Module 15: Looking for Alaska

Summary
Miles, a nearly-friendless kids whose hobby is memorizing famous last words, leaves his home in Florida and moves to Culver Creek Boarding School in Alabama, where his father went as a teen. There, Miles--quickly renamed Pudge because he is so thin--makes friends. His roommate Chip, better known as The Colonel, Takumi, who has a habit of starting rap battles, and most importantly Alaska Young.

After the rich local kids duct tape Miles and throw him into the lake on his first day, the four undertake a massive, prank based revenge plan. Miles develops a massive crush on Alaska, though she has a boyfriend and he eventually starts dating her friend Lara. Still, one night after drinking heavily, Alaska and Miles kiss. Shortly after, Alaska freaks out and asks Miles and Chip to help her sneak off campus.  Even though she's drunk they let her drive away.

The next day, there is an assembly called, and the students are told that Alaska died in a car crash, and Miles and his friends have to deal with their guilt, as well as the question of whether the crash was intentional or accidental.



Citation
Green, J. (2005). Looking for alaska. New York, NY: Dutton Juvenile.


Impression

It was...fine. Miles's voice is very strong, and all the teenage shenanigans are very realistically drawn, but I had the same problem with this book that I had with An Abundance of Katherines--it felt a little bit too self-consciously quirky.
Reviews
"The chapter headings make it clear-Before and After. Something bad is going to happen. Geeky sixteen-year-old Miles Halter counts down the days to tragedy, drawing the reader into his new life at an Alabama boarding school. Miles, who leaves his loving parents and lonely, unchallenging school life in Florida, is a bright, shy, friendless scholar. He devours the biographies of famous writers and has an encyclopedic supply of famous last words. At Culver Creek Preparatory School, Miles is enfolded immediately into the exciting, edged-up world of his roommate, Chip Martin, and the beautiful, fearless, haunted Alaska, both veteran students of Culver. They coach and enlist Miles in an ever-escalating war of pranks and counter-pranks with a group of rich, cruel youth. The pranks war fills the world of the three friends, but their escalating craving for harmful substances (their smoking habits are nearly as alarming as their alcohol intake) and some sexual experimentation intrudes on their need to work through their academic curiosity about the meaning of life. Miles yearns for Alaska, whose signals to him are maddeningly mixed. Once the tragedy plays out, the last third of this provocative, moving, and sometimes hilarious story counts up slowly from grief as Miles tries to find his way through the fallout of depression and guilt that he suffers. Green, a familiar presence on National Public Radio, has a writer's voice, so self-assured and honest that one is startled to learn that this novel is his first. The anticipated favorable comparisons to Holden Caufield are richly deserved in this highly
recommended addition to young adult literature."

Andersen, B.E. (2005, April 1). [Review of the book Looking for Alaska, by J. Green]. Voice of Youth Advocates. Retrieved from http://www.voya.com/

"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. (2005, February 1). [Review of the book Looking for Alaska, by J. Green]. School Library Journal. Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/

Uses
There is a general impression that YA is all narrated by girls. A display of boy-narrated books could include this one.

Module 14: Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd

Summary
This book is a collection of wildly diverse geeky stories--Con-going nerds, theater geeks, RPG-ers, Rocky Horror fans, Buffy fans, and just about every other flavor of geek out there. Interspersed between the stories are little comics making geeky jokes and offering advice on things like how to cosplay with common household objects, and how not to look like an idiot in front of your favorite author.

Citation


Black, H., & Castellucci, C. (2009). Geektastic: Stories from the nerd herd. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.

Impression
I really liked this collection. I could relate to all the stories to varying degrees--my favorite was Sara Zarr's "This Is My Audition Monologue", because as a recovering theater kid I could totally relate--the character's desire to do theater, to have any excuse to be in a theater and be show-adjacent was completely spot-on. I also really liked the little comics between sections.

Reviews
"With the recent spate of anthologies featuring the hottest YA authors, it was only a matter time before a celebration of all things geeky/nerdy found its way into a short story collection. Geektastic defines the geek not by his costume, but by his motivation for stepping into it. For instance, M. T. Anderson's heart-wrenching standout tale of a kid visiting his favorite author's home, not to stalk him, but to ask why he's been writing love letters to his mother is a lovely statement about sensuality and loneliness. Throughout, this all-inclusive love fest pays homage to the classics of D&D and Star Trek, but there's plenty of room for fans of new faves such as the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica and Joss Whedon-verse as well. Even geeks not affiliated with a TV show or movie can see themselves represented in David Levithan's Quiz Bowl Antichrist or Sara Zarr's drama-geek ode, This is My Audition Monologue, to name just a couple. Geeks, old and new school, will appreciate this collection written by their own."

Jones, C. (2009, September 1). [Review of the book Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd, by H. Black and C. Castellucci (Eds.)]. Booklist. Retrieved from http://www.booklistonline.com

"One needn't already know that "Qapla!" is Klingon for success or be a weekend LARPer to appreciate this mostly entertaining collection of 15 short stories from authors John Green, Scott Westerfeld, Lisa Yee and M.T. Anderson among others, as well as numerous illustrated interludes (final art not seen by PW). The offerings cover a range of nerdy terrain: tensions within geek communities (the coeditors' story about a Star Wars fan who hooks up with a Star Trek fan at a convention; Cynthia and Greg Leitich Smith's piece involving a divisive Buffy character); the gulf between online personalities and real-life interactions ("I Never" by Cassandra Clare; Kelly Link's cautionary tale about a 15-year-old girl waiting at a hotel for the 34-year-old she met online); and academic rivalries (Wendy Mass's "The Stars at the Finish Line" follows two intellectuals vying for the top spot at school; David Levithan inserts a closeted gay character into a national trivia competition in a quietly touching, layered story). Beyond the Stargate and MMORPG references, the stories often hit at the insecurities, camaraderie and passions at the heart of geekdom. Ages 12-up."

(2009, August 3).  [Review of the book Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd, by H. Black and C. Castellucci (Eds.)]. Publisher's Weekly. Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com

Uses
This sort of anthology is perfect for introducing kids to various authors. Anthologies could be a perfect kick-off to a teen book club, as they would introduce kids to a variety of authors, whose books they could then go on to read as a group. 

Module 13: Gossip Girl

Summary
Beautiful Serena is back from boarding school, which upsets Audrey Hepburn-obsessed Blair, as her onetime best friend knocks her out of the queen-bee position without even trying, and this on top of the fact that she has to deal with her mother's new boyfriend. Social climber Jenny looks up to Serena, Jenny's brother, mopey poet Dan, has an enormous crush on her. And everyone's comings and goings are reported and snarked-upon by the anonymous Gossip Girl, a website devoted to chronicling  the daily lives of the rich and beautiful of Manhattan's Upper East Side.
As Blair tries to organize a fabulous fundraiser party, Serena gets involved in a strange art project, Blair's boyfriend and onetime-Serena hookup gets stones, and Dan's friend Vanessa tries to make films and be alternative.

Citation
Von Ziegesar, C. (2002). Gossip girl. New York, NY: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

Impression
I have a not-so-secret weakness for stories about beautiful people in beautiful clothes doing awful things to each other, so really, this was just fine for me. It's not like this is a good book, but it is certainly entertaining, and sometimes mindless fluff is all a person really wants. It is a little obnoxious that nothing can be a bag, or a shirt, or a drink--it is all a Fancy Brand bag or shirt or drink. Still, this is a perfectly acceptable way to kill an hour or so.

Review
"Gr. 10-12. «Ever wondered what the lives of the chosen are really like? Well, I'm going to tell you because I'm one of them.» Gossip Girl is the anonymous narrator of this campy, scandal-hungry glimpse into the lives of privileged teens in Manhattan's Upper East Side. In between pages made to resemble Gossip Girl's Web site, with updated gossip about the characters, the novel follows its central characters through a few months of private school, drinking, shopping, pot-smoking, and sex (described in relatively non-explicit scenes). When «tall, eerily blond» Serena is kicked out of boarding school, she encounters rumors, ostracism, and romance with a boy from the other side of the tracks (the Upper West Side) as she tries to find her place again. The characters and their interactions have the depth (and parental guidance rating) of a raunchy teen movie, with the usual stereotypes, cat fights, and designer labels. And that's just why the book may attract eager readers. A sequel is expected in the fall."


