Module 15: Go Ask Alice

 Book Summary: This is the fabricated diary of a teenage girl that documents her descent into drug use and promiscuity in the 1970's. It starts by her trying drugs unwittingly and she becomes quickly hooked. She delves further and further into substance abuse as she continues to try different drugs. She ends up running away from home, dealing, and exchanging sexual favors to support her habit. Although she consistently cinders getting back on the straight and narrow path and seems to show some improvement, she eventually dies of an overdose.

APA Reference of Book:Sparks, B. (1971). Go ask Alice. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall.

Impressions: Although I hate to admit it, I truly disliked this book. While I'm sure that teenagers still go through similar situations, I felt that the book was too heavy handed. At the time of publication, this book was touted as a real diary of a teenager being published anonymously. Since then, it has been speculated that it was actually written as a cautionary tale by Beatrice Sparks who published several other similar "diaries". The reason I dislike this book so much was because the girl in the story just seemed incredibly stupid. She always seems to have the desire to turn her life around but does almost nothing to accomplish that. Although I'm sure this book was shocking when it first came out, nowadays it seems dated and unrealistic. I can't believe that a teenager with so many issues managed to keep up with a perfectly composed diary for such a long period of time and was able to easily remember and describe all of her experiences. Personally, I think there are better books on there on this topic that would be more relevant to current teens.
 
Professional Review: (Ages 12 and up) ... ''Go Ask Alice,'' was published in 1971 as a ''real diary'' about a good girl who is turned on to drugs by friends, runs away, trades sex for fixes and dies. It is said to have sold more than four million copies. Linda Glovach, since exposed as one of the ''preparers'' -- let's call them forgers -- of ''Go Ask Alice,'' has just written ''Beauty Queen,'' about a girl who flees her alcoholic mother, becomes a stripper and dies of heroin addiction. And Melvin Burgess's ''Smack,'' published in England as ''Junk,'' portrays a boy who flees his alcoholic parents, sees his girlfriend turn to prostitution and becomes a heroin addict.

''Go Ask Alice'' is the most palatable, because, while it is poorly written and incredible, at least it is not derivative. The book's writers, who also include the author and physician Beatrice Sparks, have a tin ear for adolescent dialogue and a bad habit of driving home political points by poking fun at their characters. On July 9, the normal child Alice goes on her first acid trip. By Sept. 6, she is complaining, ''I'm getting so that no matter what I do I can't please the Establishment.'' By December, matters are grimmer: ''I can't believe that soon it will have to be mother against daughter and father against son to make the new world.'' Steal this book, she almost begs.
Read more than a quarter-century later, the Vietnam-era themes seem quaint, and they are laughably written. The ''Alice'' writers, or editors, were delivering a cautionary tale: Fall in with the wrong crowd and you will do drugs, turn against America and dishonor your parents. Assuming the voice of a 15-year-old was a rhetorical necessity, for teen-agers are not overwhelmed with respect for their elders' advice.

But such a narrative leap requires talent, strong talent. Some adults can write first-person adolescents well (of current writers, Tom Perrotta and Ron Carlson come to mind), but most will overreach with their lingo, write with too much sophistication or too little, or fall into anachronism. Yet the ''Alice'' writers faced a real problem, one that Glovach and Burgess should be respected for tackling. How can one write for young people about horrible things? For lesser writers, that is where the formula enters. The young people must not choose drugs -- drugs must befall them. ... I do not think children should read about heroin addiction. But if they must, it is a moral concern that the book be well written. A good war movie makes you despise war, a terrible one makes you grin, but a mediocre one might send you to the recruiting office. Producing literature that keeps children from shooting up is possible only if the writing is fresh and skillful, never trite. These three failed attempts may not send children down the road to addiction, but they won't have them wearing the path back to the library, either.
  Oppenheimer, M. (1998, November 15). Just say ‘uh-oh’. [Review of the book Go ask Alice,
      by Anonymous]. The New York Times 7(2), 36. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com.


Library Uses: Although this book could be used for a teen discussion about drug abuse, I think that there is a possibility of teens rolling their eyes at this book. Perhaps the best discussion might be how the culture of drugs has changed since this books publication and the effect that has on teens. For example, your average highs school student most likely has never been slipped acid like in the book, but they are probably all familiar with someone who smokes marijuana.

Module 14: What My Mother Doesn't Know

Book Summary: This is the coming of age story of boy-crazy Sophie as she deals with fall in love, getting her period, developing, and learning about life.

APA Reference of Book:Sones, S. (2001). What my mother doesn't know. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. 

Impressions: I can't say that I really enjoyed this book. I felt like a very thin storyline was hidden by the verse style writing. I understood that Sones was trying to write like a teenager but the language came off as very artificial and annoying at times. Even though she was dealing with real teenage issues I never really felt any strong emotion from the writing. Perhaps I wasn't nearly as much of a giggling mess at fifteen, but Sophie just seemed immature to me.With that being said, I do think that the storyline of meeting someone online and finding out they're not all you originally believed is incredibly relevant to our times, especially for teens.
 
