AMONG THE IMPOSTORS by Margaret Peterson Haddix

(Source: Haddix, Margaret P. 2001. New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. Photo source: Barnes and Noble. http://www.barnesandnoble.com/, accessed November 13, 2008)

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Haddix, Margaret P. 2001. Among the impostors. New York: Simon & schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 0-689-83904-9.

2. PLOT SUMMARY: This is the second story in the Shadow Children series. A fantasy novel about a world where children who are the third born in a family are illegal. Luke Garner is one of these children and has been in hiding for all of his twelve years of life. He has now taken the identity of a dead “legal” boy and is out in the world for the first time, living under the pseudonym Lee Grant. He is attending Hendricks School for Boys and lives with the constant fear that he will be discovered by the population police. He is never quite sure who he can trust. The school is filled with students who appear to be autistic or agoraphobic. Luke has to figure out who he can be friends with and who might betray his secret.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS: This book does what all good fantasy novels do; it “celebrates the power of intuition, imagination and intellect” (Vardell 2002, 206). Luke Garner must use all of his powers of intuition and intellect to stay alive in this book. It is the story of his courage and his willingness to take risks. I would categorize this book as low fantasy as it does not include a large number of fantasy motifs. Its primary motif is good versus evil with a bit of heroism involved. It is set in a world much like our own, with the exception that families may only have two children and other children, if found, are put to death. This is the part that the reader sees as pure fantasy; something that could never happen in our world. Ms. Haddix is very consistent when it comes to maintaining this altered reality throughout the book. Never once, when reading the book, will the reader think that such a world might not exist.

The protagonist is a very believable character. He has feelings of homesickness when he has to leave his mom, dad and two brothers. He is afraid of being caught by the Population Police. Most young readers can relate to the fear of being caught doing something they aren’t supposed to do. This allows them to relate to Luke even if their fear is not anywhere as intense as Luke’s fear. There are also other students at the school readers will relate to. For example, the first person Luke meets is Rolly Sturgeon. He’s not very nice to Luke; something readers can identify with. Luke meets other students as he sneaks outside to the forest at night and must decide which of these students are really friends and which may have intentions to harm him. Again, this is something that teenagers struggle with on a regular basis, even if to a lesser extent. The one character that Ms. Haddix adds who aids in the believability of this story is Mr. Talbot. Mr. Talbot worked for the Population Police but he was a good person and didn’t believe in the law against third children. He was helping hide Luke within the school and came to Luke’s rescue when Luke was discovered by an undercover policeman who was pretending to be a student. Without the character of Mr. Talbot, the reader would have a hard time believing that a twelve year old boy, who had lived his life in hiding, was suddenly enrolling in a private school and saving himself from undercover police officers.

The story is set primarily within the confines of the Hendricks School for Boys and its surrounding grounds. In the first few chapters, Ms. Haddix describes the massive school as having no windows, large brass doorknobs and row, upon row, upon row of students seated in the classrooms. When Luke finally gets the courage to sneak outside the school building, the surrounding grounds are described in great detail. The garden Luke plants and the way it grows is also described in great detail. These details provide the reader a clear vision of the setting of this book.

I found the theme of the book to be quite subtle. It involves the universal idea that every individual is worth something. The reason there is a law in this story against families having more than two children is because of overpopulation and lack of food. Luke knows how to grow food and was doing so when he would sneak out of the school building. At the end of the story, Luke wants to stay and teach the other students how to grow food. I think this part of the plot sets forth the theme that we humans must care for our planet and learn how to sustain ourselves by growing food so that our society really doesn’t end up in a situation where laws are passed to limit family size.

The author combines narrative passages with the appropriate amount of dialogue to move the story along in a realistic manner. She has coined a few phrases that are unique to this series such as “fonrols” which mean third children, hiding or not; “exnays” which are third children who have come out of hiding with fake ID cards (Luke is an exnay); and “leckers” which are country bumpkins. The author also gives a unique characterization to the third children of the world. She gives them traits that most children in our society do not have. They are traits similar to autistic or agoraphobic (fear of going outside) children. She explains their behaviors in the end by saying: “Who can tell if a child rocks because he has autism or because he is terrified out of his wits? Who can tell if agoraphobia is caused by oddities in the mind or lifelong warnings, ‘going outdoors is suicide’?” These words and portrayal of the characters was consistent throughout the story. It is a style that stays with the reader after the final chapter.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S):

BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S BOOKS, 55, no. 1, (September 2001) 17: “Haddix once again hits the mark with her ability to ask intriguing questions . . . and successfully weaves them into a believable, plot-driven, edge-of-your-seat tale.” (Source: Book Review Digest Plus, WilsonWeb database, accessed via TWU Library Online).

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, (July 1, 2001): “This compelling read can be enjoyed alone but it's sure to leave readers wanting to know the whole story.” (Source: Book Index with Reviews, EBSCO Host database, accessed via TWU Library Online).

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, (June 11, 2001): “The descriptions of the school, windowless and built like a labyrinth, combined with accounts of obtuse school staff, give Haddix's story the appropriate nightmarish quality, and readers will understand Luke's constant feelings of anxiety.” (Source: Book Index with Reviews, EBSCO Host database, accessed via TWU Library Online).

5. CONNECTIONS TO SCHOOL LIBRARY SETTING:

* This book could be displayed along with all of the others in the series as a way to promote the series in the library.

* High school students could read this book and follow up with research on world population and food production. They could debate the issue of whether population control is something that is a possibility or is it totally unrealistic. A lively debate would surely occur. They could look into the rules that China has about population control and discuss this issue. I would not do this at a grade level below high school as it is too frightening of a possibility for young children to handle.

* Create a display of books involving “impostors”. Here are a few I found in WorldCat:

Singleton, Linda J. 2000. Regeneration: The impostor. New York : Berkley Jam Books.
Holmes, Victoria. 2006. Heart of fire. New York : HarperCollins.
Jenkins, Jerry B. 2002. Secrets of New Babylon. Illinois: Tyndale Kids

Other Related Items – The Shadow Children series by Margaret Peterson Haddix:
Among the hidden
Among the betrayed
Among the barons
Among the brave
Among the enemy
Among the free

Reference List:
Vardell, Sylvia M. 2008. Children’s literature in action: A librarian’s guide. Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited.

RULES by Cynthia Lord

(Source: Lord, Cynthia. 2006. New York: Scholastic Press. Photo Source: Barnes and Noble, http://www.barnesandnoble.com/, accessed November 13, 2008)

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Lord, Cynthia. 2006. Rules. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN: 0-439-44382-2. Lord, Cynthia. 2006. Rules. Audio CD. Prince Frederick, MD : Recorded Books. ISBN: 9781428152113.

2. PLOT SUMMARY: Catherine is a twelve year old girl with a lot to deal with. She is coping with the usual adolescent issues related to friends and boys while at the same time dealing with having a sibling who is autistic and parents who expect a lot from her. She sometimes thinks that her parents don’t even realize she exists. It is a poignant story of a sister who patiently watches over her brother while feeling the frustration and stigma of his disability. She makes “rules” for him to follow to help him be more “normal”. Thanks to her first hand experience with persons having disabilities, she is able to befriend a peer, Jason, who is physically disabled. She comes to understand better the feelings of the disabled peer and how others treat him.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS: The characters in Rules are ones that every young child can relate to or learn from. Catherine is a twelve-year old girl who misses her best friend because she has gone away for the summer; who is hopeful about a new friendship with a neighbor moving in next door; and who gets frustrated by the school bully who picks on her brother. Catherine is a bit unusual in the fact that she has an eight-year old brother with autism. Her brother, David, is a character that children may or may not relate to. With the rise in the rate of autism in this country, it may be that most children have met at least one autistic child in their lives and, therefore, will be able to relate to David better than we might think. If the reader cannot relate directly to David, they can certainly learn about autism from this character. Christy is the self-centered twelve-year old girl who moves in next door and who has little compassion for the disabled characters in the book. Most readers will be familiar with this type of character. Catherine’s mom and dad are portrayed in a manner familiar to most children. Mom is busy and asks Catherine to babysit David a lot or tells David to “go see what Catherine is doing”. Dad is always late and never home when he says he will be. The final major character is Jason, a teen-age, paraplegic boy who is wheelchair bound and communicates through a communication word book located on a tray on the wheelchair. This character may be totally unfamiliar to most readers.

The title of the book comes from all of the rules Catherine writes for her brother. The rules are social rules that most of us take for granted. Things like “say ‘thank you’ when someone gives you a present (even if you don’t like it)” and “a boy can take off his shirt to swim, but not his shorts”. The cover of the book is explained when you read that one of the rules is "no toys in the fish tank". These types of rules are exactly what one would teach an autistic person. Another thing that is typical of autistic persons is the recitation of words from books. In Rules, Catherine and David often speak using lines from Arnold Lobel’s Frog and Toad are friends. The realistic portrayal of life with an autistic individual will be appreciated by many readers who know something about autism. For those who do not know much about autism, these issues are a subtle part of the book that could be elaborated on in a book discussion.

