives for Lucky, she decides to run away to a better place. This is the only part of the book where the story was somewhat predictable. As Lucky leaves, she learns of a local preschool boy who is missing. There is a terrible dust storm and Lucky ends up finding Miles, the missing boy. She stays with him and learns that she has misunderstood Brigette's intentions. The ending gives a sense of closure for other ten year olds reading the book. They learn from Lucky that everyone has fears they keep inside and that things can turn out for the best.

I was aware of the controversial mention of the word "scrotum" in this book before I began reading. While I think Patron could have told a complete story without this reference, she does explain what it means for those who might not be familiar with the word.

PERSONAL OPINION
I was not a fan of this book. As a parent, it had more information than I would want my ten year old to know (Alcoholics Anonymous and the other dependency groups, a father who didn't care, the mention and further explanation of scrotum). There were many redeeming qualities about Lucky but I just didn't like it. The ending was too predictable.

AWARDS
Newbery Award 2007
ALA Notable Children's Books
Cooperative Children's Book Council Choice
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award Master List (Vermont)
Focal Award
Kirkus Editor's Choice

REVIEW EXCERPTS
From School Library Journal
"When Lucky's mother is electrocuted and dies after a storm, Lucky's absentee father calls his ex-wife, Brigitte, to fly over from France to take care of the child. Two years later, the 10-year-old worries that Brigitte is tired of being her guardian and of their life in Hard Pan (pop. 42) in the middle of the California desert. While Lucky's best friend ties intricate knots and the little boy down the road cries for attention, she tries to get some control over her life by restocking her survival kit backpack and searching for her Higher Power. This character-driven novel has an unusually complicated backstory, and a fair amount of exposition. Yet, its quirky cast and local color help to balance this fact, and the desert setting is fascinating. Lucky's tendency to jump to conclusions is frustrating, but her struggle to come to terms with her mother's death and with her new life ring true."

From Booklist
"Lucky, age 10, lives in tiny Hard Pan, California (population 43), with her dog and the young French woman who is her guardian. With a personality that may remind some readers of Ramona Quimby, Lucky, who is totally contemporary, teeters between bravado--gathering insect specimens, scaring away snakes from the laundry--and fear that her guardian will leave her to return to France. Looking for solace, Lucky eavesdrops on the various 12-step meetings held in Hard Pan (of which there are plenty), hoping to suss out a "higher power" that will see her through her difficulties. Her best friend, Lincoln, is a taciturn boy with a fixation for tying knots; another acquaintance, Miles, seems a tiresome pest until Lucky discovers a secret about his mother. Patron's plotting is as tight as her characters are endearing. Lucky is a true heroine, especially because she's not perfect: she does some cowardly things, but she takes pains to put them to rights."

CONNECTIONS
Amazon.com has a video of the author. Students might enjoy watching that so there is a connection of what they author looks and sound like plus what she says about writing the book.

As a writing exercise, students could be asked to change the ending. What if she didn't find Miles in the dust storm and decide to stay? What might have happened if she left for good?

Look at a map of California and locate desert areas. Where do you think Hard Rock Pan might be located?

Students who liked this book might enjoy:

Larson, Kirby. HATTIE BIG SKY. ISBN 9780440239413

Lord, Cynthia. RULES. ISBN 9780439443821

Perkins, Lynne Rae. CRISS CROSS. ISBN 9780060092740

The Giver

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lowry, Lois. 1993. THE GIVER. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 9780385732550.

PLOT
Jonas is an eleven year old boy who lives in a futuristic community unlike one we know. Speakers are present throughout the town, including inside individual homes so the Elders can hear what is being said and issue orders to be followed. The community is about sameness and void of color. People are not encouraged to think for themselves but rather obey the orders given to them. Rules govern the lives of everyone. There will be one male and one female child given to each family unit. With each passing year up to the age of 12, rites of passage occur, such as seven year olds (referred to as sevens) who get a front button jacket to show their first sign of independence. (Jackets were buttoned in the back before age seven). The nines receive their first bicycle; this is the main form of transportation other than walking. The elevens are assigned jobs when they become twelves. This job assignment is one that has been carefully selected by a committee. Jonas wonders what kind of job he'll get; he doesn't see himself as a Nurturer as his father does every day. On the eventful day, Jonas is assigned the Receiver of Memory. The Receiver was the most important member of the community and revered by everyone. Jonas' world begins to turn upside down as he learns of memories that have been blocked from the rest of the community. Jonas' mentor is The Giver. As Jonas begins to learn more about his community he realizes that when a community member is "released" it means they are killed. He always thought they went to another place to live. Armed with this knowledge and the realization that a small child living with them is about to be killed, Jonas and The Giver begin to plot his escape from the only place he's ever known. This book is the first in a trilogy.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Lois Lowry was awarded the Newbery Medal for this beautifully written piece of literature. To be able to create a world unlike anything we've known could be difficult. Lowry manages to make the place Jonas and his family live believable. When she describes infants and their "comfort object", the object becomes more impersonal, rather than describing a fluffy stuffed bunny to comfort them. The regimentation of the town is shown through privileges we take for granted that are awarded as a rite of passage. Getting buttons down the front of your jacket at age seven would be a very big deal if you hadn't had them before.

This book is meant for older elementary students. During the adolescent years, some teens question authority. Many don't like rules. This book would be appropriate for them to show a world where everyone lives by very strict rules. In the book Lowry writes of a Book of Laws that students spend their days memorizing. Maybe the world we live in isn't so bad after all! When nines receive a bicycle they are told "it is a symbol of moving out into the community". The eights are given a pocket, to be able to keep track of their own belongings. This teaches responsibility. Responsibility, independence, the ability to have our own thoughts are freedoms we take for granted. Lowry reminds us that we are fortunate to have those freedoms. It was chilling in the book to read the words from the Giver, "We need to protect people from the wrong choices". If you never fail, how can you learn?

To live in a world with no color or pain is hard to imagine. Jonas was selected to bear the burden of the townspeople. What a weighty assignment! Jonas was chosen because he was bright and insightful. At the end, this insight led him to the realization that he couldn't continue to live the way everyone around him did. The only way to break the cycle and transfer the pain back to the townspeople was to leave. We often protect younger students. This book treats them as a young adult by presenting a harsh example of life somewhere else and leaving the interpretation of whether or not they like it up to the reader.

Ron Rifkin narrates this book in a four CD collection. Mr. Rifkin does a fine job changing the voices between Jonas and The Giver. The words flow as he reads the book to the listener.

PERSONAL OPINION
This is the second time I've read this book, about five years apart. The first time I didn't like it at all but I had two daughters who were reading it in school. I worried about the content upsetting them. (It didn't). This time I listened to the audiotape, narrated by Ron Rifkin. His gentle voice highlighted the beauty of the words written. What a masterful book. I think every middle school student should be required to read this and engage in a discussion, whether it be at school or home.

AWARDS
Newbery Award 1994
ALA Best Book For Young Adults 1994
ALA Notable Children's Book 1994
Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor Book 1994
Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award 1994
Kentucky Bluegrass Master List 1995
Virginia Young Readers Program Award 1994

REVIEW EXCERPTS
From School Library Review
"Grade 6-9-- In a complete departure from her other novels, Lowry has written an intriguing story set in a society that is uniformly run by a Committee of Elders. Twelve-year-old Jonas's confidence in his comfortable "normal" existence as a member of this well-ordered community is shaken when he is assigned his life's work as the Receiver. The Giver, who passes on to Jonas the burden of being the holder for the community of all memory "back and back and back," teaches him the cost of living in an environment that is "without color, pain, or past." The tension leading up to the Ceremony, in which children are promoted not to another grade but to another stage in their life, and the drama and responsibility of the sessions with The Giver are gripping. The final flight for survival is as riveting as it is inevitable. The author makes real abstract concepts, such as the meaning of a life in which there are virtually no choices to be made and no experiences with deep feelings. This tightly plotted story and its believable characters will stay with readers for a long time."