Professional Review: This year’s umpteenth novel in verse begs the question, if the narrative were told in conventional prose, would it be worth reading? The answer in this instance is, maybe not, as it does little more than chronicle one ninth-grade girl’s progression through boyfriends until she arrives at last at an unlikely Mr. Right. Laid out in a series of mostly free-verse poems, however, the text gets at the emotional state of this girl so completely and with such intensity that a conventional narrative framework would simply dilute the effect. Sophie’s romantic travails take her from sexy Dylan (“ . . . when he kisses me / all I feel is / the overwhelming / overness of it”) through cyberdude Chaz (“If I could marry a font / I would definitely marry his”) and friend-from-preschool Zak (“I hope I didn’t embarrass him / when I laughed. / It’s just that I thought he was kidding”) to class dork Murphy (“I mean, / we’re talking about Murphy here. / He’s not exactly boyfriend material. / Is he?”). Along the way she must contend with casual anti-Semitism, her parents’ failing marriage, and her mother’s depression, but she is also bolstered by her friendship with Rachel and Grace. The verse format allows Sophie to interrogate and explore her feelings and relationships with quintessentially teenage ferocity: “I guess it wasn’t how [his eyes] looked / that got to me. / It was how it felt / when they connected with mine— / like this door / was opening up inside of me / that had never been opened before, / and his soul was walking right in.” If the threads involving Sophie’s parents are left hanging somewhat, readers will forgive this oversight. Romantic and sexy, with a happy ending that leaves Sophie together with Mr. Right, Sones (Stop Pretending: What Happened when My Big Sister Went Crazy, 1999) has crafted a verse experience that will leave teenage readers sighing with recognition and satisfaction. (Fiction/poetry. YA)

 (2001).  What my mother doesn't know  [Review of the book What my mother doesn't know by S. Sones].  Kirkus Reviews 62(3), 272.  Retrieved from www.kirkusreviews.com

Library Uses: This book could be included in a display highlighting banned books week since it has been banned due to some of the sexual content.

Module 13: Carnival at Candlelight

Book Summary: Annie and Jack are yet again called on by Merlin, through is helpers Teddy and Kathleen, to go on a mission. This time they are going to Venice to save the city from a terrible flood. Armed with their research guide and a book of magic rhymes, they arrive in historic Venice during the carnival. They must solve the clues before time runs out to save the beautiful city.

APA Reference of Book: Osborne, M. P. (2005). Carnival at Candlelight. New York: Random House.

Impressions: This was a cute story that included a lot of information about the city of Venice as well as famous artists and different mythology. I think that this book has enough action to keep young readers interested without getting confused. However, readers over the age of eight or nine might be a little bored with the simplified story telling and plot. To an older reader, Jack and Annie really have to do very little to save Venice. They walk around the city a bit and have some mishaps, but once they solve the riddle and get to the lion it is just a matter of flying out to ask Neptune to stop the storm. I also couldn't help but be amused that everyone Jack and Annie encountered, whether it be Venetians or Roman gods or living statuary, spoke English and were totally able to help. With that being said, I don't think that type of detail will be of any matter to a young reader who is more likely to be caught up int eh action, magic, and mystery. 
 
Professional Review: “Characterization is sketchy and older children will find the plot predictable, but readers just past the easy-to-read stage will find it satisfying. It should attract those who devour Ruth Chew’s books”.

Sherman, L. L. (1992). Review: Magic Tree House. School Library Journal. 38(9), p. 70. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/

Library Uses: I think that the entire Magic Treehouse series has multiple uses since they span so many topics. Because of that, you can attract a lot of different readers with varying interests or tie the books into different programs according to theme. Personally, I would like to make some sort of treehouse style display to show off the our library's collection and get more people interested in the story. I know I find myself recommending these books to parents and children alike because of the educational value that can be gleaned from them.

Module 12: Me Jane

Book Summary: This book tells the story of a young Jane Goodall and her stuffed chimpanzee, Jubilee. Jane enjoys play with Jubilee and exploring the outdoors. She finds a fascination with the natural world and dreams of one day getting to study chimpanzees in the wild.

APA Reference of Book:McDonnell, P. (2011). Me... Jane. New York: Little, Brown. 

Impressions: I very much enjoyed this book. The text is very simple and the drawings are beautiful. It is easy enough for young children to understand but still enjoyable for adults who will appreciate the art. I particularly liked the style of the book. It is laid out with the illustration on one side with smudged looking edges and the text on the other. The text pages have lightly drawn images decorating them that are very pretty. It makes the whole thing look more like a scrapbook of Jane's childhood.
 
Professional Review:
Little Jane loves her stuffed animal, a chimpanzee named Jubilee, and carries him everywhere she goes. Mainly, they go outdoors, where they watch birds building their nests and squirrels chasing each other. Jane reads about animals in books and keeps a notebook of sketches, information, and puzzles. Feeling her kinship with all of nature, she often climbs her favorite tree and reads about another Jane, Tarzan’s Jane. She dreams that one day she, too, will live in the African jungle and help the animals. And one day, she does. With the story’s last page turn, the illustrations change from ink-and-watercolor scenes of Jane as a child, toting Jubilee, to a color photo of Jane Goodall as a young woman in Africa, extending her hand to a chimpanzee. Quietly told and expressively illustrated, the story of the child as a budding naturalist is charming on its own, but the photo on the last page opens it up through a well-chosen image that illuminates the connections between childhood dreams and adult reality. On two appended pages, “About Jane Goodall” describes her work, while “A Message from Jane” invites others to get involved. This remarkable picture book is one of the few that speaks, in a meaningful way, to all ages.
— Carolyn Phelan

 Phelan, C. (2011).  Me Jane  [Review of the book Me Jane? by P. McDonnell].  Booklist.  Retrieved from www.booklistonline.com




Library Uses: This would be nice to use along with programming about ecology, monkeys, or about Goodall herself to help children become more familiar with preservation and research efforts and how they might get involved.

Module 11: What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?

Book Summary:This book shows how a variety of animals use their eyes, ears, noses, tails, and feet and provides information on each type of animal.


APA Reference of Book:Jenkins, S., & Page, R. (2003). What do you do with a tail like this?. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Impressions:This book is a very interesting way to present educational information to children so that is is fun. I enjoyed looking at all the body parts and guessing who they belonged to. While some were easy, I even learned a few things from the book. I did not recognize the mole's nose and I had no idea that a cricket hears with its knees. The illustrations are creative yet still realistic. I also liked that there is further information on each animal at the back of the book. I think this would be especially useful to teachers.
 
