Bibliography
Avi. 2008. The Seer of Shadows. New York. HarperCollins. ISBN 9780060000165.
Plot Summary
Scientific and rational Horace Carpetine lives in New York in 1872 and serves as apprentice to Enoch Middleditch, society photographer. When Middleditch sees dollar signs in the eyes of a mother who has lost her child, Horace begins to question his role as apprentice and the photographer’s morals. After Middleditch photographs the distraught mother in her home, Horace finds ghostly images of the departed daughter appearing in the pictures. In his quest to uncover the cause of the images, Horace is befriended by the family’s serving girl, Pegg. Soon, he is caught up in a supernatural mystery causing him to question all of the rational teachings of his father. Fighting everything he has been raised to believe, Horace faces the spirit of the lost daughter and unearths the cause of her unrest.
Critical Analysis
Written in the formal, educated manner one would expect from an adult of the latter nineteenth century, fourteen year-old Horace’s tale unfolds quickly and draws the reader into the mystery of Eleanora Von Macht’s death. The story reads as one which the author has long-awaited telling and his relief at doing so is palpable. Avi, writing as Horace in memoir, fills the story with characters that all children know exist, even if only in stories: the earnest and eager young apprentice, the greedy tradesman, the “grieving” mother, and the distraught friend seeking justice; then wraps them in a veil of ghostly mystery.
Set in New York in 1872, Avi describes the city in such a way that it materializes around Horace and Pegg as they navigate the streets. Moving quickly into the mystery surrounding Eleanora’s death, Pegg slowly reveals details as she grows to trust Horace. Horace soon realizes his talent for seeing the departed, along with Eleanora’s desire for vengeance. As the young team races to assuage Eleanora’s spirit and help her find rest, Horace, and the reader find that not everything can be explained rationally and sometimes one must just believe what is seen.
Always returning to the photography that unleashes the vengeful Eleanora, Avi does not shy from allowing Horace to explain the processes and continue to practice his trade. Fans of photography will enjoy the attention to detail within these descriptive passages.
Awards and Reviews
Starred Review from Publisher’s Weekly - An intriguing ghost story. Details about photographic processes add authenticity, while the book’s somber ending will leave spines tingling.
From Kirkus Review - This tale proves that the time-honored ghost story, capably researched, well-paced and fusing the Gothic elements of mystery, madness and romance, can still thrill in the hands of a skilled craftsman.
Connections
Share your favorite ghost story with a friend.
Research Nineteenth Century apprenticeships and what kinds of trades were learned.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
A Review of NUMBER THE STARS
Bibliography
Lowry, Lois. 1989. Number the Stars. New York. Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0395510600.
Plot Summary
Best friends Annemarie and Ellen live in Copenhagen during the German Occupation. Passing German troops on their way home from school is a daily occurrence. As the Danish Resistance learns of plans to “relocate” Denmark’s Jewish population, Annemarie’s family shelters Ellen as one of their own. Escaping the midnight raids, Annemarie and Ellen, along with Annemarie’s mother and sister Kirsti, head for the fishing village of Mama’s youth. Not sure why they are there or how long they might stay, the girls suddenly find themselves in the midst of the Danish Resistance operation to smuggle most of the Jewish population of Denmark into Sweden. Annemarie discovers her own role in the operation and faces her fears to see her task to completion.
Critical Analysis
Annemarie Johansen is ten years old. She tells her five-year-old sister stories of kings and queens in their palaces, but overhears her parent’s talk of the Danish Resistance. Caught between wanting to make-believe and knowing their lives will never be the same, Annemarie is forced to grow up quickly. As she tells the story of two families caught in the German occupation of Denmark, Lowry captures the bravery and heroism even the youngest can possess.
Looking through Annemarie’s eyes, we see Nazi soldiers everywhere: on every street corner, in the train station, even on the train as they help her Jewish best friend, Ellen Rosen, escape. Through her eyes we also see the beauty of Copenhagen and her memories of better times. But, in true childhood fashion, she takes all of the changes in stride and adjusts as necessary. As her family helps the Rosen family in their escape, Annemarie realizes the gravity of the situation but never shies away from what must be done – even thinking to help remove Ellen’s Star of David pendant when Nazi soldiers come knocking on the door.
Lowry keeps the plot progressing quickly, never allowing time for the reader to grow bored. Shortly after the family’s arrival in Gilleleje, the true nature of the family’s involvement in the Rosens’ escape becomes apparent, and Annemarie’s bravery is tested. Throughout the story, Lowry portrays Annemarie as exactly what she is: a resilient ten-year-old in an unimaginable situation, but one who handles events in spite of her fear.