From Kirkus Review
"In a radical departure from her realistic fiction and comic chronicles of Anastasia, Lowry creates a chilling, tightly controlled future society where all controversy, pain, and choice have been expunged, each childhood year has its privileges and responsibilities, and family members are selected for compatibility. As Jonas approaches the ``Ceremony of Twelve,'' he wonders what his adult ``Assignment'' will be. Father, a ``Nurturer,'' cares for ``newchildren''; Mother works in the ``Department of Justice''; but Jonas's admitted talents suggest no particular calling. In the event, he is named ``Receiver,'' to replace an Elder with a unique function: holding the community's memories--painful, troubling, or prone to lead (like love) to disorder; the Elder (``The Giver'') now begins to transfer these memories to Jonas. The process is deeply disturbing; for the first time, Jonas learns about ordinary things like color, the sun, snow, and mountains, as well as love, war, and death: the ceremony known as ``release'' is revealed to be murder. Horrified, Jonas plots escape to ``Elsewhere,'' a step he believes will return the memories to all the people, but his timing is upset by a decision to release a newchild he has come to love."
Maine Student Book Award 1994

CONNECTIONS
As a class, list the pros and cons of living in a society like the one Jonas and The Giver reside.

Of getting a bike, getting a pocket and getting buttons down the front of your jacket, which one would you want the most and why?

Living in a world without color, music or technology would be completely foreign. Set up the classroom for one day where the class tries to live as Jonas did. Nothing electronic except the lights in the room, memorizing rules, very strict. At the end of the day, have a discussion about the opinion of living this way. It would be most effective if the students didn't know this day was going to occur, they just walked in and found things this way.

Students who liked this book might like:

Lowry, Lois. GATHERING BLUE. ISBN 9780385732567

Lowry, Lois. THE MESSENGER. ISBN 9780385732536

Rowe, Robert. J. DETAINED DIFFERENCES. ISBN 9781424198559

The Green Glass Sea

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Klages, Ellen. 2006. THE GREEN GLASS SEA. New York, NY: Viking published by Penguin Group. ISBN 9780670061341.

PLOT SUMMARY
Eleven year old Dewey Kerrigan lives in Los Alamos, NM with her father, a mathematician who works with scientists on a secret project called "the gadget". Her 1943 daily life of school and home is like many others her age, except for the armed guards and isolation in the camp she lives. With her mechanical mind she doesn't fit in with the girls who tease her by calling her "Screwy Dewey". As the story unfolds, the reader learns about the testing of the first atomic bomb seen through the eyes of a young girl and why the book is so named.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The author makes Dewey Kerrigan a sympathetic character as the story begins by painting a tragic home life; no mother, a grandmother who has had a stroke and a father off at war. Because she has nowhere to go, Dewey boards a train and travels alone from St. Louis MO to Los Alamos NM to live with her father, whom she learns is not really away in a war. In 1943 Dewey traveling by herself would have been acceptable - not today! Klages puts the reader at ease on the train by introducing the character of Dick Feynman, who happens to know her father. Dewey has a million questions when she sees her father, as most children would, and not all are answered immediately. During the course of the story, she learns the real reason her father lives in this camp.

Children want to be accepted at any age. Dewey has a physical handicap which makes her different. She is also intelligent, excelling at math and mechanics. Her tinkering with machines sets her apart from other girls of that era. This leads to teasing and name calling. For the most part, Dewey ignores it but her thoughts are revealed to the reader. Even though this story is set in 1943, these events could happen today and the reader can relate. Dewey has a lot of time on her hands. Her father is caring but has little time to be a father as he is part of a group of mathematicians and scientists racing to build the first atomic bomb.

When her father goes away to continue his work, Dewey is left in the care of a neighbor whose daughter dislikes her. The girls learn to coexist with each other, and eventually become friends. This is a good lesson to the reader, to learn to get along with others. Dewey sends letters to her father which are censored. This is a concept that would be foreign to today's reader. Readers would be intrigued with the secrecy of the place she lives.

Klages inserts historical events which validate the story. A neighbor has an ashtray with "Jam your butts on the skunk" and a picture of Adolph Hitler. 1932 was during WWII, when Hitler was in power and widely disliked. When President Roosevelt dies after twelve years in office, Dewey witnesses the guards and people in the camp crying. Klages says that Roosevelt was the only president Dewey ever knew - a concept we can't imagine today because presidential term limits have been imposed.

Some passages in the book read like poetry. When her drunken father is hit by a car, Klages writes, "Dewey begins to cry, a slow steady trickle, as if she is leaking" and "Now Dewey cried with her whole body, letting the music sweep her away." When the atomic bomb is tested, Klages writes it looked like "A fireball gold and purple and blue and red climbing into the sky. Nothing like it ever before. Not on this earth."

This book is not for the younger reader. Not only is the subject matter of Los Alamos for an older reader, but issues such as smoking and drinking are a part of this story. In 1943 everyone smoked and social drinking was popular. Older students can understand this in the context of the story.

PERSONAL OPINION
I loved this book. Ellen Klages writes a engaging story through the eyes of a believable character. I learned more about Los Alamos than I knew, particularly the part of the green glass sea. Her descriptions make the reader imagine they are sitting alongside Dewey as she lives in Los Alamos.

REVIEWS
From School Library Journal
"Grade 5-8–Two girls spend a year in Los Alamos as their parents work on the secret gadget that will end World War II. Clear prose brings readers right into the unusual atmosphere of the secretive scientific community, seen through the eyes of the kids and their families. Dewey is an especially engaging character, plunging on with her mechanical projects and ignoring any questions about gender roles. Occasional shifts into first person highlight the protagonist's most emotional moments, including her journey to the site and her reaction to her father's unexpected death. After the atomic bomb test succeeds, ethical concerns of both youngsters and adults intensify as the characters learn how it is ultimately used. Many readers will know as little about the true nature of the project as the girls do, so the gradual revelation of facts is especially effective, while those who already know about Los Alamos's historical significance will experience the story in a different, but equally powerful, way."

From Booklist
"In November 1943, 10-year-old budding inventor Dewey Kerrigan sets off on a cross-country train ride to be with her father, who is engaged in "war work." She is busy designing a radio when a fellow passenger named Dick Feynman offers to help her. Feynman's presence in this finely wrought first novel is the first clue that Dewey is headed for Los Alamos. The mystery and tension surrounding "war work" and what Dewey knows only as "the gadget" trickles down to the kids living in the Los Alamos compound, who often do without adult supervision. The novel occasionally gets mired down in detail, but the characters are exceptionally well drawn, and the compelling, unusual setting makes a great tie-in for history classes."

AWARDS
Scott O'Dell Award
Finalist Northern California Book Award - 2007

CONNECTIONS
Students would be interested in seeing what trinitite looks like - the green glass described in the book.

As a class, students could learn more about Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the Atomic Bomb.

After viewing photographs of an atomic bomb being tested, students could draw their depiction of what it looked like, using the colors Ellen Klages describes in the book.

Locate St. Louis MO and Los Alamos NM on a map. Which location is closer to your school? Ellen Klages lives in San Francisco CA. Where is that located?

