GENRE 6: FICTION, FANTASY, & YA (BOOK # 3)

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Holm, Jennifer L. 2007. MIDDLE SCHOOL IS WORSE THAN MEATLOAF. New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0689852819

2. PLOT SUMMARY
In this story, a year in the life of seventh grader, Ginny Davis, was shown through her notes, doodles, report cards, instant messages, poems and other writings, newspaper clippings, and other small things that made up a big part of her life.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This story depicted the life of a twelve-year-old girl as she experienced a difficult year. This story was unique as it was told through pictures of things such as letters, cards, bank statements, repair bills, and other small items. The reader had to go through all of these bits and pieces of Ginny's life and put them together to understand the things, both good and bad, that happened to Ginny at school and at home during the year that she was in seventh grade. Ginny went through some major changes such as gaining a new step-father and being away from her brother, Henry, who was arrested and then sent to military school. The effects of these things were seen in her dropping grades on her report cards, a disciplinary referral for slapping her former best friend for saying something unkind about Henry, and a note and business card showing an appointment to a therapist. Things started to get better for Ginny at the end of the story as Henry got ready to come back home and she won first prize at the school science fair.

The characters in this story were believable, especially Ginny, as a seventh grader trying to make sense of the happenings in her life. The letters, notes, poetry, and instant messages in this story are something that all middle school aged students can identify with. These things are a regular part of life for students in this age group, making the story very realistic. The plot is simple and believable. It was written in order from the time school started in the fall to the end of the school year where Ginny began to look forward to the summer. The setting was in a Pennsylvania town called Woodland Glen. Most of the story takes place at Woodland Central Middle School and at Ginny's home, which are the two places that most middle school aged students spend the majority of their time.

The theme of this story was that a person has to try to make the best of life, in spite of the fact that everything is always changing. Ginny went through some very difficult transitions in this story, but ended up feeling better by the end. This book was written in a style that reflects how twelve-year-olds think and act so young readers will be able to identify with Ginny and the things that happen in her life in the story. This story was written in a lighthearted matter. There are no real tragedies, with the exception of Ginny's description of the loss of her father in a car accident when she was younger.

The style of this book is unique. The detailed illustrations by Elicia Castaidi are what makes this book so special and appealing. The unique idea of telling a story through pictures of small things such as newspaper clippings, notes, and cards makes for very interesting reading. This book is perfect for middle school aged students, who will enjoy this unique reading experience.


This book has a young girl as the main character who gets through the problems and victories that life brings on a daily basis. This story would appeal to other young girls who will be able to relate to Ginny and what she thinks and feels as the story is read. This book is contemporary as it depicts the life of a modern day girl in middle school and would appeal to young adult readers.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Children's Literature: "Kudos to Maryland author Jennifer Holm for such an original and touching book and to illustrator Elicia Castaldi for the pictures so revealing of Ginny’s personality."

Kirkus: "Middle-school readers will recognize Ginny's world and enjoy piecing together the plot through the bits and pieces of "stuff" depicted in Castaldi's collages. A delightful collaboration."

5. CONNECTIONS
*This book would be good to use with middle school aged students.

*Other books that would appeal to middle school aged students:
Deriso, Christine Hurley. DO-OVER. ISBN 038573333X
Klise, M. Sarah. REGARDING THE BATHROOMS: A PRIVY TO THE PAST. by Kate Klise. ISBN 0152051643

*Other books by Jennifer L. Holm:
BOSTON JANE: AN ADVENTURE. ISBN 0060287381
PENNY FROM HEAVEN. ISBN 037583687X

*Another book by Elicia Castaldi:
MISS POLLY HAS A DOLLY. Retold by Pamela Duncan Edwards. ISBN 0399238573

GENRE 6: FICTION, FANTASY, & YA (BOOK # 2)

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Johnson, Angela. 2003. THE FIRST PART LAST. New York: Simon Pulse. ISBN 0689849237

2. PLOT SUMMARY
This is a story about a young man named Bobby who is a typical teenager in every way except for the fact that he has become a father. Bobby must grow up fast and make life altering changes as he raises his baby daughter on his own.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This story is told from a teen aged father's point of view. Bobby's story is told in alternating chapters titled "now" and "then." In the chapters titled "now", Bobby describes how his life has changed since he has been a single father to his baby girl, who he named Feather. These chapters tell of Bobby's struggle between the boy he still is and the man he must be in order to raise his daughter. In the chapters titled "then", Bobby describes how life used to be before the birth of his daughter and how his life was so uncomplicated and different at that time. Bobby is very believable as a new teen aged father, both terrified of the future and how he will be able to raise Feather, while at the same time loving his daughter more than anything in the world.

The other characters in the book are believable also. Bobby's girlfriend, Nia, is described as a typical teenager forced to grow up too fast because of an unplanned pregnancy. It is later revealed why Nia is not in Feather's life and the truth is heartbreaking. Johnson wrote these characters in a way that the reader feels deeply for them. There is sense of loss near the end of the story when Nia's situation is revealed and the reader learns that this young mother will never know her child or live her own life, due to complications from her daughter's birth. There is also a sense of hope at the end of the story as Bobby makes a decision to leave everything he has known and begin a new life in a new place with his daughter.

The plot of this story is very realistic. There are many teenagers and young adults who face the issue of an unplanned pregnancy in the world today. The setting of the story, in urban New York, makes the reader all the more sympathetic to the plight faced by so many urban teenagers who are very poor to begin with, that now have to face not only the emotional issues brought on by the birth of a new baby, but the financial issues as well. The theme of this story is taking responsibility for one's actions. Bobby had to learn to be responsible after he became a father regardless if he was ready or not. His daughter could not wait for him to grow up and become ready for fatherhood. This book was written in a style that reflected the way typical teenagers talk and behave, making it very believable. The slang and expletives used as the characters spoke or thought (in the case of Bobby as his thoughts were a major part of the story) were true to what modern day teenagers would use.

Most readers would expect a book about becoming a parent as a teenager to be written from the perspective of the mother. This book is unique because it explores teenage pregnancy from the perspective of the father. Not very many books have done this before, making this book an excellent story to use with all students in middle school and high school. Both young men and young women would benefit from reading this realistic story of teenage parenthood. This book shows that becoming parents as teenagers effects not only the mother of the child, but also the father.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Starred review in Booklist: "Poetry."
Coretta Scott King Book Award, 2004.
Starred review in School Library Journal: "Brief, poetic, and absolutely riveting."

5. CONNECTION
*This book would be excellent to use in a middle school or high school health class to teach young people about the realities of parenting.

*Other books about teen parents:
Bechard, Margaret. HANGING ON TO MAX. ISBN 0761315799
Waddell, Martin. TANGO'S BABY. ISBN 1564026159

*Other books by Angela Johnson:
HEAVEN. ISBN 0689822294
LOOKING FOR RED. ISBN 0689832532
TONING THE SWEEP. ISBN 0531054764

GENRE 6: FICTION, FANTASY, & YA (BOOK # 1)

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Gaiman, Neil. 2008. THE GRAVEYARD BOOK. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 780060530938

2. PLOT SUMMARY
The story began when a killer named Jack murdered almost an entire family, except for a baby boy who had climbed out of his crib and crawled away. As Jack looked for the boy, wanting to murder him too, the boy ended up in a cemetery. The boy was taken in by the inhabitants of the cemetery, who were the dead. The boy was named Nobody and called Bod for short. Bod was raised in the cemetery by his new parents, Mr. and Mrs. Owens, who were ghosts. Bod also had a guardian named Silas, who was neither alive nor dead, who protected him at all costs.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This story is a fantasy novel so it makes sense in this type of genre that most of the characters were ghosts and other such spiritual beings. The spirits in this story were believable in that they spoke and dressed according to the customs and ways of the world during the time in which they lived. There were ghosts in the graveyard from many different time periods all existing together, most of them getting along and helping each other. There were some monster type beings made up by the author such as a three-headed creature called the "Sleer", which added some interesting twists to the story. Bod was taught lessons such as "fading" (learning how to fade away from view) and dreamwalking (being able to appear in someone else's dreams) in addition to traditional human type lessons such as learning how to read and write. Bod was a typical young boy who was curious about the world around him in the graveyard that was his home as well as the world outside. The outside world was dangerous because the man named Jack was still looking for Bod so that he could kill him.

