SLIS 5420 - Module 8 - Redwall and City of Ember

Bibliography

Jacques, B., & Chalk, G. (1986). Redwall. New York: Philomel Books.

Summary

Redwall Abbey is a sanctuary for all peaceful creatures seeking aid and shelter. The peaceful monks are known throughout the surrounding countryside and are allowed to travel unhampered by boarders and are welcomed by all. Life is peaceful for the creatures of Redwall until the day that Cluny the Scourge arrived. Bringing his army of rats and other sly rodents, the giant sea rat seeks to take over the Redwall Abbey and exploit the surround land. Redwall is besieged, but a brave young monk named Matthias remembers the story of Martin, the hero of Redwall, and seeks his legacy to defend the Redwall Abbey. Matthias endures many hardships as he searches for the weapons and armor of Martin the Warrior, but eventually recovers the missing items and makes powerful allies in the process. The conflict reaches a climax when Cluny finally breaches the abbey walls, only to find an army raised by Matthias and Redwall ready to defend their homes. Matthias and Cluny fight to the death, and Matthias is eventually the victor, bringing peace back to Redwall.

Impression

The book was very interesting as the author played on the natural strengths and attributes of all the different animals for their roles in the conflict. The weasels were the sly spies, Constance the badger was the strong arm for the abbey, and Basil Stag Hare was the slightly insane, quick on his feet, war veteran rabbit. The characters were very well developed, and the world was rich and very fun to visit.

Reviews

“What on the surface appears to be just another medieval fantasy peopled with animals enacting the fight to the death between good and evil is actually a rich and thought-provoking novel on the nature of good and evil. The peaceful life of the mice of Redwall Abbey is shattered by the onslaught of the fierce rate, Cluny the Scourge, and his army of rats, weasels, and other vermin. The mice and the other peaceful animals take refuge in the Abbey’s strong walls while Cluny lays siege. Advantage is with the besieged (as long as the food supplies last), and the Abbey defenders are able to withstand numerous attacks. Cluny cannot be completely defeated, however, until the sword of Martin, the legendary warrior who founded Redwall Abbey, can be found. A young novice, Matthias, embarks on a quest and ultimately finds it, but a wise cat reminds him that it is just a sword. It attained its legendary status because Martin used it only in the defense of right and good. Just as Martin’s sword is neither good nor evil, the characters avoid being simply personifications of their attributes. The defenders, even Matthias, have faults, while even Cluny displays characteristics which make him not likeable, but at least deserving of a grudging admiration. The book is violent, and at some times downright gruesome, but the quality of the writing, the rich cast of characters, the detailed accounts of medieval warfare, and Jacques’ ability to tell a good story and make readers think all earn Redwall a place on library shelves.”

Harding, S. (1987). Redwall (Book Review). School Library Journal, 33(11), 96.

“Only the lost sword of Martin the Warrior can save Redwall Abbey from the evil rat Cluny and his greedy horde. The young mouse Matthias (formerly Redwall's most awkward novice) vows to recover the legendary weapon. In the course of his quest, Matthias forges strong ties with various local animals. As much as the magic of the sword, it is the help of these new friends that enables Matthias to defeat Cluny once and for all. Jacques's clever use of detail creates an animal world as compelling as that of The Wind in the Willows. From the beginning, each of Redwall's characters is endowed with a unerringly distinct personality: there is a powerful badger named Constance; a mute squirrel named Silent Sam, who knows the forest better than anyone; and his mother Jess, a champion climber who leads a splendid rescue of a piece of the abbey's tapestry. This epic adventure contains elements of all grand quests, with heroic archetypes that will keep fans of Tolkein and King Arthur tales engaged to the final battle.”

(1987). Redwall. Publishers Weekly.

Library Use

Redwall is a good book for an introduction to the fantasy genre. The characters are accessible by younger readers, but there is enough action to keep older readers entertained as well.

Bibliography

DuPrau, J. (2003). The city of ember (1st ed.). New York: Random House.