Lowry’s characters are completely fictional, but the events around them are true occurrences. In her afterword, she reminds us of that fact. She also reminds us that the story of Denmark must call us to dream of a future of full of human decency.
Awards and Reviews
Newbery Medal Winner
From School Library Journal - The gripping story of a ten-year-old Danish girl and her family's courageous efforts to smuggle Jews out of their Nazi-occupied homeland to safety in Sweden. Readers are taken to the very heart of Annemarie's experience, and, through her eyes, come to understand the true meaning of bravery.
Connections
Research the Danes who fled the German raids and those who assisted them.
Lowry, Lois. 1989. Number the Stars. New York. Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0395510600.
Plot Summary
Best friends Annemarie and Ellen live in Copenhagen during the German Occupation. Passing German troops on their way home from school is a daily occurrence. As the Danish Resistance learns of plans to “relocate” Denmark’s Jewish population, Annemarie’s family shelters Ellen as one of their own. Escaping the midnight raids, Annemarie and Ellen, along with Annemarie’s mother and sister Kirsti, head for the fishing village of Mama’s youth. Not sure why they are there or how long they might stay, the girls suddenly find themselves in the midst of the Danish Resistance operation to smuggle most of the Jewish population of Denmark into Sweden. Annemarie discovers her own role in the operation and faces her fears to see her task to completion.
Critical Analysis
Annemarie Johansen is ten years old. She tells her five-year-old sister stories of kings and queens in their palaces, but overhears her parent’s talk of the Danish Resistance. Caught between wanting to make-believe and knowing their lives will never be the same, Annemarie is forced to grow up quickly. As she tells the story of two families caught in the German occupation of Denmark, Lowry captures the bravery and heroism even the youngest can possess.
Looking through Annemarie’s eyes, we see Nazi soldiers everywhere: on every street corner, in the train station, even on the train as they help her Jewish best friend, Ellen Rosen, escape. Through her eyes we also see the beauty of Copenhagen and her memories of better times. But, in true childhood fashion, she takes all of the changes in stride and adjusts as necessary. As her family helps the Rosen family in their escape, Annemarie realizes the gravity of the situation but never shies away from what must be done – even thinking to help remove Ellen’s Star of David pendant when Nazi soldiers come knocking on the door.
Lowry keeps the plot progressing quickly, never allowing time for the reader to grow bored. Shortly after the family’s arrival in Gilleleje, the true nature of the family’s involvement in the Rosens’ escape becomes apparent, and Annemarie’s bravery is tested. Throughout the story, Lowry portrays Annemarie as exactly what she is: a resilient ten-year-old in an unimaginable situation, but one who handles events in spite of her fear.
Lowry’s characters are completely fictional, but the events around them are true occurrences. In her afterword, she reminds us of that fact. She also reminds us that the story of Denmark must call us to dream of a future of full of human decency.
Awards and Reviews
Newbery Medal Winner
From School Library Journal - The gripping story of a ten-year-old Danish girl and her family's courageous efforts to smuggle Jews out of their Nazi-occupied homeland to safety in Sweden. Readers are taken to the very heart of Annemarie's experience, and, through her eyes, come to understand the true meaning of bravery.
Connections
Research the Danes who fled the German raids and those who assisted them.
Bibliography
Curtis, Christopher Paul. 2007. Elijah of Buxton. New York. Scholastic Press. ISBN 0439023440.
Plot Summary
Born to escaped slaves, eleven-year-old Elijah Freeman is the first free-born child in the Canadian settlement of Buxton. Curtis shares tales of Elijah’s daily life, including school, chores, friends, and Elijah’s amazingly accurate talent for “chunking” rocks. Eventually, Elijah ventures into the United States in an attempt to recover stolen funds intended to buy a family’s freedom. Elijah overcomes his tendency to being “fra-gile” and rises to the challenge of the occasion.
Critical Analysis
Drawing characters so believable that I can hear their voices echoing in my head, Curtis populates the real-life settlement of Buxton, Canada with fictional former slaves and their freeborn children in an engaging portrait of life outside of slavery in 1860. Told by eleven-year-old Elijah Freeman and written in the vernacular, the language adds to the development of the characters and their lives. At 338 pages, the plot is a bit slow in developing with the first half of the book consisting mainly of vignettes of daily life; however, these vignettes establish for the reader a clear understanding of the hardships faced as escaped slaves make their way to Buxton, as well as the everyday trials of its inhabitants. They also clearly illustrate character traits critical to the climax of the story.