The setting for this story is modern day America. It could be in any town, on any street and in any neighborhood. The reader can envision his or her own neighborhood or house. The van Catherine’s mom drives is typical of modern day transportation for families. The shops, the parks, the therapist’s office and more are all typical of today’s society. Since these locations and items will not change anytime soon, the setting makes this book rather timeless. I anticipate that it will be as relevant in ten years as it is today.

The theme of this book is primarily about compassion and understanding toward people with disabilities. It is important to note the many underlying, sub-themes that Catherine struggles with. These are items that any teenager would struggle with if they were in Catherine’s shoes. These sub-themes include:

1. Desire to be compassionate to people with disabilities v. desire to be popular (unfortunately, the two are sometimes mutually exclusive, especially at the middle school age)

2. Willingness to help mom/dad babysit David because she knows they need help v. wanting mom/dad to take care of David themselves because David is not her responsibility;

3. Understanding David’s need for more parent attention v. desire for parents to pay more attention to her;

4. Befriending Jason, the disabled teen, in private v. publicly acknowledging her friendship with Jason;

5. Getting mad at David because of his behavior v. getting mad at the girl next door for do something that makes David look stupid;

6. Wishing David would stop his autistic behaviors in public v. sometimes wishing David would exhibit his autistic behaviors in public to satisfy her own personal needs; and

7. Wishing David would stop his autistic behaviors so she wouldn’t be embarrassed and could have a normal life v. wishing David would stop his autistic behaviors so he could have a normal life.

The only negative comment I can make about this story is concerning Catherine’s lack of anger toward her parents. There were instances in the book that most children would have become very angry at their parents. This anger was never acknowledged or explored. It is not realistic to think that a child Catherine’s age would be totally understanding of parents who focused so much attention on David. Overall, however, this book is a wonderful read and should be recommended with gusto in middle school libraries everywhere.

ANALYSIS OF AUDIO BOOK: I chose to listen to this book on audio. The unabridged audio version is a four hour, four compact disc set. The cover of the audiobook is slightly different than the book shown at the beginning of this review. The audiobook cover has a toy car that has been plopped into the fish tank (as evidenced by the water splashing above the water line) instead of a rubber duck. A similar goldfish is on the cover of the audiobook to indicate the fish tank. The back side of the audiobook cover contains a brief synopsis of the book along with information about Cynthia Lord and about the publisher of the recorded book, Recorded Books, LLC. The book is read by Jessica Almasy. Ms. Almasy did a marvelous job reading this story. It is difficult to describe her voice; but I would say that it is childlike, without being high pitched. This story is told from Catherine’s perspective. Ms. Almasy sounded like a twelve year old girl would sound which added a sense of authenticity to the reading. She changed her voice slightly for each of the different characters and maintained the dialect for each one throughout the entirety of the reading. There are no other readers of the book on the CD. The sound quality is very good, the volume is acceptable and the pronunciation is clear. There are no sound effects or music on the CD. There is no other background noise of any type.

It was a joy to listen to this book on CD. I tried to read some of the book after listening to the entire CD and I cannot read the book without hearing the voice of Ms. Almasy as Catherine as well as the other characters. The CD was a totally absorbing experience. I found myself being lost in the world of the book as I drove down the highway. I know that this book would be equally interesting to read but I found the audio to be very enjoyable, informative and entertaining.

4. BOOK REVIEW EXCERPT(S):

BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN'S BOOKS , 59, no. 9 (May 2006) 411: “Readers will sympathize with Catherine's struggle to explain the world to David through his beloved rules and her frustration at his demanding, embarrassing behaviors and his garnering the majority of parental attention.” (Source: Book Review Digest Plus, WilsonWeb database, accessed via TWU Library Online).

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, (April 1, 2006) 142: “Lord has candidly captured the delicate dynamics in a family that revolves around a child's disability.” (Source: Book Index with Reviews, EBSCO Host database, accessed via TWU Library Online).

KIRKUS REVIEWS, (March 1, 2006): “Middle-grade readers will recognize [Catherine’s] longing for acceptance and be intrigued by this exploration of dealing with differences.” (Source: Book Index with Reviews, EBSCO Host database, accessed via TWU Library Online).

5. CONNECTIONS IN A SCHOOL LIBRARY SETTING:

* This would be a good book to recommend as reading to mainstream teachers who has students who are disabled in their classroom.
* This would be a good book to recommend to counselors who may, in turn, have opportunities to recommend to students who struggle with some of the same issues Catherine struggled with or perhaps for those students who are having trouble showing compassion to disabled individuals.
* In a library display of this book, the librarian could write down on poster board the rules set forth in the book and ask students to suggest additional rules to add to the list.
* Children who have read the book could discuss what words they would want in a communication book, if they could only speak with such a device.

Other related items:

Different Like Me by Jennifer Elder, Illustrated by Marc Thomas and Jennifer Elder
My thirteenth winter: A memoir by Samantha Abeel
Embracing the sky: Poems beyond disability by Craig Romkema

HOW I LIVE NOW by Meg Rosoff

(Source: Rosoff, Meg. 2004. New York: Random House. Photo Source: Random House, Inc., http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=58449, accessed November 13, 2008)

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Rosoff, Meg. 2004. How I live now. New York: Random House. ISBN: 0-385-74677-6.

2. PLOT SUMMARY: Elizabeth, a.k.a. Daisy, a 15-year old native New Yorker, is sent by her father to live with her deceased mother’s sister, Aunt Penn, in England. Daisy is not very happy about living in the English countryside with her aunt and four cousins, ages nine through sixteen. While there, a terroristic war breaks out in Europe and the United States. England is occupied and, as circumstances would have it, the children are left on their own to survive through the war. This is the story of their relationships and their survival.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS: This book was Ms. Rosoff’s first book and I believe it to be a wonderful, well written book, although several reviewers have disagreed. It seems that others agree with me, however, because this book won the Michael Printz Award as well as several other awards. Regardless of what critics say, I thinkg young reader will be entranced by the characters in this book. The language and style of writing is so typical of a teenager that the reader will feel like s/he is reading a friend's personal diary. For example, capital letters are inserted in odd places. They are used when new sentences would normally start or when quotation marks would typically be used. Run on sentences are the norm for this book and justifiably so because most teenagers talk in this run on fashion. Exaggeration and uncertainty of fact is also a big element in this book and something that is typical for teenagers. For example, when the war broke out, Daisy states that “something like seven or seventy thousand people got killed”.

In addition to the language of teenagers, the author writes about some major issues facing teenagers, some of which are taboo. For example, early in the book, and probably as a way to interest the young reader, Ms. Rosoff includes a passage relating to the issues of boys pressuring girls to have sex and masturbation. The issue of having sexual feelings toward a cousin is a major factor in this book and runs throughout its entirety. Another topic, of lesser importance but a major one for teenagers, is the lack of cell phones or text messaging. Ms. Rosoff also touches on the subject of the “wicked step mother”, the suicide of a friend’s parent, and the less talked about issue of eating disorders. The eating disorder issue was handled extremely well in this book. It is not a major topic of the story but rather an underlying message. Early in the book, Daisy describes how starving makes her feel good and gives her a good feeling of pushing herself beyond her physical limits. During the story, Daisy begins to realize what starvation really is and begins to appreciate what food does for the body. It is a subtle lesson for teenagers with eating disorder issues.

The setting for this story is in the countryside of England. A place most children will not be familiar with but it can be visualized as any location that is not a major city. This story is so captivating that it takes the reader to a whole different time and place. When reading the book, I envisioned the European countrysides of World War II as I have seen it in movies; perhaps young readers will do the same. While the setting might be reminiscent of World War II, the details of the war are not. The war described in the book is related to the terrorist threat that exists today. It is a war where it is hard to tell the good guys from the bad guys and where suicide bombers run rampant. It is a war during the time of e-mails, cell phones and Amana refrigerator freezers. The ending of the story is very unique, totally unexpected and a bit confusing at first. It seems that suddenly Daisy is back in New York City. It takes six years for her to return “home” to the farm in England and explain why she suddenly left the countryside home. When she does return, as a young adult woman, she is finally able to bring a conclusion to the story, deal with her feelings for her cousin and tell the reader “how i live now”.

The underlying theme of this story is independence. It is a story of survival through a war without adult assistance. It is also a story about believing in your own abilities and inner feelings. There is no moralizing in this story. The theme unfolds naturally as do the lessons about love, family and survival. It really is a most amazing story that I would recommend to high school age students, although some reviewers claim that it is for ages 12 and up. One final note about the reviews. One of the reviews suggested that this novel is fantasy. I don't see this book as fantasy. I would say that it is contemporary realistic fiction because of the issues it deals with. I don't think that it is appropriate to catagorize something as fantasy simply because we are not currently in a war. The war that is described is similar to wars of the past and realistic as to what a war might be like today.


