Module 12: Maritcha: A Nineteenth Century American Girl

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Summary:
This story is about a young lady and her family that lived quite well despite the discrimination and segregation the country was going through.  The family owned many properties and rented them out to people that needed a place to stay.  Maritcha seemed to have a disease that affected her spine and prevented her from going to school until the age of 13.  She dedicated much of her time to catch up with her schooling since she was supported by her mother and father.  Then the Civil War began and many were drafted which some decided to go on strike.  The strike targeted politicians, government officials, the rich and the blacks and destroyed many of the properties.  One of the properties happened to be Maritcha's family home.  A choice was made to move out of their home for their safety and only take what they could and leave everything behind.  The story later mentions the struggles she goes through to make it as far as she did.

Reviews:
Lyon had a distinguished family, and Bolden shows how its members inspired her to succeed against formidable odds, even when she felt that "the iron had entered my soul." Bolden supplements quotes from Lyon's accounts with extensive research and enthralling detail, and the result is both an inspirational portrait of an individual and a piercing history about blacks in the nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries--subjects rarely covered in books for youth. An author's note describes Lyon's adult achievements and lends insight into Bolden's research. Notes and a selected bibliography conclude this powerful volume.


Engberg, G.  (2005, February 1).  Bolden, Tonya.  Maritcha: a nineteenth-century American girl.  [Review of the book Maritcha: a nineteenth-century American girl, by T. Bolden].  Booklist 101(11),  48.  Retrieved from http://booklistonline.com

Impressions:
Maritcha was a very brave young girl that also demonstrated her determination to become a better person even though she went through discrimination throughout most of her life.  It was good to see her still trying to go to school even though no one wanted to be around her.  I would not have that courage to keep going just like she did.

Suggestions: 
After reading this book to a selected class, students can research on someone that has gone a long way from where they came from.  Once a section of biography books have been placed on the cart for students to have access, then they may create a newsletter about the person and present it to the class.

Bibliography
Bolden, T.  (2005).  Maritcha: a nineteenth century American girl.  New York, NY: Abrams.


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Module 11: Witch-Hunt: Mysteries of the Salem Witch Trials

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Summary:
Many people in Salem were accused of being witches which created trials to determine their fate.  The accusers demonstrated the torment and the torture they went through because of these witches.  Many of these so called witches were mainly poor and women who would have children out of wedlock which at the time was very wrong.  But it is to our surprise that even a very known and rich woman was also accused of witchcraft and the accusers made sure it was known of her wrongful doings.  The author provides the information that was documented at the time and begins to question whether their actions were indeed true.  Placing second thoughts on readers increases the interest to continue reading the book.  


Reviews:
He isn't shy about injecting his own voice in the mix; he often speaks directly to readers, putting the history into a context that sharp teens can grasp and encouraging them to think about how the events connect to their lives and to contemporary culture and politics. To enrich and clarify the history, he quotes from an extraordinary, well-documented array of sources and recorded testimonies (of accused and accuser alike), producing a dense, wide-angle view of the tragedy that evaluates causative theories ranging from deceit and outright fraud to spoiled food that caused hallucinations. The subject will undoubtedly attract readers, but this is not for those in search of spoon-fed fact; rather, it's for teens who love to debate and to dig into what's between the pages of their history books.


Zvirin, S.  (2003, November 1).  Aronson, Marc.  Witch-hunt: mysteries of the Salem witch trials.  [Review of the book Witch-hunt: mysteries of the Salem witch trials, by M. Aronson].  Booklist 100(5), 288.  Retrieved from http://www.booklistonline.com


Impressions:
Aronson really had me thinking of what could have happened and why didn't it happen in another way during the witch trials.  It is good to encounter with that kind of book to keep my mind thinking.  Although it was very hard for me to keep up with the stories when he would move from one to another.  I needed to take a quick look at the previous pages to remember what names were mentioned before and if they were related to the story I was reading at the moment.

Suggestions: 
Since the author was able to provide his own insight on the witch trials that occurred, this would be a great opportunity to have the students make a book trailer and provide their own personal insight of what is going on.  They might agree with the author or may disagree on his viewpoints using technology as well.
   

Bibliography:
Aronson, M.  (2003).  Witch-hunt: mysteries of the Salem witch trials.  New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.

