Printz Award Winner--Fantasy

Bacigalupi, Paolo. Ship Breaker. New York, NY: Little Brown and Company, 2010.

ISBN: 9780316056212

Plot Summary:

Nailer, a seventeen year old boy who lives on the Gulf Coast, works on a light crew crawling into small spaces stripping old ships of reusable copper and holding out hope that he will live to see another day. After a level 7 hurricane, Nailer and his friend Pima discover a washed up clipper ship and think they have come across their lucky strike. They soon discover a wealthy girl clinging to life who promises them a better life if they save her. Although it may seem it is a life worth saving, problems soon arise when Nailer’s drug-addicted father and half-men also want to use the girl to get more wealth for themselves.

Critical Analysis:

Bacigalupi creates memorable characters in Ship Breaker. The main character, Nailer, undergoes a credible change early on in the story when he has to save himself while he is trapped in a ship’s holding room of oil because one of his crew members selfishly leaves him to die. This near-death experience and feelings of abandonment are a major force in his decision to help the wealthy girl who is near death in a wrecked ship. Readers have more respect and admiration for Nailer because he doesn’t just help her for a chance of getting rich, he helps her because he knows how it feels to be left to die. Shipwrecked-rich-girl, Nita also grows into a survivor as she must overcome her circumstances. Readers will also build strong connections to Pima, her mother Sadna, and Tool the half-man because these characters show strength and vulnerability as they overcome their tough and difficult life. The concept of the genetically altered half-men will cause readers to want to learn more about this new species (they’re really cool). Bacigalupi also creates a strong villain in Nailer’s father, Richard Lopez. The drug addiction, beatings he gives Nailer, and his brutal actions build real fear within the reader and help the reader to relate to Nailer’s own fears of his father.

The plot is action packed and will easily hold the attention of readers. As Nailer and Tool journey to return Nita back to her father, they face obstacles at almost every turn. Their choices and hardships are consistent with the setting of the story and the circumstances of the characters. Bacigalupi works to develop background for readers on ship breaking and half-men which makes the story easy to follow for readers. The setting also carries added interest for the reader as the time period is futuristic. The story seems to take place after an apocalypse in a time where resources such as oil have run out and must now be scavenged.

Bacigalupi’s style of writing helps to create vivid images and deep understanding for readers. For example, when he says, “Nailer had felt his belly up against his spine enough times,” readers can actually feel what hunger feels like and they will get a better sense of the character’s circumstances. Bacigalupi has a way with words. If ever the action slows down, his words have a way of holding you in the story.

Bacigalupi does a lot to develop different themes in the book. There is opportunity to compare and contrast characters in poverty and characters that have it all. The futuristic theme has lots of possibilities as well. Climate change, natural resources, and genetic mutations are all concepts that can carry lofty discussions. Other interesting themes include loyalty, greed, and trust. It is clear at every point in the story why this book was chosen as a major contributor to young adult literature.

Awards and Reviews:

2011 Printz Award Winner

National Book Award Finalist

“Vivid, brutal, and thematically rich, this captivating title is sure to win teen fans for the award-winning Bacigalupi.”--Booklist

"This thriller will grab and keep readers' attentions as Nailer and Nita 'crew up' in their fight to survive."--The Horn Book

Connections:

*Create a Brown-Bag Book Review. Place items in the bag that reflect major characters and events in the story.

*Compare and contrast the characters Nailer and Nita.

*Create a digital book trailer for the book.

*Do further research on ship breaking.

*Listen to the audio version of the book.

Graphic Novel

Yang, G. L., & Kim, D. K. The eternal smile. New York, NY: First Second, 2009.

ISBN: 9781596431563

Summary:

The Eternal Sunshine contains three imaginative stories. In the first story, Duncan is a knight who is trying to defeat his enemies to achieve all that he ever wanted. His kingdom, however, may not be everything he thinks it is. In the next story, meet a greedy frog who is trying to make a profit from a religion he started. Will he go too far? In the final story, Janet is struggling in her job at a internet management company when she comes across an opportunity to help a Nigerian prince by giving him tons of her money online. When she finally meets the prince, what will she do to him?

