SPEAK

Bibliography:

Anderson,Laurie Halse. 1999. SPEAK. New York. Penguin Group. ISBN 014131088x

Plot Summary:

Melinda, a high school freshman, is the protagonist of the story. After a horrific incident of which she can tell no one, she spirals into a dark depression, losing her ability to speak with ease. Abandoned by her friends, finding solace in her closet at school, all Melinda has left is her dedication to her art. It is this dedication that allows her to grow until she eventually sees herself as a survivor rather than as a victim. Melinda discovers that the only way to overcome evil is to speak out against it.

Critical Analysis:

Anderson uses the first person to advance the storyline in SPEAK. Her use of flashback, via Melinda remembering past events, and monologues, via a running commentary within Melinda’s thoughts, propel the story to its conclusion. Anderson’s use of symbolism is strong. For example, she uses trees to reflect Melinda’s struggles. Anderson writes of Melinda’s outward struggle determining which art medium best represents a tree while inwardly Melinda is struggling with her past. The tree in Melinda’s front yard is an additional representation of this struggle. The tree has a damaged branch, and Melinda’s father states “By cutting off the damage, you make it possible for the tree to grow again.” Another example of symbolism is Anderson’s use of closets. Melinda uses closets to escape from her surroundings. At school, she discovers an abandoned janitor’s closet which she cleans and then decorates with personal items from home, including a poster of Maya Angelou, the poet who had experienced the same trauma as had Melinda; at home Melinda sits in her bedroom closet with clothes stuffed her mouth to stifle her screams. Not being able to find another person with which to share feelings, Melinda chooses closets as her shelters and shields.

The main theme of this story is the strength of character. Anderson shows the reader that it is their choice to stay in the closet and be miserable or come out and find ways to deal with their difficulties and traumas. Once Melinda confronts her demons, she shows her strength of character by choosing the latter course. 

Experts Reviews:

“The book's overall gritty realism and Melinda's hard-won metamorphosis will leave readers touched and inspired.” Publishers Weekly

“Melinda's sarcastic wit, honesty, and courage make her a memorable character whose ultimate triumph will inspire and empower readers.” Booklist

“Melinda's sarcastic wit, honesty, and courage make her a memorable character whose ultimate triumph will inspire and empower readers.” Audiofile

“An uncannily funny book even as it plumbs the darkness, Speak will hold readers from first word to last.” The Horn Book

Connections:

Read other books by Laurie Halse Anderson:

PROM, Viking, 2005.

CATALYST, Viking, 2002.

FEVER 1793, Viking, 2000.

WHEN YOU REACH ME

Bibliography: 

Stead, Rebecca. 2009. WHEN YOU REACH ME. New York. Wendy Lamb Books. ISBN 9780385737425.

Plot Summary:

Miranda is an ordinary middle school student. She lives with her mother in a New York City apartment. Mom’s boyfriend, Richard – “Mr. Perfect (except his right leg is shorter than his left)” – spends much of his time with them. A latch-key kid, Miranda always walks home from school with her best buddy Sal. Together they navigate their neighborhood, trying to avoid the crazy man on the corner. They call him “Laughing Man.” Until one day after being punched by a strange kid, Sal abruptly ends his friendship with Miranda. That is when Miranda starts getting strange letters. The anonymous writer says he is going to save Miranda’s friend’s life and he needs her to write a letter for him. Miranda is intrigued and frightened, especially after she receives the next note which correctly predicts future events in her life.

While trying to resolve this mystery, Miranda gets caught in the daily routine of a sixth grader. She develops a friendship with classmates Annemarie and Colin, with whom she helps at Jimmy’s at their lunch time. Later, Miranda meets Marcus, the boy who hit Sal. As Miranda gets to know Marcus, she discovers that he isn’t mean, but he is extremely intelligent. Marcus provides a thought provoking commentary on Miranda’s favorite book A WRINKLE IN TIME.

One day on her way from school Miranda witnesses Sal running into traffic from Marcus. Sal is nearly hit by a truck, but Laughing Man saves Sal by kicking him out of the way and dies in his place. Miranda tries to connect the dots: she realizes that Laughing Man is travelling back from the future Marcus, who came to save her friend and was sending her letters. This book is Miranda’s mission to save Sal. She writes every detail of her adventure and must give it to present-day Marcus. It will remind him to return to the past when he discovers how to travel through time.

Critical Analysis:

Rebecca Stead created an enjoyable example of fantasy for young adults – WHEN YOU REACH ME. It is a compilation of mystery, realistic fiction, fantasy, and historical fiction (it is set in New York’s upper-Westside during 1978-79).

