We've Got a Job by Cynthia Levinson

Levinson, C. (2012). We've got a job: The 1963 Birmingham Children's March. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree Publishers.

Almost 4000 African American children stepped up in a historic way to help the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham, and many of that number were jailed for their efforts.  The young people who participated in the Birmingham Children’s March were able to push along changes with the repeal of Birmingham’s Segregation Ordinances taking place just two months later.  Of course, segregation, prejudice, and issues of race did not disappear, but the actions of these young people drew national attention to the issues.  The account of this pivotal moment in history  is focused on four of those who marched and were jailed as well as the influential adults on both sides of the conflict. 

            

The author interviewed participants in the Children’s March and focuses on their remembrances to depict the events.  The story is simultaneously personal and universal.  The narrative is interspersed with black and white photographs, and many pages feature sidebars on highlighted topics.  Although the chapters and sections have clear and frequent headings that would allow readers to browse through, the compelling descriptions and flow of the text demand a thorough, linear reading. 

            

An afterword allows readers to learn more about the later lives of the four activists featured in the book. The volume is appended by a timeline, map, and thorough notes and documentation of the account allowing readers opportunities for further exploration of this topic.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Wein, E. (2012). Code name Verity. New York: Hyperion.

Set in Nazi-occupied France in 1943, “Queenie,” a captured spy is forced to write a confession that encompasses all her knowledge about Allied war efforts.  The result is a novel, scribbled on hotel stationery, recipe cards, and other scavenged paper, which chronicles the wartime friendship that develops between the narrator and Maddie, a Women’s Auxiliary Air Force radio operator turned Air Transport Auxiliary pilot.  Verity scatters just enough details about airplane factories and airstrips to pacify her jailers and torturers, but the real revelations have much less to do with war secrets and much more with true friendship, cowardice, and bravery.

            

The characters in the novel are portrayed with such complexity that readers will relate to Maddie and Queenie even though the historical setting and the dangerous situations in which they find themselves will be far removed from readers.  Queenie proclaims herself a coward in the first sentence of the novel, but so many of her actions and thoughts recorded in her confession make it clear that she has bravely endured hardships and danger and has only been forced into this cowardly act of confessing when she is out of time and opportunity.  Even in torturous conditions, she exhibits some of the same boldness and humor that characterize her early friendship with Maddie.  Queenie’s captor the Nazi officer von Linden could easily become the representation of evil, a Nazi everyman that readers should judge to have no redeeming qualities, but Wein presents him as multi-faceted, with an interest in literature and enough leniency to allow Queenie to tell her story though still a manipulative and cruel villain.  He may never be likable, but he is also not flat.

            

Maddie’s love of flying and her exploits as a pilot allow Wein, who is herself a pilot, to provide significant exposition on types of planes and the mechanics of flying.  These passages can become perhaps too descriptive but the author’s passion for the topic does shine through.  The story is peppered with facts and information about life in Great Britain leading up to and during the war.  Under the guise of confessing all she knows about the war efforts, Queenie is able to communicate to modern readers quite a bit of information about the history of the setting.  Life on a Royal Air Force air field, the Battle of Britain, and the role of women in the war are thoroughly detailed.  Readers may sometimes pause to wonder how she is allowed to write such a personal story by her captors, but ultimately the story is so compelling that suspension of disbelief may not be difficult for readers.

The First Part Last by Angela Johnson

Johnson, A. (2003). The first part last. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.  

Bobby is a teenage father living in New York City.  He tells his story of life with his newborn daughter Feather and the countless ways that his life is transformed by her existence.  The responsibility of caring for a child at such a young age while still balancing school, family, friends, and decisions about the future is daunting, but Bobby is determined to make the right decisions for his daughter and their future together.

            The novel begins just a few days after Bobby brings Feather home from the hospital.  The chapters alternate between the first few months of her life and flashback descriptions that begin with the day that Bobby’s girlfriend Nia tells him of her pregnancy.  The two timelines blend to create a story that keeps the reader engaged.  Although it’s obvious in one sense where the “Then” chapters are leading since the reader knows from the “Now” story line that Bobby is raising Feather with support but little direct assistance from his parents, it becomes clear early in the novel that both timelines are building towards a climax that the reader may not expect.  The narrative style is episodic in nature, describing key events that lead to future consequences as well as conversations, interactions, or reflections that are representative of the relationships among the characters.  

            Bobby’s narrative voice seems authentic, conveying the fear and confusion alongside his determination and love for his daughter.  He is frank about the realities he faces in raising a child alone, conveying both the resentment he secretly feels about losing his own childhood and the tender devotion and amazement he feels at Feather’s existence.  The novel reads a bit like poetry.  The language is sparse in places but very powerful and descriptive.

            There is foreshadowing leading up to the conclusions of both timelines that connect then and now into one linear story, but Bobby’s final decision about his and Feather’s future may still seem shocking or even unrealistic to readers, especially after the realistic way that Bobby has been portrayed throughout most of the book.  Eve with this slightly incongruous ending, the result  

is a powerful novel.

Where Things Come Back

I enjoyed Where Things Come Back so much that I decided to make it the subject of my book trailer assignment for this class.  One of the requirements was to incorporate spoken narration as well as text.  I hate the sound of my recorded voice so much, I seriously considered hiring someone to do it.  In the end, it's my voice saying "Welcome to Lily, Arkansas."

Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley

Whaley, J. C. (2011). Where things come back. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

The small town of Lily, Arkansas is situated halfway between Little Rock and Memphis and is the sort of place that people dream of leaving.  The summer before his senior year of high-school, Cullen Witter witnesses people coming to Lily instead of leaving.  An alleged sighting of the Lazarus woodpecker thought to be extinct for seventy years brings notoriety to Cullen’s hometown.  The woodpecker becomes a symbol for second chances to the people of Lily and the bird enthusiasts who flock there, but when Cullen’s younger brother Gabriel disappears without a trace one night, his family and friends are left hopeless, desperately in need of a second chance. 

Whaley’s novel is rooted in a real place and time.  The ivory-billed woodpecker, long thought to be extinct, was spotted in the Big Woods region of Arkansas in 2004, and its existence  has been the subject of debate among ornithologists for the past several years.  Teens in Arkansas, especially in the central and delta areas surrounding the Big Woods will be old enough to remember the extensive news coverage surrounding the bird as well as the locally-published children’s books such as Big Woods Bird (Luneau & Bennett, 2005) that were distributed in classrooms across the state.  While the story of Gabriel’s disappearance and the Witter family’s struggle to deal with the loss is the true focal point of the novel, the woodpecker subplot is woven throughout and comes to have great significance in Cullen’s recollections of that summer.  Readers familiar with Arkansas may also appreciate the many geographic names from around the state that are used as character names throughout the novel. 

Interspersed with the chapters narrated by Cullen, are sections told from a third-person point of view that introduce the character Benton Sage, a young missionary in Ethiopia and later a college student in Georgia.  His experiences and relationship with his roommate Cabot Searcy at first appear to be completely unrelated to the events unfolding in Lily, but the author eventually weaves these two story lines together through some surprising twists and turns.  Benton and Cabot both demonstrate the same single-minded passion and pursuit of goals that characterizes the zealous woodpecker-seekers in Arkansas, and their particular interest in biblical texts and apocrypha connects to the other storyline through the name of the woodpecker.  Of course, there is no Lazarus woodpecker, the name is an allusion to the biblical story of one who returns from the dead, underlining the hope and belief in second chances that the bird represents to the town. 

Although the novel is has a realistic setting and plot, Cullen’s narration often turns fanciful with extended descriptions of his zombie-filled daydreams and nightmares as well as his notations of amusing book title ideas he records in his journal.  Although these elements provide some humor, it can sometimes be a little tricky for the reader to determine where reality ends and fantasy begins.

Small town life is authentically portrayed as are the teen characters of Cullen, his best friend Lucas, and the various friends, enemies, and love interests Cullen describes.  The descriptions of how each family member and close friend deals with Gabriel’s disappearance as well as Cullen’s perception of how the town bears with them through the loss are vivid and realistic.  Readers who have experienced tragedy or loss will appreciate how the narrative demonstrates the duality of time marching onward and standing still.  Although the subject matter is serious and the emotional descriptions haunting, Whaley provides moments of humor and levity that seem to mimic the ups and downs of real life.

References

Luneau, T. R., & Bennett, T. (2005). Big Woods bird: An ivory-bill story. Little Rock, AR: Kury Lane Inc.

            

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Anderson, L. H. (1999). Speak. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.

Melinda Sordino enters the ninth grade “clanless,” without a group of friends to define her identity.  Her former friends shun her, and when she does draw the notice of teachers or other students, it’s the wrong kind of attention.  She withdraws into her own haunting thoughts, burying her pain in long silences and a year-long art assignment that will push her to deal with the tumultuous memories that plague her.

Despite the fact that it was written over a decade ago, the subject matter of Speak could have been inspired by much more recent headlines:  a teenage girl, drunk at a party, a victim of sexual assault at the hands of a popular athlete.  The only difference in Melinda’s story and the real-life tragedies that have made news in the past few years is that there’s no social media to testify to what happens to her.  Her rape is a closely guarded secret—one that she manages to compartmentalize and keep even from herself much of the time, yet she is still criminalized by peers who don’t know the whole story.  Melinda is left to deal with the emotional fallout of her ordeal on her own.          

Although Melinda stops communicating with her parents, teachers, and classmates, her first person narration of the story is highly descriptive, full of evocative imagery and perceptive observation of the people and events around her.  Her thoughts and judgments of others are sometimes biting in their sarcasm, but this trait lends an authentic teenage voice to the narration.  The realism, raw emotion, and feelings of powerlessness that Melinda expresses will likely find a ready audience with teenagers who can often feel marginalized and silenced due to parents, teachers, and peers who do not understand or provide support to their inner struggles.

Throughout the novel, Melinda must endure encounters with her attacker who goes to her school, and while he seems to taunt her through these interactions, it’s somewhat unclear whether this is Melinda’s perception or what’s actually happening between them.  A final confrontation near the end of the book brings them face to face once again and seems to reveal her adversary as a person who displays every confidence that he will continue to get away with his abusive treatment of girls.  While it is easy to sympathize and relate to Melinda, even for people who have not experienced a similar trauma, the antagonist and his actions seem almost too horrible to be believed.  Perhaps his character is just as realistic as the others in the story, but the way he maneuvers himself into his final scene with Melinda seems just a little far-fetched.

