Module #8 Mystery

Title: The River

Citation:

Beaufrand, M.J. (2010). The river. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.

Summary:

Veronica (aka Ronie) is forced to moved with her family from Portland, Oregon to the wilderness of Hoodoo, Oregon when her father has a mental breakdown as a result of his high pressure job as a lawyer in Portland.  The family opens a hotel & restaurant.  Ronnie misses her former life in Portland, but meets several kids her own age, takes up running as a means of mental escape and babysits the precocious 10 year old Karen. When Karen drowns suspicious Ronnie must unravel the

mystery and gets more than she bargains for.

Review:

Gr 8-10-Veronica Severance misses Starbucks, shopping, and school, but her mom's Patchwork Inn is a local hit and the rest of her family seems to be flourishing since their move to rural Oregon. Miserable, Ronnie finds comfort in two things-running and her young neighbor, Karen, for whom she babysits. The 10-year-old is an inquisitive explorer who can turn the most mundane task into an adventure. Despite their differences, the two become fast friends. Then Karen's body is found in the river and Ronnie is left alone and lost. Struggling to understand her place in this new world, she sets out to discover what happened to the child and learns that the darkness of the city might not be so far away after all. Beaufrand has written an engaging mystery, but the story's real strength and beauty come from the healing nature of family and unexpected friendships. Teens will easily empathize with Ronnie's displacement, but hopefully will learn the same lesson: sometimes the things we want aren't the things we need.-Terri Clark, Smoky Hill Library, Centennial, CO Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.

Review Source:

Clark, T. (Feb 2010). The river (Book Review).  School Library Journal, 56(2), 104.

Impressions:

I really enjoyed this book. I have spent a lot of time in Oregon and I’m familiar with the Portland area and the surrounding wilderness area so it was fun to read about a place I know. References to places and things that only readers living in the Pacific Northwest would recognize are appealing. Through the character of Ronnie Beaufrand introduces readers to the meth epidemic raging in Oregon since the 1980s.

Suggested Use(s):

This book could be used as a very gentle introduction to the topic of meth and how to help friends who become involved with the drug.

Additional Information:

Awards: The Best New Young Adult Books Published 2010

               Librarian's Choice 2011

Interest Level: YA

Reading Level: 5.5

Lexile Measure: 730

Module #8 Mystery

Title: Stormbreaker

Citation:

Horowitz, A. (2000). Stormbreaker. New York, NY: Philomel Books.

Summary:

When fourteen year old Alex Rider’s Uncle and guardian is killed Alex questions what he is told about the death. He begins digging deeper and finds himself in the middle of a mystery bigger than he could imagine. He is back mailed into working for the British Secret Service to help them solve the riddle of his uncle’s death and save the children of England.

Review:

Readers will cheer for Alex Rider, the 14-year-old hero of British author Horowitz's spy thriller (the first in a projected series). When his guardian and uncle, Ian, is mysteriously killed, Alex discovers that his uncle was not the bank vice-president he purported to be, but rather a spy for the British government. Now the government wants Alex to take over his uncle's mission: investigating Sayle Enterprises, the makers of a revolutionary computer called Stormbreaker. The company's head plans to donate one to every secondary school in England, but his dealings with unfriendly countries and Ian Rider's murder have brought him under suspicion. Posing as a teenage computer whiz who's won a Stormbreaker promotional contest, Alex enters the factory and immediately finds clues from his uncle. Satirical names abound (e.g., Mr. Grin, Mr. Sayle's brutish butler, is so named for the scars he received from a circus knife-throwing act gone wrong) and the hard-boiled language is equally outrageous ("It was a soft gray night with a half-moon forming a perfect D in the sky. D for what, Alex wondered. Danger? Discovery? Or disaster?"). These exaggerations only add to the fun, as do the creative gadgets that Alex uses, including a metal-munching cream described as "Zit-Clean. For Healthier Skin." The ultimate mystery may be a bit of a letdown, but that won't stop readers from racing through Alex's adventures, from a high-speed bike chase to a death-defying dance with a Portuguese man-of-war. The audience will stay tuned for his next assignment, Point Blanc, due out spring 2002. Ages 10-up. (May) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Review Source:

Roback, D. (May 2001). Stormbreaker (Book Review). Publishers Weekly, 248(21), 109.