As the story nears its climax, Elijah and his friend Mr. Leroy embark on a mission to find the duplicitous Preacher and the pilfered funds needed to buy Mr. Leroy’s family out of bondage. But, Elijah suddenly finds himself alone and in danger. Already convinced that he is not as “fra-gile” as his parents might believe, Elijah finally has the chance to prove his capabilities. In a move worthy of all children eager to stretch their wings, Elijah faces tough decisions and takes action to right wrongs.
According to the author’s note, while much of the story is fiction, many of the details are based on actual events and former slaves’ stories. Curtis also incorporates contemporary heroes when Elijah, as the first free-born child in Buxton, welcomes Frederick Douglass and John Brown, who actually did visit the settlement, although at separate times. Calling Buxton “an inspiration,” Curtis strongly encourages the reader to visit the Buxton National Historic Site and Museum where visitors can experience for themselves life in the 1860s.
Awards and Reviews
Newbery Honor Book
Coretta Scott King Award Winner
Starred Review from Booklist - After his mother rebukes him for screaming that hoop snakes have invaded Buxton, gullible 11-year-old Elijah confesses to readers that "there ain't nothing in the world she wants more than for me to quit being so doggone fra-gile."
Connections
Research the Underground Railroad and present a description of what one might find at a “stop” on the road to freedom.
Curtis, Christopher Paul. 2007. Elijah of Buxton. New York. Scholastic Press. ISBN 0439023440.
Plot Summary
Born to escaped slaves, eleven-year-old Elijah Freeman is the first free-born child in the Canadian settlement of Buxton. Curtis shares tales of Elijah’s daily life, including school, chores, friends, and Elijah’s amazingly accurate talent for “chunking” rocks. Eventually, Elijah ventures into the United States in an attempt to recover stolen funds intended to buy a family’s freedom. Elijah overcomes his tendency to being “fra-gile” and rises to the challenge of the occasion.
Critical Analysis
Drawing characters so believable that I can hear their voices echoing in my head, Curtis populates the real-life settlement of Buxton, Canada with fictional former slaves and their freeborn children in an engaging portrait of life outside of slavery in 1860. Told by eleven-year-old Elijah Freeman and written in the vernacular, the language adds to the development of the characters and their lives. At 338 pages, the plot is a bit slow in developing with the first half of the book consisting mainly of vignettes of daily life; however, these vignettes establish for the reader a clear understanding of the hardships faced as escaped slaves make their way to Buxton, as well as the everyday trials of its inhabitants. They also clearly illustrate character traits critical to the climax of the story.
As the story nears its climax, Elijah and his friend Mr. Leroy embark on a mission to find the duplicitous Preacher and the pilfered funds needed to buy Mr. Leroy’s family out of bondage. But, Elijah suddenly finds himself alone and in danger. Already convinced that he is not as “fra-gile” as his parents might believe, Elijah finally has the chance to prove his capabilities. In a move worthy of all children eager to stretch their wings, Elijah faces tough decisions and takes action to right wrongs.
According to the author’s note, while much of the story is fiction, many of the details are based on actual events and former slaves’ stories. Curtis also incorporates contemporary heroes when Elijah, as the first free-born child in Buxton, welcomes Frederick Douglass and John Brown, who actually did visit the settlement, although at separate times. Calling Buxton “an inspiration,” Curtis strongly encourages the reader to visit the Buxton National Historic Site and Museum where visitors can experience for themselves life in the 1860s.
Awards and Reviews
Newbery Honor Book
Coretta Scott King Award Winner
Starred Review from Booklist - After his mother rebukes him for screaming that hoop snakes have invaded Buxton, gullible 11-year-old Elijah confesses to readers that "there ain't nothing in the world she wants more than for me to quit being so doggone fra-gile."
Connections
Research the Underground Railroad and present a description of what one might find at a “stop” on the road to freedom.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Review of DOGS by Seymour Simon
Bibliography
Simon, Seymour. 2004. Dogs. Harper Collins. New York. ISBN 0060289430.
Plot Summary
“The domestic dog is the most popular pet in the world,” is the statistic that opens Simon’s volume on dogs. He provides an overview of dog breeds and characteristics, including their highly sensitive sense of smell. Next he moves on to the birth and development of puppies. Simon continues with the traits of sporting and non-sporting dogs, eventually ending with how to go about acquiring and caring for a pet dog.
