Module 9-Poetry and Short Stories

All the Broken Pieces

By Ann E. Burg

2009, Scholastic Press

Summary:

The story is about Matt, a Vietnamese boy who was ten when he was airlifted out of Vietnam and adopted by an American family. His new parents try music, baseball and visits to the Vietnam veteran meetings to try and help him find an answer. Finally, the past surfaces and Matt is able to speak the words he has so long held inside. By speaking about his past, he shares his pain and guilt over his brother’s injury and is finally able to move on and begin to live his life.

   

Impressions:

The author uses this format to give a very powerful story. She writes it from the perspective of the main character Matt. She is able to develop the character, and plot successfully using this verse format. She does this by carefully choosing her words, phrases and deciding what to include in the story. What she doesn’t say is almost as important as what she does say. Her choice of the language used brings rich meaning to the text and allows the reader to interpret the story for themselves. By not having every word written down, the reader must think with their heart instead of just the head. The reader comes away with a better understanding of the plight of children from war torn lands. This story is for middle to high school students.

  

Reviews:

From School Library Journal

Grade 6–8—In 1977, 12-year-old Matt Pin lives a fractured life. He is the son of a Vietnamese woman and an American soldier and was airlifted to safety from the war zone. Adopted by a caring American couple, he has vivid and horrific memories of the war and worries about the fates of his mother and badly injured little brother. The fractured theme runs the course of this short novel in verse: Matt's family, the bodies and hearts of the Vietnam vets, the country that is "only a pocketful of broken pieces" that Matt carries inside him. Ultimately, everything broken is revealed as nonetheless valuable. While most of the selections read less like poems and more like simple prose, the story is a lovely, moving one. Use this in a history class or paired with Katherine Applegate's Home of the Brave (Feiwel & Friends, 2007).—Heather M. Campbell, formerly at Philip S. Miller Library, Castle Rock, CO
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

 Airlifted from Vietnam at the end of the war and adopted by a loving American family, Matt Pin, 12, is haunted by what he left behind, even as he bonds with his new little brother and becomes a star pitcher on the school baseball team. In rapid, simple free verse, the first-person narrative gradually reveals his secrets: his memories of mines, flames, screams, helicopters, bombs, and guns, as well as what the war did to his little brother (“He followed me / everywhere, / he follows me still”). But this stirring debut novel is about much more than therapy and survivor guilt. When his parents take Matt to a veterans’ meeting, he hears the soldiers’ stories of injury and rejection and begins to understand why the school bully calls him “frogface” (“My brother died / Because of you”). There is occasional contrivance as Matt eavesdrops on adults. But the haunting metaphors are never forced, and the intensity of the simple words, on the baseball field and in the war zone, will make readers want to rush to the end and then return to the beginning again to make connections between past and present, friends and enemies. Add this to the Booklist read-alike column “Children at War.” Grades 6-10. --Hazel Rochman

http://www.amazon.com/All-The-Broken-Pieces-Burg/dp/0545080924

Suggestions:

I would align the use of this book with a unit done by an upper grade teacher. Just prior to the unit being taught, I would have a torn up baseball sitting on the desk or counter for a few days with the saying what is a baseball made of? When the upper grade class came to the library I would have the students take the baseballs apart and discover what was in the middle. We would discuss what symbolic meaning could be attached to this activity. –You never know what is inside. Don’t judge a book by its cover. Etc. I would read pages 120-123 when it talks about Matt unraveling his baseball and keeping all the broken pieces in his pocket. This could be used just to introduce the book or it could lead into a unit of study by the teacher on writing styles, war, etc.

 

Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars

By Douglas Florian

2007,  Harcourt, Inc.

Summary:

These are short, scientifically based poems about various objects found in space. It starts with the familiar planets, sun and moon but also includes constellations, black holes and other objects found in the night sky.

  

Impressions:

The author uses short verse to get some facts across to the reader in a fun manner. Some of the poems seem contrived in order to get the words in that he wants. But, school age children would enjoy the rhyme and subject. He uses a creative approach with some of his words by curling them into the center when talking about a spiral and in discussing the universe and its empty space he spreads the letters out to indicate empty room. Overall, an enjoyable read to help teach astronomy.

