Make a Splash, Read May 20, 2010

Last display case of the school year – highlighting the summer reading program. We’ll be going Monday to register for it and then on following Mondays we are in town (our pool is closed on Mondays).

I’ve spent most of the week helping close down the library. Repairing books, making new labels, cataloging new books. I’ve read several juvenille biographies – the Obama girls, Mamie Eisenhower, Queen Elizabeth I, Marie Antoinette, and others. M & L (espeically M) prefer non-fiction books and I must say, I do too!

I am still finishing Crazy Love and yesterday at the library I found, for parents only, getting inside the head of your kid. It is by Shaunti Feldhahn – I recently read her book, for women only and did the study at church. It was excellent. It really helped me understand some of the things my husband has been saying for years.

The Butterfly April 2, 2010

I was prompted to read The Butterfly when a student asked for books on the Holocaust. (I also found Someone Named Eva, by Joan M. Wolf.)

Patricia Polacco wrote The Butterfly about an event from her aunt Monique Boisseau Gaw’s childhood. Monique lived in Nazi occupied France and befriends a “ghost girl”. The friend is actually not a ghost, but a Jewish girl, Sevrine, who is hiding with her family in Monique’s cellar. The girls secretly spend time together and Monique brings things from the outside world in for Servine to see. One night she brings a papillion, a butterfly, in and the girls release it. Servine longs to be as free as the butterfly.

This is a heartwarming tale of friendship, courage and selfless giving. It does not gloss over the evil of dark parts of World history, but presents them truthfully in a way that would be appropriate for children (perhaps grade three and above). Ms. Polacco says on her website that “children understand more than we give them credit for”.

An author’s note is included in the book that gives historical background of her family being part of the French underground and resistance and information on what happened to Monique and Servine’s friendship.

If you haven’t visited Patricia Polacco’s website, you should. She has written and illustrated many wonderful tales from her life. The site (click here) also has e-postcards of Polacco’s art that you can send.

Our Fabulous Friends at the Library March 27, 2010

I wish that I had gotten more into display cases at the beginning of the year. I love doing them! I think there’s only time left to do one maybe two more before school is out. 8 more weeks! This display has stuffed animal book characters and their books. Some are fiction and some are “E” everybody books.

I’m also determined to make a giant refrigerator filled with books for children to select. “Cool Picks For Hot Days”. Now, if it would just get hot enough before school is out…….

Also wanted to share another blog, www.justonemorebook.com
It hasn’t been updated recently because the one of the authors is battling cancer. However, it has great book reviews and author interviews. Most of it is available in podcasts. Great use of media!

Team Up For Reading March 4, 2010

Still loving being in the library at school. This is my latest display case. Today, I worked on labeling new books. I love new books! It’s great reading the picture books, but I must say there are some um…interesting books out there for tweens. I have always wished that Focus on the Family reviewed books like they do movies. While FOF does some limited book reviews (and they are hard to find!), I found a great blog that reviews teen literature. It is http://teenlitreview.blogspot.com/

“There’s Snow Place Like the Library for a Good Book” January 23, 2010

I don’t have anything wonderful or witty to say about this, I just wanted to post the display case I did at work. I actually did it in the middle of December and my goal was to make somthing that would work for Christmas, but we wouldn’t have to change right away after break. It worked! This week we’ll be changing it because magazine sales and book fair are coming up. Have I mentioned I love my part time job?

HOOT – Contemporary Realistic Fiction December 3, 2008

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Hiaasen, Carl.  Hoot. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2002.  ISBN:  0375829164

 

PLOT SUMMARY

Two story lines run simultaneously in Hoot until they come together in the end.  New kid, Roy M. is trying to fit in at Trace Middle School (Coconut Grove, FL) and has encounters with a bully.  He works tirelessly to solve the mystery of the straw-blond strange looking boy he sees running by the school bus and then he joins in the cause to save the burrowing owl’s habitat that is slated for construction of a new pancake house.  In the meantime, Officer Delinko is trying to solve a case of vandalism at a construction site.  Many off-beat funny mishaps occur also including his police car being painted while he is asleep inside.  Everyone comes together in the end for a demonstration of environmental activism.