Students who liked this book might like:

Holm, Jennifer. PENNY FROM HEAVEN. ISBN 9780375836893

Patron, Susan. THE HIGHER POWER OF LUCKY. ISBN 9781416901945

Pfeffer, Susan Beth. LIFE AS WE KNEW IT. ISBN0152058265

Iron Thunder: The Battle of the Monitor and the Merrimac

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Avi. 2007. IRON THUNDER: THE BATTLE OF THE MONITOR AND THE MERRIMAC. Illus. by C.B. Mordan. New York, NY: Hyperion Books For Children. ISBN 9781423104469.

PLOT SUMMARY
A historical fiction account of the building of the iron battle ship the Monitor through the eyes of a thirteen year old boy named Tom. He goes to work in the New York navy shipyard when his father is killed in the war as a way to earn money for his family. Spies are trying to get information on this iron ship, also called "Ericsson's Folly" named after the captain John Ericsson. Some called it the "iron coffin" because no one believes it can float, much less fight the opponent, the Merrimac. Tom walks a fine line between avoiding the spies and wondering if the ship will be built in time to go into battle against the Confederate sea monster, the Merrimac.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Avi spins a believable story about Thomas Carroll and his family. Background information is given as to the reason for his need to be employed. A description of their living conditions and a sick sister lends credence to him finding a full time job to make money for his family. The author uses nine well placed full page newspaper headlines from the actual pages of the New York Times, NY Herald, The Philadelphia Enquirer, and the Tri-Weekly Telegraph to convey what was happening during April 13, 1861 and March 11, 1862. The headlines are effective in their brevity such as "The Surrender of Fort Henry to Union Gunboats". The reader can quickly read the progression of the war and continue on with the story about Tom and the building of the Monitor.

Tom is skeptical of the captain and his ideas for this iron boat. He keeps his opinion to himself and also hides the fact that spies are trying to gain information about him. Avi writes of the angst Tom feels about revealing that spies are after him. He is genuinely afraid and when he secures a permanent place to live in the shipyard while the Monitor is being built there is a sense of relief. Children have fears and being bullied is one of them. Avi uses this part of the story to show how Tom handled the spies and came up with a solution to stay safe. Tom's worries of the boat going into battle turn into pride as he is an eye witness to an historical battle.

Avi uses actual photographs to show the the Monitor officers, the telescope, the turret and a butter dish with gold lettering used by the officers. Old maps enhance the author's description to pinpoint the location for readers who may not be familiar with the area. An explanation of the way the toilets work would delight young readers, especially when Avi writes of a sailor who didn't use the valves correctly and was blown off the seat!

C.B. Mordan's block prints are beautiful in their simplicity. The only color is black and white, which lends credence to the actual old photographs also used in the book.

The book doesn't end with the story. Avi provides a glossary of terms, the author's note, what happened to the Monitor and a bibliography. A quote that made a lasting impression was, "The more who witness a fact - the less certain the fact becomes". Avi was referring to the thousands who watched the battle and told their account. He tells the reader that he had to be a detective doing research for this book. It was also important that he reminds the reader that the facts would be disputed by those who were on the opposing battleship - the Merrimac.

PERSONAL OPINION
This was a fascinating tale to read. This historical event being told through the eyes of a young boy comes to life. I liked the information listed after the story to learn about Avi's research and the rescue efforts to bring up the turret from the ocean floor. Readers of this book will come away with more information about the boat and actual battle than if they read it in a history book.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
From School Library Journal
"Early in 1862, 13-year-old Tom Carroll must go to work when his father is killed in a Maryland battle. He finds a job at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where he is put to work on "Ericsson's Folly," the ironclad that will become the Monitor. He works closely with Captain Ericsson and becomes fascinated with this odd "raft." The floating battery is scoffed at by many, but the "Copperheads," Northerners who sympathize with the Southern cause, are distinctly interested. Tom is approached by Confederate spies but cleverly escapes them with the help of his friends. To stay clear of these dangerous men, he moves onboard the Monitor and lives there until its completion. Tom is an eyewitness to history as the ship travels to join the Union blockade fleet and enters into its fateful battle with the Merrimac. He takes pride in the vessel, and his part in her construction is evident in his firsthand telling of the story. Factual information and historical terms are woven smoothly into the narrative. Period photographs, engravings, and newspaper headlines are strategically placed throughout the text to further bring history to life. A glossary provides added clarity, and an author's note explains that although Tom Carroll really existed, the boy in this story is a compilation of several people on the ship and the author's imagination. This exciting, fast-paced historical adventure will add a bit of drama to Civil War units. Even reluctant readers will appreciate it."

From Booklist
"Decked out with the appurtenances of nonfiction—maps, a resource list (leaning toward upper-level titles), and a generous array of contemporary prints for illustrations—Avi's historical novel views the construction of the Monitor and the ensuing epochal battle with its Confederate rival through the eyes of an actual but fictionalized crew member. Narrating in a clipped style that speeds the tale along nicely, 13-year-old Tom describes meetings with the Monitor's inventor, John Ericsson, and other historical figures; run-ins with "Copperhead" spies; the dangerous sea voyage from New York to the Union blockade; the exciting climactic fight; and the brief, ill-fated later careers of both ironclads."

CONNECTIONS
Students could choose one of the books listed in the bibliography to do additional research on the battle between the Monitor and the Merrimac.

As a science lesson students could learn how an iron ship weighing several thousands pounds could be made to float. (older grades)

Teacher could lead a group discussion on ways Tom could have handled the spies who were trying to bribe him to reveal information about the Monitor.

Students Who Liked This Book Might Like:

Avi. Crispin: AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD. ISBN 9780786851522

Avi. THE SEER OF SHADOWS. ISBN 9780060000158

Sappey, Maureen Stack. DREAMS OF SHIPS, DREAMS OF JULIA; AT SEA WITH THE MONITOR AND THE MERRIMAC - VIRGINIA 1862 (Young American Series).
ISBN 9781572491342

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Freedman, Russell. 1997. OUT OF DARKNESS: THE STORY OF LOUIS BRAILLE. illus. by Kate Kiesler. New York, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN 9780395968888.

PLOT SUMMARY
A detailed account of the life of Louis Braille who invented a method of reading for the visually impaired. This biography portrays Braille as a young boy who would not let blindness get in his way of living. His curiosity to learn and help others led to years of trial and error to develop the system still used today.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Freedman manages to tell a detailed story while holding the reader's interest. He begins in the early 1800s with the accident that led to Braille's eventual blindness at age four. Louis was forbidden to handle his father's leather tools. An overpowering curiosity made him disobey those orders and the accident occurred. Many children would be able to relate to the "forbidden fruit" and understand why he didn't listen to his father's warning. The author's statement, "The hardest lesson Louis had to learn was that blindness set him apart from other children" was powerful to read. Children want to be the same as everyone else. Freedman establishes a base for the reader to understand what drives Braille to function as a blind person in a seeing world.

Braille is sent at age ten to live in Paris, a big city unlike his home, and attend the Royal Institute For Blind Youth. The purpose of the school was to teach boys practical achievements that would help them function. The description of the school, uniforms, the sense of loneliness gives the reader an idea of how difficult this transition period was for a boy so young to leave his family.

When the author begins describing the method blind people used to read, the embossed books, his words give us an idea of what these books looked like. As he continues to describe the way Braille poked holes in paper at night, we can get a sense that this was not a method discovered quickly but rather over a long period of time. When Braille takes a secret military code and refines it, the reader is happy Braille has found a solution that will work. The Braille alphabet is simply explained with visuals to help the reader understand what Braille created. The story doesn't end there as we learn Braille's idea was not accepted by everyone. He refuses to give up and his persistence paid off. All of these are worthwhile lessons for children to learn.