   

Reviews:

    From Booklist

This large-format book looks at astronomy through the magnifying, clarifying lens of poetry. Each broad double-page spread features a short, accessible poem about a subject such as the sun, each of its planets, a comet, a constellation, or the universe, set within an impressive painting. A concrete poem entitled "a galaxy" is a curling spiral of words set against the midnight-blue sky and surrounded by other galaxies. Stamped type, cutout pages, collage elements with printed papers, and sweeping brushstrokes all figure prominently in the expressive collage artwork, which ably illustrates the verse. The last pages carry "A Galactic Glossary" with a paragraph on the topic of each poem, followed by a list of books and Web sites. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

    Review

“Nothing gladdens the heart of believers of good poetry for children more than a new collection by Florian. . . . This one literally sings the music of the spheres. . . . In both language and artwork, Florian strikes the perfect balance between grandeur and whimsy.” --School Library Journal 7/1/07 (starred)

 “The poet-painter’s latest book brings warm wit to the outermost reaches of cold, dark space. . . . Florian’s illustrations depict the marvels of space with luminous texture and detail.”

--The New York Times Book Review

Suggestions:

I would have an upper grade class practice reading these poems and then record them on a CD that could be playing with a display of space books. Or use the CD to read selected poems from this book to the kindergarten classes during their study of space. 

Module 8- Mystery and Series Books

Junie B. Jones Has a Peep in Her Pocket

By Barbara Park

2000, Scholastic, Inc.

Summary: Junie B. Jones is a five year old Kindergarter that is going on a field trip to the farm. But, Junie is afraid of ponies due to a movie she saw with her babysitter. Her mom tries to convince her that ponies are safe as her Uncle had a sweet pony, but it was the rooster that was mean. Junie then fixates on roosters being mean and still doesn’t want to go on the trip. She is positive that roosters peck your head to a nub and that is why farmers wear hats. Junie does go on the trip and finds out that baby chicks are soft and cute and some grow up to be roosters. She also finds out that farmer Flores doesn’t have a nub for head.

Impressions: Junie is a delightful character that has a funny way of expressing her feelings and thoughts which in turn captures the interest of the reader into wanting to find out more about Junie’s antics. Junie reminds me a lot of Amelia Bedelia and her use or misuse of terminology. Some people might find fault with the improper use of language, but, it makes for an enjoyable and more believable story. second grade to third grade would enjoy this series.

    

Reviews:

Amazon.com Review

Award-winning author Barbara Park has joined with illustrator Denise Brunkus to create a charmingly outrageous character with a precocious yet childish voice that readers will never forget: "After that my heart got very poundy inside. 'Cause I heard the sound of footprints, that's why." Brunkus's comical drawings of Junie and her friends are the "bestest" ever. Don't miss any of the laugh-out-loud titles in the Junie B. Jones series. (Ages 5 to 8) --Emilie Coulter

"It's hard for anyone to resist Junie B."--Booklist

"It's a real hoot!"--School Library Journal

"A genuinely funny, easily read story."--Kirkus

Retrieved from: http://www.amazon.com/Junie-Jones-Has-Peep-Pocket/dp/0375800409

Suggestions:

This would be a fun book to introduce series books to a first or second grade class. I would ask the teacher if I could do a read aloud time right after lunch and read one chapter a day for the entire week finishing the book on Friday. On the first day, I would have the students brainstorm and predict what the story was going to be about by the cover of the book. On Friday (sporting overalls, a bandana and straw hat) I would finish reading the book and we could revisit their predictions to determine if they were correct. The next time they came into the library I would teach a lesson on searching for other books like Junie B. Jones has a Peep in Her Pocket.   

Chasing Vermeer

By Blue Balliett

2004, Scholastic Press

Summary:

Petra and Calder are sixth grade students that are caught up in an art theft mystery involving a painting of “A Lady Writing” that goes missing. A mysterious note is attached saying “You will come to agree with me.” The thief has also sent 3 letters to various people, one of them being their teacher Ms. Hussey asking for their help in exposing a crime centuries old, concerning a well-known painter. Petra and Calder are drawn into the mystery by the various homework assignments their teacher is having them do and the three newspaper articles where the thief is trying to gain public support by writing about how the painter has been wronged. Petra and Calder using various clues that they receive through a series of coincidents, search to uncover the whereabouts of the painting.  

