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.