Brown Girl Dreaming

Woodson, J. (2014). Brown girl dreaming. New York: Penguin Group.

Brown Girl Dreaming is an inspiring story about a girl who was raised in South Carolina as well as New York. Her memoire written in poems tells us about how life was in the 60’s and 70’s during the Civil right Movement. We read about situations we can relate to such as divorce, death in the family, religion, and illness. The author did a marvelous job, we can picture ourselves as we are reading the text.  Beautifully created.

Analysis: How would this book appeal to "your" library? How would you sell these books? What other books has the author written?  Are they similar or different?

This book would appeal to the readers in my library due to our demographics. Being from Deep South Texas we can relate to the injustices of being Hispanic.  In the 1960’s we too went through segregation we Hispanics could not speak Spanish in school. We also had marches like the one with Cesar Chavez, we just wanted to be treated fair and just. Readers can identify themselves with the author because we too went through some of the circumstances she did.  This book would appeal to the readers who like to read historical books as well as readers who like books about overcoming hardships.  

I would sell this book by telling the readers we are not the only ones who have gone through these injustices.  This book gives us hope and strength to stand up for what we believe in. This book tells the story of a young girl, just like you all who endured things she thought she couldn’t handle, but in the end she persevered, so can you. Never give up and remember we are all equal.

The Other Side is a wonderful book that is similar to Brown Girl Dreaming because it deals with segregation. The style the author has of expressing her views with text is phenomenal. You feel as though you are actually in the story.  The characters feel very real.  Locomotion is also similar to Brown Girl Dreaming, in the sense that Lonnie and his sister suffer a lot of hardships and loss, but in the end they persevere.  Just like Jackie in Brown Girl Dreaming Lonnie losses family members and tries all that he can to try to reunite himself with his sister. Both these stories deal with love, loss, and hope.  We Had a Picnic This Past Sunday is different because it more of a picture book.  It talks about a family who get together for a picnic and talks about the different family members in the family. This is more of young reader’s book, the fascinating illustrations bring out the text. 

El Deafo

Bell, C., & Lasky, D. (2014). El Deafo. New York: Harry N. Abrams.

Cece is a young girl who at the age of four gets meningitis. She recovers but she loses her hearing. She is given a hearing aid, which comes with a box she wears with a strap around her neck and cords that run to her ears. Not only does she have to deal with this machine, but now she is entering school. Making friends while looking different is hard. She is then given a Phonic ear an even stronger hearing aid. Cece discovers she has “super powers”.  Her hero name is El Deafo, and in the end she finally finds her true friend.

 

Analysis: How would this book appeal to "your" library? How would you sell these books? What other books has the author written?  Are they similar or different?

El Deafo is a brilliant book made up of comic strips. Young readers love to read comic books, this will appeal to them. This book would appeal in my library with students with disabilities.  This book gives them a self-esteem boost. Young readers can identify with Cece being made fun of, but not allowing her disability to bring her down. The counselor can also use this book to show about respect, emotions, and bullying. The readers can identify and relate with Cece and use this book to help see themselves as super heroes as well. The illustrations help tell the story.

I would sell this book by telling the readers that anyone can be a superhero. No matter our situation we just have to look deep within ourselves and allow our superhero to arise. I would also sell it by telling the emerging reader it is like reading a comic book, who doesn’t like that? I would tell them we have all been through some type of situations and came out victorious, let this book do the same.

Itty Bitty is similar in that the main characters do not let their size or disability affect them. They find a way to use them as an advantage. This is a picture book while El Deafo is a comic book. The vibrant colors used by the author allows to the illustrations come alive. Busy Buddies: Silly Stuff that Goes Together is more a picture book with very little text unlike El Deafo. Both El Deafo and Busy Buddies deal with friendship.  The author again uses great use of color to bring out illustrations.  Food Friends is similar to Busy Buddies because they are both picture books that deal with matching objects. Although it’s similar to El Deafo in friendship.