The heroine of WHEN YOU REACH ME is 12-year old “latchkey kid” Miranda. Miranda struggles to make sense of her world. She balances between solving mysterious letters and daily experiences like lost friendship, self-doubt, coming of age. Stead gives us access to Miranda’s internal landscape through her authentic narrative voice and well-chosen sensory details: the smell of dry-cleaner exhaust, the way her hexagonal bathroom tile shifts into different patterns when she stares at it, the mesmerizing quality of light reflected on the oily water of a saucepan.

A primary theme is the importance of friendship. Miranda and her friends learn how to develop new and to maintain friendship without stifling it. They discover that you can build a strong relationship without regard to race or wealth or other circumstances in life. As soon as A WRINKLE IN TIME appears in a book’s plot, the reader recognizes a time-travel theme. Stead reveals the secret of “tessering” – taking shortcuts through time and space. WHN YOU REACH ME is a great story about the nature of time, friendship, compassion, and sacrifice. Rebecca Stead gives kids access to the wonder, doubts, and worries of someone their age.

Experts Reviews:

2010 Newbery Medal Winner

2010 ALA Best Books for Young Adults Top 10

"Closing revelations are startling and satisfying but quietly made, their reverberations giving plenty of impetus for the reader to go back to the beginning and catch what was missed." Horn Book Magazine
"[W]hen all the sidewalk characters from Miranda's Manhattan world converge amid mind-blowing revelations and cunning details, teen readers will circle back to the beginning and say,'Wow... cool.'" --Kirkus Reviews.

"This unusual, thought-provoking mystery will appeal to several types of readers." School Library Journal.

"It's easy to imagine readers studying Miranda's story as many times as she's read L'Engle's, and spending hours pondering the provocative questions it raises." Publishers Weekly.

Connections:

Read A WRINKLE IN TIME by Madeleine L’Engle.
What role did it play in this book?
Why is it significant to the events in this story?

BABY MOUSE

SKATER GIRL

Bibliography:

Holm, Jennifer, and Matthew Holm. 2007. BABYMOUSE: SKATER GIRL. New York. Random House. ISBN 9780375939891

Plot Summary:

Best gymnast! Best kazoo player! Home run champ! Top speller! Math whiz! It looks like everybody gets their prize. Everybody, except Babymouse. But, Babymouse is one tough girl. She is not going to give up… this time. Not like she did in Little Mouse Scouts… and in ballet… and in babysitting… and in…. Because, now she has a personal coach: Bearnakova. Bearnakova is the coach who will help her to win an ice-skating trophy. Of course, Babymouse must sacrifice many things if she wants to be a champion. Things like morning sleep, cupcakes, and play-dates with friends. Soon, Babymouse realizes winning is not everything, that sometimes you are already good at something; even if that something is eating cupcakes.

Critical Analysis:

A delightful graphic novel, BABYMOUSE: SKATER GIRL is the creation of brother and sister team Matthew Holm and Jennifer Holm. Babymouse is the star of this popular, award-winning, hilarious, pink graphic novel series.  Kids love Babymouse, who is sassy and a little clumsy. She is the kind of character with which many of us can identify. She dreams of being popular and beautiful; in real life she is just like you and me. She makes mistakes, she has her enemies, and she is loved by her friends and family. Babymouse carries a lesson for both children and adults: it isn’t necessary to be a champion to be happy in life. “Sometimes you have to quit to find out what makes you happy.”

Presented in black and white with pink highlights, this episode from the BABYMOUSE series is sure to delight readers who appreciate the adventures and misadventures of this charming mouse girl.

Experts Reviews:

"Move over, Superman, here comes Babymouse!" The Chicago Sun-Times.

"Nobody puts Babymouse in the corner!" The Horn Book.

"Cute, smart, sassy Babymouse is fun and funny, and this book, like its predecessors, will draw reluctant readers as well as Babymouse fans." Booklist.

"An almost absurdly likeable heroine." The Bulletin

Connections:

Other books in the Babymouse Series:

Babymouse : Burns Rubber (2010)
Babymouse : Cupcake Tycoon (2010)
Babymouse : The Musical (2009)
Babymouse : Dragonslayer (2009)
Babymouse : Puppy Love (2007)
Babymouse : Camp Babymouse (2007)
Babymouse : Heartbreaker (2006)
Babymouse : Rockstar (2006)

Visit the  Babymouse website:

www.babymouse.com

OKAY FOR NOW

Bibliography:

Schmidt, Gary D. 2011. OKAY FOR NOW. New York. Clarion Books. ISBN 9780547152608

Plot Summary:

When Doug Swieteck moves to Marysville, New York, he feels he doesn’t belong there. The small town in upstate New York seems strange and boring. Doug lands there in the summer of 1968, the year when the Apollo space missions are preparing to land on the moon, Joe Pepitone is playing for the New York Yankees, and the Vietnam War is raging. Doug shares “The Dump”, as he names his new home, with his mother – a quiet and submissive housewife; his father – who has lost his way; and his older brother Christopher– who is accused of robbery. His oldest brother Lucas is on his way home from Vietnam “a little bit different. Everyone comes home from Vietnam a little bit different.”