Impressions:

This was a fun, quick ready chock full of adventure from the very first page. Although high unlikely that a 14 year old would be a British spy it is still a good read if you simply roll with the story. A very James Bondish story!

Suggested Use(s):

Use this book for pure pleasure reading with struggling &/or reluctant readers that need a high-interest, low-readability story. When finished students could go on line and take a fun triva quiz or visit the Alex Rider website.

Additional Information:

Interest Level: 5 & up

Reading Level: 5.5

Lexile Measure: 670

Module #7 Nonfiction

Title: What the World Eats

Citation:

D’Aluisio, F. & Menzel, P. (2008). What the world eats. Berkeley, CA: Tricycle Press

Summary:

This book is an adaptation of a 2005 book by the same authors entitled Hungry planet: What the world eats. This adaptation is geared toward middle school and older students and includes more pictures of kids and facts about foods that kids might find interesting.  D’Aluisio and Menzel traveled to 21 countries around the world to photograph and document what 25 families eat in a typical week. The authors  goal was to explore the implications of a global market place on the modern diet and health of the world inhabitants.  

Review(s):

Grades 4-8. The authors' Hungry Planet: What the World Eats, published for adults, won the James Beard Foundation Award in 2005 for Book of the Year. In this new youth edition, the creators have reworked the text, added new material, and honed the book’s focus to more specifically reflect the experiences of young people. The basic concept, however, remains the same: an illustrated survey of what people across the globe eat in a single week. In preparation for this project, Menzel and D’Aluisio shared meals with 25 families in 21 countries around the globe. Each chapter serves as an intimate photo-essay of a different family and their week’s worth of groceries, listed (with prices in both local and U.S. currency) and pictured in a photograph of food and family members that opens each section. Stunning color photographs of mealtimes and daily activities illustrate the warm, informative, anecdotal narratives about each family. New to this volume are the many pages of statistics, displayed in eye-catching graphics that compare various countries’ rates of obesity, access to safe water, daily caloric intake, and other food-related issues. Like the adult edition, this is a fascinating, sobering, and instructive look at daily life around the world, and it will draw readers of a wide age range to its beautifully composed pages.

Review Source:

Engberg, G. (July 2008). What the world eats (Book Review).  Booklist, 104(21), 65.

Impressions:

This is a fascinating book. The pictures tell the story of food around the world all by themselves and can be enjoyed without reading a thing. Pairing the images with text that explains how the food is gathered and prepared really brings home how easy food is to come by in most developed countries. The author’s point that we are what we eat is very clear in the obesity rates of countries with too many processed and fast foods too readily available.

Suggested Use(s):

1.     Use this book to teach student show to read/interpret charts and graphs.

2.     Use this book in Geography to locate the countries featured and discuss climate in each country

3.     Use this book in Health class to discuss nutrition and healthy diets.

4.     Use this book to compare familial expectations of kids around the world in daily life.

5.     Divide the class into pairs of students and assign each pair a country. Have them learn more about that country, prepare a food commonly eaten and present their research to the class.

Additional Information:

Awards:            ALA 2009 Best Books for Young Adults award winner

            2009 Notable Books for a Global Society award winner

            James beard Foundation Best Book of the Year 2006 (for The Hungry Planet: What the World Eats)

Photographer: Faith D’Aluisio

Module #7 Biography

Title: John Lennon : All I Want is the Truth

Citation:

Partridge, E. (2005). John Lennon: All I want is the truth. New York, NY: Viking.

Summary:

A chronological, photobiography of John Lennon’s life before, during and after Beatlemania. Includes photos of Lennon with family and friends throughout his life and details his struggles to overcome his insecurities despite becoming a world recognized music star.