Summary

The city of Ember was created by the Builders as a last hope for humanity, a safe place to rebuild society for 200 years. The Builders left instructions with the mayor of Ember on how to leave the town once the time had elapsed, but man’s memory is short and their hearts greedy, and soon the instructions were lost and forgotten, and Ember became all that people knew. In the year 241, it is assignment day for the school in Ember. Once a resident reaches the age of 12, he or she is assigned a job to do for the rest of their lives. When Lina chooses the job of Pipeworks worker, she knows that she has the worst luck. However, when Lina is leaving, her classmate Doon offers to trade his job of messenger, the job that Lina wanted. Lina is thrilled and rushes home to tell her grandmother and baby sister. Lina tells them the news and life continues better than she could hope. As she delivers messages, she notices that things in Ember are getting worse by the day. Power outages are resulting in city wide blackouts, light bulbs are become scarce, and even food is being rationed. With all these things on her mind, she returns home to find her grandmother clearing out her closest, searching for something very important, though she can’t remember what it is. Lina finds a piece of paper that has been destroyed by her little sister with the instructions the Builders left to leave the city. Conspiring with Doon, they plan to leave the city to see what is out in the world and hopefully find the future hope for Ember.

Impression

The book was good, if simply written. The characters weren’t very approachable and were difficult for me to connect with. The story was given away by the prologue where the story explained what was in the instructions so the mystery and anticipation wasn’t there. The book could have been done a lot better, and it felt like it was written for someone below its intended age range.

Reviews

“This promising debut is set in a dying underground city. Ember, which was founded and stocked with supplies centuries ago by "The Builders," is now desperately short of food, clothes, and electricity to keep the town illuminated. Lina and Doon find long-hidden, undecipherable instructions that send them on a perilous mission to find what they believe must exist: an exit door from their disintegrating town. In the process, they uncover secret governmental corruption and a route to the world above. Well-paced, this contains a satisfying mystery, a breathtaking escape over rooftops in darkness, a harrowing journey into the unknown and cryptic messages for readers to decipher. The setting is well-realized with the constraints of life in the city intriguingly detailed. The likable protagonists are not only courageous but also believably flawed by human pride, their weaknesses often complementing each other in interesting ways. The cliffhanger ending will leave readers clamoring for the next installment.”

(2003). THE CITY OF EMBER (Book). Kirkus Reviews, 71(10), 749.

“Unlike the rundown dystopia of Lois Lowry's Gathering Blue, the darkness of Ember is essentially literal. Its people, by and large, are honorable and civilized; its governance is democratic if quasi-theocratic; its economy frugal but fair. But there is no natural light in Ember, and the blackouts of its antiquated electrical grid are coming more and more frequently: "running out of light bulbs, running out of power, running out of time--disaster was right around the corner." So thinks Doon, a curious twelve-year-old who, along with his spirited schoolmate Lina, determines to save the city. On a deliberately limited canvas, first-novelist DuPrau draws a picture of a closed society, all of its resources taken from vast but emptying storerooms, with no travel possible beyond the lights of the city. The writing and storytelling are agreeably spare and remarkably suspenseful, and rather than bogging down in explanations of how Ember came to be and how it functions, DuPrau allows the events of the story to convey the necessary information. There's a contrivance or two in keeping the narrative moving, but even the device of a hidden letter, complete with missing words, is used with such disarming forthrightness that readers will be eagerly deciphering it right alongside Doon and Lina. The two protagonists are good sorts, distinctively if not deeply etched, and fans (note: there will be many) will be pleased to know that while Doon and Lina's mission is triumphantly concluded, there's plenty of room for a sequel.”

Sutton, R. (2003). The City of Ember (Book). Horn Book Magazine, 79(3), 343.

Library Use

The book is a good introduction dystopian literature. The story provides enough hope that the reader would be able to enjoy the ending unlike some books like The Giver.

SLIS 5420 - Module 7 - Hoot and Fat Kid Rules the World

Bibliography

Hiaasen, C. (2002). Hoot (1st ed.). New York: Alfred A. Knopf : Distributed by Random House.

Summary

When Roy Eberhardt moves from Montana to Florida because of his father’s job, he thinks that he is going to hate it there. To Roy, Florida is flat and boring and cannot compare to the mountainous region he has just left. However, on his first day to school Roy sees a boy running beside his school bus but never shows up at school. Roy is fascinated with the boy, and the next time he appears, Roy chases after him. After chasing the running boy across a golf course and getting hit in the head with a golf ball, Roy is confronted by Beatrice Leep, a muscular girl on the schools soccer team. She tells Roy to stay away from the running kid and to mind his own business. Roy doesn’t let up and soon finds where the running kid stays and tries to find out why he is living in the wild and who he actually is. After the running kid makes Roy leave his hiding place, Roy encounters Beatrice who tells him to leave the running kid alone, and that the boy is her stepbrother. Roy ignores her and still tries to help the running boy. Roy discovers that the running kid is trying to prevent Mother Paula’s Pancake House from building a location on the site where borrowing owls live. Roy has to choose whether to follow his head and leave the boy alone, or follow his heart and help the boy do what is right.