4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S):

KNOWLEDGE QUEST, 34, no. 2 (November/December 2005) 56-8: “The combination of a first-person narrative, run-on sentences, and an absence of quotation marks successfully brings to life a modern teenage girl writing about her own experience.” (Source: Book Review Digest Plus, WilsonWeb database, accessed via TWU Library Online).

KIRKUS REVIEWS, (July 14, 2004): “The story of Daisy and her three exceptional cousins, one of whom becomes her first lover, offers a keen perspective on human courage and resilience.” (Source: Book Index with Reviews, EBSCO Host database, accessed via TWU Library Online).

BOOKLIST, (September 1, 2004): “More central to the potency of Rosoff's debut, though, is the ominous prognostication of what a third world war might look like, and the opportunity it provides for teens to imagine themselves, like Daisy, exhibiting courage and resilience in roles traditionally occupied by earlier generations.” (Source: Book Index with Reviews, EBSCO Host database, accessed via TWU Library Online).

5. CONNECTIONS TO SCHOOL LIBRARY SETTING:

* High school students could be involved in creating a video and placing it on YouTube. There are several YouTube examples to show students. One is similar to a movie trailer that was done by Random House for the 1996 Teen Book Video Awards and can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrIMYpyYX7A&feature=related (accessed November 18, 2008). Another is a booktalk format that can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEE98xuuc9w&feature=related (accessed November 18, 2008). A final example is a PowerPoint type presentation with nice music included and this can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wrZ0S8NpMU&feature=related (accessed November 18, 2008). The librarian could make a contest for the entire school to create videos. A voting system might be set up so that the student body can watch and vote for their favorite videos.

* Poetry related to war would be a good fit with this book. I found a website that provides poetry specifically about the war on terror: http://uk.geocities.com/p_rance/WaronTerror.htm (accessed November 18, 2008).

Other Items by Meg Rosoff:

What I was: A novel
Just in case
The bride’s farewell: A novel (to be released August 2009)

WEEDFLOWER by Cynthia Kadohata

(Book Cover: Kadohata, Cynthia. 2006. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. Photo Source: Barnes and Noble, http://www.barnesandnoble.com/, accessed November 1, 2008)

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Kadohata, Cynthia. 2006. Weedflower. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN:-13: 978-0-689-86574-9; ISBN-10: 0-689-86574-0.

2. PLOT SUMMARY: Weedflower is the story of a Japanese family who owned a flower farm in California prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. They were a happy family; proud to be living in America. Some members of the family had been born in America and were citizens of the United States. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the U.S. government arrested or otherwise confined people of Japanese descent, even those who had been born in America. This is the story of one such family and the struggles they endured during years of internment.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS: The main character is Sumiko, a twelve-year old, sixth grade girl. This story is told from her perspective. She deals with loneliness, ethnic diversity and issues relating to popularity prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. All of these are issues that other middle school age children can identify with. The remainder of the book concerns events that today’s children, thankfully, cannot relate to on a personal level. The reader must simply learn about these events from Sumiko’s perspective. They will be able to understand her feeling of loss when she has to move, her fear of the unknown, and her crush on an American Indian boy. The reader can only imagine the feelings they would have if they lost all their worldly possessions and had to live in a 100 foot by 20 foot barrack with three other families. Sumiko’s narrative is told from a very youthful point of view and will no doubt draw the reader’s full attention.

The plot of this story is very realistic. It explains the way in which Japanese Americans and Japanese immigrants were imprisoned in Poston, Arizona. There is no way to sugar coat the facts involved with that period of our history and Ms. Kadohata doesn’t try to do so. She also weaves in, as a sub-plot, the plight of the Native Americans. She points out, through the relationship Sumiko makes with Frank, a Native American boy, how similar the plight of the two peoples was. She leads the reader to conclude that although the Japanese were treated poorly by the American government, their plight was still better than the Native Americans. The behaviors and feelings of the characters are very believable. For example, the sadness exhibited by Sumiko’s aunt because of the separation from her husband; the anger and rage exhibited by the members living at the camp when they were asked to go to work outside the camp due to a shortage of American workers; and the silly games played by the children to fill the days at the camp are all very realistic behaviors.

The setting of the book changes through time. In the beginning, the characters are on a farm in California. Ms. Kadohata clearly describes the California location so that a picture can be formed in the readers mind. One can see the beautiful fields of flowers and understand the joy the characters would have in living in such a place. Providing this visual image of the character’s home helps the reader to visualize the location of the place where the family is sent. Ms. Kadohata does a good job of describing the desert wilderness of Poston, Arizona in the 1940s. She further clearly lays out for the reader a depiction of the physical aspects of the camp in which the family was imprisoned.

There is a great deal of dialogue in this book. The dialogue is written much like someone would speak today. I especially appreciate the way in which Ms. Kadohata uses Japanese words in the dialogue between the characters. It gives a sense of authenticity to the words being spoken. The words are clearly described so that there is no question as to their meaning. The style of writing is very much typical of a fictional book. This may make the book more attractive to some readers who are reluctant to read historical novels. Even with the fictional style of writing, the historical information comes through loud and clear.

This story tells of the injustice done to the Japanese people during World War II and to the Native American people before them. The theme of the book is this injustice as well as the perseverance of these people. Sumiko sums up the strength of these people when she finally agrees to leave camp to start a new life in Chicago. She didn’t really want to go because the camp was safe. She thought about her grandfather and how he had had the courage to come to America years before. She remembers him telling her that he didn’t do it for himself; he did it for his future grandchildren. Living our lives to benefit the future generations is a universal theme that will speak to all readers.

The authenticity of the information contained in this book is documented for the reader at the front of the book, in the section titled “Acknowledgments”. Ms. Kadohata describes and names the many people whom she interviewed in the process of writing of this book. Most of these people are Japanese Americans who suffered through the internment in Poston. Others are people who have researched the topic and are experts in their field. It is also interesting to note on the jacket cover of the book that Ms. Kadohata’s father was held in the Poston camp during World War II.

4. BOOK REVIEW EXCERPT(S): (Source: Book Review Digest Plus, WilsonWeb database, accessed via TWU Library Online)

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, 52, no. 7 (July 2006) 106: “[Sumiko] is a sympathetic heroine, surrounded by well-crafted, fascinating people. The concise yet lyrical prose conveys her story in a compelling narrative that will resonate with a wide audience”

THE HORN BOOK 82, no. 4 (July/August 2006) 443-4: “The writing is mostly, though not consistently compelling, with numerous details of camp life seamlessly woven into the story. Kadohata also adds some depth with a friendship between Sumiko and a Mohave boy. . .”

MULTICULTURAL REVIEW 15, no. 4 (Winter 2006) 87: “The writing is simple, in places a bit odd, or just not particularly lyrical. It reads not like good writing for children but writing as children write. But the feelings are acute and accurate and they stab through the writing all the way to the reader's heart."

5. CONNECTIONS IN A SCHOOL LIBRARY SETTING:
* Older students could research more about the Japanese internment and the Native American’s move to reservations. Students could compare and contrast the two situations using information from this research.

* The teacher or librarian could tape off a 100 foot by 20 foot space on the floor. Students could be grouped into families and see how it would “feel” to have four families housed in this one space.

* Students could locate Poston, Arizona on the map and research information about Poston today.

* When reading the book, students could be instructed to write down Japanese words as they are found in the book. This will help them as they read the book because the words are used throughout the book but only defined during the first usage. This list would be useful reference tool for the students while reading the book and is a skill that they could use for other books.

OTHER RELATED MATERIALS:

* Kadohata, Cynthia. 2006. Weedflower. CD. New York: Random House/Listening Library.

* Holm, Tom. 2007. Code talkers and warriors: Native Americans and World War II. New York : Chelsea House.

* Stone, Monica I. 1979. Nisei Daughter. Seattle: University of Washington Press.

THE RIVER BETWEEN US by Richard Peck

(Book Covers: Peck, Richard. 2003. New York: Dial Books. Photo Sources: Barnes and Noble. http://www.barnesandnoble.com/, accessed November 1, 2008.)