Critical Analysis:

The characters in the three short stories are somewhat ordinary and flaccid. Because they’re somewhat understated, as a reader you will find yourself pulling for them and caring about what happens to them. When Janet, the character in the third story, overhears her boss making fun of her for seeking a promotion, readers quickly identify her as the protagonist and desire her to achieve something greater than her current lot. The simple characteristics within the characters are balanced well through the surprising turn of events you see them encounter, such as when you see Duncan go from tender romantic to a knight defeating the Frog King.

The illustrations in each story bring the setting to life. This is especially true in Urgent Request where Janet’s real world is drawn in a dull gray and her fantasy world is drawn in color. The drawings for each story are unique to the story and each take on a distinct style. There are even several illustrated scenes that carry the story only through illustrations and not through words.

Part of what makes The Eternal Smile interesting is how Kim and Yang approach the plot differently in each story. In Duncan’s Kingdom, The king is immediately killed by the Frog King and Duncan quickly begins a journey to avenge his death and win the heart of the princess. The turn of events is surprising and the story breathes fantasy from the very beginning. On the other hand, in Urgent Request, the story begins in a realistic way with a woman working as an internet service tech who can’t catch a break. Later, imaginative aspects come in as Janet journeys through Nigeria with her prince. Although the Kim and Yang come at the plots differently, the stories are similar in that each character can feel whole and complete in their fantasy world.

Awards and Reviews:

Yang has been awarded the Printz  and Eisner Award and is a National Book Award finalist.

“Shattering the borders between our real and fantasy lives, these bold, masterfully crafted fables have real staying power.” --Publishers Weekly

“Artwork in each of the stories is stylistically different and wholly appropriate to the theme of the specific tale. Smart teens will enjoy this thoroughly and will push it into friends, and hopefully even adults, hands for discussions around topics ranging from political insights to how narrative crea;tes personal identity.”-- School Library Journal

Connections:

*Create your own comic strip about an adventure with the main character as yourself.

*Create an additional comic strip to change or add to the ending of one of the stories in the book.

*Compare and contrast the characters in each of the stories.

Newberry Award Winner--Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Woodson, Jacqueline. Feathers. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2007.

ISBN: 9780399239892

Summary of Plot:

Frannie, a sixth-grade girl growing up in the 1970’s, is thinking about the time when she was the newcomer in school when a new white boy begins attending her school. As the only white student in school, he begins to get a lot of attention and earns the name “Jesus Boy” from other students. Frannie is curious why “Jesus Boy” has come to an African American school and how he suddenly knew to communicate to her in sign language. Frannie has an older brother who is deaf and has known sign language all her life. These events and others lead Frannie on a journey of exploration where she will encounter religious perspectives, bullying, friendship, acceptance, and most of all hope…a thing with feathers.

Critical Analysis:

Feathers is organized into four main parts and is a total of twenty-one chapters and 118 pages long. This short novel is written from the perspective of a sixth-grade African American girl. As the young girl narrates this story, there is a large amount of reflection that takes place which is easy to see coming from the female gender. The time period of the 1970’s is the time in which integration became the law. Woodson reflects this period accurately in the way the characters react to the white boy coming to their school and how they talk about the other side of the highway. The time period is also reflected in the voice of the characters as they “jive talk.”

The plot itself does not stand out to the reader as something wonderful to remember, but rather the characters feeling and thoughts give it life. Frannie, the main character, is easy to relate to and the reader journey’s with her towards new understandings especially when it comes to hope. For example, after watching an interaction between Trevor (the school bully) and “Jesus Boy,” Frannie expresses her realization that “the sun stopped to color and warm him like it did everybody else”.

The story’s themes are addressed through the characters and their actions. Woodson uses Frannie’s older brother to deal with the theme of disabilities. The reader learns about how people with disabilities endure ridicule, but also how they are still capable of so much like when Sean, Frannie’s deaf brother, dances because he can feel the rhythm rather than hear it. Woodson also approaches the theme of spirituality by making Frannie’s best friend the daughter of a minister and how her best friend thinks “Jesus Boy” may actually be Jesus. The “Jesus Boy” character allows Woodson to set up situations, which are common to middle school students, where Frannie will need to learn how to accept others and their differences. Frannie learns a lot of important lessons through Jesus Boy, her best friend, and her family.

