Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

By Grace Lin

Lin, Grace. 2009 Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. NY, NY: Little Brown Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 978-0-0316-11427-1

PLOT SUMMARY:

Minli and her family live in a poor village.  One day after hearing a tale from Ba she decides she is going to change her family’s fortune.  Ba’s tale is about the Old Man in the Moon and his power to write people’s futures. 

Minli purchased a gold fish from the gold fish man.  She ends up setting her free because she decides it’s unfair for her family to have another mouth to feed when they can barely feed themselves.  When she sets the gold fish free it tells her where the Old Man in the Moon is. Minli sets off on a journey to see him and runs into many interesting characters including a dragon.  When Minli finally reaches the Old Man she asks him why Dragon cannot fly, the Old Man tells her what to do and she does it.  Dragon is now able to fly, and he gives her the pearl she pulled off him which makes him able to fly. 

The pearl was worth a fortune, and she gave it to the king and the shadow covering her small village faded away.  She brought good fortune upon her village and her family.  Minli’s journey changed everything.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

The story transfers the reader back and forth between two worlds, the old world with fables and tales and the new world where Minli is off on her quest.  The story is interseing and keeps the reader’s attention.  The description on the characters is vivid and realistic.  Minli is a hopeful young girl with courage that enables her to go on a journey to change the lives of her family and town.  Ma has lost hope and is tired of being poor. Ba tells Minli tales to encourage her and keep her hopeful.  Dragon helps Minli with her quest, he stays with her and in the end he is able to fly.  Minli is looking her place in the world; she is trying to discover where she and her family fit.  The novel is a coming of age story that follows the main character as she grows into a young woman. 

The images in the book, one per chapter are vivid and add to the story.  The reader can see exactly what the author is talking about in the story.  The plot is logical and follows Minli through her journey and to its conclusion.

CONNECTIONS:

*Parts of this story could be acted out in reader’s theater style.

*The history of gold fish could be looked up. One could see what gold fish represent and how they were used in other cultures.

*Paint dragon in how you would expect him to look from the description in the book.

REVIEWS:

Children will embrace this accessible, timeless story about the evil of greed and the joy of gratitude. Lin’s own full-color drawings open each chapter. Grades 3-6. --Andrew Medlar

~Booklist

Rapunzel’s Revenge

By Shannon and Dean Hale

Hale, Shannon and Dean. 2008 Rapunzel’s Revenge. NY, NY: Bloomsbury U.S.A.. ISBN: 978-1-59990-070-4

SUMMARY: Rapunzel was growing up living in a beautiful garden with her mother, Gothel, or so she thought. One day Rapunzel is brought outside the garden and meets a woman at the well.  They discover that the woman is actually Rapunzel’s birth mother.  Rapunzel goes back to the garden and confronts Gothel who banishes her to the tower tree.

Rapunzel eventually escapes and meets a man, Jack, who helps her get back to defeat Gothel and save her mother.  They have many adventures along the way but they finally do make it back to defeat Gothel and save Rapunzel’s mother.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

Rapunzel is a young girl who finds out she has been betrayed and lied to.  She interacts in the way a normal child would under those circumstances.  She contronts her mother and gives her attitude like most teenagers would.  Her story is believable as is her position in the story.  Gothel is like any other wicked step mother, trying to control her step daughter.  She is mean and manipulative.  The plot keeps the reader interested.  It is fast moving and consistent with the rest of the story.  Rapunzel finds herself on the other side the law and that compels her to learn to fight.  She becomes stronger after each incident and when she finally returns to the garden she is able to defeat Gothel. The theme of the story is good verse evil and it shows good prevailing over evil.  Each character has their own unique voice in the story.  The vocabulary changes slightly for each of the characters.  This work also includes images on every page to show the reader what is going on.  The reader is able to gain insight from the images and get a clear view of what is happening. 

CONNECTIONS:

*This story is a twisted version of a fairy tale.  Each student could take their        favorite fairy tale and create their own twisted version. 

*Compare this story to the original Rapunzel. What are the differences in her character, the setting, the plot, and theme? What are the similarities?

REVIEW:

Rich with humor and excitement, this is an alternate version of a classic that will become a fast favorite of young readers. Grades 5-8. --Tina Coleman

~Booklist

The Book Thief

By Markus Zusak

Zusak, Markus. 2005.The Book Thief. NY, NY: Random House. ISBN:978-0-375-93100-0

SUMMARY:

Liesel and her brother were being sent away to foster care.  Along the journey Liesel’s brother became ill and he passed away right in front of Liesel.  The boy had to be buried by grave diggers.  One of the grave diggers dropped his book in the snow and Liesel took it.  That is how she became the book thief.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

This book takes place during a dark part of history. The text has a creepy look to it.  The overall book has a dark style and theme to it.  The main character, Liesel saw her brother die.  The book is written in a mysterious voice, almost like the reader is missing something, like the book is a dark secret. 