Critical Analysis
A well-known name in children’s informational books, Seymour Simon provides his usual succinct and well-organized delivery for younger readers. Simon uses full-color photographs of a variety of dogs to complement his easy-to-read text on all things dog. Children of all ages will enjoy flipping through the pictures while browsing the plethora of information. Browsing is simplified through the use of succinct summaries of doggy behavior on each page and easily-understood terms for his younger audience: “Dogs don’t use words the way people do. Dogs use different sounds…to express their feelings.” Typically straight-forward, Simon closes with a reminder to readers that owning a pet requires much responsibility as he outlines the many duties necessary for a dog owner.
Reviews
From Booklist - There are other books about these popular pets, but most are for older children. Here, Simon writes crisply for a young audience, who will eagerly turn the pages to see the next endearing color photograph.
Connections
·Invite students to research further and investigate specific dog breeds that they might like to own.
·Invite students to read another Seymour Simon book on their favorite topic.
Simon, Seymour. 2004. Dogs. Harper Collins. New York. ISBN 0060289430.
Plot Summary
“The domestic dog is the most popular pet in the world,” is the statistic that opens Simon’s volume on dogs. He provides an overview of dog breeds and characteristics, including their highly sensitive sense of smell. Next he moves on to the birth and development of puppies. Simon continues with the traits of sporting and non-sporting dogs, eventually ending with how to go about acquiring and caring for a pet dog.
Critical Analysis
A well-known name in children’s informational books, Seymour Simon provides his usual succinct and well-organized delivery for younger readers. Simon uses full-color photographs of a variety of dogs to complement his easy-to-read text on all things dog. Children of all ages will enjoy flipping through the pictures while browsing the plethora of information. Browsing is simplified through the use of succinct summaries of doggy behavior on each page and easily-understood terms for his younger audience: “Dogs don’t use words the way people do. Dogs use different sounds…to express their feelings.” Typically straight-forward, Simon closes with a reminder to readers that owning a pet requires much responsibility as he outlines the many duties necessary for a dog owner.
Reviews
From Booklist - There are other books about these popular pets, but most are for older children. Here, Simon writes crisply for a young audience, who will eagerly turn the pages to see the next endearing color photograph.
Connections
·Invite students to research further and investigate specific dog breeds that they might like to own.
·Invite students to read another Seymour Simon book on their favorite topic.
Bibliography
Murphy, Jim. 2003. An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793. Clarion Books. New York. ISBN 0395776082.
Plot Summary
Using letters, newspaper accounts and first-hand accounts from citizens and the medical community, Murphy recounts the spread of yellow fever through Philadelphia in 1793. Beginning with the events and conditions often credited with inciting and spreading the disease, he tells of the mass exodus of citizens from the city and the horrific conditions in which victims were found and treated. From August to December of that year, over 5000 people fell victim to the dreaded disease, for which there is still no cure.
Critical Analysis
True to his title, Murphy indeed terrifies with his history of an American plague. Writing in a matter-of-fact manner and sparing no detail, he opens with a graphic description of the conditions in Philadelphia at the onset of the epidemic. Including the state of the Delaware River wharves and the lack of public sanitation of any kind, Murphy makes quite clear how the city was ripe for the spread of disease. His factual recounting is based on the journals of Philadelphia citizens, published first-hand accounts, letters from prominent citizens, including the physicians attempting to conquer the disease, and President George Washington. His version is not for the squeamish, but will appeal to those who crave the complete story.
Sparsely illustrated with engravings and watercolors representing other epidemics and Philadelphia in better days, Murphy includes a note addressing the lack of illustrations from the place and period explored. In spite of the lack of graphic representations of the calamity, he dramatically illustrates the severity of the situation with full-page reproductions of various sections of The Federal Gazette, including public health information from physicians and Mayor Matthew Clarkson and attorneys’ notices to settle the estates of the deceased.
Murphy follows the story through to the inevitable finger-pointing following such a public disaster, then closes with brief summaries of further outbreaks in later years and the subsequent research finally linking the spread of the disease to the mosquito. Murphy closes as he opened – with terrifying details. He reminds us that the cure for yellow fever remains a mystery and that we are still surrounded by mosquitos today.
To help with further research, sources are sub-divided by subject, including Philadelphia, yellow fever, medical treatment, first-hand accounts – personal and medical, other plagues and mosquitos. The book is also indexed, including illustrations.
Awards and Reviews
Newbery Honor Book
National Book Award Finalist
The Robert F. Sibert Medal
Orbis Pictus Award
From School Library Journal - Murphy chronicles this frightening time with solid research and a flair for weaving facts into fascinating stories, beginning with the fever's emergence on August 3, when a young French sailor died in Richard Denny's boardinghouse on North Water Street.
