Calamity Jack by Shannon and Dean Hale

Bibliographic Information:
Hale, Shannon and Dean Hale. 2010. Calamity Jack. Illustrated by Nathan Hale. New York: Bloomsbury.

Plot summary:
Jack sees himself as a criminal mastermind with more than his share of bad luck.  All of his plans and schemes seem to go awry or have unintended consequences.  In an effort to make his mother proud, he plans to quit his wicked ways after one final score.  When the beanstalk mishap results in the death of a giant, Jack must flee his home.  He returns some time later with his friend Rapunzel to discover that Shyport is under the control of Blunderboar the giant who may be in league with the ant people to keep the city under control.  With the help of Freddie, a journalist and collector of gadgets and Jack's old partner in crime Prudence the pixie, Jack and Rapunzel must put a stop to Blunderboar's reign and save Jack's mother, proving once and for all that Jack can live up to family expectations.

Analysis:
Jack narrates the graphic novel in boxes of text that fill in the gaps of dialogue and drawing, describing the capers of his childhood and his descent into a life of petty crime.  Fantastical creatures and characters from traditional literature appear throughout the story.  In fact, Jack will be known to readers as the folktale character who climbed a beanstalk to steal from a giant.  Rapunzel has had a haircut but keeps her long locks to use as tools or weapons as needed.  The blending of familiar characters into a new and inventive story adds interest.

Visually the story is vivid and full of movement, and the appearance of the characters gives an impression of their nature, attractive heroes and heroines with the bad guys disfigured or misshapen.  The varying sizes of the panels enables the illustrator to show fine details or to convey the size and magnitude of the scenes and characters.

Reviews & Awards:
Junior Library Guild Selection
2011 YALSA Great Graphic Novel
SLJ Best Comic for Kids 2011
Horn Book review: "The swashbuckling plot shines in the graphic-novel format... this steampunk-flavored fairy tale will appeal to boy-, girl-, reluctant- and eager readers alike."
Kirkus Reviews:  "something for everyone... Readers will relish this gleeful mix of fairy tale, adventure and romance."

Connections:

• Display with other graphic novels that draw from traditional literature including Rapunzel's Revenge, Cinderlla:  the Graphic Novel, and Trickster: Native American Tales:  a Graphic Collection
• Engage students in creating their own graphic re-tellings of familiar stories.
• Explore the steampunk elements of the illustrations and make connections to other examples of steampunk motif in books and movies.
• Other books by the author:

Hale, Shannon. 2003. The goose girl. New York: Bloomsbury.

Hale, Shannon. 2004. Enna burning. New York: Bloomsbury.

Hale, Shannon. 2005. Princess Academy. New York: Bloomsbury

Hale, Shannon. 2006. River secrets. New York: Bloomsbury

Hale, Shannon. 2007. Book of a thousand days. New York: Bloomsbury. 

Hale, Shannon. 2009. Forest born. New York: Bloomsbury.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Bibliographic Information:
Print:
Green, John. 2012. The fault in our stars. New York: Dutton Books.
Spoken Recording:
Green, John. 2012. The fault in our stars. Read by Kate Rudd. Grand Haven, MI: Brilliance Audio.

Plot summary:

Sixteen-year-old Hazel Lancaster has known since her diagnosis of thyroid cancer three years ago that all the prodding, poking, medicines and treatments are only able to buy her a bit more time.  There is no cure for her.  As a result, she seeks to maintain a distance from most people in her life.  Her closest friends besides her parents are books, but when she meets Augustus Waters at a teen cancer support group, the two are immediately drawn to each other.  Gus, who is in remission from the bone cancer that took one of his legs, understands Hazel and seems to be able to look beyond her illness to see her as she is.  Bonding over Hazel’s favorite novel, Gus and Hazel make contact with the book’s reclusive author which leads to a European adventure before tragedy strikes. 

Analysis:

Green draws upon his personal experiences as a hospital chaplain to paint a frank and emotional portrait of young cancer patients living under a death sentence.  The characters of Hazel, Gus, and their friend Isaac provide another perspective to the bravery-and-battle mentality that is so often used to describe the terminally ill in fiction as well real life.  The authentic portrayal of teenagers who are sometimes scared, sometimes hopeless, and often struggling with so many of the big questions and identity issues that all teens face while also being forced to come to terms with their own mortality creates a powerful story that will challenge both teen and adult readers.  The adults in the novel are also realistically drawn as well-meaning, earnest supporters who unintentionally make things worse as often as they make them better. 

Most of the story is set in Indianapolis with a portion taking place in Amsterdam.  Whether describing the local haunts that Hazel and Gus visit or the more exotic sights and sounds of the Netherlands, Green’s descriptions are vivid, placing the reader into the story effectively.

