Book Review for WHERE THINGS COME BACK (Genre 6)

**Please note: The following book review has been completed as part of coursework at Texas Woman's University.



1. Bibliography
Whaley, John Corey. 2011. Where Things Come Back. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

2. Plot Summary
The story follows 17-year-old Cullen Witter's summer in small-town Lily, Arkansas.  Cullen and his friend, Lucas, are fed up with the town's fascination of and renewed hope in the supposed return of the thought-to-be-extinct Lazarus woodpecker.  Everything seems to return to Lily even if it tries to escape.  When Cullen's 15-year-old brother goes missing, Cullen is left to examine his life, his town, and his future.    

3. Critical Analysis
The characters are everyday teenagers who struggle with life like all teenagers do.  When Gabriel goes missing, Cullen struggles with how to live life without his brother, and he searches for the meaning of life amidst all the misfortune.  Lucas, too, finds himself with an inner struggle of having to deal with not only the loss of his brother a few years earlier, but the loss of Gabriel as well.  Through their friendship, the boys deal with Gabriel's disappearance and the town's ridiculous excitement of the Lazarus woodpecker while also struggling with teenage issues such as dating and parents.  Likewise, the sometimes crude and obscenity-filled language reflects the way teenagers think and speak.  The plot is highly engaging and contains unexpected twists and turns with the incorporation of a subplot.  The subplot is creatively woven into the text to provide background information for characters who eventually become a part of the main story.  Thankfully, the conclusion leaves the reader feeling content in knowing that things sometimes do come back to us.  The setting is contemporary and timeless with the story having universal themes that could take place anywhere.  Themes such as loss, hope, rebirth, and faith emerge naturally from the story.  Teenaged readers will easily identify with the story's themes and the main character's struggles.  The point of view of the main story is from Cullen's perspective which allows readers to truly understand his challenges as a teenager.  The author's voice is revealed through this perspective and adds a witty quality to the writing.  The people in the story are real, not stereotyped, and have real problems.  Overall, the novel is an excellent model of contemporary realistic fiction.

4. Review Excerpts
2012 Michael L. Printz Award winner
2012 William C. Morris Award winner

Publisher's Weekly, Starred review: “In this darkly humorous debut, Whaley weaves two stories into a taut and well-constructed thriller.”
Kirkus: A “multilayered debut for sophisticated readers. Unexpected, thought-provoking storytelling.”
Booklist: “An intriguing, memorable offering teens will want to discuss.”
School Library Journal: “The characters’ reactions are palpable as their grief deepens and yet they continue to hope for Gabriel’s return. Cullen is an eloquent, thoughtful narrator…the ending is worth the wait.”


5. Connections 
Readers might enjoy reading more excellent young adult literature which have won the Michael L. Printz award:
Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief. ISBN 0375831002

Green, John. Looking for Alaska. ISBN 0142402516

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Speak. ISBN 014131088X



Fans of the novel will be excitedly anticipating Whaley's second novel, Noggin, due out in April 2014. 

Book Review for LUNCH LADY AND THE LEAGUE OF LIBRARIANS (Genre 6)

 

**Please note: The following book review has been completed as part of coursework at Texas Woman's University.

1. Bibliography
Krosoczka, Jarrett J. (2009). Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians. New York: Knopf.

2. Plot Summary
In this episode of Lunch Lady, Hector, Dee, and Terrance uncover a secret plot by the librarians to destroy all video games because they are keeping children from reading.  The League of Librarians ambush the workers who are unloading the X-Station 5000 video games.  They attack the workers with the Book Beasts from well-known novels such as The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and when Lunch Lady and Betty show up, it's a fight between the Book Beasts and Lunch Lady's weapons like the electronic bananarang and smoke can of peas.  Hector, Dee, and Terrance join in to defeat the League of Librarians.  Lunch Lady comes up with a plan to save the Read-a-Thon by telling students they can read while they wait to play the new X-Station 5000.