Professional Review:Not only does Jenkins again display a genius for creating paper-collage wildlife portraits with astonishingly realistic skin, fur and feathers, but here on alternate spreads he zooms in for equally lifelike close-ups of ears, eyes, noses, mouths, feet and tails.  Visual surprises abound.  Capped by a systematic appendix furnishing more, and often arresting details–this array of wide eyes and open mouths will definitely have viewers responding with wide eyes and open mouths of their own.

(2003).  What do you do with a tail like this?  [Review of the book What do you do with a tail like this? by S. Jenkins].  Kirkus Reviews 71(2), 142.  Retrieved from www.kirkusreviews.com

Library Uses: I saw a sample activity where you read the book and then have children create an animal that is a combination of many different body parts. Such as something with rabbit ears, a monkey tail, mole nose, and then they have to explain where their imaginary animals lives and how each of these parts help it to get by.

Module 10: Pink and Say

Book Summary: During the Civil War, an injured white soldier, Say, is rescued by a black union soldier, Pink. He takes Say home to his mother's house to recover from his wound. While they are there, they form a friendship. when the pair decides to return to their respective units, they are taken as prisoners of war and sent to Andersonville prison by confederate marauders.

APA Reference of Book:Polacco, P. (1994). Pink and Say. New York: Philomel Books.

Impressions: Although this is a picture book, the content is more advanced that the average picture book. The writing is very rich and gives a great sense of the dialect of the men. The book is soaked in history and gives a nice feel for the time period and the war without overloading the reader. The story is very touching and is made even more so when you learn that is is based of of the experience of Polacco's ancestor who fought in the war.
 
Professional Review: Gr 4 Up-This picture book set during the Civil War is a departure for Polacco in terms of content and audience. It is certainly the deepest and most serious book she has done. Sheldon Curtis, 15, a white boy, lies badly wounded in a field in Georgia when Pinkus Aylee, an African American Union soldier about Sheldon's age, finds him and carries him home to his mother, Moe Moe Bay. Sheldon, known as Say, is nursed back to health in her nurturing care. But then she is killed by marauders, and the boys return to their units. They are then are captured and taken to Andersonville, where Pink is hanged within hours of their capture. One of the most touching moments is when Pink reads aloud from the Bible to Moe Moe and Say. Say tells them that he can't read, but then he offers something he's very proud of: he once shook Abraham Lincoln's hand. This is a central image in the story, and is what ties the boys together for a final time, as Pink cries, "`Let me touch the hand that touched Mr. Lincoln, Say, just one last time.'" The picture of their clasped hands, with the hands of the soldiers wrenching them apart, is exceptionally moving. Polacco's artwork, in fact, has never been better. She uses dramatic perspectives, dynamic compositions, and faces full of emotion to carry her powerful tale. History comes to life in this remarkable book.-Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL

Persson, L. (1994, October). [Review of the book Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco]. School Library Journal via Titlewave. Retrieved by http://titlewave.com/search?SID=81c425509376dc539b5dcf4c454190aa

Library Uses: This would work well for older students as a part of a Civil War unit or program. The story mentions several pieces of history that could be explored further such as Andersonville and marauders. You could also tie it in with Black History Month and have the children learn more about black soldiers during the Civil War. For children who are old enough, it could be tied to the movies Andersonville or Glory.

Module 9: Where's the Big Bad Wolf

 Book Summary: Detective Doggedly is always trying to catch the Big Bad Wolf in the act of terrorizing the three little pigs. When the wolf is in the hospital with the flu, there is still someone huffing and puffing at the pig's house. There is also a new sheep in town giving the pigs some bad advice about how to build their homes. Finally, Doggedly figures out it is just the wolf in sheep's clothing causing problems.

APA Reference of Book:Christelow, E. (2002). Where's the big bad wolf?. New York: Clarion Books.

Impressions: I really liked the language of this book, it had a lot of personality which made this a fun read. As an adult, I was easily able to recognize the wolf in sheep's clothing so there wasn't much mystery but children would most likely enjoy it more. I didn't really like that the illustrations were done with dialogue bubbles in them. I kept jumping back and forth between the text and the the speech bubbles thinking it would provide additional information, but as far as I could tell, it did not. I understood why the illustrator had done it but I would have preferred either text or dialogue bubbles, not both.

 
Professional Review:

Three little pigs get some real bad advice from a wolf in a real goofy sheep disguise in this comical whodunit. The three little pigs are having their homes blown down—and escaping by the hair of their chinny-chin-chins—and Detective Doggedly believes it might be the work of the shiftless, no-account neighborhood wolf, the infamous BBW. But the only character found at the crime scenes is a newcomer to town: Esmeralda the sheep. Sure, kids will note, Esmeralda their foot, for her disguise is pretty transparent. She has also been giving the pigs construction ideas: straw is good, twigs are good, and cardboard’s not bad. Two cows suggest a brick house, which foils the wolf and ends in his unveiling and incarceration. Short-term incarceration, that is, as he’s soon back, this time tricked out as a horse, with more self-serving recommendations: “Pick peas after midnight, when everybody is asleep. They’ll taste sweeter.” So what if there are a few inexplicables here—How did the wolf con his way into that hospital bed?—this is good clownish fun, and the rough-and-tumble art keeps the farce bubbling. (Picture book. 4-7)

[Review of the book Where’s the big bad wolf? by E. Christelow]. (2002, July 15). Kirkus Reviews, 70(14), 1028. Retrieved from http://www.kirkusreviews.com

Library Uses: This would be used for an early childhood mystery program where the children have to come and solve a mystery or scavenger hunt that solves the mystery.