 

Review(s):

Gr 9 Up-Partridge cuts through the mythology and misinformation surrounding the life of the legendary singer/songwriter and goes a long way toward revealing the complexities of his personality. She relies heavily on Lennon's own writings and the wealth of interviews he granted during his lifetime. What emerges is an unflinchingly honest portrait of a troubled, angry, and highly creative individual who was captivated by rock 'n' roll and often used it as a means of expressing his unhappiness and confusion. Partridge skillfully captures the amazing speed at which the Beatles were swept into astonishing popularity that led to an unrelenting schedule of touring, songwriting, and recording that slowed down only when touring became both too grueling and too dangerous. She doesn't shy away from the sordid details of the band's mercurial rise to fame and fortune but her nonjudgmental commentary focuses first and foremost on the music. Lennon's life after the dissolution of the Beatles is explored in depth, as are Yoko Ono's influence and the worldwide impact of his death. With an abundance of gorgeous black-and-white photos, some of them full-page or even spreads, this handsome book will be eagerly received by both Beatles fans, who are legion, and their elders, who will enjoy reliving the glory days of the Fab Four and exploring the inner workings of a creative talent.-Ginny Gustin, Sonoma County Library System, Santa Rosa, CA Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Review Source:

Gustin, G. (Oct 2005). John Lennon: All I want is the truth (Book Review). School Library Journal, 51(10), 192-194.

 

 Impressions:

First off let me say that I am a big Beatles and John Lennon fan.  This book was very enlightening for me. I like how Partridge presented Lennon’s life chronologically because it helped me understand the progression off his rise to fame. I was also fascinated by the information revealed about the Nixon administration’s efforts to deport him for political reasons.  I appreciated that the author used primary sources material and personal interviews and did not make up information that was readily available. I must say that I came away thinking that although John Lennon was an incredibly gifted musician he was also a very self-indulgent, troubled man.

Suggested Use(s):

This book could be used for a history of rock and roll course, for a resource for a biography on Lennon or in a history course studying US politics in the 1970s.

Additional Information:

Awards: BCCB Blue Ribbon Nonfiction Book Award

A Michael L. Printz honor book

Photographer: Elizabeth Partridge

Interest Level: YA and Up

Reading Level: 7.6

Lexile Measure: 1010

Module #6 Historical Fiction

Title: The Devil’s Arithmetic

Citation:

Yolen, J. (1988). The devil’s arithmetic. New York, NY: The Trumpet Club

Summary:

While attending the family Seder dinner Hannah listens to her family tell stories about surviving the Holocaust. When she opens the door as a gesture of welcome she is transported back in time to war torn Poland in 1942. Nazi’s appear during a family wedding and everyone is taken away by train to a work camp where Hannah must learn to survive just as her grandparents did so many years ago. The difference is than Hannah knows what is happening while no one else does because she is from the future.

 

Review:

In this novel, Yolen attempts to answer those who question why the Holocaust should be remembered. Hannah, 12, is tired of remembering and rants and raves at the mention of the Nazi’s. Her mother’s explanations of how her grandparents and great-aunt lost all family and friends during that time have little effect.  Then, during a Passover Seder, Hannah is chosen to open the door to welcome the prophet Elijah. As she does so, she is transported to a village in Poland in the 1940s, where everyone thinks that she is Chaya, who has just recovered from a serious illness. She is captured by the Nazis and take to a death camp, where she is befriended by a young girl named Rivka, who teaches her how to fight the dehumanizing processes of the camp and hold onto her identity.  When at last their luck runs out and Rivka is chosen, Hannah/Chaya, in an almost impulsive act of self-sacrifice, does in her stead. As the door to the gas chamber closes behind her, she is returned to the door of her grandparent’s apartment, waiting for Elijah.  Through Hannah, with her memories of the present and the past , Yolen does a fine job of illustrating importance of remembering. She adds much to children’s understanding of the effects of the Holocaust, which will reverberate throughout history, today and tomorrow.—Susan M. Harding, Mesquite Public Library, Tex.