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Peck, Richard. 2003. The river between us. New York: Dial Books. ISBN: 978-0-803-72735-9

2. PLOT: This story, has two plot lines. The first is set in 1916 and involves a trip taken by fifteen year old Howard Hutchings with his father, Dr. William Hutchings, Jr. and twin brothers, to Grand Tower, Illinois. The trip first appears to be a simple trip of a dad taking his children to the place where he grew up. The trip is anything but simple. Dr. Hutchings had an agenda. He wanted Howard to learn about his ancestors who were anything but typical. The second plot is a flashback to 1861 during the time when Abraham Lincoln was first president and the Civil War was just beginning. This part of the story focuses on the struggles facing Howard Hutchings’ ancestors during this period of history. It specifically tells the story of young Delphine Duval who was a Creole from New Orleans and how she came to be involved in the lives of the other characters. The two plot lines come together in the end of the book to give Howard Hutchings the true picture of his family.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS: So much history is told in this one hundred sixty-five page book through the characters that make up one family. As with any family, the relationships are intertwined. The book is a bit confusing at first because it begins with a detailed story of a trip taken in 1916 with the main characters being Howard Hutchings, 15 year old son; Howard’s dad, Dr. William Hutchings, Jr.; and Howard’s twin brothers (age 5), Raymond and Earl Hutchings. This first part of the story is historically accurate and interesting for children. Mr. Peck describes what it was like to travel by car in 1916. He includes details that children would never think of such as: taking two days to prepare for a trip; strapping as many gas tanks as can fit to the side of the car because there is no gas station along the way; cracking an egg on the radiator to repair leaks along the way; fixing four flats in one day of traveling and having to pump the tire using a hand pump; and finding trees to sleep under during the overnight stop that must be made along the way. Although the story of the car trip is a bit different from what a child would experience today, the characterization of a family trip is well within the realm of things we would do today with our family. It is realistic and believable to a child reader.

For most of the book, the story is a flashback to 1861 and an entirely new set of characters appear. These characters include: Tilly and Noah, 15 years old twins; Cass, 12 year old sister to Tilly and Noah; Tilly’s mother; Delphine Duval, a young woman from New Orleans; Calinda, a young woman who appears to be Delphine’s slave; and Dr. William Hutchings. It is through these characters that the historical aspects of the story are told. At first, this flashback is disconcerting. The reader is not sure how the second chapter of the book has anything to do with the first. It doesn’t take long, however, to forget about the first chapter of the book and immerse oneself in the world that existed in 1861. The reader realizes, in the end, why the first chapter was included. It all comes together quite clearly when the story concludes with all the characters being part of William Hutchings’ family.

The setting of the main part of the book is 1861 at a time when the main characters were teenagers. The young reader will relate to the concerns and feelings expressed by the characters in the novel. For example, Tilly’s mother sends her and Delphine away to look for Noah who had gone to fight in the Civil War. The mother saw a vision of Noah being hurt and told Tilly that she could spare Tilly but she could not lose Noah. Tilly was extremely hurt by her mother’s words. There are times when children feel that a parent may favor one sibling over another. In another example, Tilly’s sister Cass is seen as different and has emotional issues. She sees visions. Tilly protects her which is something that many children can relate to.

The setting is described in great detail throughout the book. It is in the time of the Civil War when President Lincoln was “newly elected”. Descriptions of how Illinois needed the goods brought to it by Southern boats up the Mississippi are given as well as the devastation that happened when President Lincoln ordered a blockade of those ships. The divide of our country between North and South is depicted. The Mississippi River separated the town of Tower Rock, Illinois, such that one part was fighting for the South and one part was fighting for the North. Thus, the title of the book. The agony of having to fight one’s neighbor or even family member is depicted when the men of the town were having to choose sides; a choice which most people in the United States found easy because of their geographic location.

This book teaches young readers about various topics, including: the Civil War and the physical and emotional impact it had on people who lived through it; information about some of the famous battles during the Civil War; the history of the Creole people of New Orleans; how wealthy, white, southern men would sometime have second families with black women and how those relationships affected the children born from them; the impact of the Mississippi River in terms of trade, travel and entertainment to the people who lived along its banks; and the early traveling adventures using the automobile. It is presented accurately in terms that children will understand. The details contained in this story are many but they are not so overwhelming as to discourage a child from reading this book. The story reflects the attitudes, values and morals of the time during the Civil War. It weaves a story of relationships that, at the time, were forbidden. It describes the social troubles for those who do not fit perfectly into what society believes to be proper. Therefore, the universal theme from the book seems to be that love and relationships can surpass all odds.

The author’s writing style is easy to read. He uses some terminology that would be used in the late 1800s such as “Paw” for father and “kin” for relatives. There is some dialogue but most of the story is written as a narrative told by Tilly to Howard. When dialogue is used, it is always dialogue that involves Tilly and is believable for her character. The author finishes the book with an end note about his research. He describes what part of the material is factual and what part is from his imagination. He also provides acknowledgement for those who assisted him in his research. A list of literature circle questions and activities are included. These would be helpful for teachers or librarians who would like to use this book for class.

4. REVIEW EXERPT(S): (Source: Book Review Digest Plus, WilsonWeb database, accessed via TWU Library Online)

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, 45, no. 5 (May 1999): “In this thoroughly researched novel, Peck masterfully describes the female Civil War experience, the subtle and not-too-subtle ways the country was changing, and the split in loyalty that separated towns and even families.”

BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S BOOKS, 57, no. 3 (November 2003) 119: “Historical fiction fans should enter this at the top of the must-read list.”

5. CONNECTIONS:

* Read the poem “A moment in time” by Allison Mull. This poem and others about the civil war can be located at http://home.att.net/~lah-rbh/civilwar/home.html, accessed November 5, 2008.

* This would be a wonderful story to read prior to a class discussion about how different people in this country are. Children could learn more about the Creole people of Louisiana. Learning more about Creole people could lead to a general discussion about other mixed races. A teacher could use this discussion to lead further into a study of genealogy, particularly in a school with mixed racial population. There is a great website that might be helpful. It is http://www.frenchcreoles.com/index.html (accessed November 5, 2008). Further links can be found within this website. A YouTube video titled “Too White to be Black, Too Black to be White” would also be interesting for students (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tfVpHYyDcY, accessed November 5, 2008).

* I included pictures of the two covers of this book. I like that it has two covers because they provide appeal to both girls and boys. If a library had a class set of these books, it might be good to include both covers.

Other titles by Richard Peck:

Peck, Richard. 2001. Fair weather. New York: Dial Books.
Peck, Richard. 2000. A year down yonder. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.
Peck, Richard. 1998. A long way from Chicago. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.

NUMBER THE STARS by Lois Lowry

(Book Cover: Lowry, Lois. 1989. New York: Bantam Doubleday Publishing Group, Inc. Photo Source: Barnes and Noble. http://www.barnesandnoble.com/, accessed November 1, 2008.)

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Lowry, Lois. 1989. Number the stars. New York: Bantam Doubleday Publishing Group, Inc. ISBN: 0-395-51060-0; 978-0-395-51060-5

2. PLOT SUMMARY: This is a story of two young girls living in Copenhagen, Denmark during the Nazi occupation of the 1940s. One of the girls, Annemarie Johansen was a Lutheran and the other girl, Ellen Rosen, was Jewish. They are best friends who live the life of innocent children until the day the Germans begin to round up Jews in Copenhagen. Through a series of well planned and often frightening events, the Johansen family hides Ellen from the Germans. Annemarie and her mother help Ellen, her family and other Jews flee from Denmark to Sweden where they will be safe for the duration of World War II.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS: The main characters, ten year old Annemarie and Ellen, are very real and believable to the young reader. These readers can understand the innocence and freedom from worry these girls have in the very beginning of the book. The reader can relate to how the two girls race home from school and get upset because a younger sibling can’t keep up. By the end of Chapter 1, the young reader will be interested because this story is about children just like them.

Ms. Lowry does not overwhelm the story with the details of World War II but creates a seamless story that one could believe is biographical. The actions of the characters are so believable; the reader will be wondering if they would have the courage to do the same things. For example, Annemarie must carry a basket, with an envelope hidden inside, envelope inside to her uncle who is smuggling Jews out of the country. She must make it to the boat before he leaves; but she is stopped along the way by German soldiers. The reader can easily believe that Annemarie would try to get this envelope to her uncle and can feel her fear when she is stopped by the soldiers. It is a remarkable act of bravery. She risks her own safety for the safety of the Jewish people. It is an act that every reader will probably agree that they would do the same thing if they were in Annemarie’s position.

The setting of Copenhagen, Denmark during the time of German occupation is vividly described. The author includes many facts and realistic dialogue between characters to set up the setting for this story. Historical information is given throughout the book, such as: no butter or sugar for a year; no fuel for warming homes; electricity had to be rationed; people ate mostly potatoes for food; no leather for shoes; and much more. Ms. Lowry does not overwhelm the story with details but provides just enough detail to give the young reader a sense of what it was like to be living in Denmark during this time in history.

In the “Afterword”, Ms. Lowry includes a paragraph written by a twenty-one year old man who was part of the Danish Resistance. He wrote, on the night before the German’s executed him, these words: “. . . the dream for you all, young and old, must be to create an ideal of human decency, and not a narrow-minded and prejudiced one.” It is clear that Ms. Lowry wrote this book with these words in mind as it is this theme of kindness and humanity that runs throughout. The “Afterword” is an especially good addition to this book because it is used to tell the reader what parts are true and what parts are from the author’s imagination. This is something young readers will find fascinating.