Module 8: Hunger Games

Book Summary:North America is gone and in it's place lies the nation of Panem, twelve outlying districts controlled by the Capitol. The Capitol keeps the districts oppressed each year by forcing them all to send two teens between the ages of twelve and eighteen to fight to the death in the Hunger Games. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen volunteers to compete in order to save her younger sister, Prim, from this fate. Her skill with a bow and arrow and alliances with other tributes could make her the winner.

APA Reference of Book:Collins, S. (2008). The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic Press.

Impressions: I didn't love Hunger Games as much as many people did. I thought the book was entertaining but I actually expected more shock value. I thought that the way that most of the deaths were handled made them very anonymous and thus it didn't really affect me. It was scenes of Katniss looking for water and sleeping in trees and then "Oh 10 people died today". I know some people felt that the victims being faceless made it even more tragic, but it did not strike me that way. However, I do find this to totally be worth reading and, as a whole, the trilogy is very strong. In my opinion, Catching Fire was a stronger book because you developed more of a relationship with the characters. Also, for as much as the love triangle from these books is discussed, its barely present in Hunger Games. Gale is no where around for 95% of the book and, although Katniss interacts with Peeta, it is all very forced. Their relationship builds much more genuinely in book two.
 

Professional Review: Gr 7 Up-- In a not-too-distant future, the United States of America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war, to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 12 districts. Each year, two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal intimidation of the subjugated districts, the televised games are broadcasted throughout Panem as the 14 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors, literally, with all citizens required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss's young sister, Prim, is selected as the mining district's female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart, Peeta, the son of the town baker who seems to have all the fighting skills of a lump of bread dough, will be pitted against bigger, stronger representatives who have trained for this their whole lives. Collins's characters are completely realistic and sympathetic as they form alliances and friendships in the face of overwhelming odds; the plot is tense, dramatic, and engrossing. This book will definitely resonate with the generation raised on reality shows like "Survivor" and "American Gladiator." Book one of a planned trilogy.

Baird, J. (2008). The hunger games. School Library Journal, 54(9), 176-177. 

Library Uses:I think this book is engaging enough that it could be used to help encourage reluctant teen readers to get interested in other books. Specifically, some of the other YA dyspotian novels like Divergent and Insurgent. Teens who like Hunger Games might also like Graceling.

Module 7: Ivy + Bean

 Book Summary: In spite of their mother's urgings, Ivy and Bean had no plans to become friends: they were just too different. However, when bean needs help hiding from her big sister, Ivy steps in. The duo sets off on an adventure to cast a spell on Bean's sister and forges a friendship along the way.

APA Reference of Book:Barrows, A., & Blackall, S. (2006). Ivy + Bean. San Francisco, Calif.: Chronicle Books.

Impressions: This is an adorable with a charming story and quirky drawings that is perfect for young and reluctant readers. The illustrations do a nice job of aiding in the story telling so that children who might struggle with the text can look to them for clarification. I very much enjoyed reading this book and I would definitely recommend it for young girls, especially since it is a series. I would easily draw the reader in and make them want to continue reading the next book.
 
Professional Review:  Seven-year-old Bean likes stomping in puddles, climbing fences into neighbors' backyards, and playing tricks on her older sister, Nancy. She wears dresses as seldom as possible and avoids big books. Her new neighbor appears to be a quiet, orderly girl who sits on her front step day after day reading tomes. The two seem to have nothing in common, and Bean is not interested in getting to know Ivy, despite her mother's prodding to make friends with the nice girl next door. Then Bean gets into trouble, and Ivy helps her out. She discovers that Ivy is practicing to be a witch, and when they decide to cast a spell on Nancy, their friendship is sealed. With echoes of Beverly Cleary's "Ramona" series, this easy chapter book will appeal to children who are graduating from beginning readers. The occasional black-and-white illustrations highlight the text and provide visual clues. The characters are appealing, the friendship is well portrayed, and the pranks and adventures are very much on grade level.

Stone, E. (2006). [Review of the book Ivy and Bean, by A. Barrows and S. Blackall]. School Library Journal, 52(7), 68. Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/

Library Uses: I think this would be the perfect book to recommend for first or second graders who are not yet interested in reading. it would probably work well for a book talk at a school setting or for children who have come into the library looking for suggestions.

Module 7: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

 Book Summary: Four best friends are about to be separated for the summer when they find a pair of magical jeans that fit all of them - even though they are all different sizes. Sending the pants back and forths connects the four girls during their time apart as they each experience life changing events. Lena travels to Greece to spend time with her grandparents and falls in love. Bridget goes to soccer camp and gets involved with her older coach. Carmen, expecting to have the summer alone with her Dad, finds him distracted by his new fiancee and family. Tibby is stuck at home working and working on a film making project with a 12 year old who has leukemia.

APA Reference of Book:Brashares, A. (2001). The sisterhood of the traveling pants. New York: Delacorte Press/Random House Children's Books.

Impressions: I originally read this book when I was a young teenager and fell in love with the characters. Now, as an adult, rereading it reminded me of why I became so attached. The book deals with such a variety of characters and the issues they are facing that it is easy to find one of them to relate to. The issues faced by the girls are very realistic to teenagers of that age. I think that is is able to appeal to girls from middle school and high school who may be facing many of these same situations.
 
Professional Review:

The pants were magic--worn, thrift-shop jeans that made each of the four best friends look absolutely fabulous. Obviously they were life-changing pants. Thus the plan: route them to each of the four at their various summer destinations, with appropriate rules attached, of course, and watch wonderful things happen. Only they don’t. Carmen’s dad still remarries; Lena’s trip to Greece to visit her grandparents is still marred by a terrible misunderstanding with a gorgeous Greek teen; Bridget still does dumb things at a Baja California soccer camp; and Tibby must work at Wallman’s. The pants are just pants, and life is just life, full of joys, sorrows, living, and dying. This is the charm of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Carmen, Lena, Bridget, and Tibby are growing to adulthood, and Brashares accurately portrays one glorious, painful summer in their evolution. Young teens will identify with one, or even all four, of these interesting, funny young women, and they’ll be on the lookout for their own pair of traveling pants.