The plot of this story was very creative with many unexpected twists and turns, especially near the end of the novel. A little girl named Scarlett befriended Bod as she visited the cemetery with her parents. She eventually moved to Scotland with her parents and then came back years later with her mother, who had divorced her father. Scarlett became friends with Bod again and the friendship led to Jack finding Bod and trying to murder both Bod and Scarlett in the cemetery. With help from his adopted family and friends in the graveyard, Bod and Scarlett escaped without any harm. After the escape from Jack, Scarlett was made to forget all that she had seen, with the help of Silas. She and her mother returned to live a normal life in Scotland. After Jack was gone, Bod was able leave the cemetery that he had called home for the first fifteen years of his life, and go off to see the outside world.

The setting of the story was never mentioned by name, but it seemed to take place somewhere in England from the way the dead spoke and dressed. The often rainy and chilly weather also seemed to make England a likely setting for the story. The cemetery was described in vivid detail. The landscape, the actual gravestones, and the spirits were described so well that the reader could see them plainly without pictures. There were some black and white illustrations dispersed throughout the book depicting some of the characters and scenes, adding to the uniqueness of the book.

The theme of the book had to do mainly with good verses evil. The evil Jack (actually there were four of them, only one of whom killed Bod's family) ended up disappearing along with the other "Jacks of all trades," as the group of killers called themselves. Bod and Scarlett who were just innocent teenagers, were safe and free.

The style that was used by the author was appropriate to the story. The spirits spoke and dressed in ways that were believable to their own time period. New terms such as "dancing the macabray" (where the living danced with the dead), "the sleer", "dreamwalking" and "fading" were introduced in this story in a way that was authentic to the overall plot and feeling of the novel.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Bookmarks Magazine: "Critics praised each illustrated chapter as its own little gem, with moments both tender and terrifying—and each equally exciting. The Graveyard Book is sure to become a book to last the ages."

Inis - Children’s Books Ireland Magazine: "The Graveyard Book stretches to cover all genres and to meet the expectations of Gaiman’s legions of readers of all ages."

5. CONNECTIONS
*This book would be an excellent way to introduce middle school and high school students to fantasy fiction.

*Other books in the fantasy fiction genre:
Cherryh, C. J. FORTRESS OF OWLS. ISBN 0061020087
Norton, Andre. MIRROR OF DESTINY. ISBN 0380779765

*Other books by Neil Gaiman:
CORALINE. ISBN 006051048X
M IS FOR MAGIC. ISBN 0061254592

GENRE 5: HISTORICAL FICTION (BOOK # 3)

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Speare, Elizabeth George. 1986. THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc. ISBN 0440995779

2. PLOT SUMMARY
In this story set in the year 1687, in a Puritan community in Connecticut Colony, a teen aged girl named Kit, originally from Barbados, found it a struggle to live with her uncle and his family. The strict Puritan beliefs in the community were new and stifling to Kit, who was used to freedom. Kit finds friendship with an old Quaker woman who was an outcast from the community and rumored to be a witch.


3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The setting of this story allows the reader to go back to a time in New England where there was a deep fear of the supernatural and witch hunts were a part of life. Kit's happy and free childhood in Barbados with her grandfather had not prepared her for her new life in New England where everything was solemn and restricted. Kit met Hannah, an old Quaker woman who lived by herself, shut out from the rest of the society because of prejudice and fear. Hannah Tupper was believed to be a witch and everyone was warned to stay away from her. In spite of the warnings, Kit and Hannah quickly became friends and spent time together without Kit's family's knowledge. When the people in the community started becoming gravely ill, the blame was placed on "the witch." The townspeople gathered together to burn her house down.


Kit ran ahead to warn Hannah, and with the help of her friend, Nat, who she had met on the ship that brought her to the town, got her safely out of the town. Hannah sailed to Barbados, where she spent the rest of her days with Nat's grandmother. Because of her friendship with Hannah, Kit was put on trial during this witch hunt. The townspeople believed that Hannah had given Kit all of her powers before she disappeared. Things looked hopeless for Kit at the trial until Nat arrived with Prudence, a little girl that Kit had been teaching to read in secret at Hannah's home. Kit was set free because of Prudence's honesty as to what had gone on at Hannah's house. At the end of the story, Kit and Nat made plans to be married.

The characters in this story were believable and made for an excellent balance of personalities. Kit was as wild and free spirited as her home in Barbados. Nat was steadfast and free in his thinking, as he was always there to help Kit and had been a friend to Hannah for a long time despite the rumors. Hannah was a wise and sweet old woman, who had to live a lonely life just because she was a Quaker. Prudence went from a scared neglected child who was always looking at the ground, to a little girl who could hold her head high and had hope for the future.


The style of writing was easy to read. Hannah Tupper talked using words such as "thee" and "thy", adding authenticity to the story because this was the language used by Quakers during this time period. The theme of the story focused on prejudice and the damage it can do. The attitudes and morals of the time period were reflected in this story, making it very authentic. The Puritan religion was very strict and the religious services were extremely long. Any person in the community who did not attend the services had to pay a fine. There was a great deal of prejudice felt toward any person who had a different religion or was different in any way from the norm of the Puritan society. People that were different were outcasts, tried as witches, and even hung as if they had committed a crime.


In this book Native Americans were not treated in a positive light. During this time period, they were seen as savages to be feared. This story did nothing to correct this belief as some of the characters were captured and some scalped by the "Indians." This part of the story was written in a way that would be offensive to readers of today. With that exception alone, the story is well written and would be good to use with older students.


At the end of the book, there was an author's note in which the author stated that the story was a work of pure fiction. The author also stated that the description of the houses, the meadow, and the river running along the meadow are all something that is real and can still be seen today. The author also stated that some of the characters in the story were real people who lived in the colony in that time period including Sir Edmond Andros (the royal governor), Captain Samuel Talcott (the magistrate), Eleazer Kimberley (the schoolmaster), and Reverend Gersholm Bulkeley. This adds authenticity to the story.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
A Newbery Medal Book

An ALA Notable Children's Book

BookHive: "Join Kit as she sails to Connecticut to meet her aunt and see how she saves lives, faces a witch trial, and makes a life for herself in this strange, new land."


5. CONNECTIONS
*This book would be good to use with older students to teach them about Colonial times.


*Other books about Colonial times:
Bond, Douglas. GUNS OF THUNDER. ISBN 1596380136
Smith, Claude Clayton. THE STRATFORD DEVIL. ISBN 0802765440


*Other books by Elizabeth George Speare:
THE BRONZE BOW. ISBN (not listed)
THE SIGN OF THE BEAVER. ISBN 0003300293

GENRE 5: HISTORICAL FICTION (BOOK # 2)

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cushman, Karen. 1994. CATHERINE, CALLED BIRDY. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 0395681863

2. PLOT SUMMARY
In this story set in England in the year 1290, Catherine is a fourteen-year-old girl living with her family in a medieval English manor, who is determined not to become a "lady" or to get married. This book is written in Catherine's own words as she writes in her daily journal about her daily life, the expectations put upon women at the time, and her plots and schemes to avoid marriage in any way possible.


3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The characters in this story were all described from the point of view of Catherine, whose writing was often quite humorous as she wrote in her journal. She loved and thought highly of her mother, her brothers Edward and Thomas, and her Uncle George. Catherine portrayed her father as greedy and often called him "the beast." She did not get along with her oldest brother, Robert who she called "abominable." Other important people in Catherine's life were her friends Perkin and Aelis. Perkin was the boy who looked after the goats. Aelis was the only girl who understood how Catherine felt about being "lady like."