Engberg, G. [Review of the book Gossip Girl, by C. Von Ziegesar]. Booklist. Retrieved from http://www.booklistonline.com/


Deliciously catty and immediately engrossing, this is the ultimate beach read for teenage girls, offering them a titillating peek into the heady world of Manhattan's well-heeled teens, private-school kids who "have unlimited access to money and booze," and-since their prominent self-involved parents are terribly busy and largely disinterested-"tons of privacy" as well. Appearances reign in von Ziegesar's world, and the kids are free to do as they choose as long as they don't "embarrass . . . the family by puking in public, pissing their pants, or ranting in the streets." Loading it with labels and writing in a breathless style, von Ziegesar amusingly and succinctly sums up her characters. For example, a mother's less-than-classy new boyfriend is described as looking "like someone who might help you pick out shoes at Saks." The plot in this private-school intrigue/slice-of-life drama concerns the homecoming of Serena van der Woodsen, a captivating hottie who "every boy wants and every girl wants to be." Once the undisputed ruler of the reigning clique at the select Spenford School, Serena becomes an instant outcast, as the jealous and ambitious Blair Waldorf, the new queen bee, is not willing to surrender power or her handsome boyfriend. It should be noted that various youngsters smoke cigarettes, have sex, use marijuana, drink alcohol, and throw up after meals, and while these activities are not glamorized, they are presented as business as usual. That caveat aside, girls should find this lightweight novel spicy, entertaining, and their own trashy fun.

(2002, April 15). [Review of the book Gossip Girl, by C. Von Ziegesar] Kirkus. Retrieved from http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/cecily-von-ziegesar/gossip-girl/#review

Uses
These books are short and breezy enough that reluctant readers should find them appealing.

Module 12: Strong Man: The Story of Charles Atlas

Summary
This is, as the title says, the story of Charles Atlas, from his immigrant beginnings, to his career in a Coney Island sideshow, to the development of his fitness system and his being declared the world's most perfectly developed man. The book concludes with a few fitness activities.


Citation
McCarthy, M. (2007). Strong man: The story of Charles Atlas. New York, NY. Knopf Books for Young Readers.

Impression
This book was fun and informative, telling the story and emphasizing the importance of both physical fitness and overall health and responsibility. McCarthy does a good job of cutting through the mythology that surrounds Charles Atlas to give a very simplified account of his life. The illustrations are cartoony enough to be universal, and the colors are rich and interesting.

Reviews
"*Starred Review* In this winning picture-book biography, author and illustrator McCarthy (Aliens Are Coming, 2006) tells the story of Charles Atlas, the original 98-pound weakling who transformed himself into The World's Most Perfectly Developed Man and moved generations to embrace fitness. The smoothly paced, concise text follows Atlas from his boyhood arrival on Ellis Island to the abuse he suffered as a skinny kid in his Brooklyn neighborhood. After finding inspiration in classical statues of muscled gods and in the animal world (a lion's stretch is a eureka moment), Atlas developed his Dynamic Tension fitness program and became a world-famous strong man. The acrylic paintings nicely reinforce the meaning in the words on each page, and the artwork's cartoonish style bug-eyed, thickly outlined characters and rich, flat colors echoes Atlas' larger-than-life, superhero persona. Particularly touching are the re-creations, in words and pictures, of letters sent from young fans whose lives were changed by Atlas' program. Atlas' tall-tale biography is a difficult story to tell accurately, and McCarthy's lengthy author's note acknowledges the challenges she encountered as she separated fact from fiction. A bibliography and an illustrated spread featuring examples from Atlas' exercise regimen conclude this cheerful introduction to a cultural legend whose messages about self-respect and healthy choices are just as timely today as they were 50 years ago."

Engberg, G. (2007, June 1). [Review of the book Strong Man, by M. McCarthy]. Booklist. Retrieved from http://www.booklistonline.com/

"From the inspired take on the 1939 War of the Worlds broadcast (Aliens Are Coming!, 2006), McCarthy turns her attention to another icon of 20th-century pop culture, Charles Atlas. Bug-eyed cartoony acrylics depict the arrival on American shores of young Angelo Siciliano and the now-legendary sand-kicking episode on Coney Island's beach: "SPLAT!" Inspired by a statue of Hercules in a museum and a powerful lion at the zoo, he determined to remake himself. Of course, he did, becoming the inspiration for thousands of comics-reading 98-pound weaklings that followed. Such a story could easily be deadly in its virtue, but both the humor of the illustrations and the accretion of cool Atlas facts—he served as the model for over 75 statues around the country; he still reigns as "The World's Most Perfectly Developed Man"—keep things light without undercutting the author's genuine admiration for the man. Comic-strip panels appropriately share the space with traditional spreads and mock black-and-white photographs, delivering a sunny account of Atlas's life and career. An extensive author's note expands on both man and influence; four exercises are also provided."

(2007, May 15) [Review of the book Strong Man, by M. McCarthy]. Kirkus. Retrieved from http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/meghan-mccarthy/strong-man/#review

Uses
This book would lend itself really well to a storytime with fitness activities--there are exercises included that would be really easy for kids to do to get some wiggles out! 

Module #11: Marsupials

Summary
This non-fiction book discusses many different types of marsupials, from kangaroos and opossums to quolls, planigales, and numbats. The book includes captioned photographs and lots of interesting marsupial facts, at least two of which are about poop.

Citation
Bishop, N. (2009). Marsupials. Singapore: Scholastic Nonfiction.


Impression
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. The photos are great--they give a clear and interesting look at  the animals being discussed. The book talks about a lot of animals I have never heard of, and it was interesting to learn about them. The one concern I had was the font used to caption the photos was kind of hard to read--sort of italic with a cursive s that took me a moment to parse. If a young kid was reading this book on their own I could see it being an issue.

Review


"*Starred Review* In the same format as Nic Bishop Butterflies and Moths (2009) and Nic Bishop Frogs (2008), the scientist/photographer now introduces marsupials. This broad-ranging discussion includes the Virginia opossum and related animals in the Americas before turning to the main topic, the varied marsupials of Australia. Large in scale and often exceptionally clear, the many color photos will attract animal lovers to the book. A typical double-page spread includes a photo, a caption, and two or three paragraphs discussing the animals. On each page, one sentence within a paragraph is printed in large, colorful type, effectively creating a short text suitable for reading aloud to a younger child. In the book's center, double-gatefold pages open outward, creating a wide quadruple-page spread showing four stages of a sugar glider's flight. The volume concludes with a short glossary and a note in which Bishop describes his experiences photographing marsupials in Australia. This inviting title pairs some remarkable photos with a wealth of intriguing facts."


Phelan, C. (2009, October 15). [Review of the book Marsupials, by N. Bishop. Booklist. Retrieved from http://www.booklistonline.com/

Uses
It would be a nice read-aloud for a small group who could get close enough to look at the pictures.

Module 10: What I Saw and How I Lied

Summary
In 1947, Evie, her mother, and her veteran stepfather Joe take a vacation to Palm Beach. The hotel is nearly empty, as it is the off-season, but they make friends with the Graysons, a couple staying at the hotel, and Evie becomes interested in Peter, a young man her stepfather knew in the war, and who seems to make her stepfather uncomfortable.
Evie learns that her stepfather and Peter got up to some shady things during the war, and Joe is now trying to get out of some promises he made. When Peter dies under mysterious circumstances, Evie learns that her mother was having an affair with him. She lies to cover for her family's probably-crimes.

Citation
Blundell, J. (2008). What I saw and how I lied. New York, NY: Scholastic.