   

Impressions:

The author draws in a book by Charles Fort called Lo! and weaves these writings and sayings through-out the story. She would often have Petra or Calder think about what the saying could mean. I found that these exchanges tended to become wordy and made me lose interest. I realize she used the sayings to enhance the lesson that everything, even supposed coincidents, could be connected. Then there was Calder’s use of Pentominoes that told him things, and Mrs. Sharpe using the pentominoes to spell out words that Petra remembered and located a hidden panel where the painting was hidden. It was just too far-fetched for me to believe. But, middle school students would enjoy trying to solve the mystery.

  

Reviews:

Amazon.com Review

In the classic tradition of E.L. Konigsburg’s From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, debut author Blue Balliett introduces readers to another pair of precocious kids on an artful quest full of patterns, puzzles, and the power of blue M&Ms…Already being heralded as The DaVinci Code for kids, Chasing Vermeer will have middle grade readers scrutinizing art books as they try to solve the mystery along with Calder and Petra. In an added bonus, artist Brett Helquist has also hidden a secret pentomino message in several of the book’s illustrations for readers to decode. An auspicious and wonderfully satisfying debut that will leave no young detective clueless. --Jennifer Hubertom 

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Gr. 5-8. The Westing Game, The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler--how exciting to find a book that conjures up these innovative, well-loved titles. That's exactly what Balliett does in her debut novel, which mixes mystery, puzzles, possibilities, and art...The novel isn't perfect. It glides over a few nitty-gritty details (how did the thief nab the picture), and occasionally the coincidences seem more silly than serendipitous. However, these are quibbles for a book that offers children something new upon each reading. Adults who understand the links between children's reading and their developing minds and imaginations will see this as special, too. Helquist, who has illustrated the Lemony Snickett books, outdoes himself here, providing an interactive mystery in his pictures. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Retrieved from: http://www.amazon.com/Chasing-Vermeer-Blue-Balliett/dp/0439372941

Suggestions:

Several displays stand out to use with this book. First, gather copies of the art of Vermeer and decorate a trifold board with an empty picture frame hanging in the middle of all the paintings. A caption could read one of Vermeer’s paintings has been stolen!

Another idea would be to introduce this book using the pentominoe shapes and have the students try and figure out how they come together in the shape of a rectangle.   

Module 7- Informational Nonfiction and Biography

14 Cows for America

Carmen Agra Deedy

2009 Peachtree Publishers

Summary: The story is about a young Maasai youth named Kimeli who was awarded a scholarship to an American university. While he was in America the attack on the twin towers occurred and made a deep impression on him. He journeyed back to his village and told the story to his tribe. He felt drawn to do something for the American people to help heal their sorrowing hearts. To the Maasai the cow is life. Kimeli decided to give his only cow to America as a blessing to try to help heal the wounded hearts. All total 14 cows were given by the tribe. The American ambassador came to Kimeli’s tribe for a meeting with the tribal leaders but found a ceremony instead in which America was honored and the cows presented.

  

Impressions: Very moving story due to the author’s style and the illustrator’s beautiful spread across both pages. The color and faces give such meaning and emotion to the story. The author’s choice of words and tone give the information needed but in such a riveting way. “He has brought with him one story. It has burned a hole in his heart.” “Because there is no nation so powerful it cannot be wounded, nor a people so small they cannot offer mighty comfort.” It could be read to any age although young children might not understand it fully.

 Reviews:

"Rarely do books for children address the bridging of cultural difference on a grand scale." Newsday

"I dare you to read this special picture book without getting teary every time."Library Media Connection, * STARRED REVIEW *

"...elegant sentences...The suspenseful pace is especially striking when surrounded by Gonzalez's exquisite colored pencil and pastel illustrations. The colors of Kenya explode off the page..." School Library Journal, * STARRED REVIEW *

"...gentle yet piercing present-tense prose...A stirring, heartwarming tale that made headlines when it happened-and is now, thankfully, preserved on the page for children." ?Kirkus Reviews

"...the words and the glowing mixed-media illustrations show empathy and connections across communities..." Booklist

http://www.amazon.com/Cows-America-Carmen-Agra-Deedy/dp/1561454907

Suggestions:

This would be a great way to remember 9-11 and the impact it had around the world. So often we do not realize the outpouring from other countries that took place after the attack. After discussing with and preparing the teachers, I would read this story on the live morning show as it is a quick read and then the classroom teachers could continue the discussions and follow up activities.