3. Critical Analysis
Quirky and lovable, Lunch Lady will be an instant favorite heroine.  She and her sidekick Betty are always the good guys, and readers will cheer them to victory.  Lunch Lady is an unassuming superhero, and the humorous plot will keep readers entertained.  Like all fantasy books, this story contains a quest to defeat the villains, the evil League of Librarians.  The setting is in a school, yet the time period could be in any era.  The theme of good versus evil is reflected in the actions of the characters, and through a difficult fight battling the Book Beasts, the good guys come out on top and provide hope to the children who get to read and play the new video game.  The author's humorous, light-hearted style is consistent within the series and will keep readers smiling.     

4. Review Excerpts
Two-time Children's Choice Book Award winner
Will Eisner Comic Industry Award nominee
The Lunch Lady series is currently in development for a feature film

School Library Journal review: "With its appealing mix of action and humor, this clever, entertaining addition to the series should have wide appeal."
Boolist review: "This tongue-in-cheek superheroine graphic novel will hit the spot for chapter-book readers."

5. Connections 
For fun activities to accompany the book, visit the author's site: Lunch Lady Activities
Readers will be interested in reading the entire series of Lunch Lady adventures:
Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute
Lunch Lady and the Author Visit Vendetta
Lunch Lady and the Summer Camp Shakedown
Lunch Lady and the Bake Sale Bandit
Lunch Lady and the Mutant Mathletes
Lunch Lady and the Picture Day Peril

Teachers can access a graphic novel educator's guide for information about how to incorporate graphic novels into lessons: Graphic novel teacher's guide 

If you enjoyed the Lunch Lady series, you might want to check out other award-winning graphic novels such as the Babymouse series or the Squish series, both by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm or the Stone Rabbit series by Erik Craddock.

Book Review for FEATHERS (Genre 6)

Please note: The following book review has been completed as part of coursework for Texas Woman's University.

1. Bibliography
Woodson, Jacqueline. Feathers. New York: G. P. Puntnam's Sons.

2. Plot Summary
In the early 1970s, a new boy arrives at Frannie's school in which all of the students are African-American.  The new boy quickly gains the epithet Jesus Boy and is teased by some of the students for being white, even though he claims he isn't.  Frannie's best friend, Samantha, believes that the new boy really is Jesus, but Frannie thinks that's ridiculous.  Throughout the story, Frannie deals with difficult issues such as her brother's deafness, her mother's previous miscarriages and pending pregnancy, as well as her own issues of faith and hope.

3. Critical Analysis
The character of Frannie goes on an internal journey of trying to discover hope.  The emotional growth she achieves by the end is critical to the novel because Frannie finds hope in everyday occurrences.  The plot is original and intriguing.  Readers will find themselves just as curious about the Jesus Boy as the students at Price.  Although the setting is in the 1970s, the story could happen in any time period because the themes of racism, hope, faith, and bullying occur even today.  Young readers will be able to identify with Frannie's struggles of growing up and trying to understand life.  Through Frannie's thoughts and dialogue, the reader can understand why she has little hope in her mother's current pregnancy since she's already lost two other babies.  But in the end, Frannie's discovery of hope is subtle and emerges naturally from the story.  The dialogue of the characters is believable for their young age and time period.  The author has struck just the right balance between dialogue and narration, and the first person point-of-view from Frannie's perspective allows readers to see into her mind.  The main character is female and is balanced by a sensitive male character, Jesus Boy.  The culture of the time is evident through the children's resentment of Jesus Boy for being white, not black like the rest of them.  Overall, Feathers is an engaging story that presents real people with real problems that transcend time.

4. Review Excerpts
Newbery Honor Book-2008
Oprah's Book Club Kids Reading List selection 

Publishers Weekly, Starred review: "Woodson’s novel skillfully weaves in the music and events surrounding the rising opposition to the Vietnam War, giving this timeless story depth.  She raises important questions about God, racial segregation and issues surrounding the hearing-impaired with a light and thoughtful touch."
School Library Journal, Starred review: "he story ends with hope and thoughtfulness while speaking to those adolescents who struggle with race, faith, and prejudice."