Love That Dog

Creech, Sharon. (2001). Love that dog. New York: HarperCollins.

Love That Dog is a story about a boy named Jack who is a great writer but doesn’t know it yet. In class is has trouble understanding poetry. With every poem assigned he learns about the process of creating such art. He begins to write poems that he’s proud to call his own. The teacher displays these beautiful works of art in the class, at first with anonymous. Jack then proudly has his name published on his poems.

Analysis: How would this book appeal to "your" library? What other books has the author written? Are they similar or different?

 

This book would appeal to the students in my library because many young readers like picture books. This is a short picture book, but it’s a picture book that requires the reader to think due to the limited amount of text. The story is told in free verse poetry. This book could appeal to boys because the main character is a boy who discovers he is truly a poet, inspiration could be sparked by this story. Readers can identify and relate to Jack because at the beginning he can’t write and them blossoms into a great writer.  

I would sell this to readers by telling the buyers Jack’s back story and help them realize how they can relate and identify themselves with him. Then I would showcase the briefness and beauty of the poetry.  I would also add that it’s wonderful story with a fantastic character.

Some other books written by Sharon Creech are A Fine, Fine School, The Wanderer, and Hate That Cat. A Fine, Fine School is a picture book about an administrator who loves his school to the point that he elects students and teachers should be there all the time!  Illustrations are important in the story and would appeal to young readers. The Wanderer is different from Love that Dog because it is a historical fiction and it has a strong female protagonist.  Hate That Cat has similarities with Love That Dog because it’s a sequel to Jack’s story. The difference in his story is that he branches out on topics he writes about in poetry.

 

 

Wonderstruck

Selznick, Brian. (2007). Wonderstruck. New York: Scholastic.

Wonderstruck is a fascinating book that tells of two intertwined stories. The stories contain children who lost their ability to hear as well as their mother. The story of Ben is told with text. Ben is on a journey to find his dad. The story of Rose is told primarily through illustrations. The illustrations tell us Rose’s story happened 50 years before Ben’s story. In the end we find out that Rose is actually Ben’s grandmother. The author did a phenomenal job in blending both stories together.

Analysis: How would this book appeal to "your" library? How would you sell these books? What other books has the author written?  Are they similar or different?


Wonderstruck is a novel told in both words and illustrations. This book has incredible drawings. The illustrations are vital to the story because they tell the story.  It would appeal to readers emerging readers as the illustrations are part of the story line. Readers who like to discover new genres would like this book because it tells two stories simultaneously. Readers with disabilities would also like this story because they can relate to the character. Other appealing characteristics of this book are for readers who are visual learners, as the illustrations are a key part.

I would sell this to readers by saying that the style of the book is unique.  I would also tell the emerging readers that this is a great book to read as the illustrations tell the story; maybe that might motivate them to read.  

The other books I read by the author are The Invention of Hugo Cabret, The Boy of a Thousand Faces, and The Houdini Box. The Invention of Hugo Cabret is very similar to Wonderstruck in that the images are an intrinsic part of the story. Without the images the reader would be lost. The Boy of a Thousand Faces also has a young boy as the main character, who has an overactive imagination.  The text is supported with an abundance of illustrations. This book also introduces the reader to many classic movies and stories such as Frankenstein and Dracula. The Houdini Box doesn’t contain as many illustrations as the other two books. In this book the illustrations help visualize the story not tell it like in the other books. Selznick has a style like no other, she makes the reader really focus and internalize his images and words.

  

Crenshaw

Applegate, K. (2015). Crenshaw. New York: Feiwel & Friends.

Crenshaw is a touching story about a boy named Jackson and his family. It seems whenever Jackson’s family is going through tough times, Jackson’s “imaginary friend” Crenshaw appears. Jackson’s parents are having financial problems to the point where they have to live out of their minivan and they don’t have money for food. Jackson learns that his “imaginary friend” is there to help. The lesson we learn is: “You need to tell the truth, my friend….To the person who matters most of all.”

