Creech, Sharon. (2001). Love
that dog. New York, NY: Joanna Cotler Books.
Jack does not want to write poetry, that's something girls do. He tried it and he just can't, his brain is empty. Jack exhibits all the thoughts and feelings many students experience when the unit on poetry inevitably begins. As his teacher continues to share a variety of poems each day, and Jack contemplates each one, we see him slowly start to come around. With some encouragement and a bit of flattery from his teacher, he also begins to gain more confidence in himself as a poet. Then when poet Walter Dean Myers makes an appearance at his school, we know Jack is hooked.
What might appeal to a reader in your library?
This novel is a quick read,
written as a free verse journal, and I think students, especially males and
reluctant writers, would be able to relate to the main character. Jack doesn’t write poetry; he says that’s for
girls. He doesn’t even understand half
the poems his teacher shares in class. But
through simply jotting his thoughts down on paper and some encouragement from
his teacher, he comes to realize that he has more to say and share than he
thought, and this poetry stuff really isn’t so bad.
Sharon Creech and her editor discuss the editorial process
Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
Selznick, Brian. (2011). Wonderstruck.
New York, NY: Scholastic Press.
This incredible book is actually two stories in one set 50 years apart. The first story, written in text, is about Ben who has recently lost his mother and is currently living in his aunt and uncles' house. One night as he wanders over to the house he shared with his mother, he discovers a book and a couple of mysterious messages that lead him to believe that the father he has never met lives in New York City. On this same night, a bolt of lightning through the phone lines leaves Ben, who was born deaf in one ear, completely deaf. The second story, told through pictures, is about Rose, a young girl who is deaf. Rose seems to be depressed, as well as completely obsessed with the life and career of an actress, Lillian Mayhew. When Rose takes off to New York City to see Lillian, we learn that she is the child's mother, who is too busy working with little time for her daughter. As Ben travels to New York, the search for his father lands him in the American Museum of Natural History. As Ben spends much time in the museum, he notices an older woman who seems to spend much of her time there too. When Ben's search takes him to the Kincaid Bookstore, he again notices this mysterious woman who it turns out has a lot more in common with him than he could have imagined.
What might appeal to a reader in your library?
Ben, who has struggled with hearing
loss since death and now due to a freak accident has completely lost his
hearing, has recently lost his mother and makes the decision to journey to New
York to find the father he’s never met.
Rose, who is also deaf, is tired of being stuck at home with her father,
and decides to journey to New York to find her mother who she longs to be
with. At over 600 pages, the sheer size
of this novel is likely to scare off many young readers. However, this story told in a combination of
text and pictures should not be dismissed so easily. Encourage students to flip through the book
and they will quickly see that at least one-half of the book is composed of
illustrations. That is because this book
is two stories in one, one told in words and one in pictures, each taking place
50 years apart, and converging in a climax as exciting as a Hollywood motion
picture.
Gaiman,
Neil. (2008). The graveyard book. New
York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers.
Nobody (Bod) Owens is trapped between the worlds of the living and the dead in this fantasy novel. When he was but a toddler, a man known only as Jack, murdered Bod's parents and 7 year old sister. Miraculously Bod was able to escape out the front door and winded up in a nearby graveyard, where he was taken in by a loving, older, and deceased, couple who decided to raise him as their own, along with the help of a guardian who is neither living nor dead and known as Silas. As Bod grows up, he is granted the Freedom of the Graveyard and learns all the ways of the dead, even mastering a few himself. However he also becomes curious about life outside of the gates, which the graveyard's occupants are determined to protect him from. When he discovers that his family's killer is still out there and has been searching for him all these years, he sets out to find out why and end it once and for all.
Evaluation Criteria: Characters and Setting
Two of the elements that are key contributors to this story
are the setting and characters. When a
young child’s family is murdered, he manages to escape and ends up wandering
through a graveyard, and that is where the majority of this story takes
place. A deceased couple, The Owens, who
were never blessed with a child in life, agree to keep the boy, whom they name
Nobody (Bod), and raise him as their own.