Kate Kiesler's illustrations are effective. There is no color in these black, gray and white detailed drawings which reminds us that color is often void for a blind person. Her drawings are richly detailed to give us a sense of the way Louis Braille lived in the early 1800s.

PERSONAL OPINION
This was a fascinating account of an amazing boy who refused to accept the fact that he couldn't read like everyone else. Freedman's account puts the reader at the school, seeing Braille try and try again to devise a method that will work. There are many lessons to be learned from this story - if at first you don't succeed, try try again, don't take no for an answer, looking out for the well being of others, don't reinvent the wheel - take something that already exists and try to improve on it are a few examples.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
From School Library Journal
"An extremely well-written and informative book that tells about Braille's life and the development of his alphabet system for the blind. Freedman's gift for making his subjects both accessible and intriguing comes through wonderfully in this book. Readers learn not only about Braille and his struggle to communicate through the written word once he lost his sight, but also how long it took for his revolutionary innovation to become universally accepted. They also become aware of how isolated the blind were before his invention. Finely detailed pencil drawings and diagrams appear throughout the readable narrative. An entertaining and fascinating look at a remarkable man."

From Booklist
"More than 170 years ago, a blind French boy at age 15 invented a system of raised dots on paper that allows the sightless to read and write. Without melodrama, Freedman tells the momentous story in quiet chapters in his best plain style, making the facts immediate and personal. At age 3, Louis Braille was blinded in an accident with a knife. From the age of 12, he worked doggedly, sometimes secretly through the night at a special school in Paris, punching dots on paper, trying to develop a simple code for the alphabet that the blind could read with their fingertips. Woven into the story is an awareness of how the blind child experiences the world, what he remembers. Tension mounts as he refuses to be discouraged by technical and bureaucratic setbacks, until eventually he proves his system to his school and finally to the world."

Connections

Students might be interested to see a copy of something written in Braille. They will be surprised to see how fine the holes are punched, and how difficult it is for them to distinguish the letters.

Take 3x6 index cards and make individual alphabet cares. Press into the cards the letters not emphasized. Hole punch out the letters that are emphasized to form that letter. See if the students can identify a letter of the alphabet by feeling the card.

Serve a meal to the class in total darkness. Don't tell them what they are being served. See how well they can eat using their other senses other than sight to determine what the food is and how to feed themselves in darkness.

As a writing assignment, ask students to pick one characteristic of Louis Braille. (Determination, Curiosity, etc). Have them write why this is an attribute that would be a good to possess.

Readers who liked this book might like:

Davidson, Margaret. LOUIS BRAILLE: THE BOY WHO INVENTED BOOKS FOR THE BLIND. ISBN 9780590443500

Woodhouse, Jane. LOUIS BRAILLE (LIVES AND TIMES). ISBN 9781575725598

HITLER YOUTH: GROWING UP IN HITLER'S SHADOW

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. 2005. HITLER YOUTH: GROWING UP IN HITLER'S SHADOW. New York, NY: Scholastic Nonfiction: an imprint of Scholastic, Inc. ISBN 9780439353793.

PLOT SUMMARY
The horrors of World War II, retold with chilling detail through the voices of German young people who served Hitler in his youth organization is the focus of this book. Journals, diaries and interviews of those who served are researched and detailed from a different viewpoint than most books on the subject of World War II. Ten stories are portrayed in chapter form.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Can you imagine turning in your own parents to authorities because they resisted Hitler's ideology? Elizabeth Vetter reported her parents to Hitler youth leaders and they were arrested. Thousands of children were caught up in the notion of obtaining power to exert over others through allegiance to Adolph Hitler. Hitler realized the impact youth could have on his path to power. Those children who participated and survived the war cannot believe how they were caught up in the movement.

Bartoletti uses actual photographs to personalize the stories. Most of the black and white photos show proud children in Nazi uniform. Not only does she utilize pictures of the youth, there are actual photographs of streets and areas depicted in the stories. Students can turn the page and read the captions under the numerous photographs before continuing with the riveting stories.

Some of the stories told are ones not often heard when studying the history of WWII. A mercy death program to improve the Aryan race was authorized in 1939 by Hitler. This program targeted those mentally and physically unstable, living in hospitals and institutions. The program, code named Aktion-T4 has been estimated to have killed as many as 100,000 before protesting by German citizens halted the practice. The White Rose - a group who printed leaflets denouncing Hiter resulted in the student leaders being beheaded (something difficult to comprehend today).

Bartoletti handles a very delicate subject with great diplomacy. She manages to relate the horror of war through the eyes of youth who participated in it without making the subject intolerable. Each of the ten chapters has a different story to tell, which makes the reader want to continue until the end of the book. The epilogue tells what happened to the youth portrayed. A time line of the Hitler Youth and the author's note at the back wants us to make sure this is a story we must repeat to future youth so history can never repeat itself.

PERSONAL OPINION
This book is a must read for both children (older than elementary age) and adults. This book of history is told through the eyes of people reflecting on what they did for their leader Adolph Hitler. It is easy to be an outside viewer and judge their behavior but I wondered what my reaction would have been to the youth program if I were in that situation myself.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
From School Library Journal
" Grade 5-8–Hitler's plans for the future of Germany relied significantly on its young people, and this excellent history shows how he attempted to carry out his mission with the establishment of the Hitler Youth, or Hitlerjugend, in 1926. With a focus on the years between 1933 and the end of the war in 1945, Bartoletti explains the roles that millions of boys and girls unwittingly played in the horrors of the Third Reich. The book is structured around 12 young individuals and their experiences, which clearly demonstrate how they were victims of leaders who took advantage of their innocence and enthusiasm for evil means. Their stories evolve from patriotic devotion to Hitler and zeal to join, to doubt, confusion, and disillusion."

From Booklist
" 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. Most of the accounts and photos bring close the experiences of those who followed Hitler and fought for the Nazis, revealing why they joined, how Hitler used them, what it was like. Henry Mentelmann, for example, talks about Kristallnacht, when Hitler Youth and Storm Troopers wrecked Jewish homes and stores, and remembers thinking that the victims deserved what they got."

AWARDS
2005 Newbery Honor Book
2006 Sibert Information Book Honor
2005 Parent's Choice Gold Award
Audiofile Earphones Award

CONNECTIONS
After reading this book together as a class (or assign individual chapters to groups to read), ask students to write a journal entry about a day in the life of a Hitler youth.

Research if any survivors from this book are still alive and where they are living.

Students who like this book might like:

Lehmann, Armin D. and Tim Carroll. IN HITLER'S BUNKER: A BOY SOLDIER'S EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT OF THE FUHRER'S LAST DAYS. ISBN 9781592285785

Hunt, Irmgard A. ON HITLER'S MOUNTAIN: OVERCOMING THE LEGACY OF A NAZI CHILDHOOD. ISBN 0739458116

SEARCH FOR THE GOLDEN MOON BEAR

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Montgomery, Sy. 2004. SEARCH FOR THE GOLDEN MOON BEAR. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 9780618356508.


