Citation: Zusak, Markus. The Book Theif. New York:Random House, 2006
Ages: 14 and up
Genre: Historical Fiction
Theme: Holocaust, Survival, Power of Words, Friendship, Loyalty, Help One Another
Main Character: Liesel Meminger, Hans and Rosa Huberman, Rudy, Max
Plot Summary:
The Book Thief is about a young girl named Liesel who is taken from her mother and handed over to a couple living near Munich, Germany during the years during World War II. The Book Thief is about the many trials of Liesel's life and how she learns to deal with them. First getting used to living in a new home with an overbearing foster mother to finding enough food to feed herself and survive. Soon after moving into her new home, Hans, her foster father begins teaching Liesel to read and she soon learns the power of words. She can not get enough and begins stealing books to satisfy her need to read. Friends such as her neighbor Rudy, the Jewish man living in her basement, Max, and her foster father are the only things making it possible for Liesel to survive these harsh times. The Book Thief describes the horrors of war and what people will do to survive in terrible conditions.
Writing Style:
The Book Thief is told from Death's perspectives. He describes the lives he sees unfolding before him. It gives a strange twist to the story and gives a unique perspective to the novel.
Assessment of Quality and Utility:
The Book Thief is a terrific book that makes the horrors of war and the joy of friendship vivid for the reader. It shows how the power of words can help a person survive and deal with the unfathomable. The Book Thief also teaches the reader about friendship and loyalty even in the face of death. Liesel's life comes alive on the pages of the book and a young reader would have no trouble identifying with her.
The Book Thief is a great book to use in Social Studies units about World War II and the Holocaust. It can really show students the horrors of war and the horrible events that those living in Germany had to endure during the war. It would also be a great book for an English class to read to speak about the power of words and how it could help a person through troubling times.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Goonies
Citation: Goonies. Dir. Ruchard Donner. Perf. Sean Astin, Cory Feldman. DVD. Warner Bros., 2001.
Ages: 12 and up
Genre: Action, Comedy
Themes: Buried Treasure, Friendship, Loyalty, Adventure
Main Characters: The Goonies: Mikey, Brand, Mouth, Chunk, Data, Andy, Stef, The Fratellis, Sloth
Plot Summary:
The Goonies is a story about a group of kids who on the verge of loosing their homes to a country club being built in their place, set out on a treasure hunt to save the town they love. They are soon being raced to the treasure by a family of criminals named the Fratellis, a mother and her two sons. Her third son Sloth, named as such for his physical deformities, joins up with one of the group that is left behind to help save the day when the lives of the Goonies are threatened. In the end the treasure is discovered and enough jewels are found to save the Goon Docks.
Assessment of Quality
Each character has their own lovable qualities and The Goonies is a joy to watch. The movie is fast paced and the special effects are decent for the time period during which the movie was made. For me it is a trip down memory lane watching this movie because it was a favorite of mine when I was a kid. Although the movie was made in the 80’s I believe that young adults of this time period would still enjoy watching this movie. It is funny and exciting. It shows what a band of kids can do if they put their minds to it. The Goonies are a close knit group of friends which I believe young adults can identify with. There is even a bit of romance thrown in to catch the most reluctant watchers attention.
Ages: 12 and up
Genre: Action, Comedy
Themes: Buried Treasure, Friendship, Loyalty, Adventure
Main Characters: The Goonies: Mikey, Brand, Mouth, Chunk, Data, Andy, Stef, The Fratellis, Sloth
Plot Summary:
The Goonies is a story about a group of kids who on the verge of loosing their homes to a country club being built in their place, set out on a treasure hunt to save the town they love. They are soon being raced to the treasure by a family of criminals named the Fratellis, a mother and her two sons. Her third son Sloth, named as such for his physical deformities, joins up with one of the group that is left behind to help save the day when the lives of the Goonies are threatened. In the end the treasure is discovered and enough jewels are found to save the Goon Docks.
Assessment of Quality
Each character has their own lovable qualities and The Goonies is a joy to watch. The movie is fast paced and the special effects are decent for the time period during which the movie was made. For me it is a trip down memory lane watching this movie because it was a favorite of mine when I was a kid. Although the movie was made in the 80’s I believe that young adults of this time period would still enjoy watching this movie. It is funny and exciting. It shows what a band of kids can do if they put their minds to it. The Goonies are a close knit group of friends which I believe young adults can identify with. There is even a bit of romance thrown in to catch the most reluctant watchers attention.