Impressions

The book felt a little preachy at places as well as anti-establishment. Several of the secondary characters could have had clearer endings, but they were minor characters, so it didn’t affect the story that greatly. Hiaasen’s story is more humorous than many youth literature books and was easy to read. The problem that the main character faced was a little improbably but the underlying themes, such as doing what is right and what is smart, can be applied to many situations that a young person may experience.

Reviews

“This is novelist Carl Hiassen's first book for young readers (Knopf, 2002). Set in Florida, an intriguing barefoot runner reminiscent in his innocence of Maniac Magee leads middle school student Roy Eberhardt on an eco-adventure that includes snakes, fish, alligators, a student protest movement, and encounters with big business and law enforcement--all in defense of a nesting site for burrowing owls. This barefoot runner remains fairly enigmatic throughout the story, never truly becoming part of the ordinary world of home, school, and community that newcomer Roy finds so limited after having experienced the majestic Montana mountains. But Roy grows to appreciate Florida by experiencing it through contact with this elusive friend whom he helps to accomplish the seemingly impossible. An interesting cast of adult and student characters is brought to life by actor Chad Lowe who uses his voice deftly to express each in clearly discernible ways. His reading is especially well-paced to assist in following and understanding the changes of setting and characters as the plot moves along in two different sequences for quite some time. It's an appealing story focusing on ecological values, giving it nice classroom potential for science tie-ins. It would also make a great book for family listening because of its timely story line, interesting animal details, lots of local color, and effective message.”

Fenn, J., & Mandell, P. (2003). Hoot (Book). School Library Journal, 49(1), 74.

“Hoot is quintessential Hiaasen — a mystery/adventure set in South Florida, peopled with original and wacky characters — with a G rating. Roy Eberhart the new kid in town, hooks up with teenage runaway Mullet Fingers (so named because he can catch fish with his bare hands) and his sister Beatrice, a "major soccer jock … with a major attitude." The three discover that the proposed site for a Mother Paula's All-American Pancake House is also a nesting ground for small burrowing owls, a protected species, and they attempt to halt construction. Initiating a cover-up that reaches all the way to the mayor's office, Mother Paula's executives ignore the owls and try to speed up ground-breaking ceremonies before the public learns their secret. But Mullet Fingers sabotages their efforts: he removes survey stakes; puts alligators in the portable toilets; and releases a mess of cottonmouth shakes to scare away the guard dogs, The narrative carries a lot of frenzied commotion that only becomes more preposterous with each new character's entrance. There's Garrett, "king of phony farts" at middle school; Officer Delinko, not "the sharpest knife in the drawer"; and Kalo, the amiable rottweiler trainer ("That vun dere is Max. That vun, Klaus. That vun, Karl. And that big vun is Pookie Face"). Each individual has a story to tell, sometimes advancing the plot (Officer Delinko's ambitious investigation provides believable access to all characters) and sometimes imposing an earnestness at odds with the humor (Beatrice and Mullet Fingers endure a dismal home situation). Not consistently a hoot, but worthy of a holler. Hiaasen's first YA book succeeds as a humorous diversion.”

Carter, B. (2002). Hoot. Horn Book Magazine, 78(6), 759-760.

Library Use

A good book for someone who is interested in youth standing up about environmental rights. The main focus of the book is getting the Mother Paula’s company to stop building on the new site and the ending lends towards a non-violent means of protest and public knowledge rather than vandalism.

Bibliography

Going, K. L. (2003). Fat kid rules the world. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons.

Summary

Troy Billings is fat. So fat that he feels like his life is worthless. While standing at the subway, contemplating jumping (and wondering how much of the train his fat would cover), a homeless music legend from his school, dropout Curt MacCrae, stops him from jumping and insists that he be repaid by Troy buying him dinner. After dinner, Curt follows Troy home uninvited, where he tells Troy’s ex-marine father that Curt and Troy are starting a band. What Troy believes as a lie actually becomes true as Curt helps Troy conquer his self-esteem issues and helps Troy with his appearance. Troy finds out that Curt is abusing prescription drugs and tries to help Curt after he passes out by taking him to the hospital. Troy convinces his father to allow Curt to stay with their family to help Curt straighten out, but Curt refuses the offer. Troy becomes angry with Curt and decides to prove to Curt that he is serious by conquering his own self image fears and performing with the band.

Impression

The book uses a lot of coarse language, but for the age group, nothing is too inappropriate. The book is written from Troy’s point of view, so you only see and feel what Troy feels. It gives the reader a more personal experience and allows greater empathy with the character.