Evaluative Criteria: Theme and Character

Theme:  A theme can be seen in this book is that of being homeless. We read about the games that Jackson and his sister Robin played when they were hungry “cereal ball”. Some readers can relate to this theme, there are many families dealing with finding a place to live and finding to food to eat. The mature readers can relate to Jackson’s parents as they work very hard to make ends meet. Parents today are in the same boat. If we never stop trying things will turn out ok.

Character: We have Crenshaw whose Jackson’s imaginary friend, who helps Jackson deal with the problems he is facing. He also can be seen as a therapist when he tries to explain to Jackson why there are such things as imaginary friends. We have Robin his sister who he tries to protect and tries to make things look like they are not as bad as they are. We also have his parents who really hard to try to make ends meet for their children. The readers can connect to at least one character in the book at one time or another in their lives.

Skulduggery Pleasant

Landy, Derek. Skulduggery pleasant. New York: HarperCollins.

Stephanie’s world is turned upside down after her Uncle Gordon dies.  She tries to deal with the inheritance that was left to her as well as new friends that come along with the inheritance. Skulduggery Pleasant is one of her uncle’s closest friend as well as a walking and talking skeleton.  Stephanie finds herself in a world full of creatures and magic.  Stephanie and Skullduggery must work together to help solve her uncles murder case, in the process she also discovers things about herself and her family.
 
Evaluative Criteria: Character and Plot

Character: Our main character Stephanie is one the readers can relate to because everyone has experienced being ordinary then all of a sudden experiencing something you never knew was even possible. In the book the book Stephanie embraces the new world she was plunged into, instead of running from it. She shows courage and many readers can see themselves doing also as they go through their daily trials, as well as the experiences Stephanie is going through in the book too. Skulduggery is also a character that readers fall in love with due to his humor and spirit, regardless of the tragedies he’s gone through, he gives the reader a sense of hope and teaches the reader to never give up.  He also makes the reader feel like everything will be okay.

Plot: This story starts in a realistic world with everyday characters.  After Gordon dies, Stephanie is exposed to a magical world, which she discovers that she has more of a connection to than she realizes.  The plot starts off strong as Stephanie is attacked almost at the beginning of the book and continues to have extraordinary experiences.  She partners with an unlikely character, a talking skeleton named Skuldugerry Pleasant, together they must save the world from an evil mage.  The story contains humor, adventure, and twists and turns that keep the reader fully engaged!
 

Comics Squad: Recess!

Holm, J. (2014). Comics Squad: Recess! New York: Random House.


Comics Squad is a collection of comics with hilarious characters and real life situation that readers can relate to.  The readers can identify with daydreaming and an active imagination. The author does a wonderful job of expressing the experiences and feelings of almost every child at school. The fact that they are short and funny will have young readers racing to get a copy.

Evaluative Criteria: Character and Style

Character: The author does a fantastic job in using a variety of characters the reader can relate to. We have Baby Mouse who has trouble in class and with a vivid imagination. Then we have Grover some readers can relate to being the one with no self-confidence and sometimes feeling left out. Another character we have is Jiminy Cupcake who tries to find the silver lining and the good in all things.  These strong characters help the reader identify themselves with them.

Style: We can see how style is shown in the book, beginning with how the author uses a particular color scheme throughout the story.  The author also brilliantly puts together a collection of short comics that present both realistic fiction as well as fantasy that appeals to young readers.  The language expressed in the book is normally used by the appropriate age group, which makes it more interesting to young readers.

Rapunzel's Revenge

Hale, Shannon. Rapunzel’s Revenge. New York: Bloomsbury.


This graphic novel tells us how Rapunzel unites with Jack. Rapunzel has been kidnapped by the evil Gothel who locks her high in a tree for a long time. Rapunzel uses her long hair, which has grown over the years, to escape. She then meets up with Jack. Jack who is a wanted thief, and is trying to make money to fix his mother’s home. They come up with a plan to get rid of Mother Gothel, they are successful.
 