The difficult subject matter have made this novel the target of challenges and attempted censorship, but the realistic portrayal of the cruelties of high school and adolescence along with the ultimately hopeful message provide ample cause to keep this book on library shelves and easily accessible to teen readers.           

I Am the Cheese by Robert Cormier

Cormier, R. (1977). I am the cheese. New York: Knopf.

The story of Adam Farmer begins when he sets out on a bicycle trip from Monument, Massachusetts, to Rutterburg, Vermont to see his father.  Along the way, he encounters dangers of the road, some of his worst fears, and a few helping hands.  Interspersed with Adam’s first person account of his journey and his recollections of happier times are transcripts of interviews between Adam and Brint, a doctor who is trying to help Adam regain his memories.  Through their conversations and Adam’s trip narrative, the clues about Adam’s family and past unravel. 

            The multiple points of view to which the reader has access through Adam’s travel narrative, the interview transcripts, and the third person descriptions of some of Adam’s memories that are recalled during the interview sessions highlight the unreliability of Adam as a narrator while leaving clues and foreshadowing for the reader to solve the mystery of the Farmer family.  Multiple viewpoints or shifts in narration from first to third person may be more common in contemporary young adult literature, but for its time, this was a likely an innovative literary device.  The  events of the story also cast doubts upon certain aspects of the government in a move that mimics the trends in adult literature of the same time and is a precursor to conspiracy theories and exposés that abound in popular fiction (and nonfiction) today.

            Like so many other young adult novels that have remained perennial favorites among both teens and the teachers and librarians who recommend and advocate for them, I Am the Cheese is a story of seeking out identity.  In Adam’s case, this may be a more literal quest than other works, but the story is told in such a way that even if teens cannot relate to the specific circumstances of Adam’s life, they will connect to his exploration of memories as he tries to piece together and explain his life.  The mystery and adventure of his bike trip will also likely resonate with readers who are eager to gain independence from home and family while the treatment of Adam’s many fears along the way can be viewed as reassuring or affirming to readers who may be dealing with their own fears and insecurities about growing up, changing relationships, and identity.  I believe that the accessibility of the teen characters of Adam and Amy in the book and these themes of identity, insecurity, and independence are the greatest strengths of the novel.  As someone who reads a great deal of young adult literature, I can see the influence of Cormier’s writing and characters in the writing of more contemporary realistic fiction.  As I read, I noticed several instances or descriptions that will make this novel seem dated to today’s young readers.  Adam has to use pay phones in his attempts to contact his friend Amy along his journey, and during one of the calls, the operator cuts in to speak to him.  Although I can recall a time before cell phones when pay phones were a necessary part of life, but today’s teens will have little or no reference for this plot point.  Some of the literary and musical references will be similarly outside the experience of current readers.  This could be perceived as a drawback to some teens who aren’t interested in outdated references in books or movies, but the overall strength of the characters, plot, and theme of the story ultimately outweigh this drawback. 

            

The Palm of my Heart edited by Davida Adedjouma

Adedjouma, Davida. 1996. The palm of my heart: poetry by African American children. Ill. by R. Gregory Christie. New York: Lee & Low Books. ISBN 9781880000410

This collection of poems, a Coretta Scott King Award winner, contains poetry written by African American children as a part of an enrichment program taught by editor Adedjouma.  Each poem begins with the words "Black is . . ." and expresses the young poets' thoughts or experiences concerning race and skin color and identity.  Although each poem begins with the same words, the variety of ideas, themes, and nuances are varied and insightful.  Imagery and word choice are used to convey strong emotions.

While this collection would be inspiring for any young poets, it is a powerful resource for African American students who too often do not hear from writers who look like them or share their experiences.  Not only are the poets published in this volume African American, they are all young people ranging from eight to fourteen years old at the time of publication.To read and experience poetry from children their own age is a valuable experience for young readers and writers.  The illustrations have an appealing style and again feature African American faces that complement the poems.  Each young poet is described in a brief biography at the end of the book.

Featured poem:

Black is dark,

dark is lovely,

lovely is the palm of my heart

and my heartbeats are filled with joy.

by Felicia Renee Brazil

As a way of introducing the poem, I would probably share with students some background about the poetry collection--that the poems were written by students near their own age and that each poet began with the same two words but created a variety of moods, thoughts, and expressions from those two words.  After reading this poem, I would ask the students to discuss the emotions that the poet associates with black and possibly compare it to another poem from the collection.

I would next ask the students to brainstorm to find one unifying characteristic that they all share that could serve as a opening line for a set of poems inspired by the concept of this book.

A Poke in the I selected by Paul B Janeczko

Janeczko, Paul B. 2001. A poke in the I. Ill. by Chris Raschka. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 9780763606619

Janeczko has selected thirty previously published concrete poems for this collection illustrated by Chris Raschka.  The variety and visual interest of these poems set this volume apart.  The artwork complements and adds interest and meaning to the unique shapes and forms of the poems.  Rather than relying on the imagery of the words alone, the poems represent and depict movement, shape, and meaning in many ways.  Most of the poems are very brief in word count, but rely heavily on sight and sound to convey meaning and engage interest.