Awards and Reviews:

Newberry Honor, Caldecott, and Coretta Scott King Award winning author.

“Set in 1971, Woodson's novel skillfully weaves in the music and events surrounding the rising opposition to the Vietnam War, giving this gentle, timeless story depth. She raises important questions about God, racial segregation and issues surrounding the hearing-impaired with a light and thoughtful touch.” --Publishers Weekly

“With her usual talent for creating characters who confront, reflect, and grow into their own persons, Woodson creates in Frannie a strong protagonist who thinks for herself and recognizes the value and meaning of family. The story ends with hope and thoughtfulness while speaking to those adolescents who struggle with race, faith, and prejudice. They will appreciate its wisdom and positive connections.”--School Library Journal

Connections:

* There is a lot of dialogue offered in this book, choose a scene out of the book for a readers theatre performace.

*Write a letter to one of the characters in the story describing how actions or feelings have given you a new understanding towards one of the major themes in the story.

*Research further integration in the 1970’s.

Historical Fiction Novel

Schmidt, Gary D. 2004. Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy. New York, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN: 9780618439294

Plot Summary:

Moving to Phippsburg, a small town in Maine, could be difficult for any 12 year old boy and it was for Turner Buckminster. Also hard for Turner was being the son of a minister. Most of the people in town had something to say about how Turner played baseball, what he wore (or didn’t wear), and where he went, but mostly they talked about who he chose to befriend. Malaga Island, a small island neighboring the town of Phippsburg, was home to Lizzie Griffin and other folks with dark skin who the people of Phippsburg desperately wanted to leave so they could use the island for tourism. One day while seeking the peacefulness of the ocean, Lizzie and Turner meet and begin a wonderful friendship that because of the differences in their skin color, really starts to give people something to talk about. When Turner finds that his friend is in need of a home because the townspeople are making all colored people leave, he uses the courage that he has been building to make a stand that may end up costing him more than he could have imagined.

Critical Analysis:

Rather than give an account the events of this story, Gary Schmidt pulls the reader into the story so much so that readers picture what is happening and become a part of the events. The events are the story, the two are masterly intertwined.

The story of the racism and removal of people living on Malaga Island is true. Schmidt accurately depicts the reasons for the cleansing of Malaga Island, racism and tourism, and how the people of Phippsburg went about it by forcing people to leave, burning their homes, and even digging up their graves. Schmidt is also careful to include accurate landmarks in the setting such as the First Congregational Church, the Pownal asylum, and the beaches.

Schmidt’s depiction of the characters reflects the views and close-minded attitudes of the times (the early 1900’s). Readers will fall in love with Turner Buckminster, a boy who must find himself and muster up the courage to take a stand for his beliefs. There is a lot of emphasis on character development in this story and it is completely necessary to enable readers to actually feel the events that unfold. Readers will be surprised at how they feel about the characters and what happens to them within the events of this story. The themes of morals, attitudes, relationships, and courage will indeed spark depth of conversation.

Awards and Reviews:

Newberry Honor Book

ALA Printz Award

“Schmidt weaves that history into a powerful tale of friendship and coming-of-age, adding a lyrical sense of the coastal landscape. Characters are drawn without reverence in this haunting combination of fact and fiction that has a powerful and tragic climax.”--Booklist

“With fully developed, memorable characters and a fascinating, little-known piece of history, this novel will leave a powerful impression on readers.”-- School Library Journal

Connections:

*Read another Gary Schmidt book such as Okay for Now or The Wednesday Wars

*Design a book jacket

*Write a diary entry from the perspective of Lizzie or Turner about a major event in the story such as being next to a whale, building a friendship, or visiting Miss Cobb’s house.

Historical Fiction by Laurence Yep

Yep, Laurence. 2006. The Earth Dragon Awakes: The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers.

ISBN: 0060275251

Plot Summary:

The Earth Dragon had awaken before, but the Travis’s, Chin, and Ah Sing were unaware of the complication its movement was about to bring to their lives during this next awakening. Ah Sing, a Chinese immigrant in San Francisco in 1906, worked as a houseboy for the Travis family. His son Chin and the Travis boy, Henry, had grown to be friends and spent many evenings together reading “penny dreadfuls” to entertain their thoughts about heroism. Once the Earth Dragon, or earthquake, began to devastate the city and all its inhabitants, Henry and Chin recount their experiences as they deal with the loss of their homes and struggle to find safety. Through their shattering loss, Henry and Chin discover true heroism.

