Monday, October 7, 2013
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
The Fault in Our Stars
Green, John. 2012. The Fault in Our Stars. New York, NY: Dutton Books. ISBN 9781101569184
Brief
Plot Summary:
Hazel is a teen suffering from cancer. Her condition is terminal but she is
functioning well when she meets Augustus, a cancer survivor, at a teen cancer
support group. She and Augustus quickly
form a bond and pursue a relationship; both realizing that time is not
something that is guaranteed.
Critical
analysis:
The contemporary setting is illustrated by
the video games, cell phones, and cultural references throughout the book but
the references are generic enough that it will not feel dated any time
soon. The themes of hope and
perseverance will be familiar to young readers and there is no obvious
moralizing in this story. In fact, I am
hopeful that readers can see how it’s important to be non-judgmental because
you never know what someone is going through in life.
Awards
won:
#1 Wall Street Journal bestseller
#9 The Bookseller (UK) bestseller
#1 Indiebound bestseller
New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice
Starred reviews from Booklist, SLJ, Publisher’s Weekly, Horn Book, and Kirkus
Review
Excerpts:
Kirkus Reviews
Sparks fly when Hazel Grace Lancaster spies Augustus
"Gus" Waters checking her out across the room in a group-therapy
session for teens living with cancer. He's a gorgeous, confident, intelligent
amputee who always loses video games because he tries to save everyone. She's
smart, snarky and 16; she goes to community college and jokingly calls Peter
Van Houten, the author of her favorite book, An Imperial Affliction, her only
friend besides her parents. He asks her over, and they swap novels. He agrees
to read the Van Houten and she agrees to read his-based on his favorite
bloodbath-filled video game. The two become connected at the hip, and what
follows is a smartly crafted intellectual explosion of a romance. From their
trip to Amsterdam to meet the reclusive Van Houten to their hilariously flirty
repartee, readers will swoon on nearly every page. Green's signature style shines: His carefully structured dialogue
and razor-sharp characters brim with genuine intellect, humor and desire. He
takes on Big Questions that might feel heavy-handed in the words of any other
author: What do oblivion and living mean? Then he deftly parries them with
humor: "My nostalgia is so extreme that I am capable of missing a swing my
butt never actually touched." Dog-earing of pages will no doubt ensue.
Green seamlessly bridges the gap between the present and the
existential, and readers will need more than one box of tissues to make it
through Hazel and Gus' poignant journey.
2012.
"The Fault in Our Stars." Kirkus
Reviews 59. Library & Information Science Source, EBSCOhost
(accessed July 29, 2013).
School Library Journal
--"It's
not fair," complains 16-year-old Hazel from Indiana. "The
world," says Gus, her new friend from her teen support group, "is not
a wish-granting factory." Indeed, life is not fair; Hazel and Gus both
have cancer, Hazel's terminal. Despite this, she has a burning obsession: to
find out what happens to the characters after the end of her favorite novel. An
Imperial Affliction
by Dutch author Peter Van Houten is about a girl named Anna who has cancer, and
it ends in mid-sentence (presumably to indicate a life cut short), a stylistic
choice that Hazel appreciates but the ambiguity drives her crazy. Did the
"Dutch Tulip Man" marry Anna's mom? What happened to Sisyphus the
Hamster? Hazel asks her questions via email and Van Houten responds, claiming
that he can only tell her the answers in person. When she was younger, Hazel
used her wish-one granted to sick children from The Genie Foundation--by going
to Disney World. Gus decides to use his to take Hazel to Amsterdam to meet the
author. Like most things in life, the trip doesn't go exactly as anticipated.
Van Houten is a disappointment, but Hazel, who has resisted loving Gus because
she doesn't want to be the grenade that explodes in his life when she dies,
finally allows herself to love. Once again Green offers a well-developed cast
of characters capable of both reflective thought and hilarious dialogue. With
his trademark humor, lovable parents, and exploration of big-time challenges, The Fault in Our Stars is
an achingly beautiful story about life and loss.
O'Malley,
Ragan1. 2012. "The Fault in Our
Stars." School Library Journal 58, no. 2: 120. Library &
Information Science Source, EBSCOhost (accessed July 29, 2013).
Publisher’s Weekly
2012.
"The Fault in Our Stars." Publishers
Weekly 259, no. 3: 57. Library & Information Science Source,
EBSCOhost (accessed July 29, 2013).
An Okay
For Now Educator’s Guide with ideas for enrichment activities can be found
here:
Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians
Krosoczka, Jarrett J. 2009. Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians.
