Module 15 - Censorship Issues



Green, J. (2005). Looking for Alaska.
New York, NY: Dutton Books.

Summary:

Looking for Alaska by John Green is a young adult fiction that is written from a sixteen-year-old boy’s point of view named Miles.  Miles goes off to a private school for his junior year in high school.  His roommate Chip, is poor and on a full scholarship due to his great intelligence and he can’t stand the rich preppy kids that are classmates. The two boys, a girl named Alaska, and several other students are always up to mischief, drinking, and smoking.  Alaska attracts most boys around her, but she seems to be on a path of self-destruction. 

The story is based on experiences the author, John Green, experienced as a student when he was in school.  The book received the Michael Printz award for 2006.

My Impression:

The book tells of situations that many teens may face.  Some may object to the frequent sexual reference, drinking, and pranks that are shares.  The content is very typical of teenagers trying to make sense out of their life.

Reviews:
Looking for Alaska
School Library Journal Reviews
Gr 9 Up  Sixteen-year-old Miles Halter's adolescence has been one long nonevent–no challenge, no girls, no mischief, and no real friends. Seeking what Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps," he leaves Florida for a boarding school in Birmingham, AL. His roommate, Chip, is a dirt-poor genius scholarship student with a Napoleon complex who lives to one-up the school's rich preppies. Chip's best friend is Alaska Young, with whom Miles and every other male in her orbit falls instantly in love. She is literate, articulate, and beautiful, and she exhibits a reckless combination of adventurous and self-destructive behavior. She and Chip teach Miles to drink, smoke, and plot elaborate pranks. Alaska's story unfolds in all-night bull sessions, and the depth of her unhappiness becomes obvious. Green's dialogue is crisp, especially between Miles and Chip. His descriptions and Miles's inner monologues can be philosophically dense, but are well within the comprehension of sensitive teen readers. The chapters of the novel are headed by a number of days "before" and "after" what readers surmise is Alaska's suicide. These placeholders sustain the mood of possibility and foreboding, and the story moves methodically to its ambiguous climax. The language and sexual situations are aptly and realistically drawn, but sophisticated in nature. Miles's narration is alive with sweet, self-deprecating humor, and his obvious struggle to tell the story truthfully adds to his believability. Like Phineas in John Knowles's A Separate Peace (S & S, 1960), Green draws Alaska so lovingly, in self-loathing darkness as well as energetic light, that readers mourn her loss along with her friends.

Lewis, J., Jones, T. E., Toth, L., Charnizon, M., Grabarek, D., & Raben, D. (2005). Looking for Alaska. School Library Journal, 51(2), 136.

Suggested Library Use:
Looking for Alaska could be used in the library when exploring award winning books.  The book received the Michael Printz award in 2006 for its excellent literary merit in young adult fiction.

Module 14 - Poetry and Story Collections



Florian, D. (2007). Comets, stars, the moon, and Mars.
Orlando, FL: Harcourt, Inc. 



Summary:
Florian shares many facts about comets, stars, the moon, and Mars through the use of poetry.  There are 20 poems for a young astronomer to enjoy while they explore the colorful illustrations.  The book gives many facts about our solar system including A Galactic Glossary.

My Impression:
What a great way to learn about our solar system than through these wonderful poems.  Children will enjoy the illustrations throughout this great book.  Florian exposes children to the use of poetry through a subject that children take great delight in.

Reviews:
Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars
Booklist
Gr. 3-5.  This large-format book looks at astronomy through the magnifying, clarifying lens of poetry. Each broad double-page spread features a short, accessible poem about a subject such as the sun, each of its planets, a comet, a constellation, or the universe, set within an impressive painting. A concrete poem entitled "a galaxy" is a curling spiral of words set against the midnight-blue sky and surrounded by other galaxies. Stamped type, cutout pages, collage elements with printed papers, and sweeping brushstrokes all figure prominently in the expressive collage artwork, which ably illustrates the verse. The last pages carry "A Galactic Glossary" with a paragraph on the topic of each poem, followed by a list of books and Web sites. Florian's ode to Pluto matter-of-factly notes its demoted status, but even better is his pithy poem on Jupiter: "Jupiter's jumbo, / Gigantic, / Immense, / So wide / Side to side, / But gaseous, not dense. / With some sixteen moons / It's plainly prolific-- / So super-dupiter / Jupiterrific!" Read this aloud.
Phelan, C. (2007). Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars. Booklist, 103(15), 50.

Suggested Library:
Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars could be used as a study of poetry to illustrate the different ways poems can be used and written.  Children who might be resistant to poetry should enjoy this book and see how great poetry can be.
 

Module 13 - Graphic Novels & Series Books

Warner, G. (1977). The boxcar children.
Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman & Co.

Summary:
The four Alden children are orphans and they are determined to stay together.  They run away and soon find themselves living in an old railroad boxcar in the woods.  They experience many adventures as they attempt to survive living in a boxcar.


My Impression:
The Boxcar Children series is a delightful series involving various mysteries these children take part in solving. This first book in the series sets the stage for the numerous books to follow.  The first book in the series was originally published in 1942.  The story of these responsible children does reflect the way of life of the 1940s.  Inspite of the age of the story students do still enjoy the adventures of these children.

