Bibliography
Gantos, Jack. 2000. Joey Pigza Loses Control. New York: Random House Listening Library. ISBN 1-4000-8616-7.
Plot Summary
The story begins when Joey's mom is taking him to spend the summer with his father Carter Pigza in Pittsburgh. His father has told his mother he is not drinking anymore and his alcoholism is under control. Joey wears a patch daily with medication to control his ADHD. The medicine keeps him in control. Joey knows that his mother loves him. He does not even know his dad. He plans to spend the summer with him with the desire to get his father to love him too. He begins to pitch for the baseball team that his father is coaching. He is also living with his grandmother who is grumpy and dying from emphysema. She continues to smoke between breathing with the oxygen. Joey learns that his father is hyperactive just like him. He self medicates it with alcohol. His dad is still drinking. His father takes him to Storybook Land where he has conversations with storybook characters. His father loves to talk, but never really listens to Joey. One day Joey's father flushes his nicotine patches and Joey's medicine patches away down the toilet. He does not believe they need them. Joey really wants to be normal. He tries talking to himself, but realizes he is losing it daily. During a championship game Joey ends up running away to a mall to call his mom to tell her the secret. She picks him up to bring him home.
Critical Analysis
This is the unabridged production sequel to Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key. It begins with Joey changing a patch daily with medicine to control his ADHD. When his father flushes his patches down the toilet Joey is afraid of turning into the child he used to be. He wants to believe his father that he is normal. He begins to feel more and more out of control every day. Everyone knows someone with ADHD today. Gantos lets the reader feel what it is like to be a child with ADHD. Jack Gantos, the author tells the story himself with inflection in his voice when he changes characters. The sound quality of the CD is very clear. The pronunciation was very clear. The listening experience was enjoyable. Joey does not want to go back to the child he used to be who was out of control. He feels himself slipping daily. Joey realizes that his father needs help too. Joey's father never realizes that Joey needs his medicine even though he is hyper and talkative. Their is humor in the story with Joey's pet chihuahua, and other events like when he covers his body in shave cream. It would be a great read aloud for a class.
Review Excerpt(s)
Young Readers Choice Award 2003
John Newberry Medal 2001
ALSC Notable recording
AudioFile Earphones Award
Booklist (Susan Dove 2000): "Gantos has given Joey a remarkably vivid personality, and, blending irrepressible humor with a powerful depiction of a child's longing for normalcy, he has written a dead-on portrayal of a young person assessing the often self-serving behavior of the adults who control his life."
Children's Literature (Susan Wilde): "Gantos' writing excellence shows in the way he allows the reader to draw conclusions, while Joey only experiences situations. Gantos still gives us what we love best about Joey--neither medicine nor a bad situation can take away his comic responses."
Kirkus 2000: "A tragic tale in many ways, but a triumph too."
VOYA 2001(Ruth Cox): "Through Joey's narration, Gantos brilliantly portrays the often-manic pace of an ADHD mind, but he alleviates the tension with touches of humor."
Connections
-Read Joey Pigza Swallows the Key
-Read the story aloud. Stop and discuss the book.
- Students write a postcard about Joey has done with his dad. Draw a picture on one side.
-Students in a small group write a reader's theater scene from their favorite part of the book.
- Students make baseball cards depicting each of the characters (mom, Carter, Grandma, Pablo)
-interview someone with ADHD. Compare the person they interviewed to Joey.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Middle School is Worse than Meatloaf: a year told through stuff - Genre 6
Bibliography
Holm, Jennifer L. 2007. Middle School is Worse than Meatloaf. Illustrated by Elicia Castaldi. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0689852819.
Plot Summary
Jennifer Holm tells about the year of a seventh grade girl named Ginny Davis in middle school. The book begins with a back to school list and Ginny's to do list with ten items. The reader learns about Ginny and her family during her seventh grade year in school. The reader learns that her father was killed by a drunk driver. She has a five year old brother that drives her crazy at times. She has an older brother that gets in trouble with her family and then ends up in trouble with the law. She has a grandfather in Florida. Her mom gets remarried to a man named Bob whom Ginny has to get used to. The reader learns of her first kiss, problems with a friend who gets the part she wants in the Nutcracker and the brain project for the science fair. She loves to look for advice in magazines and horoscopes which end up with disappointment and repair bills. The story ends at the end of the school year with a to do list for Summer.
Critical Analysis
Jennifer Holm writes a creative story about Ginny Davis during her seventh grade year. The reader learns about Ginny and her family through top ten to do lists, bank statements, hand written notes to her friends and mom (Management), horoscopes, cards from Grandpa, English compositions, report cards, receipts, repair bills, instant messages, pictures, and drawings. The reader has to pay attention to everything on the page. The pages are very colorful and the printing, cursive writing, and font change quickly. You don't feel like you are reading a story. You feel like you are eavesdropping on the life of a twelve year old girl in seventh grade. The pictures and drawings add details to the story. The writing is clever. You need to read everything on the page carefully. Ginny reads about taking a bubble bath and then you find a receipt where she buys the items and then you find a few pages later a plumbing repair bill. The writing is humorous at times too. It is an enjoyable light hearted read.
Review Excerpt(s)
2008-2009 Texas Lone Star Reading List
Capital Choice 2008
Booklist (Suzanne Harold 2007): "Hidden among the detritus of a life lies a touching, funny story of Ginny’s tumultuous year as her mother remarries, her brother’s pranks escalate, and she struggles to find a new best friend. While none of the themes are explored deeply, the book makes a fun, appealing read."