Review Source:

Harding, S. (Nov 1988). The devil’s arithmetic (Books Review). School Library Journal, 35(3), 114.

Impressions:

The events in this book stayed in my mind for days. Yolen paints a very clear picture of the harsh cruelties that Jewish people endured in concentrations camps at the hands of the Nazi regime. Things like the children hiding in the waste pile whenever the commandant came around for fear of being discovered and sent to the ovens or when the commandant comes around for a “choosing” and selects who will die and who will live are examples of  images that are vivid for me from this book.

This is not a book that someone can say they enjoyed, but I can say that I got a lot out of the books as I think most readers would.

Suggested Use(s):

*Use the book as a starting point to studying WWII. 

*Place students in small groups and assign them the task of creating a webquest that includes the important events that took place in the book.

*Have small groups each read a book about surviving the holocaust then have the gather ins small groups to discuss similarities and differences between the books.

*Have students draw numbers from a hat that represent the numbers tattooed on Jewish people in the camps. Ask students to make up what the numbers mean for them personally just as Rivka taught Hannah to do.

Additional Information:

Awards:

1988 Notable Children’s Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies.

Parents Choice Awards Honor Book for Literature.

A Judy Lopex Memorial Children’s Book Award Honor Book from the Women’s National Book Association.

Maryland’s Black-Eyed Susan Award nominee.

American Bookseller’s Pick of the List

On the Publisher’s Weekly Bestseller List

Won the 1997 Maud Hart Lovelace Book Award in Minnesota.

The German edition won the 1990 Leseratten Book Award presented twice a year by a youth jury on German radio.

Was one of the nominees for the South Carolina 1990-1991 Young Adult Book Award.

Was one of the nominees for the Oklahoma Sequoyah Book Award

On the Illiinois Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Award list for 1993-1994.

On the 1992 Sunshine State Young Readers Award finalist list.

Interest Level: 5-12

Reading Level: 5.2

Lexile Measure: 730

Module #6 Historical Fiction

Title:  Esperanza Rising

Citation:

Muñoz Ryan, P. (2000) Esperanza rising. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.

Summary:

When bandits kill her father as he works the family ranch in central Mexico Esperanza and her mother are forced to flee to California to start a new life. They live in a large company camp where they work long hours harvesting and processing fruits and vegetables. Tensions run high when the depression hits causing waves of hungry people to flood into California looking for work spurring unrest among the workers.

Review:

Gr 6-9-Ryan uses the experiences of her own Mexican grandmother as the basis for this compelling story of immigration and assimilation, not only to a new country but also into a different social class. Esperanza's expectation that her 13th birthday will be celebrated with all the material pleasures and folk elements of her previous years is shattered when her father is murdered by bandits. His powerful stepbrothers then hold her mother as a social and economic hostage, wanting to force her remarriage to one of them, and go so far as to burn down the family home. Esperanza's mother then decides to join the cook and gardener and their son as they move to the United States and work in California's agricultural industry. They embark on a new way of life, away from the uncles, and Esperanza unwillingly enters a world where she is no longer a princess but a worker. Set against the multiethnic, labor-organizing era of the Depression, the story of Esperanza remaking herself is satisfyingly complete, including dire illness and a difficult romance. Except for the evil uncles, all of the characters are rounded, their motives genuine, with class issues honestly portrayed. Easy to booktalk, useful in classroom discussions, and accessible as pleasure reading, this well-written novel belongs in all collections.-Francisca Goldsmith, Berkeley Public Library, CA

Review Source:

Goldsmith, F. (Oct 2000). Esperanza rising (Book Review). School Library Journal, 46(10), 171.

Impressions:

The story is a true reflection of the treatment of women in Mexico and the hard times faced by so many during the great depression. This has been one of my favorite books this semester. I love this book!