The humor, honesty and sometimes gritty realism of the treatment of a sensitive topic is what makes this book so powerful.  In the audio version, Kate Rudd’s vocal talents bring the characters, especially Hazel, to life.  The breathless emotion of the dialogue is a continuous reminder of the struggle for oxygen that is Hazel’s constant companion. Augustus and Hazel’s banter is handled deftly in the audio version with enough distinction in the character voices to highlight when the speaker shifts but is not overdone or heavily dramatic.

Reviews & Awards:

 New York Times bestseller & NYT Book Review Editor's Choice

Starred review, Booklist:  “ . . . his [Green’s] best and most ambitious novel to date . . . a triumph.”

Kirkus Reviews, starred review:  “A smartly crafted intellectual explosion of a romance.” 

School Library Journal, starred review:  “An achingly beautiful story.”

Connections:

• Share John Green’s author interview that is included in the audio version of the book or have students explore Green’s website for further insight and discussion of the novel including a section in which Green answers reader questions about the book (http://johngreenbooks.com/questions-about-the-fault-in-our-stars-spoilers/).
• Ask the students to write letters or email for a favorite author as Gus and Hazel did and encourage them to share any responses that they may get.
• Ask students to think about their own funeral or write their own obituary.
• Other books by John Green

Looking for Alaska (2005)
An Abundance of Katherines  (2006)
Paper Towns (2008)
Will Grayson, Will Grayson (2010, with David Levithan)

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Bibliographic Information:
Stead, Rebecca. 2009. When you reach me. New York: Wendy Lamb Books.

Plot Summary:
Miranda is a twelve-year-old latch-key kid living in New York City who finds herself in the midst of a mystery.  Although the story begins in April of 1979, much of the narration is a recollection of the events of the previous fall and winter.  It was then that the strange homeless man showed up on the corner, that her best friend Sal stopped speaking to her after being sucker-punched on the street, that she began receiving anonymous notes from someone who seemed to know the future before it happened.  It's up to Miranda to decipher the meaning of the notes, to help her mother prepare for an upcoming appearance on the game show The $20,000 Pyramid, to navigate the new relationships in her life, and to wrap her head around the concept of time travel so she can help prevent a horrible tragedy.  

Analysis:
Most of the chapter titles in the novel are an homage to the categories found in the Winner's Circle in the old Pyramid game show, and it's clear that Miranda's obsession with her mother's success on the show is influencing even the way she is remembering and organizing the events of the recent past.  This device complements the style of the novel, a blending of current events and flashback descriptions, that often reads as a conversation with the mysterious author of the notes--but not actually the letter she is supposed to be writing the stranger.

The tumultuous friendships of the young characters in the novel will resonate with young readers, friendships that dissolve or disappear, unlikely alliances that form, and the odd mixture of companionship and competition that seems to define adolescent girls.  Miranda's relationships with the other adults in the novel demonstrate both her independence as she often speaks or deals with them as equals but also her innocence as she still longs for parental care that her single mother cannot always provide.  The development of Miranda's compassion as the story progresses is a sign of her increasing maturity.

Although the concept of time travel is introduced fairly early in the narrative, it is not immediately apparent that this realistic story will eventually take a turn towards the fantastic.  Miranda is drawn in to a discussion about her favorite novel A Wrinkle in Time with schoolmate Marcus, who assures her that though time travel is feasible, the book doesn't accurately depict it.  Miranda can't wrap her head around what Marcus is telling her, yet her inability to make sense of it continues to haunt her until it becomes clear that Marcus's theory is essential to figuring out the meaning of her anonymous notes.  The novel is a wonderful blend of a historical picture of late 1970s New York, an authentic coming-of-age story, and a fantastic exploration of time.  

Awards & Reviews:
2010 Newbery Medal Winner
2010 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Fiction
2009 New York Times Notable Book for Children
Starred review, School Library Journal:  "unusual, thought-provoking mystery"
Booklist, starred reviews:  "the characters, children and adults, are honest bits of humanity no matter in what place or time their souls rest"

Connections:

• Use in book club with A Wrinkle in Time to discuss the connections between the two stories and understand how Stead was influenced by L'Engle's work.  
• Have students build a model of Miranda's neighborhood as she and her classmates build their model Main Street.
• Lead a discussion about time travel as it appears in other books and movies, comparing the different views of time as a concept or the ability of the traveler to change the past, present, or future.  Encourage students to write their own time travel stories.
• Other books by Rebecca Stead:

First Light 2007

Liar & Spy  2012

Both published by Wendy Lamb Books