Children's Literature (Mary Quattlebaum): "The form is brilliant and the voice fresh and funny."
Kirkus 2007: "Humor balances the serious issues. Middle-school readers will recognize Ginny's world and enjoy piecing together the plot through the bits and pieces of "stuff" depicted in Castaldi's collages."
Horn Book 2008: "A well-rounded portrait of Ginny and her family shines through the concise entries."
Connections
Holm, Jennifer L. 2007. Middle School is Worse than Meatloaf. Illustrated by Elicia Castaldi. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0689852819.
Plot Summary
Jennifer Holm tells about the year of a seventh grade girl named Ginny Davis in middle school. The book begins with a back to school list and Ginny's to do list with ten items. The reader learns about Ginny and her family during her seventh grade year in school. The reader learns that her father was killed by a drunk driver. She has a five year old brother that drives her crazy at times. She has an older brother that gets in trouble with her family and then ends up in trouble with the law. She has a grandfather in Florida. Her mom gets remarried to a man named Bob whom Ginny has to get used to. The reader learns of her first kiss, problems with a friend who gets the part she wants in the Nutcracker and the brain project for the science fair. She loves to look for advice in magazines and horoscopes which end up with disappointment and repair bills. The story ends at the end of the school year with a to do list for Summer.
Critical Analysis
Jennifer Holm writes a creative story about Ginny Davis during her seventh grade year. The reader learns about Ginny and her family through top ten to do lists, bank statements, hand written notes to her friends and mom (Management), horoscopes, cards from Grandpa, English compositions, report cards, receipts, repair bills, instant messages, pictures, and drawings. The reader has to pay attention to everything on the page. The pages are very colorful and the printing, cursive writing, and font change quickly. You don't feel like you are reading a story. You feel like you are eavesdropping on the life of a twelve year old girl in seventh grade. The pictures and drawings add details to the story. The writing is clever. You need to read everything on the page carefully. Ginny reads about taking a bubble bath and then you find a receipt where she buys the items and then you find a few pages later a plumbing repair bill. The writing is humorous at times too. It is an enjoyable light hearted read.
Review Excerpt(s)
2008-2009 Texas Lone Star Reading List
Capital Choice 2008
Booklist (Suzanne Harold 2007): "Hidden among the detritus of a life lies a touching, funny story of Ginny’s tumultuous year as her mother remarries, her brother’s pranks escalate, and she struggles to find a new best friend. While none of the themes are explored deeply, the book makes a fun, appealing read."
Children's Literature (Mary Quattlebaum): "The form is brilliant and the voice fresh and funny."
Kirkus 2007: "Humor balances the serious issues. Middle-school readers will recognize Ginny's world and enjoy piecing together the plot through the bits and pieces of "stuff" depicted in Castaldi's collages."
Horn Book 2008: "A well-rounded portrait of Ginny and her family shines through the concise entries."
Connections
-Students can compare and contrast their life to Ginny Davis
-Separate students into groups. Groups hold discussions on the book. There is so much in the book everyone may find something different to add to the conversation.
-Each group reads another graphic novel to compare this one to it.
Monday, July 20, 2009
How I Live Now - Genre 6
Bibliography
Rosoff, Meg. 2004. How I Live Now. New York: Wendy Lamb Books. ISBN 0-553-37605-5.
Plot Summary
Fifteen-year-old Daisy leaves her home and life in New York to live with her Aunt Penn and cousins that she has only seen in photographs. She is battling anorexia and her stepmother. Her mother has died and her father has remarried. She is sent to England to live with her mother's sister on their farm while her father and stepmother are expecting a baby. She meets her cousins Osbert (16), Isaac and Edmond (14 year old twins) and Piper (9). She falls in love with Edmond and has her first sexual relationship with him. This is written very subtly. While her aunt is out of the country war breaks out in England. Daisy is forced to leave their home and she takes Piper with her. She learns to survive on her own and take care of Piper. She is separated from her other cousins, but can have conversations with Edmond in her head. Daisy and Piper make it back to their farm, but animals and people are all dead. Her cousins were nowhere to be found. Her father brings her back to the states. Six years later, when the war is ending, Daisy goes back to England. Edmond is angry with her for leaving him, and has shut the world out. She keeps talking to him to make him understand that she loves him. It ends with her deciding she belongs with Edmond.
Critical Analysis
This story is told in first person by Daisy. Teenagers can identify with Daisy. It is written like a teenager would think or talk. It is fast paced. At times she is talking to herself outloud. There is a balance of narration and dialogue. She is a fifteen-year-old who can not live with her father and stepmother any more in New York. Her father sends her to England to live with her deceased mother's sister and her family on a farm. While she was in New York she was suffering from anorexia. She would starve herself to be in control of her life at home. While living on the farm Daisy falls in love emotionally and sexually with her cousin Edmond. Her aunt has to leave England for a short time and the children are on the farm by themselves. Soldiers invade the farm while war breaks out and England is in the war. Daisy finds herself in the middle of a war. The soldiers separate Daisy and Piper from Edmond and Isaac. Daisy finds herself having to keep Piper and herself alive in a country she is not familiar with. She also discovers that she no longer wants to starve herself. She has to deal with finding food to survive. The reader experiences the horrible attrocities of war through a teenagers eyes. Daisy learns to love and survive in this story. The end of the story takes us six years in the future. The story ends on a feeling of hope.
Review Excerpt(s)
Best Books for Young Adults (2005)
Michael L Printz Award (2005)
Booklist (Jennifer Mattson): "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."