Evaluative Criteria: Style and Plot


Style: The author did a great job in using different ways to show the illustrations changing the size and the amount used on every page. We can also see how the author used the yellow textbox to signify Rapunzel’s point of view and the use of speech bubbles was also creative.  Last but not least the story is told as a graphic novel.

Plot: We can see the plot in this story is a quest. Both Jack and Rapunzel must embark on a journey to fulfill their own. Rapunzel needs to rescue her mom and Jack needs to replace his mom’s house. As the story goes on they both find out not only do they each have their own quest, they now share a quest together of destroying Gothel. The climax is when they work together to acquire as much knowledge as possible to bring Gothel down and ultimately do.
 

The Graveyard Book

Gaiman, Neil. (2008). The graveyard book. New York: HarperCollins.


Nobody Owens’ life changed forever when his family was brutally murdered and he found himself adopted by a graveyard family.  Nobody has the ability to see and speak to the dead. While the graveyard does its best to protect Bod, he longs for the outside world with other people who are alive.  So as a teenager, he finally decides to become part of this outside world, to learn from it, and hopefully, to locate and end the man who took his family from him.
 
Evaluative Criteria: Setting and Theme

Setting: The story takes place in a small town graveyard.  The author does a fantastic job in creating an image with only words. We can picture the graveyard as we are reading the story. Bod embraces the graveyard as his home. Bod is experiencing things that other kids his age will never understand or experience themselves. While they are doing “normal things”, Bod is talking with the dead, and befriending ghosts. Throughout the book the consistency of the dark and eerie feeling can be felt.

Theme:  A theme we see throughout the story is a theme of kindness. We can see this when Nobody is taken in by Mrs. Owens. Not only does she take him in she makes sure he becomes part of the family unit. We see kindness again when Liza and Nobody meet he is kind and compassionate enough to construct her a gravestone so will not be forgotten. Finally we see kindness again when Bod helps some students stand up to some bullies.   So the theme is obvious throughout the book.
 

Gregor the Overlander

Collins, Suzanne. (2004). Gregor the Overlander. New York: Scholastic.

This story is about Gregor and his little sister Boots, who fall find themselves in Underland, which is a underground world full of gigantic talking roaches, bats and rats. It is truly a fascinating fantasy tale. They encounter unbelievable things in Underland. Gregor finds out there is another human, which turns out to be his father. He decides to try and find him. In the end he is reunited with his father and they return home.

Evaluative Criteria: Setting and Theme

Setting: Setting is key in this story. We find that Gregor finds himself in anunderground world that has no sunlight and extraordinary creatures. The buildings in the weird place are made of stone which are connected through tunnels. That is how they get around down there. Due to no sunlight the creatures have learned to adapt they flourish in this dim environment. The people also must learn to adapt, no sunlight has changed the look of their eyes and skin. 

Theme: A theme we hear more than once said in the book is  “where there is life there is hope”. does not matter where you find yourself this statement holds truth. While on their journey Gregor and the others face death and terror, but always returning to the theme as long as one of them is still pushing through then they will make it. Never lose hope and faith. This can be seen in Overland as well as in Underland.

 

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!

 

 

Schlitz, Laura Amy. (2007). Good masters! Sweet ladies! Cambridge: Candlewick Press.

Good Masters!  Sweet Ladies! is a collection of poems from a medieval village.  We are introduced to Taggot, the blacksmith’s daughter, Simon, the knight’s son, and Mariot and Maud, the glassblower’s daughters, just to name a few.  As we learn about each character, the author give us insight into what life was like for different social classes, jobs and duties that young people encountered every day.  