5. Connections 
Teachers might wish to pair this book with picture books about hope to introduce the theme.
Foreman, Michael. A Child's Garden: A Story of Hope. ISBN 9780763642716
Graham, Bob. Spirit of Hope. ISBN 1572552026
Olmos, Gabriela. I Dreamt: A Book About Hope. ISBN 9781554983308

Readers might also like to read more of Jacqueline Woodson's work for an author study.
Woodson, Jacqueline. Each Kindness. ISBN 0399246525
Woodson, Jacqueline. After Tupac and D Foster. ISBN 0142413992
Woodson, Jacqueline. Hush. ISBN 0142415510
 

Book Review for UNDER THE BLOOD-RED SUN (Genre 5)

 

**Please note: The following review has been completed as part of coursework for Texas Woman's University.

1. Bibliography
Salisbury, Graham. 1994. Under the Blood-Red Sun. New York: Delacorte Press.

2. Plot Summary
In 1941, Tomi's Japanese-American family is living in Hawaii.  In December, they watch in horror as Japan bombs Pearl Harbor.  Tomi's father is captured and imprisoned in a camp with other Japanese, and Tomi and his mother are left to deal with the hatred of Americans who believe that they are the enemy.  When Tomi's grandfather is also taken, Tomi is the only male left in the household, and he relies on the lessons he's learned from his Papa and Grampa over the years as well as his family's ancestry to give him strength.       

3. Critical Analysis
The main character of the story, Tomikazu Nakaji, is a typical 8th grader in 1941.  He loves to play baseball with his best friend, Billy, a haole or white boy, and other friends Rico and Mose.  He is bulled by Keet Wilson, a boy who doesn't like Tomi because of his ethnicity.  Tomi speaks fluent English probably since he has done all of his schooling in Hawaii, yet his parents and grandfather's English is a little broken which is to be expected since they were raised in Japan and came to America as adults, probably learning English at a much later age in life.  This dialogue reflects the author's style and effort to keep the narration authentic.  The plot of the story is unique in that readers get the perspective of the bombing of Pearl Harbor from someone living on the island who is also Japanese.  There is definite suspicion of Tomi's family by some white Americans who believe that the family is the enemy, and they endure hatred and racism that is harsh yet realistic of the time period.  The plot is realistic to the time period because it is believable that a young boy like Tomi would be left to be the "man of the house" when both his father and grandfather are taken to Japanese prison camps.  Another aspect of the story which is realistic is the emphasis on family pride which Papa and Grampa impress upon Tomi throughout the novel.  The Japanese culture values family pride and "saving face" even in the midst of cruelty.  For instance, when Keet Wilson is letting Papa's pigeons escape, Tomi hears his father's voice in his head reminding him not to cause trouble and bring shame to the family.  The setting is an integral part of the story because it allows for readers to see the lives of a Japanese family in Hawaii during this time period.  The details of the bombing of Pearl Harbor by Japanese planes from the eyes of a Japanese-American boy shows the confusion that many must have been feeling at the time.  There are several themes presented in this story.  The idea of family tradition is woven through the relationships and teachings that Tomi receives from Papa and Grampa.  Also, through Tomi's friendship with Billy, readers see compassion and acceptance.  Finally, while the details of the narrative are authentic, the author does not include a bibliography or reference websites.  He does include an epilogue which briefly discusses the outcomes of the Japanese internment camps.  This story includes a nice balance between fact and fiction, yet additional resources for further study would be helpful.

4. Review Excerpts
1994 Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction
Library of Congress 1995 Notable Children’s Books of the Year
1994 Booklist Editor’s Choice
1994 Notable Children’s Book of the Year, American Library Association

Review from School Library Journal--"Character development of major figures is good, the setting is warmly realized, and the pace of the story moves gently though inexorably forward."


