Assignment 6

Book Review: 

Wonderstruck

 

Selznick, B. (2007). Wonderstruck. NY: Scholastic.

 

Author:  Brian Selznick captivates audiences with this new vivid exciting book.  You will fall in love with how he creates two separate characters in the story but, at the same time intertwines them beautifully together.  Even though, their events occur 50 years apart, they have one challenge in common they both are deaf.  Their disabilities are somehow connected intelligently and their stories are weaved together back and forth.    Their determination is admirable and makes the readers connect with their challenges.  Rose’s story (1927) is told by pictures and she longs for a mother who just can’t be there for her.  As for Ben’s story (1977) it is told by words, and he too also longs for a mother who recently passed away.  They both struggle with their disabilities but, discover something new and wonderful that will change their lives forever. 

 

Check out this magnificent illustrated novel to find out what Rose and Ben discover in their journeys!

Special Points on Brian Selznick Books: 

Prose Writings

Compelling Real-Life Scenarios

Life changing journeys

Literary & Visual Worlds brought to life with words and pictures!

 

Other books you might enjoy!

By:  Brian Selznick

 

 

Book Review

Love that dog

 

 

Creech, S. (2001). Love that dog. NY: HarperCollins.

Author: Sharon Creech will make you laugh with her new book but then again at the same time inspire you to fall in love with poetry.  Creech’s unique way of compiling journal entries from a boy named Jack will blow you away.  Jack seems to think that poetry is for girls ONLY but, is presently surprised when he becomes enthused with the idea of himself creating poetry.  Creech’s ability to bring to life Jack’s struggles and self-doubt with poetry is fascinating. 

Check out this exciting new poetry book.  You will “LOL” laugh out loud with Jack’s new found love for poetry!

 

Special Points on Sharon Creech Books: 

Poetry formatted, but not all of them.

Teaching tools

Newberry Award Recipient

Unique way of demonstrating what you can express with words!

 

Other books you might enjoy!

By:  Sharon Creech

 

Book Review

brown girl dreaming

 

Woodson, J. (2014) brown girl dreaming.

New York:  Penguin Books.

 

 Author Jacqueline Woodson enthralled writing will enable you to identify with Ms. Woodson’s struggles. This memoir is written thru vivid verses that share the challenges that African American children growing up might of experienced.  It will allow you to visualize the childhood of Woodson as well as bring you awareness of the remnants of Jim Crow and Civil Rights Movement eras.  Woodson’s ability to demonstrate poetry in a voice of a child is exquisite.  You will appreciate this emotionally charged inspiring book. 

Check out this enlightening exciting book.  You won’t want to put it down.

 

Special Points on Jacqueline Woodson Books: 

* Poetry formatted, but not all of them.

* Emotionally Charged

* National Book Award Winner

* Newberry Honorary Recipient

* Poetic Eloquent Narrative Stories!

Other books you might enjoy!

By:  Jacqueline Woodson

 

 

 

 Book Review

El Deafo

 

 

Dell, C. (2014) El Deafo.

New York:  Abramsbooks.

 

Author Cece Dell has created this extraordinary book that will remind you that no matter what obstacle life throws at you, you always have a choice and how you choose to overcome it.  Cece’s standout              autobiography will allow you to see how her hearing loss affected her view of herself in the world.  She longed for acceptance and for a friend.  “The Phonic Ear” gave her the ability to hear and sometimes even more than she should have.  But, most importantly it gave her a friend.

 Check out Cece’s poignant graphic novel memoir to find out more about “El Deafo-Listener to ALL!

Special Points on Cece Dell Books: 

* Poetry formatted, but not all of them.

* Serious Subjects expressed with warmth and humor!

* Newberry Award Recipient

* Extraordinary Graphic Novels

 

Other books you might enjoy!

By:  Cece Bell

Assignment 5

Gregor The Overlander

Collins, S. (2004). Gregor the overlander.
NY: Scholastic.