Bradburn, F. (2001, August).  Reviews the books [Review of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, by A. Brashares].  Booklist,97(22), 2106.  Retrieved from http://www.booklistonline.com
Library Uses: This would be a good choice for a teen book club because there are a lot of emotional situations to discuss and there is a lot to be learned from the characters.

Module 6: Skippyjon Jones

Book Summary: Skippyjon Jones does not want to be an ordinary Siamese kitten, he wants to be a chihuahua bandito. So Skippyjon becomes El Skippito to fight a bean stealing Bumble-beeto.

APA Reference of Book:Schachner, J. B. (2003). Skippyjon Jones. New York: Dutton Children's Books/Penguin Young Readers Group

Impressions: I adore this book. Firstly,  Skippyjon could not be a cuter character with those great big ears and tiny body. Secondly, it's a really cute tale about using your imagination and playing pretend. The way that the little songs are written really makes you want to sign them out loud as you read. Such a fun book with tons of energy.
 
Professional Review:

Skippyjon is a young, irrepressible Siamese cat with a vivid imagination. His mother sends him to his room to contemplate what being a cat means, but instead he dons the Zorro-like outfit of his alter-ego, Skippito Friskito, and enters his closet for an adventure. The fiesta-colored pictures add zip, but the humor is heavy-handed and the story tedious.

[Review of the book Skippyjon Jones]. (2004). Horn Book. Available from http://www.hbook.com/
 

Library Uses: This is such a great book to read aloud during a storytime because of the little songs that Skippyjon sings and how he uses an accent for his bandito persona.

Module 5: Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom

Book Summary: This book tells the story of Harriet Tubman's escape from slavery in Maryland to freedom in Philadelphia. It describes the hardships she faces along the way and mostly gives an idea of her conversations with God during the journey that kept her going when things seemed too difficult. The book also contains a brief introduction to the concept of slavery in the United States and a biography of Tubman's life.

APA Reference of Book: Weatherford, C. B., & Nelson, K. (2006). Moses: when Harriet Tubman led her people to freedom. New York: Hyperion Books for Children.

Impressions: Reading this book is almost like looking at a collection of art. The illustrations are beautiful and the text is moving. The first thing I noticed was how the text varies in size and format. Rather than demarcating dialogue with quotation marks and paragraphs, size and font variation show a change in the type of text. For example, the messages from God are typically in a large, flowing type that often works its way through the images. The writing style is beautiful and poetic and gives a haunting feel to the heroic story. I very much enjoyed this book and thought it was very engaging.
 
Professional Review:
Weatherford's handsome picture book about Harriet Tubman focuses mostly on Tubman's religious inspiration, with echoes of spirituals ringing throughout the spare poetry about her struggle ("Lord, don't let nobody turn me 'round"). God cradles Tubman and talks with her; his words (printed in block capitals) both inspire her and tell her what to do ("SHED YOUR SHOES; WADE IN THE WATER TO TRICK THE DOGS"). Nelson's stirring, beautiful artwork makes clear the terror and exhaustion Tubman felt during her own escape and also during her brave rescue of others. There's no romanticism: the pictures are dark, dramatic, and deeply colored--whether showing the desperate young fugitive "crouched for days in a potato hole" or the tough middle-aged leader frowning at the band of runaways she's trying to help. The full-page portrait of a contemplative Tubman turning to God to help her guide her people is especially striking.
 Rochman, H. (2006). Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom. Booklist, 102(22), 81.

Library Uses: Since this is a fairly short book dealing with slavery, it could easily be used in a story time for older children during Black History Month or for any time that children might be learning about slavery.

Module 5: Los Gatos Black on Halloween

Book Summary: A bilingual Halloween story about black cats, mummies, monsters, witches, skeletons, and the dead who come out to party together but are scared away by the creepiest of all the Halloween creatures... trick or treaters!

APA Reference of Book: Montes, M., & Morales, Y. (2006). Los gatos black on Halloween. New York: Henry Holt and Company.

Impressions: I absolutely love Halloween and black cats especially (I have one) so I was drawn to this book. I thought that the integration of Spanish vocabulary with the English writing was very interesting and easy to understand. The illustrations might be a bit too creepy for very young children, but once they hit around kindergarten age they would most likely enjoy this book.I particularly liked the ending of the book and that all of the monsters are frightened of the children who are out trick or treating. Whether you already know the Spanish words or not the poem-like book is very enjoyable to read.
 
Professional Review:

From Booklist (2006):

"Montes' evocative poem deserves exceptional artwork, and Morales obliges. Her soft-edged paintings glow with the luminosity of jewels, and her witches, werewolves, and corpses are frighteningly executed. Therein lies what may be a problem for preschoolers. These fiends aren't particularly kid-friendly; they are dead-eyed, Day of the Dead folk who scare. For slightly older children, however, this spookiness is what Halloween is all about. The Spanish is neatly integrated into the text, but for those who need clarification, a glossary is appended." — Ilene Cooper

[Review of Los Gatos Black on Halloween].  (2006). Booklist.  Retrieved from www.booklist.com


Library Uses: This would be perfect as part of a bilingual program for Halloween. children who are old enough to read could work with matching the Spanish vocabulary with pictures of the objects. or have a copy of the story with blanks for the words to fill in themselves.

Module 4: Out of the Dust

Book Summary: Billie Jo is the daughter of an Oklahoma farmer who is suffering during the dust bowl. In a freak accident, she loses her mother and burns her hands, preventing her from playing the piano that she loves.