The volume features a variety of poets (including one previously unpublished poem by the illustrator Raschka) with multiple poems by Robert Froman, Douglas Florian, and John Hollander.  While the poems vary greatly in length, complexity, and tone, they are connected by the interactive nature of the visual representations.  The poems and illustrations form one cohesive unit that will appeal to a broad range of abilities, interest levels, and moods of children. Janeczko provides an editor's note to help introduce and explain the idea of concrete poetry.  Several of the poems are grouped on a spread with poems of similar theme or meaning which adds continuity to the collection as a whole, and a table of contents provides access points to the various poems.

Featured poem:

"Popsicle" by Joan Bransfield Graham

Popsicle

Popsicle

tickle

tongue fun

licksicle

sticksicle

please

don't run

dripsicle

slipsicle

melt, melt

tricky

stopsicle

plopsicle

hand all

s

t

i

c

k

y

As it is printed in the book, the poem takes on the shape of a popsicle with all lines except the last word forming a rectangle of text and "sticky" written downward on the page to form the stick of the popsicle.

This poem is a great introduction to concrete poems because it's a simple and obvious shape that corresponds directly to the subject of the poem.  The language, made-up words, rhythm, and rhyme also make it an entertaining choice.

I would share the poem directly from the book to expose students to the shape and illustration.  Further concrete examples could also be shared from the collection.  After reading "Popsicle" and engaging students in some discussion of how shape and placement of a poem can add meaning just as much as word choice, I would encourage students to experiment with shape, font, and illustration of their own poems.

Button Up! by Alice Schertle

Schertle, Alice. 2009. Button up!: wrinkled rhymes. Ill. by Petra Mathers.  New York: Harcourt Children's Books/ Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 9780152050504

Winner of the 2010 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award and multiple starred reviews from journals, Button Up! is a collection of poems told from the perspective of articles of clothing that are surprisingly articulate and witty.  The illustrations by Mathers depict animal characters as the clothing owners and add detail and humor to Schertle's verses.

All of the poems use rhyme and a strong rhythm that make the poems interesting to read aloud.  Repetition and refrain are also frequently employed in the collection.  The language is appealing, full of enthusiasm and humor.  Even when the articles of clothing take their jobs seriously, the whimsy involved in the concept, illustrations, and poetic language make these poems uniformly entertaining and engaging.

Each poem is titled with the owner's name and the article of clothing and is listed in a table of contents to provide access points into the text.  Each poem gets a two-page spread for poem text and illustrations.

Featured poem:

Joshua's Jammies

We are the jammies that Joshua wears,

not jammies for penguins,

not jammies for bears,

not jammies for tigers with knots in their tails,

not jammies for chickens,

not jammies for whales,

not jammies for elephants going upstairs,

we are the jammies that Joshua wears.

We don't fit iguanas,

we're not for the gnu,

we won't suit the llamas

(they never wear blue).

Hippopotamus can't get us over his head.

We're JOSHUA's jammies.  We're going to bed.

Although the illustrations add such an interesting element to the poem, I would share this poem without showing the illustration to the students.  After reading the poem several times and possibly provided a copy of the text, I would ask students to illustrate this poem.  After students have envisioned their own drawings for the poem, I will share Mather's pictures and compare them to the student's works.  We will discuss how the illustrations affect the meaning of the poem.

Things Left Unsaid by Stephanie Hemphill

Hemphill, Stephanie. 2005. Things left unsaid : a novel in poems. New York: Hyperion. ISBN 9780786818501

In her debut novel, Hemphill tells the story of high-school junior Sarah, a model student and daughter, who begins to question her life and decisions.  When she is befriended by Robin, a rebellious classmate, Sarah is drawn to the danger and dark glamour of a new life so unlike her old one.  In the end, Robin's self-destructive lifestyle helps Sarah to realize the danger of blindly following, and she must begin to find her own identity.

The novel is told entirely in titled, free verse poems.  Many can stand alone with interest and meaning outside the context of the novel.  Sarah, as the speaker of all the poems, is honest and vulnerable in depicting her confusion and questioning of life.  The poems contain some narrative elements and dialogue, but many are simply descriptive of Sarah's actions and reactions to the events going on around her.  The language is vivid and descriptive, and the poems convey a strong rhythm.

Teens, especially girls, will be drawn to the clear writing and events and emotions depicted in the novel.  The characters are realistic and representative of several teenage archetypes.  The themes of identity, peer pressure, and friendship are especially relevant to teen audiences.  Hemphill does not shy away from sensitive topics, addressing eating disorders, suicide, alcoholism, and abusive parents with honesty and understanding.

This book was awarded the 2006 Myra Cohn Livingston Award for Excellence in Poetry by the Children's Literature Council of Southern California.

Feature poem:

Under This Skin

I itch,

not pathologically,

but like I'll feel great relief

if I untie my wool scarf

and let my neck bathe

in sunlight.

I'm ready to take

something off

shed the heavy layers.

In the novel, this poem describes Sarah coming out of a time of worry and depression after the attempted suicide of her friend.  She is coming to terms with her own sense of self and getting ready to start living her life on her own terms.  It is a pivotal point in the plot where readers see Sarah start to take control of her life.