Impression
One word impression? Meh. I had seen this book for a while and been intrigued by the gorgeous cover, so I decided to use this opportunity to finally pick it up. The post war Florida setting made me think of Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself, which I loved as a kid. But overall, What I Saw and How I lied was not really worth the time. Evie was dull and really oblivious, her parents were petty and obnoxious, the "romance" with Peter fell flat. The one thing I did like was Evie's relationship with Arlene Grayson--there is a relative lack of female mentors in fiction, and it was really refreshing to see this relationship. Overall though, I was pretty disappointed with this one. I didn't hate it, but it wasn't particularly good either.

Reviews


"This smart 1940s coming-of-age novel is steeped in noir mystery, suspense, deceit, scandal, and lies. Fifteen-year-old Evie lives in the shadow of her mother's glamorous beauty, amidst the intense changes wrought upon daily civilian life by the impact and the ending of the Second World War. Her stepfather Joe's return from war put the family on a new track headed down to Florida where they stay in a posh hotel, meet wealthy and intriguing guests with secrets of their own, and Peter, a young, handsome veteran and the focus of Evie's first crush. The reader finds herself peeling awkward little Brooklyn Evie like an onion, page by page, until a confident, in-control, and mature Palm Beach Evelyn emerges. The courtroom inquest drama is both suspenseful and pleasurably unpredictable near the end. The author's use of stylish language and imagery carries the reader through a full range of greed, desire, hidden agendas as well as an underlying layer of anti-Semitism. The use of dialogue is impressive. Her mother says I loved him like a fever. Then he left. He kicked through love like it was dust and he kept on walking, when explaining Evie's birth father. This exceptional 2008 National Book Award-winner develops into a page turner within the first few chapters, and it would make a great pleasure read or classroom assignment to get the flavor of the era, but it unfortunately may take some selling because of the setting and period."

Ehde, A. (2009, February 1). [Review of the book What I Saw and How I Lied, by J. Blundell]. Voice of Youth Advocates. Retrieved from http://www.voya.com/

"In this sophisticated thriller, 15-year-old Evie grows up quickly when she discovers her adored parents are not the people she thought they were. While on vacation in Palm Beach in 1947, Evie's parents, Joe and Bev, get involved in a shady business deal with the Graysons, another couple on holiday. Meanwhile, Evie begins a flirtation with Peter, a handsome ex-GI who served with Joe and just happens to be staying at their hotel. Evie soon learns that Peter's presence is no coincidence and that he threatens to uncover a terrible secret that Joe has kept since the war. Then Bev, Joe, and Peter go boating, but only two of them return. Evie must sort through secrets, lies, and her own grief to find the truth. Using pitch-perfect dialogue and short sentences filled with meaning, Blundell has crafted a suspenseful, historical mystery that not only subtly explores issues of post-WWII racism, sexism, and socioeconomic class, but also realistically captures the headiness of first love and the crushing realization that adults are not all-powerful"

Hubert, J. (2008, November 1). [Review of the book What I Saw and How I Lied, by J. Blundell]. Booklist. Retrived from http://www.booklistonline.com/

Uses
It really is very pretty. It would be served well by being displayed somewhere. 

Module 9: The Ruby in the Smoke

Summary
Sally Lockhart's father dies under mysterious circumstances, and Sally, a rather unconventional Victorian girl who is more comfortable riding and shooting than she is drawing or sewing, sets out to discover what happened to him, after receiving a mysterious note in the mail. When her initial inquires about the contents of the note lead to a man dropping dead of a heart attack, Sally plunges in to the investigation. She gets help from her father's friend Major Marchbanks,  Jim, a porter at her father's firm, and Fred and Rosa, a photographer and actress. As Sally chases opium addicts and murderers to find the answer to her personal mystery, she helps Fred build a business and takes control of her own life.

Citation
Pullman, P. (1985). The ruby in the smoke. New York, NY: Laurel-Leaf Books.

Impression
This is a perfect rainy day book--something melodramatic and full of opium dens, evil old women, and Victorian intrigue. Mrs. Holland is a wonderfully sneering villain--a little less nuanced than I usually prefer, but just right for this type of book. Pullman creates a perfect atmosphere--his London is just the right sort of seedy. I enjoyed this quite a bit-sometimes melodrama is just right.

Review
"Pullman's Victorian melodrama boasts a sufficiency of mystery, murder and hairbreadth escapes involving a big cast of honest and ignoble types. ``On a cold, fretful afternoon in early October 1872,'' the story begins, young Sally Lockhart is in London where she tries to find out the meaning of ``the Seven Blessings.'' The phrase appears in a message from her recently deceased father, drowned in the South China Sea. When a colleague of her father hears the words, he dies instantly of a heart attack. That event marks the start of crises that go on with no let-up in the colorful Dickensian tale. Sally's legacy, supposedly a fantastic ruby, is nowhere to be found. A gang of cutthroats pursue the girl and her loyal allies, as the story sweeps on to a resounding close."

(1987, January 23). [Review of the book The Ruby in the Smoke, by P. Pullman]. Publisher's Weekly. Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com

"Set in 19th-century London, an echo of Collins' Moonstone--an orphaned 16-year-old unravels the mystery of her heritage and tracks down a fabulous Indian ruby, which has left murder and mayhem in its wake. Sally Lockhart is a competent, self-reliant heroine. She walks out on the oppressive relative who's been housing her, gets her lawyer to rearrange her investments to raise her meager income by 20 percent, and finds a new home and job with an attractive, talented, but unbusinesslike young photographer and his sister, using her precocious business acumen to rescue their floundering finances. Meanwhile, trying to decipher messages from her father, recently lost at sea in the Far East, she encounters mysterious Mr. Marchbanks, who gives her a long document, which is stolen before she can read it, and also various unsavory denizens of the East End, including villainous Mrs. Holland, who has trapped Matthew Bedwell, messenger from Lock, hart, by his addiction to opium. A whiff of opium smoke induces a vivid repetition of Sally's recurring nightmare, convincing her that it is actually memory; later, she deliberately breathes opium fumes in order to retrieve further pieces of the puzzle. After kidnappings and escapes, several murders, the finding and losing of the ruby and finding of a more moderate but useful inheritance hidden by Lockhart, everything is sorted out with surprisingly few loose ends, given the plot's many threads. An entertaining yarn, enlivened by humor and vivid characters, with the added historical interest of early photography and the evils of the opium trade. Sure to please readers of historical romances."[Review of the book The Ruby in the Smoke, by P. Pullman]. Kirkus. Retrieved from http://www.kirkusreviews.com

Uses
This is YA that should appeal to adults as well--put it in a display of crossover books.

Module 8: Tithe

Summary
Kaye has spent her life traveling around with her mother's rock band. After her mother is attacked by a bandmate, the two of them move back to Kaye's grandmother's house, where Kaye lived as a child.  While there, Kaye reconnects with her friend Janet, as well as her not-so-imaginary faerie friends.

While out with Janet, Kaye comes across an injured faerie knight, Roiben. Since she helps him, he agrees to answer three questions--Kaye finds out that he killed one of her faerie friends, and tricks him in to telling her his full name, which can be used to control him.

Kaye's involvement with the faeries deepens, when she learns she is a changeling. Her faerie friends, solitary fey, want her to keep pretending to be human, and allow the Unseelie Court to use her as a sacrifice in the Tithe, a ritual to keep the solitaries bound to do the court's bidding.  Janet's brother Corny helps Kaye summon a kelpie to help her understand her magic. Eventually, she and Corny makes their way to the Unseelie Court, where she encounters Roiben again. They get out, individually, though Corny has had un unfortunate faerie encounter, and Kaye manages to re-glamour herself to look human.

Eventually, Kaye is taken underhill to be sacrificed, and saves herself at the last minute by commanding Roiben to help her. Somewhat unfortunately for everyone, the lack of a Tithe frees the solitary fey, who immediately start causing trouble.
Roiben and Kaye have to rescue Corny, Roiben becomes king of the Unseelie Court.