APA Reference of Book: Hesse, K. (1997). Out of the dust. New York: Scholastic Press.

Impressions: This is a really beautiful, touching book. Billie Jo has a tough life and gives an interesting perspective on living during the depression in Oklahoma. I really liked how the sadness in Billie Jo's life is mirrored by the struggling earth around her. As her life becomes more hopeful, there is a light at the end of the tunnel for the dust bowl farmers. My favorite poem was about the rain and how it had to start softly so as to not wash away all the dust and the build up to enough rain to save the fields.
 
Professional Review: Booklist starred (Vol. 94, No. 3 (October 1, 1997))
Gr. 6-9. "Daddy came in, / he sat across from Ma and blew his nose. / Mud streamed out. / He coughed and spit out / mud. / If he had cried, / his tears would have been mud too, / but he didn't cry. / And neither did Ma." This is life in the Oklahoma dust bowl in the mid-1930s. Billie Jo and her parents barely eke out a living from the land, as her father refuses to plant anything but wheat, and the winds and dust destroy the crop time after time. Playing the piano provides some solace, but there is no comfort to be had once Billie Jo's pregnant mother mistakes a bucket of kerosene for a bucket of water and dies, leaving a husband who withdraws even further and an adolescent daughter with terribly burned hands. 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. The entire novel is written in very readable blank verse, a superb choice for bringing out the exquisite agony and delight to be found in such a difficult period lived by such a vibrant character. It also spares the reader the trouble of wading through pages of distressing text, distilling all the experiences into brief, acutely observed phrases. This is an excellent book for discussion, and many of the poems stand alone sufficiently to be used as powerful supplements to a history lesson.

Lempke, S. (October 1, 1997).  [Review of the book Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse].  Booklist, 94, 3.  Retrieved from  http://www.booklistonline.com/Out-of-the-Dust-Karen-Hesse/pid=1022730

Library Uses: This book could be used either for a display showcasing children's literature about The Great Depression, Dust Bowl, and even World War Two or you could select certain pieces to read aloud to older elementary school children who are learning about the Dust Bowl.

Module 4: Holes

Book Summary: Accused of stealing a pair of shoes, Stanley Yelnats is sent to the Green Lake Camp detention center for boys. Every day, all day, the boys spend their time digging holes in the dried up desert that was once the largest lake in Texas. Stanley realizes that the boys are actually digging because the warden is looking for something. Stanley chases after his friend Zero and they find a field of onions and groundwater. While they are there, the boys decide to come back and locate the buried treasure. The warden apprehends them and they are almost attacked by a group of lizards but the onions they ate protect them. The treasure Stanley finds is a briefcase of valuables that once were meant for his ancestor of the same name.The book also tells the story of the history of Stanley's family and the curse that was placed on them that is causing his bad luck.

APA Reference of Book:  Sachar, L. (1998). Holes. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Impressions:  Such a fantastic book for children. It has a certain magical quality to it from the curse and somewhat surreal environment and is incredibly entertaining to read. The book is occasionally very funny and Stanley's adventure is so much fun to read. It keeps you turning the pages and you will not want to put it down. I just learned that there is a second book and I would love to read that as well.
 
Professional Review:

Louis Sachar has written an exceptionally funny, and heart-rending, shaggy dog story of his own. With its breadth and ambition, Holes may surprise a lot of Sachar fans, but it shouldn't. With his Wayside School stories and — this reviewer's favorite — the Marvin Redpost books, Sachar has shown himself a writer of humor and heart, with an instinctive aversion to the expected. Holes is filled with twists in the lane, moments when the action is happily going along only to turn toward somewhere else that you gradually, eventually, sometimes on the last page, realize was the truest destination all along.

The book begins, "There is no lake at Camp Green Lake," and we are immediately led into the mystery at the core of the story: "There once was a very large lake here, the largest lake in Texas." We soon learn that there is no camp here either, not really, only a boys' detention facility to which our hero, Stanley Yelnats, is headed. Stanley has been convicted of stealing a pair of shoes donated by baseball great Clyde Livingston to a celebrity auction. The fact that Stanley didn't steal the shoes, that indeed they fell from the sky onto his head, is disbelieved by the judge, and even deemed immaterial by Stanley, who blames the whole misadventure on his "no-good-dirtyrotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather!" — a favorite family mantra. And as the book goes on to show, with great finesse anci a virtuoso's display of circularity in action, Stanley is right. His destiny is as palindromic as his name.

We soon learn about that pig-stealing great-greatgrandfather and the curse that has haunted Stanley's family, even though the hapless eider Yelnats, like Stanley, didn't steal anything, and the curse is more of an ordination, a casting of the die. Stanley's great-grandfather found his place in the pattern when he encountered Kissing Kate Barlow, nee Miss Katherine Barlow, who became a ruthless outlaw of the Wild West when her love for Sam, the Onion Man, became cause for small-town opprobrium — and murder. Miss Barlow's recipe for spiced peaches also plays a large part in the story.

Heck, it all plays a large part in the story. Those peaches show up more than a century after they were canned, and their efficacy remains unchallenged. Just like Sam's onions. Just like the lullaby, sung, with telling variations, by the Yelnats cian:

"If only, if only," the woodpecker sighs, "The bark
 on the tree was as soft as the skies." While the wolf
 waits below, hungry and lonely, Crying to the moo-oo-oon,
 "If only, if only."

As for the title: when Stanley gets to Camp Green Lake, he discovers that every day each boy, each inmate, must dig a hole five feet by five feet by five feet. (Why? Too bad you can't ask Kissing Kate Barlow.) Stanley makes a friend, Zero (nicknamed thus because this is exactly what the world finds him to be), with whom he eventually escapes the camp. These boys have a date with destiny and, trust me, it has everything to do with the pig, Kissing Kate, the lullaby, the peaches, the onions… even the sneakers, Sachar is masterful at bringing his realistic story and tall-tale motifs together, using a simple declarative style —

Stanley Yelnats was given a choice. The judge said, "You may go to jail, or you may go to Camp Green Lake."

