Module 15: Looking for Alaska

Book Summary:

In this book the main character, Miles, is looking for a whole new life. He convinces his parents to send him off to a boarding school, the same one his father went to. His roommate introduces him to a girl who he is immediately smitten with named Alaska. He and his group of friends spend much of their time pranking other students and staff of the school. Eventually, they all get very drunk, and Alaska runs off without warning. Eventually they find that she was in a fatal car accident, and they all have to deal with having let her run off and drive. In her honor, they stage the biggest prank the school has ever seen at the end of the school year.

APA Reference:

Green, J. (2007). Looking for Alaska. New York: Speak.

My Impressions:

This book is a very thought-provoking book. It is arranged in two parts, “before” and “after”.  Instead of chapters, the book is arranged is sections headed with how many days before or after, such as the beginning, which is “one-hundred thirty six days before” and the end which is “one-hundred thirty six days after”.  The book is divided almost evenly in half, although I felt like the “before” part was longer for some reason. It was exceptionally well written. The characters seemed very real, with all kinds of flaws just like real people have.  The reader can really feel the shock and sorrow when they learn of Alaska’s death. After that, the need to find out the details about what really happened consumes them, and the reader will also want to know.

The author of this book did a very good job of portraying what life can be like for high school kids. There are so many decisions they have to make, and so much peer pressure. They also often find themselves wondering if anyone else is feeling and thinking the same things they are. Their need to understand what really happened to Alaska emphasizes this. Teenagers will likely be able to relate to this book, or at least to parts of it.

There have been objections to this book, most likely because of the sexual content and references to smoking and alcohol. While that is all in this book, it does not glorify any of it. It actually makes drinking look quite bad as the reader can see the direct consequences of drinking too much several times throughout the book. The content is quite mature, though, and the book should probably not be read by children younger than high school age.

Professional Reviews:

Stevenson, D. (2005, February). [Review of the book Looking for Alaska by John Green]. Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books 58(6), p. 252. Retrieved from http://bccb.lis.illinois.edu/

Tired of a featureless life, Miles Halter decides that boarding school is the place for him to seek "the Great Perhaps," so he begins his junior year at Culver Creek in Alabama prepared for event. And that's what he gets, caught up instantly in a long-running prank war involving his roommate, Chip--always known as "the Colonel" for his military masterminding of mischief--and his close friend, the beautiful and quixotic Alaska. Soon Miles is, like many before him, besotted with Alaska, reveling in her friendship and hoping for more, despite the fact that Alaska has a long-term boyfriend. This delicious combination of the attained and the unattainable comes crashing, literally, to a halt when a drunken Alaska dies in a car accident, leaving her friends devastated. Green gives the time-tested plot of boarding-school maturation its full and considerable due, evoking the substantial appeal of the situation's hothouse intensity, heady independence, and endless possibilities. Miles is a witty narrator who manages to be credible as the overlooked kid, but he's also an articulate spokesperson for the legions of teens searching for life meaning (his taste for famous last words is a believable and entertaining quirk), and the Colonel's smarts, clannish loyalties, and relentlessly methodological approach to problems make him a true original. Alaska is sufficiently shadowed from the start that her fate isn't really surprising, but it's nonetheless heartbreaking and dramatically effective in its impact on those left behind, who compulsively try to piece together their friend's final actions (was it an impulsive suicide?) as they bring their questions about life's meaning to bear on an all-too-personal level. There's a certain recursive fitness here, since this is exactly the kind of book that makes kids like Miles certain that boarding school will bring them their destiny, but perceptive readers may also realize that their own lives await the discovery of meaning even as they vicariously experience Miles' quest.

Lewis, J. (2005). [Review of the book Looking for Alaska by John Green]. School Library Journal 51(2), p. 136. Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.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.
Johanna Lewis, New York Public Library

Library Uses:

For libraries that do a display on Banned Books week, this would be an excellent book to include. While it would make an excellent choice to promote the dangers of alcohol, it probably should not be required reading in schools or a book club choice simply because of all of the objectionable material. Because of the objections to it, I think that the library choices are more limited than with other books.

Module 14: A Curious Collection of Cats

Book summary:

This book contains 32 poems about cats, with colorful illustrations. Each page is a different poem, except for one poem which takes up two pages.

APA reference:

Franco, B. (2009). A curious collection of cats. Berkeley, CA: Tricycle Press.

My Impressions:

This is a really fun book of poetry. I am not usually a great fan of poetry, but I did really like this. I think children would like it very much also. The illustrations are bright and colorful, and the words are part of the illustration. The poems also generally rhyme, which I think will also appeal to children. Often the way the words are drawn creates a sense of motion, and the words are sometimes woven into the drawing in a way that moves the reader’s eye through the page.

The poems really capture the personality quirks of cats. Cat lovers of all ages will enjoy these poems: cats hiding under the blankets, sleeping like royalty on the clean laundry, and coughing up hairballs. Most of the poems are very cheery and lighthearted. There is one poem that is a lovely tribute to a cat that is gone; it is very well done and gives a sense of what the cat was like in its life.

I think the drawings and the poems work together beautifully to make a very fun and emotional experience. Children will be drawn to the lively illustrations and the simple poems; adults (especially cat lovers) will find it just as delightful.