CCBC (2005): "They endure some horrific wartime episodes, including checkpoints, murders, massacres, and starvation. The hunger they experience is used both literally and as a metaphor for longing, and Daisy’s physical and emotional hungers become enmeshed in this sophisticated, gripping novel. "
Kirkus 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."
Timnah Card 2004: "Throughout, the paradisiacal setting of the English countryside and the wretched, sometimes horrifyingly violent lives of the embattled people who live there are presented with such luxurious, terrible realism that readers will remain absorbed to the very end by this unforgettable and original story."
VOYA (Ruth Cox): "the emotional bond between Daisy and Edmond is so strong that Daisy can sense him lying beside her at night although they are apart."
Connections (for junior high or high school students)
-Research about eating disorders.
-Daisy has an eating disorder. Write about how this contributes to the novel?
- Write about which character changed the most in the novel?
- Discuss what would happen if war broke out in our country?
Rosoff, Meg. 2004. How I Live Now. New York: Wendy Lamb Books. ISBN 0-553-37605-5.
Plot Summary
Fifteen-year-old Daisy leaves her home and life in New York to live with her Aunt Penn and cousins that she has only seen in photographs. She is battling anorexia and her stepmother. Her mother has died and her father has remarried. She is sent to England to live with her mother's sister on their farm while her father and stepmother are expecting a baby. She meets her cousins Osbert (16), Isaac and Edmond (14 year old twins) and Piper (9). She falls in love with Edmond and has her first sexual relationship with him. This is written very subtly. While her aunt is out of the country war breaks out in England. Daisy is forced to leave their home and she takes Piper with her. She learns to survive on her own and take care of Piper. She is separated from her other cousins, but can have conversations with Edmond in her head. Daisy and Piper make it back to their farm, but animals and people are all dead. Her cousins were nowhere to be found. Her father brings her back to the states. Six years later, when the war is ending, Daisy goes back to England. Edmond is angry with her for leaving him, and has shut the world out. She keeps talking to him to make him understand that she loves him. It ends with her deciding she belongs with Edmond.
Critical Analysis
This story is told in first person by Daisy. Teenagers can identify with Daisy. It is written like a teenager would think or talk. It is fast paced. At times she is talking to herself outloud. There is a balance of narration and dialogue. She is a fifteen-year-old who can not live with her father and stepmother any more in New York. Her father sends her to England to live with her deceased mother's sister and her family on a farm. While she was in New York she was suffering from anorexia. She would starve herself to be in control of her life at home. While living on the farm Daisy falls in love emotionally and sexually with her cousin Edmond. Her aunt has to leave England for a short time and the children are on the farm by themselves. Soldiers invade the farm while war breaks out and England is in the war. Daisy finds herself in the middle of a war. The soldiers separate Daisy and Piper from Edmond and Isaac. Daisy finds herself having to keep Piper and herself alive in a country she is not familiar with. She also discovers that she no longer wants to starve herself. She has to deal with finding food to survive. The reader experiences the horrible attrocities of war through a teenagers eyes. Daisy learns to love and survive in this story. The end of the story takes us six years in the future. The story ends on a feeling of hope.
Review Excerpt(s)
Best Books for Young Adults (2005)
Michael L Printz Award (2005)
Booklist (Jennifer Mattson): "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."
CCBC (2005): "They endure some horrific wartime episodes, including checkpoints, murders, massacres, and starvation. The hunger they experience is used both literally and as a metaphor for longing, and Daisy’s physical and emotional hungers become enmeshed in this sophisticated, gripping novel. "
Kirkus 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."
Timnah Card 2004: "Throughout, the paradisiacal setting of the English countryside and the wretched, sometimes horrifyingly violent lives of the embattled people who live there are presented with such luxurious, terrible realism that readers will remain absorbed to the very end by this unforgettable and original story."
VOYA (Ruth Cox): "the emotional bond between Daisy and Edmond is so strong that Daisy can sense him lying beside her at night although they are apart."
Connections (for junior high or high school students)
-Research about eating disorders.
-Daisy has an eating disorder. Write about how this contributes to the novel?
- Write about which character changed the most in the novel?
- Discuss what would happen if war broke out in our country?
Saturday, July 11, 2009
The River Between Us - Genre 5
Bibliography
Peck, Richard. 2003. The River Between Us. New York: Dial Books. ISBN 0-8037-2735-6.
Plot Summary
Peck writes a historical novel set in the small town of Grand Tower, Illinois on the Mississippi River. The main character is Tilly Pruitt who tells the story of her family in first person to her fifteen year old family member. Two young women arrive on a steamboat from New Orleans right at the start of the Civil War. Delphine is a beautiful, young woman who appears to be traveling with her servant Calinda to St. Louis. They decide to stay in Grand Tower at Tilly's home in a spare room for a while. Peck begins the story in 1916 while a father and his three sons are on their way to visit family in Grand Tower. He backs up to 1861 to retell the story. Tilly's brother Noah falls in love with Delphine before going off to war to fight for the north. Tilly's mother can not live without her son and sends Tilly to bring him home. Tilly and Delphine find the camp in Cairo where her brother and many other soldiers are very sick with dysentery and measles. They nurse him to health. Noah goes off to battle to fight and returns without an arm. Tilly and Delphine must nurse him back to health again and return home with him. The ending of the story goes back to 1916 and is finished being told by Howard Hutchings as many family secrets are revealed.