 

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

I laughed out loud while reading this book and as I blogged earlier, it kept my attention when I needed a diversion. 

 

One professional review of the book said there were “several unlikely scenes,” but I think to a middle-school reader, all the scenes were very believable.  Hiaasen did an excellent job at pacing the book without revealing too much information.  This always left new information to discover even down to end with the true name of “Mullet Fingers”.

 

I thought this was an excellent activism novel on a level that middle-schoolers could relate to and comprehend.  It was peppered with the way one feels when he moves and family issues.  Although Roy discovers something wonderful about his Dad, not all of the characters have positive outcomes in their family situations.  This kept it very real for all readers.

 

I haven’t read Hiaasen’s adult fiction, but I understand from reviews that Hoot follows his style.  As someone who has been writing about Florida since he was six years old and is currently writing a column for the Miami Herald, I believe he is accurate at capturing the correct culture, plot and setting for this book.

 

Hoot is definitely a hoot!

 

REVIEW EXCERPTS

BOOKLIST:  “In this thoroughly engaging tale of how middle-schooler Roy Eberhardt, new kid in Coconut Cove, learns to love South Florida, Hiaasen lets his inner kid run rampant, both the subversive side that loves to see grown-ups make fools of themselves and the righteously indignant side, appalled at the mess being made of our planet.”

 

HORN BOOK:  “Hoot is quintessential Hiassen – a mystery/adventure set in South Florida, peopled with original and wacky characters.”

 

CONNECTIONS

*Topics for discussion include:  activism, bullies, burrowing owls, endangered species, environmental issues, family relationships, and vandalism.

*This would be an excellent book for the class to take the lead on what topic is most important to them and what kind of response activities would be best.  Possibilities include: writing a letter to the editor, research, activist responses, take on counselor’s role for a character of the book or poetry.

*For chapter quizzes both printable and online, http://www.mce.k12tn.net/reading58/hoot.htm

*Author’s website, http://www.carlhiaasen.com/

A STEP FROM HEAVEN – Young Adult Literature December 2, 2008

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Na, An. A Step from Heaven. New York: The Penguin Group, 2001. ISBN:  9780142500279

 

PLOT SUMMARY

2002 Michael Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature

“I am a sea bubble floating, floating in a dream. Bhop”.  Young Ju at age four hears about Mi Gook (America) and thinks it must be Heaven.  A year later Young and her family move to America where she hears from her uncle that America is close, but not Heaven, it is a step from Heaven.  Young quickly learns this to be true as her family encounters many acculturation and life difficulties.  There is adjustment to school in a new country with a new language, her parents have to work many hours and they still have difficulties making ends meet, Young’s baby brother is born and her father automatically favors him because he is a boy, and her father’s alcoholism grows worse and violent.  Even through the adversity, Young Ju flourishes as she gains understanding of herself and her mother.  The novel ends with Young Ju getting ready to go to college.  She is still a dreamer, “I am a sea bubble floating, floating in a dream. Bhop.”

 

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This is a thoughtful engaging story.  In author An Na’s first novel, she presents Young Ju’s story in vignettes where the “voice” grows with Young as she moves from four years old to a young woman.  Na does an excellent job of fully developing the characters by their actions, thoughts and interactions.  A Step from Heaven is book that I read from cover to cover in one sitting because I was drawn in to Young Ju’s life, and I wanted to know how she resolved her identity and family conflict.

 

The mix of Korean thought and words and the book being in first person present tense was confusing to me at first, but it did not last long because the writing is so emotive and nicely done.  Since it was written by a Korean author, I believe the culture described to be authentic.  Many times I wondered if the story was autobiographical, but in bonus material included, the author said that it was not. 

 

Immigrants will relate to Young Ju being caught between being Korean and being American, and all teens will relate to at least one of the family struggles or friendship and identity issues portrayed.

 

REVIEW EXCERPTS

BOOKLIST: “…the coming-of-age drama will grab teens and make them think of their own conflicts between home and outside. As in the best writing, the particulars make the story universal.”