PLOT SUMMARY
The scientific search for a possible new species of bear leads Sy Montgomery and other scientists on a quest around the world. The chance encounter in China of this "Moon Bear" in 1988 was the beginning of research that ended in October of 1999. Detailed description is given to the procedures followed in this scientific study, which includes DNA collection and analysis. The final answer to this scientific study was not what the researches expected to find.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The beginning of the book reads like a Raiders of the Lost Ark movie. A sighting of an unusual bear in a cage in China was intriguing. Sy Montgomery, a female scientist living in New Hampshire heard this story upon their return. Thus begins her journey to the other side of the world. Montgomery does a good job at the beginning and writes a captivating story. After the initial description of the particular bear they were researching, a four page spread giving background on the eight species of bear is helpful. Learning that all bears have the Latin word Ursa (bear) in their name was interesting. This could lead to a discussion of the star formation Ursa Major and Ursa Minor and why they were so named. Beautiful color photographs help move the story along. A large map of the region at the beginning of the story outlines the area they studied. The book is divided into chapters, with headings of the contents. Montgomery asks questions of other scientists, as children might, during the story to explain what they are doing during their research. She also gives interesting regional information about the towns that would interest children. The picture of the fried bug snacks and the description with a picture of the largest leech she'd ever seen is a "gross" effect sure to please students!

The appendices at the back of the book would enable those who are interested in more information on this subject. Where to learn more about bears and how to help them, further reading and facts about bears are listed. I also liked the photos of the author throughout the book. Girls are not traditionally seen as research scientists and the exposure to a woman who encounters danger in her job could be appealing to those children who like adventure.

PERSONAL OPINION
Toward the end of the book one of the chapters is entitled "Cracking the Code". Montgomery gives a detailed explanation of how DNA is analyzed. I can't see students reading this entire chapter. The story loses momentum as we are bogged down in reading pages of scientific findings that is fascinating to scientists but not always as exciting for children. This made the results rather anticlimactic as I'd lost some interest in the story.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
From School Library Journal
"While on an expedition to the Amazon, a fellow scientist told Montgomery about a bear seen years before in Yunnan, China–a bear with tall round ears, a white crescent on its chest, a bushy mane, and a coat as golden as a palomino. Later, a chance meeting with a young Cambodian unearthed a recent photo of a golden bear. From these encounters a scientific expedition to Southeast Asia evolved, seeking to determine if this honey-colored creature was a new species or a previously unseen color variation of Ursus thibetanus. Montgomery's conversational text takes readers to open-air markets and fruit farms in Cambodia, a wildlife breeding center and a zoo in Thailand, and hillside tribal villages in Laos (with a hefty interlude of tropical rain forest investigation), seeking the elusive animal."

From Booklist
"As in Encantado: Pink Dolphin of the Amazon (2002), nature writer Montgomery has adapted this from a longer work she wrote for adults. Here she chronicles her travels in war-torn Southeast Asia in search of an elusive golden-furred bear, hoping to nab tufts of its hair for DNA analysis to confirm a species not previously known to science. Though discussions of the region's bloody history have been toned down, Montgomery does frame the adventure with thought-provoking context."

AWARDS
Outstanding work of Non Fiction- New Hampshire Literary Review
One of the top five Non Fiction books of the year by Book magazine
Top Ten Science Book of the Year by Booklist
ALA Editor's Choice

CONNECTIONS
Students could be asked to "design" a bear no one had seen before. Artwork could be part of a bulletin board display with facts about the eight species of bears.
As a class, students could trace the route the scientists used to gather information for the story. The map from the front could be copied onto individual sheets for students to plot.

Students who liked this book might enjoy:

Montgomery, Sy. ENCANTO: PINK DOLPHIN OF THE AMAZON. ISBN 9780618131037

Montgomery, Sy. THE SNAKE SCIENTIST. ISBN 0395871697

Montgomery, Sy. THE TARANTULA SCIENTIST. ISBN 9780618915774

ANIMAL FACT/ ANIMAL FABLE

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Simon, Seymour. 1979. ANIMAL FACT/ ANIMAL FABLE. Illus. by Diane de Groat. New York, NY: Crown Publishers, Inc. ISBN 9780517537947.


PLOT SUMMARY
Seymour Simon examines popular myths about animals and determines whether they are true or not. The format of the book is a guessing game. A myth is listed with a humorous cartoon depicting the description of the myth. The reader must turn the page to learn if the myth is fact or fable.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Everyone loves to play games. Seymour Simon is a former science teacher and it is obvious he's learned to incorporate games into teachable moments. There are twenty animal myths examined in this book. Simon begins each fact or fable quiz with the myth printed at the bottom of the page and a humorous cartoon of the myth above the statement. Students could determine as a group or by themselves the answer before they turn the page. The following page uses bold lettering to begin with "FACT" or "FABLE", followed by the explanation. Simon keeps his explanations very simple so that children of a younger age could understand it. Even though this book was written in 1979, the answers are timeless. Children of all ages love to read and learn about animals. You can open the book anywhere and begin reading. I can see students reading this again and again until they get all the answers correct!

Children love to read books that are funny. The cartoon drawings by Diane de Groat are so outrageous, kids can't help but laugh when they read the myth page. The drawings de Groat uses on the answer pages are totally different. They are actual representations of the animal, many depicted in their natural habitat. The answer page is washed with color and the text is printed on top of the illustration. The large print is easy to read and does not detract from the painting.

PERSONAL OPINION
I enjoyed reading this book myself. I too played it as a guessing game. There are many non-fiction books about animals that get bogged down in the detail. The simple explanations make it easy for any age to read and understand. I can see a child reading this book and sharing it with others to see if they got the answers right.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
From Publishers Weekly
"The best kind of book, one that entertains while it educates."

CONNECTIONS
Students could take one of the twenty animals from the book and find five facts not listed in the book about the animal.
The teacher could prepare a Fact and Fable game. One separate note cards write the word FACT and FABLE. Take the myths from this book and write them on individual note cards. Put them in a pile face down. Students would draw a card and determine if it was a fact or fable and place it in the correct pile. Another student or the teacher could use the book to tell them if they were right or wrong.
The class could brainstorm other animal myths and research them as a class to determine if they were fact or fable.

Students who liked this book might like:

Bryant, Mark. THE CAT NAME COMPANION: FACTS AND FABLES TO HELP YOU NAME YOUR FELINE. ISBN 9780806516714

Meltzer, Milton. HOLD YOUR HORSES! A FEEDBAG FULL OF FACT AND FABLE.
ISBN 9780060244774

Miller, Karen and Sergio Ruzzier. MONSTERS AND WATER BEASTS: CREATURES OF FACT OR FICTION? ISBN 9780805079029

WHEN GORILLA GOES WALKING

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Grimes, Nikki. 2007. WHEN GORILLA GOES WALKING. illus. by Shane Evans. New York, NY: Orchard Books, An Imprint of Scholastic, Inc.
ISBN 9780439317702

PLOT SUMMARY
Cecilia has a pet cat named Gorilla. Author Nikki Grimes uses poetry to tell of a love/hate relationship with a pet cat who has a mind of his own.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Children love to read about pets. Author Grimes reminds us all that we can love our pets one minute and be annoyed with them the next. Each thought about her pet cat Gorilla is recorded in a separate poem with an appropriate title. When Grimes first begins describing the cat she does not mince words. "A fierce meow, a tiger's claws - Gorilla ain't no Santa Paws./ She hisses when a stranger's near. /She chases dogs. She has no fear. /She has no tail. She's rain-cloud gray./ I love that cool cat more each day." In this poem we see the personality of the cat but learn it makes no difference, Cecilia still loves him! The description of the color "rain-cloud gray" is a memory that anyone could picture. The final line of the books reminds the reader that "When you see my pet. I'm Gorilla's human. Don't ever forget!" Gorilla comforts Cecilia when she's sad, plays with her and sleeps with her at night. This is a little girl who dearly loves this cat. Nikki Grimes uses rhyming and haiki as forms of poetry in this book.