I must add that I strongly disagree with the New York Times Book Review listed below. This is a historical fiction book for young children, perhaps 3rd or 4th grade. It is written with enough factual information to take away some of the innocence of these young children who are probably only learning about World War II and its atrocities for the first time. I find it perfectly acceptable for a young child to see the German occupation as “little more than an invasion of bad-tempered bores”. I see no reason that nine- and ten-year old children need to learn the true horrors of the German army at such a young age. Isn’t it bad enough that there were a generation of children that had to learn those horror first hand?

4. BOOK REVIEW EXCERPT(S): (Source: Book Review Digest Plus, WilsonWeb database, accessed via TWU Library Online)

THE HORN BOOK, 65, (May/June 1989) 371: “The heroism of these ordinary folk is commemorated in a noteworthy novel, scaled to the comprehension of elementary school readers without sacrificing elements of style. . .”

THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW, 94 (May 21, 1989) 32: “The German occupation seems little more than an invasion of bad-tempered bores. . . . Annemarie is, after all, a Danish Christian citizen in good standing, and her innocent viewpoint keeps us at too great a distance to see clearly either the scale of the evil or the magnitude of the courage from which this story springs.”

BOOKLIST, 85 (March 1, 1989) 1194: “While the novel has an absorbing plot, its real strength lies in its evocation of deep friendship between two girls and of a caring family who make a profoundly moral choice to protect others during wartime.”

5. CONNECTIONS IN A SCHOOL LIBRARY SETTING:

· A journal writing activity could be used with this book. Because the chapters are fairly short, a teacher could read one chapter per day and then give the students a few minutes afterward to write their thoughts about the chapter. A general discussion about the chapter could then follow.
· In addition to using this book as part of a lesson on World War II or the Holocaust, it could also be used in conjunction with a lesson about Denmark, King Christian X (King of Denmark), the Danish Resistance or Sweden and its neutrality during World War II.
· Share additional books, video, audio, or poetry on the subject matter with children.

Other Related Items:

· Deedy, Carmen. 2000. The yellow star: The legend of King Christian X of Denmark. Ill. Henri Sorensen. Atlanta: Peachtree.
· Waterston, Sam, Mia Farrow, Justin Whalin. Miracle at midnight. 1998. VHS. Elk Grove Village, Illinois: Disney Educational Productions.
· Elmer, Robert. 1994. Into the Flames. Minneapolis: Bethany House Publishers.

THE BOY ON FAIRFIELD STREET: HOW TED GEISEL GREW UP TO BECOME DR. SEUSS

(Book Cover: Krull, Kathleen. 2004. New York: Random House. Photo Source: Barnes and Noble, http://books.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.aspx?WRD=boy+fairfield+street+ted, accessed October 27, 2008)


1. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Krull, Kathleen. The boy on Fairfield Street: how Ted Geisel grew up to become Dr. Seuss. Ills. Steve Johnson, Lou Fancher, Dr. Seuss. 2004. New York: Random House. ISBN: 0-375-82298-4 (trade); 0-375-92298-9 (lib. bdg.)

2. ABOUT THIS BOOK: This is a biography of the life of Ted Geisel, the man more commonly known as Dr. Seuss. The book begins with his early childhood while living at 74 Fairfield Street in Springfield, Massachusetts and ends with Mr. Geisel living in a tiny apartment in Greenwich Village at what was to be the beginning of his life as Dr. Seuss. At the back of the book, the biography continues in a different format, in a section titled “On Beyond Fairfield Street”. This portion of the book provides information about Ted Geisel from the age of twenty-two until his death in 1991 at the age of eighty-seven. An informative list of “Great Works Written and Illustrated by Dr. Seuss” is also included.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS: This author appears to be very knowledgeable about the life of Ted Geisel. She includes reference material for other readings on Dr. Seuss as well as website information to various items mentioned in the book. While it is difficult to determine the accuracy of information the author places in this biography, it is helpful to look at the reputation of the author. A quick Internet search of the author shows that she has written countless books over the years. An online biography of Kathleen Krull reports a Publisher’s Weekly critic as stating “With entertaining details about authors from Hans Christian Andersen to Jack London, ‘Krull knows exactly how to captivate her audience’ by combining historical particulars with ‘amusing anecdotes that put flesh and blood on dry literary bones’” (Source: Brief Biographies, http://biography.jrank.org/pages/284/Krull-Kathleen-1952.html , accessed October 25, 2008). Based on this review of Kathleen Krull’s credentials, it would seem safe to assume the information contained in this book is accurate.

This book is clearly organized from the early childhood to the young adulthood of Ted Geisel. The illustrations are also well organized. In addition to the inclusion of an illustration on every page that relates to the words on the page, there is also one of Dr. Seuss’ drawings included on each page. Often, the drawings from Dr. Seuss also relate to the words on the page. For example, on page 8, Ms. Krull writes about Mr. Geisel’s love of the zoo and includes an illustration from Dr. Seuss’ The Sneetches and other stories. The illustration is that of a zookeeper. The illustrators, Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher have included a picture of a young boy at the zoo on the corresponding page 9. This clever placement of illustrations continues throughout the book and is a detail not to be missed. In fact, it is the most interesting and unique part of this book.

The author’s style is very conversational. It seems almost as though she knew Ted Geisel personally and is telling his life story to young readers. This book lives up to its name in that it is solely about the boy that Ted Geisel was and doesn’t touch upon the man he became. This book is so well done; it is a shame that another book about the man that became Dr. Seuss was not written as a sequel. Instead, all information on Mr. Geisel’s life after the age of twenty-two is included in a four page author’s addendum. While it does include some of Dr. Seuss’ illustrations, and even an actual photograph of Ted Geisel as an older man, it is not as intriguing for the reader as the main part of the book.

While it is regrettable that this book could not go on to include more of the life of Dr. Seuss, it certainly creates interesting reading about his early life. With the inclusion of reference information, an addendum containing a long list of Dr. Seuss books and a reference to the Dr. Seuss illustrations included in the book, this book gives the reader a good start at learning much more about Dr. Seuss. Overall, it is a book that would be valuable in any elementary school library.

4. BOOK REVIEW EXCERPT(S): (Source: Book Index with Reviews EBSCO database, accessed via TWU Library Online)

KIRKUS REVIEW BOOK, December 15, 2003: “. . . the magic of [Dr. Seuss] will make this a huge hit, but it's the lively writing that puts the hat on the cat.”

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, January 1, 2004: “Johnson and Fancher's lovely, full-page illustrations are supplemented by samples of Dr. Seuss's artwork, including scenes from The Cat and the Hat and The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins.”

BOOKLIST, February 1, 2004: “Krull's pithy text is extended by full-page paintings that glow with the memory of yesteryear and capture the mix of humor and poignancy that comes with trying to fit in. Spot art from Geisel's own books enlivens the text pages.”

5. CONNECTIONS IN A SCHOOL LIBRARY SETTING:
• This book will be well loved by children and will be good to use for young elementary students to study biographies.
• This book will be something to use anytime a teacher or librarian is doing author studies. Ms. Krull is an interesting author in her own right so it might be fun to follow this book up with a look at Ms. Krull as an author. The students can discuss whether they can trust that the information contained in the book is correct, based upon what they know about the source of the book.
• You can use the illustrations in this book for a compare and contrast lesson. On each page, there is an illustration by Dr. Seuss and another by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher. You can use these photographs in a discussion with the students on why the photos were put together, how the photos are alike, and how they are different.


Other related items:

• Krull, Kathleen. Lives of the musicians: good times, bad times (and what the neighbors thought). 1993. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
• Krull, Kathleen. Lives of the writers: comedies, tragedies (and what the neighbors thought). 1994. San Diego: Harcourt Brace.
• Cohen, Charles D. The Seuss, the whole Seuss, and nothing but the Seuss: a visual biography of Theodore Seuss Geisel. 2004. New York: Random House.

THE SNAKE SCIENTIST by Sy Montgomery

(Source: Montgomery, Sy. 1999. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Photo Source: Barnes and Noble. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Snake-Scientist/Sy-Montgomery/e/9780618111190/?itm=4, accessed October 16, 2008).


1. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Montgomery, Sy. The snake scientist. Ill. Nic Bishop. 1999. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN: 0395871697

2. ABOUT THIS BOOK: This book, as its name suggests, is about a snake scientist named Dr. Robert Mason. Dr. Mason’s research focuses on the red-sided garter snakes. Every year, Dr. Mason, his research team and snake loving volunteers travel to the Narcisse Wildlife Management Area in Manitoba, Canada because it is a place where, for three weeks of every year, shallow, limestone pits are filled with tens of thousands of these snakes at once. Because a large number of snakes can be captured and studied at one time, Dr. Mason is able to advance his research quickly. This book discusses the nature of these snakes as well as the research Dr. Mason has done and continues to do. The book describes his scientific experiments and the benefit of the experiments.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS: This book is a direct result of the author’s discussion with Dr. Mason. Dr. Mason’s voice is heard throughout the book. There could be no better and accurate source of information than the snake scientist himself! Facts about snakes are made clear and myths are dispelled in a unique writing style. Instead of just writing one fact after another, Mr. Montgomery weaves the facts into a narrative about a day in the life of a scientist at the snake dens. For example, he uses the words of a second grade student to inform the reader. He quotes her as saying “I used to hate snakes, but now I love them! . . . They’re soft and not slimy!” To further support these facts, Mr. Montgomery includes a photograph of the girl holding a snake. The entire book is written in this manner with photographs strategically placed to support the words written on the page.