 

PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY: “The journey Na chronicles, in Young’s graceful and resonant voice is an acculturation process that is at times wrenching, at times triumphant and consistently absorbing.”

 

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “Na has effectively evoked the horror and small joys of the girl’s home life while creating sympathetic portraits of all of the members of the family. A beautifully written, affecting work.”

 

CONNECTIONS

*Have students imagine themselves going to another country to live and write about difficulties fitting in or understanding the culture of their new country.

*Read while studying immigration.

*Topics of discussion: moving, acculturation, friendship, family violence/alcoholism

*Author’s website: http://www.anwriting.com/index.html

THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES: THE FIELD GUIDE – Fantasy November 29, 2008

BIBLIOGRAPHY

DiTerlizzi, Tony, and Holly Black.  The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Field Guide, Book.  New York: Simon and Schuster, 2003.  ISBN: 0689859368

 

PLOT SUMMARY

Book one of this series begins with two letters.  The first is from one of the author’s and the second is from the Grace children who have written to the authors about an old book they found in the attic of their new house.  Before finding the book, strange things happened to the Grace children, Mallory, Jared, and Simon.  They hear something scrambling inside the wall, some of their belongings go missing, and Mallory’s hair is even knotted to her brass headboard while she sleeps. After finding the book, Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You, strange things continue to happen and finally the children make a huge, but small discovery.  This is only the beginning.

 

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

While this is the first book in the series, the story of all five books has been made into a movie. 

 

All three of the Grace children have well developed characters, but Jared most of all is a believable protagonist that older elementary children can easily relate.  He has been getting into trouble recently, is upset over his parent’s recent separation, and is blamed for the strange things happening in the house.  Readers will be drawn into the fantasy as Mallory and Simon are also drawn in and convinced of the fantastical world they are beginning to experience.

 

There is plenty of suspense, mischief, and obstacles to overcome for Book One that will engage readers and the author’s descriptions of the new house and all its discoveries will invoke imagination.  Although the theme is not fully developed in the first book, it provides an excellent introduction.

 

Almost as interesting as the fast-paced story, is the way the book looks.  It is small in size and has irregularly cut pages.  The beginning letters appear typewritten and hand-written, intricate illustrations add to the detail and a map of the Spiderwick Estate is included.  The synopsis on the back of the book is concealed by a leaf with words from the book written on it: “Go away/close the book/put it down/do not look”.

 

Even as an adult, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and even though I have seen the movie, I look forward to reading books two through five.

 

REVIEW EXCERPTS

PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY:  “This snappy story…sets the scene for the next four books planned…Appealing characters, well-measured suspense and an inviting package will lure readers on to The Seeing Stone.”

 

KIRKUS “Readers who are too young to read Harry Potter independently will find these have just the right amount of menace laced with appealing humor and are blessed with crisp pacing and, of course, DiTerlizzi’s enticingly Gothic illustrations.”

 

CONNECTIONS

*The author’s website, http://www.diterlizzi.com/

*Use the author’s site to explore and critique artwork from the books and more.

*Use bookmarked websites for students to explore further the subject of faeries.

*Children who enjoy this series may like the Lemony Snicket stories, http://www.lemonysnicket.com/books.cfm

SARAH, PLAIN AND TALL – Historical Fiction November 12, 2008

BIBLIOGRAPHY

MacLachlan, Patricia.  Sarah, Plain and Tall.  New York: HarperCollins, 1985.  ISBN:  0060241020

 

PLOT SUMMARY

1996 Newbery Medal Winner

“Did Mama sing every day?” starts off Sarah, Plain and Tall.  Anna and Caleb’s mother died the day after Caleb was born.  After their father advertises in the newspaper for a wife, Sarah Elisabeth Wheaton from Maineresponds and comes to stay with the Whitting family.  The family spends time getting to know Sarah who has a cat, loves the sea, draws, picks flowers, braids hair, and yes, sings. Anna and Caleb are worried when Sarah wants to go into town alone.  Sarah misses her home and the children are afraid she will abandon them.