In this dark and dilapidated graveyard where Bod grows up, there is
quite the array of characters, each with their own history and experiences to
share, yet no longer a part of the land of the living. Some of the people died in old age and have a
wealth of information spanning centuries and stories of adventure to
share. Others died young and although Bod
initially enjoys spending time with and playing with the children, he finds as
he matures and they remain the same age, they no longer have as much in common
and seem to grow apart. One thing that
all of these people do have in common, other than no longer being alive, is
their dedication to Bod and their devotion to keeping him safe.
Applegate, Katherine.
(2015). Crenshaw. New York, NY:
Feiwel and Friends.
The rent is behind, there's no food to eat and Jackson and his family are having to sell off everything they own just to get by. Pretty soon they will be living in their minivan, again. Now on top of all of this, Jackson is seeing a giant cat that apparently no one else can see. This is not just any cat however. It is Crenshaw, Jackson's imaginary friend who he thought was gone years ago, but has reemerged just in time to see Jackson through this difficult period and teach him the importance of being honest with others and most importantly himself.
Evaluation Criteria: Characters and Theme
Jackson is a soon to be fifth grader who lives in a small
apartment with his parents, his little sister and their dog. Because of his father’s diagnosis with
Multiple Sclerosis and his mother being laid off from her job as a music
teacher, the family is struggling financially and on the verge of being
homeless, again. Even with multiple part
time jobs, they continue having trouble paying the rent and putting food on the
table, and have resorted to selling almost all of their possessions. When Jackson’s old imaginary friend Crenshaw
the cat reappears in his life, he worries that he might just be going
crazy. We see his internal struggle with
expressing his true feelings about their living situation as well as
Crenshaw. The theme of honesty is prevalent
throughout this story. Many times
Jackson expresses his wish that his parents would just be honest with him. He also grapples with his own ability to be
honest with his parents, his little sister and his best friend while Crenshaw
encourages Jackson to “tell the truth to the person who matters most.”
Hale, Shannon &
Hale, Dean. (2008). Rapunzel’s revenge. New York, NY: Bloombury U.S.A. Children’s
Books.
Most people are familiar with the story of Rapunzel; the girl with the extremely long hair who lets it down for her prince to come up and save her. Well that is not quite how this story plays out. It does begin with a girl trapped in a tower, who has been there so long that her hair has grown to incredible lengths, but that's about where the similarities end. In this exciting take on an old classic, Rapunzel is more than capable of saving herself, and uses her tresses to battle villains, drive away coyotes, and defeat a huge serpent all in an effort to find her way home, take revenge on her captor and make the world a better place for all.
Evaluation Criteria: Plot and Theme
The plot of this story revolves around Rapunzel who as a
young girl was taken from her mother and basically held captive by Gothel in
her villa, while she enslaved Rapunzel’s mother and the other townsfolk to
build up her empire. When Rapunzel
discovers this and threatens to run away, Gothel has her locked away in a tree
tower where she has nothing to do but wait and think and watch her hair grow
and grow. Once it grows long enough, she
uses it to escape the tower and so begins her adventure to find her way home across
the old west with an outlaw named Jack, where she will seek revenge against
Gothel for all the evil she has done. The
overriding theme in this graphic novel is that good triumphs evil. Several times throughout the story we see
Rapunzel become dismayed at how selfish and cruel people can be and each time
she attempts fight for what is right and sees to it that goodness will prevail.
Holm,
J., Holm, M., & Krosoczka, J. (2014).Comics
squad: Recess! New York, NY:
Random House.
The graphic novel is one of the hottest reading trends for children today. Ask any kid about Captain Underpants or Babymouse and chances are they will know who you are talking about. This compilation brings together the minds of 10 of the leading authors in graphic novels for children in the industry including Jennifer and Matthew Holm, Dave Pilkey and Raina Telgemeier to name just a few. From the boy who gets left out of the Super-Secret Ninja Club, to the Lunch Lady saving the school from a pizza monster, to Babymouse who just wants to make it through the day and get to recess, this book has something for everyone and will have readers cracking up and begging for more.