Reviews:

The Boxcar Children
Children's Literature Comprehensive Database
K-3rd.  This is the first book in the series about the Boxcar Children. The Alden children, Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny, are orphans. They could live with their grandfather, but they are afraid he would be mean to them. So they decide to take care of themselves and find a home in an old, abandoned boxcar. They are very resourceful and take care of themselves rather well. But when Violet gets sick, they must find help. Find out if Violet gets well and learn about the surprise in store for the Boxcar children when they finally meet their grandfather.
Jeanenne. (n.d.). The Boxcar Children. Children's Literature Reviews. Retrieved from www.clcd.com

Suggested Library Use:
A lesson could be developed taking the original Boxcar Children book(s) and the new graphic novel adaptation of the Boxcar Children and compare and contrast the two books. 

Book Trailer - How Angel Peterson Got His Name

Animoto Productions. (2012). Animoto. Retrieved from

http://animoto.com/create

Paulsen, G. (2004). How Angel Peterson  got his name. 

New York, NY:  Random House Children's Books.

Book Trailer - Disasters

Animoto Productions. (2012). Animoto. Retrieved from
http://animoto.com/create

Guiberson, B. (2010) Disasters: Natural and man-made catastrophes
through the centuries. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Co.

Module 12 - Biography & Autobiography

Paulsen, G. (2004). How Angel Peterson  got his name. 
New York, NY:  Random House Children's Books.


Summary:
Gary Paulsen writes an autobiography of his life as a 13 year old.  He shares the many daredevil stunts he and his friends perform.  Some of the stunts include going over a waterfall in a wooden barrel, attempting to set a new world record for speed on skis, and to wrestling a bear.

My Impression:
This book was unlike any autobiography I have ever read.  It was very entertaining and scary to think that a 13 yr. old boy would attempt some of these stunts.  It should be a grat read for boys this age.

Reviews:
How Angel Peterson Got His Name
Booklist
Suggested Library Use:
A librarian could use this book as part of an author study on Gary Paulsen.  Its use would be a great addition to the writing of an autobiography doesn't have to be dry and uninteresting.

Gr. 6–9. Every boy who is 13 or about to be 13 or who remembers being 13 should read this short story collection based on people and events from Paulsen’s own life.  Even though the action takes place 50 or so years ago, they will recognize themselves.  And every girl who has ever liked a 13-year-old-boy, or been related to one, or wondered about one, should read this, too, because although the book doesn’t explain why boys like to do things like pee on electric fences, it does give an insight into how their funny little minds work.  Writing with humor and sensitivity, Paulsen shows boys moving into adolescence believing they can do anything: wrestle with bears; shoot waterfalls in a

barrel; fly eight-by-twelve-foot Army surplus kites—and hang on, even as they land in the chicken coop. None of them dies (amazingly), and even if Paulsen exaggerates the teensiest bit, his tales are sidesplittingly funny and more than a little frightening.

DeCandido, G. A. (2002). How Angel Peterson Got His Name. Booklist, 99(8), 754.

Book Trailer - The Teacher's Funeral

Animoto Productions. (2012). Animoto. Retrieved from
http://animoto.com/create

Peck, R. (2006). The teacher's funeral. New York, NY: Puffin Books.

Module 11 - Informational Books

Guiberson, B. (2010) Disasters: Natural and man-made catastrophes
through the centuries. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Co.

Summary:
Natural and man-made disasters have occured every since time began.  These disasters change people and the world around us.  Guiberson does a great job sharing about these events and the effects they've had on the the world.  Some of the disasters recounted are the Chicago fire of the 1870s, Hurricane Katrina, and many other disasters.

My Impression:
Brenda Guiberson wrote a great book with very solid historical facts woven among the great affects of these disasters on mankind.  There are well placed photos throughout the text to assist with this engaging informational text.

Reviews:
Disasters: Natural and Man-Made Catastrophes Through the Centuries
Booklist
Gr. 5-8  Taking on a theme with great dramatic appeal, each of the book's 10 chapters presents a notable disaster: outbreaks of smallpox in North America beginning in the 1600s, the Great Chicago Fire, the Johnstown Flood, the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, the sinking of the Titanic, the 1918 flu pandemic, the 1930s Dust Bowl, the 2004 tsunami, and the drowning of New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. Guiberson's thorough research and clear presentation occasionally goes beyond the obvious facts to broaden the scope of discussion and her readers' horizons. The chapter on the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire ends with a discussion of sweatshops in the world today and how to avoid buying clothing depending on their labor. The Johnstown Flood chapter discusses industrialist-philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, a member of the private club whose faulty lake dam gave way and caused the disaster. Illustrations, mainly photos and drawings, appear throughout the book. Chapter-by-chapter notes and bibliographies are appended. Useful for research and often fascinating, this is a very readable presentation of historical disasters.
Phelan, C. (2010). Disasters: Natural and man-made catastrophes through the centuries, Booklist, 106(18), 36.

Suggested Library Use:
This book could be a great resource for a librarian to suggest to students or teachers studying disasters in general or if they were to be focusing on one of these disasters.  There are accurate facts and photos that would be a great reference.

Module 10 - Historical Fiction

Ingold, J. (2005). Hitch.
Orlando, FL: Harcourt Books.

Summary:
This novel tells the story involving the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) during the Depression in Montana.  The creation of the CCC was to provide employment for young men to aid their families financially while improving various parts of the US by planting trees, building dams, and other land improvement projects.  These young men accomplished much while learning many of life's lessons.