With or without the context of the novel, this poems is evocative of throwing off old ways or feelings that weigh down or hold back.  The imagery lends itself to self-expression and new freedom.  This poem would be an excellent introduction to getting students to engage in personal or creative writing such as poetry.  Every year my library holds a teen poetry performance competition, and we try to share poems with them that will inspire them to find or write poems that express their emotions and that also inspire them to speak, read, or recite.  This would be an excellent poem to use an example or inspiration for that purpose.

Blue Lipstick: Concrete Poems by John Grandits

Grandits, John. 2007. Blue lipstick: concrete poems. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 9780618568604

Concrete poems use the shape of the words and lines to convey meaning.  In Blue Lipstick, John Grandits revisits the characters from his earlier book Technically It's Not My Fault as well as the concrete poetry style to tell the story of fifteen-year-old Jessie.  The title poem on the book's cover introduces us to the cast of characters:  Jessie, her parents, her little brother Robert, and best friend Lisa.  We also get a glimpse into Jessie's personality as a girl who likes to be different and take risks.  These relationships and traits are further explored in the rest of the poems in the volume.  

Many of the meanings or themes are enhanced by the forms of the poems themselves, and the visual impact of the poems are as striking as the honest portrayal of teenage life.  Jessie, as the speaker of all the poems, is articulate and creative using figurative language and strong images to convey a wide range of emotions.

The wide range of topics with varying levels of seriousness and angst depict a realistic and relatable portrait of a teenage girl who is by turns angst-ridden, insecure, and insightful.  In her quest to be an individual, Jessie reveals that she is just like everyone else.  Teen readers, especially girls, will relate to the emotions and situations in the poems, and adult readers will also find themselves drawn to the collection.

The poems can mostly stand alone but are enhanced by the unified collection which is arranged in a rough chronology with some poems making references back to previous ones.  The relationships between Jessie and her parents and brother can especially be seen to develop across several poems.  The volume is book-ended by two versions of a poem called "The Wall" that describes the people who are on Jessie's side versus those who are on the opposing side of the wall.  The second version of this poem acknowledges that some people, once considered enemies, have come to Jessie's side of the wall.  

In this collection, Grandits uses his design background to give the poems shape and additional meaning.  The book received a starred review from School Library Journal as well a appearing on SLJ's Best Books of the Year list.  It is an ALA Notable Book and an ALA Quick Pick for Young Adults.  It won a Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Honor Award.

Featured poem: 

(The poem is written on black lines surrounding blocks of color in the manner of the art described in the painting.  There are no line breaks in the poem because of its design.)

Mondrian

Dad and I went to the Art Institute.

There was a show of work by Mondrian, and the guy totally rocks!

He did these paintings with just boxes and lines,

and he only used black and yellow and blue and red. 

I mean, he didn't mix his colors at all.

It was so simple and so elegant. 

I said, "I wish I could do that when I grow up--

make ultra-cool radical art."

Dad said, "It's not easy 

to be creative." 

And I thought to myself, "You wouldn't believe how creative

I have to be just to get through the day."

He said, "It's tough being an artist.

You've got to struggle for years.

People often misunderstand your work.

You've got to be thick-skinned because critics can be cruel.

You don't have any money.  And in many ways,

you're really alone."

And I said,

"It sounds like high school."

This poem would be a fun introduction into the art of Piet Mondrian.  After sharing the poem, students could explore his work through the Museum of Modern Art website (http://www.moma.org/collection/artist.php?artist_id=4057).  In an art class, students could also be encouraged to create their own paintings or art pieces showing the influence of Cubism.

Aside from the art connection, the comparison of an artist's life to that of a high school student could lead to a discussion of other occupations or life situations that might also correlate to aspects of teenage life.

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

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos

Bibliographic Information:
Print:
Gantos, Jack. 2011. Dead end in Norvelt. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux. ISBN  0374379939
Spoken Recording:
Gantos, Jack. 2011. Dead end in Norvelt. Read by the author. New York: Macmillan Audio. ISBN 1427213569

Plot:
In what is described as a melding of "the entirely true and the wildly fictional," the historical novel, set in Norvelt, Pennsylvania in 1962, tells the story of eleven-year-old Jack Gantos whose summer plans are derailed when he is grounded for life for disobeying his mother.  His mother does allow him out of the house to help their elderly neighbor Miss Volker, the town's nurse, medical examiner, and historian who writes obituaries for the last of the town's original residents as they die off.  Coping with frequent nose bleeds when he's nervous or scared, Jack has quite a bit about which to be nervous:  Hell's Angels with a grudge against the town, a best friend who's always trying to shock him with gruesome stories from her father's funeral parlor, a not-so-secret airplane that his father is rebuilding, houses that are vacating Norvelt to move to another town, and a string of mysterious deaths of the old ladies of the town.  