Reviews

“Big, fat, miserable, insightful Troy, 17, is contemplating suicide but is saved by Curt, a cadaverous, brilliant, homeless, druggie guitarist and neighborhood punk rock icon. Determined to make Troy his drummer, Curt becomes a sometimes part of Troy's truncated family. Troy's dad, a bitter ex-Marine who cannot fathom his fat son, undergoes subtle growth to become the pair's unlikely savior. Funny, frightening, gritty, passionate, and real, this is an amazingly textured study of complex personal growth of almost symbiotic characters in crisis.”

Hofmann, M. (2005). Fat Kid Rules the World. School Library Journal, 51(11), 59.

“Overweight and friendless, high school senior Troy Billings is standing on the edge of the subway tracks contemplating suicide when a dirty and disheveled young man engages him in conversation and prevents him from taking the plunge. He's Curt MacCrae, a legend at Troy's school for being "the only truly homeless, sometimes student, sometimes dropout, punk rock, artist god among us." For reasons that Troy does not at first understand, Curt invites him to join his band as a drummer, even though Troy has only minimal experience with music. Both characters are strongly defined. Hyperactive and frustratingly enigmatic, iconoclastic Curt has the soul of an artist, as well as a self-destructive streak fed by incessant pill-popping. Troy's obesity is over stated (references to his sweating and huffing-and-puffing seem to appear on every page), but his emotional neediness is palpable and genuinely moving. As the friendship between the boys develops, Troy explores New York's punk music scene (about to give his debut performance, he throws up on the stage; the audience loves it) and comes to a better understanding of both his brother and (wonderfully portrayed) widowed father. But his emerging sense of self-worth also leads him to make a decision that could destroy his friendship with the increasingly troubled Curt. In this gritty and intense novel--perhaps more of a character study than a plot-driven story--these two disparate and desperate teenagers attempt to save each other and, quite possibly, end up saving themselves as well.”

Sieruta, P. (2003). Fat Kid Rules the World. Horn Book Magazine, 79(4), 456-457.

Library Use

A very good book for high school students who are dealing with weight problems. The main character figures out that because everyone is trying so hard to not look at him, they aren’t actually paying him any attention. It’s a great revelation that most people don’t care what you look like and the moral plays out well in the end.

SLIS 5420 - Module 6 - Frindle

Bibliography

Clements, A., & Selznick, B. (1996). Frindle (1st ed.). New York, N.Y: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Summary

Nick Allen likes to make school interesting by doing things like turning his classroom into a tropical paradise in the middle of February, sand included. Nick never means to create trouble; it’s just that some of his ideas tend to get him in trouble anyway. But when Nick enters fifth grade, his creativity may have got him in over his head. Inspired by learning about the origins of the dictionary, Nick decides that if all it takes for a word to become real is by everyone using it, then why can’t he make his own word? Nick comes up with the word ‘frindle’ to replace the word ‘pen’ and convinces his friends to help spread the word around school. But the word doesn’t stop with the school; ‘fridle’ is spread across the world. Nick learns that even though he made the word, it isn’t his anymore; it belongs to everyone.

Impressions

The book was really very good. The writing level was appropriate for the age group that the book was written for, but it didn’t stop me from liking it. The story was paced very well and the illustrations were well done. The thing that I liked the most was that there was only a small part of the story in which Nick doubted himself and the book moved very quickly through that part on to the climax of the story.

Reviews

“Nicholas Allen, a sharp, creative, independent thinker starts fifth grade looking for a way to sabotage his Language Arts class. The teacher, Mrs. Granger, is a legend, and he believes her when she states that it is the people who decide what words go into the dictionary. Picking up a dropped pen triggers a brilliant idea. He coins a new word for pen-frindle. It's all for fun, but frindle catches on and Nick finds himself on the "Late Show" and "Good Morning America" explaining his new word. Readers will chuckle from beginning to end as they recognize themselves and their classrooms in the cast of characters. A remarkable teacher's belief in the power of words shines through the entire story, as does a young man's tenacity in proving his point. Outstanding and witty.”

Jones, T. E., & Toth, L. (1996). Grades 3-6: Fiction. School Library Journal, 42(9), 201.