New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 9780375946844
Brief
Plot Summary:
Something is not right in the library. The librarians have become secretive and a
group of students are determined to find out what they are hiding. With the help of the Lunch Lady and her
secret gadgets, they set out to uncover a plot that would threaten the
entertainment of kids everywhere.
Critical
analysis:
This ingenious plot describing a subculture
of crime fighters against villains within the staff of a school is both
original and creative. The school’s
setting is sure to appeal to all school-age readers, making it an integral part
of the story. The plot to steal a
coveted video game will definitely resonate with boys who eagerly await the
release of such games.
The traditional theme of good versus evil is
readily apparent The satisfying ending will leave readers wanting to read more
about the resourceful Lunch Lady. The
writing is clear and concise and the graphics lend the right amount of drama to
the story, especially in the “fight” scenes as the book characters are
unleashed by the librarians as they fight the students and Lunch Lady.
Awards
won:
WINNER
2010 - Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices
Review
Excerpts:
When not serving up French fries and gravy
to students, Lunch Lady escapes to her secret
kitchen lair to lead the life of a crime fighter. Using an assortment of lunch-themed gadgets (created by her sidekick Betty), she
is definitely a quirky superhero. Tipped off by the "Breakfast Bunch"
(three students who discovered Lunch Lady's
crime-fighting alter ego in Book 1), she attempts to foil the plans of the evil
"League of Librarians," who seek to destroy all video games.
The black-and-white pen-and-ink illustrations have splashes of yellow in nearly
every panel. The clean layout, featuring lots of open space, is well suited for
the intended audience. Terrence, Hector, and Dee become more developed in this
second installment in the series, especially Dee, who asserts herself as the
strong-willed leader of the group. The winking references to book fairs,
read-a-thon enrollment, and media specialists fit well with the story line.
With its appealing mix of action and humor, this clever, entertaining addition
to the series should have wide appeal.
Jonker,
Travis1. 2009. "Lunch Lady and the
League of Librarians." School Library Journal 55, no. 9: 188. Library
& Information Science Source, EBSCOhost (accessed July 29,
2013).
Connections:
Other
books by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Lunch
Lady
series
Goodnight,
Monkey Boy
Baghead
Platypus
Police Squad: The Frog Who Croaked
Feathers
Woodson, Jacqueline. 2007. Feathers. New York, NY: Puffin Books. ISBN 978039923982
Brief
Plot Summary:
Hope is something that seems elusive to
Frannie. She wants to have it but is
afraid of being disappointed. Frannie’s
thoughts are occupied by the important relationships in her life, including her
brother Sean, who is deaf; her best friend, Samantha, who is focused on
spiritual matters; her mother, who is pregnant; and a new boy in her class,
nicknamed “Jesus Boy”. Frannie wants to
have hope that the baby her mother is carrying will be ok. She wants to hope that Jesus Boy is, somehow,
really Jesus and won’t continue to be bullied.
Does she have the courage to hope for these things and risk being
disappointed?
Critical
analysis:
Feathers tells the story of a young girl
named Frannie’s cautious journey into hope. Frannie’s character is portrayed as
wise beyond her years, due to the sadness in her life, such as the loss of a
baby sister, her observation of how her deaf brother is treated, and the fact
that she wonders why life on the “other side of the highway” is different. Jacqueline Woodson does an excellent job at showing
readers Frannie’s emotional growth as she maneuvers through her relationships
with her mother, her brother, and the new boy at school, “Jesus Boy”. Frannie’s language is very believable. Her cautious attitude toward hope is clearly
portrayed in this language (“My grandmother always says that good things come
in ones and twos and threes and bad things come however they can get here”).
The events in this story are very true to
life, especially the scenes at Frannie’s school when “Jesus Boy” is taunted by
Trevor. The schoolyard dynamics showcase
the bravado, fear, and embarrassment typical in these situations. While there
were not any unexpected twists and turns in the story, it is likely to hold the
attention of readers who are rooting for Frannie to find hope in the future. There is no obvious moralizing within the
story, even as Samantha theorizes that “Jesus Boy” is actually Jesus Christ and
her faith is shared with other characters.
The book jacket indicates that the story is
set in the early seventies but there are not a lot of cues that indicate the
time period in the story. Subtle cues,
such as hairstyles, hint at the timeframe but the biggest indicator is the
mention of recent desegregation and the fact that the highway divides the town
by race.
The writing style is natural and believable
and the tone is somber throughout most of the book, with a good balance of
narration and dialogue. While the
protagonist is female, the story should be equally appealing to boys as Sean
and “Jesus Boy” is significant to the plot.
Young readers should find the characters and their struggles very
relatable.