German language is sprinkled throughout the book.  The plot is believable for the time period.  The story fits in well with other holocaust books; it follows the same themes and darkness.  There are times during raids when the characters are hiding, they are wondering what is going to happen to them.  The reader can feel the fear in them and image what it would be like to be in that position. 

CONNECTIONS:

·        This story could be read during a history lesson on World War II.

·        The Diary of Anne Frank could also be read with this.

·        Write about what it would be like if you were unable to have books. 

                                                     

REVIEW:

Yet even she admitted that The Book Thief "will be widely read and admired because it tells a story in which books become treasures." And, as we all know, "there's no arguing with a sentiment like that." ~Bookmarks Magazine

The Game of Silence

By Louise Erdrich

Erdrich, Louise. 2005. The Game of Silence. NY, NY: HarperCollins. ISBN:0-06-029789-1

PLOT SUMMARY:

Omakayas and her family live out on an island in Lake Superior.  It is the year of 1850 and a group of strange desperate people come across the lake and into the lives of the Ojibwe people. These people tell stories of the white ones coming in and talking away their land.  The people fled talking only what they had on them.  Some were left behind and captured.

CRITCAL ANALYSIS:

. Omakayas is just like any other young girl playing with her dolls and going out to her favorite place among the rocks.  We can see depth in her character through her experiences of the death of her younger brother and her attachment to the motherless child.  Omakayas is a passionate girl.

The plot of the story describes the time in history when the white people came in and changed the Native American’s way of life.  We can see the horror and pain it caused them.  The plot is not sugar coated, it is honest and real.

The author’s description of the area Omakayas lives in is beautiful and vivid.  Omakayas enjoys this place at the edge of the water where there are large flat rocks to step on.  The reader can picture that place and image what it would be like to visit there.  

CONNECTIONS:

*This book can be connected to a study on Native Americans

*It can also be read around Thanks Giving to give some background to the holiday.

*Research can be done to see what happened to the Native Americans when the pilgrims came over.

REVIEWS:

In addition to an abundance of details about life through the seasons, Erdrich deals with the wider meaning of family and Omakayas' coming-of-age on a vision quest. ~ Booklist

Turtle in Paradise

By Jennifer Holm

Holm, Jennifer L. 2010. Turtle in Paradise. NY, NY: Random House Children’s Books. ISBN:978-0-375-93688-3

PLOT SUMMARY:

Turtle is a young girl living with her Momma.  Momma is a housekeeper. Momma and Turtle don’t last long in any one place because Turtle has trouble with all the other children.  Momma gets hired by Mrs. Budnick who does not like children, so Momma sends Turtle down to Key West to live with her Aunt Minerva.  When Turtle arrives in Key West, her Aunt is surprised to see her.  Minerva never received her sister’s letter saying Turtle was coming.  At first it is all very odd for Turtle but after a while she really begins to like Key West.

CRITCAL ANALYSIS:

Turtle has a rough life moving around with Momma from job to job.  Turtle does not trust anyone and she particularly dislikes children.  The setting begins in New Jersey then moves to Key West.  The description of New Jersey is vague and the reader does not know they were until they arrive in Key West. Key West is vividly described so that the reader can picture what it looked like when Turtle arrived there.  Key West does not seem to be an overly beautiful place but Turtle loves the green peeking out everywhere.  The people of Key West are like the area, quirky and different, which seems to put Turtle more at ease.  She relaxes and finally begins to open up. 

The author’s style changes throughout the story to match the settings.  When the story begins in New Jersey she talks like a typical New Jersey resident would and as she moves down south, the southern drawl is added in.

CONNECTIONS:

*In this story we can look at geography, the route of Turtle’s trip can be traced on a map from New Jersey to Key West.

*Maps of Key West from 1953 when the story takes place can be compared to maps of today.  The reader can gain a perspective of how different the area was back then.

REVIEWS:

Eleven-year-old Turtle is not one to suffer fools gladly. And she runs into a lot of fools, especially the no-goods her starry-eyed mother meets. So it's a tough little Turtle who arrives in Key West in June of 1935. ~ Booklist

Catherine Called Birdy

By Karen Cushman

Cushman, Karen. 1994. Catherine Called Birdy. NY, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN:0-395-68186-3

PLOT SUMMARY:

This is a story of a girl growing in England during medieval times.  When the time comes to marry her off, her father chooses an ugly older man for her. Ever since she was young, Catherine dreamed of marrying a prince so she is very disappointed by the man she was offered. Time passes and she hears that the man died in a bar fight over a tavern mistress.  Catherine is relieved by this news but is also told that the son, Stephen wishes to honor the marriage.  Catherine feels that this is not better or worse than her previous position. 

