Historical Fiction #1

Book Review For:

Holm, Jennifer L. 2010. TURTLE IN PARADISE. 1^st ed. New York: Random House.
         ISBN 9780375836886

 

Turtle is a smart, tough cookie who is sent to live with her aunt in the Florida Keys during the depression. On top of missing her mother, everyone living there has an odd nickname, all her cousins are boys, her four-year-old cousin is always running around without his pants on, and no one wants to go near her grandmother because it’s rumored that she hates kids. Turtle, her cousins, and their friends experience a true adventure when they follow up on a lead to buried treasure. In the end, Turtle learns more than she ever thought she would about family and the ties that bind.

With names like “Beans”, “Pork-Chop”, and “The Diaper Gang”, this story is highly entertaining while including factual elements of the times as well. Families are large and often broken up when one has to go to work elsewhere to make ends barely meet, and tired, overworked mothers result in the older children taking care of the younger children. However, humor is spread liberally throughout, and kids won’t want to put this book down.

After reading this story with children, an educator could tie in a study of the Depression era, a study of real, historical pirates, a geographical study of Florida, or a cultural study of the Southeast during the depression. A fun, written activity could be assigned about a time when the children had to stay with other family members. If they didn’t have an experience like that, they could make one up.

TURTLE IN PARADISE is a 2011 Newbery Honor Book, a 2011 Texas Bluebonnet Book, a New York Times Bestseller, an ALA Notable Book, a Booklist Editor’s Choice Book, a Kirkus Reviews Best Children’s Book of 2010, and a Spring 2010 Junior Library Guild Selection Book (“Turtle in Paradise”, n.d.). Also, the Kirkus Reviews labeled it as “Sweet, funny and superb” and the Booklist described it as “…a hilarious blend of family dramas seasoned with a dollop of adventure (“Turtle in Paradise”, n.d.).”

 

References

 

“Turtle in Paradise.” Jennifer L. Holm, Author, Accessed November 12, 2013,

        http://www.jenniferholm.com/p/novels.html

Historical Fiction #2

Book Review For:

Giff, Patricia Reilly. 1997. LILY’S CROSSING. New York: Delacorte Press. ISBN
        9780385321426

 

Lily is a headstrong, realistic young girl who sometimes fibs, doesn’t get good grades, and will do whatever she can to avoid practicing the piano. During the summer on the coast of New York, Lily, her friends, family, and neighbors try to live somewhat normal lives while worrying about loved ones that are carried off to war, dealing with separation from them, and wondering what the future will bring. When Lily’s own father goes overseas to fight during WWII, her growing friendship with Albert, a Hungarian refugee, helps her to cope, learn about the devastating effects that fibs can have, and experience a true, lasting friendship.

 

The author includes details like how the headlights of vehicles were painted over the top half with black paint so that enemy planes couldn’t view them from overhead and how fresh dairy products were hard to come by. Albert’s speech is stilted authentically, like a typical English Second Language learner’s would be, and Lily teases him about how he pronounces “barnacles”. All these things make this a realistic, enjoyable story that children can comprehend.

After reading this story with children, an educator could segue into studying the WWII requirements for U.S. citizens living on the coasts and the reasons behind them, invite a guest speaker to come discuss what it was like for them to live on the U.S. coast during this time, or compare Lily’s feelings with those of today’s children who have a family member stationed in the Middle East.

 

LILY’S CROSSING is a 1998 Newbery Honor Book, an ALA Notable Book, and a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book (“Lily’s Crossing: Praise & Awards”, n.d.). Also, the Horn Book Magazine states, "Details...are woven with great effect into a realistic story," and the New York Times Book Review claims it is “Brilliantly told (“Lily’s Crossing: Praise & Awards”, n.d.).”

References

 

“Lily’s Crossing: Praise & Awards.” Random House, Accessed November 12, 2013,

           http://www.randomhouse.com/book/59841/lilys-crossing-by-patricia-reilly-

           giff#praise&awards

Historical Fiction #3

Book Review For:

Williams-Garcia, Rita. 2010. ONE CRAZY SUMMER. 1^st ed. New York: Amistad. ISBN

       9780060760885

 

Standing up for and taking care of her sisters is nothing new for Delphine, and in the summer of 1968, while staying with their estranged mother, Cecile, in Oakland, California, she has to learn how to survive and function in a totally different environment than they are used to. In order to have breakfast and stay out of their mother’s hair, Delphine and her sisters, Vonetta and Fern, start attending a Black Panther’s informal school for children. Being the strong character that she is, Delphine reads the newspapers, pays attention to what people say, and eventually gathers enough information to form her own opinions on what is taking place around her. She and her sisters begin to understand bits and pieces of their emotionally-distant mother and her strange life, and a miraculous, unusual family bond is formed.