Critical Analysis
This story begins in 1916 when World War 1 was raging in Europe and a dad and his three sons were traveling to visit family in Grand Tower, Illinois. The dad tells the story of a woman ghost who haunts where he used to live. The beginning of the story captures the readers attention in the detail of how a Model T Ford had to be started, an egg placed in the radiator, and how they had to carry a pump to fill the tires when they went flat. While the dad is visiting with a dying Aunt Delphine, Grandma Tilly tells the story of their family to the young boy. He learns about the horrible atrocities of war since Dr. Hutchings was a doctor during the Civil War and his Uncle Noah lost his arm in that war. He learns that his great Uncle actually was fighting against his own father in the Battle of Belmont. He also learns about racism and prejudice when he learns the truth about Delphine and how she was called a "quadroon" because she was a product of placage system (rich white men taking free black women as mistresses). I did not know anything about this system that took place during the nineteenth century in New Orleans. Peck gives details about the "gens de couleur". The characters are complex. The reader is treated to a surprise ending. The family has many more secrets than anyone realized. Peck did a lot of research on the Civil War, and used real towns to recreate the setting for his characters and their intriguing story. The authentic dialogue and the many facts woven in this story won me over to Historical Fiction.
Review Excerpt(s)
Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction 2004
Parents' Choice Award 2003
Best Books for Young Adults 2004
Young Reader's Choice Award 2006
Booklist 2003 (Hazel Rochman): "Peck's spare writing has never been more eloquent than in this powerful mystery in which personal secrets drive the plot and reveal the history."
Children's Literature (Susie Wilde): "The strength of the two characters and the relationship they establish transcends the horrors of war and the prejudices of gender and race, and highlight lesser known historical facts and make them real."
Children's Literature (Sharon Salluzzo): "Unforgettable characters and handsome prose make this book one you won't want to miss. "
CCBC 2004: "Family secrets are gradually revealed, like peeling layers of wallpaper."
Kirkus 2003: "Peck writes beautifully, bringing history alive through Tilly's marvelous voice and deftly handling themes of family, race, war, and history. A rich tale full of magic, mystery, and surprise. "
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 2003(Elizabeth Bush): "This slim but potent storyline delivers a final punch that knocks family relationships on their ear and challenges Howard--and readers--to ponder how a seemingly quaint and antiquated system of racism can reach across generations. Historical fiction fans should enter this at the top of the must-read list."
VOYA (Jing Cao): " Mixing vibrant characters, a gripping plot, and historical facts, Peck cooks a literary gumbo worthy of New Orleans' finest chefs."
Connections (grades 6 and up)
- Draw a map of the Mississippi River from New Orleans to St. Louis. Include the towns of Grand Tower, Cairo, and Carbondale. Trace the trip of the characters Delphine,Calinda, Noah, and Howard Leland Hutchings.
-Construct a timeline of the important dates in this book. Lincoln's Inauguration, The Battle of Bull Run, The Battle of Belmont. Include five events from the story on this timeline.
-At the end of the story we find out that Calinda moved to California. Write a letter from Calinda to Delphine and the Pruitts. Describe what happened to her on the journey west.
-Peck uses a lot of imagery in his words. List a few of his phrases and tell what they mean.
-study about life as a Confederate or Union Soldier.
Peck, Richard. 2003. The River Between Us. New York: Dial Books. ISBN 0-8037-2735-6.
Plot Summary
Peck writes a historical novel set in the small town of Grand Tower, Illinois on the Mississippi River. The main character is Tilly Pruitt who tells the story of her family in first person to her fifteen year old family member. Two young women arrive on a steamboat from New Orleans right at the start of the Civil War. Delphine is a beautiful, young woman who appears to be traveling with her servant Calinda to St. Louis. They decide to stay in Grand Tower at Tilly's home in a spare room for a while. Peck begins the story in 1916 while a father and his three sons are on their way to visit family in Grand Tower. He backs up to 1861 to retell the story. Tilly's brother Noah falls in love with Delphine before going off to war to fight for the north. Tilly's mother can not live without her son and sends Tilly to bring him home. Tilly and Delphine find the camp in Cairo where her brother and many other soldiers are very sick with dysentery and measles. They nurse him to health. Noah goes off to battle to fight and returns without an arm. Tilly and Delphine must nurse him back to health again and return home with him. The ending of the story goes back to 1916 and is finished being told by Howard Hutchings as many family secrets are revealed.
Critical Analysis
This story begins in 1916 when World War 1 was raging in Europe and a dad and his three sons were traveling to visit family in Grand Tower, Illinois. The dad tells the story of a woman ghost who haunts where he used to live. The beginning of the story captures the readers attention in the detail of how a Model T Ford had to be started, an egg placed in the radiator, and how they had to carry a pump to fill the tires when they went flat. While the dad is visiting with a dying Aunt Delphine, Grandma Tilly tells the story of their family to the young boy. He learns about the horrible atrocities of war since Dr. Hutchings was a doctor during the Civil War and his Uncle Noah lost his arm in that war. He learns that his great Uncle actually was fighting against his own father in the Battle of Belmont. He also learns about racism and prejudice when he learns the truth about Delphine and how she was called a "quadroon" because she was a product of placage system (rich white men taking free black women as mistresses). I did not know anything about this system that took place during the nineteenth century in New Orleans. Peck gives details about the "gens de couleur". The characters are complex. The reader is treated to a surprise ending. The family has many more secrets than anyone realized. Peck did a lot of research on the Civil War, and used real towns to recreate the setting for his characters and their intriguing story. The authentic dialogue and the many facts woven in this story won me over to Historical Fiction.