From Booklist - History, science, politics, and public health come together in this dramatic account of the disastrous yellow fever epidemic that hit the nation's capital more than 200 years ago.
Connections
Use this text to springboard research on any of the issues included: yellow fever, Philadelphia, medical advances, 18th century public sanitation/health, government response to disaster, insect-borne disease.
Murphy, Jim. 2003. An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793. Clarion Books. New York. ISBN 0395776082.
Plot Summary
Using letters, newspaper accounts and first-hand accounts from citizens and the medical community, Murphy recounts the spread of yellow fever through Philadelphia in 1793. Beginning with the events and conditions often credited with inciting and spreading the disease, he tells of the mass exodus of citizens from the city and the horrific conditions in which victims were found and treated. From August to December of that year, over 5000 people fell victim to the dreaded disease, for which there is still no cure.
Critical Analysis
True to his title, Murphy indeed terrifies with his history of an American plague. Writing in a matter-of-fact manner and sparing no detail, he opens with a graphic description of the conditions in Philadelphia at the onset of the epidemic. Including the state of the Delaware River wharves and the lack of public sanitation of any kind, Murphy makes quite clear how the city was ripe for the spread of disease. His factual recounting is based on the journals of Philadelphia citizens, published first-hand accounts, letters from prominent citizens, including the physicians attempting to conquer the disease, and President George Washington. His version is not for the squeamish, but will appeal to those who crave the complete story.
Sparsely illustrated with engravings and watercolors representing other epidemics and Philadelphia in better days, Murphy includes a note addressing the lack of illustrations from the place and period explored. In spite of the lack of graphic representations of the calamity, he dramatically illustrates the severity of the situation with full-page reproductions of various sections of The Federal Gazette, including public health information from physicians and Mayor Matthew Clarkson and attorneys’ notices to settle the estates of the deceased.
Murphy follows the story through to the inevitable finger-pointing following such a public disaster, then closes with brief summaries of further outbreaks in later years and the subsequent research finally linking the spread of the disease to the mosquito. Murphy closes as he opened – with terrifying details. He reminds us that the cure for yellow fever remains a mystery and that we are still surrounded by mosquitos today.
To help with further research, sources are sub-divided by subject, including Philadelphia, yellow fever, medical treatment, first-hand accounts – personal and medical, other plagues and mosquitos. The book is also indexed, including illustrations.
Awards and Reviews
Newbery Honor Book
National Book Award Finalist
The Robert F. Sibert Medal
Orbis Pictus Award
From School Library Journal - Murphy chronicles this frightening time with solid research and a flair for weaving facts into fascinating stories, beginning with the fever's emergence on August 3, when a young French sailor died in Richard Denny's boardinghouse on North Water Street.
From Booklist - History, science, politics, and public health come together in this dramatic account of the disastrous yellow fever epidemic that hit the nation's capital more than 200 years ago.
Connections
Use this text to springboard research on any of the issues included: yellow fever, Philadelphia, medical advances, 18th century public sanitation/health, government response to disaster, insect-borne disease.
Review of THE EXTRAORDINARY MARK TWAIN (ACCORDING TO SUSY)
Bibliography
Kerley, Barbara. 2010. The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According To Susy). Ill. by Edward Fotheringham Scholastic Press. New York. ISBN 9780545125086.
Plot Summary
Kerley uses the biographical journal of Susy Clemens, Mark Twain’s 13-year-old daughter, to provide a more accurate picture of the iconic writer’s life. Beginning with Susy’s motivation to write about her famous father, Kerley then covers the highlights of Twain’s life from his childhood in Missouri to his family life in Connecticut.
Critical Analysis
Kerley was considering writing a biography of Mark Twain when she discovered that his daughter Susy had done so at the age of 13. Trusting the insights of a teenage daughter, she combines excerpts from Susy’s biographical journal and her own commentary. Working from microfilm of Susy’s original manuscript, Kerley connects the journal entries and provides for the young reader the better-known facts of Twain’s life that Susy intended to clarify. The text and journal blend seamlessly, each picking up where the other leaves off, surrounded by Fotheringham’s double-page, subtly-toned illustrations. In a clever interpretation of Twain’s love of his own voice, Fotheringham identifies spoken and written words with swirling lines emanating from mouths, books, and even pens. When the words are perhaps a bit more colorful, the swirls shift to angles, appropriately punctuated with exclamation points.