Citation
Black, H. (2002). Tithe. New York, NY: Simon Pulse.

Impression
Wow, talk about hard to gracefully summarize. This book gets off to a somewhat clunky start--lots of disjointed events and names all at once. Eventually though things smooth out, and the story is good, but some events seem kind of random--Kaye and Corny see some lights, and then they just decide to go underhill and hey, what next? Corny also makes some really stupid Faerie 101 mistakes--eating faerie food is a pretty basic no-no. Still, I liked that Black had proper faeries-scary and inhuman. I liked that Kaye's home life and friends weren't perfect, and there really aren't enough books with green protagonists.

Reviews
"Gr. 8^-12. With a hard-drinking rock singer for a mother and a band of faeries as childhood friends, 16-year-old Kaye's life has always been unconventional. But when she rescues a gorgeous knight, Roiben, from mysterious attackers, Kaye is thrown into a terrifying, otherworldly war between two faerie kingdoms. In this wildly imagined debut, Black tells a gothic fantasy that contrasts the faeire world's seductive horror against the gritty world of contemporary, industrial New Jersey. Black includes plenty of mysteries and some mature, sexy innuendo to keep the plot flying along: Is Kaye human? Which court is really in power? Who can be trusted? Does Roiben love Kaye, or is he under another's spell? What's become of Corny, Kaye's gay friend who has fallen for an abusive knight? But it's the riveting descriptions of the faerie world--a bacchanalian hell described in remarkable detail--that will most capture readers. Dark, edgy, beautifully written, and compulsively readable, this is sure to be a word-of-mouth hit with teens, even a few usually unmoved by magic and monsters."

Engberg, G. (2003, February 15). [Review of the book Tithe, by H. Black]. Booklist. Retrieved from http://www.booklistonline.com/

"Debauchery, despair, deceit, and grisly death-what more could you ask from a fairy tale? Sixteen-year-old Kaye has always felt like a freak; partly because she's spent half her life in seedy bars while her mother vainly pursued rock-star fame, but also from her memories of childhood fairy companions. Still, she's not prepared for what happens after she rescues Roiben, the gravely wounded and impossibly gorgeous elven knight. Her friendly sprites return to warn her that Roiben serves the Unseelie Court, the darker aspect of Faerie, and that she has been designated the mortal sacrifice in the ritual Tithe that binds the independent fey to their cruel and depraved rule. But what if that sacrifice weren't . . . quite . . . mortal? Black's stunning debut cleverly twists the Tam Lin tale. Though Kaye's home life seems almost comically sordid, when the action moves to the various Faerie Courts and their allies, their intrigues make an intricate tapestry, woven of dark threads of obsession, degradation, and horror, yet graced with bewitching beauty and a surprisingly tender romance. Once she drops her angst-ridden attitude, Kaye is a clever, courageous heroine with an appealingly wry voice, and Roiben is a gloriously damaged and darkly noble tragic hero. While most of the supporting cast has little to do beyond playing villains or victims, Black has an eye for the telling detail that brings the most minor character to life. A labyrinthine plot with Goth sensibility makes this a luscious treat for fans of urban fantasy and romantic horror."

(2002, September 1). [Review of the book Tithe, by H. Black]. Kirkus. Retrieved from http://www.kirkusreviews.com/

Uses
There is enough recent YA about fairies--Tithe and its companions, Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely books, Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series--to do a book club/costume contest like I suggested with dystopias. A month long promotion of these books culminating with a faerie ball and costume contest? Could be super fun...

Module 8: Graceling

Summary
In Katsa's world there are people who are born with extraordinary talents, called Graces. Gracelings are the property of the crown, and Katsa, who has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was a child, has been turned in to the king's personal thug. She rebels by undertaking missions on her own, which lead her into the middle of a political plot, complete with a Graced prince, an evil king whose manipulations have confused a kingdom and destroyed lives. As Katsa helps unravel the plot, she has to learn to get along with other people, and discover the truth about her Grace.

Citation
Cashore, K. (2008). Graceling. Orlando, FL: Harcourt.

Impression
I loved this book. Warrior girls, magic, political intrigue, a well developed love interest and a sadistic and capable villain--this book has just about everything I look for. I loved Katsa's fierceness and her determination to do the right thing, even though she was raised to be nothing more than a weapon. Her interactions with Po are really believable, and the plot really zips along. The book satisfies the Tamora Pierce fan in me.  Love love love.



Reviews
"Starred Review. In a land of seven kingdoms, people with special talents, called Gracelings, are identified by their eyes—Katsa's are green and blue, one of each—although she's eight before her specific Grace is identified as a talent for killing. (While in the court of her uncle, King Randa, she swiped at a man attempting to grope her and struck him dead.) By 18 she's King Randa's henchwoman, dispatched to knock heads and lop off appendages when subjects disobey, but she hates the job. As an antidote, she leads a secret council whose members work against corrupt power, and in this role, while rescuing a kidnapped royal, she meets the silver-and-gold–eyed Po, the Graced seventh son of the Lienid king. That these two are destined to be lovers is obvious, though beautiful, defiant Katsa convincingly claims no man will control her. Their exquisitely drawn romance (the sex is offstage) will slake the thirst of Twilight fans, but one measure of this novel's achievements lies in its broad appeal. Tamora Pierce fans will embrace the take-charge heroine; there's also enough political intrigue to recommend it to readers of Megan Whalen Turner's Attolia trilogy. And while adult readers, too, will enjoy the author's originality, the writing is perfectly pitched at teens struggling to put their own talents to good use. With this riveting debut, Cashore has set the bar exceedingly high. Ages 14–up."

(2008, October). [Review of the book Graceling, by K. Cashore]. Publisher's Weekly. Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com

*Starred Review* Feared as a killer since her childhood, Lady Katsa uses her unusual Grace (superhuman gift) in the service of her uncle, King Randa. She is beginning to rebel against his orders to kill or maim his more disloyal subjects when her path crosses that of Po. A young foreign prince with a mysterious Grace as well as wisdom beyond his years, Po convinces Katsa that she can stand up to the brutal king and put her gift to better uses. When Katsa joins Po on a quest, she throws herself headlong into a rescue mission and finds romance, self-knowledge, and justice along the way. Although many fantasy writers create intriguing alternate worlds and worthy adventures, as Cashore does in this well-imagined novel, she also offers believable characters with enough depth, subtlety, and experience to satisfy older readers. Katsa is a heroine who can physically overpower most men she meets, yet her strength is not achieved by becoming manlike. She may care little for fine clothes, but from her first kill to her first experience of lovemaking, Katsa's womanhood is integral to her character. An impressive first novel, this well-crafted and rewarding fantasy will leave readers hoping for more.

Phelan, C. (2008, October 1). [Review of the book Graceling, by K. Cashore]. Booklist. Retrieved from http://www.booklistonline.com/

Uses
This is a book that seems really useful for readers' advisory type purposes--it is a handy recommendation for fans of  other fantasy--Tamora Pierce and Megan Whalen Turner, as mentioned in the PW review, as well as fans of Diana Peterfreund's Killer Unicorn books and The Hunger Games. It has a really good balance of action and personal stuff.

Module 7: If I Stay

Summary


Mia's life was perfect--a great best friend, amazing boyfriend, adorable baby brother, and cool, rocker parents who understood her. Most of all, she had the cello, and the talent to make it to Julliard and beyond. Everything is changed, however, when a family drive one afternoon goes horribly wrong. Mia's entire family is killed, and Mia herself is stuck in a coma. Mia observes the aftermath from outside her body, and the story shifts from present to past, showing Mia's relationships and the choices she has to make, culminating in the present one--should she stay and try to rebuild her life? Or should she go?

Citation


Forman, G. (2009). If I stay. New York, NY: Dutton Juvenile.