Stormbreaker
Citation: Horowitz, Anthony. Stormbreaker. New York: Philomel Books, 2000
Ages: 14 yrs. and up
Genre: Adventure
Theme: Espionage, Adventure, Conspiracy, Secret Agents
Main Characters: Alex Ryder, Herod Sayle, Mr. Grin, Mrs. Jones, Mr. Blunt
Plot Summary
Alex Ryder is a normal kid who has just lost his only living relative, his uncle, in a car accident. However Alex soon finds out that his uncle is not what he seemed but was in fact a spy for the central intelligence agency in England. The same people who Alex’s uncle worked for ask Alex for his help. Alex agrees and is soon on a mission to check on a millionaire who has donated computers to every school in the country of England. They suspect that he is up to no good. Alex is soon in a harrowing race to save the country from certain death.
Stormbreaker is the first novel in a series about Alex Ryder, YA Spy!!
Writing style
Stormbreaker is written in the third person. The author takes an omnipresent narrative approach to tell the story of Alex Ryder.
Assessment of Quality and Utility
Stormbreaker is a very exciting and spell binding story that young adults will enjoy. The story is well written and it is easy to get caught up into the action of the novel. It is a quick read that will interest even the most reluctant readers. There is not a lot of character development taking place which can be good and bad. Good, because you are put right into the action quickly, the author does not waste time introducing you to the characters in lengthy descriptions but bad, because it is a little bit difficult for the reader to identify with the characters of the book. Many of the events in this book seem very contrived but that is fitting for this type of adventure book. The reader is not supposed to believe that this type of situation could actually ever take place.
This book would be a great novel to offer to a reluctant reader or for a young adult who has some reading issues. It is a low level high interest book that is easy and fun to read. I am a slower reader and I was able to finish it in one afternoon.
Ages: 14 yrs. and up
Genre: Adventure
Theme: Espionage, Adventure, Conspiracy, Secret Agents
Main Characters: Alex Ryder, Herod Sayle, Mr. Grin, Mrs. Jones, Mr. Blunt
Plot Summary
Alex Ryder is a normal kid who has just lost his only living relative, his uncle, in a car accident. However Alex soon finds out that his uncle is not what he seemed but was in fact a spy for the central intelligence agency in England. The same people who Alex’s uncle worked for ask Alex for his help. Alex agrees and is soon on a mission to check on a millionaire who has donated computers to every school in the country of England. They suspect that he is up to no good. Alex is soon in a harrowing race to save the country from certain death.
Stormbreaker is the first novel in a series about Alex Ryder, YA Spy!!
Writing style
Stormbreaker is written in the third person. The author takes an omnipresent narrative approach to tell the story of Alex Ryder.
Assessment of Quality and Utility
Stormbreaker is a very exciting and spell binding story that young adults will enjoy. The story is well written and it is easy to get caught up into the action of the novel. It is a quick read that will interest even the most reluctant readers. There is not a lot of character development taking place which can be good and bad. Good, because you are put right into the action quickly, the author does not waste time introducing you to the characters in lengthy descriptions but bad, because it is a little bit difficult for the reader to identify with the characters of the book. Many of the events in this book seem very contrived but that is fitting for this type of adventure book. The reader is not supposed to believe that this type of situation could actually ever take place.
This book would be a great novel to offer to a reluctant reader or for a young adult who has some reading issues. It is a low level high interest book that is easy and fun to read. I am a slower reader and I was able to finish it in one afternoon.
Monday, November 10, 2008
An American Plague
Citation: Murphy, Jim. An American Plague. New York: Clarion Books, 2003
Age: 12 and up
Genre: Non-Fiction
Themes: Yellow Fever, Politics, Life in the 1700's
Main Characters: No main characters
Plot Summary
An American Plague is the story of the Yellow Fever during the late summer and early fall of 1793. It tells about the quick spread of the Yellow Fever throughout the city of Philadelphia and all the events that followed. The misunderstanding of sickness during this time period led to the plague killing thousands of people. During this time many people fled the city to escape the disease while others stayed risking their lives to help the sick and dieing. The American Plague speaks about the many heroes that worked hard to end the plague as quickly as possible. The book goes onto to explain how the real cause of the Yellow Fever was eventually discovered.
Writing Style:
An American Plague is told in the third person narrative.
Assessment of Quality and Utility
An American Plague explains in thorough detail what happened during the Yellow Fever onslaught in 1793. The life of the people during this time is told in great detail as well. This is a great book for students who must learn about this time period because it gives all the facts but in an interesting way. The book keeps the readers attention and helps the reader understand what it would feel like to go through such a devastating event.