“Ten-year-old Nick Allen has a reputation for devising clever, time-wasting schemes guaranteed to distract even the most conscientious teacher. His diversions backfire in Mrs. Granger's fifth-grade class, however, resulting in Nick being assigned an extra report on how new entries are added to the dictionary. Surprisingly, the research provides Nick with his best idea ever, and he decides to coin his own new word. Mrs. Granger has a passion for vocabulary, but Nick's (and soon the rest of the school's) insistence on referring to pens as "frindles" annoys her greatly. The war of words escalates--resulting in after-school punishments, a home visit from the principal, national publicity, economic opportunities for local entrepreneurs, and, eventually, inclusion of frindle in the dictionary. Slightly reminiscent of Avi's Nothing but the Truth (1991), this is a kinder, gentler story in which the two sides eventually come to a private meeting of the minds and the power of language triumphs over both. Sure to be popular with a wide range of readers, this will make a great read-aloud as well.”

Weisman, K. (1996). Frindle. Booklist, 93, 125.

Library Use

It could be used to teach the value of language to students who do not understand why learning proper grammar and spelling are important. It’s also an interesting look at etymology that could be used to explain to young kids why words like ‘Google’ and ‘Tweet’ are being used.

SLIS 5420 - Module 5 - Cinderella Skeleton

Bibliography

San Souci, R. D., & Catrow, D. (2000). Cinderella Skeleton (1st ed.). San Diego: Silver Whistle/Harcourt.

Summary

A retelling of a classic children’s story, Cinderella Skeleton puts a macabre twist on a familiar tale. Cinderella Skeleton spends her days hanging cobwebs, arranging dead flowers in vases, and feeding the bats beneath the eaves so she never has time for any fun. However, when Prince Charnel holds the famous Halloween Ball is determined to attend, permission from her stepmother or no. She seeks out the good witch who transforms the bats, jack-o’-lantern, cats, and rats into a nightmare drawn funeral wagon. She attends the ball and is instantly the object of attention from Prince Charnel. Cinderella and Charnel dance the entire night, until the spell of the good witch begins to break. Cinderella flees from Charnel, snapping her foot off in her hasty escape. Charnel, who is heartbroken, roams the land in order to find whose leg the foot belongs to. After much searching, Charnel and Cinderella are reunited and soon married to stay happy ever after.

Impression

The book is told in rhyme, which can be a good thing and a bad thing when writing stories for younger readers. The rhyme was well done, however, and enhanced the flow and narration of the book rather than being clumsy or over-burdening. The illustrations for the book were simply amazing and whimsical after a fashion so that even the most timid of young readers would be able to read what some may consider a bit scarier than some are used to.

Reviews

“No glass slipper appears in this often funny graveyard romance. Instead, skeletal Prince Charnel breaks Cinderella Skeleton's shinbone as she flees the Halloween Ball, leaving her with a "footless stump" and "In his hand, a foot-in his throat, a lump." Would-be princesses eagerly snap off their ankles, but the grim relic fits only Cinderella Skeleton, revealed in all her ghastliness: "Your gleaming skull and burnished bones,/Your teeth like polished kidney stones,/Your dampish silks and dankish hair,/There's nothing like you anywhere!" Catrow (Rotten Teeth) dresses the heroine in cobwebby lace and fringes her decaying scalp with wispy locks; he goes to town with the half-dragon, half-horse pulling the funeral wagon that serves as Cinderella's coach, and the palace gargoyles are not to be missed. A Cinderella story that girls and boys will love.”

Deveraux, E. (2000). CINDERELLA SKELETON (book review). Publishers Weekly, 247(39), 62.


“"Cinderella Skeleton / Was everything a ghoul should be: / Her build was long and lean and lank; / Her dankish hair hung down in hanks; / Her nails were yellow; her teeth were green--/ The ghastliest haunt you've ever seen. / Foulest in the land was she." San Souci (Sootface: An Ojibwa Cinderella Story) takes his interest in Cinderella variants one step further by creating a bony heroine whose trip to the ball has a distinctly Halloweenish cast. Even children who've never heard of The Addams Family will recognize the conventions (Cinderella Skeleton's housework consists of hanging up cobwebs instead of taking them down), and the plot follows the original folktale closely, with one grisly exception: instead of retaining her glass slipper, Prince Charnel gets her entire foot, snapped off halfway up the leg bone. This and other potentially scary moments are made humorous in Catrow's caricatures, which employ the long lines and angles of the skeletons to create particularly dynamic compositions in pencil and watercolor. Cinderella wears a fluttering cobweb gown and a blooming dandelion as her headdress, while Prince Charnel is just as handsome with deeply sunken eyes and ornamental cockroaches scurrying over his Napoleonic dress uniform. Although San Souci's unusual rhyme scheme, complex syllables, and breaks in meter may trip up a few unwary readers, much remains to be admired in this sweet tale of corpse-meets-corpse.”