My Impression:
This book was very engaging as these young men helped our nation through some tough times.  The day to day occurances were very typical lessons that young people can only learn through daily experiences.  I enjoyed reading about some of the projects that the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) were involved in.

Reviews:
Hitch
Booklist
Gr. 8-11. Ingold does something quite interesting here. She takes a topic, the Civilian Conservation Corps, that few teens have heard of and even fewer are interested in and works a credible, involving story around it. Moreover, both her writing style and her 1930s setting feels totally true to the time. Often teens in historical novels seem like today's youth, merely plunked down in a different era. That's not true of protagonist Moss Trulawany, who seems utterly of his time. After being laid off from his job at an airstrip, Moss sets out to find his father, who is supposed to be working to help his family. But Mr. Trulawany is really an unemployed drunk, so it's up to Moss to find work. Through a string of fortunate events in which some people care enough to help him, Moss finds a job in Montana with the CCC, where, to his surprise, his leadership qualities surface. Some of the characters and situations are stock (as they might have been in 1930s books or movies), but the good versus bad simplicity of many of the incidents works in context. The story is often moving as Moss, through the CCC, changes lives, especially his own.
Cooper, I. (2005). Hitch. Booklist, 101(18), 1669.

Suggested Library Use:
Sharing this book with students could be used as an extension of their study of US history in the 1930's.  This historical fiction books will engage students in events that took place in the history of America.

Module 9 - Mysteries

Byars, B. (1997). The dark stairs: a Herculeah Jones mystery.
New York, NY: Penguin Books.

Summary:
Herculeah Jones is young detective following after her private investigator mother and father who is a police officer.  Solving mysteries is in her blood as she depends on help from her friend Meat.  The present mystery has to do with a missing man, who has been missing for 10 years.  He has been presumed to have been murdered, but there is no body.  Where could the body have gone to?

My Impression:
This mystery is a great story for older elementary age students who love mysteries.  The story and plot are simple enough for elementary students, yet complex enough to hold the reader's attention.  Students will want to read more of the Herculeah Jones mysteries.

Review:
The Dark Stairs: A Herculeah Jones Mystery
Booklist
Gr. 4-6. Byars shows how delightful middle-grade mysteries can actually be. It's her quirky, wonderful characters that make the difference. Herculeah Jones didn't get her name because she was "dainty and shy." She's bossy, obstreperous, and curious to a fault, and with her father a police officer and her mother a private investigator, there's always plenty to attract her attention. just as snoopy is her hefty, totally devoted sidekick, Meat, though he's as bumbling and meek as she is efficient and brave. Their Holmes-Watson relationship is an integral part of this refreshing whodunit, which also offers genre fans genuine suspense as well as some laugh-out-loud comedy. The first in a promised series, it finds the investigative duo enmeshed in the mystery surrounding a creepy old house and Mrs. Jones' equally creepy new client. Byars adds such zest to traditional plot conventions that readers will anxiously await the pair's next adventure.
Zvirin, S. (1994). The dark stairs: a Herculeah Jones mystery. Booklist, 90(22), 2042. 

Suggested Library Use:
Mysteries can be a great source to use in prediction of future events.  The librarian could read a chapter and then have students make predictions about what they think will happen next. 

You could also take this mystery and compare and contrast with another mystery.

Module 8 - Fantasy & Science Fiction



Collins, S. (2008). The hunger games.
New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

 Summary:
The setting of this dystopic, science fiction story is in Panem, a country that formally was the United States.  The country is divided into districts and each district has a boy and girl 12-18 years of age choosen each year to represent their district to go and fight in the Hunger Games to the death of all except for the final winner of the Hunger Games while the entire nation watches the televised turn of events.

My Impression:
This story was well written and a very engaging novel.  The author does a great job writing a story that the reader doesn't want to put down.  There is no wonder that the story has been made into a movie to be released March 23.

Review:
Hunger Games
School Library Journal Review
Gr 7 Up- In a not-too-distant future, the United States of America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war, to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 12 districts. Each year, two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal intimidation of the subjugated districts, the televised games are broadcasted throughout Panem as the 14 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors, literally, with all citizens required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss's young sister, Prim, is selected as the mining district's female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart, Peeta, the son of the town baker who seems to have all the fighting skills of a lump of bread dough, will be pitted against bigger, stronger representatives who have trained for this their whole lives. Collins' characters are completely realistic and sympathetic as they form alliances and friendships in the face of overwhelming odds; the plot is tense, dramatic, and engrossing. This book will definitely resonate with the generation raised on reality shows like "Survivor" and "American Gladiator." Book one of a planned trilogy.
Baird, J. (2008). Hunger Games. School Library Journal, 54(9), 176.

Suggested Library Use:
Using this book with Jr. High or High School students to read together as a book study. Students would read and discuss the book on a regular basis.  Once the movie comes out the students could discuss a comparison of the book verses the movie.

Module 7 - Realistic Fiction Novel

 

Baskin, N. (2009). Anything but typical.
New York, NY: Simon & Schuster for Young Readers.


 

Summary:
Jason is an autistic boy who struggles to fit in with his peers.  He sees the world through different eyes and the author gives us some of that insight in the struggles that Jason faces at school and in life in general.  Jason begins to see his struggles differently after he meets girl who has struggles of her own.

My Impression:
This story was well written to expose the reader to the struggles this autistic boy dealt with.  Jason, the autistic boy, tells the story and shares many different situations he deals with at home and at school.  This is a great read for anyone who has dealings with autistic individuals.  It should give you a real perspective of what goes on in their minds.