Doug knows it will be a long and difficult year at Washington Irving Junior High School. He must deal with his nagging gym teacher, the suspicions of his other teachers that thievery might run in families, and the constant arguments that occur in his own home. However, the days seem to brighten after he shares a “really cold Coke” with Lil Spicer, a green-eyed girl whose family owns Spicer’s Deli. Lil introduces Doug to the local library. It is at the library where he first encounters the plate collection of John James Audubon’s Birds of America. He also meets Mr. Powell, the librarian. With the help of Mr. Powell, Doug discovers his penchant for drawing.

As Doug attempts to capture his world through the eyes of an artist, he opens another as strange to him as the lunar landscape. Brick by brick Doug begins building a house of self-confidence. But, he is not alone. His helpers are the customers to whom he delivers groceries on Saturdays, those who share with him chocolate donuts or their daily chores, his father’s boss, with whom Doug sometimes pitches horse-shoes, and Mrs. Windermere, a local script-writer who drags Doug to the Broadway play. Everything seems okay, for now. Will it continue to remain so, even if Lil is terminally ill? Here the author leaves us, balancing on our reflections about life, relationships, and love.

Critical Analysis:

“OKAY FOR NOW” is a novel of the famous writer Gary D. Schmidt - a Newberry Award winner. This book is an outstanding example of Schmidt’s figment of imagination sprinkled with historical facts. It takes place in the late 1960’s, the era when mankind is about to take its giant leap onto the surface of the moon. The main character, Doug Swietek, is stuck in stupid Marysville, New York. He seems to be an ordinary 8th grader, but his mission to recover the missing pages of the Audubon book makes him to stand out among his peers. Doug is a witness to the horrors of the wounds suffered in the Vietnam War when his brother returns home blind and without legs. At the same time, Schmidt wants to show the reader the positive turbulence of the late 60s – especially within the Space Race.

One of the primary themes present throughout the book is the theme of coming of age. Each of the characters learns lessons about growing up and dealing with responsibilities in life. Doug deals a lot with puberty and changes in his body, as well as those in his feelings. His brothers Lucas and Chris come of age as they realize they don’t want to turn out like their abusive father. Readers can also find leitmotif, as Schmidt writes about the power of a mother’s love and standing up for what one believes in.

Schmidt presents his story in first person monologue. Doug speaks directly to the audience, using short, easy flowing sentences in a language appropriate for his age in the era the story is set. The rarity of metaphors and similes makes the reading inviting and pleasurable. 

Experts Reviews:

A New York Times Bestseller

A Children's Choice Award winner

An ALA Notable Children's Book

An ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults Pick

"Readers will miss Doug and his world when they're done, and will feel richer for having experienced his engaging, tough, and endearing story."
School Library Journal

"This is Schmidt's best novel yet."
 Kirkus Reviews

"Stealthily powerful."
 Booklist

Connections:

Read more books by Gary Schmidt:

THE WEDNESDAY WARS

WHAT CAME FROM THE STARS

LIZZIE BRIGHT AND THE BUCKMISTER BOY

Visit the author's website:

http://www.hmhbooks.com/schmidt/index.html

ONE CRAZY SUMMER

Bibliography:

Williams-Garcia, Rita. 2010. ONE CRAZY SUMMER. New York. Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN 9780060760885

Plot Summary:

It is summer, 1968. Delphine and her younger sisters Vonetta and Fern are on their way from Brooklyn, New York to Oakland, California. They are to meet their mother Cecile, who left them and their father. The girls haven’t seen their mother since Fern “needed her milk,” Vonetta “needed to be picked up,” and Delphine “was four going on five.” The three sisters cannot wait to arrive in California. They are anxious to visit Disneyland, meet movie stars, and maybe, learn the truth about the missing pieces of their past. But, their mother, now a poet, seems too busy to fulfill the girls’ dreams. She makes them eat Chinese takeout dinners, forbids them to enter her kitchen, and never explains the stranger visitors with Afros and black berets. Instead she sends her daughters to spend all day at the People’s Center, which is run by the Black Panther. There they learn more about their mother and the Black Panther’s revolutionary ideas. There also, the bond of sisterhood that connects them is strengthened.