Review Excerpt(s)
Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction 2004
Parents' Choice Award 2003
Best Books for Young Adults 2004
Young Reader's Choice Award 2006
Booklist 2003 (Hazel Rochman): "Peck's spare writing has never been more eloquent than in this powerful mystery in which personal secrets drive the plot and reveal the history."
Children's Literature (Susie Wilde): "The strength of the two characters and the relationship they establish transcends the horrors of war and the prejudices of gender and race, and highlight lesser known historical facts and make them real."
Children's Literature (Sharon Salluzzo): "Unforgettable characters and handsome prose make this book one you won't want to miss. "
CCBC 2004: "Family secrets are gradually revealed, like peeling layers of wallpaper."
Kirkus 2003: "Peck writes beautifully, bringing history alive through Tilly's marvelous voice and deftly handling themes of family, race, war, and history. A rich tale full of magic, mystery, and surprise. "
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 2003(Elizabeth Bush): "This slim but potent storyline delivers a final punch that knocks family relationships on their ear and challenges Howard--and readers--to ponder how a seemingly quaint and antiquated system of racism can reach across generations. Historical fiction fans should enter this at the top of the must-read list."
VOYA (Jing Cao): " Mixing vibrant characters, a gripping plot, and historical facts, Peck cooks a literary gumbo worthy of New Orleans' finest chefs."
Connections (grades 6 and up)
- Draw a map of the Mississippi River from New Orleans to St. Louis. Include the towns of Grand Tower, Cairo, and Carbondale. Trace the trip of the characters Delphine,Calinda, Noah, and Howard Leland Hutchings.
-Construct a timeline of the important dates in this book. Lincoln's Inauguration, The Battle of Bull Run, The Battle of Belmont. Include five events from the story on this timeline.
-At the end of the story we find out that Calinda moved to California. Write a letter from Calinda to Delphine and the Pruitts. Describe what happened to her on the journey west.
-Peck uses a lot of imagery in his words. List a few of his phrases and tell what they mean.
-study about life as a Confederate or Union Soldier.
Island of the Blue Dolphins - Genre 5
Bibliography
O’Dell, Scott. 1960. Island of the Blue Dolphins. New York: Del Laurel Leaf. ISBN 0-440-94000-1
Plot Summary
This is a historical novel set on an isolated island off the California coast. This island was first settled by Indians about 2000 B.C. The story is built around a girl named Karana. The story states that a ship of white men are taking the Indians of Ghalas-at off the island when a girl sees her brother left behind on the island. She jumps into the sea to stay with her brother until they return. The story is known to history as The Lost Woman of San Nicolas.
Karana’s younger brother is killed by wild dogs very quickly. She is left alone to learn how to hunt for food to eat, build a shelter, build weapons, and survive all alone. She has to protect herself if her enemies, the Aleuts come back to hunt for otter. The story shows the reader how much courage Karana has. She makes friends with one of the wild dogs, and tames a few birds on the island. She lived eighteen years on this island all alone. She realizes at the end as she is leaving with the white men that she was happy on the Island of the Blue Dolphins.
Critical Analysis
This is a true story of a girls fight for survival on an island alone. The story is told by Karana and she explains all of the hardships she has to endure on the island. She shows us how difficult daily life is on an island. Women of her tribe were never allowed to hunt or make weapons. She has to overcome the fear of doing these jobs to survive on her own. She remembers her father saying that “the weapons would break in her hands at the moment when her life was in danger” (p.58). Women were not allowed to do this kind of work in her tribe. She befriends a wild dog which she names Rontu. She is not as lonely with him around. She keeps track of time by passing moons and seasons. After many years she stops keeping track of time. This heroine survives everything including an earthquake and a tidal wave on her own before she is rescued after eighteen years. She lived a difficult life with almost no possessions, yet she was happy. People today have an easier life with so many possessions, and some are never happy. O’Dell provides an Author’s Note at the end of the book telling the true history behind the story.
Review Excerpt(s)
John Newbery Medal 1961
Flicker Tale Children’s Book Award 1983
Children’s Literature (Marilyn Courtot): “Her survival story--fighting the wild dogs and loneliness, hunting for food, and hoping to be rescued--is spellbinding.”
Library Journal, Starred: “A haunting and unusual story.”
Chicago Tribune: “Island of the Blue Dolphins has the timeless enduring quality of a classic.”
Horn Book: “Strange and beautiful, revealing courage, serenity, and greatness of spirit.”
Booklist: “A moving and unforgettable story.”
Connections (this book is definitely for grades 6 and up)
-Geography lesson creating a map of the island based on chapter 2.
- Science lesson on the types of animals found around this island.
- Research more of the history about The Lost Woman of San Nicolas.
-Make clay models of the tools that Karana had to make to survive.
- Research to learn about the culture of the Indians on this island.
-Describe how Karana shows courage. Compare her courage to a character of another book using a thinking map.
-In small groups plan a survival strategy if they were on an island alone. Is their plan similar to Karana’s? What would they do differently.
O’Dell, Scott. 1960. Island of the Blue Dolphins. New York: Del Laurel Leaf. ISBN 0-440-94000-1
Plot Summary
This is a historical novel set on an isolated island off the California coast. This island was first settled by Indians about 2000 B.C. The story is built around a girl named Karana. The story states that a ship of white men are taking the Indians of Ghalas-at off the island when a girl sees her brother left behind on the island. She jumps into the sea to stay with her brother until they return. The story is known to history as The Lost Woman of San Nicolas.