An Egg is Quiet

By Dianna Aston

2006 Chronicle books

Summary:

This is a beautiful informative picture book on eggs. The story takes you through the various types of animal eggs from birds, insects, and reptiles, to fish highlighting characteristics such as their colors, textures, sizes, and shapes. The amount of factual information given in such a short amount of pages is phenomenal.

  

Impressions:

The main text is written in cursive handwriting so it flows across the pages and carries you through the book. The details are written smaller and underneath the various individual pictures on the pages. But, this book was impressive because of the illustrations. The text without the pictures would have left you cold. It is the precise, carefully detailed eggs and pictures that hold your attention. Even after you have finished reading the book, you continue to look and turn the pages just enthralled by the pictures. Younger students would enjoy this read to them but second grade and above could gain information from it.

Reviews:

Worthy successor to Ruth Heller’s Chickens Aren’t The Only Ones (1981), this engrossing album pairs images of dozens of precisely detailed eggs and their diverse wild parents to basic facts presented in neatly hand-lettered lines…A delight for budding naturalists of all stripes, flecks, dots and textures. (Picture book/nonfiction. 6-9)

Review Posted Online: May 20th, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15th, 2006

   From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 2. This beautifully illustrated introduction to eggs resembles pages drawn from a naturalist's diary. The text, scrolled out in elegant brown ink, works on two levels. Larger print makes simple observations that, read together, sound almost like poetry: "An egg is quiet. . . . An egg is colorful. An egg is shapely." On each spread, words in smaller print match up with illustrations to offer more facts about bird and fish eggs across the animal spectrum. The illustrations are too detailed for read-alouds, but there's a great deal here to engage children up close. The succinct text will draw young fact hounds, particularly fans of Steve Jenkins' Biggest, Strongest, Fastest (1995) and his similar titles. Long's illustrations are elegant and simple, and the gallery of eggs, as brilliantly colored and polished as gems, will inspire kids to marvel at animals' variety and beauty. A spread showing X-ray views of young embryos growing into animal young makes this a good choice for reinforcing concepts about life cycles. Gillian Engberg   Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Retrieved from    http://www.amazon.com/Egg-Quiet-Dianna-Hutts-Aston/dp/0811844285

Suggestions:

This book would lend itself to a shared reading to welcome in the spring. It would need to be projected on the screen so all the children could view the exquisite pictures. This would precipitate a great discussion starter on animal groups and animal characteristics.

module 6-Historical Fiction

Pink and Say

By Patricia Polacco

1994, Philomel Books

Summary:

The story is about a fifteen year old boy named Sheldon called Say for short who was fighting in the Union army. He was wounded above the knee and left behind. Another boy named Pinkus Aylee who had gotten lost from the forty eighth colored regiment, finds him and takes him back to his home where his mom takes care of them. Pinkus called Pink for short, was a slave but was left behind when the owner left. Pink is making plans to go back and fight but Say doesn't want to go. Marauders come and kill Pink's mom. The boys are taken prisoners by the Confederate army. Say survives but Pink is hung.

Impressions:

The most powerful part of the book is the remembering of Pink by the following generations of Say and how they tell his story throughout the years. I got goose bumps when I read that.  Patricia Polacco does it again. She certainly has a way with writing that just goes to the heart. Patricia Polacco is able to catch the human spirit in her writing. She brings the text to life with her language, and the mood she sets. You are there, with the characters, feeling what they feel.  You can’t put the book down. This needs to be read by an older child, middle school (6-8 grades). There is a lot to it that needs to have an understanding of the period in history.
   

Reviews:

From School Library Journal

…Polacco's artwork, in fact, has never been better. She uses dramatic perspectives, dynamic compositions, and faces full of emotion to carry her powerful tale. History comes to life in this remarkable book.
Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

 From Booklist

Ages 5-9. Hands and gestures have always been important in Polacco's work. Here they are at the center of a picture book based on a true incident in the author's own family history. It's a story of interracial friendship during the Civil War between two 15-year-old Union soldiers…Throughout the story there are heartbreaking images of people torn from a loving embrace. Pictures on the title and copyright pages show the parallel partings as each boy leaves his family to go to war. At the end, when the friends are wrenched apart in prison, the widening space between their outstretched hands expresses all the sorrow of the war. Then, in a powerful double-page spread, they are able to clasp hands for a moment, and their union is like a rope. Say once shook Lincoln's hand, just as Say held Pink's hand, and Say tells his children, who tell theirs, that they have touched the hand that touched the hand . . . Hazel Rochman

Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Pink-Say-Patricia-Polacco/dp/0399226710

 Suggestions:

This book would be a great way to start a study on the civil war. Even though it is fictional, it gives insight to the lives of people during that time: the slaves wanting to fight “their” war, the hope of Lincoln and the fear of the battle itself.