Impression


I liked this book more than I thought I would, though it still ranks behind Before I Fall and 13 Reasons Why on my list of favorite YA with dead/dying protagonists. This book is a little slow, but it fits the overall contemplative mood of the book. Mia's passion for music is very well drawn and feels very real, as do her relationships with her family, friends, and boyfriend. I enjoyed the sequel (Where She Went) a bit more, but that book was, necessarily, much more active, since the narrator was not confined to a hospital bed.

Overall I enjoyed it, but it's not a book I would reread.

Review


The last normal moment that Mia, a talented cellist, can remember is being in the car with her family. Then she is standing outside her body beside their mangled Buick and her parents' corpses, watching herself and her little brother being tended by paramedics. As she ponders her state ("Am I dead? I actually have to ask myself this"), Mia is whisked away to a hospital, where, her body in a coma, she reflects on the past and tries to decide whether to fight to live. Via Mia's thoughts and flashbacks, Forman (Sisters in Sanity) expertly explores the teenager's life, her passion for classical music and her strong relationships with her family, friends and boyfriend, Adam. Mia's singular perspective (which will recall Alice Sebold's adult novel, The Lovely Bones) also allows for powerful portraits of her friends and family as they cope: "Please don't die. If you die, there's going to be one of those cheesy Princess Diana memorials at school," prays Mia's friend Kim. "I know you'd hate that kind of thing." Intensely moving, the novel will force readers to take stock of their lives and the people and things that make them worth living. Ages 14-up.


(2009, March 2). [Review of the book If I Stay, by G. Forman]. Publisher's Weekly. Retrieved from www.publishersweekly.com.


*Starred Review* Forman (Sisters in Sanity, 2007) provides a compelling and highly textured account of the brutal 24 hours that may be 17-year-old Mia's last. Her day starts with a drive, with her loving and moderately punk parents and her effervescent little brother, to a bookstore. A collision with another vehicle leaves Mia's parents dead. The narrative is told in a robust first-person voice, with flashbacks, flash-forwards, and out-of-body reports on her immediate surroundings as Mia is transported, in grave condition, to the hospital. The story then follows the medical efforts to save her life, extended family and friends' efforts to provide emotional care, and Mia's coming to terms with what has happened and what might still await her. Mia, a gifted cellist, finds support from her alt-rock boyfriend and a best friend whose own mother is a hysteric. Mia's recounting of this critical day is laced with insight, good humor, and wonder, allowing the reader to enter the scene as fully as Mia herself seems to have, at least for now, left her broken body. More developed and satisfying than a Lurlene McDaniel drama, Mia's story will engage readers willing to suspend their disbelief that the future can be seen in the present.

 Goldsmith, F. (2008, December 15). [Review of the book If I Stay, by G. Forman]. Booklist. Retrieved from http://www.booklistonline.com/. 

Uses


There is such emphasis placed on music in this book, that it could be tied in with an open mic night. Teens could be invited to play music or read poetry, and there could be an emphasis on books about these subjects, in a display,  or with sample chapters read.

Module 7: Allie Finkle's rules for girls . bk. 1 : Moving day

Summary
Allie Finkle is a fourth grader who likes animals, science, baseball, and rules. She lives in a suburb, collects rocks, and has an overly sensitive best friend. When her parents tell Allie the family is moving across town to a hundred-year-old, haunted-looking Victorian in serious need of repair, Allie tries her best to derail the move (and save her family from the new house's attic-dwelling zombie hand) while dealing with the social realities of school and friendship.


Citation
Cabot, M. (2008). Allie Finkle's rules for girls: Moving day. New York, NY: Scholastic.


Impression
I'm not generally a fan of realistic fiction, but I have liked Meg Cabot's books in the past, so I figured this was a relatively safe bet. Allie Finkle is a pleasantly well-developed character, flawed and sometimes unlikable, but with good motivations--a very believable ten year old. She has believable motivations for everything she does, and the rules conceit is clever. I think the book would have been improved by a few real ghosts, but that is just my general dislike of realistic fiction. I liked that the book wasn't preachy and it had Allie deal with her problems in a way that made sense for her.

Review


Gr 3-5-At first, nine-year-old Allie Finkle seems rather unlikable. She's hard on her best friend (who is very quick to tears) and acts bratty when her parents tell her the family will be moving. And even though she's promised a kitten, and prefers her new school and the more engaging friend she'll have next door once they move, she's determined to sabotage the event. However, the girl's worries are nuanced and age-appropriate. By the book's end Allie does show a more caring side, even though her methods are not always appreciated by the adults around her. Chapters all begin with one of Allie's rules ("Don't Stick a Spatula Down Your Best Friend's Throat," or "When You Finally Figure Out What the Right Thing to Do Is, You Have to Do It, Even If You Don't Want To") that, while amusing, may quickly become tiresome for some readers. With good intentions and reckless results, Allie will appeal to children who enjoyed reading about Ramona, Amber Brown, Junie B., and the other feisty girls found in beginning chapter books. This novel proves that the master of young adult popular fare is able to adapt her breezy style for a younger audience

Zubak, T. (2008, June 1). [Review of the book Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls: Moving Day, by M. Cabot]. School Library Journal. Retrieved from www.schoollibraryjournal.com. 

Like every other kid lately, nine-year-old Allie Finkle is developing her list of rules for friendships, school situations, family and overall life. Dos and don'ts for any newly minted tween can get pretty complicated when an already unsettling relationship with a so-called best friend is augmented by one's parents' decision to sell their comfortable suburban dwelling and move to an un-renovated Victorian-style, 100-year-old gloomy and possibly haunted house in the city. And, what about the new (really old and crowded) school and a fourth grade filled with unfriendly faces? Allie is stressed but decides to take charge by hatching a scheme to prevent the sale of her suburban house and thus, the move. Cabot's endearing, funny and clever protagonist will have readers simultaneously chuckling and commiserating as succeeding chapters introduce individual "rules" for Allie to contemplate and accept. Lessons on friendship and fickleness, sneaky behavior, lying, animal cruelty and theft (although paying for a "rescued" pet turtle that was never for sale may raise some eyebrows) merge to create a humorous and heartwarming story. Allie's first-person voice is completely believable with just the right amount of tongue-in-cheek wit. Despite the now-overdone rules concept, readers will eagerly await Allie's next installment in her new home, school and neighborhood. (Fiction. 8-11)

(2008, January 1). [Review of the book Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls: Moving Day, by M. Cabot]. Kirkus. Retrieved from http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/meg-cabot/moving-day-2/#review

Uses
This book could be featured on a library's kid-focused website area, and kids could be asked to submit their own rules to be posted on the site. 

Module 6: Strega Nona

Summary
Strega Nona is a helpful old witch, who hires Big Anthony to help with chores around the house. She warns him, however, to never touch her pasta pot. One night, Big Anthony sees Strega Nona use the pasta pot to magically make pasta. When no one believes him when he tells them about it, he vows that one day he will use the pot to show them he was telling the truth. When Strega Nona leaves to visit a friend, Big Anthony takes his chance and uses the pasta pot to make pasta for everyone in town. However, Anthony did not watch closely enough when Strega Nona used the pot, and he did not see the correct way to stop the pot. Strega Nona returns just in time to save the town from the pasta, and she makes Anthony eat it all in order to punish him.

Citation
dePaola, T. (1975). Strega nona. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.


Impression
This reminded me of The Sorcerer's Apprentice--magic going wrong when someone unqualified does it. I liked this book--the story was fun, and the illustrations were appealing and also added meaning to the book. There were several instances where the pictures told a bit of the story that the words did not, which is something I really look for in picture books. The illustrations also gave a very solid sense of time and place to the story, which really grounded it.

Reviews


"De Paola's illustrations aptly capture the whimsy of this ancient tale... simple line drawings clearly reveal the agony and ecstasy of pasta power, the muted colors create just the right ambiance for a Medieval village."

[Review of the book Strega Nona, by T. DePaulo]. The New York Times Book Review. Retrieved from http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/features/books/bookreviews/index.html

Uses


This book would be a great read-aloud for a storytime.