The artwork in this book is bold in color without details. The simple paintings look child like in their simplicity but the splash of color on every page surrounds the poetry and makes it very easy to read. Cecilia, an African American girl, is pictured with her cat, Gorilla throughout the book. Gorilla's facial expressions reflect the poem on the page. When he's sick, the painting on him shows him with his eyes closed and his tongue stuck out. In the poem "Chase" he is pictured very happily trying to catch a fly. You can see the joy on his face.

PERSONAL OPINION
There are not enough books featuring African American characters. This book of poetry is an every day look at a pet, something everyone, regardless of culture, could relate to. Some children have a preconceived notion of poetry. Grimes book of poetry would make children laugh and if read aloud, they'd want to check it out on their own to reread.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
From School Library Journal
"In a series of delightful poems, a girl introduces her cat, Gorilla, and describes her pet's many interests, talents, and behaviors. While the feline is decidedly the star of this show, Cecilia also shares tidbits about her own life, such as getting into trouble for making a mess and feeling sad when her best friend moves away. The rich and rewarding relationship enjoyed by cat and human comes through loud and clear."

From Booklist
"In interlinked poems, Cecilia, a young African American girl, introduces her "cool cat,"---a fierce, tailless, gray shorthair named Gorilla. In spare, expressive lines and bold colors, Evans' dynamic paintings capture the messy intimacy of the cat and human bond. Also evident is the sense that Gorilla isn't just a pet; she's also a mirror. Like many children, Cecilia sees her own best and worst qualities in her bossy, beautiful cat, who is, she says, "like stubborn me." A fill-the-page portrait of dreadlocked, brown Cecelia, arm and arm with a blue-eyed, white best friend opens this playful, insightful poetry collection (classified as fiction) with an image of open-hearted friendship."

CONNECTIONS
Students would be asked to write a poem about their pet. For those who may not have a pet, ask them to choose their favorite animal and write a poem. In another session, art work could be done to correlate with the poem written. Poems could be read aloud to the class and bound in a book for students to read. (You may need to ask that they not write about a pet cat, as many would copy what was in this particular book).

Students who liked this book would also like:

Grimes, Nikki. THANKS A MILLION. ISBN 9780688172923

Grimes, Nikki. A POCKETFUL OF POEMS. ISBN 9780395938683

Simms, Tayback. I MISS YOU EVERY DAY. ISBN 0670061921

KEESHA'S HOUSE

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Frost, Helen. 2003. KEESHA'S HOUSE. New York, NY: Frances Foster Books Farrar,
Straus and Giroux. ISBN 9780374400125

PLOT SUMMARY
This book of poetry for teens is written as a contemporary novel. The plot revolves around a cast of characters who are interconnected. Stephie is a pregnant teenager afraid to tell her parents and the girlfriend of star athlete Jason who is worried about his college options. Keesha is a friend who moves out to get away from her father who is abusive when he drinks. Dontay is unhappy in foster care; Carmen lands in jail when she's caught drinking. Harris is a gay teen whose parents don't understand. Katie's mother has boyfriends who molests her. Helen Frost also gives the parents of these teens a voice as their lives begin to unravel.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Helen Frost has written a moving story in chapter book form. With the turn of every page, a new character has a voice. Their name is written next to the title to keep the characters straight as you read this disturbing but realistic tale of teenagers in crisis. Once the six characters are introduced, the voices of adults are also portrayed so the reader can interpret both sides of the story. The voices are realistic and the reader can form a picture of them in their mind as they hear them speak on the page. Even though many different character are featured, it is easy to keep their stories straight because of the way Frost depicts them speaking.

Most teens reading this book would not realize it is poetry as it's not presented in a traditional form. Frost succeeds in creating a compelling, realistic story about teens that would make them want to turn the page, regardless of the genre. The reader learns of the poetry methods used when they finish the story.

At the end of the book, Frost gives notes on the forms of poetry utilized in her novel. The reader then learns about Sestinas which is a poem of six six-line stanzas, originally without rhyme, in which each stanza repeats the end words of the lines of the first stanza. (For example, in THAT ONE WORD she writes as her ending stanza line, "Freeze frame on that one word: Did you say". The first line of the next stanza reads, "him? I used to try to think of I'd say", ending with the same word as the last line of the stanza above. Frost also writes in sonnet form and gives specific chapter notations which enables the reader to refer back to the poem. The author employs English, Italian, crown and hybrid sonnets in this sad but realistic tale.

PERSONAL OPINION
I really enjoyed this book and will recommend it to our high school librarians. The book can be read in a short amount of time and I found myself going back to reread specific characters stories. The anguish of the parents dealing with their children's situation is real. Frost's biography details her work with juvenile detention facilities. She has used their stories to weave this believable tale. I learned about crown sonnets and referred back to the poems to determine how they were written.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
From School Library Journal
"Frost has taken the poem-story to a new level with well-crafted sestinas and sonnets, leading readers into the souls and psyches of her teen protagonists. It sounds like a soap opera, but the poems that recount these stories unfold realistically. Revealing heartbreak and hope, these poems could stand alone, but work best as a story collection. Teens may read this engaging novel without even realizing they are reading poetry."

From Booklist
"Like Virginia Euwer Wolff's True Believer (2001) and much contemporary YA fiction, this moving first novel tells the story in a series of dramatic monologues that are personal, poetic, and immediate, with lots of line breaks that make for easy reading, alone or in readers' theater. Frost talks about the poetic forms she has used, the sestina and the sonnet. But most readers will be less interested in that framework than in the characters, drawn with aching realism, who speak poetry in ordinary words and make connections."

AWARDS
Michael L. Printz Honor Book

CONNECTIONS
Students would enjoy dividing up these characters and reading them aloud as if it were a play (and it reads that way). Discussion of ways to portray the voice of the character could be done as a class as the readers work through this novel.

Readers who enjoyed this might like:

Going, K.L. FAT KID RULES THE WORLD. ISBN 0399239901

Johnson, Angela. THE FIRST PART LAST. ISBN 9780689849237

Lynch, Chris. FREE WILL. ISBN 9780064472029

ZOO'S WHO

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Florian, Douglas. 2005. ZOO'S WHO. Orlando, FL: harcourt, inc. ISBN 9780152046392


PLOT SUMMARY
In this book of poems written and painted by Douglas Florian his thoughts are given on twenty-one animals found in the zoo. The poetry is short and sometimes nonsensical verse.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Florian's book is fun to read. The use of made up words in this book are an unexpected treat. When describing a penguin, the author uses the phrase "penguindy weather" which conjures up a visual image. The girth of a penguin - it has "penguinsulation". The poem on slugs employs the use of a space between each letter. This slows down the reading of the poem much like the movement of a slug. My favorite poem about a snake has the letter "s" repeated in the shape of a snake moving and eventually spelling out the word "snake". Other poems are done in rhyme and shapes. The poem about an ant uses words with ANT in them capitalized. It's very effective.

Just taking a picture walk through the book before reading is a dessert for the primitive eyes. The simplistic art employs stamped letters, words, collaged pieces and paint. Each animal has its name stamped somewhere in the piece. On the opposite page, each corresponding poem is centered with vast white space around to draw the reader into the words.