Burkam, A. L. (2000). Cinderella skeleton. Horn Book Magazine, 76(5), 589-590.

Library Use

This would make a fantastic read aloud book for older readers. The rhyming narrative is great for reading sessions and the pages are packed with detail and imagery making for a great eye-catching presentation.

SLIS 5420 - Module 4 - Holes & Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

Bibliography

O'Brien, R. C., & Bernstein, Z. (1971). Mrs. frisby and the rats of NIMH (1st ed. ed.). New York: Atheneum.

Summary

Mrs. Frisby is a field mouse living in Mr. Fitzgibbon’s vegetable patch along with her children. When her youngest child, Timothy, catches pneumonia, she is rushed to get help from her neighbor Mr. Ages, who has knowledge of medicine and herbs. Mr. Ages gives her medicine to save Timothy from the pneumonia, but instructs Mrs. Frisby that he cannot go out into the cold for at least three weeks. Mrs. Frisby is relieved, but knows that spring is fast approaching and Mr. Fitzgibbon will soon plow his vegetable garden, destroying their winter home and killing anyone who is left behind. Desperate for help, Mrs. Frisby asks the advice of Jeremy the crow, whose life she saved from the Fitzgibbon’s cat ‘Dragon’. Jeremy takes her to see the Owl, who is older than any other creature he knows. The Owl advises Mrs. Frisby to ask help of the rats who live in the rose bush near the tractor shed. Mrs. Frisby takes his advice and learns that the rats were subject to experiments at NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health) and have longer life spans and heightened intelligence. They are willing to help Mrs. Frisby, but are unable due to Dragon posing a potentially lethal threat. Mrs. Frisby volunteers to drug the cat, but is captured in the attempt. While captured, she overhears that men, supposedly from NIMH, are coming to kill the rats. She escapes with help from one of the rats and informs them of the humans plans. They prepare to escape, while a group of rats move Mrs. Frisby’s house and children out of danger. The rats escape to their new home in the mountain valley, and Timothy survives the winter.

Impressions

The book is a very interesting look into the issues of limits of science. Almost like Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the NIMH produced rats are beyond the control of their creators. The fact that the rats act opposite of the stereotype that society has placed on them is a very thought provoking in that it could potentially serve as an allegory for not judging based on preconceived notions.

Reviews

“There's something very strange about the rats living under the rosebush at the Fitzgibbon farm. But Mrs. Frisby, a widowed mouse with a sick child, is in dire straits and must turn to these exceptional creatures for assistance. Soon she finds herself flying on the back of a crow, slipping sleeping powder into a ferocious cat's dinner dish, and helping 108 brilliant, laboratory-enhanced rats escape to a utopian civilization of their own design, no longer to live "on the edge of somebody else's, like fleas on a dog's back."

This unusual novel, winner of the Newbery Medal (among a host of other accolades) snags the reader on page one and reels in steadily all the way through to the exhilarating conclusion. Robert O'Brien has created a small but complete world in which a mother's concern for her son overpowers her fear of all her natural enemies and allows her to make some extraordinary discoveries along the way. O'Brien's incredible tale, along with Zena Bernstein's appealing ink drawings, ensures that readers will never again look at alley rats and field mice in the same way.”

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. (2010). Amazon.com Editorial Reviews: http://www.amazon.com/Mrs-Frisby-Rats-Robert-OBrien/dp/0689206518/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266194386&sr=1-1

“In an effort to move her family safely away from the farmer’s spring plow, a widowed field mouse, Mrs. Frisby, enlists the help of rats who are former captives of the National Institute of Mental Health and possess extraordinary powers. This engrossing fantasy is full of adventure, friendship, and heroism.”

Weisman, K. (2006). 15 Classic Read Alouds. Book Links, 15(6), 9-11.

Library Use

The chapters are short and easy to read, and as one of the reviews already pointed out, would make a great chapter book to read aloud to children.

Bibliography

Sachar, L. (1998). Holes (1st ed.). New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Summary

Stanley Yelnats (his first is the same as his last, only reversed) is the third generation of Stanley Yelnats to have to bear the curse of their “pig stealing great-great-grandfather”. There is, of course, no such thing as curses, but it doesn’t help that bad luck seems to follow his family around. Like now, Stanley is in trouble with the law for something he didn’t do, like stealing the shoes of Clyde Livingstone, the famous baseball player who donated his shoes to the orphanage to raise money through an auction. So Stanley is sent to Camp Green Lake (where there is no lake, and nothing is green) for rehabilitation, which is achieved by digging holes five feet wide and five feet deep. He makes friends with the other “campers” and becomes close with the camper known as Zero. When Zero runs away from camp into the middle of the desert, Stanley feels that it’s his responsibility to go after him. They take refuge in the mountains, living off muddy water and wild onions, and make it back to the camp where Stanley’s name has been cleared, the Warden’s true intent behind the camp is revealed, and Zero is able to leave with Stanley thanks to Stanley’s lawyer.