Stanley was from a poor family. He had never been to camp before.

— that is all the more poignant, and funny, for its understatement, its willingness to stay out of the way.

We haven't seen a book with this much plot, so suspensefully and expertly deployed, in too long a time. And the ending will make you cheer — for the happiness the Yelnats family finally finds — and cry, for the knowledge of how they lost so much for so long, all in the words of a lullaby. Louis Sachar has long been a great and deserved favorite among children, despite the benign neglect of critics. But Holes is witness to its own theme: what goes around, comes around. Eventually.

Sutton, R. (1998, September/October). Holes [Review of the book Holes]. Horn Book Magazine, 74(5), 593-595. Retrieved from www.hbook.com

Library Uses: This could be a good one to use for either a book talk at a middle school for the 6th graders or as a book club choice. Some schools read this for their 6th grade curriculum so there is a potential for a tie in program with the schools where the students who read the book could also get to watch the movie.

Module 3: Three Pigs

Book Cover:

 Book Summary:  The story begins like any other telling of the Three Little Pigs; the wolf comes to the door, there's huffing and puffing. What seems like it will be another telling of the very familiar three pigs story, is taken to the next level through creative illustrations. The story jumps right off the page and into other nursery rhymes, creating a totally new take on the classic story.

APA Reference of Book: Wiesner, D. (2001). The three pigs. New York: Clarion Books.  

Impressions:  My first impression of this book was not positive, I admittedly judged a book by its cover and found the pig faces a bit creepy. I sat down and prepared to be bored by, yet another, retelling of the story I know so well. I was totally wrong.I actually laughed out loud when the pigs ripped through the page of the story and started traipsing through newspapers and nursery rhymes. I thought this was a fantastically creative take on the classic story that was visually stunning. I particularly liked that, although wild things were happening with the illustrations, the text remained fairly true to the original.

Professional Review: 

In this Caldecott Medal-winning version of the classic tale, the pigs are not just blown out of their houses but out of their story.  The pigs interact with characters from other books, wander around in the white space between pages, and manipulate the pages of their own book – such as folding one page into a paper airplane.  Besides being a successful meta-book, The Three Pigs is also a satisfying story with its own plot, and a visual treat as well

The three pigs (Book). (2004). Book Links, 13(5), 33.

Library Uses:Since this is such a visually-dependent book it would not be my first choice to use for a story time. However, you could make a very interesting display that showcases all of the available retellings of the Three Pigs and include this book.

Module 3: A Sick Day for Amos McGee

  Book Summary: Every day Amos McGee spends a little bit of time with each of his friends at the zoo, running races with the tortoise, keeping the shy penguin company, and even reading bedtime stories to the owl. But when Amos is too sick to make it to the zoo, his animal friends decide it’s time they returned the favor.

APA Reference of Book: Wiesner, D. (2001). The three pigs. New York: Clarion Books.  

Impressions:  Oh, how much I loved this book! The illustrations are artistic, interesting, and whimsical. I loved the idea of the zookeeper going around to each of the animals to spend time with them. I think when I was a young girl and wanted to be a zoologist I pictured it something like that or like maybe Jack Hannah, so I could take all the animals on TV shows. The way that the illustrations tell the story for you is so wonderful. This is a book I would highly recommend to anyone.

Professional Review: 

Amos McGee, an elderly zookeeper, enjoys a clockwork life (one teaspoonful of sugar for oatmeal, two for tea and the number five bus to work) until the sniffles force him to stay in bed and miss his daily visits with animal friends. Fragile, gangly Amos, in striped pajamas and ill-fitting zoo uniform, appears as crushingly vulnerable as a child. Children will immediately like and understand him, as they too take comfort in reassuring routines—and would certainly love playing chess with an elephant or running races with a tortoise! Muted greens, browns and blues dominate pages, while brighter yellows and reds leaven the palette’s mild melancholy. Erin E. Stead’s beautifully wrought woodblock prints and pencil work create almost painfully expressive characters. Wrinkles and crinkles describe the elephant’s sagging mass and the rhino’s girth, as well as their keen sensitivity. Owl’s furrowed brow communicates deep concern even as the group heads to Amos’s home to check on him. This gentle, ultimately warm story acknowledges the care and reciprocity behind all good friendships: Much like Amos’s watch, they must be wound regularly to remain true. (Picture book. 2-6)

[Review of A Sick Day for Amos McGee by P. Stead] (2010, April 15). Kirkus Reviews 78(8), pg. 377. Retrieved from http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Library Uses:After reading the story, children could make their own booklets about what it means to be a friend and include things friends do for each other, who their friends are, and a picture of some of their friends.

Module 2: McElligot's Pool

 Book Summary:  A small boy is fishing in the tiny, unpromising McElligot's Pool, a puddle that is nothing but a hole people throw trash in. But the boy imagines that there is more to the pool: what if the pool is deeper than anyone thinks? What if it connects to an underground stream that flows under the town to the sea? Might not all sorts of fish then swim up the stream and be caught here? Who knows what fantastic fish might swim in McElligot's Pool!

APA Reference of Book: Dr. Seuss. (1947). McElligot's pool. New York: Junior Literary Guild  

Impressions: This was not a Seuss book that I had previously ever seen, but I greatly enjoyed reading it. The story is a fantastic example of a young boy's creativity and patience. I like the message that you shouldn't let naysayers get you down because you might be right, there could be more to any situation than everyone else knows. I very much enjoyed the illustrations showing how the pool continues down and across the page into bigger and more wonderful things. It gave the drawings a sort of flow that was visually appealing.