Critical Analysis:

Yen does a perfect job of introducing the characters in a way that expresses their culture and status during the early 1900’s. Yen is able to utilize his Chinese heritage to depict how the Chinese were treated in society around this time of the great earthquake. The discrimination of the Chinese is most evident in the details Yen writes in the afterword about the people not even wanting the Chinese to return after the fire. The character development is well-balanced in that it expresses the culture, but does not distract from the events of the earthquake. Although Yen states the characters are fictional, their thoughts and experiences are, in fact, a historical look at how the people in San Francisco dealt with the devastation of the earthquake and fire.

It is clear that Yen grew up in San Francisco. Yen does an amazing job of specifically addressing areas in San Francisco such as Nob Hill and Chinatown. Even if you have never been to the city, the details Yen provides about the locations in and around the city make it natural for readers to visualize the areas as the earthquake and fire move through the city and the people scramble to get out.  Also eye opening are the photographs included in the afterword of the book depicting the smoke and crippled buildings.

Yen’s style of writing is organized in a way that makes it easy for young readers to follow. The short chapters begin with a date and time to help organize the events throughout the earthquake and fire. Heroism is a prevalent theme throughout the book. Early on, the boys discuss heroic cowboys in their reading and soon come to realize the heroic qualities in their own families as they reach out to others and make brave decisions along their journey. The commitment of the firefighters and volunteers while battling the enormous blaze further exemplify heroic qualities.  There are also examples of non-heroes, such as the looters and people profiting on those trying to escape the fire. In addition to the other elements of the story, the theme in The Earth Dragon Awakes is authentic to the historical earthquake and fire of 1906.

Awards & Reviews:

Newberry Award winning author

Laura Ingalls Wilder Award

“Yep intersperses the fiction of Henry and Chin’s experiences with short chapters of facts about the earthquake and subsequent fire. This is a timely reminder of a historical disaster that turned over 2000 acres of city into a wasteland.”—Kirkus Review

“Henry and Chin’s stories are told in alternating chapters with a few interruptions for the insertion of earthquake information. Told in the present tense, the narration provides a "you are there" sense of immediacy and will appeal to readers who enjoy action-packed survival stories.”—Booklist

Connections:

*Do additional research on the 1906 earthquake using information sources such as http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/nca/1906/18april/index.php .

*Do additional research or reading on plate tectonics

*Have students do a “What would you do?” – Write about what they would take and where they would go in a devastating situation such as an earthquake.

Scott O’Dell Award Winning Book

Gantos, Jack. 2011. Dead End In Norvelt. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux. ISBN 9780374379933

Plot Summary:

Grounded for an entire summer after blowing a hole through a drive-in movie screen and mowing down his mother’s corn, young Jack must keep busy helping Miss Volker write obituaries for the original town members in Norvelt. While helping Miss Volker, Jack must learn how to manage nosebleeds, melted-off hands, driving lessons, an old man on a tricycle, and even Hells Angels. As Jack works to help with the obituaries, he discovers a wealth of information on the history of his small town in Pennsylvania and its founder Eleanor Roosevelt.

Critical Analysis:

Dead End In Norvelt’s main character, Jack Gantos is a 12 year-old boy growing up in the 1960’s. The book has some auto-biographical qualities through the experiences of the main character.  Because of the connection between the author and the main character, young Jack, it’s an accurate portrayal of the interests and actions of a 12 year-old in the 1960’s. Gantos efficiently portrays the personalities of the key characters in the book. The character’s personalities are realistic to the time, such as Jack’s mother who stays at home and works to prepare meals for the family and elderly community members. You can almost picture her with her hair neatly pinned and wearing an apron every waking minute.