 

Textbook Assignment 5:

Readers will connect with Gregor because the main character is an eleven year old boy who seeks adventures.  In one adventure he falls into an Underland city that is underneath the earth’s surface.  He also has a sister named Boots, and they discover an Underland world that is made up of gigantic cockroaches, bats, spiders, and rats. At first he wants to return home but then decides to stay and fight these “monsters.”  This city is called the Kingdom of Regalia and it is inhabited by pale-skinned, violet-eyed humans called the Underlanders.  Gregor's  presence initiates a war between the Underlanders and the rats.  He sacrifices himself and becomes the warrior.  However, when he learns that his missing father has been kept prisoner by the rats for over two years, Gregor takes it upon himself to save his father and the Underlanders.   By the end of the story brave Gregor and his family return to the surface.

 

Evaluative Criteria:

Setting: The setting in this story was exquisite that provided readers with enough description to be able to visualize the Kingdom of Regalia and its surroundings.

Plot:  The plot in this story involved the journey Gregor needed to take in order to come back to Earth with his family and was consistent throughout the majority of the story which will enable readers to proof that it is fantasy.  

 

The Graveyard Book

Gaiman, N. (2008). The graveyard book.
NY: HarperCollins.

 

Textbook Assignment 5:

Readers will find this story to be riveting and suspenseful.  Bod Owens is not your typical average boy. Owens family was murdered and he was left in a cemetery in which ghosts would become their main caregivers.   Bod was brought up in a very peculiar place which is a graveyard to be exact.  This particular setting influences how he perceives life. When someone comes along and threatens his life, he must fight alongside his dead buddies to keep it. Bod has always wondered about the life beyond the gates and he eventually leaves the graveyard to explore the unknown world.

Evaluative Criteria:

Setting & Characters:  The setting in this story is crucial in understanding the main characters lives.  They would be spending the majority of their time in the graveyard. The characterization in this story will allow readers to connect with the conflicts that shape the plot structure of the story.

Rapunzel’s Revenge

Hale, S. (2008). Rapunzel's revenge.
NY: Bloomsbury.

 

Textbook Assignment 5:

 

This graphic novel tells the story of Rapunzel but, not the typical classical “Rapunzel.”  Rapunzel at a very young age was taken by Mother Gothel and had been warned never to look over the wall that surrounded their home. Rapunzel refused to comply and found her real mother.  Because of her disobedience towards Mother Gothel’s wishes she gets locked away in a tree for four years. Eventually Rapunzel escapes and takes Mother Gothel's magic and returns it to the righteous land where it belongs.

Evaluative Criteria:

 

Rapunzel’s plot consistency was seen throughout the story when she seeks and carries out her revenge for everything Mother Gothel has done to her family.  The theme in this story as well helps the reader understand Rapunzel's choices and affirms the common fantasy stories which are good is more powerful than evil. 

Comic Squad:  Recess!

 

Holm, J. (2014). Comic squad: recess!
NY: Random House.

Textbook Assignment 5:

 

Comics Squad: Recess! is a graphic novel that consists of eight small popular comics. The characters have various adventures with one thing in common-they all occur during recess.  From the lunch lady attacking a monster pizza, to a cupcake and her junk food friends they take on the Green Gang of healthy fruits and veggies.

Evaluative Criteria:
The colorful choice of style that the authors choose to use with this novel make the pencil & pen work, watercolor, and digital art appropriate with this particular fantasy unique style. The setting in this story is crucial in allowing readers to understand that the story takes place during recess. 

 

Skulduggery Pleasant

Landry, D. (2007). Skulduggery pleasant.
 NY: HarperCollins.

Textbook Assignment 5:

Readers will find Stephanie’s fantasy world to be thrown back by a Skullduggery detective because he is a skeleton.  Skullduggery detective work is put to work when Stephanie’s uncle leaves her with a difficult problem to solve.  Stephanie and Skullduggery will do whatever it takes to be safe. 

 

Evaluative Criteria: 
Skullduggery’s Pleasant plot will allow readers to connect with Stephanie and Skullduggery when they go on their journey to locate the scepter.  The characters in this story will enable readers to believe that Skullduggery is a typical detective and not a made up living skeleton.