Karana’s younger brother is killed by wild dogs very quickly. She is left alone to learn how to hunt for food to eat, build a shelter, build weapons, and survive all alone. She has to protect herself if her enemies, the Aleuts come back to hunt for otter. The story shows the reader how much courage Karana has. She makes friends with one of the wild dogs, and tames a few birds on the island. She lived eighteen years on this island all alone. She realizes at the end as she is leaving with the white men that she was happy on the Island of the Blue Dolphins.
Critical Analysis
This is a true story of a girls fight for survival on an island alone. The story is told by Karana and she explains all of the hardships she has to endure on the island. She shows us how difficult daily life is on an island. Women of her tribe were never allowed to hunt or make weapons. She has to overcome the fear of doing these jobs to survive on her own. She remembers her father saying that “the weapons would break in her hands at the moment when her life was in danger” (p.58). Women were not allowed to do this kind of work in her tribe. She befriends a wild dog which she names Rontu. She is not as lonely with him around. She keeps track of time by passing moons and seasons. After many years she stops keeping track of time. This heroine survives everything including an earthquake and a tidal wave on her own before she is rescued after eighteen years. She lived a difficult life with almost no possessions, yet she was happy. People today have an easier life with so many possessions, and some are never happy. O’Dell provides an Author’s Note at the end of the book telling the true history behind the story.
Review Excerpt(s)
John Newbery Medal 1961
Flicker Tale Children’s Book Award 1983
Children’s Literature (Marilyn Courtot): “Her survival story--fighting the wild dogs and loneliness, hunting for food, and hoping to be rescued--is spellbinding.”
Library Journal, Starred: “A haunting and unusual story.”
Chicago Tribune: “Island of the Blue Dolphins has the timeless enduring quality of a classic.”
Horn Book: “Strange and beautiful, revealing courage, serenity, and greatness of spirit.”
Booklist: “A moving and unforgettable story.”
Connections (this book is definitely for grades 6 and up)
-Geography lesson creating a map of the island based on chapter 2.
- Science lesson on the types of animals found around this island.
- Research more of the history about The Lost Woman of San Nicolas.
-Make clay models of the tools that Karana had to make to survive.
- Research to learn about the culture of the Indians on this island.
-Describe how Karana shows courage. Compare her courage to a character of another book using a thinking map.
-In small groups plan a survival strategy if they were on an island alone. Is their plan similar to Karana’s? What would they do differently.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
The Midwife's Apprentice -Genre 5
Bibliography
Cushman, Karen. 1996. The Midwife’s Apprentice. Narrated by Jenny Sterlin. Prince Frederick ,Maryland: Recorded Books, Inc. 1996. ISBN 1-4025-2320-3.
Plot Summmary
The story begins with an an orphan in the 14th century in medieval England. The orphan doesn’t even know her name. Everyone calls her “Brat” at the beginning. She is sleeping near a heap of dung when the Midwife Jane finds her. She calls her “Beetle” which is short for dungbeetle. She is hungry and begs Jane to let her work for food. Beetle befriends a cat that she calls “Purr”.
Jane, the midwife is never very nice to Beetle, but she does give her a little food for her work. Beetle observes everything she can while she is working with Jane. She learns to gather herbs and make poultices to help ease the pain for women during childbirth. She is forced to help deliver a baby by herself and she can’t do it and runs away.
She becomes an inn girl. She is still working for food. The midwife comes looking for her. She overhears her say that she was the best apprentice she has had. It is too bad she gave up. In the city someone mistakes her for a girl named Alyce that can read. She changes her name to Alyce. She tells us there are only 3 things she really wants in life.
1. A full belly
2. Contented heart
3. A place in this world
She helps deliver a baby where the husband thought his wife had a stomach worm at the inn. After she delivers the baby she has two offers to stay at the inn, and a gentleman that was teaching her to read and write offers for her to come and take care of his sister. She realizes what she really wants is to become a midwife’s apprentice. She still has much to learn. She goes back to Jane who doesn’t welcome her at first. She has to tell her that she will not leave, or give up before Jane opens to the door to let her back in. Now she has everything she wanted in life.
Critical Analysis
I listened to the unabridged recorded version of this book. It was 2.75 hours long on 3 CD’s. I am a visual learner so it was a little difficult to not have the book in front of me. I listened to it in the car on my drive to my vacation. Jenny Sterlin read with very clear diction. She was the only reader. The sound quality was very clear with no background noise and acceptable volume. There were closing comments that told about the reader. The story seemed to be read with a sadness that was similar to the story. The story was not lively. A strength of listening to it being read was understanding the pronunciation of the vocabulary. Cushman painted a picture of what the 14th century was like. The main character “Brat”/”Beetle”/”Alyce” is introduced as a very frail, hungry child trying to find somewhere warm to sleep. She is picked on by the young boys in the village. She is told that she is stupid and ugly. Her only friend is a cat that she befriends.
She is taken in by a midwife named Jane who is tough and not kind with her words. She is also a very greedy woman. Jane provides her with a place to sleep and food. She begins to learn from Jane.
As Beetle becomes stronger and brave in the story she changes her name to Alyce because “You could love someone named Alyce”. Alyce learns to read and write. She does become afraid and runs away, but realizes that becoming a midwife is what she wants to become and goes back to continue being an apprentice under Jane. This is her place in this world.