Professional Reviews:

Lemple, S. D. (2009, May/June). [Review of the book A curious collection of cats, by B. Franco]. Horn Book Magazine 85(3), p. 314-315. Retrieved from http://hbook.com/

In an ideal match of subject and form, poet Franco uses the sinuous shapes and playful motions of cats to distill the essence of felines in all their grace and ridiculousness. Each of the thirty-two concrete poems is a mini-depiction of a particular cat, as in "Veronica Goes Wide": "Veronica's gotten so pudgy / and PLUMP, / she now mostly acts like a snug-gable / lump"; the poem is written across the yellow cat, with the M in lump formed from her ears. Cats interact with dogs, with squirrels, with one another, and with people in a variety of funny ways, but Franco uses words so precisely to capture cats' behavior that cat-lovers will feel a shock of recognition. Cat-haters may, too, as Franco lays bare the less-charming aspects of life with cats, as in "cat haiku 1" ("Tuna fish dinner / Kitty washes down her meal / sips from toilet bowl") and the self-explanatory "that cat peed on my hat." Wirtz's illustrations, mono-prints adjusted in Adobe Photoshop, keep the words that wrap and weave around the cats readable while still creating visual interest in the backgrounds. Together, poet and artist convey the silliness of cats and their humans without ever being silly themselves.

Pfeifer, T. (2009, April). [Review of A Curious Collection of Cats by T. Pfeifer]. School Library Journal 55(4), p. 147. Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/

Gr 3-6-Franco understands the nuanced world of the fluffy, fractious, and faithful feline friend. Thirty-two unusual, concrete poems, one per page with a single exception, are matched by Wertz's monoprints. The words move in several directions and sometimes inhabit multiple objects. The poems are so embedded within the illustrations that it is hard to imagine them without the artwork; they are virtually inseparable. In a print of a cat licking its neck, its exceptionally long tongue is created out of words. Readers following the poem will find they are forced to turn the book to the side, and may crane their own necks, experiencing an odd identification with the activity of the cat. The poem "Princess" uses arrows as part of the illustrated content to keep readers on the language path as "Princess paces down and up" awaiting her supper. At times, the path isn't obvious, but youngsters delight in solving puzzles, and these are merely little challenges that prove fun to master. In "Hot Daze," a red devilish arrow points to the poem's beginning. Among the various subjects are fat cats, shy cats, a kitty who. "sips from toilet bowl," and a polydactyl cat with "poofy fur" and "prissy looks." Cat lovers will recognize their felines stretching, purring, and napping. This collection would pair nicely with Sharon Creech's Hate That Cat (HarperCollins, 2008).
Teresa Pfeifer, Alfred Zanetti Montessori Magnet School, Springfield, MA

Library Uses:

This book would work well in a display of children’s books. The cover is so colorful and bright, it would attract attention to the display and draw people in. It would be good to set up a display during National Poetry Month (usually April), and put it up with a selection of other poetry books for children.

Module 13: Otto's Orange Day

                                                                             

Book summary:

In this book, Otto, the main character, loves the color orange. His aunt gives him a magic lamp for his birthday, and he wishes for everything to be orange. At first he thinks this is great, but when he starts having to eat all orange food he starts to see the parts that are not so good. He sees that with the traffic lights being all one color, cars have accidents because they do not know what color the light is. He calls his aunt, who gave him the lamp. She makes a wish, and the genie of the lamp then turns everything blue. This doesn’t make them happy either, but they soon quickly find a way to get the genie to change things back to normal.

APA reference:

Cammuso, F., & Lynch, J. (2008). Otto’s orange day. New York: Little Lit Library.

My Impressions:

This was a very fun little book. The drawings are very well done, and have lots of expression and energy. There is a lot of action going on throughout the book, and I think it will easily hold children’s interest. In the beginning, the reader sees Otto’s excitement about the idea of everything being orange. He goes through  his day, amazed at how wonderful everything is in orange. Then gradually the reader gets to see the disadvantages: the orange food that tastes bad, the car accidents caused by the orange traffic lights, and the sameness of everything being orange. When the genie then turns everything blue, the reader wonders how it will ever be fixed. Then Otto comes across the solution: the genie has not eaten for hundreds of years. He orders a pizza for the genie, and the genie does not want to eat a blue pizza, so he changes everything back. I think this will really appeal to the imagination of children. The colors in the book are very well done; the artist makes good use of different shades of orange and blue to keep the drawings interesting even when they are monochromatic. The contrast, then, when the colors go back to normal is great. It really leaves the reader appreciating the variety of color that was not even really noticed in the beginning of the story. I think younger children will find this book very fun, and they will want to read it again and again.

Professional Review:

Karp, J. (2008, March 15). [Review of the book Otto’s Orange Day, by F. Cammuso & J. Lynch]. Booklist 104(4), p. 66.

K–Gr. 2. Written by ‘60s underground comic guru Lynch and Eisner-nominated Cammuso, who also did the artwork, this book in the new TOON imprint gives emerging readers a high-quality comic that is both loads of fun and easy to read. It’s a simple, archetypal story: Otto, a little orange-loving cat, wishes “everything was orange,” but when a genie grants his wish, he realizes that he should have been more careful what he wished for: orange lamb chops . . . “Blaach!!!” This is a textbook example of how to use page composition, expanding panel size, color, and stylized figures to make sequential art fresh, energetic, and lively. With the particular pedigree of the book’s creators, however, one can’t help but miss avant-garde subversiveness that made Little Lit books (e.g., Strange Stories for Strange Kids, 2001) for older children so thrilling and unique. Even without that element, though, this book is sure to engage a new generation in the art form; kids will want to read it once, then return to it again and again.