Crenshaw

Applegate, K. (2015). Crenshaw.

NY: Feiwel and Friends.

  Textbook Assignment 5

Readers will be able to connect with Jackson and his family because all families have gone through money concerns one time or another.  Jackson and his family do not have much money for their rent or food, either.  Jackson’s family which consists of his parents, little sister, and their dog may have to live in their minivan.  Jackson has an imaginary friend and he is the only one who can see this imaginary large outspoken cat named Crenshaw.  Readers will be able to realize that his imaginary cat comes into Jackson’s life when Jackson is passing through a difficult time.  Crenshaw will help Jackson save his family from losing everything.  

 Evaluative Criteria:

The theme in this story is crucial in understanding how friendship can make a difference in people’s lives.  The characters also in this story are made up of your typical family going through difficult times but, then it becomes fantasy when the character and his imaginary cat friend relationship set the stage for the conflicts that shape the plot. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assignment 4

The Watsons go to Birmingham

 

 

Curtis, C. P. (1995). The Watsons go to Birmingham, 1963.

NY: Delacorte.

 

Textbook Assignment 4

This novel is definitely a classic written in first person narration that allows readers to connect with the Watson’s family characters detailed experiences and growth.  This novel becomes historical fiction with the passage of time during the Civil Rights Movement. The Watson’s family setting in this novel is an integral explanation that describes the vividly influences of the historical recreation of time during Civil Rights Movement Era.  The style that the author embodied in this novel reflects the author’s own voice and manner while still depicting the characters dialect and language patterns that the characters conveyed to the reader.  The “south” dialogue was a constant reminder of the peculiar style that the characters (Mom and Grandma) were transmitting during the Civil Rights Movement Era.   The characters overall changes and growth will allow the readers to connect and feel the detailed close to death experience that the main character goes through.  The characters dialect is another example of how the readers can connect with the protagonists and other major characters throughout the novel.  The boy’s (Kenny and Byron) near death experience changed the whole stories plot and family’s dynamic.  This novel has humor in conjunction with other elements that will allow readers to connect and understand the author’s message.

 

Good masters, sweet ladies! 

 

Schlitz, L. A. (2007). Good masters, sweet ladies!  

Boston, MA: Candlewick Press.

Textbook Assignment 4

 

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village are several historical fictional stories where the characters, are based on actual roles of people during the middle ages with real historical elements. The story is told by 23 characters in 19 monologues and 2 dialogues. The book incorporates the medieval life based on Europe history.  It describes all of the glorious details of filth, disease, maggots, superiority, poverty, and more. The setting and theme of injustice among the characters seem to correlate and provide insight for the reader of the cruel conditions of the middle ages. The 23 different points of view in the book include almost every role needed for a Medieval Village.  The stories are focused around the Middle Ages, Good Masters; Sweet Ladies that give you a vision of what life was like for both the wealthy and the peasants during that time of age. The stories are told through a collection of small plays that if they are individually different still have a connection amongst them.  Each play describes the hardships young characters encounter during the medieval times. They are all told in the first person narration giving the readers lively details about their lives. From the story of the lord’s nephew, Hugo, to the beggar named Giles, the reader gets a preview of what might be medieval life. The story also gives various different perspectives of medieval children as they lived their lives according to their social status. The stories are full of traditions, and ways of life as wells as details of religion during the middle ages.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assignment 3

Dear Mr. Henshaw

 

Cleary, B., & Zelinsky, P. O. (1983). Dear Mr. Henshaw. New York: W. Morrow.

