Module 10: The Greatest Skating Race

Image from: http://www.betterworldbooks.com/the-greatest-skating-race-id-0689845022.aspx

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

Image from: http://hcplonline.org/books/booklists/print.cfm?list=greatmysteriesforgrades3and4january2010

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

Image from: http://darkfaerietales.com/review-num8ers-rachel-ward.html

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

Image from: http://distraction99.com/tag/purge/

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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Module 6: Smoky Night

Image from: http://emilyreadsagain.blogspot.com/2011/05/smoky-night.html

Summary:
A young boy sees a riot for the first time in his life right in his neighborhood.  The illustrations displays the intensity of the riot such as crumbled red paper in the background.  The riot gets worse when a fire starts in his own apartment building from the rioters themselves and so the people needed to evacuate for safety.  He begins to worry when he can't find his cat Jasmine but his mother encourages him by saying that she is ok and knows how to take care of herself.  


Reviews:
Books can be barriers against the wind, though, and Smoky Night . . . [is a] perfect example of [a] picture book that, in [its] treatment of tough topics, invite[s] reading and healing discussion, not only by kids of the traditional target age--6 through 9--but also by older kids, even those in high school. The problem is getting the books into the hands of these older kids. Because the production, marketing, and distribution of books all hinge on the perceived need to categorize, any title that can't be easily labeled with an "age appropriate" designation runs the risk of being lost. . . .

Cart, M.  (1995, September 15).  Barriers against the wind.  [Review of the book Smoky night, by E. Bunting].  Booklist 92(2), 150.  Retrieved from http://booklistonlie.com

Impressions:
It was sad to see a child experience a violent riot in his neighborhood but glad to see his family and the neighbors finally uniting during this time.  I enjoyed the illustrations that portrayed the violence of the scene.  It is rarely seen using this type of illustration with violence involved and sends a very powerful message.


Suggestions:
A lesson can be made in focusing the illustrations of a book.  Students can bring materials from home from a list given to them and students can create their own personal page of a class book using those same materials.  Students can create a page about themselves as a collage theme.  Magazine pages can be used, strings, ribbon, buttons, and any other materials can be used to create a unique page.  Once the pages are created, the librarian can place them together to make a class book.


Bibliography:
Diaz, D. (1994).  Smoky night.  San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace.

Module 5: Before We Were Free

Image from: http://www.juliaalvarez.com/young-readers/

Summary:

Anita De La Torre is a young twelve year old who lives in the Dominican Republic in a compound when once her relatives lived.  Due to the decisions of her father and uncles in killing the dictator, many of the relatives flew to the U.S. to escape.  Anita and her family was the only family to stay longer.  Her father and her uncle decided to continue the plan which they eventually succeed only to be captured by the dictator's son.  Anita, her mother, and brother were in hiding to avoid being tortured by the SIM.  They all somehow move to New York to escape to later find out her father and uncle got killed before being rescued.  But many people tell Anita how they think her father is truly a hero now that the country can elect their own president.  Due to her father's death, the family decide to stay in New York for a while and try to move on with their lives through pain and changes in lifestyle.

Reviews:

Gr. 7-10.  What is it like for a 12-year-old girl living under a ruthless dictatorship in the Dominican Republic in 1960?  Alvarez draws on her own cousins' and friends' experiences to tell the political story through the eyes of Anita, whose father is involved in a plot to assassinate the dictator and bring democracy to the island.  This doesn't have the passionate lyricism of Alvarez's great adult novels.  The pace, at least for the first half of the book, is very slow, perhaps because the firs-person, present-tense narrative stays true to Anita's bewildered viewpoint and is weighed down with daily detail and explanation of the political issues ("I feel just awful that my father has to kill someone for us to be free").  Yet it is Anita's innocence, her focus on the ordinary, that young readers will recognize.  She's busy with school, friends, getting her period, falling in love, even as the secrets and spies come closer, and finally, the terror destroys her home.  Her father is arrested; she and her mother are hiding.  There's no sensationalism, but Anita knows the horrific facts of how prisoners are tortured and killed.  Trying to block out the truth, she loses her voice, even forgets the words of things, until she starts to write in a secret diary.  Readers interested in the history will grab this.

 Rochman, H. (2002, August).  Alvarez, Julia. Before we were free.  [Review of the book Before we were free, by J. Alvarez].  Booklist 98(22), 1945.  Retrieved from http://www.booklistonline.com.


Impressions:

This story was difficult for me to be engaged to due to the fact that the main character had limited information about that was going on.  But after three or four chapters, I was able to know more or less what was going on.  This is a good book for people that can understand the hardships other countries go through.  Placing the little girl as the main character shows people that sometimes they feel helpless and they too want to help in some way but can be too hard due to their age.  

Suggestions:

I would highly recommend this book during a history lesson using a Venn Diagram.  On the right side the student can fill out things that occur in the U.S. and on the left what Anita encountered in her native land.  The middle area of the diagram are the similar things between them and discuss in class.

Bibliography:

Alvarez, J. (2002).  Before we were free. New York, NY: Knopf.