PERSONAL OPINION
Elementary students like to be silly. This book of poetry would fill that need. The poems are usually only four lines which would also appeal to a younger age group. The primitive art work is a change from most artwork portrayed in children's books.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
From Booklist:
"Florian continues his series of books that deal with animal life in all its permutations. These short poems often make their points in clever ways: "Lizards laze / And lizards bask. / What's their favorite food? / Don't ask!" Or "I'm not a seagull. / I'm royal. / I'm regal. / All birds are not / Created eagle." Not all the poems are so pithy, but there's plenty of humor throughout to keep kids going. However, children will need a certain sensibility to understand the wordplay. The artwork, which is simple enough for them to enjoy, always has unexpected bits. For instance, a painting of a shark--mouth open, teeth bared----is highlighted by a collage of what's inside his mouth: a tiny fan, a small pliers, and other miniature objects. "

From School Library Journal:
"Quick quips, wordplay, and poetic license mark Florian's continuing scheme of paying homage to animals in short verse and imaginative paintings. Though readers may expect to meet zoo animals this time around, they will encounter quite an eclectic assortment of creatures as the term "zoo" is apparently intended in a wider sense. "Slugs are ugly./Slugs are lowly./Slugs climb mountains/Very slowly." If the verses seem rather slow, too, they're mostly quite short and some will evoke a chuckle. The mixed-media art facing each of the 21 entries is intriguing."

CONNECTIONS
After reading this book orally, the class could be asked to compose a four line poem about an animal not mentioned in this book. For younger grades it could be done together as a class. For upper elementary they could each write an animal poem. When they have finished, they could employ Florian's technique of stamping the animal name and creating a piece of art using collage, stamps and paint.

Students who enjoyed this would also enjoy:
Florian, Douglas. BOW WOW MEOW MEOW IT'S RHYMING CATS AND DOGS.
ISBN 0152163956

Florian, Douglas. BEAST FEAST. ISBN 9780152017378

Florian, Douglas. MAMMALABILIA. ISBN 9780152050245

Florian, Douglas. LIZARDS, FROGS AND POLLIWOGS. ISBN 9780152052485

THE TURKEY GIRL

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Pollack, Penny. THE TURKEY GIRL. 1996. Illustrated by Ed Young. Boston, MA: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 0316713147

PLOT SUMMARY
A Native American Zuni girl who spends her days herding turkeys is nicknamed The Turkey Girl. In this Indian version of Cinderella, she learns why it is important to keep promises.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The similarities between this tale and the standard Cinderella includes a poor orphan girl in tattered clothing, talking animals, an upcoming dancing celebration requiring fancy clothing and a promise that will be broken.

The cultural differences in this story are evident in both the illustrations and choice of words used. The young girl pictured throughout the book is a Native American Zuni Indian. You don't get a clear picture of her features until the middle of the book, as Ed Young chooses to use pastels to suggest images. When her facial features are shown in one drawing, the black braids outlining her face suggest an Indian heritage.

Young covers all space with subtle colors but most drawings are not clearly defined to leave the definition up to the imagination of the reader. The story opens with an outside look of Turkey Girl's pueblo village, all done in light pinks, purples and white. The turkeys are simple in their design. Young uses chalk and oil crayon in tones of orange to depict the heat of the day in this Native American desert.

Penny Pollock retells this story by defining how she came upon the story using language Zuni's would use to describe the sun rising. Pollock immerses us in their culture by describing the yucca-cactus sandals, pinon nut gathering and a doeskin dress with rare shells and turkey feathers.

The only joy in the story is at the dance where Turkey Girl was not an outcast. Like the traditional story, she gets caught up in the moment and forgets her promise to leave on time. The somber moral at the end of the story reminds us of the importance of keeping one's promise.

PERSONAL OPINION
Although this is a folk tale, I would not share it with younger children. The illustrations are very subtle and the tale is told for an older audience. There were several pages that were hard to read due to the choice of print on top of the pastel colored page.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
From Publishers Weekly
"In this sobering Native American variation of the Cinderella story, the focus is not on finding true love but on remaining true to one's promises. To repay the kindness of the poor orphan girl who tends them, the tribe's turkeys dress her in a fine doeskin robe so she can attend the Dance of the Sacred Bird. So enthralled is she with the dancing that she breaks her promise to return to the turkeys before dawn and consequently loses her friends forever. Pollock frequently interrupts the narrative with references to Zuni clothing and dwellings-the girl's yucca sandals, her "turquoise necklaces and earrings of delicate beauty." In contrast, Young's (Lon Po Po) characteristically abstract illustrations evoke the sunlight and heat of the pueblo villages with few visual clues about the story itself. Except for the heroine's beautiful face, the characters and setting are hazy shadows, often appearing simply as dark silhouettes."

From School Library Journal
"In this version of the Cinderella story, a poor outcast Zuni girl who tends turkeys longs to attend the Dance of the Sacred Bird. Observing her suffering, the turkeys outfit her in a white doeskin dress adorned with rare shells, as well as turquoise necklaces and earrings, and silver bracelets. To prove that she remembers them, she promises to return from the dance "before Sun-Father returns to his sacred place." As in other retellings, she does not keep her word. At this point, the story diverges greatly from the version with which most American children will be familiar: when she finally returns home, the turkeys have abandoned her forever. As an author's note points out, the story symbolically reinforces the moral that "when we break our trust with Mother Earth, we pay a price."

AWARD
Aesop Accolade Award

CONNECTIONS

Students who enjoy this book could retell another fairy tale in their own words, using the Indian setting as a backdrop.

Students might also enjoy:

Reinhart, Jewell. DOMITILA: A CINDERELLA TALE FROM THE MEXICAN TRADITION.
ISBN 9781885008138

Reinhart, Jewell. ANGKHAT: THE CAMBODIAN CINDERELLA. ISBN 9781885008091

San Souci, Robert D. LITTLE GOLD STAR: A SPANISH AMERICAN CINDERELLA TALE.
ISBN 9780688147808

MOONBEAMS, DUMPLINGS AND DRAGON BOATS

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Simonds, Nina, Leslie Swartz and the Children's Museum, Boston. 2002. MOONBEAMS, DUMPLINGS AND DRAGON BOATS. Ill. by Meilo So. New York, NY: Gulliver Books.
ISBN 9780152019839

PLOT SUMMARY
This wonderful collection of folk tales, recipes and crafts can be enjoyed by both young and old. Simonds and Swartz, in conjunction with the Children's Museum of Boston have compiled a celebration of the five major Chinese Festivals. Each festival begins with a brief description of the event and appropriate recipes and crafts to make for the festival.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In this treaury, Simonds and Swartz showcase major Chinese celebrations. Simplistic terms make it easy for those unfamiliar to understand what takes place during each festival. Most are familiar with Chinese New Year. This book give equal time to The Lantern Festival, Cold Foods Festival, Dragon Boat Festival and the Mild Autumn Moon Festival. Chinese calliagraphy is shown on each page, below the title. The last page of the book lists a pronunciation guide to Chinese vowels and consonants.

Illustrator Meilo So effectively uses watercolor and gently washes her depictions across each page. Her pictures are vibrant with color. So creates a detailed, busy visual description of the each festival. One gets a sense of what takes place without actually being there. The cover is recreated within, a busy festival scene that captures your eye. All that is missing is the smell of the food being prepared.

For Chinese American children who may not be familiar with every festival, this book is a visual treat. Families could take all or some of the ideas and celebrate them together as a way to celebrate their heritage.