Textbook Assignment 3

Dear Mr. Henshaw is a Contemporary Realistic Fiction-Family young adult novel about a ten year old little boy named Leigh Botts who enjoys reading and loves his companion dog, Bandit.  He also likes writing but is bothered by his food been stolen from his lunchbox.  When he was in second grade Leigh was given an assignment and that was to write a letter.  He selected to write to a well-known respected author named Mr. Henshaw. “Leigh wishes a lot of things” and not knowing that Mr. Henshaw would reply to him was flabbergasted when he received the letter from him.  Mr. Henshaw was very similar to a father figure for Leigh.  In this book the author tackles the tough topic of divorce and how that affects the life of a young boy in his daily life.  The character in this story is extremely identifiable with children’s own experiences when dealing with tough troubled situations in life.  The author’s theme in this story will allow the young adults to make connectable real-life experiences when dealing with separation, divorce parent issues.

 

The Crossover

 

Alexander, K. (2014). The crossover.

Boston; New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Textbook Assignment 3

The Crossover is a contemporary realistic fiction –sport novel that allows readers to understand the striking beauty of basketball, and how “the game” helps through life lessons that these young boys learn.  This book is about Josh and JB almost 13 year old twins that love basketball.  This book is written in poetry form which enables YA to understand the story’s plot.  Josh and JB parents are professions who desire for their children to also become one themselves.  The twins lives are similar but yet very different.  As the story unfolds it allows the story to demonstrate their strong bond and strengths.  The “styles-poetry” that this author chooses to use enables readers to understand the climax of the story.  The reader can understand the boy’s life and their troubles.  These young African American twins have a pronounced influence on how the author conveyed the cultural markers in this book.  They were phenomenal but yet kept to a minimum that allows readers to understand their upbringing in a way that is inspiring not controversial.

 
GEORGE

Gino, A. (2015). George.

New York: Scholastic Press

Textbook Assignment 3

This is a controversy and contemporary realism novel that its theme and independent identity crisis dealing with the controversial topic of transgender is seen throughout the book.  This book is dealing with people’s perception of who a person might be based on their exterior look.  When George was seen by people, they thought of him as boy. But “she” knows she's not a boy. She knows she's a girl.  George thinks she will never be able to share her secret with anyone.  When her teacher suddenly announces that there will be a class play “Charlotte’s Web” she immediately identifies with Charlotte’s role.  The problem occurs when her teacher does not allow her to play the role because “she’s” a boy.  Her best friend Kelly and George come up with a plan and they are successful not only in allowing her to get the part but with everyone accepting her for whom she really is.  Even though since the beginning of the story readers can pick up the theme “transgender” it still was not given to directly which would have been a little disappointing.  The gender and culture is also seen when one’s person’s identity is being questioned. 

 

 

Orbiting Jupiter

 

Schmidt, G.D. (2015). Orbiting jupiter.

Boston; New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

 

Textbook Assignment 3

This book is a contemporary realistic fiction-self that is narrated by Jack, the 12 year old son of foster parents. When he was 14 years old joins their family, his life is changed in different ways and not all of them are beneficial for him. This story actually tells two stories:  on the one hand, it’s about the influence that friendship has and “having someone’s back”, on the other, it’s about his past lives experiences. In this book’s the setting is crucial in understanding the real characters life journey.  His troubles in life started early on in the book but the settings were really where you were able to connect with the characters life-long suffering experiences.  This book is overpoweringly sad, but yet so interesting that it allows readers to become inspired by the obstacles this person goes through in life.

 

 

Bridge to Terabithia

Paterson, K. (1977). Bridge to Terabithia.

New York, NY: T.Y. Crowell.

Textbook Assignment 3

This controversial and contemporary realism fiction book enables the reader to journey off into the exceptional unique magical kingdom of Terabithia.  In this book Jess Aarons who lived in a farm with his sister MayBelle is transformed by his new next door neighbor.  His life changes when she leads him into the magical kingdom of Terabithia. Leslie's sudden death saddens Jess but he continues to be the King of Terabithia. He even invites his little sister MayBelle along to be the new queen. Now, in Terabithia they both rule and their journey is just the beginning of the new adventurous journeys that await them.  The setting is crucial in understanding the journeys that these children go through.  Having the characters journey off into different settings “magical kingdom” is solely essential in understanding the stories plot. It allows readers to be able to visualize and imagine as if they too will have the ability to join Jess and Leslie into Terabithia.