Critical Analysis:

ONE CRAZY SUMMER is a book about a child’s perspective of social change and the Black Panther movement. Delphine is learning about the world around her through important events, such as Bobby Hutton’s assassination, and historical figures such as Huey Newton.

At first glance, this book is about issues: identity, the Civil Rights Movement, sisterhood, and one’s responsibility to family. But above all it is a book about a summer of discovery. As Delphine grows to understand the complexities of the world around her, she learns that the reasons her mother left are equally complex. By the end of the book Delphine accepts that she will never have the daughter-mother relationship she so desires. But, she does come to understand the reasons for Cecile’s choices.

All three sisters, Delphine, Vonetta, Fern, have strong, independent personalities. Their relationship is like any other among siblings: there are fights and disagreements, but also moments of love and caring. These leitmotifs are unchangeable through time. Though the story’s protagonist – Delphine - is mature for a girl of eleven, she does and says things that are beyond her age, deep down she is just a young child who has a huge, unfair burden.

The style of writing allows the telling of a good story sprinkled with social commentary. It is a thought provoking story that is fun and heartbreaking.  

  

Experts Reviews:

2011 Coretta Scott King Award Winner

2011 Newbery Honor Book

2011 Scott O’Dell Prize for Historical Fiction

2010 National Book Award Finalist

Junior Library Guild Selection

Texas Library Association Best Book for 2010

Set during a pivotal moment in African American history, this vibrant novel shows the subtle ways that political movements affect personal lives; but just as memorable is the finely drawn, universal story of children reclaiming a reluctant parent’s love.

Booklist

Each girl has a distinct response to her motherless state, and Williams-Garcia provides details that make each characterization crystal clear. The depiction of the time is well done, and while the girls are caught up in the difficulties of adults, their resilience is celebrated and energetically told with writing that snaps off the page.
School Library Journal

Connections:

Invite children to imagine that they are one of the Cecile's daughters and ask them to write a letter to Cecile after their return to Brooklyn.

Read some poems by Langston Hughest:

DREAMS

COMES THE COLORED HOUR

LET AMERICA BE AMERICA AGAIN

What would Delphine thing about this poems?

Read other Books by Williams-Garcia:

BLUE TIGHTS.

FAST TALK ON A SLOW TRACK. 

LIKE SISTERS ON THE HOMEFRONT.

EVERY TIME A RAINBOW DIES. 

NO LAUGHTER HERE.

RODZINA

Bibliography:  

Cushman, Karen. 2003. RODZINA. New York. Random House Children's Books. ISBN 044041993-X

Plot Summary:

Rodzina Clara Jadviga Anastazya Brodski, a twelve year old orphan, is going on the orphan train from Chicago to the west. It is the cold spring of 1881. Rodzina is a girl from a family of Polish immigrants. She is on her way to the unknown. As the miles go by, Rodzina’s story is revealed. Her younger, twin brothers have died in a fire; Papa has been killed by a runaway horse in Chicago’s stockyards; and Mama died from aching (putrid fever). Rodzina is left alone in the whole wide world, sent away with other orphans to strange, unknown places to be “traded into slavery”, though they call it “adopted by a family.” 

The wound of losing her family is still fresh. Everything reminds Rodzina of her lost loved ones: “the flat, stubby prairie looked like Papa’s face when he needed a shave.” It seems to Rodzina that no one cares about her future, especially “cold and frosty” Miss Doctor who is assigned to take care of the orphans on their way to California.

Being the oldest among the children on the train car, Rodzina unwillingly takes on the responsibility of looking after a group of orphans. She grows closer to funny and cheery Mickey Dooley, naïve “feeble-minded” Lacey, and always fighting Joe and Sammy. 

As the train stops at numerous stations, and orphans are taken home by their new families, Rodzina is waiting for her “perfect” family: a mama, a papa, and two brothers. Twice, Rodzina is sent from the train to be adopted; twice, she is returned to the train. The first family consisted of two old-maid sisters who were looking for a “strong back and hands” to do the chores. The second family was a father of thirteen children looking for a replacement for his soon to be dead wife. At the end of the trip only “unwanted” Rodzina and Miss Doctor remain. Unexpectedly for the reader, after this hard and uneven journey, these two find family in each other. Though the future will be full of difficulties for a female doctor and a young girl, they know they will face it together.