 

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This book is simple, yet full of meaning.  The thoughts, actions and feelings of young Anna and Caleb reveal their everyday life and do an excellent job showing prairie life and how one their age would respond to loss.  The plot quickly develops and is good natured and easy going even though it deals with children’s fears.  MacLachlan’s writing style is extremely fluid and makes you want to keep reading.  Knowing how much material is available to go with this book, the sequels and movie only add to my delight with the story.  My fourth grade son is reading this book now in class and at first I was concerned he wouldn’t like it because the main character is a girl, but he really seems to be enjoying the story.

 

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Note:  It was difficult to find professional reviews of this book.  Several found were of the audio recording.

 

THE NEW YORK TIMES: “An exquisite, sometimes painfully touching tale.”

AMAZON.COM  “The tale gently explores themes of abandonment, loss and love.”

 

CONNECTIONS

*Also by MacLachlan and sequels to Sarah, Plain and Tall

Skylark ISBN: 0064406229

Caleb’s Story ISBN: 0060236051

*Watch the Hallmark Hall of Fame movie after reading the book.

*Many activities for geography, writing, grammar, and even science and math.

*Family, mail order brides, the prairie, westward expansion.

*Discuss something you miss and how you keep the memory alive.  Draw a picture in the way Sarah would have. 

*There is a plethora of material available on the web.  Here are just a few sites: 

http://webtech.kennesaw.edu/reading/sarahplainandtall.htm

http://www.mce.k12tn.net/reading3/sarah.htm

http://eduscapes.com/newbery/86a.html

http://www.teachnet-lab.org/miami/2003/sardinas/Sarah_Plain_&_Tall.htm

SEESAW GIRL – Historical Fiction November 12, 2008

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Park, Linda Sue.  Seesaw Girl.  Ill. by Jean and Moue-Sien Tseng.  New York: Clarion Books, 1999.  ISBN:  0395915147

 

PLOT SUMMARY

In seventeenth-century Korea, Jade Blossom is confined to her family’s Inner Court where she learns to sew and embroider, do laundry and take care of her family in preparation for the time she will do the same for her future husband.  However, Jade is free-spirited.  She causes simple mischief for her brother and yearns for the freedom to see the mountains and to see and do all the things the male members of the family do.  When Jade’s best friend and cousin, Willow, marries she is determined to see her again.  During Jade’s adventure out, she sees and learns so much, but is only more curious about the outside world and is disappointed when her cousin follows custom and won’t see her.  Jade is left to find ways to accept her place in an aristocratic family. 

 

 

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Jade, the main character of Seesaw Girl, is vivid and authentic. Readers will quickly like her playfulness and will take up her cause to know more of the world beyond the Inner Court.  The average youth of today will have no concept of the world Jade experienced.  Much discussion will be necessary to provide connections and understanding of why the plot is happening the way it does.  However, the themes of longing and contentment will be clear.

 

The setting of the home is described in detail, but information about the time is not explicit.  Perhaps it is because the protagonist doesn’t really know herself! Readers are left to interpret more about the setting based on the constraints. 

 

Seesaw Girl has a few wonderful black and white illustrations that show period dress and even capture emotion from the story.  The author ends with a note explaining Korea’s period of isolation and a bibliography.  Both are helpful in filling in details and supporting accuracy of the book. 

 

REVIEW EXCERPTS

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL:  “The story is full of lively action and vivid descriptions, enhanced by appealing black-and-white paintings to give a clear sense of the period.”

 

KIRKUS: “The evocative descriptions and Jade’s intensity in creating new ways to learn will capture and hold readers.”

 

CONNECTIONS

*Use websites to explore Korean culture today.  One is www.countryreports.org (a subscription is required).

*Explore the history of women’s rights in the United States.  Make connections with Seesaw Girl. 

*From the author’s website, http://www.lindasuepark.com/index.html

Take the multiple choice quiz.

Write to the author.

Start a swap journal with a friend. (You write in a notebook – poem, list, short story, whatever and then give it to a friend to add to your entry.  They do the same.  Keep swapping.)

*Also by Linda Sue Parks

When My Name Was Keoko ISBN: 0440419441.  This book will give a picture of life in Korea in the 1940s (as opposed to the 17^th century).