Here Lies the Librarian

By Richard Peck

2006, Dial Books

Summary:

Jake and Peewee or Eleanor, McGrath, parentless, are living just outside of town, running an auto repair shop. One day a car with four girls driving by has a blow out and needs the tire repaired. Enter Irene Ridpath and her three sorority sisters. Finding out that the town’s only library has been closed since the death of the librarian 2 years ago, the girls, library students, decide to fix it up and reopen it. It helps that the girls come from very wealthy families. During this time, Irene takes Eleanor under her wing and helps her decide that being a girl isn’t so bad. Jake also falls for one of the other librarians, Grace Stutz. Jake enters his homemade car into the county fair race but Grace knowing that his car won’t win, kidnaps it and gets him to drive her new car in the race. During the race, Kirby, owner of a car repair shop in town, throws a wrench at Jake and causes him to crash. Peewee, jumps in the car and finishes the race, backwards. Jake ends up getting a job at Stutz factory and marrying Grace. The story ends with Grace and Eleanor attending a race when they are very old.
      

Impressions:

The author does a great job making the reading enjoyable with pieces about the characters such as Colonel who lives next door always thinking it’s the civil war he’s fighting in, or when he talks about the librarian “when they found her checked out under the card catalog”, or “in her country drives she’d killed more chickens than a hotel kitchen”. The author has a light touch sprinkled with humor throughout the book. His use of language like “I was a severed head sticking up from bald ground” or “I felt like a yanked up weed” highlights the characters and region they lived in and adds to the overall relaxed style of the book. This book lends itself for older children in grades 6-8.

Reviews:

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-9-Another gem from Peck, with his signature combination of quirky characters, poignancy, and outrageous farce. Parentless Peewee, 14, and Jake, the big brother she idolizes, live in rural Indiana in 1914…. A master of capturing voice, Peck aptly conveys the nuances of rural life in the early years of the last century while weaving in early feminism, the history of the automobile, and the message to be oneself. Kids will love the fast-paced action and librarians will guffaw over all the library puns.-Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

 From Booklist

Gr. 5-8. Stubborn, fearless, and loyal, 14-year-old Peewee (Eleanor) McGrath, who dresses like a boy, lives with her brother, Jake, in Indiana, "way out in the weeds." … Peck's one-liners, colorful physical comedy, and country dialect, prominent in most of his recent novels, are great as usual. And his characters, if not fully developed, are wonderfully quirky. Yet even with some exciting scenes of old-time dirt-track racing, the pace lags, and the story is choppy. Young fans of Danica Patrick, today's "Queen of the Road," may want to read this, but it will probably be librarians who'll have the most fun. Peck recounts an incident in an endnote in which one of the characters appears at the Indianapolis 500 with Janet Guthrie; unfortunately, there's not enough explanation to know whether or not it's all true. Stephanie Zvirin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

http://www.amazon.com/Here-Lies-Librarian-Richard-Peck/dp/0142409081/ref=sr_1_1_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1341951137&sr=1-1&keywords=Here+lies+the+Librarian

Suggestions:

The story Here Lies the Librarian would be a great discussion starter about vocabulary. Perhaps start a word wall in the library with different words from various books that draw on other cultures to highlight our diversity and add to learning. The author enjoys language and plays with it. Perhaps set up an author visit and  talk to the older classes about writing.  

Module 5 Fantasy and Science Fiction

Ender’s Game

By Orson Scott Card

1977, A Tom Doherty Associates Book

  

Summary:

The story is about a boy named Ender Wiggin whom the military has monitored for several years and chosen at the age of six instead of his equally capable brother or sister. The military is looking for a child to lead the forces against an alien, the Buggers, that have attacked earth twice and promise to come back. It is not only his genius ability but his feelings that make Ender different. Ender survives the years at battle school progressing through the ranks quickly going through all the battle games, and tactical lessons while developing maneuvers, and strategies that will soon be put to the test against the aliens.     