Analysis:
The quirky cast of characters that inhabit Norvelt add humor and conflict to the story from Jack's diminutive but fiery friend Bunny to crotchety, tricycle-riding, and ultimately sinister Mr. Spizz to opinionated, history-loving Miss Volker.  The feuds, friendships, and foibles of the town's inhabitants vividly depict small-town-America in a way that's engaging instead of patronizing.  The town itself, is as much a character in the story as it is setting, a former utopia that has fallen on difficult times, a place that is attempting to establish its identity just as much as Jack is.  Jack's love of history is something he shares with Miss Volker, and the pair of them manage to pass along a wealth of historical facts to the reader through their reading and obituary-writing, and as Jack learns his history, he is figuring out how the past creates the present which will create the future.  Death permeates the book, Bunny's funeral parlor, the obituaries, a dead deer, the dying town, even the looming death of Eleanor Roosevelt who founded the town.As the story progresses, Jack learns to deal with death and life with an authenticity that will resonate with young readers.

The author narrates the audio version of the book in an engaging way but without some of the polish that might be expected of a voice actor.  The vivid descriptions, absurdities, and drama are brought to life in the recording in an appealing way.

Awards & Reviews:
2012 Newbery Medal
2012 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction
Publisher's Weekly, starred review:  "wildly entertaining"
Horn Book, starred review:  "This is a richly layered semi-autobiographical tale, an ode to a time and place, to history and the power of reading."
Starred review, Kirkus Reviews:  "Characteristically provocative gothic comedy, with sublime undertones."

Connections:

• Explore the author website (jackgantos.com) for book discussion guide and author interviews
• Research historical Norvelt and other towns that were founded during the Depression as cooperative communities.
• Write obituaries for something lost, not necessarily a person, using the house and deer obits from the story.
• Other books by Jack Gantos:

Joey Pigza series published by Farrar Straus Giroux

Jack Henry story collections

Rotten Ralph picture books

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Bibliographic Information:
Print:
Sepetys, Ruta. 2011. Between shades of gray. New York: Philomel Books. ISBN 0399254129

Spoken Recording:
Sepetys, Ruta. 2011. Between shades of gray. Read by Emily Klein.  New York: Penguin Audio. ISBN 0142428973

Plot:
Shortly after the annexation of Lithuania and other Baltic States by the Soviet Union 1940, fifteen-year-old Lina is taken along with her family and thousands of other Lithuanians to work camps in Siberia and eventually the Arctic.  Lina tells the story of their imprisonment and the brutality of treatment that was suffered while also recounting the stories of courage and kindness shown by fellow deportees and even occasionally by their captors.  Interspersed in her narrative are flashbacks to happier times in Lina's past, most of which foreshadow what would later happen to her family.  Separated from her father, she uses her artistic talent to leave messages and clues for him in hopes that one day they will be reunited.  Although Lina will lose both of her parents to the harrowing ordeal, her spirit is not conquered.  She and her brother survive to eventually return to their home and Lina preserves her memories of that time to pass along to future generations so the world will know and not forget the atrocities that so many people endured.

Analysis:
In an author's note at the book's end, Sepetys describes her Lithuanian heritage and the research she did for the story.  The deportation of Lithuanians, Latvians, and Estonians to Siberia has been largely unknown or unacknowledged by western Europe or North Americans, and the Soviet Union never admitted to the events portrayed in the novel, but according to Sepetys the story survived because of people like Lina who recorded their histories and hid them away, who passed the story on so that one day the world would know.  Sepetys drew upon these firsthand accounts and interviews with those who survived to capture the reality of the world in that time.  Her descriptions of the living conditions and the harsh treatment of the soldiers who were their captors are brutal but create a vivid setting to communicate the severity of the the time period.  Bits of dialogue in both Lithuanian and Russian remind readers of the setting as well as the language barriers between characters.  So many of the characters reveal what is best (and what is worst) in people:  bravery, dignity, kindness, and strength in the face of extreme hardship are present in the same characters who are scared, selfish, pushed beyond the limits of endurance, and broken.  Lina, especially, manages to display the mercurial moods of adolescence while being forced to come to maturity and take on responsibilities far beyond what is normally asked of a fifteen-year-old.  The flashbacks reveal glimpses of her old life, a time marked by an innocence that is quickly lost.  Ultimately Sepetys manages to not only bring a forgotten history to light but also to convey a valuable message about the human spirit in the face of suffering, something that will resonate when readers consider the resilience of those who successfully overcome hardships today.

In the audio version of the novel, the narrator Klein uses inflection, pacing, and modulation to convey the strong emotions of the story although the character voices in dialogue can be distracting.  In written form the flashbacks are set apart by italics to denote a break in the chronology.  In the audiobook there is no such warning, but eventually readers may adapt to the change in rhythm of the story that these flashbacks represent.


Awards & Reviews:
2012 Golden Kite Award
2012 IRA Young Adult Book Award
New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of 2011
Booklist Top Ten First Novels for Youth, Top Ten Historical Novels for Youth & starred review: "an important book that deserves the widest possible readership"
Publisher's Weekly, starred review:  "The narrative skillfully conveys the deprivation and brutality of conditions . . ."
Starred review in School Library Journal:  "there are uplifting moments when the resilience of the human spirit and the capacity for compassion take over"

Starred Kirkus Reviews:  "bitterly sad, fluidly written historical novel . . . flowing prose"

Connections:

• Visit the book's website (betweenshadesofgray.com) to view an author interview and download a book discussion guide to use with book club or discussion group.
• Explore the historical setting of the novel through books that Sepetys used in her research: A Stolen Youth,a Stolen Homeland by Grinkeviviciute, Sentence: Siberia by Lehtmets and Hoile, Leave Your Tears in Moscow by Armonas,  and Lithuanians in the Arctic by the Laptevieciai Organization
• Historical fiction set in communist-era Soviet Union:

Fine, Anne. 2008. The road of bones. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 0374363161

Müller, Herta, and Philip Boehm. 2012. The hunger angel: a novel. New York: Henry Holt and Co. ISBN 080509301X

Yelchin, Eugene. 2011. Breaking Stalin's nose. New York: Henry Holt. ISBN 0805092161

Amelia Lost by Candace Fleming

Fleming, Candace. 2011. Amelia lost: the life and disappearance of Amelia Earhart. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books. ISBN 0375841989

Summary:
The biography details Amelia Earhart's life and career from her childhood to her disappearance on July 2, 1937. The chapters are interspersed with an account of the disappearance and subsequent search for her lost plane. Photographs, letters, and other documents correspond to the narrative, and related sidebars appear frequently.

Analysis:
The author explains in the introduction that Earhart's reputation was the result of exaggeration and embellishment, but the biography strives to look past the folklore and tall tales to the unearth the true story of the woman.  A table of contents and index help organize the story, and the background of the sections on the disappearance and search are gray to distinguish them from the sequential chapters on Earhart's life.  The primary source documents that are reprinted in the appropriate place in the chronology lend visual interest, and the sidebars offer supplementary information.  The text is supported by an extensive bibliography and list of websites that provide resources for additional exploration.  Fleming's expertise as a biographer shines in the text which is informative and engrossing, artfully depicting a life that needs no embellishment.

Reviews & Awards:2012 Orbis Pictus Honor

2012 Golden Kite Award for Nonfiction

Kirkus Reviews, starred review:  "Handwritten notes, photos, maps and inquisitive sidebars . . . complete this impeccably researched, appealing package. A stunning look at an equally stunning lady."

The Horn Book Magazine, starred review:  "The book’s structure and scope, along with the story’s inherent drama, provide a taut, cinematic backdrop for the history of Earhart’s doomed flight."

School Library Journal, starred review: "What could be a dry recitation of facts and dates is instead a gripping and suspenseful thriller..."

Connections:

• Use in Women's History Month display with biographies of other important historic women.
• Highlight as a book club selection to encourage middle grade readers (especially girls) to explore informational texts.
• Visit the websites suggested in the "Finding Amelia on the Web" section.
• Other biographies by Candace Fleming:

Fleming, Candace. 2009. The great and only Barnum: the tremendous, stupendous life of showman P.T. Barnum. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books. ISBN 0375945970
Fleming, Candace. 2005. Our Eleanor: a scrapbook look at Eleanor Roosevelt's remarkable life. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0689865449
Fleming, Candace. 2008. The Lincolns: a scrapbook look at Abraham and Mary. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books. ISBN 0375936181
Fleming, Candace. 2003. Ben Franklin's almanac: being a true account of the good gentleman's life. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0689835493

We Are the Ship by Kadir Nelson

Nelson, Kadir. 2008. We are the ship: the story of Negro League baseball. New York: Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 0786808322

Summary:
In this social history, Kadir Nelson traces the history of African-American baseball players from the 19th century to the formation of Negro Leagues in 1920 to the breaking of the color barrier in major league baseball in 1947.  Written from a first person player/narrator perspective, the story highlights important managers and players, the unique playing style of the leagues, and the discrimination and hardships that were a part of segregated baseball.  The narrative is illustrated with Nelson's life-like paintings and peppered with quotes from Negro League players, managers, and owners.

Analysis:
The text is accompanied by a foreward from baseball legend Hank Aaron, endnote citations and bibliography/filmography of sources Nelson consulted, and an author's note detailing Nelson's inspiration and research process.  An index provides access points to players, teams, and illustrations throughout the book.  The book is organized into nine "inning" chapters plus a tenth "extra inning" that recounts the fate of the Negro Leagues after Jackie Robinson and other black players were allowed into the major leagues.  The full page paintings in Nelson's characteristic style are a rich, stately accompaniment to the text, placing the reader into the action, evoking the emotion and spectacle of the national pastime.  The narrative is heavily embellished with anecdotes that convey the history in a personal and conversational way.

Reviews & Awards:
2009 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal
2009 Coretta Scott King Award, author
2009 Coretta Scott King Honor, illustrator
Booklist, starred review:  "The stories and artwork are a tribute to the spirit of the Negro Leaguers, who were much more than also-rans and deserve a more prominent place on baseball’s history shelves."
School Library Journal, starred review: "A lost piece of American history comes to life in Kadir Nelson's elegant and eloquent history of the Negro Leagues and its gifted baseball players."