Well-organized, the book clearly delineates Kerley’s and Susy’s words by including small “journal” pages tipped into the binding and filled with type that appears hand-written. Kerley provides background information and the reader is soon compelled to open the journal and read Susy’s side of the story. Susy proved to be an accurate biographer, as Twain included his favorite passages from her journal in his own autobiography. True to her own accuracy, Kerley appends notes on “Papa” and Susy, a brief timeline of Twain’s life, source notes, and a guide to “Writing an Extraordinary Biography.”
Awards and Reviews
A Junior Library Guild Selection
Starred Review From School Library Journal - In pursuit of truth, Susy Clemens, age 13, vows to set the record straight about her beloved (and misunderstood) father and becomes his secret biographer.
Starred Review from Kirkus - A heartwarming tribute to both the writing life in general and the well-loved humorist-oops, sorry Susy… "Pholosopher!"
Connections
Using Kerley, and Susy’s, instructions, guide students in writing a biography of a person that they know well.
Kerley, Barbara. 2010. The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According To Susy). Ill. by Edward Fotheringham Scholastic Press. New York. ISBN 9780545125086.
Plot Summary
Kerley uses the biographical journal of Susy Clemens, Mark Twain’s 13-year-old daughter, to provide a more accurate picture of the iconic writer’s life. Beginning with Susy’s motivation to write about her famous father, Kerley then covers the highlights of Twain’s life from his childhood in Missouri to his family life in Connecticut.
Critical Analysis
Kerley was considering writing a biography of Mark Twain when she discovered that his daughter Susy had done so at the age of 13. Trusting the insights of a teenage daughter, she combines excerpts from Susy’s biographical journal and her own commentary. Working from microfilm of Susy’s original manuscript, Kerley connects the journal entries and provides for the young reader the better-known facts of Twain’s life that Susy intended to clarify. The text and journal blend seamlessly, each picking up where the other leaves off, surrounded by Fotheringham’s double-page, subtly-toned illustrations. In a clever interpretation of Twain’s love of his own voice, Fotheringham identifies spoken and written words with swirling lines emanating from mouths, books, and even pens. When the words are perhaps a bit more colorful, the swirls shift to angles, appropriately punctuated with exclamation points.
Well-organized, the book clearly delineates Kerley’s and Susy’s words by including small “journal” pages tipped into the binding and filled with type that appears hand-written. Kerley provides background information and the reader is soon compelled to open the journal and read Susy’s side of the story. Susy proved to be an accurate biographer, as Twain included his favorite passages from her journal in his own autobiography. True to her own accuracy, Kerley appends notes on “Papa” and Susy, a brief timeline of Twain’s life, source notes, and a guide to “Writing an Extraordinary Biography.”
Awards and Reviews
A Junior Library Guild Selection
Starred Review From School Library Journal - In pursuit of truth, Susy Clemens, age 13, vows to set the record straight about her beloved (and misunderstood) father and becomes his secret biographer.
Starred Review from Kirkus - A heartwarming tribute to both the writing life in general and the well-loved humorist-oops, sorry Susy… "Pholosopher!"
Connections
Using Kerley, and Susy’s, instructions, guide students in writing a biography of a person that they know well.
Friday, July 9, 2010
A Review of ONE OF THOSE HIDEOUS BOOKS WHERE THE MOTHER DIES by Sonya Sones
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sones, Sonya. 2004. one of those hideous books where the mother dies. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0689858205.
PLOT SUMMARY
Forced to relocate from Boston to Los Angeles following her mother’s death, 15-year-old Ruby Milliken faces her famous father for the first time. Adjusting to life in “Lalaland” proves difficult, especially when paired with the loss of a parent. Now Ruby must do so without the support of her best friend, first real boyfriend, or her beloved aunt. She strikes up a friendship with her father’s assistant, Max, and eventually finds her way around her new world.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Based on the title alone, this is one of those books my mother would have hated to see me read as a teen. “How can you read something so depressing?” I can hear her complain. But I can see my young self smiling, then diving right back in, thinking, “If you only knew what you were missing.” Ruby’s mom, a librarian, probably would have asked to borrow it when Ruby finished. Ruby’s mother is deceased when the book opens, so we have to rely on Ruby’s image of her mother to make that assumption, but Sones has given Ruby a strong voice to describe her mother and her life, so it seems like a safe one.