Review:
Anything but Typical
Booklist
Gr. 4-7 *Starred Review* Baskin tells this luminous story entirely from the point of view of Jason, an autistic boy who is a creative-writing whiz and deft explainer of literary devices, but markedly at a loss in social interactions with “neurotypicals” both at school and at home. He is most comfortable in an online writing forum called Storyboard, where his stories kindle an e-mail-based friendship with a girl. His excitement over having a real friend (and maybe even girlfriend) turns to terror when he learns that his parents want to take him on a trip to the Storyboard conference, where he’ll no doubt have to meet her in person. With stunning economy, Baskin describes Jason’s attempts to interpret body language and social expectations, revealing the extreme disconnect created by his internalization of the world around him. Despite his handicap, Jason moves through his failures and triumphs with the same depth of courage and confusion of any boy his age. His story, while neither particularly heartbreaking nor heartwarming, shows that the distinction between “normal” and “not normal” is whisper-thin but easily amplified to create the chasm between “different” and “defective.” This is an enormously difficult subject, but Baskin, without dramatics or sentimentality, makes it universal. As Jason explains, there’s really only one kind of plot: “Stuff happens. That’s it.”
Chipman, I. (2009). Anything but typical. Booklist, 105(11), 40.

Suggested Library Use:
Before reading this book use a KWL chart to see what students know about autism, questions they have and adding what they learn once they have finished reading this novel.  This would be a great book to use to teach students about this particular disability.  There are several vocabulary words students may be unfamiliar with that will provide opportunity to use a dictionary to find the meaning of the words.

Module 7 - Realistic Fiction

Clements, A. (1996). Frindle. New York, NY:
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Summary:
This is a story about a 5th grade boy who coins a new word and convinces his classmates to use it.  One of Nick's teachers objects to the use of the word and the battle of wills continue throughout the story.  Nick's new word creates quite a stir of events.

My Impression:
This story is a very realistic story of events that could happen.  The students portrayed are typical of 5th grade students seeking to become independent and trying to be the center of attention.  Students will enjoy seeing the turn of events in this great realistic fiction story.

Review:
Frindle
Booklist

Gr. 3-6. Ten-year-old Nick Allen has a reputation for devising clever, time-wasting schemes guaranteed to distract even the most conscientious teacher. His diversions backfire in Mrs. Granger's fifth-grade class, however, resulting in Nick being assigned an extra report on how new entries are added to the dictionary. Surprisingly, the research provides Nick with his best idea ever, and he decides to coin his own new word. Mrs. Granger has a passion for vocabulary, but Nick's (and soon the rest of the school's) insistence on referring to pens as "frindles" annoys her greatly. The war of words escalates - resulting in after-school punishments, a home visit from the principal, national publicity, economic opportunities for local entrepreneurs, and, eventually, inclusion of frindle in the dictionary. Slightly reminiscent of Avi's Nothing but the Truth (1991), this is a kinder, gentler story in which the two sides eventually come to a private meeting of the minds and the power of language triumphs over both. Sure to be popular with a wide range of readers, this will make a great read-aloud as well.
Weisman, K. (1996). Frindle. Booklist, 93(1), 125.

Suggested Library Use:
Frindle could be used to introduce the exploration of the use of the dictionary.  Take time to Look at word orgins and how new words are formed along with the dictionary's organization including entries and their different parts.

Module 6 - Picture Books

Willems, Mo. (2003). Don't let the pigeion drive the bus!
New York, NY: Hyperion Books for Children.

Summary:
The driver of the bus takes his regular break and leaves instructions with the passengers to not let the pigeon drive the bus.  Through the rest of the book the pigeon tries to persuade the passenger to let him drive the bus.  The text is simple, yet very engaging for students as they read it.

My Impression:
Students love this book with its engaging text.  The pigeon's begging involves the students in wanting to respond to the pigeon's continual requests.  It is a great book to use when teaching persuasion.

Reviews:
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
School Library Journal's Reviews
PreS-Gr 2 - A brilliantly simple book that is absolutely true to life, as anyone who interacts with an obdurate three-year-old can attest. The bus driver has to leave for a while, and he makes one request of readers: "Don't let the pigeon drive the bus." It's the height of common sense, but the driver clearly knows this determined pigeon and readers do not - yet. "Hey, can I drive the bus?" asks the bird, at first all sweet reason, and then, having clearly been told no by readers, he begins his ever-escalating, increasingly silly bargaining. "I tell you what: I'll just steer," and "I never get to do anything," then "No fair! I bet your mom would let me." In a wonderfully expressive spread, the pigeon finally loses it, and, feathers flying and eyeballs popping, screams "LET ME DRIVE THE BUS!!!" in huge, scratchy, black-and-yellow capital letters. The driver returns, and the pigeon leaves in a funk - until he spies a huge tractor trailer, and dares to dream again. Like David Shannon's No, David (Scholastic, 1998), Pigeon is an unflinching and hilarious look at a child's potential for mischief. In a plain palette, with childishly elemental line drawings, Willems has captured the essence of unreasonableness in the very young. The genius of this book is that the very young will actually recognize themselves in it.
Ratterree, D. (2003). Don't let the pigeon drive the bus! School Library Journal's Reviews,49(5), 132.