PERSONAL OPINION
This book was a pleasure to read. The whimsical illustrations showcased the joy of these festivals. If my own children were younger, I'd like to do some of the activities listed in the book.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
From School Library Journal
"Each section begins with a one-page description of the history and customs of the festival and is followed by a four- to six-page story, from one to three recipes, and two or three crafts or games. The headings on each page appear in both English typeface and Chinese calligraphy; a guide to Chinese pronunciation is included. The ample white space surrounding the text is filled with small, whimsical watercolor illustrations. Each of the four sections is introduced by a dynamic, detailed watercolor painting on a double-page spread."

From Booklist
"Each section explains the holiday, tells stories related to it, and offers at least one activity and one recipe. Attractively designed, the pages include plenty of white space, creating a fine background for So's brilliantly colored, stylized paintings. The recipes, some of which require the use of food processors and hot woks, are often beyond the culinary skills of the average child, though interested adults can use them to broaden their children's experience of Chinese culture."

AWARDS
Parents Choice Award
Book Award Red Cedar Books Award

CONNECTIONS - READERS MIGHT ALSO ENJOY:
One of these festivals could be chosen to study for a week. Each day a different story, art project or activity could be done together as a class. This could culminate on the final day of displaying the art work and cooking using some of the recipes provided in the book.

This book could be a part of a study on cultures in the classroom. Books on other countries could be used to compare similar recipes or folk tales.

Dorow, Sara. WHEN YOU WERE BORN IN CHINA: A MEMORY BOOK. ISBN 9780963847218

Chan, Hingman. CELEBRATING CHINESE NEW YEAR: AN ACTIVITY BOOK. ISBN 9781932457049

Lewis, Rose A. I LOVE YOU LIKE CRAZY CAKES. ISBN 9780316525381

DAYS OF THE BLACKBIRD

BIBLIOGRAPHY
dePaola, Tomie. DAYS OF THE BLACKBIRD. 1997. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons.
ISBN 9780590686945

PLOT SUMMARY
Tomie dePaola retells an Italian folk tale of a father and his devoted daughter. During the three coldest days of the year in January, doves would warm themselves in the chimney tops. When finally emerging they were no longer white, but permanently black from the soot of the chimney. dePaola uses this explanation to weave his tale by adding a devoted daughter caring for her father and the song of the bird (La Columba) who makes him well.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Many folk tales have their roots in coming up with ways to explain things they couldn't understand. The stories are basically the same in plot but may vary in location and cultural surroundings. Many of Tomie dePaola's books are set in Italy, the country of his ancestors. We don't need to be Italian to appreciate this story. In it dePaola embellishes a folk tale by adding human characters. Most could relate to a devoted daughter caring for her sick father, willing to do whatever it took to make him well.

The illustrations dePaola has created are rich in detail. Italian art is very detailed and even though his scenes are simple, bold color fills each page with attention to detail. The illustrations are flat and without shading but the detail makes the reader examine each picture before turning the page.

Throughout the story dePaola introduces the reader to several Italian words. Il concerto - the concert, carissimi - dear ones, restate vi prego - please stay, la merla - a blackbird are some of the phrases interspersed throughout the story to draw us into this Italian tale. Even the father and daughter's names are Italian - Duca Gennaro and Gemma. When this story is finished, the reader has travelled to Italy and back without leaving the comfort of his chair.

PERSONAL OPINION
Tomie dePaola is one of my favorite authors/illustrator. His stories are always fairly simple and the illustrations mirror the story he is telling on the page. dPaola's stories can be for the very young or young at heart.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
From Publishers Weekly
"DePaola spins the tale with panache, imbuing it with a folktale-like timelessness, and artistically it's clear he was delighted to return once again to his beloved Italy for visual cues. The pages radiate warmth, from the picturesque late medieval setting and the terra cotta or blue-green houses with their tiled roofs, to the jewel-colored birds and flowers of the duke's garden."

From School Library Journal
"The moving story is elegantly, yet simply, told. The artist combines his recognizable style with visual elements reminiscent of Italian frescoes. Watercolor background washes create a marbleized effect. Color choices portray the warmth and serenity the story suggests. A successful and satisfying union of narration and illustration."

READERS MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

dePaola, Tomie. STREGA NONA'S MAGIC LESSONS. ISBN 9780152817862

dePaola, Tomie. PASCAL AND THE KITCHEN ANGELS. ISBN 0399242147

Schroedel, Jenny. THE BLACKBIRD'S NEST: SAINT KEVIN OF IRELAND.
ISBN 9780881412581

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

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Marcus, Leonard S. 1998. A CALDECOTT CELEBRATION: SIX ARTISTS AND THEIR PATHS TO THE CALDECOTT MEDAL. New York, NY: Walker and Company. ISBN 9780802786562

PLOT SUMMARY
A CALDECOTT CELEBRATION examines the lives of six award winning illustrators. Each artist won the coveted Caldecott medal, awarded to the best illustrated children's book in the United States. To showcase differences in artistry, six decades are represented in this book.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The primary theme of the book is to inform the reader there is no conventional method to becoming an award winning illustrator. The style between 1942's Robert McCloskey and 1992's David Weisner is vast. McCloskey studied live ducks in his New York apartment and drew realistic detailed depictions. Weisner used clay to study his main character, the frog, depicted in his book TUESDAY. Marcia Brown filled sketchbooks researching the style she wanted in the 1955 version of Cinderella. Sendak's visualization of the complete picture before he begins his drawing is unique. Steig wanted to humanize his donkey in SYLVESTER AND THE MAGIC PEBBLE to make him likeable.

With a new fifteen member selection committee each year the style awarded will never be constant. Illustration is a personal form of interpretation. The Caldecott medal is awarded to the artists who marries their art work with the text to make a memorable story.

Biographies give the reader an inside view into the personal lives of famous people. This book shares insights with their path to becoming an award winning illustrator. It's never overnight success, but rather a progression that enables the artist to use what he has learned to create something new. Being able to interpret a story with artwork is not an easy task. Doing it well enough to win this coveted award is an amazing accomplishment and one that is not usually repeated (although a few have won more than one Caldecott medal).

PERSONAL OPINION
I have always been fascinated with biographies. This book was was a behind the scenes look at how the art work was created for these six award winning books. For a student that enjoys art, this book would be a good choice for them to read.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"Filled with witty anecdotes and pithy observations, Marcus's (Dear Genius: The Letters of Ursula Nordstrom) approach to examining the works of six Caldecott Medalists will be of as much interest to adults as to picture book readers. He has chosen one book from each decade, "so that viewed together, the six offer an informal cross section through time of the American picture book": Robert McCloskey's Make Way for Ducklings, Marcia Brown's Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper, Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are, William Steig's Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, Chris Van Allsburg's Jumanji and David Wiesner's Tuesday."

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
"Each chapter opens with a photo of the illustrator, some information about the Caldecott-winning book, and a quote from his or her acceptance speech. While the focus is on the creation of the award-winning book, a great deal of background about the artists' lives and the way in which they work is given."

CONNECTIONS

For older students, divide them into 4 - 6 groups. Have them choose a Caldecott award winner not mentioned in this book and research their life. Present the information found to the class orally and compare/contrast their similarities and differences.

Books like this one:

Carle, Eric. ARTIST TO ARTIST; 23 MAJOR ILLUSTRATORS TALK TO CHILDREN ABOUT THEIR ART. ISBN 9780399246005

Bang, Molly. PICTURE THIS; HOW PICTURES WORK. ISBN 9781587170302

Marcus, Leonard. SIDE BY SIDE: FIVE FAVORITE PICTURE BOOK TEAMS GO TO WORK. ISBN 9780802796165