Sones alternates between Ruby’s poems, and e-mails to her best friend, boyfriend and dead mother, using these venues to share Ruby’s search for love and friendship in her new hometown. Ruby resists, but eventually realizes that she needs her newly-found father. Sones strikes just the right balance of laughter and pathos to keep the reader engaged in Ruby’s plight. While the opening poems certainly illustrate Ruby’s depressing outlook toward her current state, it only takes a few pages for her dry wit to shine through. As she jets across the country to her new home she sarcastically re-writes the flight attendants’ “fasten your seat belts” speech in “Turbulence,” “Ladies and gentlemen/the captain has turned on/the seat belt sign. Please return to your seats/and fish your barf bags out/of the seat pockets in front of you/while we prepare/to slam through some/real nasty storm clouds.”
By the end of Ruby’s story, even rays of hope are visible, when “At Sunset” Ruby says:
Its funny.
I can remember hating palm trees.
I can remember hating Coolifornia.
I just can’t remember
why.
AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPTS
From School Library Journal - In one- to two-page breezy poetic prose-style entries, 15-year-old Ruby Milliken describes her flight from Boston to California and her gradual adjustment to life with her estranged movie-star father following her mother's death.
Starred Review From Booklist - Sones' novel is an unusual combination of over-the-top Hollywood fairy tale and sharp, honest story about overcoming grief.
CONNECTIONS
Sones references several novels and authors through-out the book. Read one and think about why Ruby would have liked it.
Truman, Terry. 2000. Stuck in Neutral. New York. HarperCollins. ISBN 0064472132.
“…every word Richard Peck ever wrote.”
Sones, Sonya. 2004. one of those hideous books where the mother dies. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0689858205.
PLOT SUMMARY
Forced to relocate from Boston to Los Angeles following her mother’s death, 15-year-old Ruby Milliken faces her famous father for the first time. Adjusting to life in “Lalaland” proves difficult, especially when paired with the loss of a parent. Now Ruby must do so without the support of her best friend, first real boyfriend, or her beloved aunt. She strikes up a friendship with her father’s assistant, Max, and eventually finds her way around her new world.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Based on the title alone, this is one of those books my mother would have hated to see me read as a teen. “How can you read something so depressing?” I can hear her complain. But I can see my young self smiling, then diving right back in, thinking, “If you only knew what you were missing.” Ruby’s mom, a librarian, probably would have asked to borrow it when Ruby finished. Ruby’s mother is deceased when the book opens, so we have to rely on Ruby’s image of her mother to make that assumption, but Sones has given Ruby a strong voice to describe her mother and her life, so it seems like a safe one.
Sones alternates between Ruby’s poems, and e-mails to her best friend, boyfriend and dead mother, using these venues to share Ruby’s search for love and friendship in her new hometown. Ruby resists, but eventually realizes that she needs her newly-found father. Sones strikes just the right balance of laughter and pathos to keep the reader engaged in Ruby’s plight. While the opening poems certainly illustrate Ruby’s depressing outlook toward her current state, it only takes a few pages for her dry wit to shine through. As she jets across the country to her new home she sarcastically re-writes the flight attendants’ “fasten your seat belts” speech in “Turbulence,” “Ladies and gentlemen/the captain has turned on/the seat belt sign. Please return to your seats/and fish your barf bags out/of the seat pockets in front of you/while we prepare/to slam through some/real nasty storm clouds.”
By the end of Ruby’s story, even rays of hope are visible, when “At Sunset” Ruby says:
Its funny.
I can remember hating palm trees.
I can remember hating Coolifornia.
I just can’t remember
why.
AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPTS
From School Library Journal - In one- to two-page breezy poetic prose-style entries, 15-year-old Ruby Milliken describes her flight from Boston to California and her gradual adjustment to life with her estranged movie-star father following her mother's death.
Starred Review From Booklist - Sones' novel is an unusual combination of over-the-top Hollywood fairy tale and sharp, honest story about overcoming grief.
CONNECTIONS
Sones references several novels and authors through-out the book. Read one and think about why Ruby would have liked it.
Truman, Terry. 2000. Stuck in Neutral. New York. HarperCollins. ISBN 0064472132.
“…every word Richard Peck ever wrote.”
Thursday, July 8, 2010
A Review of TOASTING MARSHMALLOWS: CAMPING POEMS
BIBLIOGRAPHY
George, Kristine O’Connell. 2001. Toasting Marshmallows: Camping Poems. Ill. by Kate Kiesler. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 061804597X.
PLOT SUMMARY
From staking the tent to treasuring the memories, Kristine O’Connell George, presents the many facets of a family camping trip in this collection of poems.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Speaking with the voice of the big sister, George omits not one detail of this adventure and accurately portrays the multitude of joys one might find while camping in the wild. The poems are written mostly in free verse with vivid images shining brightly in the language. Even without Kiesler’s colorful, realistic paintings, the concrete poem “Tent” is easily pictured, “Blooming, bright orange.” Still, her work beautifully complements George’s words and each picture projects a clear moment as if reflecting the narrator’s favorite memories in a treasured snapshot.