Mr. Montgomery provides plenty of sources for his work and for future learning about the topic. At the back of the book, the reader will find information on locating the Narcisse Snake Dens as well as the best time of year to visit. There is also information about the non-profit organization, Earthwatch. Earthwatch is a group whose volunteers help Dr. Mason with his research. Mr. Montgomery provides bibliographic information for further readings about snakes. He also provides an “Acknowledgement” for all of the individuals who assisted him with the book.

The story of the snakes in the Narcisse dens and the research performed on them flows in a logical manner. The book is attractive and is interesting to young readers, especially boys who are usually fascinating by snakes. The disappointment in the book’s organization comes from the lack of a table of contents. The chapters include: “Thousands of Snakes”, “Reptile Superheroes”, “Discovering ‘Snake Juice’”, and “The Call of Chemistry”. Additional items at the end of the book include: “Unsolved Mysteries”, “To visit the Narcisse snake dens”, and “Further Reading”. All of these identifying titles are excellent but cannot be found without physically turning each page of the book. The lack of a table of contents makes browsing more difficult; therefore, it would be a major improvement to the book if a table of contents was included. The book includes an index which is helpful in locating specific information.

One rationale for the lack of a table of contents may have been the author’s belief that children will be more likely to browse the book for its pictures instead of its words. He may be correct. The pictures on every page are very fascinating. They begin on the title page and continue throughout the book. Each picture (and sometimes several) fit so well with every page that the reader can just look at the pictures and get an idea of the words on the page. Although the pictures have captions, some of the pictures don’t make sense on their own and cause the reader to be curious about what the picture actually represents. In that case, the reader is drawn to read the page to find out exactly what is being discussed in relation to a particular picture.

One can see that the author has taken care with even the smallest details of this book. The book, rectangular in shape but not too large, is reminiscent of a miniature coffee table book. Its pages are thick and glossy. They would be difficult for a child to tear. The type font is large and easy to read while the captions of the photographs are smaller and typeset in italics to set them apart from the rest of the text. The page numbers have a light green curlicue under them which draws the eyes’ attention to them. Bullet points are used in the test to set lists of items apart from other text. Overall, this is a very interesting, easy to read book.

4. BOOK REVIEW EXCERPT(S): (Source: Book Review Digest Plus, WilsonWeb database, accessed via TWU Library Online)

THE HORN BOOK, 75, no. 4, (July/Aug. 1999): 485-6: “. . . it is a solid introduction to the ethos of experimental science as seen by a genial scientist with a research topic whose kid appeal is hard to beat.”

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, 45, no. 5 (May 1999): “Large, full-color photos of the zoologist and young students at work, and lots of wriggly snakes, pull readers into the presentation."

BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S BOOKS, 52, no. 8 (Apr. 1999) 289: “Montgomery's zippy text gives an engaging portrait of the scientific work. . . . [the zoologist’s] general and unstudied enthusiasm for science in general will also galvanize many young readers.”

5. CONNECTIONS IN A SCHOOL LIBRARY SETTING:
• This book will be terrific to use in science when a teacher is teaching the scientific method. The chapters “Discovering ‘Snake Juice’” and “The Call of Chemistry” explain in detail they way in which Dr. Mason does his experiments. This is a concrete example of the scientific method at work.
• A science teacher can use this book in the study of reptiles and the way in which cold blooded animals survive cold weather.
• If students are doing research projects on animals, or specifically reptiles, this book can be pulled as a source.

Other related items:

• Montgomery, Sy. The tarantula scientist. 2004. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
• Lavies, Bianca. A gathering of garter snakes. 1993. New York: Dutton Children’s Books.
• Hazen, Robert M. 2001. Lecture 2: The scientific method. In The joy of science. DVD. Chantilly, VA: Teaching Company.

SHIPWRECK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WORLD by Jennifer Armstrong

(Source: Armstrong, Jennifer. 1998. New York: Crown. Picture Source: Barnes and Noble. http://books.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.aspx?WRD=Shipwreck+at+the+bottom+of+the+world, accessed October 16, 2008)


1. Bibliography: Armstrong, Jennifer. 1998. Shipwreck at the bottom of the world: the extraordinary true story of Shackleton and the Endurance. New York: Crown. ISBN: 0517800136

2. PLOT SUMMARY: This is the tale of Ernest Shackleton, who, along with 27 men, set sail from England in 1914 on the ship Endurance in an attempt to be the first explorers to traverse the continent of Antarctic. The group never made it to the icy shores of the Antarctic. Endurance was trapped in the frozen waters of the South Seas prior to reaching the actual landmass of Antarctica. The book describes the amazing nineteen months the crew of Endurance fought for survival against the elements.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS: This book is filled with fascinating accounts of the individuals who were part of Endurance’ s expedition. Although not written in the first person, Ms. Armstrong’s writing style makes you feel as though one of the sailors is telling you the story. It can be assumed that Ms. Armstrong is not knowledgeable in the field of maritime exploration; however, it is clear that she has done her homework. The book includes a section of “Acknowledgements” wherein Ms. Armstrong tells the reader what books and sources she researched while writing the book. It also specifically mentions the source for the many original photographs that adorn the pages of the book as well as the diary from which she gathered many quotes. She continues to provide evidence of the accuracy of her writing by including two pages of bibliographic information about Antarctica, Navigation, Shackleton and more.

This book is a fascinating read, from cover-to-cover. It would be my suggestion to read the book in such a manner. Its organization allows a reader to pick and choose parts of the book to read; however, the process of choosing a section to read is made difficult by the author’s clever but cryptic naming of each section. For example, “The Growlers” provides information about the sixty-nine sled dogs on board; “Pressure” recalls the pressure applied to the ship as the ice pushed against it; and “Patience, Patience, Patience” refers to the time the explorers spent at a location on the frozen ocean that they designated as “Patience Camp”. While these section names are clever and seem quite logical in hindsight, I believe they would be difficult to interpret prior to reading the book.

The book is wonderfully designed. The front cover depicts a group of men tugging at a boat to pull it forward across a totally white landscape. The title of the book, underneath these men, represents the ground they walk on; the author’s name at the top of the book represents the sky above them. The inclusion of archival photos is sure to increase a reader’s interest in the book. These photos begin on the very first page with a picture of Endurance stuck among huge blocks of ice. Before starting the text, there is a picture of the crew of Endurance, together with names of its crew members. This allows the reader to see the human element of this book and to get a feel for what these men looked like. Later in the book, pictures are shown of the men as they looked throughout the ordeal and after being rescued. Readers can compare these before, during and after photographs to see the effect this journey had upon the men. A drawing of the ship, a map of Antarctica and its surrounding area, as well as a map of the route taken by Shackleton and his crew are also included before the text begins. Throughout the remainder of the book, archival photos are inserted among the text in appropriate places. The pictures add tremendous value to this book. Without the photos, the book would be interesting but would not have the “real life” quality that it has. These photos can easily remind a reader of their own family member.

Ms. Armstrong’s writes in a manner that can be easily understood by children. She avoids the use of complicated vocabulary. When possible, she uses the words of crew members to describe events. Many quotes, no doubt, were derived directly from sources reviewed by Ms. Armstrong; other quotes are sure to have come as a result of her collective research and cannot be counted on as being an exact quote. Nevertheless, the quotes make for interesting reading and convey the underlying story of what happened on this expedition. After reading this book, the reader is sure to be interested in reading other primary sources related to Shackleton’s experience.

4. BOOK REVIEW EXCERPT(S): (Source: Book Index with Reviews, EBSCO database, accessed via TWU Library Online).

BOOKLIST, (December 1, 1998): “Although Armstrong's presentation is less visceral than [Caroline] Alexander's [adult book The Endurance] and gives less sense of personalities involved, it provides a more compact, somewhat clearer understanding of the sequence of events.”

KIRKUS REVIEWS, (December 1, 1999): “This unbelievable story is enhanced by the vigorous prose; from the captivating introduction through the epilogue, it is the writing as much as the story that will rivet readers.”

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, (April 1, 1999): Excellent black-and-white photographs taken during the journey document the entire adventure story. . .”