Suggested Library Use:
This is great book to use with lower elementary age students to introduce the use of persuasion.  Students can be involved in the simple text and respond to the begging of the pigeon to drive the bus.

Module 5 - Pura Belpre Award Winner

Soto, G. (1997). Chato's Kitchen. 
New York, NY: The Putnam & Grossett Group.

Summary:
The Pura Belpre award winner, Chato’s Kitchen, takes place in a Latino neighborhood with Chato (a cat) inviting his new neighbors, a family of mice, to dinner. The mice suspect there is trick to the invitation and invites their friend, a dog to go with them.  Chato decides they can all eat together.  The setting and the events of the story are very typical of Latino culture.

My Impression:
This story is well written and students will love reading it multiple times. Children are exposed to Spanish language and ways of the Latino culture.

Review:
Chato's Kitchen
Horn Book Magazine
K-2 - Illustrated by Susan Guevara. Chato, a "low-riding cat with six stripes," spends an afternoon in the kitchen along with his best friend, Novio Boy, a cat with "the loveliest growl in the barrio." They prepare a mouthwatering array of dishes, including fajitas, enchiladas, and chiles rellenos, but the heartlest dish is yet to come, for Chato has thoughtfully invited his new neighbors - a "tasty" family of mice. When the rodents arrive and announce that they've brought Chorizo, the cats think that the guests have come with even more treats: "Sausage! Chato and Novio Boy . . . gave each other a 'low four.'" However, the cats are in for a surprise. Chorizo, it turns out, is an old family friend from the old neighborhood, and he's neither sausage nor mouse. He's a dog -"a low, road-scraping dog." Chato resigns himself to a mouseless meal, comforted that dinner will still be pretty good because, "after all, it came from Chato's kitchen." Humorous details abound in Guevara's richly colored artwork, which portrays the characters with affection and authenticity. The illustrations convey the cats' cool and confident attitude - Chato has a gold hoop in one ear and wears his baseball cap backward, while Novio Boy, bandanna round his head, has a flashy cross dangling from his cat collar; both cats sport pencil-thin mustaches. Soto's fresh and satisfying fare is distinctively seasoned with the sights and sounds of East Los Angeles; the sprinkling of Spanish words and phrases adds the perfect flavor. A glossary - including the items on Chato's menu - precedes the story.


Suggested Library Use:
Teaching students about welcoming new neighbors could be discussed after reading this book.  Also, incorporating a look at the Latino foods and culture could also extend this story.

Brabander, J. (1995). Chato's Kitchen. Horn Book Magazine, 71(5), 591-592.

Module 5 - Coretta Scott King Honor



Rhodes, J. (2010). Ninth Ward.
New York, NY: Little Brown Books for Young Readers.

 Summary:
A Coretta Scott King Honor book is realistic fiction.  It was written about a family and friends during Hurricane Katrina. The main characters are a 12 year old girl and her elderly caretaker, Mama Ya-Ya, who is raising her. They ride out Hurricane Katrina helping each other through this tragic event in their lives. This book offers some realistic insight into the people who survived this event their close knit family ties and close knit community they live in, the Ninth Ward.  Many of these people were too poor to evacuate during Hurricane Katrina and must rely on each other.


My Impression:
Author Jewell Parker Rhodes shares the story of a 12 year old girl and her Mama Ya-Ya, who has been raising her since she became an orphan when her teenage mother died in childbirth.  Rhodes showes the closeness of the two main characters and the close ties the neighbors have with one another.  The events of the evacuation and the hurricane along with the breaking of the levies seem very realistic.  A great story that tells of close family ties and friendship that is true to this culture and community.


I visited this same area about a year after the hurricane and saw much of the devistation that was still there.  This brought the events of this novel to life.


Reviews:
Ninth Ward
School Library Journal

Gr 5-8--Hurricane Katrina is whirling toward New Orleans in this touching novel (Little, Brown, 2010) by Jewell Parker Rhodes. Twelve-year-old Lanesha is a confident loner in her Ninth Ward neighborhood. Other kids tend to avoid her because she has the sight--she sees ghosts--and casually ignores them. Lanesha concentrates on her studies. She loves math, words, her teachers, and above all things, midwife Mama Ya-Ya who took her in when her mother died giving birth. Lanesha has snooty light-skinned uptown relatives, but they abandoned her to the loving care of Mama Ya-Ya. Lanesha watches in amazement as her beloved Ninth Ward prepares for the storm of the century. Fortitude, a vocabulary word Lanesha relishes, will be necessary to see her through the storm. After Mama Ya-Ya dies, Lanesha must be brave and save herself and her best friend when the water begins to rise. Sisi Aisha Johnson, a gifted narrator, brings richness and texture to each character and her performance emanates with the humor, warmth, and grace of this fine story. This 2011 Coretta Scott King Honor Book is not to be missed.

Melgaard, T. (2011). Ninth Ward. School Library Journal, 57(3), 77.

Kirkus Reviews

10-14 years--Born with a caul, 12-year-old Lanesha can see and sometimes communicate with spirits, and her guardian, former midwife Mama Ya-Ya, has dreams and visions that foretell the future. Their exquisitely happy, though poor, life in the New Orleans Ninth Ward is disrupted by news of a powerful storm approaching. Mama Ya-Ya knows it will get bad, but she has no means to get Lanesha out of the city. Knowing she herself will soon die, Mama Ya-Ya decides to wager that Lanesha's talents, both her supernatural skills and her more commonplace pluck and creativity, will see the young girl and her friend TaShon through Hurricane Katrina safely. The two children must confront not only the intense storm and Mama Ya-Ya's death but rapidly rising flood waters to survive. Rhodes's characters are likable and her story gripping. Unfortunately, though, romanticized depictions such as this one threaten to undermine our collective sense of the true plight of pre- and post-Katrina Ninth Ward residents. A good title for discussion when balanced with historical accounts of Katrina and her aftermath.