Impressions:

The author does a superb job of developing Ender’s character writing through the third person perspective often with the thoughts of others helping to define Ender’s character. You feel empathy for Ender as the pressure, and loneliness take its toll on him. But you are also rooting for him that he survives and is able to save mankind from the threat. The author also uses several unexpected plot twists near the end to keep you glued to your seat and reading to see what will happen. This story would be best for grades 6-8 due to the death of several people by Ender's hand.    

Reviews:

“An affecting novel full of surprises. Card never makes the mistake of patronizing or sentimentalizing his hero. His is a convincing little Napoleon in short pants.”

-The New York Times Book Review

Retrieved from the back cover

“This is Card at the height of his very considerable powers-a major DF novel by any reasonable standard.”

-Booklist

Retrieved from the back cover

“Richly drawn characters and a fast-paced story line draw us into the world of central character Ender Wiggin. It’s a world of the future, in which the gifted children are used by the military to save the Earth from the assault of aliens. Card’s story is so engaging readable that it left me begging for more.”

-Teacher Magazine

Retrieved from the first page

Suggestions:

It would be fun to have a futuristic display maybe to introduce science fiction genre or just as a change of pace. Set it up in the library with various books available on display. Perhaps have a class draw futuristic pictures to add to the display or provide for an ongoing vote for their favorite book as they read this genre. 

The City of Ember

By Jeanne DuPrau

2003 Random House

Summary:

The story begins with the builders of the City of Ember deciding to leave special instructions in a locked box and entrusting it to the mayor of the city. He was to pass it down through the years to the succeeding mayors until the box opens 200 years later. But when the time comes for the box to open it has been lost for some time with no memory of it. Lina Mayfleet comes across the opened box in her closet and finds some of the pieces of instructions. She struggles to figure out the contents before the city of Ember runs out of electricity, food, and supplies. She and her friend Doon search and locate the way to escape the city but in their searching they come across the mayor greedily hoarding supplies for himself. Fearing they will be imprisoned to keep them quiet they flee the city through the escape route which happens to be the swift underground river. Unfortunately, because they left so quickly, they did not have the chance to tell anyone else about the escape instructions. The book ends with Lina and Doon looking down from a high cliff and seeing Ember far below. They toss the written escape instructions down into the city and see Lina’s friend pick it up and read it. 

Impressions:

 The use of darkness not only gives a feeling of utter helplessness but it  builds suspense as the blackouts are becoming longer and you realize that time is running out. The author also uses the remaining pieces of the escape information like a word puzzle so you are drawn to try to figure out the missing parts. I did not feel she developed the characters fully and so I really did not have a connection to them. Grades 5-7 would be able to read and enjoy this book.

Reviews:
From Booklist

Gr. 5-7. Ember, a 241-year-old, ruined domed city surrounded by a dark unknown, was built to ensure that humans would continue to exist on Earth, and the instructions for getting out have been lost and forgotten. …Life in this postholocaust city is well limned--the frequent blackouts, the food shortage, the public panic, the search for answers, and the actions of the powerful, who are taking selfish advantage of the situation. Readers will relate to Lina and Doon's resourcefulness and courage in the face of ominous odds. Sally Estes
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

“DuPrau’s first foray into fiction creates a realistic post-apocalyptic world where everyone has lived underground for so long that they assume it has always been that way. . . . Reminiscent of post-apocalypse fiction like Robert O'Brien's Z for Zachariah, DuPrau’s book leaves Doon and Lina on the verge of the undiscovered country and readers wanting more.”—USA Today

“The cliffhanger ending will leave readers clamoring for the next installment.”—Starred, Kirkus Reviews

“While Ember is colorless and dark, the book itself is rich with description. . . . Part mystery, part adventure story, this novel provides science fiction for those who do not like science fiction.”—Starred, VOYA
From the Hardcover edition.

Suggestions:

This would work well for an author study. This is the first book in the series of four about the city of Ember’s residents and their journey back into the above ground world. It would be a great compare/contrast discussion between the books and discussions about the author’s purpose and ultimate solution.

Module 4-Realistic Fiction

Because of Winn-Dixie

By Kate DiCamillo

2000, Scholastic, Inc.