—Jesse Karp

Library Uses:

This would be a good book to build some children’s activities around. After reading the book (or having it read to them at storytime), children could try to come up with their own ideas of crazy things that could happen if everything were all one color. They could do drawings to go with their ideas. They could also be encouraged to think of other ways the genie could have been talked into changing things back. I think this book is a good one for encouraging children to use their imagination.

Module 12: I am Scout: a biography of Harper Lee

Book Summary:

This book is a biography of Nelle Harper Lee, the writer of To Kill a Mockingbird. It covers her life from when she was very young all the way up to the time when the book was published. It goes into detail about her early childhood and the parallels of her own life to her main character, Scout. Also detailed is her education, as well as the story of how she came to write her famous book. Her friendship with Truman Capote and her help with his book were also covered in detail, as well as the making of the movie for To Kill a Mockingbird.

APA reference:

Shields, C. J. (2008). I am Scout: The biography of Harper Lee. New York: Henry Holt and Co.

My Impressions:

This was an enjoyable book to read. I enjoyed reading about how Nelle did not want to be restricted to typical gender roles of the day, and even wore men’s clothing sometimes. Her life did seem to have some parallels to Scout’s life, and the town she grew up in seemed similar to her fictional town. The details of her education and how she never quite fit in were fascinating. One thing that I did feel was lacking in this book was more direct quotes from Nelle herself. Most of the book relies on what other people said about her, so at the end of the book the reader does not feel as close a connection with the subject as they might.

The author spent a lot of time discussing Nelle’s friend, Truman Capote, and her involvement with his research for his book In Cold Blood. I felt like he perhaps emphasized it a bit too much. He also gave the impression of not liking Truman Capote very much; he mentions several times in the book about Truman’s arrogant personality and how Truman did not give Nelle any credit for helping him with his book. The reader definitely gets the impression that the author does not approve of Truman.

Nelle Harper Lee had a very interesting life, and it was good to get to read about it. The book does a good job of looking into the details of her life, and why she did things the way she did. The writing level seems appropriate for younger readers, and I think it could keep their interest as well.

Professional Reviews:

Carter, B. (2008, May/June), [Review of the book I am Scout: the biography of Harper Lee by C. Shields]. Horn Book Magazine 84(3), p. 340. Retrieved from http://hbook.com/

Despite the autobiographical suggestion of the title, Shields had no direct access to either Lee or her closest friends when writing this biography, abridged (not adapted) from his 2006 adult release, Mockingbird. He relies on extensive secondary source material and a few personal interviews with acquaintances to examine four topics: the parallels between Lee and Scout, the narrator of To Kill a Mockingbird; the writing of that book and the production of the subsequent movie; Lee's part in researching Capote's In Cold Blood; and the puzzle of why Lee never published another book. Combining Lee's actual story with biographical similarities in To Kill a Mockingbird causes a few problems. For example, Shield at first identifies Lee's childhood friend and neighbor -- the basis for Dill in the novel -- only as Truman Streckfus Persons, waiting until page 35 to inform readers that this neighbor is Truman Capote, thus inviting confusion for the first two chapters. Still, Shields's journalistic style creates a readable ode to a headstrong, determined, unconventional woman who writes, rewrites, edits, becomes frustrated, and finally finishes an enduring novel. Extensive documentation, a complete bibliography, and an index are appended.

Library Uses:

This book could be used in a display pairing well-known books with biographies of their authors. Each book could be set on the shelf next to the corresponding biography, perhaps with posters encouraging readers to read more about their favorite authors. Many people might not be aware that these biographies exist; bringing them out into the open by the other book may help to raise interest in reading about the authors.

Module 11: Hitler Youth: Growing up in Hitler's shadow

Book Summary:

This book is about the “Hitler Youth”, a group formed in Germany before and during World War II to encourage the participation of young people. It describes what the group was and did—it actually sounded a bit like the Boy Scouts, at least for the younger ages. While the activities were innocent at first, with things such as camping and physical training, they later added weapons training and military activities. Children were encouraged to join the Hitler Youth, and later it actually became dangerous not to join. Through the group and the schools, the children were brought up to view Hitler almost as a god, and many of them firmly believed in the Nazi party ways.

APA reference:

 Bartoletti, S. C. (2005). Hitler youth: Growing up in Hitler’s shadow. New York: Scholastic.

My Impressions:

 This book was very interesting. It really showed the progression of the evil of the Holocaust; how at first for the young people it was like a fun club, and they were gradually indoctrinated in the beliefs of the Nazi party. I had always wondered how so many people could simply stand back and allow such horror to happen. This book explains some of it, at least from the perspective of young people. The young people were flooded with Nazi propaganda: it was all around them, and was even taught in the schools. The worst horrors were kept from them as much as possible, and even when they heard of it they often did not believe it. There were some youth who rebelled, and spoke out against the Nazis. They were often executed when they were discovered. Some of their stories are told in this book as well.

I was a bit disturbed at first when I was reading, as it seemed like the author was making the Hitler Youth group sound like a good thing. Further in, however, the group’s true sinister purpose becomes clear. The way this was written actually helps the reader to understand how the German young people were taken in by Hitler’s ideals.