Professional Review:  Utterly enchanting nonsense tale, which children and grown-ups will equally claim. Particularly fishermen, of any age. A small boy drops a fishing line in a farmer's pool and ignores the farmer's scornful comment on the kinds of things he will find in the pool. His imagination plays, instead, with the kinds of things the pool might provide -- and the pictures are wonderful,- superb drawing, beautiful color, lots of humor in double page spreads throughout.

(1947).  McElligot's pool  [Review of the book MsElligot's pool by Dr. Suess].  Kirkus Reviews 15(5), 62.  Retrieved from www.kirkusreviews.com

Library Uses: I like the idea of doing this story along with a craft. The children could make their own creative fish to show what they would like to catch in McElligot's pool. I think that this book could also be used to open a discussion with children about the virtues of patience.

Module 2: Millions of Cats

 Book Summary: When his wife sends him to pick out the perfect kitten to have as a pet, the man finds a hill with millions of cats. As he attempts to choose one, he decides that all of the kittens have merit and decides to take all of them home. Along the way, the cats devour all of the grass and water they come across. When he gets home, the wife tells him that there is no possible way they can keep all of the cats. The man decides to let the cats decide who is the one that will stay with the couple. After a scuffle, the couple goes outside to find only one cat left. He was ignored because the other cats did not think he was good enough to consider as competition so the left him alone. It turns out, even though he was not the cutest cat, he is the perfect cat for this family.  

APA Reference of Book: Gág, W. (1928). Millions of cats. New York: Coward-McCann, Inc..  

Impressions: The illustrations in this book are very simple and all in black and white. Because of this, I wasn't particularly blown away by the art. However, once I learned more about the history of the book and how it is considered the first modern picture book, I gained a better appreciation for it. Gag was the first children's illustrator to create images spanning two pages. This is something we take for granted now, but it is very remarkable that she wanted to treat her book like a true piece of art and thus expanded the realm of illustrating for children. The wide illustrations give the reader a feel for the overwhelming number of cats that have followed this man home since the line of cats continues across the binding and onto the next page. I did like the story a lot. I could definitely understand wanting to take home all the cats and Gag's way of writing has a beautiful, lyrical quality to it that encourages you to read the book aloud.

Professional Review:

Wanda Gág's Millions of Cat
Children's book review by Steve Barancik
Ages 4-8

A children's book about cats...millions of them!
Named by School Library Journal as one of the "One Hundred Books That Shaped the Century" (the previous century), Millions of Cats is a treasure. It is also one of the few picture books to win a Newbery Honor, and it is reckoned by some to be the oldest American picture book still in print!
It's a simple tale. The very old woman's husband sets out in search of the perfect cat for his wife. Then he comes across a hill "which was quite covered in cats."
Millions and billions and trillions of cats.

This poses a bit of a dilemma. The old man wants the prettiest cat for his wife, but the more he looks the harder it is to decide which is the prettiest.

So he invites them all to return home with him. Along the way they drain a pond and denude a hillside. Millions of cats can do a fair amount of ecological damage!

The very old woman is, naturally, a bit overwhelmed. She resolves to let the cats themselves decide which is the prettiest and therefore should stay with the old couple.

But it turns out that asking a bunch of cats which is the prettiest only leads to disagreement among the vain creatures. The old couple retreats into their house when quite the argument ensues.  When they re-emerge, not a single cat is in evidence. It seems they all ate each other!

But there, in the tall grass, they spot one scraggly, scrawny, frightened little kitten. When they ask him how he survived, he explains that he was the only one who didn't claim to be the prettiest...so all the other cats left him out of the fight!
And therein lies Wanda Gág's lesson for us all: vanity will get you nowhere...except ingested. Beauty is only skin-deep. The little kitten, of course, grows up to be the prettiest cat of all...though presumably if he knows that, he's learned to keep it to himself!

[Review of the book Millions of cats, by S. Barancik].  (2006).  Retrieved from http://www.best-childrens-books.com/millions-of-cats.html
Library Uses:This would be an excellent storytime book due to the chant-like phrase "Cats here, cats there, / Cats and kittens everywhere, / Hundreds of cats, / Thousands of cats, / Millions and billions and trillions of cats", that would be perfect for the children to repeat along with the reader.

Module 1: Bats at the Library

Book Summary:When the window is left open, the library becomes and all-night playground for the bats. They make copies of themselves, make shadow puppets, play in the fountains, and have a storytime.

APA Reference of Book: Lies, B. (2008). Bats at the library. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Impressions: This may be my new picture book. I loved how adorable and quirky the illustrations are. I particularly loved how the bat doing the storytime had the book upside down for the hanging bats and how the one little bat wears water wings the whole time. The prose is really fantastic and flows beautifully. This would be a great book to read aloud, plus bats are just plain cute.
 
Professional Review:"Pictures light-handedly capture the Cheshire Bat, Winnie the Bat and Little Red Riding Bat" (Kirkus Reviews, 2008, para 1) and if one looks closely, there are other little tidbits as well, like a small green Hobbit (or would that be Hob-bat?) door in a hill.  While Kirkus may deem the rhyme about returning items to be preachy, I for one found it rather cute.  (Perhaps as one who always manages to have library fines, I find the idea of instilling good library-item-returning morals in kids particularly hopeful of Lies.)
BATS AT THE LIBRARY. (2008). Kirkus Reviews, 76(16), 194. Retrieved from EBSCOhost

Library Uses: This would be nice as part of a whole bat themed storytime, maybe even at night, where you could do information about bats, Bat's at the Library (or any of Lies' books) with a bat craft. The kids could make shadow puppets like the bats. This is also a good time to promote library services and the books that the bats act out in the story.