Suggested Use(s):

Additional Information:

Awards:

Pura Belpre Award

Jane Addams Children's Book Award Winner

Willa Cather Award Winner

Americas Award Honor Book

ALA Top Ten Books for Young Adults

Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year 2000

New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing

 NCSS/CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People

Jefferson Cup Award Book Prize Finalist

IRA Notable Book for a Global Society

Smithsonian Institution Notable Book for Children

Southern California Judy Lopez Memorial Award

Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist

Arizona Young Adult Book Award

Nominee for 16 state young readers awards.

Interest Level: 5-12

Reading Level: 6.2

Lexile Measure: 750

Module #5 Fantasy/Science Fiction

Title: The Lightning Thief

Citation:

Riordan, R. (2005). The lightning thief. New York, NY: Disney · Hyperion Books.

Summary:
Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of yet another boarding school for behavior problems that seem beyond his control. Then, while on a school field trip, he discovers he is not like other kids when he is attacked by a mythological creature that no one can see except him. It turns out that the father he never knew is none other than the Greek God Poseidon. Poseidon and the other gods are on the brink of war when Zeus’s lightening bolt and helm go missing.  Suddenly his life is one adventure after another as Percy and two friends set out on a quest to discover who stole the items and return them before it’s too late.

Review:

Gr 5-9-An adventure-quest with a hip edge. At first glance, Perseus Jackson seems like a loser (readers meet him at a boarding school for troubled youth), but he's really the son of Poseidon and a mortal woman. As he discovers his heritage, he also loses that mother and falls into mortal danger. The gods (still very active in the 21st-century world) are about to go to war over a lost thunderbolt, so Percy and sidekicks Grover (a young satyr) and Annabeth (daughter of Athena) set out to retrieve it. Many close calls and monster-attacks later, they enter Hades's realm (via L.A.). A virtuoso description of the Underworld is matched by a later account of Olympus (hovering 600 floors above Manhattan). There's lots of zippy review of Greek myth and legend, and characters like Medusa, Procrustes, Charon, and the Eumenides get updates. Some of the Labors of Heracles or Odysseus's adventures are recycled, but nothing seems stale, and the breakneck pace keeps the action from being too predictable. Percy is an ADHD, wise-cracking, first-person narrator. Naturally, his real quest is for his own identity. Along the way, such topics as family, trust, war, the environment, dreams, and perceptions are raised. There is subtle social critique for sophisticated readers who can see it. Although the novel ends with a satisfying conclusion (and at least one surprise), it is clear that the story isn't over. The 12-year-old has matured and is ready for another quest, and the villain is at large. Readers will be eager to follow the young protagonist's next move.-Patricia D. Lothrop, St. George's School, Newport, RI Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information. 

Review Source:

Lothrop, P.D.(Aug 2005). The lightning thief (Book Review).  School Library Journal,  51(8), 134-134.

Impressions:

I was sucked into this book from the very first page. Having worked with middles school and high school kids for years I can hear them in the voice of Percy Jackson.  I loved how Riordan wove Greek mythology into the story making it so approachable and fun to learn about. There are many similarities between the book thief and Harry Potter and yet they are different too. It’s a funny, heartfelt story. This is a very enjoyable, easy-to-read book!

Suggested Use(s):

Use the book as a literature tie-in while studying the gods and goddesses of Greek Mythology, arts & architecture of Greece and geography.

Additional  Information:

Awards:

A New York Times Bestseller
Selected for Al Roker’s Book Club For Kids, the Today Show
A Best Book of 2005, School Library Journal
A New York Times Notable Book of 2005
A Best Book of 2005, Child Magazine
Bluebonnet Award Nominee 2006, Texas Library Association
Askews Torchlight Award (UK) Winner, 2006
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book List, 2005
VOYA Top Shelf Fiction List for 2005
ALA Notable Book for 2005
YALSA Best Book for Young Adults 2005
Red House Children’s Book Award Winner (UK), 2006
CCBC choice award 2006, Cooperative Children’s Book Center
A 2006 Notable Children’s Book, National Council for Teachers of English
A Publishers Weekly National Children’s Bestseller
Warwickshire Book Award Winner (UK), 2007

Plus nearly twenty State Library Association Readers’ Choice Awards    

Interest Level: 5-8

Reading Level:  4.9

Lexile Measure: 740

Module #5 Fantasy/Science Fiction

Title: Artemis Fowl

Citation:

Colfer, E. (2001). Artemis Fowl. New York, NY: Miramax Books.