The book was very well written, and followed a well-organized progression from Hitler’s beginnings to the end of World War II. The photographs added to text and help the reader to feel closer to the people whose stories are told, as well as a small glimpse into the horror of the Holocaust. The photographs are kept age-appropriate, without any really graphic images such as the ones that are often included in books about the Holocaust. I think that this is a good book on the subject for middle school students and up, and will help with their understanding of the Nazi regime.

Professional Review:

Heller, S. (2005, August 14). [Review of the book Hitler Youth: Growing up in Hitler’s shadow, by S. C. Bartoletti].  The New York Times Book Review, p. 16. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/pages/books/review/index.html

So many books on the Holocaust have been published for young people, yet ''Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow'' is nonetheless an invaluable introduction to the ways that children and young adults were indoctrinated into Nazi ideology. The HitlerYouth and the League of German Maidens were compulsory organizations whose ranks swelled to millions of members -- including even the future Pope Benedict XVI, forced by law to join at 14.

The real strength of Susan Campbell Bartoletti's handsome book, which is illustrated with documentary photographs, lies in its interviews with former members, as well as with Jews and Mischling (half-Jews) who were forbidden to join the ranks.

The Hitler Youth and the German Maidens taught young people to conform to Nazi Party dictates and helped build a sanctioned community. Yet when Hitler took over the Nazi Party in the early 1920's, he wasn't particularly interested in German adolescents -- they couldn't vote, after all. It took others to persuade him that disenfranchised youth were key to the Nazis' future.

Eventually Hitler agreed, and by 1926, when the Hitler Youth was founded, he believed young people would provide a limitless supply of leaders and followers: ''With them,'' he said, ''I can make a new world.'' Membership in the group became required for all Aryan boys ages 14 to 18, and in the German Maidens for all girls 14 to 21. (Other organizations were formed for 10- to 14-year-olds.) Even so, some parents tried to stop their children from joining, fearing the loss of their parental authority to state and party control.

They had reason to worry. The Hitler Youth was, in effect, the farm team for the Nazi military. Members wore snappy uniforms, went on overnight hikes, played sports, exercised and earned badges. They were required to spend most of their free time at Hitler Youth camps learning the Nazi creed, which included honor, sacrifice, camaraderie and anti-Semitism. They canvassed neighborhoods, distributed leaflets, recruited new members and often engaged in violent skirmishes with young Communists. The girls' group, meanwhile, was like a finishing school where young German maidens learned to become loyal wives and fecund mothers.

Bartoletti, who has written about the Irish potato famine and child labor turmoil, begins this account with the story of Herbert Norkus, a 15-year-old Hitler Youth who was beaten and stabbed to death in 1932 by Communists and became the first official Hitler Youth martyr. The Nazis marked his death with a 24-hour honor guard and an elaborate military funeral.

The youth groups eventually grew from 6,000 members to more than seven million, building their members' minds and bodies and emphasizing their superiority over the Jews. Karl Schnibbe, a former member quoted by Bartoletti, says, ''We were always told that Jews were the cause of our misfortune.'' The lesson took -- Bert Lewyn recalls that he and some friends were at their Jewish school one day when they were surrounded by a Hitler Youth mob yelling: ''Damned Jews! Out! Let's see your blood!''

Bartoletti notes that not all German teenagers were compliant. Sophie Scholl, for instance, was a German Maiden who rebelled by joining the anti-Nazi student group White Rose with her brother Hans. They clandestinely produced and distributed leaflets protesting the war for over a year before they were arrested and beheaded.

But such acts of defiance were isolated exceptions. Ultimately the members of the youth groups were trained to become soldiers of the Reich. There was even a junior Gestapo, which monitored other children. During the Allied bombardment of Germany, Hitler Youth members manned antiaircraft guns and were often killed or wounded. Those who were sent to the front lines were expected to die for the Fuhrer.

''It would take years for many Hitler Youth to digest the truth about National Socialism,'' Bartoletti writes. ''They had served a mass murderer and, in so doing, had contributed to the deaths of millions of people.'' Not one member of the HitlerYouth appeared in the dock at Nuremberg, although some were tried in civilian courts and forced to watch films about the death camps. ''The films often had the opposite effect,'' Bartoletti writes. ''Despite the mountains of evidence, many Hitler Youth told themselves that the films were exaggerated, if not invented by the Allies as propaganda intended to defame the Nazis.''

For high school students studying the Nazi regime, Bartoletti's book should be essential reading. But for a redemptive ending, look elsewhere. Many of the former members she writes about believed there was no option but to serve the Reich and still excuse, albeit apologetically, being members of the Hitler Youth.

By Steven Heller

Library Uses:

This would be a book that could be included in a Holocaust awareness event. In my own library, we hosted an exhibit about book burning during the Nazi rule, which had several events scheduled around it, many of them involving school groups. This would have been a great book to discuss with the children in the school groups. Libraries could have discussions with groups of children after they read the book (this would best be coordinated with local school teachers) to get their impressions of it. I think this is an important book for children to read, to see how people can be fooled into doing terrible things.

Module 10: Fever 1793

Book Summary:

This book is set in Philadelphia in 1793, during an epidemic of yellow fever. The main character, Mattie, is a teenage girl living with her mother and grandfather in a coffee house. Shortly after the beginning of the story, the epidemic starts and people Mattie knows begin falling ill.  Eventually her mother gets sick, and then Mattie and her grandfather head out for friends in the country, hoping that by getting out of the city they will be able to avoid getting sick. Before they make it to their destination, her grandfather starts having difficulty with his heart, and then Mattie herself falls ill. When she wakes she is being taken care of, and she eventually recovers. In the rest of the story, Mattie experiences many other trials. Her grandfather dies, their house is robbed, and she doesn’t know where her mother is or if she is even alive. She takes in a small child who has lost all of her family to fever, and somehow finds ways to take care of everyone. In the end, she is reunited with her mother and helps to restore their business to what it used to be.