Like the magic that so often accompanies a camping trip, the family’s first animal encounter quickly follows the tent-raising as a doe enters the clearing. In “A Doe,” one can easily picture the family admiring their handiwork, then holding their breath and admiring their visitor briefly before she darts back into the forest. George captures every exploration of the campers, following them from meadow to lake and bait shop to cave; even illuminating the necessity of a flashlight in four simple, but strong, haikus - each bathed in its own circle of light.
No haphazard collection, these poems are clearly arranged to tell a story. “Two Voices in a Tent at Night” finds the young siblings facing mysterious noises and saying “Something is scratching/on our tent./Is not./Is too/Is not.” The moon and stars fill the sky of the double-page spread, only the moon forms a poem itself, “Eavesdropping,” as the children debate. The story flows, beginning to end, from the “smooth dirt” beneath the tent until the memories are tucked away, wrapped in a favorite flannel camping shirt, wearing the lingering scents of campfire and pine. Start packing now – these verses will leave you yearning for toasted marshmallows and a night or two in the great outdoors.
AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPTS
Awards:
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
NCTE Notable Children's Book in Language Arts
Book Links: A Lasting Connection
Myra Cohn Livingston Poetry Award CLCSC
Capitol Choices: Noteworthy Books for Children
Children's Literature Choice 2002
Nominated for the Texas Bluebonnet Master List, the Kentucky Blue Grass award, and Indiana's Young Hoosier's award.
Reviews:
From School Library Journal - All of the selections convey a child-focused sense of wonder as the campers explore the lakefront and surrounding terrain, enjoy the marvels of the natural world, relish meals round the campfire, and toast marshmallows ("This is art-/a time of serious reflection/as my pillowed confection/slowly reaches golden perfection").
From Boston Globe - “Poems convey a wonderful sense of place as a family enjoys the vastness and immediacy of nature while camping." by Stephanie Loer,
CONNECTIONS
Introduce cinquain or haiku forms of poetry using “Sleeping Outside” and “Flashlight.” Encourage students to practice writing a poem using one of these forms.
Host a camping-themed read-in. Set up a tent, build a “campfire” and invite children to share their favorite outdoor stories. Read Toasting Marshmallows aloud to set the mood!
From: http://www.kristinegeorge.com/teachers_guide_toasting_marshmallows.html
A Review of DANITRA BROWN LEAVES TOWN
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Grimes, Nikki. 2002. Danitra Brown Leaves Town. Ill. by Floyd Cooper. New York: Harper Collins. ISBN 0688131557.
PLOT SUMMARY
When Danitra heads off on vacation with her family, her best friend Zuri misses her dearly. As summer progresses, the girls share stories of their adventures through letters and reunite joyfully in the end.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Flowing with rhythmic verses and clear voices, Grimes’ collection of poems shares the excitement of an anticipated vacation and the loneliness of losing a best friend, even if only temporarily. “The Bad Good-bye,” with its short couplets, accurately portrays the clipped words of an injured friend and is followed shortly thereafter with the ache of regret in the lilting rhymes of “The Letter.” A personal favorite, “Danitra’s Family Reunion,” captures in free verse the fun and food abundant at such gatherings and closes with the essence of reunions: “By the time/the day was done,/I was full of fun/and food/and warm feelings,/knowing that I am more/than just me./I am part of a family.
Through-out the book, Cooper’s paintings highlight the critical moments of each poem. His muted backgrounds allow the reader to focus on the central details, like Danitra perched in a tree, high above her cousins as they taunt her to jump in “The Dare.” He clearly conveys the mood of each piece through the expressions his subjects’ faces. When Zuri finds a new friend to help her through Danitra’s absence in “Noticing Nina,” the joy of shared love of handball is readily apparent. Together, illustration and verse combine to bring Danitra and Zuri’s worlds to life.
AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPTS
Texas Bluebonnet State Reading List
North Carolina Young Readers Award Nominee
From BCCB - Thirteen accessible and skillfully paced poems—many representing letters from vacationing Danitra or from Zuri left behind—depict the highlights of that summer.
From Kirkus Book Review - Grimes's poems read and flow well, and Cooper's paintings simply burst with energy and expressiveness.
CONNECTIONS
Have students write a letter to a friend in verse. Suggest a rhyme scheme or subject to help them get started.
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