An American Plague could be used in a Biology class to show students how the study of disease has evolved over the past few centuries. It could open up discussion on how the misunderstanding of bacteria and viruses has led to many deaths in our nation’s past. This book could also be used in Social Studies classroom to open up discussion of this time period.
Age: 12 and up
Genre: Non-Fiction
Themes: Yellow Fever, Politics, Life in the 1700's
Main Characters: No main characters
Plot Summary
An American Plague is the story of the Yellow Fever during the late summer and early fall of 1793. It tells about the quick spread of the Yellow Fever throughout the city of Philadelphia and all the events that followed. The misunderstanding of sickness during this time period led to the plague killing thousands of people. During this time many people fled the city to escape the disease while others stayed risking their lives to help the sick and dieing. The American Plague speaks about the many heroes that worked hard to end the plague as quickly as possible. The book goes onto to explain how the real cause of the Yellow Fever was eventually discovered.
Writing Style:
An American Plague is told in the third person narrative.
Assessment of Quality and Utility
An American Plague explains in thorough detail what happened during the Yellow Fever onslaught in 1793. The life of the people during this time is told in great detail as well. This is a great book for students who must learn about this time period because it gives all the facts but in an interesting way. The book keeps the readers attention and helps the reader understand what it would feel like to go through such a devastating event.
An American Plague could be used in a Biology class to show students how the study of disease has evolved over the past few centuries. It could open up discussion on how the misunderstanding of bacteria and viruses has led to many deaths in our nation’s past. This book could also be used in Social Studies classroom to open up discussion of this time period.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World
Citation : Armstrong, Jennifer. Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World. New York: Crown Publishers, 1998.
Ages: 12 and up
Genre: Non-Fiction
Themes: Adventure, Exploration, Survival, Loyalty, Friendship
Main Characters: Ernest Shackleton, Frank Wild, Frank Worsley, Frank Hurley
Plot Summary
Shipwreck is about the incredible journey that Shackleton and his men made on the Endurance in 1915. They set off to be the first men to cross the continent of Antarctica. On the trip there their boat got caught in the ice off the coast of Antarctica and they had to endure months cooped up on their boat waiting for the ice to break apart enough to go on shore. Unfortunately what happened instead was the boat was crushed in the ice and the men had to attempt to travel across the ice to the open ocean. Once they made the perilous trek they then had to face the open ocean. They finally landed on a small island in the middle of the ocean. They landed on an island with no inhabitants and six men had to go ahead and get help. The captain did not abandon his men and he returned to save them weeks later. None of the men on the Endurance were lost in this harrowing true story of survival.
Writing Style
Shipwreck is in the third person narrative. The story was put together from accounts of the men who were on the Endurance and narrated for the reader. The author does take some artistic license with her description of the goings on throughout the book, such as when she gives the penguins human qualities at different points in the story.
Assessment of Quality and Utility
Shipwreck is a fantastic book which quickly draws the reader in. Soon the reader does not even realize he or she is reading a non-fiction book but feels more like they are reading a novel about survival and adventure. The author does a superb job of describing the setting of the story so that the reader can fully understand the trials and tribulations that each crew member of the Endurance had to go through. By the end of the book the reader fully understands the miracle that their survival was.
This book is sure to catch any young reader’s attention but would probably grab the interest of young adult males best because they tend to be very attracted to survival stories. Shipwreck is a story that could teach readers about perseverance and sticking by your friends throughout the worst of times. A unique use of this book could be in a Science class where students must learn about the ecosystem of the South Pole. While the reader reads the story of these heroic men, they also learn about environment these men had to endure. Of course this book could also be used in a Social Studies class where turn of the century events are discussed.
Ages: 12 and up
Genre: Non-Fiction
Themes: Adventure, Exploration, Survival, Loyalty, Friendship
Main Characters: Ernest Shackleton, Frank Wild, Frank Worsley, Frank Hurley
Plot Summary
Shipwreck is about the incredible journey that Shackleton and his men made on the Endurance in 1915. They set off to be the first men to cross the continent of Antarctica. On the trip there their boat got caught in the ice off the coast of Antarctica and they had to endure months cooped up on their boat waiting for the ice to break apart enough to go on shore. Unfortunately what happened instead was the boat was crushed in the ice and the men had to attempt to travel across the ice to the open ocean. Once they made the perilous trek they then had to face the open ocean. They finally landed on a small island in the middle of the ocean. They landed on an island with no inhabitants and six men had to go ahead and get help. The captain did not abandon his men and he returned to save them weeks later. None of the men on the Endurance were lost in this harrowing true story of survival.