APA reference:

Anderson, L. H. (2000). Fever 1793. New York: Scholastic Books.

My Impressions:

This was an excellent book. The author had obviously carefully researched her time frame and the subject matter, and tried to stay true to actual details as much as possible. Included in the story were anecdotes about life as it was at that time; the author gave a good idea of what people wore, the way they acted, how they ate, and how they made their living. She described things with enough detail and authenticity that the reader can immerse completely into the story and really feel like they are there. The scenes with the death cart and the looters give the reader a better understanding of the true magnitude of the epidemic.

The main character, Mattie, is an easy character to relate to. Like any teenager, she is beginning to feel like she would like to be able to have more control over her own life. When the crisis hits, however, her true strength shows, and she rises to the task of helping as much as she can and taking control of a very difficult situation. Even though nothing will ever be the same again, Mattie will be fine and able to handle whatever comes her way.

One of the things that I really liked about this book was how the author put actual events into it, such as the launching of the hot air balloon and George Washington’s travel through Philadelphia, as well as the mass graves. These things gave the book even more credibility. This book felt like a look back in time, and was very thought-provoking. It opened the reader’s eyes to what a situation like this would feel like. For teenagers, it is also a good example of how strong people their age can be and what a difference they can make.

Professional Reviews:

Isaacs, K. (2000, August). [Review of the book Fever 1793, by L. H. Anderson]. School Library Journal 46(8), p. 177. Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/

Gr 6-10-The sights, sounds, and smells of Philadelphia when it was still the nation's capital are vividly re-created in this well-told tale of a girl's coming-of-age, hastened by the outbreak of yellow fever. As this novel opens, Matilda Cook, 14, wakes up grudgingly to face another hot August day filled with the chores appropriate to the daughter of a coffeehouse owner. At its close, four months later, she is running the coffeehouse, poised to move forward with her dreams. Ambitious, resentful of the ordinary tedium of her life, and romantically imaginative, Matilda is a believable teenager, so immersed in her own problems that she can describe the freed and widowed slave who works for her family as the "luckiest" person she knows. Ironically, it is Mattie who is lucky in the loyalty of Eliza. The woman finds medical help when Mattie's mother falls ill, takes charge while the girl is sent away to the countryside, and works with the Free African Society. She takes Mattie in after her grandfather dies, and helps her reestablish the coffeehouse. Eliza's story is part of an important chapter in African-American history, but it is just one of many facets of this story of an epidemic. Mattie's friend Nathaniel, apprentice to the painter Master Peale, emerges as a clear partner in her future. There are numerous eyewitness accounts of the devastation by Dr. Benjamin Rush and other prominent Philadelphians of the day. Readers will be drawn in by the characters and will emerge with a sharp and graphic picture of another world.-Kathleen Isaacs, Edmund Burke School, Washington, DC

Bush, E. (2000, Oct.) [Review of the book Fever 1793 by L. H. Anderson]. Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books 54(2), p. 51-52. Retrived from http://bccb.lis.illinois.edu/

As yellow fever invades the young nation's capital at Philadelphia, Mattie Cook and her family soon discover that their coffeehouse's distance from the city dock is no protection from the disease. Widow Cook is stricken, and although Mattie and her grandfather try their best to nurse her, they realize it is best to leave her to the dubious care of the doctor and make their way to the healthful countryside. They never reach safety, though; Mattie falls to the fever along the way, and after the girl recovers in a makeshift hospital (well-administered by French doctors who understand the disease better than the famed Dr. Rush and his colleagues), they return home to find the premises deserted and the city in chaos. Determined not only to survive but also to rebuild the family business, Mattie faces food shortages, looters, the death of her beloved grandfather, and anxiety over her mother's fate. Readers may detect a trace of glibness, resonant of an era closer to their own, in narrator Mattie's voice, but they will likely forgive and forget this small gaffe as they follow the teenager's travails in a devastated city. Those who have worked their way through Ann Rinaldi's offerings will welcome Anderson's take on a gripping episode of American history.

Library uses: This book would be an excellent book club book for teenagers, or would also be good to suggest to a history club. Because this book has such accurate detail, it would definitely be of interest to history buffs. If the library were to host a history event, this book would be a good one to suggest to pair with that event.

Module 9: Don't Look Behind You

Book Summary:

In this story, the main character is a teenage girl named April. In the beginning, she finds out that her father has been testifying in court against a big-time drug dealer, and his life and the lives of his family are in danger. To keep safe, they have to enter the witness protection program. April chafes at having to leave her entire life behind, including her boyfriend and her tennis playing, along with her name and anything else that might identify her. As she rebels against the new life, a hit man sent for her father brings terror to the family in a very suspenseful ending.

APA reference:

Duncan, L. (1989). Don’t look behind you. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell.

My Impressions:

I enjoyed reading this book. I have read several other books by Lois Duncan and I enjoy her writing style very much. She is very good at getting inside the mind of teenagers, and this is probably one of the reasons why her books are so successful.