CRITCAL ANALYSIS:

Catherine’s character is real and believable; we can see and feel the displeasure and angst with growing up not rich enough and being placed with an ugly husband. The plot of the story will not be one that children are familiar with.  The way things were done during these times are very different from the way things are done now.  The children will have trouble with concept of daughters being sold to the highest bidder. The story is set in medieval England, which is very apparent by the language used.  The imagery helps the reader image an old English manor out in the countryside with people who are trying to use their daughter to bring them up in society.  The people spoke differently back then and had different values. 

CONNECTIONS:

*This story would make a good plan to work on in class.  The students could each take parts and create story scenes in groups.  

*This story could also be joined with a social studies unit on the medieval times.

REVIEWS:

"The period has rarely been presented for young people with such authenticity; the exotic details will intrigue readers while they relate more closely to Birdy’s yen for independence and her sensibilities toward the downtrodden.”—Kirkus Reviews,

The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary

By Candace Fleming

Fleming, Candace.2008.The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary. NY, NY: Random House. ISBN: 978-0-375-93618-0

SUMMARY:

This book details the life of Abraham and Mary Lincoln’s lives up until their deaths. 

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

The scrapbook format shows an image and then explains it in a short blurb below or around it. Included in this book is a timeline that details the direction of the book. The book begins with a young Lincoln and ends at Mary Lincoln’s death in 1882.  There is full bibliography listing at the end of the book shows the many sources the author consulted while writing this book. The images used in this book were scanned directly from the 140 plus years old album in the Keya Morgan collection.

CONNECTIONS:

*This book can begin the study of the presidents of the United States.

*It can also be interesting to study the President’s wives.  This book can begin a unit about the presidents and their wives.

* Ben Franklin's Almanac: Being a True Account of the Good Gentleman's Life

By Candace Fleming

* Our Eleanor: A Scrapbook Look at Eleanor Roosevelt's Remarkable Life

By Candace Fleming

REVIEW:

What did this backwoods boy and this bluegrass girl have in common? Using her signature scrapbook approach, Fleming lays out the answer in a biography that gives equal emphasis to Abraham and Mary Lincoln for an insightful portrait of their lives.

School Library Journal

Fleming’s writing, filled with quotes and personal details, is just as lively as the assortment of images, and an extensive time line, suggested resources, and source notes round out the text. Starting with her personal introduction, this exemplary resource will prompt readers to consider how an individual’s life story, and a country’s history, are constructed.

Booklist

Animals in Flight

By Steve Jenkins

Jenkins, Steve. 2001.Animals in Flight. NY, NY: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. ISBN: 0-618-12351-2

SUMMARY:

Look at wings and the creatures that have them.  Check out insects, dinosaurs, and birds to see when, why, and how they go up in the air.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

Young boys will love the images of bugs included in this book.  All of the images are artwork and not actual photographs which adds a level of interest. Each page contains large images and short blurbs about many different winged creatures.  The book contains a photo dictionary at the end of the book which shows pictures and information about all the animals in the book.

The layout was a little confusing and it was hard to tell where the author was going next.  Every page was a surprise from dinosaurs to bats to insects.  A child reading this book may find the surprise to be part of the fun.

CONNECTIONS:

*What winged creatures did the book talk about, did the author miss any?

*What images does the title of the book evoke? Create a new cover for the book.

*Actual Size by Steve Jenkins

*Biggest, Strongest, Fastest by Steve Jenkins

REVIEW:

Jenkins's trademark illustrations, watercolor cut-paper collage, are perfect for this exploration of wings. From the striped, transparent wings of the ancient dragonfly to the crushed, leathery wings of the vampire bat, each illustration captures the uniqueness of the appendage it portrays.

School Library Journal

KAKAPO RESCUE: SAVING THE WORLD’S STRANGES PARROT

By Sy Montgomery

Sy, Montgomery. 2010. Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot. NY, NY: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. ISBN: 978-0-618-49417-0

SUMMARY:

The Kakapo Parrot remains only on the island of Codfish off the coast of New Zealand.   On this island, the New Zealand’s National Kakapo Recovery Team is working to restore the population from the 91 remaining birds. The book follows the author, Sy Montgomery on his journal to Codfish Island and the Kakapo Rescue.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

The cover of this book has colorful text in a new and interesting font. The book begins with a map that shows the geographic location of this rescue.  Each page that follows has an image, graphic, or table on it with interesting information.

The first paragraph of the book talks about a specific parrot named Lisa and intrigues the reader by telling them that Lisa’s nest is underground.  The book also gives interesting facts about the parrots; these facts are odd and show that the Kakapo is unlike all the other birds.  This material will engage readers.

The biography at the end of the book is short; containing only five sources but the author worked with the Kakapo Conservation in New Zealand which makes the book for credible. The information is laid out logically and addresses the many parts of the Kakapo rescue and how they live.