Awards
won:
Newbery Honor Book 2008
Review
Excerpts:
School Library Journal
It's winter in 1971, and Frannie, a sixth-grader at a
predominantly black school, doesn't know what to make of the new student in her
class whose pale skin, long curly hair, and calm demeanor have everyone calling
him the Jesus Boy. Told in an earthy, honest, and occasionally downright funny
first-person narrative, this eminently discussable book grapples with issues of
prejudice, faith, and the genesis of hope.
2007.
"Feathers." School
Library Journal 53, 49. Library & Information Science Source,
EBSCOhost (accessed July 29, 2013).
Publisher’s Weekly
2007.
"Feathers." Publishers
Weekly 254, no. 2: 51-52. Library & Information Science Source,
EBSCOhost (accessed July 29, 2013).
Connections:
Other
books by Jacqueline Woodson
Beneath
a Meth Moon
Hush
Behind
You
If
You Come Softly
Miracle’s
Boys
Similar
books:
Yolanda’s
Genius by Carol Fenner
Rules by
Cynthia Lord
Sahara Special by Esme Raji Codell
Thursday, July 25, 2013
One Crazy Summer
Williams-Garcia, Rita. 2010. One Crazy Summer. New York, NY:
HarperCollins. ISBN 9780060760885
Brief
Plot Summary:
One
Crazy Summer
is the story of three young girls who are sent to visit their estranged mother
in California for a month during the civil rights movement. The girls naively believe they will be
welcomed with open arms, only to discover a disinterested mother who sends them
to a “summer camp” each day run by members of the Black Panthers. The girls navigate dangerous territory and an
uncertain relationship with humor and perseverance.
Critical
Analysis:
Rita Williams-Garcia has created a very
believable character in Delphine, the brave main character in One Crazy Summer. Delphine clearly portrays the characteristics
you would expect from a child her age in a precarious situation: bravado, fear, resentment, and
determination. As she and her sisters
meet their estranged mother for the first time in years, readers will
sympathize with her desire to please this woman who seems to care nothing about
them. The language of the characters
seems appropriate for this time period and the dialect of the African-American
characters seems very realistic.
The historical context of the civil rights era
is only briefly described. Young readers
may not be entirely familiar with the activities of the Black Panthers and
further explanation may be required in order for them to understand Delphine’s
fears with regards to the group. As
such, the plot is not overwhelmed with details and focuses on the relationships
between the sisters and Delphine’s efforts to connect with her mother. The day camp and Cecile’s apartment are
described in detail, as well as the girls’ adventurous trip to San Francisco. This book does not go into too much detail
about historical events so it does not appear that too much research was
necessary but the facts that are presented are accurate.
The overall theme of this book seems to be
acceptance, both in the civil rights activities and, especially, in the girls’
relationship with their mother.
Obviously, this theme remains relevant today and many young readers can
likely relate to Delphine’s heartache.
The author does a great job of capturing the speech patterns of the
children and of the haughty pride of Cecile, in an easy writing style that
flows in an easy rhythm.
Awards
won:
2011 Coretta Scott King
Award Winner
2011 Newbery Honor Book
2011 Scott O’Dell Prize
for Historical Fiction
2010 National Book Award
Finalist
Junior Library Guild
Selection
Texas Library Association Best Book for 2010
Review
Excerpts:
Publisher’s
Weekly
Williams-Garcia (Jumped) evokes the close-knit bond
between three sisters, and the fervor and tumultuousness of the late 1960s, in
this period novel featuring an outspoken 11-year-old from Brooklyn, N.Y.
Through lively first-person narrative, readers meet Delphine, whose father sends
her and her two younger sisters to Oakland, Calif., to visit their estranged
mother, Cecile. When Cecile picks them up at the airport, she is as
unconventional as Delphine remembers ("There was something uncommon about
Cecile. Eyes glommed onto her. Tall, dark brown woman in man's pants whose face
was half hidden by a scarf, hat, and big dark shades. She was like a colored
movie star"). Instead of taking her children to Disneyland as they had
hoped, Cecile shoos them off to the neighborhood People's Center, run by
members of the Black Panthers. Delphine doesn't buy into all of the group's
ideas, but she does come to understand her mother a little better over the summer. Delphine's
growing awareness of injustice on a personal and universal level is smoothly
woven into the story in poetic language that will stimulate and move readers.
2010.
"One Crazy Summer." Publishers
Weekly 257, no. 1: 47. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost
(accessed July 23, 2013).