Each journal entry begins with a explanation of which saint's day occurred on that date, along with information about that saint. Excerpts were often ridiculous and funny such as "27th Day of March, Feast of Saint Rupert, bishop of worms. I do not know why worms have their own bishop and other creatures do not" or gory such as "20th Day of January, Feast of Saint Sebastian, who was shot with arrows, recovered, accused the emperor of cruelty, and then was clubbed to death." Religion, fear of the devil, and evil spirits were a major influence on Catherine and the people who lived during the 13th century. When Catherine's father had a toothache and wanted to go to the tooth puller to take it out, Catherine's mother feared that "pulling the tooth will leave a hole in his head where evil spirits can get into his body." Catherine then added in her own words "I think it more likely that evil spirits could get out."


The medieval views about the status of women was something Catherine was constantly fighting. In her journal she made a list of all the things girls are not allowed to do including "go on a crusade, be monks, laugh very loud, wear breeches, drink in ale houses, cut their hair, run, be alone, and marry whom they will." Catherine hated doing all the things that ladies were supposed to do such as sewing, washing clothes, tending to the medical needs of the family, minding their manners, and acting proper. Therefore, Catherine spent countless hours confined to her room, "imprisoned" for bad behavior. Catherine wanted to see the world and have adventures. She wrote "Here in my prison my mother works and gossips with her women as if she didn't mind being chained to needle and spindle."


Cushman's portrayal of the medieval times included things such as eating habits, the lack of cleanliness, and the strange remedies for the treatment of disease. In this story menus consisted of such delicacies as eels in quince jelly and hedgehog in raisins and cream. Catherine spent a lot of time counting and sometimes trapping fleas which lived inside the covers on her bed. Medical remedies were mostly herbal concoctions that women of the house grew and made themselves.


Young readers will be able to identify with Catherine as she often writes "Corpus bones! I loathe my life" as she lives with a family who doesn't understand her. Language such as "corpus bones" and "God's thumbs" are Catherine's chosen expletives. The language may not be the same, but the feelings of not being understood and listened to are something every reader can understand. At the end of the story, Catherine ends up having a better sense of herself and resigns herself to marrying the man she unflatteringly called "Shaggy Beard." Catherine is spared a life with him when he is "killed in a brawl over a tavern maid." In his place Catherine will marry "Shaggy Beard's" son, Stephen, who Catherine writes "is young and clean, loves learning, and is not Shaggy Beard. For these alone, I am prepared to love him."


The main theme in this book is the role of women in society. Catherine was a strong willed young lady, but in the end, she was no match for the rules and beliefs of the times. Women were like property sold to the highest bidder. Another theme in this book is religion and how it affected the lives of the people in that time period.


At the end of the book, Cushman wrote an explanatory Author's Note. In this note, she explained medieval times and how she studied the lives of ordinary people during these times. This makes the book authentic as to the time and place of events and the kind of lives these people led.


4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Children's Literature: "Using diary format, we learn of life, family, joys, and tribulations of a young woman born to title but not wealthy circumstances. Her dislike of her brothers, frustration with parents, conniving to escape chores, and determination to avoid any possible marriage arranged by her father, will keep you in stitches."


KLIATT Review: "Readers will learn much about the historical time period. Realistic, interesting, and sometimes utterly disgusting details of dress, eating habits, sanitation (or lack thereof), social justice, religious beliefs, celebrations, treatment of disease, etc., are plentiful throughout. Catherine is a strong female heroine with a sense of humor who readers will cheer for until the end."


5. CONNECTIONS
*This book would be wonderful to use as a way of introducing middle school and high school students to a study of medieval times.


*Other books by Karen Cushman:
THE BALLAD OF LUCY WHIPPLE. ISBN 0395728061
THE MIDWIFE'S APPRENTICE. ISBN 0395692296


*Other books about medieval times:
Carrick, Donald. HARALD AND THE GIANT KNIGHT. ISBN 089919060x
Dickson, Gordon R. THE DRAGON AND THE FAIR MAID OF KENT. ISBN 0312861605

GENRE 5: HISTORICAL FICTION (BOOK # 1)

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Peck, Richard. 2003. THE RIVER BETWEEN US. New York: Dial Books. ISBN 0803727356

2. PLOT SUMMARY
This work of historical fiction is set in a Illinois town called Grand Tower during the Civil War years. This book began in the year 1916 as a fifteen-year-old boy named Howard along with his two little brothers and father traveled to Grand Tower to visit his grandparents, his aunt, and his uncle. Howard's grandmother, Tilly, spent a part of each day telling him of the past, which became the majority of the story. Tilly told him of the day she met his aunt Delphine and the mystery surrounding her. There are many twists and turns in this spellbinding story of love, loss, prejudice, and strength. On the day Tilly and her family met Delphine and Calinda, as they stepped off of a boat from New Orleans, their lives changed forever. Delphine seemed to be a well bred lady and Tilly's family suspected that the darker skinned Calinda was her slave. Tilly's mother offered them her home and they became an instant family. Tilly's twin brother, Noah, fell in love with Delphine at once. Tilly's younger sister, Cass, became very attached to Calinda, who had the gift of being able to see into the past and future. This was a gift (and more often times a curse) that they both shared. Noah went off to war at age sixteen, leaving his mother, sisters, Delphine, and Calinda at home. He had been the man of the house for years. His father had gone away and never came home. Noah's going off to war left his mother grief stricken. She demanded that Tilly and Delphine go and find him and bring him home.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Richard Peck tells a story that takes the reader into the past and keeps them spellbound from the first word to the last. The characters in this story show strength and courage as they make their way in a world that is at war. Tilly is a remarkable young woman, finding strength within herself that at first she only saw in Delphine. Delphine is self-confident and strong throughout the story, proving that she was much more than a beautiful well-bred lady from the south. Cass is frail and small, but forced to be strong, as horrible visions of the past and even worse visions of the war are forced upon her. Noah is determined to be a man and fight for what he believes is right. His strength as he recovers twice from this decision is admirable. Tilly's mother, Mrs. Pruitt, is strong until Noah leaves for war. It is her visions of his death that ultimately causes her own, as she tragically never knew that he had come back home alive. Calinda is quiet but has a very strong presence in the story. William Hutchins is strong and reliable as he tends to the sick and the injured in the war.

The plot of the story is realistic to the time period it is set in. The fears most women had at the time of the war, the leaving of their husbands, sons, and brothers to fight, is depicted in both words and actions. The fear is unspoken but is always there in this story. Every day in which they woke up and Noah was still home was a good day. The town of Grand Tower is an actual town in Illinois. At the end of the book, Peck writes about the research that he did in order to write the book. This makes the book very authentic, from the description of the battles, the tents serving as hospitals, and the language used during that time period.

One of the themes of this story is the strength found in women. Another theme is prejudice and how people should not be judged by the color of their skin or what kind of blood they may have running through their veins. The horror and waste that war brings is also a main theme of this story. There are no winners as both sides experience pain and death.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Booklist: "Peck's spare writing has never been more eloquent than in this powerful mystery in which personal secrets drive the plot and reveal the history. True to Tilly's first-person narrative, each sentence is a scrappy, melancholy, wry evocation of character, time, and place, and only the character of Delphine's companion, Calinda, comes close to stereotype. A final historical note and a framing device--a grandson writing 50 years after the story takes place--make the reading even better, the revelations more astonishing. It's a riveting story that shows racism everywhere and young people facing war, not sure what side to be on or why."

Kirkus: "Peck writes beautifully, bringing history alive through Tilly's marvelous voice and deftly handling themes of family, race, war, and history."

5. CONNECTIONS
*This book would be a wonderful way to introduce the topic of The Civil War to middle school and high school students.