Summary:

When his father disappears and his mother looses her grip on reality twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl plots a plan to capture a fairy in order to ransom her for gold he needs to maintain the family estate.

Reviews: 

Gr 5-8 –Twelve-year-old genius Artemis Fowl decides to reinvigorate his family fortunes by kidnapping a fairy and demanding its gold. Having obtained and decoded the Book, a tome containing all of the fairies' secrets, Artemis captures an elf named Holly Short and holds her captive at his family mansion in Ireland. However, he hasn't reckoned on the resources and cunning of the LEPrecon Unit, an elite branch of the fairy police force, whose members will stop at nothing to rescue Captain Short. It seems that the wicked ways of the Mud People (humans) have driven most of the magical creatures underground, where a gritty, urban fairy civilization is flourishing. The fairy characters are mouthy and eccentric, but Artemis is too stiff and enigmatic to be interesting; the story bogs down when the focus is on him. The combination of choppy sentences and ornate language will appeal to some readers, although not necessarily to Harry Potter fans; the emphasis here is more on action (some of it gory), technology, and deadpan humor than on magic, and only one character (Artemis) is a child. –Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library --Eva Mitnick 

Review Source:

Mitnick, E. (may 2001). Artemis Fowl (Book Review).  School Library Journal, 47(5), 148.

 

Impressions:

This book was a challenge to get through after reading the The Lightning Thief.  To me there is nothing funny about a greedy little rich boy who is willing to hurt others to get what he wants. I didn’t care for the way Colfer added details to explain the actions of the characters. It would have been more interesting and easier to read if he had developed the characters up front.  Kids will find the bodily functions of the troll amusing, but I found it tiresome after repeated references.

Suggested Use(s):

Artemis Fowl FanGathering. Retrieved from http://artemisfowl.fangathering.com/books/book-report-ideas/

These can be used for any Artemis Fowl book or Artemis Fowl in general.

1. Choose your favorite chapter from the book and outline it, focusing on major events within that chapter.
2. Write down 15-20 questions that you’d like to use to interview Artemis and try to answer them as if you were Artemis.
3. Take one of your favorite characters and write a little adventure with them being the main character.
4. Book in a bag – Using props that are significant to the story, give a general overview of the story.
5. Create a book jacket – Redesign a cover for the book. Provide a summary of the book inside and write a bit about the author.
6. Examine and write an essay on how Artemis Fowl’s personality has changed within a book or throughout the series.
7. Write a different ending to the story.
8. Take five of your favorite characters, draw a picture, and write a description of them.
9. Much of Artemis Fowl takes place in Ireland. Draw a map of the country and label any significant places.
10. Try and sell your book to the class by giving a summary and using persuasive techniques.
11. Pretend you are making a movie of your book and are casting it. Choose the actors and actresses from people in the classroom and say why you chose them.
12. Do some research on a topic brought up in your book and write a one page report on it.
13. Prepare a travel brochure using pictures you have found or drawn to advertise a specific place in the story.
14. State 5 things you leaned while reading the book
15. Make a flow chart of all the events in the book.

Artemis Fowl

1. Draw a picture of the Fowl Manor how you believe it looks like, using clues and ideas from the book. On the back of the picture, give a tour of the house and explain the different parts of the picture.
2. Create a model of the Fowl Manor how you believe it looks like. Explain your model.
3. The sleeping pills play an important role during the story. Write an essay describing their significance.
4. Recall the scene where Artemis abducts the fairy in Chapter 4. Rewrite this scene from the fairy’s point of view.
5. Hold a class discussion about the effects of materialism in this world and then explain how it relates to Artemis Fowl.

Additional Information:

Awards: Young Readers Choice Award 2004

Reading Level: 5

Lexile Measure: 600