Connections:

• Incorporate into seasonal displays or programming for Black History Month (February) or Jackie Robinson Day (April 15).
• Connect with related scenes/interviews of Ken Burns's documentary Baseball which features players from the Negro Leagues.
• Encourage readers to further explore Negro League players through biographies or websites.
• Explore Kadir Nelson's artwork on his website www.kadirnelson.com
• Other informational books written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson

Nelson, Kadir, and Martha Rago. 2011. Heart and soul: the story of America and African Americans. New York: Balzer + Bray. ISBN 0061730742

Nelson Mandela biography to be released in 2013

• Informational books illustrated by Nelson:

Weatherford, Carole Boston. 2006. Moses: when Harriet Tubman led her people to freedom. Ill. by Kadir Nelson. New York: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 0786851759

De la Peña, Matt. 2011. A nation's hope : the story of boxing legend Joe Louis. Ill. by Kadir Nelson. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0803731671

Jordan, Roslyn and Deloris Jordan. 2000. Salt in his shoes: Michael Jordan in pursuit of a dream. Ill. by Kadir Nelson. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0689833717

Time to Eat by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page

Jenkins, Steve, and Robin Page. 2011. Time to eat. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. ISBN 0547250320

Summary: 
Using torn paper collage illustrations, Jenkins and Page depict a variety of species of animals and provide facts about the unusual eating habits of each.  A brief introduction connects the readers to the subject matter by asking about favorite foods and comparing potential answers to the unappetizing diets that are featured in later pages.  Each animal description and illustration has a headline or  caption that employs humor or surprise to catch the readers' attention.  The illustrations are colorful and realistic and support the unexpected, informative, and sometimes grisly details of the ways animals seek, store, consume, and digest food.  At the end of the book, the authors have provided additional information about the habitat and lifestyle of each animal.

Analysis:
Jenkins is a prolific author of informational books on animals.  His website (http://www.stevejenkinsbooks.com/) provides background on his interest in animals and science and also provides a glimpse into the process he uses to research his books and create the illustrations.  The information provided in the end notes is full of specifics and facts that will enhance the reading.  Although the book covers a wide range of species, animals that share two-page spreads in the book are connected either by a similarity in their feeding habits or because they represent two extremes.  The common wood tick, which can wait years between meals, is contrasted with the northern short-tailed shrew which must eat every few hours or die.  Each page is simply adorned with the animal illustration with no background or clutter to distract, and white space is used to good effect.  The text is brief and simple letting the facts provide the punch.   The illustrations are sure to catch the eye of scanners or browsers and each spread is self-contained enough to stand alone, although the books as a whole will provide a more cohesive experience.

Awards & Reviews:
2011 Eureka!  Nonfiction Children's Book Award
2012 Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best
Booklist, starred review:  "Another standout science title from the husband-and-wife team."
Publisher's Weekly review:  characteristically naturalistic yet artful collages"
School Library Journal:  "With phenomenal illustrations and facts both revolting and fascinating, this title is sure to please."

Connections:

• Use as a read aloud with young elementary students in animal behavior unit.
• Have children write and illustrate an animal fact.  Assemble into a book for the classroom library.
• Encourage students to explore the author's website and view the "making books" section for insight into the research and creation of Jenkins's work.
• Other animal books by Jenkins & Page:

Jenkins, Steve, and Robin Page. 2011. Time for a bath. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. ISBN 0547250371

Jenkins, Steve, and Robin Page. 2011. Time to sleep. Boston: Houghton Mifflin books for Children. ISBN 0547250401

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

My second-ever attempt at book trailer creation . . .

Figuring out how to have the book audio clip and the music playing at the same time is the greatest achievement of my life.

We Are America by Walter Dean Myers

Myers, Walter Dean. 2011. We are America: a tribute from the heart. Ill. by Christopher Myers. New York, NY: HarperCollins Children's Books. ISBN 060523085

Summary:

In free verse enhanced by quotations from American history and mural-style illustrations, Myers creates a portrait of America from its native people to the children of the future with allusion to so many events, people, and ideas that have shaped the nation.  

Analysis:
Myers manages in a few lines to chronicle several hundred years of history while capturing the spirit of freedom and striving that have always defined success in America.  The poem’s words, though powerful and vivid on their own, are difficult to separate from Christopher Myers’s artwork.  Historical figures and iconic images from history appear alongside young, colorful, hopeful faces of Americans in harmony with the poem.  The imagery of the poem is strong, using metaphor and other poetic device to convey powerful emotion.

Awards & Reviews:

NCTE Notable Poetry List 2012

CYBILS Award Finalist 2011

Kirkus Reviews:  "The poetry and the paintings will be an excellent jumping-off point for discussions."

From Publisher's Weekly:  " . . . few will be unmoved by this stirring and provocative collaboration."

Connections:

• Share the author notes from the book and show students the video (below and at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDQXjG0hjLQ) of the poet and illustrator discussing the inspiration for the poems.
• Explore the companion website Who Is America? (http://www.who-is-america.com/) and encourage students to create video responses for the site.
• Use the historical events alluded to in the poem or depicted in the illustrations as well as the quotations to introduce history lessons/discussions.  
• More poetry/art by Walter Dean Myers & Christopher Myers:

Myers, Walter Dean. 1997. Harlem: a poem. Ill. by Christopher Myers. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 0590543407

Myers, Walter Dean. 2006. Jazz. Ill. by Christopher Myers. New York: Holiday House. ISBN 0823415457

• America-inspired poetry:

Borden, Louise. 2002. America is--. Ill. by Stacey Schuett. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books. ISBN 0689839006

Hopkins, Lee Bennett. 2000. My America: a poetry atlas of the United States. Ill. by Stephen Alcorn. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0689812477

Panzer, Nora. 1994. Celebrate America: in poetry and art. New York: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 1562826646