*Other books by Richard Peck:
DON'T LOOK AND IT WON'T HURT. ISBN 0030914671
DREAMLAND LAKE. ISBN 0030078865

*Other books about The Civil War:
Lawlor, Laurie. WIND ON THE RIVER. ISBN 0809205823
Rinaldi, Ann. GIRL IN BLUE. ISBN 0439073367

GENRE 4: NONFICTION AND BIOGRAPHY (BOOK #3)

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Morales, Yuyi. 2003. HARVESTING HOPE: THE STORY OF CESAR CHAVEZ. by Kathleen Krull. New York: Harcourt, Inc. ISBN 0152014373

2. PLOT SUMMARY
This book is a children's biography on the life and accomplishments of Cesar Chavez, who organized the first meeting of The National Farm Workers Association. He developed this organization in order to change the living and working conditions of migrant farm workers. This story begins with a look at Chavez' happy childhood on his family's ranch in Arizona, until a drought forces his family from their home and into new lives as migrant farm workers in California. Krull writes of how Chavez' dissatisfaction with the living and working conditions, along with his determination, drove him to work to make the necessary changes that greatly improved the lives of migrant farm workers.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Kathleen Krull is the author of many biographies. Therefore, this book is an accurate portrayal of the events and bibliographical information in the life of Cesar Chavez. The book is organized in a clear and logical sequence, beginning with Chavez' happy life as a child, up until age ten, when his life is changed forever as the result of a drought. Krull describes the working and living conditions of migrant farm workers at that time in detail. Workers lived in "battered sheds" where they "shared water and outdoor toilets with a dozen other families, and overcrowding made everything filthy." The workers worked for land owners who treated them poorly giving them "no clean water, no rest periods, and no access to bathrooms." These descriptions are written in a child friendly style using appropriate age level vocabulary. Krull makes sure to include some words written in Spanish along with English translations.

The beautifully painted illustrations by Yuyi Morales add to the poignant nature of the story as detail is given to the facial and body language of the people that were painted. The migrant workers were painted as showing fear, pain, and hopelessness in the beginning of the book. At the end of the story, when conditions had improved because of Chavez' work, those emotions were replaced by joy, relief, and hope.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
BookHive: "This biography is an uplifting story of non-violent protest and perseverance."


Kirkus: "Krull and Morales introduce a long-neglected figure from recent history to a new audience in an informative, eye-catching manner."


5. CONNECTIONS:
*This book is a good way to introduce Hispanic culture into the classroom.


*Other books by Kathleen Krull:
CITY WITHIN A CITY: HOW KIDS LIVE IN NEW YORK'S CHINATOWN. ISBN 0525674373
Greenberg, Melanie Hope. IT'S MY EARTH, TOO: HOW I CAN HELP THE EARTH STAY ALIVE. ISBN 0385420889


*Other books by Yuyi Morales:
LITTLE NIGHT. ISBN 1596430885
SAND SISTER. by Amanda White. ISBN 1841486175


*Other books celebrating Hispanic culture:
FAMOUS MEXICAN AMERICANS. by Janet Morey & Wendy Dunn. ISBN 0525650121
THE OTHER SIDE: HOW KIDS LIVE IN A CALIFORNIA LATINO NEIGHBORHOOD. by Kathleen Krull. ISBN 0525674381

GENRE 4: NONFICTION AND BIOGRAPHY (BOOK #2)

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Simon, Seymour. 2005. AMAZING BATS. San Francisco: SeaStar Books. ISBN 1587472615

2. PLOT SUMMARY
This book explores the life of bats. It covers topics of interest such as species, homes, and eating habits. Facts are explained with accuracy and myths are debunked in this fascinating book on one of nature's most misunderstood creatures.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Seymour Simon is a well known and respected author of children's books on subjects such as animals, nature, and the planet. This book begins with the line "Bats are the only mammals that can fly", which is sure to pique the interest of young readers. In text that is clear, interesting, and simple, young readers are taken on an adventure into the world of the bat. There are facts of types of bats, their habitats, and winter hibernation or migration. Simon includes child friendly analogies to make the facts easy to understand. For example, after stating that "a little brown bat can eat about 600 bugs an hour", Simon writes "That's like you eating 20 pizzas a night!" This analogy not only explains exactly how much a brown bat eats, it adds humor to the text. This is a fact that will not only be remembered by the reader, but will surely be shared with family and friends.

This book is well organized. It introduces bats on the first page with the fun fact that the scientific name for bats means "hand wing." It then goes on to describe the number of species of bats, their habitats, eating habits and myths. The largest and smallest bats are described in both written and picture form. Each picture in this book is an actual photo of a bat. These photographs on every page show detail such as the teeth of the tiny Pipistrelle bat and the veins in the wings of the Gigantic Flying Fox. These photographs add visual information to the text and depict bats in many interesting ways from hanging upside down to hunting for food.

Simon writes with enthusiasm and will keep the interest of young readers. The vocabulary is at a level that young children will understand and be able to read independently. There are no reference aids, subheadings, or a table of contents included in this book. There is no need for these things because the book is very short with very little text written on each page. This makes the book very appropriate for young readers.

The theme of this book (in addition to the purpose of giving young readers facts about the life of bats) is one of teaching young children to respect and appreciate animals and nature. This theme is summed up in the last line of the book which reads "Bats don't harm people-they help them."

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Horn Book: "This book touches on bat habitat, migration, and feeding and dispels a few famous myths. The text does a good job of introducing some rather sophisticated scientific concepts (e.g., sonar, hibernation)."


School Library Journal: "Simon does a good job dispelling myths, adding trivia, and drawing readers in: [The pipistrelle] weighs less than two pennies and is only as long as your little finger."


5. CONNECTIONS:
*This book would be an excellent way to introduce bats to young students.


*Other books by Seymour Simon:
BABY ANIMALS. ISBN 1587171708
SPIDERS. ISBN 0060891041


*Other books about bats:
SCREECH! : A BOOK ABOUT BATS. by Melvin & Gilda Berger. ISBN 0439201640
Kessell, Walter. THE BILLIONS OF BATS. by Miriam Schlein. ISBN 0397319843

GENRE 4: NONFICTION AND BIOGRAPHY (BOOK #1)

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sis, Peter. 2007. THE WALL: GROWING UP BEHIND THE IRON CURTAIN. New York : Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 0374347018

2. PLOT SUMMARY
This autobiographical and historical book by Peter Sis takes the reader on an eye-opening journey into the world on the Eastern side of the Berlin Wall, behind the Iron Curtain. The setting of the story begins in Czechoslovakia in the year 1948, when the Russians take control of the country and close the boarders. This book takes the reader through Sis' childhood, teen, and adult years using cartoon drawings with small amounts of text containing personal and political events ordered by year. Journal entry dates were also dispersed throughout the book, allowing the reader to share the politics of the day and the way it affected Sis' life.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
There is no greater expert on a subject than a person who has lived it. Peter Sis uses words and pictures to describe life in Czechoslovakia when it was ruled by the Communist party. The book begins with an explanation of the Berlin Wall and how it came to be. Through both his words and his drawings, Sis tells of the terrorizing and restrictive world in which he and his family were forced to live. Details on how quickly and completely the Communists took over the lives of the Czechoslovakian people are explained in small blocks of text alternating every few pages with journal entries and large drawings. Sis writes of facts such as the existence of secret police who spied on everyone, censored letters, bugged telephone lines, the censoring of art, the banning and jamming of Western radio, and the brainwashing of children in the schools.

Emotions are strong and vicariously experienced by the reader as Sis writes of tragedies and terror felt by the Czechoslovakian people as they are arrested, tortured, and even killed by the secret police. Excerpts from Sis' journal such as "Vetvicka, a fun guy and bass player died of head injuries after the police beat him in the melee following the Beach Boys concert" and "I was never told that my Uncle Vladimer died in the Communist Leopoldov prison. The guards killed him. My parents kept this news from us kids."

Sis is an art and music lover who longed for freedom as he learned about the Western world. His enthusiasm for Western music and ideals is depicted in his journal writings and drawings of the Western world. One drawing in particular shows his feelings. It is an ink drawing of the Eastern and Western sides of the country split in half by the Berlin Wall. The Eastern side is drawn using blank ink labeled with words such as "terror", "injustice" and "suspicion." The Western side is drawn using light red and orange ink and labeled with words such as "liberty", "hope" and "justice."