Readers are authentically placed in the realm of a young African-American girl, who automatically counts how many people with and without Afros are in a room and who gets treated differently because of her skin color. Children with non-traditional families and broken families will easily be able to relate to Delphine, as well as those with siblings. Additionally, the author’s inclusion of sibling bickering and details like slowing down the go-kart by dragging sneakers on the cement make this story totally believable and entertaining.

After reading this story with children, an educator could tie in social studies or history about Civil Rights and the 1960’s. Reading poetry out loud from this time period could initiate meaningful discussions, or they could write their own poetry about family. Inviting an African-American guest speaker who had lived during this time period to come talk with students would be a great idea, particularly if they have a background in education or working with children.

ONE CRAZY SUMMER has won the 2011 Coretta Scott King Award, 2011 Newbery Honor, 2011 Scott O’Dell Prize for Historical Fiction, 2010 National Book Award Finalist, Junior Library Guild Selection, and the 2010 Texas Library Association Best Book (“One Crazy Summer”, n.d.). Also, a SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review states, “This book is a pleasure to cast your eyes over,” and a Kirkus Starred Review confirms this by saying, “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 (“One Crazy Summer”, n.d.).”

References

“One Crazy Summer.” Rita Williams-Garcia, accessed November 12, 2013,

        http://www.ritawg.com/one-crazy-summer/

Young Adult Fantasy #1

Book Review For:

Yang, Gene Luen. 2006. AMERICAN BORN CHINESE. 1^st ed. New York: First Second.
        ISBN 9781596431522

Three separate stories are introduced: one with the Monkey King, one with Jin Wang, and one with Danny. All three characters deal with prejudice and struggle to become secure with their own identity. Because of the Monkey King, the deities, and supernatural abilities, this novel would be considered a Young Adult Fantasy. Teens can likely relate to Jin Wang, who doesn’t quite fit in and awkwardly makes a fool of himself whenever the girl that he has a crush on is around, and to Danny, who is embarrassed to no end about his Chinese cousin who comes to visit. Teens may not have a Chinese cousin, but there is usually something that they feel insecure and embarrassed about.

Yang has created colorful graphic strips that include sounds and terrific expressions on the characters’ faces. There is also plenty of action and humor, like when Jin Wang uses the bathroom soap to wash his stinky armpits and then gets up his nerve to put his arm around the girl at the movies, only to discover that he’s left pink bubbles on her shoulder. The way that the three branches of the story are woven together at the end is truly a work of art that will stimulate brains everywhere.

After teens have read this story, educators could lead discussions on prejudiced assumptions that teens have personally witnessed and how individuals can make a difference by accepting others who are different or by speaking up. Additionally, Venn diagrams could be used by small groups of teens to compare and contrast the three different branches of the story. This could be done as a fun competition to see which group came up with the most accurate similarities and differences for certain branches of the story.

AMERICAN BORN CHINESE has won awards for the 2007 Michael L. Printz Award, the 2007 Eisner Award, the Best Graphic Album, and the 2006 National Book Award Nominee (“Gene Luen Yang: American Born Chinese”, n.d.). A SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review also praises this graphic novel, stating “…this novel explores the impact of the American dream on those outside the dominant culture in a finely wrought story that is an effective combination of humor and drama”, and a BOOKLIST review praises the depth of the themes by saying, “The stories have a simple, engaging sweep to them, but their weighty subjects — shame, racism, and friendship — receive thoughtful, powerful examination” (“Barnes & Noble: American Born Chinese”, n.d.).

 

References

"Barnes & Noble: American Born Chinese." Barnes & Noble, accessed November 30, 2013, http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/american-born-chinese-gene-luen-yang/1100351546?ean=9780312384487

“Gene Luen Yang: American Born Chinese.” Gene Luen Yang: Humble Comics.com,

        accessed November 30, 2013, http://geneyang.com/american-born-chinese

 

Young Adult Fantasy #2

Book Review For:

 

Gaiman, Neil. 2008. THE GRAVEYARD BOOK. 1^st ed. New York: HarperCollins
        Publishers. ISBN 9780060530921

Baby Bod takes refuge from his family’s murderer in the local graveyard, where he is raised by ghosts and those who walk in between the living and the dead. Bod struggles with growing up and becoming more independent just like any ordinary child, but his environment and interactions with other beings are anything but ordinary. Bod makes many mistakes and is an endearing character, one that adolescents can relate to. But, will Bod be able to stretch his wings, have human friends, and experience the world, or will he have to forever hide from his family’s murderer?