Module 10: The Greatest Skating Race

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Summary:
At the beginning of the story the name of the main character telling the story is not mentioned and is only known as a young boy.  Since his grandfather, the family has had a skate making business which is very popular in the Netherlands.  The story mentions about a famous skating race that occurred every year during the winter and which one day the boy would like to participate in.  Pim Mulier was famous because of the race.  He skated through eleven towns through very cold winds in less than 13 hours.  The boy acknowledges the admiration of his triumph at the time.  But soon their lives started to change when World War II began and the German soldiers took over and the business started to slow down drastically.  A family is in need of  help after the father is caught helping England through communication.  Piet, the main character, is given a very difficult and life risking task to help out the family that is in danger.

Reviews:
Pier's long, lucid, first-person narrative appears in short dramatic lines ("I could feel the scrape of our blades against the ice/And I could feel the cold air inside my chest"), and Daly's sepiatone illustrations stay true to the boy's viewpoint, both in the few tense, full-page close-ups (as when the children confront the border guards) and in the spacious views of the kids speeding through the white landscape. The focus on the historic skating race is sometimes confusing, but the war is always in the background, and the physical reality of the thrilling rescue will hold skating fans.


Rochman, H.  (2004, October 1).  Borden, Louise.  The greatest skating race: a World War II story from the Netherlands.  [Review of the book The greatest skating race: a World War II story from the Netherlands, by L. Borden].  Booklist 101(3), 48.  Retrieved from http://www.booklistonline.com
  

Impressions:
It is always good to hear about traditions that are going around all over the world.  Those traditions are what makes the most memorable moments with people that you care and love.  It is unfortunate to see something like this be interrupted by a war that no one wants in their town.  Even though Pier is a fictitious character in the story, it reminds the reader that the race was what strengthen the character to help the other children out.

Suggestions: 
A timeline model using pictures brought from home can be given to students for them to complete on events that happened during their lives.  Although the main character was fictitious, he mentioned his life along with actual events that happened in Netherlands to further explain the facts.  The timeline can be presented and then kept for their own personal keepsake. 

Bibliography:
Borden, L. (2004).  The greatest skating race: a World War II story from the Netherlands. New York, NY: Margaret K. McElderry.

Module 9: Mystery At the Club Sandwich

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Summary:
Nick had a lot on his plate.  He is a private detective solving a case where Lola the singer literally lost her marbles.  The black and white illustrations helps set the mysterious mood of the story but uses animals to portray the characters in the story.  Nick's payments is accepting peanuts or any food that was made of peanuts.  He interrogates many people that work at the club sandwich to find out who is the person responsible for stealing Lola's marbles as well as examining Lola's dressing room in search of any clues he can find.  At the end he reveals who the criminal is and why that person has them.     

Reviews:
Cushman uses black watercoior washes, colored pencil, and pastel against a stark white background, suggest- ing the silver nitrate photographs and popniar hlaek-and-white movies ofthe gumshoe era. The animal characters in their 1930s garb, including Nick in loosened tie, trench coat, and fedora, appear in varying page layouts from partial to fnll spreads, Nick's conversa- tional tone recalls the famons adnit mystery writers of the past; "Sam, Phil, and Dashiell," to whom the book is dedicated, would be proud.

Orlando, M.  (2005, January).  Mystery at the club sandwich.  [Review of the book Mystery at the club sandwich, by D. Cushman].  School Library Journal 51(1), 89.  Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com

Impressions:
This is a great book I would like to read to my own child someday.  I enjoyed the jokes related to their characters due to being animals.  The black and white illustrations really impacted the scenery of the story.  Elementary students would definitely love the story as much as I did.

Suggestions: 
This is a great book to read to students who will later create a face masks of their character and turn it into a play for others to watch.  Students will get into groups of four and act out the story at the library.

Bibliography:
Cushman, D.  (2004).  Mystery at the club sandwich.  New York, NY: Clarion.

Module 8: Num8ers

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Summary:
What if you had a secret talent that you are not very proud of?  Jem can see in people's eyes and know the date of their death.  She is trying to live a normal life even though it is really not so quite as normal anyway.  She is an orphan who made friends with a boy they call Spider.  She tries to keep it to herself until one day tragedy occurred at the London Eye Ferris Wheel and forces Spider out of the area before anything could happen.  What will be the outcome of the talent she possesses?  Will it help her and her friend or destroy her?

Reviews:
 Ward's first novel is a fast-paced thriller with deep philosophical roots and tremendous empathy for those who don't fit the mold, not to mention a jaw-dropping ending that stands alone beautifully while whetting readers' appetites for the sequel. Clear, straightforward prose is the perfect voice for prickly Jem, and Ward's complex, intriguing characterizations challenge the reader to look beyond appearances. The British setting and tone will intrigue, not deter, U.S. readers. A fascinating premise, creatively explored.