Most of this book is dark and disturbing. Sis' cartoon drawings in which the Communist police are depicted as pigs shows his disdain for the Communist party and their way of thinking. The lightest moment, and certainly the only funny moment in this book, comes from his journal entry dated November 1965. It reads "The party newspaper mentions this wild woman called Elvis Presley. It turns out she's a he."

Color in this book is used sparingly in the drawings. Most of the cartoon scenes are drawn in black ink. Russian flags and other Communist symbols are colored red to signify "The Red Party." Sis' drawings contained color in small amounts when artwork and music items were drawn, signifying freedom and hope.

Events in this book are organized in a clear and logical format beginning with the 1948 closing of the Czechoslovakian boarders and ending with the November 9, 1989 falling of the Berlin Wall. The text is placed in small blocks by date for easy reading. Events in Sis' personal life are mixed with those that are political, which helps to maintain the interest of the reader and allows for greater understanding of emotions experienced during that time period.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Starred Review in Booklist: "Throughout, terrific design dramatizes the conflict between conformity and creative freedom, often through sparing use of color; in many cases, the dominant palette of black, white, and Communist red threatens to swallow up young Peter’s freely doodled, riotously colored artwork."


Horn Book: "Media and color choices throughout are expert and telling. It's a surprisingly comprehensive portrait of an era and an artist."


5. CONNECTIONS
*This book is an excellent way to begin a lesson for older children on social conditions during the Cold War era in Eastern Europe.


*Other books by Peter Sis:
KOMODO! ISBN 0688115837
THE THREE GOLDEN KEYS. ISBN 0374375259


*Other books about the Cold War era:
Kort, Michael G. 1994. THE COLD WAR. ISBN 1562943537
Ross, Stewart. 2002. THE CAUSES OF THE COLD WAR. ISBN 0836852729

GENRE 3: POETRY (BOOK # 3)

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Frost, Helen. 2003. KEESHA'S HOUSE. New York: Frances Foster Books/Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. ISBN 0374340641


2. PLOT SUMMARY
This book is a verse novel which tells the story of the struggles of seven teenagers. Each of the teenagers in the book had a problem which caused them to leave their own home and go to Joe's house, where they got a free room, an undisturbed place of their own, and no questions were asked. In this house, the teenagers found safety and companionship as they struggled to put their lives back together.


3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The characters in this book are written in such a way that they seem to be real. The novel reads like a collection of autobiographies, not as one of fiction. The struggles that the teenagers in the book are facing are the same kind of problems that so many teens have to face, making each individual character's story believable and deeply felt.


Keesha ended up at Joe's house after the death of her mother. She could not take living with her alcoholic and abusive father. At the beginning of the book, her younger brother, Tobias, was still at home with her father. In the middle of the book, he was helping local drug dealers. By the end of the novel, the fourteen-year-old was dead. Keesha had always taken care of everyone else and Joe wondered who would take care of Keesha. At the end of the book, Keesha had plans to someday have a house just like Joe's where teenagers in trouble could go, no questions asked.


Stephie lived in a home with two loving parents who expected everything to be perfect. Stephie ran away to Joe's house after becoming pregnant and not wanting to face her parents. After a short stay, she went home and learned that her own mother had faced the same problem as a teen and gave her older brother up for adoption. Stephie ended up losing the baby and finding her freedom and was happy to be a "girl" again.


Jason was about to become a father. Stephie was pregnant and he was torn between his love and obligation to her and the baby and his future basketball career. It was only at the end of the novel that he went to Joe's house to visit along with Stephie. He was surprised that he was sad at the loss of the baby, but glad to have the chance at a career in basketball.


Dontay ran away from his foster parents' home to Joe's because he felt unloved and unwelcome there. Both of his parents were in prison. By the end of the novel, he was back in his foster parents' home trying to make the best of things for the three months he had to wait until his parents were released from prison.

Carmen had been in a juvenile detention center after getting arrested for a DWI. After the judge lets her go home to her grandmother's house, she learned that addiction ran in her family and had to struggle to overcome it. At the end of the book, she used Joe's house as a place to go where none of the people inside are drinking.


Harris came to Joe's house after running away from home when his parents would not accept that he was gay. He found acceptance there and could be who he was, not who his parents wanted him to be.


Katie ended up at Joe's house after she ran away from home in an attempt to get away from her abusive step-father. There, she slept in the basement with the door locked so no one could come in in the middle of the night, like her step-father had done when she lived at home.


In this novel, each of these characters' stories are told one page at a time alternating between characters throughout the entire book. The book also has some pages dedicated to some of the people in each of the main characters' lives, such as Joe, Keesha's father, Stephie's mother, Jason's coach, Dontay's foster father, Carmen's grandmother, Harris' mother, and Katie's mother. The short excerpts give the story from different points of view than just that of the main characters.


The novel was written in free verse form for most of the verses. There were only two chapters where each poem within the chapter rhymed. In the back of the book, Frost wrote an explanation of the types of poetry found in this novel. Poems in this book were written in sestina form and a few different types of sonnets. The language used in this novel is language that would be natural to teenagers living through these types of situations, making their stories believable. The emotional impact this novel has on the reader is great. Frost writes in a way that the reader identifies with and feels the pain of each character in the novel. This novel is excellent reading for middle school to high school students.


4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Booklist: "In a long note, Frost talks about the poetic forms she has used, the sestina and the sonnet. But most readers will be less interested in that framework than in the characters, drawn with aching realism, who speak poetry in ordinary words and make connections."


Children's Literature: "Although sestinas and sonnets, usually bring to mind romantic writings from the far past, they prove an equally effective format for this poignant contemporary book. Ms. Frost uses the poetic discipline to allow seven alienated teens and people involved in their lives to tell their unembroidered stories concisely and effectively. "


5. CONNECTIONS
*This novel could be used for a lesson for older students about families and the problems faced by teenagers.


*Other books by Helen Frost:
FEELING SAD. ISBN 0736806709
FEELING SCARED. ISBN 0736806717


*Other books about problems faced by teenagers and families:
McDonald, Joyce. SHADOW PEOPLE. ISBN 0385326629
Velde, Vivian Vande. ALISON, WHO WENT AWAY. ISBN 0618045856

GENRE 3: POETRY (BOOK # 2)

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Joysmith, Brenda. 1993. FROM A CHILD'S HEART. by Nikki Grimes. Orange, New Jersey: Just Us Books. ISBN 0940975442

2. PLOT SUMMARY
This collection of thirteen poems by Nikki Grimes is a touching personal look at the relationship between children and God. Each poem addresses a child's fear, hope, thanks, and wonder as they learn about the world around them.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
No matter what the reader's age, religion, or cultural background, this book of poetry featuring African American children and their families will be heartfelt. These poems span a range of emotions from the joy and wonder of spending a summer's day with a friend to the fear of losing a loved one. This book portrays the emotions of children as they talk to God for help, reassurance, and guidance. Each of Grimes' poems is written from the perspective of a child using a child's language.

The poems begin with one of hope as Grimes writes "Mama says I can be anything if I only believe." There are poems about being thankful expressed in lines such as "Thank you for the sun", "Bless grandma, Lord, for inviting us to stay" and "please make each day that is left feel like forever." Other poems address childhood (and often adulthood) fears expressed in lines such as "But God if You're his friend, please give my daddy work", "Another book report is due...I need a miracle from you", and "Lord, please give my grandma one more year."

The poems are written in both rhyming and free verse, often with both in the same poem. Each poem is written with heartfelt emotion. The reader can not help but feel exactly how the child in each poem is feeling. The illustrations by Brenda Joysmith are beautifully drawn. At first glance they look like photographs. The artwork is flawless. It captures the spirits and emotions of the children portrayed in the pictures. Each illustration of a child, children, or family adds warmth, depth, and sincerity to the poems they accompany.

