goodreads.com
Krosoczka, Jarrett J. Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians. 2009. New York: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers. ISBN-13 9780375846847
The Lunch Lady graphic novel series is about an ordinary lunch lady with extraordinary crime fighting skills and interesting devices. She uses spork phones, lunch-tray laptops, and many more unique tools to defeat villains at the Thompson Brook School. In this particular volume, the villains are librarians who want children to read books instead of playing video games.
Readers can identify with the lunch lady and the desire to take out villains and bullies. Readers will care about what happens to her and will want her to defeat the villains each time and return unharmed to the school cafeteria. The plot is not completely believable, but children will still love the idea of the lunch lady battling the librarians. The plot is original and will the keep the reader's attention the entire time.
The setting is in a school and very important to the story. Readers can compare the cafeteria of Thompson Brook School to being similar to their own school cafeteria. The theme of good being more powerful than evil is very apparent and very satisfying in the end. The clear and consistent point of view encourages the reader to believe that it is possible for a lunch lady to have these crime-fighting abilities. The lunch lady and her sidekick, Betty, use the boiler room to try out their nifty crime-fighting tools. One tool Betty introduces to the lunch lady is 'Taco-vision Night Goggles'. "They fit right over your glasses. Splat! Oops! That was just a regular taco. Sorry about that. Here's a towel." This scene is hilarious and children will be rolling with laughter throughout the entire story with scenes similar to this.
The entire Lunch Lady series is a great series for children and even adults. This is perfect for reluctant readers or those who just want something different to read. Each graphic novel is entertaining and a quick read. I love this series and will continue to recommend it to everyone.
The Lunch Lady series has been a two-time Children's Choice Book Award winner and a Will Eisner Comic Industry Award nominee.
If you enjoy this volume in the Lunch Lady series, you may also enjoy Lunch Lady and the Video Game Villain, Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute, and Lunch Lady and the Bake Sale Bandit.
Hornbook Guide to Children
"This tongue-in-cheek graphic novel series, illustrated in bold black-and-white with vibrant highlighter-yellow accents, is a strong choice for superhero-spoof fans."
School Library Journal
"The winking references to book fairs, read-a-thon enrollment, and media specialists fit well with the story line. With its appealing mix of action and humor, this clever, entertaining addition to the series should have wide appeal."
Further activities for the Lunch Lady series can be found at:
http://www.lunchladycomics.com/index2.html
http://www.randomhousekids.com/brand/lunch-lady/
http://www.studiojjk.com/activities3-6.html
goodreads.com
Appelt, Kathi. The Underneath. 2008. Ill. by David Small. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN -13 9781416950585
This low fantasy story written for children is about an old hound dog, Ranger and his survival under the porch of his abusive owner's shack. Ranger develops a special friendship with cat and her kittens and together, the group touches the reader in a way that few books can.
The main character, Ranger, is not human, but readers will have no problem identifying with him. Readers will easily develop a kinship with Ranger and will care what happens to him and the family of cats. The plot is believable since many animals are chained up in the the same manner as Ranger. The plot is original and since readers will want the best for the group of animals, it keeps their interest through the entire story. Overcoming the obstacle of the abusive owner, Gar Face, is certainly a quest for the entire group.
The setting takes place deep in the woods of the bayou. This is important to the story because Gar Face loves to hunt for alligators that live in the swamp. The description is so well done, that readers who have never seen a bayou, can still imagine what it would be like. The theme reflects the universal truth that good is more powerful than evil. The love that the animals feel for each other is another theme and proves that love is more important than power.
The clear and consistent point of view encourages the reader to believe that animals can develop relationships such as that in the story and communicate with one another in their own way. "Here was mostly what the kittens needed: A mother cat who fed them, a perfect place to play, and a hound who promised to watch over the." Appelt's voice creates a distinctive framework for the story and I don't believe any reader will be disappointed. I highly recommend this story to readers of all ages, although animal lovers should keep a stash of tissues handy. This is a book readers will not want to put down until the end in anticipation of a happy ending for Ranger and the family of cats.
Awards and nominations for The Underneath are: Newbery Award-Honor 2009, National Book Award-Finalist 2008, Land of Enchantment Book Award-Nominee 2009-2010, PEN Literary Award-Winner 2009, and several more.
If you enjoy this title, you may enjoy Keeper, also written by Appelt.
School Library Journal
"Small's black-and-white illustrations add a certain languid moodiness to the text. Themes of betrayal, hope, and love are reflected in the three stories, but this is a leisurely, often discouraging journey to what is ultimately an appropriate ending."
Hornbook Guide to Children
"Appelt spins a lyrical, circling narrative, its characters well realized in Small's excellent full-page drawings. This fine book is distinguished by the originality of the story and the fresh beauty of its author's voice."