CONNECTIONS:

*Study regular parrots and note the differences between the Kakapo parrot and other parrots.

*Consider how the bone and muscle structure would vary on a Kakapo parrot.

*Visit the website www.kakaporecovery.org.nz and learn more about the recovery efforts.

*Think about other animals that have become extinct and consider how a rescue would have changed that.

REVIEW:

Take a parrot. Color it green. Give it soft, fluffy feathers, and whiskers. Give it sumo proportions and take away its power of flight. Make it nocturnal, and have it nest underground. Aha! A kakapo!

School Library Journal

The Firefly Letters

By Margarita Engle

Engle, Margarita. 2012. The Firefly Letters. NY, NY: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN: 978-0-8050-9082-6

PLOT SUMMARY:

This is the story of three women who come together based on circumstance.  Fredrika is a Swedish guest in the house of Elena’s father.  Elena is the daughter of a wealthy man.  Cecilia is a young slave girl. The three women become close friends and begin to explore the countryside together.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

The story of these three women evokes a sad feeling because they are trapped in their circumstances.  One woman is a slave and another is trapped in her father’s house not allowed to go out anywhere.  The author shows the feelings of Elena through the words used.  Elena feels like one of the fireflies that the children trapped and tore off its wings and placed it in a jar to live out its last days. 

Each chapter is written in a character’s voice.  The author changes the tone of the story based on the character.  The writing is descriptive and has a lot of feeling in it.  This story is for a little bit of and older age group because it addresses issues such as slavery and coming of age. 

CONNECTIONS:

This story could be used to coincide with lessons on slavery in school.  The children can be assigned roles in the story and read it aloud in class like a play.  The chapters are short and concise. 

Return to Sender

By Julia Alvarez

Esperanza Rising

By Pam Munoz Ryan

REVIEW:

“Like the firefly light, Engle’s poetry is a gossamer thread of subtle beauty weaving together three memorable characters who together find hope and courage. Another fine volume by a master of the novel in verse.”—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

Blue Lipstick

By John Grandits

Grandits, John. 2007. Blue Lipstick. NY, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN: 978-0-618-56860-4

PLOT SUMMARY:

This book follows a teenage girl named Jessie through her daily life and the struggles she comes into.  In the beginning of the story Jessie and her friend decide to die her hair blue and they use bleach then die.  Her hair comes out horrible but it all ends up okay because Jessie realizes she is growing up and she made this mistake as a woman.  The book continues on discussing many of the issues that teen girls are faced with.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

The poems are created using words to make images. The words are written all over the pages in shapes to describe what the poem is about.  One poem is about a bad hair day and the words are written all over the page in the shape of messy hair coming off a girl’s head.  The hair is blue and white to show that they bleached and died it. 

The poems in this book are related to teens going through their daily lives.  Some of the poems deal with unhappy things that are happening and others are just normal situations.  The book contains many different types of poetry.  This book is appropriate for teen agers but not the younger children.

CONNECTIONS:

The book could be used to build self esteem in teens.  These poems address issues that many teens face and they can take comfort in the fact that they are not the only one who feels that way.  The book is also a good way to re-introduce teens to poetry. They can use these poems as an example for writing their own. 

REVIEW:

"A cover that'll grab adolescent girls' attention--and the poetry inside is equally appealing." Horn Book

When Gorilla Goes Walking

By Nikki Grimes

Grimes, Nikki. 2007. When Gorilla Goes Walking. NY,NY: Orchard Books. ISBN: 0-439-31770-3

PLOT SUMMARY:

A girl named Cecila who has a best friend also named Cecila gets a new pet kitty cat and names her Gorilla.  The story follows Gorilla and Cecila through getting to know one another and the ups and downs daily life.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

This book is a collection of poems that talks about Cecila’s life with her new pet kitty cat.  The poems follow Cecila and Gorilla through their daily lives and the things that happen.  One day Ceclia is home sick and Gorilla becomes her nurse.  The images on the pages are vivid and engaging.  They help the reader understand what is happening and where the story is going. The poems have words that sound the same at the end of every other line. 

The book as a whole is cute and has some funny parts.  It is easy to understand and can be read by children as young as kindergarten.  The poems are too long for children of a younger age.   

CONNECTIONS:

These poems can be read aloud.  In a group of children they can take turns and each read a page out loud.  The children can also write their own poems about a pet they have at home. 

REVIEWS:

From Booklist

Grimes' skillfully chosen sounds and rhythms echo the distinctly feline behavior, from erratic, zooming action--"skate 'cross the floor. / Sail by the window, / leap through the door"--to soothing, purring comforts: "Gorilla raised a paw / and pet me." In spare, expressive lines and bold colors, Evans' dynamic paintings capture the messy intimacy of the cat and human bond. Also evident is the sense that Gorilla isn't just a pet; she's also a mirror.

Gillian Engberg
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