NINTH WARD. (2010). Kirkus Reviews, 78(14), 682.

Suggested Library Use:

This book could be used when studying historical fiction that is paired with a non-fiction book about Hurricane Katrina.  Students could compare and contrast the events of the two text.

Module 4 - Newbery Medals 1984

Cleary, B. (1983). Dear Mr. Henshaw. New York,
NY: Harper Collins Publishers, Inc.

Summary:
Leigh Botts began writing his favorite author, Mr. Henshaw, in second grade.  He now is in sixth grade.  He has just moved to a new town and school.  His parents have divorced and he doesn't get to see his dad much because he is a truck driver and is gone a lot.  Leigh shares with Mr. Henshaw his struggles with his parents divorce and his dad gone all the time.  He also has struggles being the new kid at school and someone keeps stealing food from his lunch.  Mr. Henshaw encourages Leigh to keep a journal and to work on his writing.  In the end Leigh enters a writing contest at school only because of the encouragement from Mr. Henshaw.

My Impression:
Dear Mr. Henshaw is a book that many students could relate to as they go through struggles with moving and divorce.  Students can find comfort in knowing they aren't the only one experiencing these feelings.  The encouragement that Mr. Henshaw gives Leigh to work on his writing through journal writing can be therapeutic for students dealing with struggles.

Review:
Dear Mr. Henshaw
School Library Journal
Gr. 4-7 - Cleary succeeds again.  Leigh Botts lives with his recently divorced mother and writes to his favorite author, Boyd Henshaw.  When Henshaw answers his letters and encourages him to keep a journal, he does so, and in the process solves the mystery of who is stealing food from his lunchbox, invents an alarm for said lunchbox, tries to write a novel, and in the end, writes a prize-winning short story about an experience with his father.  The semi-epistolary style, at first between Leigh and Mr. Henshaw, then exclusively in Leigh's journal, gives a clear sense of his life, his thinking process, and his coming to grips with his father's absence.  His resolution to continue loving his difficult-to-love father and to try to get along and make friends in a new home and school will certainly move young readers, regardless of their own situations.  And, as usual, Cleary's sense of humor leavens and lightens what might otherwise be a heavy work of social realism.
MacDonald, R. (1983). Dear Mr. Henshaw [Book Review]. School Library Journal, 30(1), 120.

Suggested Library Uses:
Dear Mr. Henshaw could be used to encourage students to journal write.  This will develop their writing skills and could also be an outlet for students struggling with difficulties in their lives.

Another application of this book could be using it with teaching about the mechanics of letter writing.

Module 4 - Newbery Medal 1945

Lawson, R. (1977). Rabbit Hill. 
New York, NY: Puffin Books.

Summary:
Robert Lawson's story, a 1945 Newbery Winner, takes place in the country near Danbury, Connecticut known as Rabbit Hill.  The animals are excited at the prospect of new people moving into the big house that has been vacant for a long time.  The animals are in hope the new people will plant a garden so they will have an abundant food source which they have not had in a long time.  They anxiously wait to see if the new people will be kind and friendly, not expecting the surprise turn of events.

My Impression:
This was a delightful book with a wonderful story.  Children will enjoy the storyline and conversations that take place between the animals.  They will relate well with the people who move into the big house and live in harmony with the animals on Rabbit Hill.

Reveiw:
Rabbit Hill
School Library Journal
Gr 3-6‘Uncle Analdas and his community of woodland animals who are anticipating the arrival of the "new folks," the people who are moving to Rabbit Hill. When the new folks eventually become part of the animals' lives, both benefit from their association with the other. Although the story probably will not have broad appeal, this version would serve to enhance collections of Newbery Award winners.
Brightman, M. & Mandell, P. (1996). Rabbit Hill [Book Review]. School Library Journal, 42(8), 64.

Suggested Library Use:
Studying Newbery Award Winning books would be a great way to incopporate Rabbit Hill as a winner from 1945.  Students could compare and contrast Newbery Award books from the present to older winners.