Module 5: Jellicoe Road

Summary


Six years ago, Taylor Markham was abandoned at a gas station near the Jellicoe School, a boarding school in the Australian bush. Now in her final year, Taylor is the leader of her dorm, and one of the generals in the decades-long territory wars going on between the students at the school, the Townies, and the Cadets.

The only adult Taylor has ever been able to count on, Hannah, has vanished, leaving behind chunks of a story she had been writing, about four kids who lived in the area twenty years before, after a terrible accident. This story is told in chunks throughout the book, and eventually Taylor--with the help of the Cadet leader Jonah, who she ran away with several years before--manages to piece together who she is, and how she is connected to Hannah and the kids in the story.

Citation

Marchetta, M. (2008). Jellicoe road. New York, NY: Harperteen

. Impression


This book was really hard to summarize, and I think it's because I didn't really get it. It honestly left me kind of cold--I was pretty interested in the ideas given in the blurb--boarding school! Territory wars! Sounds good! But the wars are really a pretty minor part of the book, the writing style is kind of unfocused and dreamlike, and the random insertions of the chunks of story about the kids in the past are kind of confusing until, a way into the book, we find out that it's Hannah's story.

Really, I think this book is just too literary for me. I know lots of people love it, but I just couldn't get in to the story--it wasn't plotty enough, I didn't really connect with Taylor or any of the other characters, it wasn't really a school story, the writing made it all seem very distant. This is another one where I can tell why it won the Printz, I can tell why people might like it, but it is just not my cup of tea.

Reviews


"When she was 11, Taylor Markham was abandoned by her mother at a convenience store. At 17, she resides in a boarding school on Jellicoe Road. The closest person to her is Hannah, a nearby resident and would-be foster mom to the school's misfits. Now Hannah has disappeared when Taylor needs her most. She has been chosen to lead the school in its war with the local "Townies" and visiting "Cadets"-the cadets being led by a smoldering Jonah Briggs, with whom Taylor has a past. Looking for a clue to Hannah's whereabouts, Taylor reads a manuscript she left that tells the story of five friends united by a fatal accident on Jellicoe Road 22 years earlier. Why It is a Best: Set in rural Australia, the story of Taylor and of the five friends is permeated by a sense of place and time. Readers will smell the trees and taste the dust. Why It Is for Us: This is rich and layered domestic fiction that requires patience and careful attention as it spins a story of parents, children, and the legacy of tragedy. Readers of Anita Shreve and Wally Lamb will find much to enjoy here."

Benedetti, A. (2008, December 9). [Review of the book Jellicoe Road, by M. Marchetta]. Library Journal. Retrieved from http://www.libraryjournal.com/.


Taylor Markham isn't just one of the new student leaders of her boarding school, she's also the heir to the Underground Community, one of three battling school factions in her small Australian community (the others being the Cadets and the Townies). For a generation, these three camps have fought the territory wars, a deadly serious negotiation of land and property rife with surprise attacks, diplomatic immunities, and physical violence. Only this year, it's complicated: Taylor might just have a thing for Cadet leader Jonah, and Jonah might just be the key to unlocking the secret identity of Taylor's mother, who abandoned her when she was 11. In fact, nearly every relationship in Taylor's life has unexpected ties to her past, and the continual series of revelations is both the book's strength and weakness; the melodrama can be trying, but when Marchetta isn't forcing epiphanies, she has a knack for nuanced characterizations and punchy dialogue. The complexity of the backstory will be offputting to younger readers, but those who stick it out will find rewards in the heartbreaking twists of Marchetta's saga.

Kraus, D. (2008, November 1). [Review of the book Jellicoe Road, by M. Marchetta]. Booklist. Retrieved from http://www.booklistonline.com

Uses


Even though I didn't care for the book, I think it could serve as inspiration for some really excellent fan art or videos. Lots of authors have fan art or book trailer contests to promote new releases, and I think a library doing a similar thing could be a fun way to get kids to explore the collection.

Module 5: Ship Breaker

Summary:

Nailer works as a ship breaker, stripping rusted out wrecks of anything useful. The world has been wracked by fuel crises and devastating climate change that raised sea levels and still produces city-killer hurricanes. Survival is tough for everyone but the very rich, and making a fortune is often dependent on good luck. When a massive storm wrecks a rich girl in a fancy boat, Nailer chooses to abandon the scavenge to help her find her way back to her allies, rather than turn her over to his abusive father.

Citation
Bacigalupi, P. (2010). Ship breaker. New York, NY: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Impression

This book was actually in my audiobook queue before I started this class--I have been meaning to read it for a while, and I was glad to get the chance to do so this semester. I loved the worldbuilding in this book--Nailer's culture felt very complete, as did the climate devastation. I also loved the diversity--there has been a lot of discussion in the last couple of years about diversity in YA, and this book had a very multicultural cast without making a big deal about it. I also liked that it was a different sort of dystopia. So many YA dystopias, (Uglies, Hunger Games, Divergent) have their protagonists fighting against the government or the world in general. Ship Breaker was a lot more personal, and as much as I like all those other books, it was a nice change of pace.

Review:

Grade 7 Up—A fast-paced postapocalyptic adventure set on the American Gulf Coast. Nailer works light crew; his dirty, dangerous job is to crawl deep into the wrecks of the ancient oil tankers that line the beach, scavenging copper wire and turning it over to his crew boss. After a brutal hurricane passes over, Nailer and his friend Pima stumble upon the wreck of a luxurious clipper ship. It's filled with valuable goods—a "Lucky Strike" that could make them rich, if only they can find a safe way to cash it in. Amid the wreckage, a girl barely clings to life. If they help her, she tells them, she can show them a world of privilege that they have never known. But can they trust her? And if so, can they keep the girl safe from Nailer's drug-addicted father? Exciting and sometimes violent, this book will appeal to older fans of Scott Westerfeld's "Uglies" series (S & S) and similar action-oriented science fiction.—Hayden Bass, Seattle Public Library, WA School Library Journal

Bass, H. (2010, October 14). [Review of the book Ship Breaker, by P. Bacigalupi]. School Library Journal. Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/home/887250-312/slj_reviews_the_national_book.html.csp

"A gritty teen betrays his father and flees his grim existence in a postglobal-warming Gulf Coast village to protect a young woman he barely knows in this gripping futuristic thriller. Fifteen-year-old Nailer works on the "light crew" as a ship breaker, salvaging metals from abandoned oil tankers. Nailer's vicious father routinely beats him. In this violent world where people do anything for money, Nailer's future seems bleak until he discovers Nina, the wealthy, attractive survivor of a shipwreck. Rather than kill Nina and steal the salvage, Nailer opts to save her, triggering a harrowing journey to the submerged cities of Orleans to find people loyal to Nina. As Nailer experiences brutal betrayals, he relies on his wits and learns the people worth calling family are the ones who "[cover] your back.... Everything else [is] just so much smoke and lies." In Bacigalupi's defiled, depressing landscape populated by mercenary humans and mechanical dog-men, Nailer's loyalty offers hope. Told in the third person, this stark, surreal story sends an alarm to heed the warning signs of climate change or suffer a similar fate."

(2010, April 1). [Review of the book Ship Breaker, by P. Bacigalupi]. Kirkus. Retrieved from http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/paolo-bacigalupi/ship-breaker/#review

Uses:

I think it would be fun to have a sort of Dystopia Book Club. Teens would read a bunch of dystopias--Ship Breaker, Hunger Games, the Uglies books, Divergent, Matched, Delirium, even older ones like Shade's Children--and get some sort of prize for reading them all. There could even be a costume contest--dress up like your favorite characters and win a prize.