Critical analysis:

Karen Cushman, an author of many award-winning historical fiction books for young adults, wrote RODZINA as a tribute to her own family’s roots. Not only did she research her family tree for this book, she also researched the time period for the setting of the story. More information is included in her Author’s Note at the end of the book.

Most of the characters in this story are children aged two to twelve. They seem real and believable, their language mirroring their social background. Rodzina, the story’s protagonist, is forced to grow up in the blink of an eye, yet is full of domestic wisdom. Like the other orphans, she is a scared child. But, she finds the optimism to encourage others. Her stories, quick-witted and full of good humor, enlighten the spirit of all who listen. 

The story of Rodzina is not sugar-coated: it reveals the dark societal realities of the time. Cushman vividly describes America’s prairies, American and Polish historical events, and the Cheyenne Indians Rodzina encounters on her journey. Cushman provides opportunities for readers to make comparisons between the present and the past by filling the back-story with examples of pricing and travel times. For example when Rodzina notices the price of a dental filling, and when she mentions it takes all night to travel twenty-five miles by wagon.

RODZINA is about the search for family. But, for today’s readers it can provide an opportunity to reflect on their own families: what they appreciate about their parents; why family is important; and, how they can express their love for their family.

Cushman’s style of writing is meaningful and compelling. Her characters use vocabulary and speech patterns typical of that era: outhouse, prigger, a mite. Cushman also incorporates a smattering of Polish into Rodzina’s vocabulary. RODZINA is a wonderful way for children of today to take a glimpse into the past through the eyes of their peer.

Experts Reviews:

Parents' Choice Gold Award

Booklist Editor's Choice

Child Magazine, Best Books of the Year

“Engaging characters, a vivid setting, and a prickly but endearing heroine... first-person narrative captures... personality and spirit...poignancy, humor.”
School Library Journal, starred review

"Rodzina is prickly, stubborn, and heart-sore but she's also honest, likable and smart...Enough unpredictability to nicely unsettle expectations."
The Horn Book

"A natural for American history or social studies classes...especially interesting as a women's history title...a great story."
Booklist, starred review

Connections:

Read other books by Karen Cushman:

WILL SPARROW'S ROAD

MATILDA BONE

THE MIDWIFE'S APPRENTICE

THE BALLAD OF LUCY WHIPPLE

THE BRAIN
 OUR NERVOUS SYSTEM

Bibliography:

Simon, Seymour. 1997. THE BRAIN: OUR NERVOUS SYSTEM. Smithsonian. ISBN 9780060877187.

Plot Summary:

Author Seymour Simon invites you to wiggle your toes and scratch your nose. These activities, and many others, are under the control of your brain, your body’s remarkable message center. The brain is made up of microscopic cells, such as neurons, which carry signals from the brain to other parts of the body. Neurons are very important in our daily lives. For example, if you touch something hot with your finger, signals travel through different kinds of nerves (bundles of neurons) in order to reach the brain. Your brain receives the “hot” message and then sends a response to your spinal cord and to your motor nerves so that you can move your arm and get your poor finger out of harm’s way. This example gives you an idea of the complexity of the brain and the interdependence of the cells in the body. Every day when you run, read, solve a problem, breathe, or throw a ball, remember to be grateful for your “wrinkled blob of pinkish gray jelly” that we know as the brain. Simon’s informative text and full-page illustrations will help you to discover many fascinating features of the brain.

Critical Analysis:

The accuracy of this title is assured to Simon's reputation and his works in the science field. Seymour Simon wrote over 250 books on science subjects. All of these books, including THE BRAIN OUR NERVOUS SYSTEM, are photo essay books.

While there is a lack of reference aides (indexes, table of contents, subheadings), the information is presented in a clear logical layout. The design of the book is attractive thanks to greatly magnified full color photos. The style of writing is clear and interesting. The author introduces the complicated scientific information in an easy comprehensive way.

Expert Reviews:

"Full-color photographs, computer simulations, drawings, and three-dimensional models are used to grand effect to clarify, explain, and celebrate the remarkably complex system of brain and nerves; the large format, often with white type on black paper and full-page photos, is visually striking." Kirkus Reviews.

"Simon brings his deft touch to an explanation of the brain and the nervous system. His clear, concise writing style is complemented by stunning color images."  School Library Journal.

"The vivid illustrations catch the eye, but the clearly written text provides a fuller understanding of what happens in various parts of the brain and nervous system." Booklist.