Impressions

Of all the books I read for this module, this one has to be my favorite. The way the plot is interwoven (which I didn’t mention because my summary would have been far too long for a summary) is simply amazing. Sachar did such an amazing job tying everything together, developing the characters, and making the situation feel believable, it is not surprising that the book is a Newbery winner.

Reviews

“As the winner of the Newbery Medal and the National Book Award in 1998, as well as the basis for the 2003 film adaptation (which grossed $67.3 million), Sachar's darkly comic tale has all the ingredients of a YA reading-group hit--crime, adventure, treasure and identifiable, likable characters. Falsely imprisoned in the juvenile detention center Camp Green Lake, Stanley Yelnats discovers clues to a secret treasure while digging holes in the rocky lakebed, the punishment impinged upon the prisoners by The Warden, who's obviously hiding something. But what? Stanley endeavors to find out, and according to Kirkus, "Through flashbacks, Sachar weaves a complex net of hidden relationships and well-timed revelations as he puts his larger-than-life characters under a sun so punishing that readers will be reaching for water bottles." Vicky Smith, Director of McArthur Library in Biddeford, Me., who used Sachar's novel in her own fifth-grade book group, says that the children loved the characters and enjoyed the challenge of the shifting narratives. She also notes that the discussion helped struggling readers to better understand the text. Reprinted as part of Random House's Reader's Circle series, this "rugged, engrossing adventure" will engage a wide range of young readers.”

(2005). HOLES. Kirkus Reviews, 73(8), 14.

“Louis Sachar has written an exceptionally funny, and heart-rending, shaggy dog story of his own. With its breadth and ambition, Holes may surprise a lot of Sachar fans, but it shouldn't. With his Wayside School stories and — this reviewer's favorite — the Marvin Redpost books, Sachar has shown himself a writer of humor and heart, with an instinctive aversion to the expected. Holes is filled with twists in the lane, moments when the action is happily going along only to turn toward somewhere else that you gradually, eventually, sometimes on the last page, realize was the truest destination all along.”

Sutton, R. (1998). Holes. Horn Book Magazine, 74(5), 593-595.

Library Use

This would be an excellent book to recommend to a patron who felt that they didn’t fit in and were always making mistakes. Stanley is overweight and feels like the unluckiest person in the world, but always remains hopeful.

SLIS 5420 - Module 3 - Jumanji & Golem

Bibliography

Van Allsburg, C. (1981). Jumanji. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.

Summary

Jumanji is the story of two children, Peter and Judy, who find themselves bored on an afternoon while their parents are away at the opera. Having exhausted all their toys inside, the children go outside to play and find a mysterious board game underneath a tree. Taking the game home, the children discover that whatever happens in the game becomes real. The only way to finish the game is for one of the children to get to the end of the board and yell “Jumanji”. After a lion attack, a monsoon, and monkeys invading their home, the Judy finally wins the game, which sets everything back to the way that it was.

Impressions

The book’s illustrations are amazingly beautiful, drawn by renowned children’s book artist Chris Van Allsburg. The illustrations enhance the story so wonderfully; the book would not be the same without them. The story is very well written, telling the story completely with rich and full vocabulary.

Reviews

“Without pictures, this would be a fairly orthodox horror story for kids: a jungle board game, found in the park with ominous instructions, produces at each square the children land on whatever wild creature (""Lion attacks, move back two spaces"") or natural disaster (""Monsoon season begins, lose one turn"") is called for--until, beset, the two youngsters are throwing the dice wildly to reach the last square (""Jumanji, a city of golden buildings and towers"") and free themselves of the jungle terror. This episode, however, is framed, in a conventional picture-book made, by their departing parents' injunction to ""keep the house neat"" and the parents' return, with guests, after the game is over and all is calm. A second sly jest provides the obligatory twist at the end: a guest's two children are returning from the park, discarded game in hand. What makes the pictures themselves problematic is: l) the heavy load of portent present from the start (as in Van Allsburg's earlier The Garden of-Abdul Gasazi), which robs the book of a contrast between the normal, everyday and the macabre; 2) Van Allsburg's freeze-dry surrealism, which renders the turbulence as a static charade, or tableau; and 3) the paradox that imagined horror is more skin-prickling than horror seen--with a child's mouth agape. Van Allsburg's artistic skill seems largely confined to the devising of special effects--these largely dependent, in turn, on oversize close-ups and dramatic angles. Once their shock-value wears off, these are boring pictures--with no feel in particular (down to the inappropriately babyish toys) for a child's world.”