Module 3 - Caldecott Medal 1987

Yorinks, A. (1986). Hey, Al.
New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Summary: Al and his dog live in a one room apartment and they aren’t happy with their life and wish it will change.  An exotic bird shows up one morning telling Al he needs a change.Through a course of events they go to “paradise”  with this exotic bird.  It isn’t all they thought it would be. Life isn't to great with all these exotic animals. Al and his dog decide they'd rather be back in their previous life.  They soon get to return to their old life which is better than they thought. My Impression: This story is a great story to talk to students about "the grass is greener on the other side."  I like the brightly colored pictures and the unexpected events that teach a great lesson. Review: Hey, Al School Library Journal K-Up - The theme here is, "be happy with who you are," or may be, "there's no free lunch."  Al, a janitor, lives a meager existence with his companion (dog) Eddie in New York City.  They complain to each other about their lot and are ready to take off to a better place with a huge bird who just pops in and invites them.  This "island in the sky" is perfect.  All its inhabitants are friendly birds, and there's nothing to do but enjoy the tropical paradise.  But when they both begin to sprout feathers and beaks, they realize that there is a price to pay, so they take off, Icarus-style--including a plunge into New York Harbor.  Safely home, they discover that "Pardise lost is sometimes Heaven found."  Egielski's solid naturalism provides just the visual foil needed to extablish the surreal character of this fantasy.  The muted earth tones of the one-room flat contrast symbolically with the bright hues of the birds' plumage and the foliage of the floating paradise.  The anatomical appropriateness of Al and Eddie plays neatly against the flamboyant depiction of the plants.  Text and pictures work together to chanllenge readers' concept of reality, with touches such as the stacks of delivered newpapers outside Al's door when he returns, from --his "dream"? Marantz, K., Jones, T. E., Gale, D., & Cherenfant, G. (1987). Hey, Al [Book Review]. School Library Journal, 33(7), 151. Suggested Library Uses: This book can be used to teach inferencing by reading a portion of the text and having the students infer what will happen next.  It could also be used to teach about being satisfied with what you have.

Summary:

Al and his dog live in a one room apartment and they aren’t happy with their life and wish it will change.  An exotic bird shows up one morning telling Al he needs a change.Through a course of events they go to “paradise”  with this exotic bird.  It isn’t all they thought it would be. Life isn't to great with all these exotic animals. Al and his dog decide they'd rather be back in their previous life.  They soon get to return to their old life which is better than they thought.

My Impression:

This story is a great story to talk to students about "the grass is greener on the other side."  I like the brightly colored pictures and the unexpected events that teach a great lesson.

Review:

Hey, Al
School Library Journal
K-Up - The theme here is, "be happy with who you are," or may be, "there's no free lunch."  Al, a janitor, lives a meager existence with his companion (dog) Eddie in New York City.  They complain to each other about their lot and are ready to take off to a better place with a huge bird who just pops in and invites them.  This "island in the sky" is perfect.  All its inhabitants are friendly birds, and there's nothing to do but enjoy the tropical paradise.  But when they both begin to sprout feathers and beaks, they realize that there is a price to pay, so they take off, Icarus-style--including a plunge into New York Harbor.  Safely home, they discover that "Pardise lost is sometimes Heaven found."  Egielski's solid naturalism provides just the visual foil needed to extablish the surreal character of this fantasy.  The muted earth tones of the one-room flat contrast symbolically with the bright hues of the birds' plumage and the foliage of the floating paradise.  The anatomical appropriateness of Al and Eddie plays neatly against the flamboyant depiction of the plants.  Text and pictures work together to chanllenge readers' concept of reality, with touches such as the stacks of delivered newpapers outside Al's door when he returns, from --his "dream"?

Marantz, K., Jones, T. E., Gale, D., & Cherenfant, G. (1987). Hey, Al [Book Review]. School Library Journal, 33(7), 151.

Suggested Library Uses:

This book can be used to teach inferencing by reading a portion of the text and having the students infer what will happen next.  It could also be used to teach about being satisfied with what you have.

Module 3 - Caldecott Medal 2004



Gerstein, M. (2003). The Man Who Walked Between the Towers.
Brookfield, Connecticut: Roaring Brook Press.


Summary:
This book is not a traditional biography about Philippe Petit who is the French man who walked on a tightrope between the unfinished Twin Towers.  The ink and oil illustrations present the dramatic events of Petit’s walk between the towers through the poetic text. 

My Impression:
When I first saw this book I thought it would be fiction, but was suprised to see that is was a biography of Philippe Petit involving the occurance of his wal on a tightrope between the Twin Towers as they were being constructed.  The pictures offer great reflection on the events that took place.

Review:
The Man Who Walked Between the Towers
School Library Journal Reviews

K-Gr 6 - As this story opens, French funambulist Philippe Petit is dancing across a tightrope tied between two trees to the delight of the passersby in Lower Manhattan. Gerstein places him in the middle of a balancing act, framed by the two unfinished World Trade Center towers when the idea hits: "He looked not at the towers, but at the space between them and thought, what a wonderful place to stretch a rope - |." On August 7, 1974, Petit and three friends, posing as construction workers, began their evening ascent from the elevators to the remaining stairs with a 440-pound cable and equipment, prepared to carry out their clever but dangerous scheme to secure the wire. The pacing of the narrative is as masterful as the placement and quality of the oil-and-ink paintings. The interplay of a single sentence or view with a sequence of thoughts or panels builds to a riveting climax. A small, framed close-up of Petit's foot on the wire yields to two three-page foldouts of the walk. One captures his progress from above, the other from the perspective of a pedestrian. The vertiginous views paint the New York skyline in twinkling starlight and at breathtaking sunrise. Gerstein captures his subject's incredible determination, profound skill, and sheer joy. The final scene depicts transparent, cloud-filled skyscrapers, a man in their midst. With its graceful majesty and mythic overtones, this unique and uplifting book is at once a portrait of a larger-than-life individual and a memorial to the towers and the lives associated with them.
Lukehart, W. (2003, November 1). The Man Who Walked between the Towers [Book]. School Library Journal Reviews, 125.

Suggested Library Use:
This book lends itself to a variety of activities.  You can use it to study the character traits of Petit or discuss the dangerous activities that take place making sure the students know that this was also illegal for Petit to do what he did.  The students could also do research on other dangerous activities people have undertaken.