Writing Style
Shipwreck is in the third person narrative. The story was put together from accounts of the men who were on the Endurance and narrated for the reader. The author does take some artistic license with her description of the goings on throughout the book, such as when she gives the penguins human qualities at different points in the story.
Assessment of Quality and Utility
Shipwreck is a fantastic book which quickly draws the reader in. Soon the reader does not even realize he or she is reading a non-fiction book but feels more like they are reading a novel about survival and adventure. The author does a superb job of describing the setting of the story so that the reader can fully understand the trials and tribulations that each crew member of the Endurance had to go through. By the end of the book the reader fully understands the miracle that their survival was.
This book is sure to catch any young reader’s attention but would probably grab the interest of young adult males best because they tend to be very attracted to survival stories. Shipwreck is a story that could teach readers about perseverance and sticking by your friends throughout the worst of times. A unique use of this book could be in a Science class where students must learn about the ecosystem of the South Pole. While the reader reads the story of these heroic men, they also learn about environment these men had to endure. Of course this book could also be used in a Social Studies class where turn of the century events are discussed.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
A Northern Light
Citation: Donnelly, Jennifer. A Northern Light. New York: Harcourt Inc., 2003.
Ages: 13 and up
Genre: Historical Fiction
Themes: Turn of the Century Life, Northern New York Culture, Farming, Friendship, Murder,
Main Characters: Mattie, Weaver, Mrs. Wilcox, Mattie's Father and Sisters, Royal Loomis
Plot Summary:
Mattie is a young girl living in the North Woods of New York state during the early 1900's. Her mother has died of cancer and she is now the responsible female in the household taking care of her father and her three sisters. She is a very smart girl and enjoys going to school. Her teacher encourages her to take her Regents exams, get her high school diploma, and go to college but she feels that she can no not break the promise she made to her mother on her death bed, which was to take care of her family. She decides to apply anyway and she gets in with a full scholarship. She longs to go but her father will not allow it. Mattie is soon being courted by a young man in the town and decides perhaps she will not attend college and marry instead. Meanwhile her best friend in school is Weaver Smith, an African-American boy who also wishes to go to college and become a lawyer. They each take a job at the Glenmore Inn to earn cash over the summer and while they are there a young woman, Grace Brown visits the inn with a her fiance, Chester Gillette. The woman is killed in what at first is thought to be an accident but Mattie knows better because before the woman died she gave Mattie a number of letters to burn which reveal the truth about her sudden death.
Writing Style:
A Northern Light is written from Mattie's perspective. The story goes back and forth between past and present tense, or before Grace Brown's death and after. Mattie and her friend Weaver love words and each day Mattie looks up a new word in the dictionary to learn. The way the author distinguishes between the past and present tense is by putting words in bold letters at the beginning of the chapters which tell about Matties life before the young woman's murder.
Assessment of Quality and Utility:
A Northern Light is a fantastic book about choosing between right and wrong, sticking up for what is right, friendship, loyalty to family, keeping one's promises and ultimately making decisions that are best for yourself. Mattie is a terrific role model for any young adult reading this book. She evetually learns to believe in herself and in her convictions and turns out to be the one responsible for ensuring that the right man was arrested and convicted of Grace Brown's death in the book. Mattie's friends are also respectable people who show that it is more important to look out for each other then to get ahead in life. A Northern Light truely shows how life was in the past because it is well researched.
A Northern Light could be used in a Social Studies class discussing the turn of the century life. It is particularly interesting to those living in New York state because it takes place here in the northern region of the state and many of the town and city names are recognizable for students, bringing the story home for them. The story is very interesting but at the same time the reader is learnering about a real murder that really took place. A few of the characters are real and many of the facts are real as well. It would be a great book to help students learn what it was really like to live at the turn of the century in Northern New York.
Ages: 13 and up
Genre: Historical Fiction
Themes: Turn of the Century Life, Northern New York Culture, Farming, Friendship, Murder,
Main Characters: Mattie, Weaver, Mrs. Wilcox, Mattie's Father and Sisters, Royal Loomis
Plot Summary:
Mattie is a young girl living in the North Woods of New York state during the early 1900's. Her mother has died of cancer and she is now the responsible female in the household taking care of her father and her three sisters. She is a very smart girl and enjoys going to school. Her teacher encourages her to take her Regents exams, get her high school diploma, and go to college but she feels that she can no not break the promise she made to her mother on her death bed, which was to take care of her family. She decides to apply anyway and she gets in with a full scholarship. She longs to go but her father will not allow it. Mattie is soon being courted by a young man in the town and decides perhaps she will not attend college and marry instead. Meanwhile her best friend in school is Weaver Smith, an African-American boy who also wishes to go to college and become a lawyer. They each take a job at the Glenmore Inn to earn cash over the summer and while they are there a young woman, Grace Brown visits the inn with a her fiance, Chester Gillette. The woman is killed in what at first is thought to be an accident but Mattie knows better because before the woman died she gave Mattie a number of letters to burn which reveal the truth about her sudden death.