Further activities for The Underneath can be found at:
http://www.readingrockets.org/articles/adlit_guided_disc/28352/
http://www.emporia.edu/dotAsset/756df51c-f6a0-4b76-ad9a-33cac0e0842f.pdf
http://www.conversationpieceslearning.org/the-underneath.html
amazon.com
Anderson, Laurie Halse. 1999. Speak. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux. ISBN 9780374371524
This contemporary realistic fiction novel takes readers through the healing process of Melinda Sordino after she is raped at a party by a popular young man. She is rejected by everyone after she calls the police and must begin to face what happened and open up to others about the truth.
Melinda's character is absolutely believable throughout the entire story. Her internal journey and emotional growth are very significant. The language is fresh and reflects how young adults think and act. The plot is very true to life and extremely engaging. It contains some unexpected twists and turns and the conclusion is inevitable, but not completely obvious. The setting is recognizable as being in the present and believable. The description of the high school and hospital are accurate. The story transcends the setting and has universal implications for readers in several different situations.
The theme of Melinda growing into adulthood is a major element in the story. The themes and topics emerge naturally and have a personal resonance with the reader. There are many great quotes in the book, but one that will really resonate with readers is "It's easier not to say anything. Shut your trap, button your lip, can it. All that crap you hear on TV about communication and expressing feelings is a lie. Nobody really wants to hear what you have to say." The style has Anderson's distinct stamp of reaching children and young adults. The dialogue is natural and believable and the balance between narration and dialogue is perfect. The point of view is appropriate and the tone, mood, and physical organization reflects Anderson's personality completely. The story includes the gender quotient of female vs. male and does not stereotype. It is not overloaded with cultural details and presents real people with real problems.
Speak is a very well-written story that will have readers wanting Melinda to heal and finally "speak". Although this book is intended for young adults, I also recommend it to adults and I believe they will highly enjoy it . This is a very gripping story that will not disappoint.
Awards and nominations for Speak are: National Book Award-Finalist 1999, Golden Kite Award for Fiction 2000, ALA Best Books for Young Adults 2000, Printz-Honor 2000, Edgar Allen Poe Best Young Adult Award-Finalist 2000, and many more.
If you enjoy this title, you may also enjoy these other titles by Laurie Halse Anderson: Chains, Forge, Fever 1793, Twisted and Prom.
School Library Journal
"Anderson expresses the emotions and the struggles of teenagers perfectly. Melinda's pain is palpable, and readers will totally empathize with her. This is a compelling book, with sharp, crisp writing that draws readers in, engulfing them in the story."
Booklist
"Anderson perfectly captures the harsh conformity of high-school cliques and one teen's struggle to find acceptance from her peers. Melinda's sarcastic wit, honesty, and courage make her a memorable character whose ultimate triumph will inspire and empower readers."
Further activities for Speak can be found at:
http://austinenglish3.wikispaces.com/Speak
http://www.viterbo.edu/perspgs/faculty/GSmith/LessonPlanforSpeak.htm
http://hypermedia.educ.psu.edu/k-12/units/findyourvoice/unitplan.html
barnesandnoble.com
Klages, Ellen. 2006. The Green Glass Sea. New York: Penguin Group. ISBN 9780142411490
The Green Glass Sea is a historical fiction story that takes place in Los Alamos, New Mexico during WWII. Los Alamos is a town where the scientists working on "the gadget" and their family members reside. "The gadget" is very secretive and will change the world and how people look at war forever.
The characters are very believable in this story. Dewey Kerrigan is ten years old and very bright. She lives with her grandmother in the beginning, but later moves to Los Alamos to live with her father. Many children can relate to Dewey's experiences in the story. Another character, Suze Gordon, is a girl who wants to be part of the crowd so badly, that she bullies the other children. Dewey is able to transform Suze into someone who no longer bullies. Children can also relate to Suze's experiences of wanting others to accept her. The plot presents the history during WWII accurately and is not overwhelmed with details. It is realistic to the time period, however, because this part of history is not regularly discussed, many children will not know how realistic it really is.
The setting is an integral part to the story, as this is where the scientists and families lived during this time in history. The time and place are vividly described and helps contribute to the authenticity. The themes of family, friendship, the need to 'fit in', and war are all relevant today, just as they were during WWII. The style captures the flavor of the time with "you read about the war. Somewhere else. Hundreds of people probably died yesterday. We knew this one" and many more phrases.The literary elements are woven together to create a seamless story.
The story is very authentic and the author provides references for further research, discussion questions, and activities. Although this story is authentic, I'm not positive children will relate at all. Perhaps if this story was part of a lesson about WWII and the atomic bomb, children may understand the topics that Klages is 'tip-toeing' around.