The theme of this book of poetry is revealed in the title of the book, FROM A CHILD'S HEART. Children's hopes, dreams, and fears are explored with a child's honesty and innocence. The poems in this book can be read and understood by young readers on their own, but would be more meaningful if read by adults and children together.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books: "There's a modicum of rhyme, a conscious if informal sense of innocence, and more than a little sentimentality, which is echoed in the soft, idealized pastels that face each page of verse. The pictures are well drawn, with a kind of Norman Rockwell nostalgia that will please fans of the poetic messages packaged here."

Kirkus: "Joysmith's sensitive, realistic pastel drawings of pensive young African-Americans at work and play are beautifully composed and quietly luminous; now in various private collections, they date from 1984 to 1992. A lovely, deeply felt book."

5. CONNECTIONS
*This collection of poetry would be useful in introducing African American poetry to students.


*Other books by Nikki Grimes:
Cooper, Floyd. MEET DANITRA BROWN. ISBN 0688120733
Emslie, Peter and Hunt, Darren. MINNIE'S NEW FRIEND. ISBN 0307115240

*Other books by Brenda Joysmith:
AUNT MATTIE'S PRESENT. by Deborah Connor Coker. ISBN 0316234982
HUSH SONGS: AFRICAN AMERICAN LULLABIES. by Joyce Carol Thomas. ISBN 0786805625

*Other books featuring African American poetry:
Dillon, Diane and Leo. HONEY, I LOVE, AND OTHER LOVE POEMS. by Eloise Greenfield. ISBN 0690013345
Gilchrist, Jan Spivey. NIGHT ON NEIGHBORHOOD STREET. by Eloise Greenfield. ISBN
0803707770

GENRE 3: POETRY (BOOK # 1)

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Stone, Kyle M. 2005. PLEASE BURY ME IN THE LIBRARY. by J. Patrick Lewis. Orlando, Florida: Gulliver Books/Harcourt. ISBN 0152163875

2. PLOT SUMMARY

This book is an anthology of poems celebrating libraries, reading, and books themselves. It is a mixture of the poetic works of the author, J. Patrick Lewis, and classic poets.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The poems in this collection are a tribute to the joy and wonder of books. These poems will most likely be new to children. The presence of an adult to guide them through the verses is needed, especially for the very young child. Many poems are filled with humor such as the poem titled "Summer Reading at the Beach" which reads: "some folks read beside the ocean, some folks read along the coast, some folks rub on suntan lotion, some folks who forgot are TOAST!" Other poems are warm and sentimental such as "Great, Good, Bad" which reads: "a good book somehow makes you care about the comfort of a chair."

This book is beautifully illustrated using rich bold colors of paint. From the mice in the book (literally) on the cover, to the little girl sailing through the night sky in a giant paper airplane, the pictures are a magical mix of reality and fantasy.

This magical mix of the real and the pretend extends to books themselves. Some are realistic and teach us about the world. Some are imaginary and take us to a make-believe world found only in their pages and in our minds. This blend of the actual and fantasy worlds could easily be called a theme of this book of poetry, along with the celebration of reading and of books themselves.

Located in the front of the book is a table of contents, listing the titles and page numbers for the fifteen poems. On the very last page of the book a page titled "Acknowledgements." On this page J. Patrick Lewis gives credit and thanks to other poets whose poems are in this anthology, such as Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS

Booklist: "Lewis' poetry is continually clever, whether pithily summing up children's classics (a book that is excitedly read by a kid of 6 to another kid of 63) or capturing the thrill of reading in the dark."

Children's Literature: "From the deliciously polite title through the ab-so-lu-tas-ti-cal final acknowledgement the author tickles the funny bone as he plays with words and ideas designed to delight and intrigue the discerning reader."

Horn Book: "Fifteen poems in many forms extol the wonders of reading, books, and words. Not all of the poems read smoothly or easily, but many of them display wit and humor."

5. CONNECTIONS

This book of poems is a wonderful way to introduce children to the subject of poetry.

*Other books by J. Patrick Lewis:

Chess, Victoria. A HIPPOPOTAMUSN'T AND OTHER ANIMAL VERSES. ISBN 0803705190

Paparone, Pamela. TWO-LEGGED, FOUR LEGGED, NO-LEGGED RHYMES. ISBN 067980771

*Another book by Kyle M. Stone:

I LOVE MY PIRATE PAPA. by Laura Leuck. ISBN 0152056645

*Other collections of children's poetry:

Lobel, Arnold. THE RANDOM HOUSE BOOK OF POETRY FOR CHILDREN. selected and introduced by Jack Prelutsky. ISBN 0038710285

Truesdell, Sue. AND THE GREEN GRASS GREW ALL AROUND: FOLK POETRY FROM EVERYONE. by Alvin Schwartz. ISBN 0060227583

GENRE 2: TRADITIONAL LITERATURE (BOOK # 3)

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Truesdell, Sue. 1992. AND THE GREEN GRASS GREW ALL AROUND: FOLK POETRY FROM EVERYONE. by Alvin Schwartz. HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0060227583

2. PLOT SUMMARY

This anthology of folk poetry is broken into 15 subject areas featuring poems about: people, food, school, teases and taunts, wishes-and warnings, love and marriage, work, stories, nonsense, riddles, fun and games, rain and shine, a tree, animals and insects, and other things. These subject areas are listed in the Table of Contents in the front of the book.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Adults and children alike will enjoy reading the silly and strange poems in this book. Each poem tells of a hilarious incident or depicts a silly person or animal. The writing in this book of collected folk poetry is extremely funny. Lines such as "stare stare like a bear sitting in your underwear" and "the horse said 'Oops!' and fell of the flea and the flea said 'whoops, there's a horsey on me!' " will appeal to the sense of humor of children. Use of nonsense words that children will delight in repeating are widely used in this book such as "I with I wath a fith" and "higglety pigglety pop, the dog has eaten the mop."

This book is made for children to read alone, share with one another, or share with adults. Most of the poems have no need for an explanation because they are simple and easy to read. Many of the poems are sure to be familiar to children as well as adult readers. Poems such as "On Top of Spaghetti", and "Do Your Ears Hang Low" are well known to most children. In this book, these poems and some of the others come with sheet music which can be used to play or sing the poem. The silly black and white cartoon like illustrations add humor to the already humorous poems. The only poem in this anthology that is serious is titled "The Titanic" and tells the tale of that very sad happening.

Schwartz' introductions at the beginning of each chapter are entertaining as he states "There is one rhyme that makes it easier to wash dishes. And there is another that helps you sound like a fiddle." The chapter of riddles will surely be of interest to children as they try to solve them and then tell them to friends and family. At the end of the book there is a section titled "Notes" in which background information about folk poetry is given. There are also sections titled "Sources" and "Bibliography" where credit is given to those poems whose author or source is known along with a list of books of rhymes and games for children.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS

Children's Literature: "Perhaps the best feature of the book, however, comes at the end where sources are provided for the rhymes. It is in this section that readers can see just how long some

of these rhymes have been with us and where they came from."

Parent Council Volume 7: "Add this book featuring over 250 folk poems to your poetry collection. Old and new folk sayings and poems are sure to delight and even inspire!"

5. CONNECTIONS

This anthology is a perfect way to get children interested in poetry.