Review:

Set in Medieval Times, we are introduced to quite a few of young characters through a set of twenty-two short poems. This collection of wonderful historical fiction provides a look into their daily lives back then. Each poem is voiced by a young adult with a diverse role in society.  The way the poems have a connection to one another helps with the flow of the reading, yet every poem also has an individualism in itself. Some of the terms used may be difficult to follow because we are not accustomed to using them today, but thanks to the footnotes and additional background information that accompany such terms we can get a better understanding not only of the terms but also into the customs and daily routines of the times. These poems help give the reader visualize life in this era. The reader can relate to the characters emotions. Although life back then for the villagers and life today for us are not very similar what we have in common is that acceptance and love is wanted by all no matter the time in history.

The Watsons Go To Birmingham - 1963

 

Curtis, C. P. (1995). The Watsons go to Birmingham---1963. New York: Delacorte.

The Watsons Go to Birmingham is a story about a family to decide to visit Grandma Sands in Birmingham, Alabama. Byron’s behavior is what leads them to Grandma’s house. During their visit they face racial prejudices and segregation. There is also a bombing that shocks and scares the family. When they finally decide to go home, you can’t help but feel is maybe it wasn’t so bad in Birmingham after all.

 

Review:

Kenny Watson lives with his family which consists of his parents, his little sister Joey, and his older brother Byron. Joey is good and kind, while Byron is “a mischievous boy”. In the story we read about what Kenny is going through at school, suffering bullying from his brother, and finding an unforeseen friend named Rufus. We read about the family experiences and we as readers can relate to them. This helps us to believe that they are truly genuine. The family then decides to travel to Birmingham, Alabama to visit Grandma Sands. Byron’s behavior has gotten intolerable and with hopes that Grandma can assist. We are taken back to 1963 when segregation and prejudices were in full swing. The Watsons had to strategize with planning where to stop to make sure the not to cause any problems with the white population. There’s a bombing of a church, which panic the Watsons, and makes them feel unsafe. It’s great to see how the characters come into their own, for instance Byron is the one that helps Kenny overcome what is going on. This story familiarizes the reader to the Civil Rights movement with real historical events. They are also presented with characters they can relate to.

Bridge to Terabithia

Paterson, Katherine. (1977). Bridge to Terabithia. New York: HarperTrophy.


Jesse works on the family farm to help his family financially. He also practices his running all summer so he can be the best. Then Leslie, the new neighbor, shows up and proves she is the fastest runner in fifth grade. Leslie and Jesse form a friendship like no other. Together they create their magical kingdom Terabithia. After Leslie decides to go to Terabithia alone she tragically dies, Jesse must deal with the heartache of losing someone close to him. He must find a way to accept her death and try to move on somehow.

 Evaluative Criteria: Setting; Plot

Jess grew up in the small town while Leslie is coming from the big city. The woods near his house is a great place where their imaginations can roam free. The place where they go escape and be different from their everyday lives, turn out to be the place where Leslie dies. The setting is very important in this book. Many life changes occur there. Plot can be seen when Leslie’s family trade riches for a simple country life. Leslie’s parents want her to know there is more to life than money. The climax is when Leslie dies. Now Jesse must try to deal with this tragic loss. We see the silver lining at the end when Jesse introduces May Belle to Terabithia and Jesse can pay it forward. This is his way of healing his inner scars.

  

Orbiting Jupiter

Schmidt, G. D. (2015). Orbiting Jupiter. Boston, NY: Clarion Books.

Jack and Joseph meet under unexpected circumstances. After Joseph tells Jack everything he has been through a bond of friendship is built. They have each other’s backs. Joseph’s main concern is finding his daughter he had at such a tender age. As he does all he can to locate his daughter his biological father shows up trying to help his son but really only looking out for himself.

 

Evaluative Criteria: Character; Style

Character plays a tremendous role in this book, we have Jack a twelve year old whose parents are foster parents. Then we have Joseph a fourteen year old who joins their family. These two characters are very different from each other. Joseph has had a very difficult life from a very young age. Then we are introduced to Jupiter a very big piece of the puzzle to this story. She is the child that Joseph is desperately trying to find. The style of the book is shown by the story being told in the point of view of Jack. We can feel the hurt, anger, and love he feels with every story Joseph tells him about his life.