Kirkus Reviews
A flight from New York to Oakland, Calif., to spend the summer of 1968 with
the mother who abandoned Delphine and her three sisters was the easy part. Once
there, the negative things their grandmother had said about their mother,
Cecile, seem true: She is uninterested in her daughters and secretive about her
work and the mysterious men in black berets who visit. The sisters are sent off
to a Black Panther day camp, where Delphine finds herself skeptical of the
worldview of the militants while making the best of their situation. Delphine
is the pitch-perfect older sister, wise beyond her years, an expert at handling
her siblings: "Just like I know how to lift my sisters up, I also knew how
to needle them just fight." Each girl has a distinct response to her motherless
state, and Williams-Garcia
provides details that make each characterization crystal clear. The depiction
of the time is well done, and while the girls are caught up in the difficulties
of adults, their resilience is celebrated and energetically told with writing
that snaps off the page.
2010.
"One Crazy Summer." Kirkus
Reviews 78, no. 2: 91. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost
(accessed July 23, 2013).
Connections:
Other books by Rita Williams-Garcia:
Blue
Tights
Every
Time a Rainbow Dies
Fast
Talk on a Slow Track
Jumped
Like
Sisters on the Homefront
No
Laughter Here
Enrichment
Activities:
From the Sweet on Books blog, I found some great
discussion questions related to this book:
• Do you think it was a good idea in the beginning? Did your view of that change by the end of the girls' story?
• Of the three sisters, Delphine, Vonetta and Fern, whom did you most relate to? Why?
• Do you think Cecile was horrible? Did she have any reasons to behave the way she was behaving?
• Do you think the girls got an education in Oakland they otherwise would not have gotten in Brooklyn? Why or why not?
• How do you think each sister changed during their four weeks abroad?
• What do you think happened when they got back to Brooklyn? Do you think they were different?
• Do you think they saw Cecile again? Why do you think they would or wouldn't want to see her again?
• How did the final scene in the airport affect you? Did it change your opinion of Cecile?
• What kind of a mother was Cecile? Did you like her?
• Do you think she should have left her daughter's and gone away? Why? Why not?
• How do you think the children felt?
Okay for Now
Schmidt, Gary D. 2011. Okay for Now. New York, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN 9780547152608
Brief
Plot Summary:
Okay
for Now
is a story about a boy named Doug Swieteck who moves, with his family, to
upstate New York in the summer of 1968.
In addition to normal teenage angst, Doug also faces an abusive father
and a conniving brother. In his new
town, he discovers a few surprises, including a girl named Lil, a previously
undiscovered artistic talent, and a few attentive, quirky mentors who nicely
round out the sweet cast of characters.
Critical
analysis:
Gary D. Schmidt has created an outstanding
cast of relatable characters. The main
character of Doug Swieteck is funny, sweet, endearing, witty, vulnerable, and
strong. Young adults will root for Doug
as he struggles with bullies (including a teacher), an abusive father, a
brother whose reputation has negative repercussions for Doug, and as he
navigates through the discovery of new talents and his first crush. Adults will be smitten with Doug, as
well. He is smart, witty, and the
underdog. The characters are completely
believable and readers who weren’t around for the late 1960s will feel as if
they are there, especially in the Swieteck home, where Doug’s mom always has a
smile on her face and works hard to calm the waters when Doug’s father arrives
home from work.
Many historical events are presented
accurately, including the Vietnam War and protests, the first Lunar Landing,
and several events in major league baseball.
These events are not overwhelmed by details or political views and young
adult readers may be so entertained that they don’t realize they are learning
about historical events.
The setting is vividly described as readers
can sense the borderline poverty of the Swieteck home from the broken dishes
that don’t get replaced to the excitement over free plants given to Doug’s
mother to start a garden. Maryville, a
small town in upstate New York, is presented as a quaint town, small enough
that Doug quickly learns his grocery delivery route customers and, certainly,
small enough for his brother’s “crimes” to affect his reputation at school.
The adult themes of abuse and post-traumatic
stress disorder are treated gently as Doug interacts with his father and oldest
brother, who returns from the Vietnam War blind and missing his legs. The themes of redemption and triumph over
adversity, again in Doug’s father and brother, are evident and neatly wrapped
up at the end of the book. The author’s
writing style eloquently captures the speech patterns of the 1960s. Doug’s constant declaration, “I’m not even
lying” and the frequent use of the word “chump” evoke memories of characters
from Happy Days and Leave it to Beaver.
Doug’s constant comments to the reader such as “if you were listening
back there, you’d know why” or “as you might remember” serve to create a
personal connection between Doug and the reader and make the story all the more
endearing.