*Other books by Alvin Schwartz:

Glen Rounds. A TWISTER OF TWISTS, A TANGLER OF TONGUES; TONGUE TWISTERS. ISBN 039731387x

Glen Rounds. CROSS YOUR FINGERS, SPIT IN YOUR HAT; SUPERSTITIONS AND OTHER BELIEFS. ISBN 0397315309

*Other books about folk poetry:

Root, Kimberly Bulcken. GRANNY, WILL YOUR DOG BITE AND OTHER MOUNTAIN RHYMES. ISBN 0874835607

Schwartz, Alvin. I SAW YOU IN THE BATHTUB, AND OTHER FOLK RHYMES. ISBN 0060252987

GENRE 2: TRADITIONAL LITERATURE (BOOK # 2)

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Warhola, James. 1998. BIGFOOT CINDERRRRRELLA. by Tony Johnston. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons. ISBN 0399230211

2. PLOT SUMMARY

In this unique version of CINDERELLA, the plot is basically the same as the original story. There is a prince looking for a bride, a family consisting of a mean mother, her two daughters, and her unloved and unwanted step-daughter named Ella. What makes this story different from the original is that these characters are all Bigfoots. Instead of the price being handsome and charming, he is ugly, hairy, and smelly. He is looking for a wife who is just like him. All the Bigfoot women in the old growth forest want to marry him. The Bigfoot prince hosted a "great fun feast" where there were gifts, food, and games. His favorite game was logrolling. The Bigfoot prince let everyone in the forest know that if a Bigfoot woman rolled him off of the log and into the river, she would be the woman he would marry. Ell's step-sisters go off to the great fun fest and leave Ella alone to catch fish for dinner. As Ella is fishing, she makes a wish on a fish that leapt momentarily out of the water. This wish is then granted by her "Beary Godfather", a bear she had met previously. On their first meeting Ella saw that the bear was hungry and gave him all of the fish that she had caught. Ella's wish to go to the great fun fest and dunk the prince was granted when the bear gave her an enormous pair of clogs so that her feet would stay on the log during the logrolling game. She was told to be home by sundown or that she would have flowers in her fur and it would no longer be matted. Like the glass slipper, one clog was left behind as Ella ran home as the sun went down. The prince found and married Ella, whose gigantic feet fit into the clog perfectly.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The characters in this humorous story were ugly, hairy, smelly, and large. This is in sharp contrast to the characters in the traditional story of Cinderella, where the prince is handsome, the mean step-sisters are ugly, and Cinderella is beautiful. Johnston used similes throughout the story in his descriptions of the characters. The Bigfoot prince was "smelly as a fish" with a voice "as rough as bark" while Ella had "feet like log canoes" and was "shaggy as the forest floor." His descriptions were so vivid that a reader could "see" the characters even in the absence of illustrations.

Warhola's illustrations of the scenery in the forest are painted in a realistic style. The trees are painted in deep shades of green and medium shades of brown. The Bigfoot characters are painted as a cross between humans and monsters, with great detail given to facial expressions, individual teeth, and the curls on the hair of one of the step-sisters. Movement is conveyed by streaks and swishes of paint as the fish jumps out of the water and Ella dunks the prince into the water.

The theme of this story is that one should have respect for nature and treat everyone kindly. Kindness should be shown to both animals and humans (well, in this case, Bigfoots) no matter how they look or their size. The theme of being kind to nature is apparent as the Bigfoot prince yells "No pick flowers!" to the step-sisters who are caught in the forest picking wildflowers and draping them around their bodies. "For fun, (the step-sisters) threw rocks at spotted owls." Ella was described as loving nature and harming no creature.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS

Booklist: "The uproarious story is further energized by Warhola's luminous, hilarious paintings. Throughout the fun is a gentle reminder of the book's underlying message to protect the forest."

School Library Journal: "The troll-like Bigfoot population lives joyfully among wild animals in a forest paradise. Large, bright paintings in greens, browns, and gold depict the large-nosed, big-toed heroine and her "odoriferous" love interest."

Publishers Weekly: "What becomes a Bigfoot most? This silly twist on a favorite fairy tale clears up that question (and more) with humor and style."

5. CONNECTIONS

This book is perfect for a discussion on fairy tales or looking at alternate versions of the classic story, CINDERELLA.

*Other books by Tony Johnston:

CAT, WHAT IS THAT? ISBN 0060277424

MY BEST FRIEND BEAR. ISBN 0873587758

*Other books by James Warhola

JACK AND THE BEANSTALK. retold by Susan Pearson. ISBN 0671671960

THE WIZARDS AND THE MONSTER. by Bill Brittain. ISBN 0060244569

*Other alternate CINDERELLA stories:

Manning, Jane. CINDY ELLEN: A WILD WESTERN CINDERELLA. by Susan Lowell. ISBN 0060274476

Lewis, T. CINDERELLA; CINDERELLA'S STEPSISTER. by Russell Shorto. ISBN 1559720549

GENRE 2: TRADITIONAL LITERATURE (BOOK # 1)

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Stevens, Janet. 1988. ANANSI AND THE MOSS-COVERED ROCK. retold by Eric A. Kimmel. New York: Holiday House. ISBN 082340689X

2. PLOT SUMMARY

A spider named Anansi walked through the forest and found a magic rock. Every time Anansi would say the words "Isn't this a strange moss-covered rock", he would fall down fast asleep for an hour. Anansi decided to use this rock to trick the other animals in the forest so that he could steal their food because he was too lazy to get food for himself. Anansi tricked and took the food of the lion, elephant, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, giraffe, and zebra.

Little Bush Deer found out what Anansi was doing. She decided to pretend she didn't know what he'd been up to so she could teach him a lesson. When Little Bush Deer followed Anansi into the forest and he showed her the rock, she pretended not to see it, until out of anger and frustration, Anansi said the words "Isn't this a strange moss-covered rock!" and fell to the ground fast asleep. As Anansi slept, Little Bush Deer told the other animals what Anansi had done and they all went to Anansi's house and took back all the food that he had stolen from them.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The characters in this folktale, Anansi and the animals mentioned above, are delightful to look at as the story unfolds. Anansi is not only clever and mischievous, but extremely fun to watch as he takes obvious delight in tricking the other animals out of their hard earned food. Anansi's eight little legs seem to move him across the page as he crawls up to each animal in the forest and asks them to go for a walk in the cool forest with him because the day is so hot. These same eight little legs are later shown jumping up and down in frustration as Little Bush Deer plays word games with Anansi until he ends up shouting the magic words and falling into a deep sleep.

The conversation between Anansi and the little deer is very amusing as Little Bush Deer says "Say what?" Anansi then says "You know." The words "You know" are repeated by Little Bush Deer. Anansi then shouts "You're not supposed to say 'you know!' " to which Little Bush Deer replies "What am I supposed to say?" This final question tricks Anansi into saying the magic words "You're supposed to say, 'Isn't this a strange moss-covered rock!' " Anansi then falls to the ground with a KPOM! Kimmel's use of onomatopoeia makes each animal's fall more hilarious. Children will delight in reading the "KPOM!" sound that is easily recognizable as it is written each time in all capital letters.

The story is illustrated in a realistic style with a great emphasis on small details. Each animal is beautifully drawn in ink and then painted with perfect precision. The reader can see the beads of sweat falling off the lion's forehead, the tiny hairs on each of Anansi's legs, and each wrinkle on the elephant. The scenery of the forest that is the setting of this story is also meticulously illustrated. The illustrations are drawn with a sense of humor as the lion has a pet iguana on a leash tied to his rocking chair, the elephant has a ceiling fan above his lawn chair propelled by two little mice, and the Little Bush Deer climbs a coconut tree to retrieve coconuts. Children will have fun looking for the Little Bush Deer, quietly watching on each page, as Anansi tricks all of the other animals in the forest.

The theme of this story has to do with being honest and treating others well. Anansi was not honest with the other animals in the story and ended up getting tricked by all of them in the same way Anansi tricked them. Because Anansi stole from them, the animals gave him a taste of his own medicine and left him with nothing when he woke up from the rock's magic spell. At the end of the story, it states "But if you think Anansi learned his lesson, you're mistaken. Because he's still playing tricks to this very day." This allows for more Anansi adventures, which will surely be demanded by young readers.

Anansi the spider is a character from African culture. He is known as a great trickster. Eric Kimmel and Janet Stevens do a wonderful job of bringing this very entertaining and likable character to life in this story.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS

Africa Access Review: "Repetition and a well-paced narrative make this picture book a hit with the younger set."

School Library Journal: "Stevens' complementary, colorful illustrations add detail, humor, and movement to the text."

5. CONNECTIONS

This story is an excellent way to teach children about African folk tales.