What readers are saying about Under the Blood-Red Sun:

"The imagery Graham Salisbury used throughout the book was so vivid that I often felt like I was standing right in the midst of their hardships and survival that was both psychological and physical"--Darcy, Goodreads, June 9, 2012

"If only all students could have fiction blended with their semi-non-fiction text books. This book grew on me within pages and I found myself savoring it."--Heather Pola, Goodreads, November 3, 2012

5. Connections 
Readers who love World War II history will enjoy this novel.  Other young adult novels about the war include:

Denenberg, Barry. Early Morning Sunday: the Pearl Harbor Diary of Amber Billows. ISBN 0439328748
Mazer, Harry. A Boy No More. ISBN 0689855338
Tarshis, Lauren. I Survived the Bombing of Pearl Harbor. ISBN 9780545206983

Teachers might wish to introduce the book using historical picture books about Japanese internment camps.  Some great choices are:
Mochizuki, Ken. Baseball Saved Us. Illustrated by Dom Lee.  ISBN 1880000199
Uchida, Yoshiko. The Bracelet. ISBN 069811390X
Bunting, Eve. So Far from the Sea. Illustrated by Christ K. Soentpiet. ISBN 0547237529

Tomi finds himself in conflicts between others who discriminate against him because he is Japanese.  The following is a study guide for conflict resolution to accompany the novel: Conflict resolution study guide

Book Review for TURTLE IN PARADISE (Genre 5)

 

**Please note: The following book review has been completed as part of coursework at Texas Woman's University.

1. Bibliography
Holm, Jennifer L. 2010. Turtle in Paradise. New York: Random House. ISBN 9780375836886 

2. Plot Summary
At the height of the Great Depression in 1935, eleven-year-old Turtle has been shipped off to live with her aunt and cousins in Key West, Florida, while her mother, the dreamer, takes a job as a housekeeper for a lady who doesn't like kids.  Turtle spends the days with her Conch cousins who are part of a group called the Diaper Gang who run a baby-sitting business.  When Turtle discovers a treasure map and gold coin, the group goes in search of the buried treasure but gets stranded when their boat is taken and trapped in a shack overnight while riding out a hurricane.  When Turtle's mother shows up in Key West with her fiancee, Archie, Turtle believes that Hollywood endings might actually be real, but when Archie makes a quick getaway, Turtle and her mama are left to begin their new life in Key West surrounded by the ones who truly love them.

3. Critical Analysis
The characters are typical Conch children of Key West, roaming the city without any shoes.  They care little for money and work for candy and have given each other witty nicknames, such as Beans and Too Bad, a tradition in Key West.  The difficulty of the Great Depression is revealed through Turtle's Mama's struggle to find decent work as well as the emphasis on the scarcity of food and material things.  The author subtly introduces a character named Papa, and readers who are familiar with Ernest Hemingway will identify this character as the great Key West resident and famous writer.  Readers not familiar with the Conch people or the Great Depression might struggle to understand the historical parts of this novel, but the author's note at the back as well as reference websites will give the reader opportunities to learn more about the Conch people and this time in American history.  The author incorporates other historical figures and events of the time such as Shirley Temple, Amelia Earhart, and the Labor Day Hurricane.  Likewise, Turtle's continued references to comic strips such as Little Orphan Annie and Terry and the Pirates help readers place the story in its proper time period.  Plot events are realistic to the time period.  For instance, according to the author's note, a popular past time in the Keys is searching for pirate booty.  Likewise, many families during this time in history were separated by parents searching for work while children lived with relatives.  The universal theme of the importance of family is revealed in the resolution.  Turtle's mother, estranged from her own mother, has always been searching for true love, yet she doesn't find it until she finally goes home to Key West.  Overall, the author has created a fictional, yet historical novel based on her own grandmother's life growing up in a Conch family in Key West.  The story is entertaining and believable because of how the author beautifully blends fact with fiction.    

4. Review Excerpts
2011 Newbery Honor book
ALA Notable book
Booklist Editor's Choice
A Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Book of 2010
New York Times Bestseller

-Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review: "Sweet, funny and superb."

-Booklist, Starred Review: "Turtle is just the right mixture of knowingness and hope; the plot is a hilarious blend of family dramas seasoned with a dollop of adventure."

5.  Connections 
Readers might want to learn more about the Great Depression after reading this book.  The following books are excellent resources for children:
Friedrich, Elizabeth. Leah's Pony. Illustrated by Michael Garland.  ISBN 1563978288
Freedman, Russell. Children of the Great Depression. ISBN 0547480350
Hopkinson, Deborah. Saving Strawberry Farm. ISBN 0688174000
Older readers will enjoy another classic historical fiction novel Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis (ISBN 0553494104) or Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse (ISBN 0590371258) which deals also with the Dust Bowl.