Connections:

Read some of Simon's other titles about the body, including:
BONES: OUR SKELETAL SYSTEM
GUTS: OUR DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
MUSCLES: OUR MUSCULAR SYSTEM

DRAWING FROM MEMORY 

Bibliography: Say,Allen. 2011. DRAWING FROM MEMORY. Scholastic press. New York. ISBN 9780545176866

Plot Summary:

DRAWING FROM MEMORY is an autobiography written by the famous artist and writer Allen Say. In this book Say describes his childhood in Japan. From his birth in 1937 Say’s family moved from one place to another changing homes schools, and friends. The only escapes for Say were reading and drawing. “When I was drawing, I was happy. I didn’t need toys or friends or parents.”

After his parents separated, Say moved to Tokyo. He lived with his grandmother, but when he turned twelve he was given a place of his own. Perhaps it was this freedom and independence that led Say on his path to a career as an artist? But, his true inspiration came when he met the famous cartoonist Noro Shinpei, who would later become Say’s sensei (teacher) and, later, his spiritual father.

In 1952 Say received a letter from his birth father. He had remarried and was inviting Say to immigrate to America with his new family. Say was hesitant. He longed for new adventures and opportunities, but at the same time, he dreaded separating from his master and spiritual father, Noro Shinpei. Finally, Say made the decision to accept his father’s invitation.  During his last ten months in Japan, Say tried to “remember what [he] saw and felt. Soon, all would be [the] memories” he carried throughout his life weaving them into his outstanding art of writings and drawings. 

Critical Analysis:

Allen Say is one of the most famous American artists today. He is the recipient of many awards, including being awarded the Caldecott Medal for his book   GRANDFATHER’S JOURNEY. Though Say does not present any documentation to support his autobiographical book DRAWING FROM MEMORY, there is little doubt of its accuracy. Some of the dialogue used in the book may not be verbatim, and may be a product of his imagination, but overall, Say takes his readers on an interesting and informational journey of a young man finding himself as an artist.

The information in the book is presented in chronological order: from his birth in Japan to his departure to the “New World”. Seeing the world through the prism of drawing, Allen Say offers a great variety of visual rather than verbal access features. The design of the book makes it attractive and inviting. The text is complimented by a kaleidoscope of the author’s illustrations and cartoons and photographs from his personal collection. Interestingly, Say uses various drawing styles and techniques in his illustrations so that the book offers a wide range of images - from black and white to full vibrant colors. Soy’s illustrations have a powerful effect serving to both compliment the textual images and as a glossary defining some of the phrasing used in the text.

Allen Say is undoubtedly a master of the brush and pen. Say writes using clear, easy to understand, and interesting language. Telling the story of his life, Allen Say is not glorifying himself; rather he is inviting the reader into his work, his books, and his ideas. Readers of DRAWING FROM MEMORY will deepen their knowledge and appreciation of the cultural aspects of Japan, learn some techniques of drawing, and enjoy the vivid and lively story of Allen Say’s life.

Review Experts:

2012 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Honor Book

"Exquisite drawings, paintings, comics and photographs balance each other perfectly as they illustrate Say’s childhood path to becoming an artist." Kirkus Reviews

"This visual memoir is captivating and always unexpected."Chicago Tribune

Connections:

Read more books written and illustrated by Allen Say:

GRANDFATHER'S JOURNEY

• THE SIGN PAINTER
• EL CHINO
• STRANGER IN THE MIRROR
• THE BICYCLE MAN
• TEA WITH MILK
• ALLISON
• UNDER THE CHERRY BLOSSOM TREE
• Read the following quote from Allen Say. What do you think it means?
• "Most people seem to be interested in turning their dreams into reality. Then there are those who turn reality into dreams. I belong to the latter group."

Visit Allen Say's website
http://www.uvm.edu/~litblock/webquest/236Spring2003/Shelit/

Invite local artists to listen to their stories. 

KAKAPO RESCUE 

SAVING THE WORLD'S STRANGEST PARROT

Bibliography:

 Montgomery, Sy. 2010. KAKAPO RESCUE: SAVING THE WORLD'S STRANGEST PARROT. Photograhps by Nic Bishop. New York. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 9780618494170 

Plot Summary:

Kakapo Rescue is an outstanding example of the photo-essay type of books. It is written and illustrated by animal-lovers Sy Montgomery and Nic Bishop, respectively. The subject of the book is rescuing Kakapo, a type of parrot on the edge of extinction. Weighing up to nine pounds, the Kakapo is the heaviest parrot on Earth. It is also one of the rarest: there are only 91 Kakapo parrots left.