*Other books about Anansi the spider by Eric Kimmel and Janet Stevens:

ANANSI AND THE TALKING MELON. ISBN 0823411044

ANANSI GOES FISHING. ISBN 082340918X

*Other books for children about African folk tales:

Bryant, Laura. TALES OF AFRICA: RETOLD TIMELESS CLASSICS. retold by Nancy Tolson. ISBN 0780778510

Morton, Lee J. ANIMAL STORIES FROM AFRICA. by Marguerite P. Dolch. ISBN 081162563X

GENRE 1: PICTURE BOOKS (BOOK # 3)

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
1999. TALKING WITH ARTISTS VOLUME THREE. compiled and edited by Pat Cummings. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 9780395891322

2. PLOT SUMMARY
This book is a compilation of the stories of thirteen artists including Peter Catalanotto, Raul Colon, Lisa Desimini, Jane Dyer, Kevin Hawkes, G. Brian Karas, Betsy Lewin, Ted Lewin, Keiko Narahashi, Elise Primavera, Anna Rich, Peter Sis, and Paul O. Zelinsky. Each artist shared answers to questions such as what they were like growing up, what inspired them to become artists, what they enjoyed drawing the most, and which materials they used to make their pictures.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
TALKING WITH ARTISTS VOLUME THREE is a wonderful book that will surely be an inspiration to young people who wish to become artists themselves. It is also an interesting read for those who may be curious to know information about their favorite illustrators such as what they look like, what they enjoy drawing, or what they do in a typical day. This book has photographs of each artist as a child and as an adult which is always interesting to see. It also has samples of each artists' artwork at the present time and as a child.

This book celebrates cultural diversity by including artists of different cultural backgrounds, which will inspire children of all races and cultures by letting them know a person of any ethnicity can become an artist. There are many different types of art forms found in this book including painting, water coloring, pencil sketches, mixed media, and ink. Including these and other types of artwork in this book show children that there are many different materials one can use to create beautiful artwork.

One of the best features of this book is found near the end where each artist shares one of his or her "secret techniques" that they apply to their artwork. Children will delight in being shown these "secrets" and be able to practice them on their own. Another excellent feature of this book is the bibliography which showcases five books written by each of the featured authors. Children who enjoy a certain artist's style of art will be inspired to search for books by that illustrator. This book is one that is both entertaining and filled with information helpful to aspiring young artists.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
HORN BOOK GUIDE (FALL 1999 NON-FICTION-THE ARTS): "Rating superior, well above average."

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "All of the profiles open with personal essays titled "My Story" revealing some biographical details but focusing on childhood dreams and ambitions..."

5. CONNECTIONS
This book is a wonderful way to teach and inspire young artists.

*Other books about the creation of children's picture books:

Bang, Molly. PICTURE THIS: HOW PICTURES WORK. ISBN 1587170302

Carle, Eric. ARTIST TO ARTIST: 23 MAJOR ILLUSTRATORS TALK TO CHILDREN ABOUT THEIR ART. ISBN 0399246002

GENRE 1: PICTURE BOOKS (BOOK # 2)

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Williams, Mo. 2004. KNUFFLE BUNNY: A CAUTIONARY TALE. New York: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 0786818700

2. PLOT SUMMARY
When little Trixie went to the laundromat with her father, she brought along her toy bunny, Knuffle Bunny. As Trixie's father put clothes into the washer, Knuffle Bunny was accidentally put inside with them and left behind. On the way home, Trixie realized her bunny was gone and she tried to tell her father. The problem was, Trixie couldn't speak yet, and her father did not understand why she was throwing a temper tantrum. Upon arriving home, Trixie's mother noticed immediately that Knuffle Bunny was missing. The whole family raced back to the laundromat where Knuffle Bunny was found. As Knuffle Bunny was pulled out of the washing machine, Trixie spoke her first words, "Knuffle Bunny!"

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The plot of this story is something every child can relate to. The fear of losing a favorite toy is something that all children can understand. The illustrations in this book are unique. Each person and animal in this story was drawn in color in cartoon fashion, while the scenic backgrounds were made from digital photographs in black and white tones. This allows the story to have an old fashioned feeling while making sure that the characters stand out. The cartoon characters express themselves in ways that are both hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time, as Trixie babbles and then screams for Knuffle Bunny while her bewildered father looks on.

The main characters in this story are a Caucasian family that consists of little Trixie and her parents. There are two African American characters and people of different ages found in the background on the way to and from the laundromat. No characters of Asian or Hispanic origin are found in this book. This book was written in a simple and entertaining manner and will be enjoyed by children and adults alike. This story would be ideal to read to very young children because the pictures alone carry as much meaning as the words.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Starred review in BOOKLIST: "Even children who can already talk a blue streak will come away satisfied that their own strong emotions have been mirrored and legitimized, and readers of all ages will recognize the agonizing frustration of a little girl who knows far more than she can articulate."

HORN BOOK (THE HORN BOOK GUIDE, SPRING 2005): "The playful retro-style illustrations, in which cartoon characters are digitally incorporated into sepia-toned photos, complement the simple, satisfying story."

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "Personalities are artfully created so that both parents and children will recognize themselves within these pages."

5. CONNECTIONS
This book is a wonderful way to help children deal with the loss of a toy or other treasured possession.

*An additional book by Mo Williams:
KNUFFLE BUNNY TOO: A CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY. ISBN 1423102991

*Other books for children about lost and found possessions:
Carmichael, Clay. LONESOME BEAR. ISBN 1558589678
Dieter, Schubert. WHERE'S MY MONKEY? ISBN 1886910634
Gott, Barry. PATCHES LOST AND FOUND. by Steven Kroll. ISBN 1890817538

GENRE 1: PICTURE BOOKS (BOOK # 1)

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Raschka, Christopher. 2005. THE HELLO, GOODBYE WINDOW. by Norton Juster. Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 9780786809141

2. PLOT SUMMARY
This is a story about a young girl who goes on an overnight visit to her grandparents' house. She arrives there and peeks into the "hello, goodbye window" to say hello to her "Nanna" and "Poppy." The little girl believes that everything important happens through this very special window located in her grandparents' kitchen. Her Nanna told her that it was a magic window where "anybody can come along when you least expect it." The window is like magic to the little girl as she watches the world outside, both real and imaginary.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
THE HELLO, GOODBYE WINDOW is a delightful story told through the eyes of a young girl. The illustrations are warm and colorful, mirroring the warm and loving relationship between the little girl and her grandparents. The story centers around the day to day happenings that make up the young child's world. The characters in this story are a bi-racial family, which is very realistic in today's society. Children of different racial and cultural backgrounds will see themselves and their families in the characters in this book.

The grandparents' home as a setting in this story adds to the warmth and comfort within it. Children will identify with the little girl and the way she feels about her grandparents. The illustrations look like they are flowing, creating a peaceful, free, and happy atmosphere on each page. Everything at Nanna and Poppy's house is magical, especially the kitchen window where the little girl says hello and goodbye to her loving grandparents.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Starred review in BOOKLIST: "Raschka's swirling lines, swaths, and dabs of fruity colors seem especially vibrant...which have ample room to capture both the tender moments between members of the interracial family and the exuberance of spending time in the pulsating outdoors, all flowers, grass, and sky."

Starred review in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "The window in Nanna and Poppy's kitchen is no ordinary window-it is a place where love and magic happens."

5. CONNECTIONS
*This book is a brilliant and touching way to show young children that they are loved and special to their families.

*Other books by Norton Juster:
AS SILLY AS KNEES, AS BUSY AS BEES. ISBN 0688163602
THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH. ISBN 0816148015

*Other books by Christopher Raschka:
CAN'T SLEEP. ISBN 0531087794
YO! YES? ISBN 0531086194

*Other books for children about grandparents:
Bhandhugravi, Sally. GOING TO GRANDMA'S. by Mariesa Oxford. ISBN 081143575X
Hoban, Lillian. GRANDPARENTS' HOUSES: POEMS ABOUT GRANDPARENTS. selected by Connie Streich. ISBN 0688038948

LS 5603 Literature for Children and Young Adults

This post, and the posts of literature reviews I will be writing after this, are for my Literature for Children and Young Adults course (LS 5603 section 21) at Texas Woman's University.