Module 5: Bud, Not Buddy

Summary


Bud Caldwell has been bouncing from orphanage to foster home and back ever since his mother died four years ago. After his latest foster home fails to work out, thanks to a cruel foster-brother, Bud decides to take off and try to find his father. He makes his way through 1937 Michigan, complete with Hoovervilles and attempted train-jumping.
Bud eventually makes his way to Grand Rapids, with the help of a man named Lefty Lewis. Unfortunately, his supposed-father, Herman Calloway, is distinctly unfriendly, and doesn't believe Bud's claims. However, Calloway's friends and bandmates convince him to let Bud stick around for a while, and he does some traveling with the band. Eventually, it is revealed that Bud is Calloway's grandson, not his son.

Citation


Curtis, C. P. (1999). Bud, not buddy. Logan, IA: Perfection Learning.

Impression


The plot of this story was not my cup of tea, but Bud is a very charming narrator with a unique and believable voice, which really saved the book for me. His observations and rules were funny, and the setting felt very real.

Review


"A 10-year-old boy in Depression-era Michigan sets out to find the man he believes to be his father. "While the harshness of Bud's circumstances are authentically depicted, Curtis imbues them with an aura of hope, and he makes readers laugh even when he sets up the most daunting scenarios," said PW in our Best Books citation. Ages 9-12"

(2002 January 7). [Review of the book Bud, Not Buddy, by C.P. Curtis]. PWxyz, LLC. Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-440-41328-8

"Gr 4-7-When 10-year-old Bud Caldwell runs away from his new foster home, he realizes he has nowhere to go but to search for the father he has never known: a legendary jazz musician advertised on some old posters his deceased mother had kept. A friendly stranger picks him up on the road in the middle of the night and deposits him in Grand Rapids, MI, with Herman E. Calloway and his jazz band, but the man Bud was convinced was his father turns out to be old, cold, and cantankerous. Luckily, the band members are more welcoming; they take him in, put him to work, and begin to teach him to play an instrument. In a Victorian ending, Bud uses the rocks he has treasured from his childhood to prove his surprising relationship with Mr. Calloway. The lively humor contrasts with the grim details of the Depression-era setting and the particular difficulties faced by African Americans at that time. Bud is a plucky, engaging protagonist. Other characters are exaggerations: the good ones (the librarian and Pullman car porter who help him on his journey and the band members who embrace him) are totally open and supportive, while the villainous foster family finds particularly imaginative ways to torture their charge. However, readers will be so caught up in the adventure that they won't mind. Curtis has given a fresh, new look to a traditional orphan-finds-a-home story that would be a crackerjack read-aloud."

Isaacs, K. (1999, September 1). [[Review of the book Bud, Not Buddy, by C.P. Curtis]. School Library Journal. Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com.

Uses


Lots of libraries have display cases, and it would be interesting to get a local historical society to loan out some Depression era posters and artifacts for a month, and promote this book to kids.

Module 4: The Tale of Despereaux

Summary


Despereaux is a mouse who falls in love with a princess. His ears are far too large, and unlike the other mice he can hear and appreciate music. After Desperaux breaks mouse law by speaking to the princess, he is sentenced to death in the dungeon, home of a vicious bunch of rats. The story also involves a rat who loves light and soup, and hates everyone because he has been denied it after accidentally killing the queen, the kind princess, and a stupid  peasant girl. The story jumps around to each of these characters. When the rat tricks the peasant into kidnapping the princess, it is up to Despereaux to find a way through the dungeon to save her.

Citation


DiCamillo, K. (2003). The tale of despereaux. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

Impression


I could barely summon up enough enthusiasm to write a summary for this book. It just really didn't work for me--I didn't care about any of the characters, the narrator was annoying, the style was pretentious--I just did not enjoy it. I can see why it won awards, but this book really sort of reconfirmed in my mind that award winners=boring.

Reviews


"Gr 3 Up-A charming story of unlikely heroes whose destinies entwine to bring about a joyful resolution. Foremost is Despereaux, a diminutive mouse who, as depicted in Ering's pencil drawings, is one of the most endearing of his ilk ever to appear in children's books. His mother, who is French, declares him to be "such the disappointment" at his birth and the rest of his family seems to agree that he is very odd: his ears are too big and his eyes open far too soon and they all expect him to die quickly. Of course, he doesn't. Then there is the human Princess Pea, with whom Despereaux falls deeply (one might say desperately) in love. She appreciates him despite her father's prejudice against rodents. Next is Roscuro, a rat with an uncharacteristic love of light and soup. Both these predilections get him into trouble. And finally, there is Miggery Sow, a peasant girl so dim that she believes she can become a princess. With a masterful hand, DiCamillo weaves four story lines together in a witty, suspenseful narrative that begs to be read aloud. In her authorial asides, she hearkens back to literary traditions as old as those used by Henry Fielding. In her observations of the political machinations and follies of rodent and human societies, she reminds adult readers of George Orwell. But the unpredictable twists of plot, the fanciful characterizations, and the sweetness of tone are DiCamillo's own. This expanded fairy tale is entertaining, heartening, and, above all, great fun"

Budin, M.L. (2003, August 1). [Review of the book The Tale of Despereaux, by Kate DiCamillo]. School Library Journal. Retrieved from www.schoollibraryjournal.com.

"Gr. 3-6. Forgiveness, light, love, and soup. These essential ingredients combine into a tale that is as soul stirring as it is delicious. Despereaux, a tiny mouse with huge ears, is the bane of his family's existence. He has fallen in love with the young princess who lives in the castle where he resides and, having read of knights and their ladies, vows to honor her. But his unmouselike behavior gets him banished to the dungeon, where a swarm of rats kill whoever falls into their clutches. Another story strand revolves around Miggery, traded into service by her father, who got a tablecloth in return. Mig's desire to be a princess, a rat's yen for soup (a food banished from the kingdom after a rat fell in a bowl and killed the queen), and Despereaux's quest to save his princess after she is kidnapped climax in a classic fairy tale, rich and satisfying. Part of the charm comes from DiCamillo's deceptively simple style and short chapters in which the author addresses the reader: Do you think rats do not have hearts? Wrong. All living things have a heart. And as with the best stories, there are important messages tucked in here and there, so subtly that children who are carried away by the words won't realize they have been uplifted until much later. Ering's soft pencil illustrations reflect the story's charm. "

Cooper, I. (2003, July 1). [Review of the book The Tale of Despereaux, by Kate DiCamillo]. Booklist. Retrieved from http://www.booklistonline.com.

Uses

I'm going to be boring with this one and say put it in a display of Newbery winners. 

Module 4: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

Summary


Mrs. Frisby, a mouse, lives with her four young children in a farmer's field, during the winter at least. In summer the Frisby family has to move, because when the field is plowed the winter burrow is destroyed. This year, Mrs. Frisby is worried about the move--her youngest son Timothy is sick and the move could kill him.

Eventually, Mrs. Frisby makes her way to the Rats of NIMH--former lab rats who, after having their intelligence greatly enhanced, escaped the lab to set up on their own. The rats agree to help move a stone to protect her home, and she warns them that the scientists they ran from years ago have tracked them down.

Citation

O'Brien, R. C. (1971). Mrs. frisby and the rats of nimh. New York, NY: Scholastic.

Impression


This book is a lot of fun, but I couldn't get over my annoyance that Mrs. Frisby didn't get her own name! It was always either Mrs. Frisby or, worse, Mrs. Johnathan Frisby. I couldn't get over it. Nearly every other character had a first name, and I really wanted to know hers.

Name issues aside, I thought the concept of this book was very cool. The rats' story and the descriptions of their fancy burrow are intriguing, and I can see myself as a kid going out to my sandbox and digging tunnels for days. The language does feel a little old fashioned--a bit more formal than more recent middle grade books that I have read.

Review


"There's something very strange about the rats living under the rosebush at the Fitzgibbon farm. But Mrs. Frisby, a widowed mouse with a sick child, is in dire straits and must turn to these exceptional creatures for assistance. Soon she finds herself flying on the back of a crow, slipping sleeping powder into a ferocious cat's dinner dish, and helping 108 brilliant, laboratory-enhanced rats escape to a utopian civilization of their own design, no longer to live "on the edge of somebody else's, like fleas on a dog's back."