The plot is unique and humorous.  While the events throughout the story are surprising and entertaining the plot is centrally focused on the town of Norvelt, PA, originally established as a project by Eleanor Roosevelt, and how this small town is slowly wearing out. Some of the details, such as Miss Volker doing procedures on Jack’s nose capillaries may distract a bit from the historical details that follow, but overall those details  lighten the mood of the plot and bring in a lot of humor that are sure to draw the attention of young readers.  Besides the town itself being historical and the drive-in movie down the road, the setting feels more like an old town than a historical one. Overall the characters and the plot stay more true to the times.

Jack Gantos fills his writing with classic “one-liners.” Witty comments such as Jack stating “I love to sniff the insides of books” and “cheezus crust” will make you laugh out loud at times. Poetic statements, such as “When the sun goes down, each day turns its back on the present and step into the past” fill the pages as well. It is clear Gantos has an affinity for history because he easily works in historical information into young Jack’s day to day life. Young Jack encounters history not only through the obituaries, but also in the “This Day in History” section of the paper and in the history books he loves to read. The era is reflected through the types of discussion the characters have and the activities they partake in. Dad discussing atomic bomb shelters and what the children do for fun (no video games…imagine that!) are realistic to discussions and activities of the 1960’s.

Awards & Reviews:

John Newberry Medal

Scott O’Dell Award

“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.” — STARRED/ Publishers Weekly

“A fast-paced and witty read.” —School Library Journal

“An exhilarating summer marked by death, gore and fire sparks deep thoughts in a small-town lad not uncoincidentally named ‘Jack Gantos.’ The gore is all Jack’s, which to his continuing embarrassment ‘would spray out of my nose holes like dragon flames’ whenever anything exciting or upsetting happens. And that would be on every other page, seemingly … [A] characteristically provocative gothic comedy, with sublime undertones.” --STARRED/ Kirkus Reviews

Connections:

*Identify similes in the book and write original similes about your town or school.

*Research a historical figure mentioned in the obituaries such as King Richard II, Cortes, or Eleanor Roosevelt.

 

Biography- The Lincolns

Fleming, Candace. 2008. The Lincolons: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary. New York: Schwartz and Wade Books. ISBN 9780375836183

Overview:

The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary portrays the life of President Abraham Lincoln and First Lady Mary Lincoln from birth to death. A dual look at both of their lives is offered illustrating their very different childhoods, their new life together, the presidency, Civil War, loss of children, and finally the tragic end to both of their lives. Along with some historical information, many ordinary events are presented.  Willie and Tad’s circus in the attic, Mary’s search for a dress maker, and Lincoln’s time  with “the boys,” allow readers to know the “real” Lincolns.

Critical Analysis:

Fleming uses a variety of sources, including personal writings from the Lincolns and memoirs and excerpts from family friends and relatives, to reveal a portrayal of the Abraham and Mary’s life from birth to death. The stories range from family times to major historical events that took place under Lincoln’s presidency.

The book is composed like a scrapbook and the black and white images and headlines will remind readers of a newspaper. Images of family portraits, primary documents, and historical events enhance every page. The book is organized into eight chapters and is in logical order according to Lincoln’s lifetime events and life themes. Also included are an engaging introduction, source notes, and an extensive index. Although the large composition of the book does not allow for a read aloud, the scrapbook layout invites readers to browse headings quite easily.

Reviews and Awards:

“Once again, Fleming humanizes her subjects and offers a broader perspective on their times with cleverly juxtaposed facts, anecdotes, and images.” --Booklist

“Using her signature scrapbook approach, Fleming lays out the answer in a biography that gives equal emphasis to Abraham and Mary Lincoln for an insightful portrait of their lives.”--School Library Journal

ALA Notable Books 2009
Flora Stieglitz Straus Award for Nonfiction 2009, Bank Street School of Education
IRA Teachers' Choices
NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book

Connections:

*Read more about the Lincolns in books such as:

            Abe Lincoln’s Hat by Martha Brenner

            Young Abe Lincoln: The Frontier Days, 1809-1837 by Cheryl Harness

            Lincoln in His Own Words by Milton Meltzer

*Review quotes of the day and additional information at http://www.abrahamlincolnsclassroom.org/

*Create an Abraham Lincoln puppet and share an interesting aspect of Lincoln’s life through the puppet.

*Write your own newspaper article about Abraham Lincoln.