Readers might enjoy learning more about historical figures from the book such as Shirley Temple and Ernest Hemingway.  Click here to find more research links that relate to the novel.

This website takes readers on a walking tour of Key West through pictures of places found in the novel. Walking Tour of Key West 

Book Review for DEAD END IN NORVELT (Genre 5)

**Please note: The following book review has been created as part of coursework at Texas Woman's University.

1. Bibliography
Gantos, Jack. 2011. Dead End in Norvelt. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux. ISBN 9781250010230

2. Plot summary
It's 1962 in Norvelt, Pennsylvania, a New Deal homestead community established in the 1930s by its namesake, EleNOR RooseVELT.  Jack is a young boy who is looking forward to his summer vacation but finds himself grounded for the summer when he accidentally shoots off his father's Japanese rifle and mows down his mother's corn crops.  When his mother volunteers him to help out old Miss Volker, he finds himself writing obituaries for the townspeople who are mysteriously dropping like flies.  A history buff himself, Jack enjoys Miss Volker's retelling of history when she dictates the lives of the Norvelt deceased.  But when Miss Volker gets arrested for murder, Jack has some mysteries to solve, and his summer turns out to be much more exciting than he had anticipated. 


3.  Critical analysis
The main character of the novel, Jack, is a typical twelve-year-old boy who resembles many young teenagers today with his love of baseball and occasional mishaps.  His mom is a housewife, typical of the time period, who grew up in the house in which she now lives with her own family, but Jack's dad has an urge to leave Norvelt which he calls a dying Commie town.  His plans to build a bomb shelter highlight the fears about the Russians that many Americans had at this time in history.  The setting of the book is clearly representative of the time period with drive-in movie theaters and bomb shelters.  Norvelt is a small town in the 1960s, and the author creates a very laid back, community feeling.  Through the relationships among the townspeople, it is evident that everyone knows each other.  The author uses Jack's love of history to incorporate more historical elements to this work of fiction.  For instance, Jack has a Landmark history series about famous explorers, and through the first person point-of-view of the novel, he teaches readers about Pizarro's conquest of the Inca civilization in 1532.  Additionally, Jack helps Miss Volker write the obituaries of Norvelt residents when they die, and Miss Volker always adds a little bit of history at the end of each obit.  For example, when Mrs. Dubicki, dies on July 4, she writes about how John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826 and launches into a history lesson about the Declaration of Independence.  Finally, the newspaper column, "This Day in History," which Jack reads daily, gives readers more history lessons.  Unfortunately, the author does not provide a bibliography or website references for further study of Norvelt or the homestead communities.  Readers may search on their own, but additional resources would be helpful, especially for students.  One thematic idea presented in this novel is the importance of remembering the past which is reinforced through the historical references sprinkled throughout the book.  Another thematic idea of family and community is revealed through the relationships among Jack and his parents and the other residents of Norvelt.  The author's style transports the reader back to 1962 and into Jack's world.  The historical facts are accurate and are balanced with elements of fiction to create a seamless story which vividly depicts post-WWII, small town America. 

4. Review excerpts
2012 Newbery Medal Winner
2012 Scott O'Dell Award for historical fiction
ALA Notable Children's Book
ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults

-Horn Book, Starred review: “There’s more than laugh-out-loud gothic comedy here. This is a richly layered semi-autobiographical tale, an ode to a time and place, to history and the power of reading.”

 -Kirkus, Starred review: "Characteristically provocative gothic comedy, with sublime undertones."
-Publishers Weekly, Starred review: “A bit of autobiography works its way into all of Gantos’s work, but he one-ups himself in this wildly entertaining meld of truth and fiction by naming the main character . . . Jackie Gantos.”
-School Library Journal: “A fast-paced and witty read.”
-“Nobody can tell a story like Jack Gantos can. And this is a story like no other. It’s funny. It’s thoughtful. It’s history. It’s weird. But you don’t need me to attempt to describe it. Get in there and start reading Gantos.” —Jon Scieszka


5. Connections 
This book would make a great novel study for an upper elementary or lower middle school class.  It can easily be tied into a social studies unit of study about Eleanor Roosevelt and the New Deal Homestead communities of the 1930s.