Summary:

India Opal Buloni is the daughter of a preacher who has just moved into the new community of Naomi, Florida.  Opal finds a stray dog and names him Winn-Dixie after the grocery store and he becomes a part of the family. It is because of Winn-Dixie that she begins to make new friends. Everywhere she goes, Winn-Dixie goes. Winn-Dixie helps her to overcome her problems and in doing so discovers everyone has a need or a sorrow, including Winn-Dixie.      

Impressions:
Very well written novel.  The story is a rich blend of laughter and tears as it flows, developing the characters and plot and seamlessly weaves them all together.  You form an emotional attachment to the characters as your heart aches for each of them and the particular sorrow they carry. The story ends on a positive note with the lesson that things happen to people, some because of the choices they make, but that we are all members of a family, the family of human beings. Grades 5-8.

Reviews:
“An exquisitely crafted first novel. Each chapter possesses an arc of its own and reads almost like a short story in its completeness; yet the chapters add up to more than the sum of their parts.”
-Publishers Weekly (from the back of the book.)

“A lyrical, moving, enchanting novel…brush strokes of magical realism elevate this story beyond a simple one of friendship to a well-crafted tale of community and fellowship, of sweetness, sorrow, and hope. A gem.”
-Kirkus Reviews (from the back of the book).

Suggestions:
Winn-Dixie is a quick read and would lend itself to a read aloud situation with older children. This would be a great discussion starter on life situations and prejudices or the judgments we make about others before we know them. Definitely lends itself as an introduction to the realistic fiction genre.

 

  Stargirl

By Jerry Spinelli

2000, Scholastic Inc.


Summary:
Susan Caraway, Stargirl, marches to her own drummer. She appears on the scene of Mica Area High School wearing a long dress, a large canvas bag with a sunflower painted on it, and a ukulele on her shoulder. She proceeds to run the gamut of emotions from being made fun of to being accepted and idolized as being different to being shunned. Leo, her best friend, also does not understand her and also tries to change her into conforming to the world around her. But through it all, Stargirl knows who she is and is content with that knowledge and Leo at the end realizes her uniqueness and the gift that she brings to those around her.

Impressions:
Stargirl is written from the first person viewpoint of Leo, who likes Stargirl but doesn’t understand her. The reader can identify with him in that he is torn between the friendship with Stargirl, and the desire to not stand out. The author, Jerry Spinelli, does a great job developing the characters and leading you through the story but keeping some of the actions of Stargirl unknown until the end. Even though the book leads you through various emotions it leaves you with the positive feeling that you wish to be like Stargirl not necessarily being so different, but just enjoying the life around you. This book will continue to appeal to teens as they define who they are in this world. Recommended for Grades 6-12.

Reviews:
For Leo, caught between his peers and his connection to Stargirl, the essential question boils down to one offered to him by a sage adult friend: ""Whose affection do you value more, hers or the others'?"" As always respectful of his audience, Spinelli poses searching questions about loyalty to one's friends and oneself and leaves readers to form their own answers. Ages 12-up. (Aug.)
Reviewed in Volume 246 Issue 45 11/08/2000                                         http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-679-88637-2

Amazon.com Review

Jerry Spinelli, author of Newbery Medalist Maniac Magee, Newbery Honor Book Wringer, and many other excellent books for teens, elegantly and accurately captures the collective, not-always-pretty emotions of a high school microcosm in which individuality is pitted against conformity. Spinelli's Stargirl is a supernatural teen character--absolutely egoless, altruistic, in touch with life's primitive rhythms, meditative, untouched by popular culture, and supremely self-confident. It is the sensitive Leo whom readers will relate to as he grapples with who she is, who he is, who they are together as Stargirl and Starboy, and indeed, what it means to be a human being on a planet that is rich with wonders. (Ages 10 to 14) --Karin Snelson
 http://www.amazon.com/Stargirl-Jerry-Spinelli/dp/037582233X

Suggestions:
This book would be great to introduce with a booktalk. Since it is a realistic fiction, the readers will already feel a connection to the story being in a contemporary setting with problems they can relate to. It would catch their interest and leave them wondering what will happen.
Great discussion starter on strength of character and how one feels about Stargirl’s actions such as cheering for the other team, etc.      