This unusual novel, winner of the Newbery Medal (among a host of other accolades) snags the reader on page one and reels in steadily all the way through to the exhilarating conclusion. Robert O'Brien has created a small but complete world in which a mother's concern for her son overpowers her fear of all her natural enemies and allows her to make some extraordinary discoveries along the way. O'Brien's incredible tale, along with Zena Bernstein's appealing ink drawings, ensures that readers will never again look at alley rats and field mice in the same way. (Ages 9 to 12)"

Coulter, E. [Review of the book Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIHM, by Robert C. O'Brien]. www.amazon.com

"Gr. 3-7. Intelligence and morality are the key issues facing Mrs. Frisby and the rats of NIMH as a result of a scientific experiment." 


Booklist (September 01, 1989). [Review of the book Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIHM, by Robert C. O'Brien]. http://www.booklistonline.com

Uses


For me, one of the more obvious uses for this book would be to introduce the issue of animal rights in a lab setting. This might be a little much for a public library, but in a school library it might work, maybe in conjuction with a science teacher in a middle school. The book provides a nonthreatening way to introduce the idea of animal experiments and start a conversation about them. It is a little unbalanced, but it could be part of a lesson.

Module 3: Cinderella, or The little glass slipper

Summary

Cinderella's father marries a woman with two daughters, none of whom like Cinderella, who is forced to live as a servant. When the prince announces a ball, Cinderella helps her stepsisters get ready, while wishing she could go herself. Her godmother, a fairy, provides her with a magical coach and dress for the two nights of the ball, with the admonishment that she be gone before midnight, when the magic ends. The second night, Cinderella stays a bit too long, and loses her glass slipper as she flees the palace. The prince sends a footman to make sure all the girls try on the slipper, and Cinderella, being the only one with her shoe size, is found. Her stepsisters beg her forgiveness and she takes them to live in the palace with her when she marries the prince.


Citation
Perrault, C. (1954). Cinderella:or the little glass slipper. (M. Brown,Trans, Illus.). New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Impression

I was not really impressed by any aspect of this version of the story. The text was kind of talky and long for young readers, with none of the gore--foot cutting, eye pecking--that I expect from non-Disney versions of Cinderella. I kept thinking that Cinderella had Stockholm syndrome or something, as she was entirely too nice and forgiving of her abusive family.

On the picture side, I was entirely unimpressed by the impressionistic four-color sketches. The colors were dull, and I didn't feel like the pictures really added anything to the story--it would have been just as effective without them. Overall this book just did not work for me.


Review

"There is perhaps no better loved, no more universal story than "Cinderella." Almost every country in the world has a version of it, but the favorite of story-tellers is the French version by Charles Perrault.

This translation is excellent for story-telling and also for reading aloud. Marcia Brown's illustrations are full of magic and enchantment from the little cupids putting back the hands of the clock to the last scene at the palace. They are pictures that will stay in a child's mind."

Simon and Schuster. [Review of the book Cinderella, or, The Little Glass Slipper, M. Brown,Trans].http://books.simonandschuster.com/Cinderella/Marcia-Brown/9780684126760

Uses

There are so many different versions of this story, that I think it would be really interesting to use this book and several versions from different cultures to draw attention to them. A display might be the best way to do this, or a series of storytimes with activities relating to the culture of each Cinderella version.

Book Trailer #3 The Graveyard Book

Book Trailer #2 The Forest of Hands and Teeth

Book Trailer #1 If I Stay

If I Stay, by Gale Forman

Module 2: Bunnicula

Summary

Harold (a dog) lives with the Monroe family and his friend Chester the cat. One rainy evening, the Monroe family come home from seeing  a movie (Dracula, to be exact) with a bunny that they found in a box in the theater. When vegetables start to appear drained of their juices, Chester the cat, who has a penchant for scary stories and superstition, decides that the rabbit, Bunnicula, must be a vampire and attempts to get rid of him.

                 Citation

Howe, D. , & Howe, J (1989). Bunnicula, a rabbit-tale of mystery. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company.

                  Impression

This book is very funny, and the writing is much more sophisticated than in a lot of books for this age group--something I didn't really pick up on until I got to the glossary at the back of the book and noticed some of the vocabulary there. I thought the depictions of Harold and Chester as a dog and cat respectively were pretty spot on. I was a little bit horrified at the description of Harold eating chocolate cupcakes--he's a dog! Dogs can't eat chocolate! But other than that I didn't really have any complaints. I think the idea of a vampire bunny is just so funny that it is obvious why this book remains popular.


Review

A talking-dog's story of a vampire rabbit. Uhuh, and this is not one of those madcap affairs that has no natural bounds. Dog Harold and his buddy, cat Chester, pride themselves on being ""rather special pets""; after all, Mr. Monroe is a college English professor and Mrs. M. is a lawyer and so everybody is treated with respect for their intelligence. Which isn't, truth to say, always in evidence. Mrs. M., for instance, wants to call every new animal Fluffy--including the bunny found in a shoebox in the movie theater when the family goes to see Dracula. But, voted down, she comes up with ""Bunny-cula. Bunnicula!"" And he not only bears a note in ""an obscure dialect of the Carpathian mountain region"" (intelligible only to Harold), he turns tomatoes, lettuce, even zucchini--white!!! Well, he must be sucking their juices out, Chester decides, ergo a vampire. Chester's efforts to starve poor Bunnicula--after his other attempts to alert the Monroes fail--give these goings-on some semblance of a plot. But it's a pretty feeble bit of foolishness (except, briefly, for the zucchini bit) which winds up with Bunnicula on a liquid diet that leaves no tell-tale signs. Was he or wasn't he? Your guess is as good as ours."--Kirkus

Kirkus Reviews. [Review of the book Bunnicula, by Deborah and James Howe]. Retrieved from Bowker's books in print http://www.bowker.com.


Uses

      This book could be used to highlight animal welfare and discuss the problem of abandoned pets (and how dogs don't get chocolate! Gah!). This could be part of a week long event in conjunction with the local humane society. 

Module 1: The Rainbow Fish

Summary

The rainbow fish is the most beautiful fish in the ocean, but he is very stuck up and has no friends. Another fish asks the rainbow fish to share his scales, but he says no. Eventually, after getting advice from an octopus, the rainbow fish shares his scales with all the other fish, and gains them as friends.

Citation

Pfister, M. (2004). The rainbow fish. New York, NY: North-South Books.

Impression

I think this is a book to buy for its sparkly illustrations, not the story. The pictures are pretty watercolors, and the iridescent foil scales would, I'm sure, be captivating for little kids. The story is simple, and apparently quite controversial, as I learned when I scrolled through some Amazon reviews. While I'm certainly not of the "OMG! THE SOCIALISMS!" camp, I can see how the people who castigate this book for promoting conformity and anti-individualism got to their view. I don't really agree with it, but I can see where the got it.

Review


Despite some jazzy special effects achieved with shimmery holographs, this cautionary tale about selfishness and vanity has trouble staying afloat. Rainbow Fish, ``the most beautiful fish in the entire ocean,'' refuses to share his prized iridescent scales--which, indeed, flash and sparkle like prisms as each page is turned. When his greed leaves him without friends or admirers, the lonely fish seeks advice from the wise octopus, who counsels him to give away his beauty and ``discover how to be happy.'' The translation from the original German text doesn't enhance the story's predictable plot, and lapses into somewhat vague descriptions: after sharing a single scale, ``a rather peculiar feeling came over Rainbow Fish.'' Deep purples, blues and greens bleed together in Pfister's liquid watercolors; unfortunately, the watery effect is abruptly interrupted by a few stark white, text-only pages. Ages 4-8. (Oct.)

Children's Review. (1999, January 25).[Review of the book The Rainbow Fish]. Publisher's Weekly. Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-55858-009-1


Uses

This book could be part of a children's display about the senses, as it is very interesting visually. It could also be used to talk about sharing, or, as some people on the internet suggest, to teach children to sell their limbs in return for friends.

Blag

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