Teachers and librarians will find the Dead End in Norvelt guide helpful for in-class or cross-curricular studies: Teacher's Guide

Click here learn more about Jack Gantos and Dead End in Norvelt.

Readers will look forward to the follow-up book From Norvelt to Nowhere which is coming soon!  

Also, readers should explore some of Gantos's work in the Joey Pigza series such as Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key (ISBN 0312623550) and the award-winning sequel, Joey Pigza Loses Control (ISBN 9780312661014).

Younger readers would enjoy the Rotten Ralph Rotten Reader series and the Rotten Ralph picture book series.  Older readers can enjoy Gantos's novel Hole in My Life (ISBN 9780312641573) which received the Michael L. Printz Honor and Robert F. Sibert Honor.

Book Review of AN AMERICAN PLAGUE by Jim Murphy (Genre 4)

   

**Please note: The following review has been completed as part of coursework for Texas Woman's University.


1. Bibliography
Murphy, Jim. 2003. An American Plague. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 0395776082

2. Plot Summary
An American Plague takes readers back to Philadelphia in 1793.  Yellow fever is slowly making its way through the population, and medical doctors don't know how to contain it.  This fascinating informational book shows readers what it's like to live in a city ravished by a deadly killer.  Readers learn about the state of medicine at this time in American history as well as treatments that doctors used to attempt to cure people stricken with the disease.  Murphy concludes the book with a discussion of how doctors uncovered the cause of yellow fever and the steps that countries have taken to prevent it from spreading again.


3. Critical Analysis
As an author of over 30 books about American history whose works have received countless awards, Jim Murphy is a well-respected nonfiction writer.  In preparation for writing An American Plague, he consulted many primary and secondary sources such as firsthand accounts from both medical and non-medical sources, fiction and nonfiction books about the yellow fever, books about "doctoring in the old days," and other research topics necessary for the writing of this book.  All sources are thoroughly documented within the text and at the end of the book in an annotated bibliography.  Additionally, drawings pertinent to people and places at the time and clippings from newspapers and books are found throughout the text with appropriate documentation to give the reader further insight into life in Philadelphia during the outbreak of yellow fever.  The book is organized into 11 chapters with a table of contents at the front and sources, acknowledgments, and index in the back, all of which help the reader find quick reference to parts of the book.  Murphy's writing style is engaging, and readers will find themselves amazed at how doctors of the day knew very little about the human body.  The vocabulary is appropriate for young adult readers, and readers of all ages will be captivated by Murphy's story-like writing style.  While this book is filled with facts, adult readers will find that it is much different than the boring nonfiction books from their childhood days.  This informational book is literary nonfiction at its best. 

4. Review Excerpts
2004 ALA. Newbery Honor Book Award
2004 ALA. Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award
National Book Award Finalist Medal
NCTE Orbis Pictus Award
An ALA Notable Children’s Book
A YALSA Best Book for Young Adults
A SLJ Best Book of the Year

*Kirkus, Starred review: "A mesmerizing, macabre account that will make readers happy they live in the 21st century. Powerful, evocative prose carries the compelling subject matter. Stellar."

*School Library Journal, Starred review: "Murphy chronicles this frightening time with solid research and a flair for weaving facts into fascinating stories."

*The Washington Post: "Nobody does juvenile nonfiction better than Murphy." 

5. Connections 
This book would be a great selection for class literature circles at the middle school level.  Teachers could use books about other health epidemics and disasters in America and around the world and divide the class into reading groups.  Book selections could include the following:
Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. Black Potatoes: The Story of the Great Irish Famine, 1845-1850. ISBN 0618548831
Murphy, Jim. The Great Fire. ISBN 0590472674
Murphy, Jim. Blizzard!: The Storm that Changed America. ISBN 0590673106

Teachers will find activities at Scholastic for using An American Plague in their classroom.  Visit the following website for activities: Classroom Activities

After reading An American Plague, consider reading a historical fiction novel such as Fever, 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson (ISBN 0689848919) or Graveyard Girl by Anna Meyers (ISBN 0802782604).