Sy Montgomery and Nic Bishop arrived on Codfish Island, a remote island off New Zealand’s southern coast, to join the National Kakapo Rescue Team. This book is a result of their ten day observations on the island. Each member of the team has a unique skillset and performs different tasks. There are rangers, technical support officers, volunteers, a film maker, and a cook: “[the] most important job on the island, making sure everyone is well-fed and happy.”

As the days go by, Montgomery and Bishop witness little miracles on the island. They observe the hatching and feeding of Kakapo chicks and the preparing and delivery of special food for the parrots. They even share in the team’s gardening efforts.

Readers following the author’s adventures get to know these odd, flightless, nocturnal birds. Readers learn why these parrots’ feathers smell like honey, if these birds have whiskers, why they build their nests underground, and much more. And, this book not only informs us about one of the most endangered species of parrot, but also shows us the passion of humans whose mission it is to save these beautiful and rare birds.

Critical Analysis:

Sy Montgomery, a well-known naturalist, documentary script writer and radio communicator, also writes award-winning books for children and adults. Her book, Kakapo Rescue, includes historically and scientifically accurate facts. The information in the book is supported by a bibliography at the end of the book.

This informative book is organized like a chapter-book. Each of the nine chapters reveals an interesting story and facts about the life of Kakapo. The information is presented in a logical layout: from general facts about Kakapo and how they almost became extinct to the detailed planning of their rescue.

The design of the book is inviting and attractive. The full color illustrations reveal the breathtaking flora and fauna of Codfish Island, and compliment the text. Montgomery uses her unique style of writing to make the presentation of information lively and interesting. It encourages curiosity, and will not leave the reader indifferent to the future of the beautiful, mossy-green Kakapo.

Expert Reviews:

 Winner of the Robert F. Sibert Medal for the most distinguished nonfiction children's book of 2010.

 KAKAPO RESCUE has been named one of 16 finalists for the American Association for the Advance of Science's 2011 Science 'Books and Films Prizes', for Excellence in Science Books.

KAKAPO RESCUE has been selected as a Kirkus Best Book of the Year 2010.

Booklist named KAKAPO RESCUE one of the Top 10 Sci-Tech titles for Youth!

KAKAPO RESCUE received a Blue Ribbon from The Bulletin for the Center for Children's Books choices for the best books of 2010!

A Junior Library Guild Selection

Connections:

Have a talk about other animals that are almost extinct.

Read more books written by Sy Montgomery with photographs by Nic Bishop:

QUEST FOR THE TREE KANGAROO: AN EXPEDITION TO THE CLOUD FOREST OF NEW GUINEA. 

SAVING THE GHOST OF THE MOUNTAIN:AN EXPEDITION AMONG SNOW LEOPARDS IN MONGOLIA.

THE SNAKE SCIENTIST. 

THE TARANTULA SCIENTIST.

Organize a "did you know" bulletin board with interesting facts about rare animals.

What my Mother Doesn't Know

What My Mother Doesn't Know

Bibliography: 

Sones, Sonya. 2001. WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN'T KNOW. New York. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9780689855535

Plot Summary:

Told as a series of poems, WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN'T KNOW, by Sonya Sones, is one of the popular verse novels for young adults. The story centers around fifteen year-old Sophie and her quest for love – and her mother’s acceptance. Sophie spends the beginning of her school year progressing through a series of torrid love affairs with all the teenage angst one would expect to find among people her age. Then at the Halloween Dance, a masked man mysteriously enters her world; and, just as mysteriously, exits, leaving Sophie “wondering if there could be such a thing as ‘love at first dance.’”  Who could the Masked Man be? And, just as importantly in the mind of this teenage woman, will her friends Rachel and Grace accept him? 

Just as Sophie starts off on what may be the most important journey of her life, she has a falling out with her mother. Though Sophie’s family has never been close-knit - her mother prefers watching soap operas to the company of her husband or to that of her daughter; and Sophie cannot remember her father ever kissing her or hugging her – she yearns for a closeness towards her parents that might help guide her on her difficult and, at times, terrifying journey towards love. 

As Winter Break begins, Sophie finds herself alone. Rachel and Grace have traveled to warmer environs. Her parents have self-exiled themselves: her mother to her world of Soaps; her father to his world of business. Alone and lonely, Sophie decides to take herself on a Tour of Boston Vacation. There she bumps into Murphy, a classmate who everyone finds “too pitiful to even bother making fun of.” As Sophie and Murphy explore Boston, sharing their common interest of art along the way, Sophie starts to feel the unexpected. Where will this lead?  And, what will become of her mysterious “Masked Man”?

Sones uses her exceptional grasp of what it means to a teenager to be in love to answer these questions.