George

Gino, A. (2015). George. New York: Scholastic Press.

 

George sees himself differently than how others see him. Everyone sees a boy and she sees her true self a girl. She doesn’t know how to tell people her secret. Then Ms. Udell tells her class they will be performing Charlotte’s Web. George really wants to be Charlotte but Ms, Udell says she can’t because she’s a boy. George and her best friend Kelly come up with a plan so that not only does George get to be Charlotte but everyone can see the real George.

 

Evaluative Criteria: Gender and Culture; Theme

Gender and culture can be seen in this book when George states she feels she is truly a girl. She struggles with keeping her secret. Many readers can identify with George. Society today is now more open about sexuality. There are more people expressing themselves are transgender. Allowing George to share her voice in the role she was meant to play Charlotte was wonderful. The theme in this book is be who you are meant to be. Don’t let others tell you who you. Let yourself be known. Be yourself and others will see the real you in the process. George struggles to tell her mom that she feels like a girl and her mom struggles to comes to term with her feelings as well. In the end slowly they deal with their emotions and start to see the real George.

 

The Crossover

Alexander, K. (2014). The crossover. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Josh and Jordan are twin brothers. They are extremely talented at basketball. Their number one fan is their dad. He not only coaches them in the game of basketball but also in the game of life.  Josh is more focused on the game while his brother Jordan isn’t as committed as his brother. His girlfriend Sweet Tea has a hand in that. After the tragic loss of their father, they must learn to keep his memory alive.

 

Evaluative Criteria:  Plot; Style

 Plot is shown in this book by introducing the family unit united and tight. The readers can relate because boys whose fathers are involved tend to be involved in sports. The story surprises us with the twist and turns as the brothers who used to be inseparable after an incident on the court no longer speak to each other. Another turn occurs during a fantastic day they boys were having with their father he suffers a heart attack and later dies. The strength this family has helps them deal with the tragic loss as a whole. This whole book is written in rhyme. The style Kwame Alexander presents is all his own. He includes a lot of similes and symbolisms. The twins are compared to stars on the court, at the end the twins compare their father to the star who will forever be watching over them from the sky.

Dear Mr. Henshaw

Cleary, B. (1983). Dear Mr. Henshaw. New York, New York: Harpercollins Children's Books. 

In Dear Mr. Henshaw, Leigh Botts is struggling with a lot of personal problems. He begins to write to his favorite author. In time the letters become personal as Leigh tells him about the problems he is having. The letters turn into a journal where he can express himself and voice his feelings about his parents’ divorce, his absent father, and trying to come to terms with his life. . He realizes he is really is an author.

 

Evaluative Criteria: Gender and Culture; Character

We can see gender and culture in this book in regards to Leigh living in a single parent home. It has become the norm for children to come from broken homes and uninvolved parents. Readers can connect personally with the writer at that level. Character can be seen because the story is told from the perspective of Leigh as Leigh continues to write we can see growth not only in his writing but also in himself as a person. At the end he comes to terms with the way life is, not everybody can have a perfect life. We can also see character come into play when the letters begin to introduce us to other characters.  

Hitler Youth

Bartoletti, Susam Campbell. (2005). Hitler youth. New York: Scholastic.

This book riveting book tells us about what life was like under the rule of Adolf Hitler for the youth of Germany.  The adolescents were involved in an organization known as ‘Hitler Youth’.  These poor children were disciplined and trained in militaristic activities.  The author does an amazing job in telling these boys their stories. This book contains factual information accompanied by primary resources.

Evaluative Criteria: Accuracy

This book utilizes accuracy well. It contains sources cited in notes. The facts about how the children and men ended up in as Hitler’s soldiers help make you understand the truth of it all. Society show bias information and we naturally accept it. The illustrations and text go hand in hand. It opened my eyes to a different view of Hitler’s followers.