Review Excerpt(s)
Kliatt (Sue Rosenzweig) : "This Newbery Award-winning book is given the marvelous performance in British English that it well deserves. In a multivoiced narration, Sterlin reads with such meaning, clarity, and impeccable diction that even unfamiliar vocabulary becomes accessible."
Recorded Books: "Lyrical yet unsentimental, The Midwife’s Apprentice won the coveted 1996 Newbery Medal. Filled with striking characters, it paints unforgettable pictures of village life in the Middle Ages, the midwife’s craft, and a very remarkable girl’s growing independence and pride."
Audiofile (Robin MacFarlane) : "Alice's feelings about being cold, hungry and alone, and the musings that lead to her discovery of confidence and courage"
John Newberry Book Winner 1996
Young Readers Choice Award 1998
Connections:
-Discuss how medicine has changed since medieval times.
-What would the role of the midwife be in modern times compared to medieval times.
-Analyze the vocabulary from the text.
-Write a scene from the story from another person’s point of view. Not Alyce.
-Alyce has met two challenges of becoming a midwife and learning to read/write. Students write about a challenge they have given up on or overcome.
Cushman, Karen. 1996. The Midwife’s Apprentice. Narrated by Jenny Sterlin. Prince Frederick ,Maryland: Recorded Books, Inc. 1996. ISBN 1-4025-2320-3.
Plot Summmary
The story begins with an an orphan in the 14th century in medieval England. The orphan doesn’t even know her name. Everyone calls her “Brat” at the beginning. She is sleeping near a heap of dung when the Midwife Jane finds her. She calls her “Beetle” which is short for dungbeetle. She is hungry and begs Jane to let her work for food. Beetle befriends a cat that she calls “Purr”.
Jane, the midwife is never very nice to Beetle, but she does give her a little food for her work. Beetle observes everything she can while she is working with Jane. She learns to gather herbs and make poultices to help ease the pain for women during childbirth. She is forced to help deliver a baby by herself and she can’t do it and runs away.
She becomes an inn girl. She is still working for food. The midwife comes looking for her. She overhears her say that she was the best apprentice she has had. It is too bad she gave up. In the city someone mistakes her for a girl named Alyce that can read. She changes her name to Alyce. She tells us there are only 3 things she really wants in life.
1. A full belly
2. Contented heart
3. A place in this world
She helps deliver a baby where the husband thought his wife had a stomach worm at the inn. After she delivers the baby she has two offers to stay at the inn, and a gentleman that was teaching her to read and write offers for her to come and take care of his sister. She realizes what she really wants is to become a midwife’s apprentice. She still has much to learn. She goes back to Jane who doesn’t welcome her at first. She has to tell her that she will not leave, or give up before Jane opens to the door to let her back in. Now she has everything she wanted in life.
Critical Analysis
I listened to the unabridged recorded version of this book. It was 2.75 hours long on 3 CD’s. I am a visual learner so it was a little difficult to not have the book in front of me. I listened to it in the car on my drive to my vacation. Jenny Sterlin read with very clear diction. She was the only reader. The sound quality was very clear with no background noise and acceptable volume. There were closing comments that told about the reader. The story seemed to be read with a sadness that was similar to the story. The story was not lively. A strength of listening to it being read was understanding the pronunciation of the vocabulary. Cushman painted a picture of what the 14th century was like. The main character “Brat”/”Beetle”/”Alyce” is introduced as a very frail, hungry child trying to find somewhere warm to sleep. She is picked on by the young boys in the village. She is told that she is stupid and ugly. Her only friend is a cat that she befriends.
She is taken in by a midwife named Jane who is tough and not kind with her words. She is also a very greedy woman. Jane provides her with a place to sleep and food. She begins to learn from Jane.
As Beetle becomes stronger and brave in the story she changes her name to Alyce because “You could love someone named Alyce”. Alyce learns to read and write. She does become afraid and runs away, but realizes that becoming a midwife is what she wants to become and goes back to continue being an apprentice under Jane. This is her place in this world.
Review Excerpt(s)
Kliatt (Sue Rosenzweig) : "This Newbery Award-winning book is given the marvelous performance in British English that it well deserves. In a multivoiced narration, Sterlin reads with such meaning, clarity, and impeccable diction that even unfamiliar vocabulary becomes accessible."
Recorded Books: "Lyrical yet unsentimental, The Midwife’s Apprentice won the coveted 1996 Newbery Medal. Filled with striking characters, it paints unforgettable pictures of village life in the Middle Ages, the midwife’s craft, and a very remarkable girl’s growing independence and pride."
Audiofile (Robin MacFarlane) : "Alice's feelings about being cold, hungry and alone, and the musings that lead to her discovery of confidence and courage"
John Newberry Book Winner 1996
Young Readers Choice Award 1998
Connections:
-Discuss how medicine has changed since medieval times.
-What would the role of the midwife be in modern times compared to medieval times.
-Analyze the vocabulary from the text.
-Write a scene from the story from another person’s point of view. Not Alyce.
-Alyce has met two challenges of becoming a midwife and learning to read/write. Students write about a challenge they have given up on or overcome.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
The Wall Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain- Genre 4
Bibliography
Sis, Peter. 2007. The Wall Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain. New York: Frances Goster Books. ISBN 978-0-374-34701-7
Plot Summary
In this autobiography Sis tells the reader how he has wanted to draw all of his life. He grows up in the country of Czechoslovakia when WWII has ended, but it is occupied by the Soviets. He is living on the side of the Iron Curtain that is ruled by communism and symbols of it are everywhere. Sis loves to draw at home, but he is told what to draw at school. Everything in his life is compulsory or discouraged. The Iron Curtain strengthens as tensions increase with the Cold War. As Sis becomes older he realizes the government keeps secrets from him and people are being brainwashed. His love for drawing continues and with that comes a love for Western music such as Elvis, Beach Boys, and The Beatles. He wants to grow his hair long, but the government will not allow that. Art begins to appear on the wall. "People are followed, monitored, harassed, imprisoned, deported, and tortured." He dreams of being free flying over the wall. Finally, his dream comes true when the Berlin wall begins to come down. Sis moves to America to become an artist.