Evaluation Criteria: Setting and Style
The style of this book is very unique in that it is a
collection of 8 completely different graphic short stories written by 10 of the
leading authors of graphic novels for children today and based on some very
popular characters that readers may already be familiar with. Although each story is written by someone
different, they are all equally hilarious filled with informal, witty dialogue
and silly illustrations using a basic color scheme of black, white and
orange. What ties all of these stories
together is that each of them take place at school, either in the building or
out in the yard, and revolve around the theme of recess. While the characters may be fantastical, such
as pizza monsters, a fraction battling mouse and a talking cupcake, readers
will definitely be able to relate to and find humor in these scenes and situations that are faced in
and around school on a daily basis.
Book Trailer for Comic Squad: Recess!
Friday, February 5, 2016
Gregor the Overlander
by Suzanne Collins
Collins, Suzanne.
(2003). Gregor the Overlander. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.
While all of the other children in the neighborhood are away at camp, 11-year-old Gregor is stuck at home bored watching his 2-year-old sister all summer. However things take a dramatic turn one day when both Gregor and his sister fall through the dryer vent in their laundry room down into the mysterious world of the Underland. Here they encounter 4 foot tall roaches, giant man eating rats, and humans that you can practically see through. While all Gregor wants to do is get himself and his sister home, he soon learns that there are bigger things in store for him and you don't always have a choice in your destiny.
Evaluation Criteria: Plot and Setting
Both the plot and setting of this story play a key role in
this high fantasy tale of bravery and loyalty.
Early on in the book, Gregor and his 2-year-old sister Boots find
themselves tumbling down through the dryer vent leading from their New York City
apartment building to the fictional setting of the Underland. This world down deep in the earth is very dark
and mysterious, and inhabited by giant cockroaches, rats, bats and translucent
humans among other bizarre and “creepy,” creatures who have all formed alliances
and are at war with each other over land and power. Here Gregor is told of The Prophecy of Gray,
and learns that the Underlanders believe him to be the warrior they have been
waiting for who will fulfill the prophecy and restore peace. He also discovers that his father who has
been missing for over two years, fell into the Underland and is being held
captive, and if he wants to save him, he must agree to take part in this epic
odyssey. The obstacles encountered and
the battles they face are terrifying, yet thrilling, and will take readers on
an emotional roller coaster.
Landy, Derek. (2007).
Skulduggery Pleasant. New York, NY:
Harper Collins Publishers.
When 12-year-old Stephanie Edgley's Uncle Gordon dies, everyone is surprised, but chalks it up to natural causes. Enter Gordon's friend Skulduggery Pleasant. To describe the fellow as odd would be an understatement. Skulduggery is a living skeleton, who throws fire, works as a detective and believes that Stephanie's uncle was murdered. As Stephanie joins forces with Skulduggery and discovers first hand the magical realm that exist right in this world in which we live, she finds there was much more to her Uncle Gordon and the family than she ever knew.
Evaluation Criteria: Characters and Theme
This low fantasy novel involving magical, supernatural
beings dueling it out in our world, exhibits the age old theme that good is
more powerful than evil. The main characters,
Skulduggery Pleasant, a walking, talking, skeleton detective, and Stephanie
Edgley, a 12-year-old girl looking for answers about her uncle’s death, become
involved in a bitter battle against the evil Nefarian Serpine who is determined
to find the Scepter of the Ancients and bring back the Faceless Ones. Stephanie is a strong willed girl who has
always hoped for something more than her “humdrum” life, so when Skulduggery
appears, although initially shocked, she chooses to immerse herself in his
secret world. Throughout the story we
see Stephanie evolve from a pretty much typical 12-year-old, to a strong, and
confident person who discovers that she too has inherited the gift of magic. Skulduggery is a complex character who although
is often mischievous, defiant and very sarcastic, exhibits a more sympathetic
and sensitive side when it comes to Stephanie.