While this book was about the suspense and horror of being tracked down by a hit man, it also was about  a teenage girl’s attempt to live her life the way she wanted to no matter what the circumstances, and her rebellion against conforming to what was expected of her. In the end, she grew up a bit and realized that her life was not over just because of the circumstances, and she was able to accept her new life.

The book was very well written overall. The author introduces the reader to the main character right away, and gives us a sense of what her life is like now. When the problem is revealed, the reader gets an inside look at what April is thinking as she is going through the issues of having to stay in hiding. The reader experiences April’s terror when the hit man finds their hotel, and the wide range of emotions that she goes through when they have to totally uproot their lives and become different people in a new place. Through her experiences, the reader gets an idea of how it might feel to have to change your life so completely. The suspenseful ending is a page-turner, and the brief glimpse the reader gets of April’s new life after all the turmoil is a very satisfactory finale. It was very interesting to see a situation like this from a teenage girl’s point of view.

Professional Review:

Larson, J. (1989, July). Don't Look Behind You. [Review of the book Don't Look Behind You by L. Duncan]. School Library Journal 35, p. 91. Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/

Undoubtedly a master of suspense, Duncan has written a spellbinding tale of uniquely contemporary horror. Seventeen-year-old April Corrigan's life ends abruptly when she learns that her airline executive father has been working secretly undercover for the FBI. Now his testimony against a notorious drug dealer has placed the whole family in danger, and April and her family are quickly relocated under the Federal Witness Security Program. What begins as a temporary measure soon must become a way of life. April, an ace tennis player, has to stop playing tennis; her mother must give up a lucrative career as a children's author; their names are changed; and April's naive attempt to communicate with her boyfriend causes the violent death of an agent. The entire book is fast-paced and enthralling, but the conclusion will have readers on the edge of their chairs. April and her grandmother get involved in a high-speed cross-country chase which culminates in the death of a hit man. Although some readers will not be able to imagine having to sever completely all ties with their past, they won't be able to put this book down. Don't Look Behind You is filled with booktalk potential.--Jeanette Larson, Mesquite Public Library, Tex.

Library uses:

This would be a good book to include in a mystery/suspense theme at the library. One good way to highlight books like this would be for the library to have a “Mystery Night” aimed at middle school and high school aged kids. They could have events and games to go with the mystery theme, and of course have a display of books available that fit the theme. I think events like this are a great way of encouraging kids to read.

Module 8: Incarceron

Book Summary:

This book is set in a world that is the world of the future, yet is stuck in the past. While they have very advanced technology, they have reverted to what sounds like 19th-century styles of living and dress. They are required by law to keep up the appearance of what is called “Era” authenticity. Technology, if used, must be kept hidden. Many years ago, a prison called Incarceron had been created to house the worst criminals. There was supposedly no way in or out of Incarceron, and it was its own world. The story is told from the perspective of two different characters: Claudia, the daughter of the warden of Incarceron, who lives in the normal world, and Finn, who is inside Incarceron and does not know anything about his own past. Claudia and Finn begin communicating with each other through the use of a pair of keys, as Finn works his way through Incarceron trying to find a way out. Claudia thinks that Finn is actually the heir to the throne, hidden away in Incarceron to make way for the next in line. She tries to help him escape, and in the end they actually do find a way to get him out of Incarceron.

APA reference:

Fisher, C. (2007). Incarceron. New York: Dial Books.

My impressions:

This was a very enjoyable book. I liked the way the author switched back and forth from the points of view of Claudia and Finn. It was interesting the way more and more of the backstory was gradually revealed throughout the story, although the mystery was still not completely solved at the end. One of the things I liked about this book was the author’s skillful creation of a completely new world. The idea of a world with advanced technology that is forces to remain stuck in the past is one I have not seen before. Incarceron itself is a whole world as well. The biggest shock was in the end, when it was revealed just where and what Incarceron actually is. The characterizations were very nicely done. From the beginning the reader feels that Finn is out of his element, a good man trying to make his way in very tough circumstances where people are rewarded more for bad behavior than good. Claudia immediately is understood to be a very strong character, with no intention of letting people push her around even if she has to appear that way on the outside. The thing I was most disappointed in was how much was left unresolved at the end. While I know there is a sequel to this book that will likely explain most or all of it, I still like for a book to wrap up a little more neatly at the end. This felt like only half of the story. It was a good read, though, and I fully intend to read the second book, Sapphique, as soon as I can.

Professional Review:

Brooks-Reese, K. (2010, February). Incarceron. [A review of the book Incarceron, by C. Fisher.]. School Library Journal 56(2), p. 110. Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/

 

Finn is a denizen of Incarceron, a sentient prison in which generations of inmates struggle and fight for survival. Finn, however, is certain he comes from somewhere else. A strange tattoo and vague memories have convinced him that he comes from Outside. Claudia is the daughter of the Warden of Incarceron. Technology has been outlawed and society returned to a feudal time replete with rules, including arranged marriages. When the Queen and Claudia's father conspire to have her impending marriage to the heir moved forward, Claudia vows to do whatever it takes to avoid her fate. Finn and Claudia both acquire mysterious crystal keys that allow them to communicate, and. it begins to be clear that each may be the other's way out. On the surface, Incarceron is a fast-paced if dense adventure that pits Finn against the prison and his fellow prisoners and Claudia against her father, her fiancé, and her society. If that were all, it would be a truly excellent fantasy novel. By delving into the philosophy of imprisonment and the development of society; discussing how history informs the present; and exploring self-awareness and sentience in nonhuman characters, Incarceron becomes something of a tour de force. The history of both Incarceron and Era are explored through excerpts from imagined legends and archival documents at the start of each chapter. The novel's length and complex plot may be daunting to some, but fans of steampunk and epic fantasy alike will be anxiously flipping pages and awaiting the sequel, already released in the U.K.Karen E. Brooks-Reese, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA

Library Uses:

This book could be featured in a display of Fantasy/Science Fiction books—it really fits with either genre. It is actually more of a “crossover” book, and perhaps could be featured with other similar books. It could also be used as a book club book in a group of high school aged readers. There are a lot of things in this book that could be used as discussion points, and I think it is a book that a lot of young people would enjoy reading and discussing.