Critical Analysis
This is definitely not a picture book for young children. This is written for teenagers and up who are familiar with the Cold War and history. The basic text is easy to read and does not contain many words. There is an introduction and an afterword that explains more about his life. He begins with three basic words (Iron Curtain, Cold War, and Communism) with their definitions bordering the picture of an infant.
The book is organized from the time Sis is an infant until he is an adult. Most of the drawings are in black and white. Everything that is a symbol of communism is painted in red which really stands out on the pages. There are sidebars of text next to some of the pictures to explain what is happening. Their are dated inserts from his journal beginning in 1954 to June of 1977. The journal pages have drawings mixed with real photographs. The use of bright colors represents influences from the West on a double page spread. The pictures he draws of all the police have pig faces. The bright colors are seen again when people are painting the Wall over and over. Sis uses double page pictures of all the ways he dreams to escape. Text and pictures come together on the double page of the Berlin wall with positive words such as ( freedom, truth, happiness, virtue, art etc.) on one side of the wall. Negative words are in gray such as (stupidity, fear, suspicion, corruption etc.) on the communist side. The last double page picture is bordered by text explaining how the Wall fell from Communist control on November 9, 1989. His dream came true.
Sis, Peter. 2007. The Wall Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain. New York: Frances Goster Books. ISBN 978-0-374-34701-7
Plot Summary
In this autobiography Sis tells the reader how he has wanted to draw all of his life. He grows up in the country of Czechoslovakia when WWII has ended, but it is occupied by the Soviets. He is living on the side of the Iron Curtain that is ruled by communism and symbols of it are everywhere. Sis loves to draw at home, but he is told what to draw at school. Everything in his life is compulsory or discouraged. The Iron Curtain strengthens as tensions increase with the Cold War. As Sis becomes older he realizes the government keeps secrets from him and people are being brainwashed. His love for drawing continues and with that comes a love for Western music such as Elvis, Beach Boys, and The Beatles. He wants to grow his hair long, but the government will not allow that. Art begins to appear on the wall. "People are followed, monitored, harassed, imprisoned, deported, and tortured." He dreams of being free flying over the wall. Finally, his dream comes true when the Berlin wall begins to come down. Sis moves to America to become an artist.
Critical Analysis
This is definitely not a picture book for young children. This is written for teenagers and up who are familiar with the Cold War and history. The basic text is easy to read and does not contain many words. There is an introduction and an afterword that explains more about his life. He begins with three basic words (Iron Curtain, Cold War, and Communism) with their definitions bordering the picture of an infant.
The book is organized from the time Sis is an infant until he is an adult. Most of the drawings are in black and white. Everything that is a symbol of communism is painted in red which really stands out on the pages. There are sidebars of text next to some of the pictures to explain what is happening. Their are dated inserts from his journal beginning in 1954 to June of 1977. The journal pages have drawings mixed with real photographs. The use of bright colors represents influences from the West on a double page spread. The pictures he draws of all the police have pig faces. The bright colors are seen again when people are painting the Wall over and over. Sis uses double page pictures of all the ways he dreams to escape. Text and pictures come together on the double page of the Berlin wall with positive words such as ( freedom, truth, happiness, virtue, art etc.) on one side of the wall. Negative words are in gray such as (stupidity, fear, suspicion, corruption etc.) on the communist side. The last double page picture is bordered by text explaining how the Wall fell from Communist control on November 9, 1989. His dream came true.
Review Excerpt(s)
Caldecott Honor Book 2008
Orbis Pictus Award 2008
Robert F. Sibert Medal 2008
Voya (Kevin Beach): "This book is packed with the author's primitive art that simply and effectively illustrates the history of Czechoslovakia's struggle with totalitarianism and evokes the dreams of its repressed people."
Kirkus: "A concise introduction fleshes out the history of the time, leaving the rest of the volume for a potent mix of narration, fanciful illustrations, maps and double-page spreads for journal entries. "
CCBC: "Renowned author and illustrator Peter Sís’ brilliant autobiographical exploration of the creative spirit offers his trademark blend of intricate visual images and narrative."
Booklist (Jennifer Mattson): "Throughout, terrific design dramatizes the conflict between conformity and creative freedom, often through sparing use of color; in many cases, the dominant palette of black, white, and Communist red threatens to swallow up young Peter’s freely doodled, riotously colored artwork. "
The San Diego Tribune: "With Sís, everything is multilayered and full of surprises. Getting it all in one read is like seeing the Metropolitan Museum of Art in an afternoon."
Connections
-Create a timeline for Peter's life
-Conduct an oral interview with someone who lived from 1930-1980's during the Cold War. Ask them about their memories of the Iron Curtain.
-Choose a topic from the book to research. For example Gagarin, Laika, Aurora, Staliin, Kremlin, Brezhnev, Khrushchev, Lenin, the Wall, The Beatles, Harlem Globetrotters, Beach Boys, Allen Ginsberg etc.
-Research the symbols of Communism and what they mean.
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