The Green Glass Sea was a Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction winner in 2007. Other awards and nominations include: Locus Award-nominee, Nene Award-recommended, Isinglass Teen Read Award-nominee, and many more.
If you enjoy this title, you may enjoy White Sands, Red Menace, also written by Ellen Klages.
School Library Journal
"Many readers will know as little about the true nature of the project as the girls do, so the gradual revelation of facts is especially effective, while those who already know about Los Alamos historical significance will experience the story in a different, but equally powerful way."
Booklist
"The novel occasionally gets mired down with detail, but the characters are exceptionally well drawn, and the compelling, unusual setting makes a great tie-in for history class."
Further activities can be found at:
http://nlc.nebraska.gov/youth/obok/2009/activities.pdf
http://teacher.scholastic.com/clubs/lit_circle_pdfs/greenglasssea_t.pdf
http://historyexplorer.si.edu/books/book/?key=570
goodreads.com
Kelly, Jacqueline. 2009. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate. New York: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN-13 9780805088410
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate is a historical fiction novel that takes place in Fentress, Texas in 1899. This is a story about an eleven year-old girl, named Calpurnia Virginia and her resistance to become what society expects of young ladies during this time in history. Being the only girl of seven children makes this even more difficult for her.
The characters are believable and many young females can relate to Calpurnia and the expectations of what others want her to do with her life. Calpurnia's grandfather, Captain Walter Tate is another believable character. Many young people can relate to having a grandparent who is similar to Walter. The plot is realistic to the time period and it is presented accurately. The plot also presents the history accurately and is not too overwhelming.
The setting is vividly described and is an integral part to the story. The time period of 1899-1900 and living in a small town in Texas are explicit. The universal theme of coming-of-age reflects the time of the turn of the twentieth century, but also reflects the time of today. The style captures the flavor and speech patterns of the era. The author's voice and manner are reflected and all the literary elements are woven together to create a beautiful, well-written story. Kelly acknowledges several people at the end of the book, but no sources are cited for authenticity and further reading.
Calpurnia continues to resist what society and especially what her mother wants her to become when she tells her "It means that a girl from a good family has become a young lady and is ready to be introduced into Society". The story takes place during a time that is very much different than today, especially for young women. Young women were expected to "step-out" and hope to find their future husband. The woman was then expected to stay home and raise the children. This is not the life for Calpurnia. She loves nature, insects and the worst of all, science. She enjoys spending time with her grandfather who teaches her many things about life. This is a very enjoyable story for children and adults about "going against the grain".
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate was a Newbery Medal Award nominee in 2010. Other awards and nominations include: Children's Book Committee Award-winner, Texas Lone Star Reading List-commended, Beehive Awards-nominee, and many more.
If you enjoy this title, you may also enjoy: Cornelia and the Audacious Escapes of the Somerset Sisters, Harris and Me: A Summer Remembered, and The Sisters Brothers.
School Library Journal
"The book ends with uncertainty over Callie's future, but there's no uncertainty over the achievement of Kelly's debut novel."
Booklist
"The eye-catching jacket which silhouettes Callie and images from nature against a yellow background, is true to the period and the story. Many readers will hope for a sequel to this engaging, satisfying first novel."
Further activities for The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate can be found at:
https://sites.google.com/site/ncslmayabookaward/middle-school/interesting-links-2010-2011
http://evolutionofcalpuniatate.wordpress.com/activities/
http://www.lessonindex.com/The_Evolution_of_Calpurnia_Tate_by_Jacqueline_Kelly.htm
scholastic.com
Hesse, Karen. 1997. Out of the Dust. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 0590360809
Out of the Dust is a historical fiction novel based on the dust bowl that occurred in Oklahoma during the Great Depression. The story follows fourteen year-old Billie Jo and her experience of the dust bowl from 1934-1935 and the loss of her mother and baby brother. Written in free-verse poetry style, Billie Jo documents her experiences in a journal format.
Billie Jo's character is very believable throughout the story as she experiences the hardships of the Great Depression. Her mother is expecting a baby soon and with times being tough, Billie Jo takes on a job of playing piano for a band to help earn money for the family. The language used is appropriate for the time and readers will have no problem relating to Billie Jo's character. The history is presented accurately and in terms that children can understand. The plot is not overwhelming with details and is very realistic to the time period of the Great Depression.
The setting is an integral part of the story since the dust bowl affected those who lived in Oklahoma at that time. The time and place are vividly described continuously and contributes to the authenticity of the story. The reader is able to understand the pain and hardship Billie Jo endured. The theme of the story is still relevant today, with Billie Jo experiencing the loss of her family members, financial struggles, and a strained relationship with her father. Hesse's style of writing helps create a wonderful story using literary elements. Hesse captures the speech patterns during the years of the Great Depression by including phrases like "The farm won't fail. Long as we get some good rain".
