Module 15: King And King

Image from: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781582460611

Summary:
There was a queen who reigned a kingdom for many years and was tired of doing it.  She wanted to spend more time to herself and demanded his only son to look for a potential girl to marry so that he may become king.  The prince did not want to do such task but wanted to help his mother so he agreed.  Right away the queen sent out invitations to princesses from all over the world to come over and meet the prince.  After meeting so many of them, the prince and queen had little hope for a possible wedding...until he meets the perfect person!

Reviews:
The text is brief and lighthearted, and it presents the gay relationship with matter-of-fact ease. But it's the illustrations that really shine. Whimsical, textured collages mix beautiful papers, fabrics, and bright paint in scenes that show the bossy queen, the wildly imagined town, the eclectic princesses, the wedding, and finally, a kiss between the two starry-eyed princes. Adults will know what's coming early in the story, but many kids won't. They'll simply like the fun artwork and the final twist on conventions. For another picture book with a gay theme, see Michael Cart's Focus on Harvey Fierstein's The Sissy Duckling


Engberg, G.  (2002, July).  De Hann, Linda and Nijland, Stern.  King & king.  [Review of the book King & king, by L. De Hann].  Booklist, 98(21), 32.  Retrieved from http://www.booklistonline.com

Impressions:
The beginning of the story seemed like any other fairy tale reading but the illustrations were different than expected.  I would see why this book may be challenged at a library if a young patron questions why he picked a prince and not a princess.  It was fun to see all the princesses try to impress the prince during their visit to the kingdom.

Suggestions: 

Students will be given a chance to write a persuasion letter towards whether the book should or should not stay in the library.  This will help them improve their writing skills and have the time to discuss how there will be times when someone will be offended on what people will say, think, and do.  It will also help to discuss book banned week and the history of why it exists in the libraries.


Bibliography:
De Haan, L. & Nijland, S.  (2002).  King and king.  Berkeley, CA: Tricycle Press.

Module 14: Time You Let Me In: 25 Poets Under 25

Image from: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/time-you-let-me-in-naomi-shihab-nye/1102116687

Summary:
The author collects poems from 26 poets that are under the age of 25.  Each poem provides a variety of topics that many people can relate to.  Each poem by these poets are given their own personal feelings and makes it very meaningful to readers.  Not all the collection is really about romance but they do mention about immigration, family, friendship, flight encounters, and so on.

Reviews:
He knows how to reach teens, and this lively collection by young contemporary writers is rooted in the strong, emotional particulars of family, friendship, childhood memories, school, dislocation, war, and more; interestingly, there is almost no talk of sex or romance. The spare lines are passionate, wry, irreverent, and eloquent about meaning found in daily-life scenarios.  Teens will connect with the passionate, unmoderated feelings that arc given clarity and shape in each poem.


Rochman, H.  (2010, January 1).  Time you let me in: 25 poets under 25.  [Review of the book Time you let me in: 25 poets under 25, by N. Nye].  Booklist 106(9), 256.  Retrieved from http://www.booklistonline.com

Impressions:
It was amazing to have all this collection of poems into a book because all of them were very unique.  Each poem was a surprise to me when reading them because I did not expect what poem would I read next.  This would be a great book for young teenagers to read for its variety of poems.

Suggestions: 

This is a great opportunity to have a poetry night at the library.  Students can read a poem that caught their attention from this book and make their own.  A date is set for poetry night and parents are welcomed to go and hear the students recite poems.  This can help the community get together and enjoy the night.

Bibliography:
Nye, N. (2010).  Time you let me in: 25 poets under 25.  New York, NY: Greenwillow Books.

Module 13: Rapunzel's Revenge

Image from: http://roespot.blogspot.com/2011/10/book-review-rapunzels-revenge-by.html

Summary:
The story begins how a young girl is highly supervised by Mother Gothel whom she thought was her biological mother.  The setting has a western theme to it.  Due to her curiosity, she decides to climb over the big wall that separates the area where Gothel dominates and an area where is gray and deserted.  Once she finds out what's out there, she encounters the field mines where she bumps into her actual biological mother.  She finds out it is her by starting a conversation.  Rapunzel gets caught and confronts Gothel towards what she found out.  Gothel gives her a choice: whether she decides to stay at her side and eventually take over what she has created, or be imprisoned for the rest of her life.  She is taken to a forest to a very tall tree and is imprisoned there.  She could not leave since the tree was so tall.  Due to the food Gothel would automatically grow due to the magic powers she possessed, it made Rapunzel's hair grow dramatically fast.  Gothel went to visit her for the last time to convince her to come back to her but refused.  Gothel decides to close the entryway little by little and stopped growing any food inside.  She eventually escaped using her very long hair and chooses to get even with Gothel and rescue her biological mother.  Meeting with a young man named Jack, they both go through quests and risky adventures until someday confront Gothel.

Reviews:
Hale's art matches the story well, yielding expressive characters and lending a wonderful sense of place to the fantasy landscape. Rich with humor and excitement, this is an alternate version of a classic that will become a fast favorite of young readers.


Coleman, T.  (2008, September 1).  Rapunzel's revenge.  [Review of the book Rapunzel's revenge, by D. Hale].  Booklist 105(1), 144.  Retrieved from http://www.booklistonline.com

Impressions:
When I noticed that there was a Western theme to the story, I was not quite sure how they would implement the sudden growth of Rapunzel's hair.  She was definitely not the damsel in distress in this story that's for sure.  I did expect more from the ending though since Jack and Rapunzel had to do so many favors to eventually get to Gothel.

Suggestions: 
This book would be great to demonstrate it to a class and begin a discussion on how this type of book is different from others.  We will have them get the chance do their own graphic novel as a group using the Comic Life program.  Once the books are done, then we can book bind them to keep in the library for others to read.
 

Bibliography:
Hale, D. & Hale, S.  (2008).  Rapunzel's revenge.  New York, NY: Bloomsbury.

Module 12: Maritcha: A Nineteenth Century American Girl

Image from: http://www.amazon.com/Maritcha-A-Nineteenth-Century-American-Girl/dp/0810950456

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

Image from: http://openlibrary.org/books/OL8457771M/Witch-Hunt

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

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.