Carton, D.  (2009, December 15).  Staring down death.  [Review of the book Num8ers,  by R. Ward].  Booklist 106(8), 336.  Retrieved from http://www.booklistonline.com

Impressions:
The main character was the kind of person that I wanted to desperately help.  She was in need of attention and wanted to tell someone of her unfortunate talent of knowing when a person's time was up in the world.  Many of the teenagers can relate to how they feel like no one is there for them at times even though many adults have no idea they feel that way.  There is a hook that readers may not be able to resist.

Suggestions: 
This book can be great for a book club discussion.  Participants can discuss what parts of the story interest them, how they would change the ending of the story,  or try to explain why the main character had the special talent and how she could have used it in a positive way.

Bibliography:
Ward, R.  (2009).  Num8ers.  New York, NY: Chicken House/Scholastic.

Module 7: Purge

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Summary:
Janie was a person that faced many struggles in her life that she was not able to cope with.  She could not talk to anyone about it and would eventually resort to throwing up.  At first she felt disgusted but then after several times she feels some kind of escape from it all when throwing up. There is no mention of the problems she was facing at first, only the incident where she ruins her sister's wedding reception.  The reader goes through the rehab she attends at the Golden Slopes, the people she meets and interacts there, and the sessions she goes through with her parents and the group.  The group is divided into two: the bulimics (Janie is in that group) and the anorexics.  Janie does not think it is necessary to be there and highly believes she can control it.  She starts to realize little by little how it affects her and the people she is with that love and care for her.

Reviews:
Janie moves from denial of habitual bulimia to release back to her regular routine in only three weeks.  Her parents are loving, her family is loyal, and her friends are forgiving.  The universality of Janie's blindness to her own behavior is clearly portrayed, as is her later insight into her destructive choices.  Drinking and sexual situations are necessary to the plot and are described realistically.  This is a worthy addition to the current books on the topic for its relatively lighter touch and accessibility.


Edwards, C.  (2009, July).  Eating disorders.  [Review of the book Purge, by S. Littman].  School Library Journal, 55(7), 8.  Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com


Impressions:
This book seemed very real to me and felt like I was part of the story.  Little did I find out when reading the author's information that the author herself went through bulimia.  It must taken a lot of courage to write a book that I am pretty sure brought some memories from the past.  This helps others to understand how some people fall into this addiction and try to help in some way.

Suggestions:
Since this book talks about eating disorders,  the school nurse can discuss the dangers of anorexia and bulimia while starting up a group debate.  This will give them a chance to voice their opinion and be able to defend it.

Bibliography:
Littman, S. (2009).  Purge.  New York, NY: Scholastic Press.

Module 7: Joey Pigza Swallowed The Key

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Summary:
Joey is a young third grader who has an unstable life at home and is diagnosed with ADD (attention deficit disorder).  His father has the same condition which the story tells the reader why he was never around in Joey's life.  His grandmother raised him as a young child due to the fact that his mother was too busy chasing after his father.  But his grandmother was too old to raise such a child like Joey and it made it hard for both to live together as a family.  His mother eventually returns and both mother and grandmother bump heads while living together which somehow his grandmother leaves for unknown reasons.  His mother has a very hard time trying to raise him and going to work all at the same time.  An unexpected turn of events leaves Joey to move to another school meant for Special Education students to have better control of him, not because he was actually a special ed. student.

Reviews:
Gr. 4-6. Hyperactive Joey Pigza has trouble concentrating and controlling his mood swings, in a scenario familiar to many children, Joey frustrates his mother and himself in an effort to be less wired. With the help of medicine, counseling, and special education, he eventually starts to lead a more normal life.

Cooper, I.  (2001, December 15).  Joey Pigza swallowed the key.  (In sickness and in health.)  [Review of the book Joey Pigza swallowed the key, by J. Gantos].  Booklist 98(8), 729.  Retrieved from http://booklistonline.com

Impressions:
I was always the outsider looking in the situation when it came to students with ADD.  This book has lead me to be the person from the inside looking out and realized how difficult it was for a child to try to control their ADD without medication.  It was obvious that Joey really tried to do his best and be liked by the positive things he wanted to do.  This story reminded me of a child that was in my class a couple of years back and at the end I had no hard feelings towards him.  I felt like I should have done more just like Joey's teacher and nurse wanted to do for him.

Suggestions: 
An author visit would be great for this book in order to ask any questions of how he gets his ideas.  This interaction will help students realize how a book can be put together and how to organize the ideas.  The author would sign copies of the book for those who are interested in obtaining their own copy.

Bibliography:
Gantos, J.  (2000).  Joey Pigza swallowed the key.  New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.



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