5. CONNECTIONS IN A SCHOOL LIBRARY SETTING:
• Use this book with older students, probably 8th grade and up.
• Students can read this book in conjunction with a study of global warming and the ice pack in the seas around Antarctica. Would Endurance have been able to make the trip in 2008? Looking at recent climate data, is it likely a ship making this expedition in the 21st century would end up frozen in ice?
• This story can be used for teaching data collection and map reading skills. Students can be given the task of putting themselves in Shackleton’s place. Using maps and data related to weather, ocean currents, etc., what route would they take and on what date would they begin their journey?
• Students can research other explorers who have traveled to Antarctica. Students can compare and contrast the different expeditions to Antarctica. What did others do differently that made them successful?
• Students can assume the identity of one of the crew members and write journal entries as if they were that person. Students can include letters home and thoughts and feelings that might be experienced throughout the ordeal.

Other Related Items:
• Website on history of exploration of “The Poles”, including Antarctica. South-Pole.com, http://www.south-pole.com/homepage.html, accessed October 21, 2008.
• Antarctic Connection. A website containing a wealth of information, including geology, climate change, oceanography, weather and more science related to Antarctica. http://www.antarcticconnection.com/antarctic/science/morescience.shtml, accessed October 21, 2008.
• The audio version of this book is very clear and interesting. It would be an option for struggling readers.

TOASTING MARSHMALLOWS: CAMPING POEMS by Kristine O'Connell George

(Source: George, Krinstine O. George. New York:Houghton Mifflin Company. http://www.kristinegeorge.com/toasting_marshmallows.html)

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY: George, Kristine O’Connell. 2001. Toasting marshmallows: camping poems. Ill. Kate Kiesler. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN: 0-618-04597-X

2. PLOT SUMMARY: Toasting marshmallows takes the reader on a journey with a young girl on a camping trip with her family. The story begins, as any camping trip would, with the set up of the tent. Throughout the story, the young girl does many things with various family members including hiking, toasting marshmallows, fishing and rowing in a lake, and walking in the forest. Some problems must be faced during the weekend such as a storm, mosquitoes and other insects, and the uncertainty of noises and events of the night. In the end she must return home. She does so with the promise to return next year and with the smell of the woods on her clothes to remind her of the wonderful time she had.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS: Kristine O’Connell George tells a wonderful story through her free verse poetry. It is obvious that Ms. George was very careful with the arrangement of the lines and verses for each poem contained in this book. The words for the first poem, “Tent”, are cleverly arranged in the shape of a pyramid. The addition of the illustration of a bright orange tent on the adjacent page causes the reader to clearly understand that this pyramid of words is actually a tent, not a pyramid. This careful placement is evidenced in the reading of all of the poems. Such placement helps the reader to know when to speed up or to slow down the reading. It helps the reader to know other things also, such as when there are more than two person’s speaking, as in “Two Voices in a Tent at Night”.

This book is a marvelous blending of words and illustration. Kate Kiesler does a beautiful job of using acrylics to set the stage for each and every poem in this book. She makes Ms. George’s words come alive. For example, in “Campfire” Ms. George writes: “I lean against Mom,/ my head on her shoulder,/ Warm all over.” Ms. Kiesler provides the visuals of a young girl leaning on her mom’s shoulder and adds to the emotion of this poem by showing the girl’s little brother sitting in her dad’s lap, asleep in front of the campfire. Ms. Kiesler doesn’t miss any details. For example, in “Abandoned Cabin”, Ms. Kiesler is sure to include in her drawing the Queen Anne’s lace and the carpet of green moss referred to in the poem.

Ms. George’s word choices are appropriate for children and easily establish an image in one’s mind of the event she is describing. For example, in “Anchored” Ms. George writes: “Outside our tent I can see/ gray spiders spinning silver,/ looping silky lines/ through smoky wisps/ of campfire, . . ..” No child would need a picture to imagine such a thing. In another example, the first lines of “Two Voices in a Tent at Night” read: “Shhhhh . . ./ something is scratching/ on our tent.” These words will surely capture a child’s attention and immediately upon hearing these words will feel the nervousness of a child, in a tent at night, hearing an unknown noise. There are no rhymes in these poems, although every once in a while a rhyming verse will be found. Take for example the “Owl” wherein Ms. George writes: “I hear you, Owl./ Your one lone vowel/ . . ..” Obviously, Ms. George only rhymes in the natural course of her free verse format. It is never something that is forced into her writing.

Throughout her free verse poems, Ms. George uses alliteration and assonance, however it is all very subtle. One must look closely to find it as her words seem to be something that is unforced and without thought. For example, in “River Messages”, Ms. George is using alliteration when she uses the words scallops, scribbles, scrolls, and skips. An example of assonance is found in “Owl” with the use of the words owl, vowel, round and sound. The fact that these literary elements are so naturally woven into the poems is one of the things that make Ms. George an award winning poet.

4. BOOK REVIEW EXCERPT(S):

BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S BOOKS, 54, no. 9 (May 2001) 336-37: “Though more plainspoken than lyrical, this is nonetheless an effectively atmospheric series that could serve as both camping introduction and memento." (Source: Book Review Digest Plus, WilsonWeb database, accessed via TWU Library Online)

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, 248, no. 11 (03/12/2001) 90: “. . . George’s poems shine, the images clear and startling. . . .Readers will definitely want S-mores.” (Source: Academic Search Complete, EBSCO Host database, accessed via TWU Library Online)

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, 47, no. 47 (July 2001) 93-4: “Some of Kiesler's artwork sweeps across double pages to provide a dramatic vista-a meandering hiking trail, a field of wild mustard, a star-studded night sky-while other pictures reveal small, but equally telling details.” (Source: Book Review Digest Plus database, accessed via TWU Library Online)

5. CONNECTIONS IN A SCHOOL LIBRARY SETTING:
* This would be a good book to read to elementary students as they are returning from summer vacation. After reading the book, the teacher could move into a poetry lesson and have the children write poetry about their summer vacations.
* Students could do a social studies lesson about camping sites such as Yellowstone and Yosemite. They could locate the parks on maps, they could calculate the distance from their school to these places, and they could look up the weather at these parks.
* Students could problem solve about things that they might take on a camping trip.
* The teacher could set up a tent in the classroom and read other camping related books.

Other Related Items:

• Hafner, Marylin. 2000. Molly and Emmett's camping adventure. Ohio: Cricket/McGraw-Hill Books.
• McCully, Emily Arnold. 2000. Monk camps out. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books
• Warren, Cathy. 1983. The ten-alarm camp-out. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books
• Bauer, Marion Dane. 1993. Yellowstone. Ill. John Wallace. Minnesota: Voyager Press.

WHAT MY GIRLFRIEND DOESN'T KNOW by Sonya Sones

(Book Cover: Sones, Sonya. 2007. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. Photo Source: http://www.sonyasones.com, accessed October 6, 2008.)

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Sones, Sonya. 2007. What my girlfriend doesn’t know. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 978-0-689-87602-8

2. PLOT SUMMARY: This is the story of two teenagers, Sophie Stein, popular girl, and Robin Murphy, school outcast. These two began a relationship in Sones’ first verse novel, What my mother doesn’t know (Sones, 2001), which is told from Sophie’s point of view. This story is a continuation, told from Robin’s perspective. It chronicles the events that unfold as they publicly display their relationship at school. Sophie is shunned by her popular friends because she has the school outcast as a boyfriend. Sophie gets a taste of what it is like not to have friends; something that Robin has lived with all his life. In the meantime, Robin is auditing an art class at Harvard where he finds students who are willing to accept him as he is. One of the girls from Harvard is attracted to him and through a twist of fate, Sophie sees Robin kiss this girl. Robin, however, only has feelings for Sophie and through a lot of effort is able to win her back on Valentine’s Day. In the end, Sophie’s true friends come back to her, the couple reunites and Robin gets revenge on those who have tormented him.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS: This is the type of book that can help young adults discover the wonder and beauty of poetry. The book is filled with emotions that are well known and understood by teenagers. A boy reading these poems can feel the pain Robin feels from being teased; the excitement he feels at having a girlfriend who is one of the popular girls at school; the lust and confusion he feels over the models he sees naked in a college art class. Poetry like this, that discusses such issues from a teenage boy’s perspective and with such candor, is few and far between. It is regrettable that the jacket art is not different. The cover focuses on a picture of a girl kissing a boy; however, the boy’s face is almost cut off from the book. One could easily believe this is just another young romance story written from girls’ perspective. Most teenage boys are not going to want to be seen reading a book with such a cover.

The poetry making up this verse novel flows like a meandering stream, casually without urgent destination. Ms. Sones brilliantly intertwines the titles of each poem into the story. One can read this novel without ever realizing he or she is reading poetry. The flowing nature of the poetry directs the reader seamlessly through the book with what the reader perceives to be little effort. Ms. Sones’ careful use of the “s” sound throughout her poems helps develop this desired effect. This easy to read style may be of benefit for reluctant poetry readers or struggling readers who have trouble reading other types of novels.