Gaiman uses clever wording to create an eerie atmosphere. For example, at one point in the story, one of Bod’s teachers is described as “the grey wolf that was Miss Lupescu”, and “Now he could see the Milky Way, see it as he had never seen it before, a glimmering shroud across the arch of the sky (Gaiman, 2008, p. 95).” Gaiman also makes use of interesting, somewhat distorted, black and white sketches that are interspersed among the pages. This tale is artfully arranged from the beginning to the end.

Educators could present this story around Halloween time. Teenagers could be divided in half for two teams to answer questions about the story in a friendly competition. Rules might include that the same person could not answer two questions in a row, etc., to prevent one individual from hogging all the questions. Gaiman’s book CORALINE could also be read, and the two stories could be compared. How the author has achieved his particular style of writing could additionally be discussed.

 

THE GRAVEYARD BOOK has won awards such as the 2009 Newbery Medal Winner, the 2009 Hugo Award Winner for Best Novel, and the 2010 Carnegie Medal Winner ("Barnes & Noble: The Graveyard Book", n.d.). A BOOKLIST review also praises this novel, stating “This is an utterly captivating tale that is cleverly told through an entertaining cast of ghostly characters. There is plenty of darkness, but the novel’s ultimate message is strong and life affirming….this is a rich story with broad appeal (“Barnes & Noble: “The Graveyard Book”, n.d.).” Likewise, a HORN BOOK review claims, ““Lucid, evocative prose and dark fairy-tale motifs imbue the story with a dreamlike quality. …this ghost-story-cum-coming-of-age-novel as readable as it is accomplished (“Barnes & Noble: “The Graveyard Book”, n.d.).”

 

References

"Barnes & Noble: The Graveyard Book." Barnes & Noble, accessed November 30, 2013, http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/graveyard-book-neil-gaiman/1100258468?ean=9780060530945

Gaiman, Neil. 2008. THE GRAVEYARD BOOK. 1^st ed. New York: HarperCollins
        Publishers.

Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Book Review For:

Woodson, Jacqueline. 2008. AFTER TUPAC & D FOSTER. New York: G.P. Putnam’s
       Sons. ISBN 9780399246548

 

Three young girls on the verge of becoming teenagers form a close friendship. Although their backgrounds and situations are different, their intense admiration for Tupac, a musical artist/entertainer who has recently been accused of a crime and is eventually shot, draws them together. Also faced with the imprisonment of Neeka’s brother, who is gay and was consequently set up, the girls struggle to understand the world that they live in and, most importantly, their own part in it.

D Foster is the new girl who is admired by Neeka and her best friend, the main character, whose name the author purposefully and cleverly omits from the story. (This must signify that her self-identity is not yet clear and is still forming.) In a Queens neighborhood in New York, these three girls sit on the stairs talking, join younger girls reluctantly to jump rope, and test the boundaries set by two of their mothers. Readers of this age will certainly be able to relate to the characters’ adoration of a famous public figure and envision the environment created by Woodson, and girls of today could easily place themselves and their friends in this story, doing each others’ hair and discussing celebrities.

A Round Robin, taking turns reading the story out loud, could be used by educators, and discussions after each chapter could take place to ensure that a deeper understanding of events is happening. A paper brown bag book review could also be assigned, requiring adolescents to decorate a paper brown bag with pictures or words that relate to the story and place common items inside the bag that have some connection to the events in the story. For example, they might include a short length of rope and explain how it reminded them of the scenes in which the girls in the story were jumping rope with the younger girls.

AFTER TUPAC & D FOSTER has won the 2009 Newbery Honor Medal and the 2009 Josette Frank Award (“Jacqueline Woodson: Books for Children and Young Adults”, 2013). A Booklist review claims, “Beautifully capturing the girls’ passage from childhood to adolescence, this is a memorable, affecting novel about the sustaining power of love and friendship and each girl’s developing faith in her own ‘Big Purpose’ (Amazon: After Tupac and D Foster, n.d.).” The SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL agrees, saying it “...will immediately appeal to teens... the emotions and high-quality writing make it a book well worth recommending (Amazon: After Tupac and D Foster, n.d.).”

 

References

"Amazon: After Tupac and D Foster." Amazon., accessed November 30, 2013, http://www.amazon.com/After-Tupac-Foster-Jacqueline-Woodson/dp/0142413992.

“Jacqueline Woodson: Books for Children and Young Adults.” Jacqueline Woodson,
       Accessed November 30, 2013, http://www.jacquelinewoodson.com/category/books-ive-written/middle-grade-titles/