Module 2-Classic Chapter Book

Howe, J. (1983). The Celery Stalks at Midnight.
New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Summary:

A cat named Chester, a dog named Harold, and a puppy named Howie star in this sequel to Bunnicula: A Rabbit Tale of Mystery and Howliday Inn.  The family pets to the Monroe family find Bunnicula (a rabbit) missing from its cage.  Concerned that the rabbit is a vegetarian vampire, the other animals set out to find Bunnicula to protect the Monroe family, but it may be too late.

My Impression:

This a cute book written from the perspective of the three family pets.  I had some difficulty following the storyline to begin with because I had not read one of the previous books of the series.  Howe helps make connections to past events with his references to past occurrences throughout the story.  I would like to go back and read the previous books in the series.  This is a great series for children 8-12 who are animal lovers.  They will enjoy the conversations and events the animals find themselves caught up in.

Reviews:

The Celery Stalks at Midnight

School Library Journal

Gr. 4-6

When readers hear about dead beets, killer parsnips ;and homicidal heads of lettuce lurking in the neighborhood, they won't think it's a vegetable war--they'll know that Bunnicula, the vampire(?) rabbit has returned. And, according to Chester the cat, Bunnicula's vegetable minious are dangerous, constantly looking for fresh blood to drain.  As everyone knows, a vampire can be destroyed by driving a stake through its hear, so, in order to put a stop to Chester's constant nagging and fear, unconvinced Harold goes along with Chester's idea of spearing the white vegetables with toothpicks in order to save home and family from the poser of this dastardly rabbit.  The amusing and skillful black-and-white sketches capture the animals' antics and expressions of alternating doubt, skepticism, disgust ant worry in this clever tale abounding with puns, wild chases and slapstick humor.  Bunnicula (Atheneum, 1979) fans will be delighted to rejoin cynical Chester, Howie, and dachshund puppy and canine narrator Harold, who, at the end, becomes apprehensive for even he admits he hears the thump thump thump of an artichoke heart.--Trev Jones, "School Library Journal"

Jones, T. (1983). The Celery Stalks at Midnight [Book]. School Library Journal, 30(1), 124.

Suggested Library Use:
The Celery Stalks at Midnight could be used as a books in an author study of James Howe focusing on his writing style and use of personification throughout his books.

Module 2-Classic Picture Book

Marshall, J. (1976). George and Martha: Rise and Shine.
New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Co.

Summary:
James Marshall writes another book featuring two great hippos.  Good friends are hard to find, but George and Martha show us what true friends are like.  There are five short chapters exploring friendship.

My Impression:
Every child needs to read stories about friendship and George and Martha: Rise and Shine is a great one even though they are hippos.

Reviews:
George and Martha: Rise and Shine
School Library Journal
K-3 George and Martha, friendly hippopotamuses whose daily actions culminate in minor epiphanies, return in five vignettes corresponding roughly to vaudeville sketches.  The appeal of this whimsical hippo couple who tame snakes, watch scary movies, and plan surprises increases with acquaintance: so wise, unpretentious, and filled with love is this pair that they unobtrusively instill an understanding of true companionship.  The illustrations, predominately in yellows, greens, and maroons provide a gentle homey feel.--Allene Stuart Phy, English Department, George Peabody College for Teachers, Nashville, Tenn.
Phy, A., Gerhardt, L. N., Pollack, P. D., Abramson, J., & Stenson, L. (1976). George and Martha Rise and Shine [Book Review]. School Library Journal, 23(2), 100.


Suggested Library Use:
Share this story during a study on friendships.  Students could share their experiences of friendships with a special friend.  Students could also make inferences as the story is read, by stopping after several pages.  Students would then use the information they already have about George and Martha and infer or predict future encounters.

SLIS 5420 Youth Literature -- Module 1 - The Runaway Bunny



Brown, M. (1972). The Runaway Bunny.
New York: Harper Collins Publishers.

Summary:
Previously published in 1942--A bunny tells his mother he is going to runaway.  His mother tells him she will come after him.  The two have a drawn out conversation about the various places  the bunny will go or the character he will turn into to runaway from his mother.  His mother always responds with how she will seek him out with matching characterizations to locate the bunny and bring him home.


My Impression:
This classic provides a sweet, gentle story that adult will enjoy reading to a young child.  It shows the love of the mother rabbit towards her young child through the reassuring words that no matter where the bunny goes she will come and find him.  This is a must read for parent to read their young child.


Reviews:
The Runaway Bunny
Children's book review by P.J. Rooks

Ages 2+ The Runaway Bunny, written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd, is a sweet story that tells the tale of a little bunny's imaginative plans to run away. He will become a hidden crocus in a garden, a rock in a mountain and a fish, among other things. For each of these plans, however, his mother has a "foiled-again" response -- she will become a gardener, a mountain climber, a fisherman, etc.



There is no plan too wild or far-reaching that this little bunny's mother will not come searching for him -- truly a story of unconditional, all-reaching, all-surviving love.
In the end, the little bunny decides he can stick it out with Mom since trying to run away would just be a waste of his time anyway, so Mom offers him a carrot and the deal is done.
Rooks, P.J. (2012). The Runaway Bunny [Book Review]. Steve Barancik's Best Children's Books. http://www.best-childrens-books.com/runaway-bunny.html

Suggested Library Use:
This book could be used with Preschool students during a storytime followed by a discussion of how our parents protect us.