Although it is true that a reader could get lost in this book and not realize it is poetry, the fact that it is poetry should not be overlooked. The poetry should be examined and appreciated. Each poem, standing alone, involves feelings and emotions that are universal. The imagery brought forth by these poems is vivid and can be related to our own personal experiences while growing up. Take for example the poem “Here’s what I’d like to know” where Ms. Sones writes the following: “How come whenever/ I’m watching TV with Sophie,/ and my parents/ happen to walk into the room,/ that’s always the exact moment/ when a commercial for Viagra comes on,/ and some real deep-voiced announcer/ says something like:/ ‘And remember/ contact your doctor/ if your erection lasts longer/ than four hours’?” (Sones 2007, 101). We have all been there in moments like this and the image is easily retrieved.

The language in this book is straightforward, everyday language, making this book attractive for older readers who may struggle with more complicated vocabulary. Readers with limited vocabulary may think they can never write poetry because they can’t come up with complex words or words that rhyme. This book is a good example of how poetry can be interesting and well written without always having to rhyme words. In fact, there is not much rhyming within the poems at all. The first rhyme appears well into the story, around page sixty. This uncomplicated vocabulary and lack of rhyming may be another factor in student’s surprise that they are actually reading and enjoying poetry.

This book captures the reader’s attention. It is a wonderful tool for teaching young adults an appreciation for poetry without it being boring or hard work. It most likely will cause the reader to be interested in poetry when, perhaps, they had never been interested in poetry before. The continuing saga of Robin and Sophie will likely entice readers to read more poetry by Ms. Sones.

4. BOOK REVIEW EXCERPT(S):

PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY, 254, no. 25, (June 18, 2007): 55-56: “Concrete poems and comics punctuate the text, adding interest to the form.” (Source: Academic Search Complete, EBSCO Host database, accessed via TWU Library Online)

KIRKUS REVIEWS, 75, no. 10 (May 15, 2007) 509: “Robin [a boy] emerges as an appealingly flawed character whose desires--for love, for acceptance, for sex--will be instantly recognized by readers.” (Source: Academic Search Complete, EBSCO Host database, accessed via TWU Library Online)

BOOKLIST, 103, no. 15 (04/01/2007) 49: “Many teens will see themselves, and they’ll cheer when Sophie and Robin thwart the bullies and reclaim their social standing. Like Sones’ other titles, this is a great choice for reluctant and avid readers alike.” (Source: Academic Search Complete, EBSCO Host database, accessed via TWU Library Online)

5. CONNECTIONS IN A SCHOOL LIBRARY SETTING:

• Have a verse novel book club that meets before school, during lunch or after school. To truly appreciate these poems, have students or teachers read them aloud. Some of them are somewhat sexually explicit and might be uncomfortable read aloud. Those poems should be read by an adult, not a student.
• Do a Sonya Sones display in the library and create a “girl section” and a “boy section” to somehow separate the book What my mother doesn’t know from What my girlfriend doesn’t know to entice boys to read What my girlfriend doesn’t know despite its cover art. Librarian could also provide some sort of book cover as well so that boys would be more willing to check out the book.
• Counselors could use this book in discussions with student groups about issues relating to bullying, popularity, friendship and feelings toward opposite sex.

Other Related Items:
• McCafferty, Megan, ed. 2004. Sixteen: stories about that sweet and bitter birthday. New York: Three Rivers Press. (Recommended by Sonya Sones for children at least 16 years of age. http://www.sonyasones.com/sixteen.htm, accessed October 13, 2008.)
• Sones, Sonya. 2001. What my mother doesn’t know. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Poems by Jack Prelutsky

(Book Cover: Prelutsky, Jack. 1994. New York: Greenwillow Books. Ill. James Stevenson. Photo Source: Barnes and Noble Online Catalog. http://books.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.aspx?WRD=pizza+size+sun, accessed October 6, 2008.)


1. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Prelutsky, Jack. 1996. A pizza the size of the sun. Ill. James Stevenson. New York: Greenwillow Books. ISBN: 0-688-13236-7.

2. ABOUT THIS BOOK: A pizza the size of the sun is a compilation of 105 poems by renowned poet, Jack Prelutsky.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS: This collection is simply set forth in a one hundred fifty-nine page book filled with silly, fun and sometimes unusually formatted poetry, well illustrated with line drawings. Poetry collections are often browsed and to support this browsing, an "Index to Titles" is found at the end of the book. An additional, and interesting, feature is an "Index to First Lines". These elements make this book very user friendly.

Mr. Prelutsky uses a variety of styles in this book of poems. Many of the poems use rhyming words. Sometimes these words are at the end of every line as is found in “The Manatee” and other times it is every other line that rhymes, as in “I Sailed on Half a Ship”. While some authors might find rhyming to be a challenge, Mr. Prelutsky seems to use it with ease. His rhyming never seems forced or contrived. The rhythm of the book is fairly steady throughout with the use of short lines that have a four-four time (to use a music term) about them. This rhythm is carried throughout the book and can be applied to practically every poem.

Mr. Prelutsky also makes great use of sound in this book. A wonderful example of assonance is found in “I Made Something Strange with My Chemistry Set” wherein Mr. Prelutsky uses the words gluey, blue, stew, move, oozed, room, soon, too, undo, and route to create a wonderful tale of what happens when things go wrong with a chemistry experiment. An example of consonance can be found in “The Improbable Emporium” in lines such as the following: “there’s a saddle for your sea horse/ in an aqueous display,/ sets of sandals styled to suit your centipede.” “The Improbable Emporium” is also a perfect example of the way in which Mr. Prelutsky pays close attention to the choice of words in his poems. His words are chosen for the images they bring to the reader. For example, in “The Improbable Emporium” it is written: “There are ottomans for otters/ special piccolos for pigs,/ tubes of oil to stop the loudest mouse’s squeak,/ . . .” These bring about vivid images to the reader. Mr. Prelutsky’s word choices could also help develop vocabulary in younger children.

The reader is assisted in developing the images from these poems by the simple line drawings of the illustrator, James Stevenson. Throughout the book and for each poem, Mr. Stevenson draws doodle-like drawings that are excellent interpretations of the words of Mr. Prelutsky.

Mr. Prelutsky writes simply so that his readers will find laughter and joy through his poems. Consider the laughter that would come from children listening to a teacher read “I Often Repeat Repeat Myself” wherein Mr. Prelutsky writes: “I often repeat repeat myself,/ I often repeat repeat./ It gets me in a jam a jam,/ but that’s the way I am I am,/ . . .. Other funny poems include those that are written backward, as if needing to hold the words up to a mirror to read, and one in which that the words meander all over the page.

Overall, this is a good book of poetry to be read a little at a time to elementary age children. It could be used in the course of transitions during the school day or as a starter to each day at the end of the morning announcements. As with most compilations of poetry, it is not a book to be read from cover to cover in one sitting; but instead, should be savored over a long period of time.

4. BOOK REVIEW EXCERPT(S):

THE HORN BOOK, 72 (Sept./Oct. 1996): 605: “Poems in varied typeface and placement in an open format combine with the economical line of well-placed sketches to create a fast-paced and accessible collection that's loads of fun." (Source: Book Review Digest Plus, WilsonWeb database, accessed via TWU Library Online)

BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S BOOKS, 50 (Sept. 1996) 25: "Stevenson's line-and-wash illustrations are breezily slapdash but expressive. . . . He's particularly inventive at illustrating creatures that never were." (Source: Book Review Digest Plus, WilsonWeb database, accessed via TWU Library Online)

BOOKLIST, 93, (Sept. 15, 1996) 241: Prelutsky is up to his old tricks, using verbal sleight of hand to create another magical {collection} of light verse. " (Source: Book Review Digest Plus database, accessed via TWU Library Online)

5. CONNECTIONS IN A SCHOOL LIBRARY SETTING:
• Write the first lines of the poems from this book (remember, “Index to first lines” is in back of book) on colored paper and hang them from ceiling or place them on a bulletin board in the library or classroom. Each day, a student can choose a first line from the ceiling or bulletin board and the librarian or teacher can read the corresponding poem. (Kristen George’ website, http://www.kirstinegeorge.com/celebrate_poetry.html, accessed October 13, 2008).
• Turn the poems into songs and have a class sing-a-long.
• The poem “A Dizzy Little Duzzle” is written in a curvy, meandering way on page 137 of this book. Type the poem, in normal format, on a separate sheet of paper for each student. Using any method available, place the words of the poem in its original curvy, meandering format on the floor of the library or classroom. Give each student a copy of the poem. Lead the students on a poem “walk” by having the students read the poem out loud as they walk along the words of the poem as they would walk a labyrinth.

Other Related Items:

• Jack Prelutsky’s website. A terrific source of fun for elementary age children. A terrific source of activities and information from teachers. http://www.jackprelutsky.com/, accessed October 13, 2008.
• Prelutsky, Jack. 1986. The new kid on the block. Performed by Jack Prelutsky (audiocassette). Connecticut: Listening Library.
• Prelutsky, Jack. 1984. The new kid on the block. Ill. James Stevenson. New York: Greenwillow Books.
• Prelutsky, Jack. 2008. My dog may be a genius. Ill. James Stevenson. New York: Greenwillow Books.