Writing Style:
A Northern Light is written from Mattie's perspective. The story goes back and forth between past and present tense, or before Grace Brown's death and after. Mattie and her friend Weaver love words and each day Mattie looks up a new word in the dictionary to learn. The way the author distinguishes between the past and present tense is by putting words in bold letters at the beginning of the chapters which tell about Matties life before the young woman's murder.
Assessment of Quality and Utility:
A Northern Light is a fantastic book about choosing between right and wrong, sticking up for what is right, friendship, loyalty to family, keeping one's promises and ultimately making decisions that are best for yourself. Mattie is a terrific role model for any young adult reading this book. She evetually learns to believe in herself and in her convictions and turns out to be the one responsible for ensuring that the right man was arrested and convicted of Grace Brown's death in the book. Mattie's friends are also respectable people who show that it is more important to look out for each other then to get ahead in life. A Northern Light truely shows how life was in the past because it is well researched.
A Northern Light could be used in a Social Studies class discussing the turn of the century life. It is particularly interesting to those living in New York state because it takes place here in the northern region of the state and many of the town and city names are recognizable for students, bringing the story home for them. The story is very interesting but at the same time the reader is learnering about a real murder that really took place. A few of the characters are real and many of the facts are real as well. It would be a great book to help students learn what it was really like to live at the turn of the century in Northern New York.
Persepolis
Citation: Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis: A Story of a Childhood. Paris: Random House, 2003.
Ages: 13 and up
Genre: Graphic Novel, Multi-Cultural
Themes: War, Friendship, Religion, Islamic Culture, Protesting, Politics
Main Characters: Marjane Satrapi (Author), her mother and father.
Plot Summary:
Persepolis is a graphic novel written by Marjane Satrapi about her life as a young child in the country of Iran during the Iranian revolution. It gives a child's view of the world during this time, while all around her friends were going to jail for protesting, and her parents are trying to figure out where they fit into the world in which they live. Marjane is just trying to make sense of the situation, she does not quite understand what is happening. She must comfort the relatives and friends around her who are loosing their families while feeling the desire to do her part in the protests. As she grows older she starts to rebel against the strict rules around her. Finally her family decides to send her to Austria so that she will be safe.
Writing Style: Persepolis is written in graphic novel form. There is a lot of dialogue between characters and is narrated by Marjane herself.
Assessment of Quality and Utility:
Persepolis does a good job at explaining what it was like to grow up in Iran during the revolution. Marjane Satrapi takes the reader through her life and expresses the emotions one might go through if you were experiencing her life. The confusion and then realization that the world she knows is crumbling down around her.
Persepolis would be a good book to introduce students the Iranian Culture. Also to what it is like to experience revolution and war. It would make a good discussion starter for a Social Studies class discussion of war, and what it feels like live in a world that is unsettled by revolution and strife.
Ages: 13 and up
Genre: Graphic Novel, Multi-Cultural
Themes: War, Friendship, Religion, Islamic Culture, Protesting, Politics
Main Characters: Marjane Satrapi (Author), her mother and father.
Plot Summary:
Persepolis is a graphic novel written by Marjane Satrapi about her life as a young child in the country of Iran during the Iranian revolution. It gives a child's view of the world during this time, while all around her friends were going to jail for protesting, and her parents are trying to figure out where they fit into the world in which they live. Marjane is just trying to make sense of the situation, she does not quite understand what is happening. She must comfort the relatives and friends around her who are loosing their families while feeling the desire to do her part in the protests. As she grows older she starts to rebel against the strict rules around her. Finally her family decides to send her to Austria so that she will be safe.
Writing Style: Persepolis is written in graphic novel form. There is a lot of dialogue between characters and is narrated by Marjane herself.
Assessment of Quality and Utility:
Persepolis does a good job at explaining what it was like to grow up in Iran during the revolution. Marjane Satrapi takes the reader through her life and expresses the emotions one might go through if you were experiencing her life. The confusion and then realization that the world she knows is crumbling down around her.
Persepolis would be a good book to introduce students the Iranian Culture. Also to what it is like to experience revolution and war. It would make a good discussion starter for a Social Studies class discussion of war, and what it feels like live in a world that is unsettled by revolution and strife.
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