Module 7: If I Stay

Book Summary:
This book begins with Mia, the main character, getting into a terrible car accident with her family. At the scene of the accident, when she sees her own broken body inside the car, she realizes that she is now only an observer, watching what is going on around her comatose body but unable to participate. Her parents and brother have all been killed, and Mia has to decide whether she wants to stay alive or not. The book takes place both in the present, in the scenes at the hospital, and in the past through flashbacks in Mia’s memory. Mia spends her time going back over key points in her life while deciding what she wants to do.

APA Reference: Forman, G. (2009). If I Stay. New York: Dutton Books.

My Impressions:
This was a very enjoyable and thought-provoking book. The reader gets to know Mia and her family quite well through the flashbacks, as well as her boyfriend Adam. The author gives a very good sense of what kind of people they are through their interactions. By alternating between the flashbacks and the present, the reader gets to follow Mia as she makes her decision, getting to see the good things that have happened in her life as well as the tough choices she was facing even before the accident. Through the flashbacks, the reader realizes that even though Mia’s family is gone, she still has some very good things to live for and people who care about her very much. The author’s style of writing is very easy to read, and the book is difficult to put down. In the end Mia realizes that even though it might seem she has lost everything, she still has much to live for, and many people who love her. This made me think about my own life and all of the good things in it. A truly excellent story, very well-written and hard to put down.

Professional Review: Adams, L. (2009, July). If I Stay. [Review of the book If I Stay, by G. Forman]. Horn Book Magazine 85(4), p. 422-423. Retrieved from http://hbook.com/


What begins as the gift of a rare snow day in Portland, Oregon, turns suddenly into nightmare. Seventeen-year-old Mia drives off with her family on the unexpected holiday A sudden explosion of metal, and Mia is looking at her dead parents sprawled on the asphalt, her little brother nowhere to be found. An ambulance arrives to take Mia's body, bristling with tubes, to a trauma unit, and incorporeal Mia rides along. Distant kin to the dead narrators of The Lovely Bones et al., Mia hovers somewhere between life and death, watching surgeons bustle around her comatose body. An empathetic nurse clues Mia in that "she's running the show" -- that the choice to live or die belongs to Mia. Forman's one-sitting page-turner moves easily between the present vigil and Mia's past as she considers the ultimate choice. A talented classical cellist, Mia is deeply in love with punk-rock singer Adam, who has more in common musically with Mia's formerly punk, effortlessly cool parents. As Mia holds out for Adam's arrival at the hospital and considers the unbearable pain of living with so much loss, her best friend Kim reminds her that she does have family -- all the relatives and friends out there pulling for her. Apart from a heavy-handed clunk or two ("I realize now that dying is easy. Living is hard"), the stakes are poignantly conveyed through Mia's vivid memories of a rich, rewarding life.

Library Uses:
This book would work well in a display of realistic fiction books for young adults. As well as being a great book to read, it has a lovely cover that would catch the eye in a display. I think it is an excellent book to feature; it has such an intriguing beginning that once started the reader is immediately drawn in. Perhaps this book would lead readers to other realistic fiction after they experience it.

Module 7: Hoot

Book Summary:
This book centers around an environmental issue: a pancake house is about to be constructed on land that is the home for families of burrowing owls. In order to save the owls, one boy is vandalizing the construction site to halt construction. Soon another boy, Roy, gets pulled into the drama. Working with the boy with no name and his sister, Beatrice, Roy and his classmates are able to get the construction stopped in the end, through a dramatic and hilarious sequence of events.

APA reference:
Hiaasen, C. (2002). Hoot. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

My Impressions:
This was a very well-written book. It hooks the reader right away with the mystery of the barefoot running boy seen from the bus, and keeps the reader interested all the way through with the pace and humor of the story. While some of the events of the story seemed unlikely, none of it was impossible. Hiaasen also makes the characters very likable, and makes the reader want them to succeed. The humor is one of the best parts of the story. While the story it about a serious issue, it does not take itself too seriously, and I think that will make it more interesting for young readers. There is almost always something funny going on, making the reader want to keep reading. I have read Hiaasen’s books before, but not one intended for young readers. He has a very refreshing writing style that makes reading his book very good entertainment. I would recommend this book to anyone, even adults, although younger readers will probably really enjoy the fact that the young heroes in the book manage to accomplish their goal and save the owls by themselves.