Critical Analysis:

The poet Sonya Sones presents Sophie as a dynamic character. The reader can follow the changes in Sophie’s thinking, behavior, and mood as the story progresses. By the story’s end, Sophie has transformed from the “typical” teenage girl, someone who values the approval of her peers above all others and who judges her books by their covers, to a sophisticated young woman who makes her own decisions and is true to herself and the love she has found. Sophie discovers it does not matter what other people think of her. Through Sophie, Sones shows young readers trying to be something they are not, that it is okay to be different; that it is important, as Shakespeare put it, “To thine own self be true.” In addition to the stress Sophie feels of maintaining relationships between friends and boyfriends, she struggles to understand her mother and, in return, to be understood by her. Their relationship is strained to the point of Sophie accepting that “What my mother doesn’t know won’t hurt me.” Sophie finally finds the paternal presence missing from her life in the unexpected form of Murphy’s mother and father. 

Sones uses language and imagery to elicit from the reader strong emotions. Through poetry, specifically free verse, she has achieved what might have been lost had she written in the more conventional style found in novels and short stories.  She also uses the poems structure, that is to say, the way in which the words are laid on the page, to convey meanings of confusion and enlightenment, to name a few. And, though a hand full of the poems do follow a rhyming scheme, Sones use of free verse makes the story’s imagery and character development that much more believable.  

Review Experts:

A Junior Library Guild Selection

International Reading Association Young Adult's Choice 2003

2001 Booklist Editor's Choice

American Library Association 2002 Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers

American Library Association 2002 Best Book for Young Adults 

"A verse experience that will leave readers sighing with recognition and satisfaction" Kirkus Reviews.

"honest...destined to captivate" Publishers Weekly.

Connections:

Other books of Sonya Sones:

WHAT MY GIRLFRIEND DOESN'T KNOW.

ONE OF THOSE HIDEOUS BOOKS, WHERE THE MOTHER DIES.

STOP PRETENDING: WHAT HAPPENED WHEN MY BIG SISTER WENT CRAZY. 

A Curious Collection of Cats

A Curious Collection of Cats

Bibliography:

Franco, Betsy. 2009. A CURIOUS COLLECTION OF CATS. Ill. by Michael Wertz. Berkeley,CA: Tricycle Press. ISBN 9781582462486

Plot Summary:

A delightful collection of poems about adorable "couch-scratching" and "mouse-catching" cats. In all thirty-four lively visual poems, award winning poet Betsy Franco portrays cats' peculiar behavior. You are never quite sure what a cat is going to do next. In each poem a reader meets a cat, who has its own kind of adventure, from "toilet-bowl-sipping" to "acrobat-flipping."

Critical Analysis: 

This Individual Poet Compilation book is a perfect choice for cat lovers of all ages. A beautiful combination of verse, word art, and illustration leads a reader to a world of feline-centric poetry.  

Betsy Franco’s poetry is engaging and fun. Her use of alliteration and assonance coupled with the orientation of her words on the page reinforces the imagery of Michael Wertz’s illustrations. For instance, in the poem “balancing act”, Franco calls Kabob “an agile athlete”, writing the words beneath a picture of a “buff” Kabob, then writes the words “even falling upside down” upside down beneath a picture of Kabob falling upside down. In the poem, “tabitha’s tail”, Franco’s words are written in the shape of the cat’s tail as illustrated by Wertz. Even the choice of colors and contrasts compliments the mood of the poems. Such is the case in “shadow’s dream” where Wertz uses black and varying shades of blue to create a moonlit shadow of a cat pursuing a mouse, while Franco’s words describe the cat’s dream.

Experts Reviews:

An ABC Best Book for Children

Together, poet and artist convey the silliness of cats and their humans without ever being silly themselves. The Horn Book Review.

"Every cat lover and classroom will want to add this purrfect book to their libraries, and will certainly want to share this on ewith a cat or two." Review, Language Arts, July 1, 2010

"Cat lovers will recognize the standoffs with arching backs, the cozy touch of the 'purrfect' scarf on their shoulders, and the tech-savvy cat who walks across the keyboard to add her own note to an e-mail to a friend.” Booklist

Connections:

Read some more "cats"books:

KITTEN'S FIRST FULL MOON by Kevin Henkes,

MILLIONS OF CATS by Wanda Gag,

SPLAT THE CAT by Rob Scotton.

              

Read other books by Betsy Franco:

BIRDSONGS,

POND CIRCLE,

MESSING AROUND ON MONKEYS BARS: AND OTHER SCHOOL POEMS FOR TWO VOICES.