Out of the Dust is a wonderfully written story about the hardships families experienced, not only during the Great Depression, but those who survived the dust bowl. Young readers are able to relate to Billie Jo's character as she talks about school, testing, death, and sadness. The experiences of the characters are very detailed, but unfortunately, the sources are not referenced for further information about the Great Depression or the dust bowl. This is a quick read and perfect for reluctant readers.
Out of the Dust was the Newbery Award Winner for 1998. Other awards and nominations include: Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, Young Reader's Choice Award-nominee.
If you enjoy this novel, you may also enjoy these titles written by Karen Hesse: Letters from Rifka, Witness, The Music of Dolphins, and Safekeeping.
If you would like to read further about the dust bowl, you may enjoy: Children of the Dust Bowl: The True Story of the school at Weedpatch Camp, The Great American Dust Bowl, and The Dirty Days: A Young Girl's Journey to and from the Oklahoma Dust Bowl.
School Library Journal
"After facing loss after loss during the Oklahoma Dust Bowl, Billie Jo begins to reconstruct her life. A triumphant story, eloquently told through prose-poetry."
Booklist
"The story is bleak, but Hesse's writing transcends the gloom and transforms it into a powerfully compelling tale of a girl with enormous strength, courage, and love."
Further activities for Out of the Dust can be found at:
http://www.webenglishteacher.com/khesse.html
http://www.bookrags.com/lessonplan/out-of-the-dust/
http://www.prestwickhouse.com/PDF/SAMPLE/304477.pdf
amazon.com
Murphy, Jim. 2000. Blizzard! The Storm that Changed America. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 0590673092
In Blizzard! The Storm that Changed America, Murphy presents a social history type informational book for children about the blizzard of 1888 that affected the northeastern United States. Unusually mild weather was experienced in March of 1888 and weather forecasting equipment to predict the approaching storm did not exist. The mild weather misled millions of people into celebrating the beautiful weather outdoors.
Murphy has a reputation for providing factual social history informational books to children and has excellent credentials. Blizzard! The Storm that Changed America, received positive reviews by knowledgeable reviewers. The sources used to create this book are cited and only facts from the event are provided. The Illustrations and photos match the text throughout.
The organization is in an easy to follow layout. The book begins with the beautiful weather experienced prior to the blizzard, the blizzard hitting the northeast, the resulting loss of life and property after the storm ended, and ending with the changes that were made to help prevent tragedies similar to this from happening again. Reference aids including a table of contents and index are available.
The design is very attractive and inviting for those who are curious about this horrible disaster that affected so many. The illustrations and photographs compliment the text and help provide the reader with an image of what people experienced during the blizzard. The style is lively and interesting, encourages curiosity, and encourages further reading. Murphy provides just enough information about the blizzard of 1888 and demonstrates his passion for writing throughout.
The blizzard of 1888 really did change America and Murphy explains how in the final chapter. In 1888, the streets of New York were cluttered with garbage, trash cans, and other debris. The streets were also covered by a canopy of electrical wires that hung from above. The blizzard created a disaster with debris flying through the streets and the weight of the snow caused the wires to dangle dangerously close to the streets. These factors, along with several feet of snow caused transportation to come to a complete halt. Getting legislation passed to help prevent events such as this from happening was very difficult, "but the blizzard had fostered in the public a mood for change." Because of this blizzard, the subway system was created, electrical wires were placed underground, and sidewalks were required to remain free of debris. "By 1894, all wires in New York City had been banished underground, and other cities - including Washington, D.C.; Boston; Albany; and Buffalo, to name a few - followed its example." This is a very interesting and educational read and will be very much appreciated by those who love to read about historical events.
Awards and Honors for Blizzard! The Storm that Changed America include: Robert F. Sibert nominee for Outstanding Nonfiction, The Jefferson Cup Award, ALA Notable Book, and ALA Best Books for Young People.
If you enjoy this title, you may also enjoy these other titles by Jim Murphy: The Great Fire, The Long Road to Gettysburg, and The Crossing: How George Washington Saved the American Revolution.
Booklist
"Like Murphy's award-winning " The Great
Fire" (1995), this is an example of stellar nonfiction. The haunting
jacket illustration grabs attention, and the dramatic power of the splendid
narrative, coupled with carefully selected anecdotes, newspaper accounts, and
vintage and contemporary photos, will keep the pages turning."
School Library Journal
"Authentic photographs, drawings, and maps that
demonstrate the course of the storm, all done in the same sepia tone as the
text, perfectly illustrate the book. Overall, a superb piece of writing and
history."
Further activities for Blizzard! The Storm that Changed America can be found at:
http://www.teachertreasures.com/uploads/weather_tt.pdf
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/thismonth/weather/index1.html
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/blizzard-lesson-plan
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