Professional Review:Carter, C. (2002, November). [Review of the book Hoot, by C. Hiaasen]. Horn Book Magazine 78(6). Retrieved from: http://hbook.com/

Hoot is quintessential Hiaasen — a mystery/adventure set in South Florida, peopled with original and wacky characters — with a G rating. Roy Eberhart the new kid in town, hooks up with teenage runaway Mullet Fingers (so named because he can catch fish with his bare hands) and his sister Beatrice, a "major soccer jock … with a major attitude." The three discover that the proposed site for a Mother Paula's All-American Pancake House is also a nesting ground for small burrowing owls, a protected species, and they attempt to halt construction. Initiating a cover-up that reaches all the way to the mayor's office, Mother Paula's executives ignore the owls and try to speed up ground-breaking ceremonies before the public learns their secret. But Mullet Fingers sabotages their efforts: he removes survey stakes; puts alligators in the portable toilets; and releases a mess of cottonmouth shakes to scare away the guard dogs, The narrative carries a lot of frenzied commotion that only becomes more preposterous with each new character's entrance. There's Garrett, "king of phony farts" at middle school; Officer Delinko, not "the sharpest knife in the drawer"; and Kalo, the amiable rottweiler trainer ("That vun dere is Max. That vun, Klaus. That vun, Karl. And that big vun is Pookie Face"). Each individual has a story to tell, sometimes advancing the plot (Officer Delinko's ambitious investigation provides believable access to all characters) and sometimes imposing an earnestness at odds with the humor (Beatrice and Mullet Fingers endure a dismal home situation). Not consistently a hoot, but worthy of a holler. Hiaasen's first YA book succeeds as a humorous diversion.By Betty Carter


Library Uses:
This one could inspire a whole day or week with a theme. There are two possible themes in this book that could be used: environmental issues, or the power of children to make a difference. It could be grouped with other books on the issue, and there could be talks throughout the time of the theme, with the books as recommended reading. Children these days are very interested in environmental issues, and they could be shown examples of real children who have made a difference so that they know it is really possible for them.

Module 6: The Talking Eggs

Book Summary:
This book was almost a Cinderella story. The main character, Blanche, is made to do all the work around the house by her mother and her mean older sister. One day, when she was at the well filling a bucket of water, she met and old woman and gave her a drink. When she got home, her mother punished her because the water wasn’t cold enough. She ran away, and met the old woman again in the woods. She went with the woman to her cabin, where there were strange animals and happenings beyond her imagination. In the morning, she was instructed to gather eggs, but only to pick up the eggs that asked her to take them. There were many different eggs, some in bright colors and with jewels on them, but only the plain eggs were asking to be taken. When she threw these over her shoulder on the way home as instructed, all kinds of fine things came out of the eggs: jewels and fine dresses, and even a horse and cart. When she got home, her mother and sister wanted some fine things too, so her sister went to the old woman’s house. She did not follow the old woman’s instructions, and instead of fine things there were terrible creatures that came out of the eggs she chose. The beasts chased away her and her mother, and they were never able to find the old woman’s cabin again. Blanche went off to the city by herself to be a fine lady.

APA Reference:
San Souci, R. D. (1989). The Talking Eggs. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.

My Impressions:
I have never read anything quite like this book. It was very good. It had many themes that are frequently found in children’s stories: the child who has a miserable life, but is still generous and good-hearted; getting a reward for doing the right thing even as they are tempted not to; and of course the villain being punished in the end for not doing the right thing. I loved the imagination of the story, with the strange animals at the old woman’s cabin and the rabbits square dancing in the yard. It was really strange when the old woman took her head off, but it did add to the mystery of the story. I liked that Blanche followed the old woman’s directions even when it did not seem to make sense, and was always rewarded for it. The illustrations in this book were lovely, and although the story could have been told without them, it would not have been as interesting. The artist is excellent at conveying emotions in the paintings, and it really did add to the story. I know that I would really have enjoyed this book if I had read it as a child.

Professional Review:
Schubert, L. (1989, September). The Talking Eggs (Book Review). [Review of the book The Talking Eggs, by R. San Souci]. School Library Journal 35, p. 244. Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/

 This adaptation of a Creole folktale contains familiar European fairy tale elements, but certainly stands on its own and is a unique contribution to the American folktale repertoire. In imagistic language spiced with Southern folk flavor, San Souci tells of a cruel mother and her two daughters, Blanche and Rose. Rose is just like her mother, while Blanche is good and kind, and consequently abused. One day Blanche meets an old woman and treats her with a ``spirit of do-right.'' Soon they meet again, when Blanche runs away from mistreatment and the old woman takes her back to her house. And what marvels Blanche finds there--a two-headed cow, multi-colored chickens, abundant food from nothing, a hostess who takes off her head to comb her hair (the illustrations spare readers most of this last detail), and a glorious scene of rabbits engaged in country dancing. For being obedient, Blanche is rewarded with magic talking eggs that turn into everything she's ever wanted. As expected, her greedy family wants to get in on the action, but Rose, of course, fails to follow the old woman's instructions, and gets nothing but a plague of snakes, toads, frogs, and the like. This lesson about virtue rewarded and greed punished is illustrated with Pinkney's lush, detailed watercolor and pencil art, which literally interprets the story and provides abundant detail. The characters are black, the setting rural, and the themes universal. --Leda Schubert, Vermont Department of Education, Montpelier

Library Uses:
This would be a great story to use for an interactive story time with children. With the illustrations it would be one that a group of children could get really interested in. The reader could stop at certain points and ask the children what they think might happen next. For example, the reader could ask the children: “What do think will happen when she throws the eggs over her shoulder? What will come out of them?” Such things as this could encourage the children to use their imaginations. If there is time after the reading, the children could come up with their own drawings: their own egg designs, or their own crazy animals.