Module 3-Newbery/Printz/Coretta Scott King/Pura Belpre Books

The View from Saturday

By E. L. Konigsburg

1998, Aladdin Paperbacks


Summary:

This book is about a journey that four children and a teacher take during their year in sixth grade. It begins by introducing each child and the special events in their lives, that each must deal with, before they can continue on. Mrs. Olinski, their teacher, must also journey to gain her balance back with life as she returns to teaching as a paraplegic. These four students each bring unique talents and personality to the group they call the Souls. This book follows their growth and change as they strive to be the first sixth grade class to win the academic bowl at their school and then all the way to the state finals.   

Impressions:

The author uses an unconventional approach of introducing each student in between chapters of their ongoing attempt to win the academic contests. So you are going back and forth in time, learning about their characters as you see them progress in the contest. This style of writing did draw you into the story and keep you wondering about the outcome as it moved quickly through the story. As you read through it, you saw the characters resolve their own problems and help others resolve theirs. Excellent book. I will enjoy reading it over and over again. Winner of the Newbery Award in 1997.  Recommended for grades 5-9. 

Reviews:

E. L. Konigsburg won her second Newbery Medal, for ''The View From Saturday,'' a comic novel about a team of sixth-grade Academic Bowl competitors. Ms. Konigsburg first won the American Library Association's prize for children's literature in 1968, for ''From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.''  The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/1997/02/18/nyregion/news-summary-681229.html?pagewanted=2

“In no other book this year were the potentials of both heart and mind in children laid out with such persuasive clarity…it’s a jubilant, unique tour de force.”

John Peters, Chair, 1997 Newbery Committee

Retrieved from back book cover

“A jewel in the author’s crown of outstanding work.”   School Library Journal

Retrieved from back book cover

Suggestions:

I would make a booktalk or booktrailer with this story to get the kids interested. Perhaps make a poster with glogster that announces the academic bowl contest with the characters and have it running as the students enter the library to get their attention.

Esperanza Rising

By Pam Munoz Ryan

2000, Scholastic Press

Summary:

Esperanza is a girl that has grown up on a ranch in Mexico not wanting for anything. Circumstances change quickly when her father is killed and the uncle ask Ramona, Esperanza’s mother, to marry him.  Displeasing him with her answer, the uncle burns the family home and fields. Esperanza, Ramona, and a faithful servant family make their way to the United States for a promise of a better life.  But life in America isn’t what Esperanza expected and she must grow to realize that the past is gone but tomorrow holds promise.

Impressions:

The author’s writing is based upon the experiences that her grandmother lived through, beginning as a wealthy child living in Mexico to working as a farm laborer in California. This emotional connection helps the author write convincingly and bring the characters and their plight to life. This book won the Pura Belpre Award. Recommended for grades 3-8.

Reviews:

From Publishers Weekly

Told in a lyrical, fairy tale - like style, Ryan's (riding Freedom) robust novel set in 1930 captures a Mexican girl's fall from riches, her immigration to California and her growing awareness of class and ethnic tensions… Ryan poetically conveys Esperanza's ties to the land by crafting her story to the rhythms of the seasons. Each chapter's title takes its name from the fruits Esperanza and her countrymen harvest, firs in Aguascalientes, then in California's San Joaquin Valley. Ryan fluidly juxtaposes world events (Mexico's post-revolution tensions, the arrival of Oklahoma's Dust Bowl victims and the struggles between the U.S. government and Mexican workers trying to organize) with one family's will to survive - while introducing readers to Spanish words and Mexican customs. Readers will be swept up by vivid descriptions of California dust storms or by the police crackdown on a labor strike ("The picket signs lay on the ground, discarded, and like a mass of marbles that had already been hit, the strikers scattered?"). Ryan delivers subtle metaphors via Abuelita's pearl's of wisdom, and not until story's end will readers recognize how carefully they have been strung. Ages 9-14. (Oct.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Set against the multiethnic, labor-organizing era of the Depression, the story of Esperanza remaking herself is satisfyingly complete, including dire illness and a difficult romance. Except for the evil uncles, all of the characters are rounded, their motives genuine, with class issues honestly portrayed. Easy to booktalk, useful in classroom discussions, and accessible as pleasure reading, this well-written novel belongs in all collections.
Francisca Goldsmith, Berkeley Public Library, CA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

http://www.amazon.com/Esperanza-Rising-Pam-Munoz-Ryan/dp/0756910560/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0

Suggestions:

This book could be used to introduce realistic or historic fiction or for a character study. The story could also be used as a discussion starter for a number of topics including importance of family, overcoming adversity, growing up, etc.