The historical context of the
book appears to be thoroughly researched and events are neatly included in
history and physical science lessons for Doug and his classmates. The characters do not seem to be
stereotyped. In fact, Doug’s artistic
talents and passion for the Audubon birds seem to go against most
stereotypical, self-absorbed teen characters.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book more
than any other book that I have read this semester. I will enthusiastically recommend it to
adults and young adults.
Awards
won:
National Book Award Finalist
Review
Excerpts:
Library
Media Connection
It's the summer of 1968 and Doug Swieteck has just moved to
Marysville, New York. His father is a mean drunk, his older brother seems to be
a juvenile delinquent, and his mother is just trying to hold the family
together. Before the summer ends, Doug has a friend (Lil), an obsession (the
work of John James Audubon), and a job (delivering groceries). Over the course
of the school year, Doug begins to change from a wary, closed boy into an open,
engaged young man, despite the challenges he faces. He finds a teacher who
understands him, begins to spend time in the local library drawing Audubon's
birds, and, in the book's most unlikely twist, winds up on a Broadway stage. He
witnesses his family's transformation with the return of his oldest brother
from Vietnam. The book closes on a bittersweet note, with hope tempering a
character's serious illness; but a really happy ending would have felt out of
place. There are laugh-out-loud moments here, and passages that will move a
reader to tears; it's brilliant, and beautiful, and very nearly a perfect book.
Poulter,
Susan A. M. 2011. “Okay for Now.” Library
Media Connection 30, no. 1: 78. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost
(accessed July 22, 2013).
School Library Journal
When his blowhard dad loses his job, Doug Swieteck has to say so
long to his friend Holling and Camillo Junior High and get used to things in
stupid Marysville, NY. His oldest brother's in Vietnam, his middle brother's
still a hoodlum, his mom is quiet but enduring, and his only salvation is
weekly visits to the public library, where the librarian is teaching him to
draw by using models from a volume of Audubon's Birds of America. Also not too bad is Lil,
the daughter of the grocer who gives him a delivery job. Fans of The Wednesday Wars
(Clarion, 2007) will find that this companion novel has more in common with it
than just a charismatic narrator and pitch-perfect details of daily life in the
1960s. In addition to a mix of caring adults and comically unreasonable
authority figures, Schmidt
also revisits baseball, theatrical escapades, and timely preoccupations like
the Moon landing and the Vietnam War. But Doug's blue-collar story is much
darker than Holling's in the earlier novel, and, as a narrator, he's more
psychologically complex. Readers know right up front that his father is
abusive, but for a while Doug keeps the depth and magnitude--among other
secrets--hidden from those around him. He grows to realize a lot about his
family's relationships through study of Audubon's painted birds (one plate is
featured at the start of each chapter), and the volume itself becomes a
metaphor for his journey from fragmented to whole self. Schmidt manages a hard
balance of relatable youth-is-hard humor and nuanced family trauma, though the
mix of antics and realism is a bit Shakespearean. Readers will miss Doug and
his world when they're done, and will feel richer for having experienced his
engaging, tough, and endearing story.
Pollard,
Riva. 2011. “Okay for Now.” School
Library Journal 57, no. 4: 184. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost
(accessed July 22, 2013).
Publisher’s Weekly
This companion to The Wednesday Wars follows the formula of Schmidt's Newbery
Honor winner with less success. Doug Swieteck, a prankster in the previous
book, has graver problems than Holling Hoodhood did, making the interplay of
pathos and slapstick humor an uneasy fit. In summer 1968, the Swietecks leave
Long Island for the Catskills, where Doug's father has found work. Doug's
mother (like Holling's) is kind but ineffectual; Mr. Swieteck is a brutish
jerk. His abuse of his three sons, one of whom is currently in Vietnam, happens
mostly offstage, but one episode of unthinkable cruelty is recounted as a
flashback to explain why Doug refuses to take off his shirt in gym class. Doug
does make two key friends: Lil, whose father owns the dell for which Doug
becomes delivery boy, and the less fleshed-out Mr. Powell, a librarian who
instantly sees Doug's potential as an artist. There are lovely moments, but the
late addition of an implausible subplot in which Lil, who has never shown an
interest in acting, is drafted for a role in a Broadway play, seems desultory
considering the story's weightier elements.
2011.
“Okay for Now.” Publishers Weekly
258, no. 8: 134. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed
July 22, 2013).
Connections:
Other
books by Gary D. Schmidt:
The
Wednesday Wars
Trouble
Lizzie
Bright and the Buckminster Boy
What
Came From the Stars
Enrichment
Activities:
Houghton Mifflin has a great website full of discussion
questions and enrichment activities related to this book:
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