Kirkus Reviews. (1981). Jumanji – written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg. 04/01/1981

“When Judy and Peter find a board game in the park, they take it home, hoping to alleviate their boredom. One live lion, an erupting volcano, and a dozen destructive monkeys later, the children are no longer bored. Their jungle adventure game has come to life! Chris Van Allsburg is a master at walking the line between fantasy and reality. His unusually sculptured drawings (familiar to the many devoted fans of the Caldecott-winning The Polar Express and The Garden of Abdul Gasazi) convey the magical transition of a normal house to an exotic jungle. Readers will tremble along with Judy and Peter, urging them to roll the dice that will plunge them from one perilous predicament into another. Jumanji, a New York Times Best Illustrated Book and winner of the 1982 Caldecott Medal, is sure to amaze and thrill even the most jaded young reader. (Ages 9 to 12)”

Jumanji. (2010). Amazon.com Editorial Reviews: http://www.amazon.com/Jumanji-Chris-Van-Allsburg/dp/0395304482/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265583398&sr=8-2

Library Use

As with many Caldecott books, the illustrations in Jumanji serve as a great addition to the text. I could easily see this as a good read-aloud book to help children expand their vocabulary (like the word “monsoon”) using the illustrations to help them understand within context.

Bibliography

Wisniewski, D. (1996). Golem. New York: Clarion Books.

Summary

Golem takes place in the city of Prague, wherein the Jewish community is in a moment of crisis. Lies are being spread that the Jews of the city are stealing children to use their blood in their matzoh, their unleavened bread. Confined to the ghetto, the Jews were unable to defend themselves against the onslaught of false accusations. Rabbi Loew received a message in a dream of fire and destruction that told him that in order to save his Jewish community, he would need to construct a golem. Loew and his helpers snuck out from the city at night to the clay banks of a nearby river in which they constructed the golem. The golem was given the task of defending the Jewish community at night and serving the Jewish community during the day. The golem, named Joseph, served the Jewish community faithfully, even through a riot, where he single handedly defeated hundreds who had come to hurt the Jews. Because the golem had completed his task, he was returned to the earth, but is promised to rise again whenever the Jews are in need.

Impression

The sharp dimensions of the illustrations, along with the illustrations having no outline, gives the artwork a very real feel. The illustrations rise up from the pages to give the reader an enhanced sense of perspective. The story is rich, and printed flawlessly into integration with the illustrations. The story is put together so well that the illustrations and the writing are inseparable, one enhancing the other to amazing levels.

Reviews

“Elaborately composed cut-paper spreads give a 3D, puppet-show-like quality to a retelling of a Jewish legend. Rabbi Loew has a prophetic vision in 1580 when the Jews of Prague are accused of mixing the blood of Christian children into matzoh: he must create a Golem, "a giant of living clay, animated by Cabala, mystical teachings of unknown power." Brought to life with apocalyptic explosions of steam and rain, the Golem seeks out the perpetrators of the Blood Lie and turns them over to the authorities. Thwarted, the enraged enemies of the Jews storm the gates of the ghetto, but the Golem grows to enormous height and violently defeats them with their own battering ram. Once his work is done, he pitifully (and futilely) begs the Rabbi: "Please let me live! I did all that you asked of me! Life is so... precious... to me!" Wisniewski (The Wave of the Sea Wolf) emphasizes the Golem's humanity and the problems with his existence; instead of reducing the legend to a tale of a magical rescuer, the author allows for its historical and emotional complexity. The fiery, crisply layered paper illustrations, portraying with equal drama and precision the ornamental architecture of Prague and the unearthly career of the Golem, match the specificity and splendor of the storytelling. An endnote about the history and influence of the legend is particularly comprehensive. Ages 6-10. (Oct.)”

Devereaux, Elizabeth. (1996). Golem. Publishers Weekly, 243(43), 83.

“Wisniewski's retelling of the golem legend varies only slightly from the traditional version recounted by Beverly McDermott in The Golem (HarperCollins, 1975; o.p.). It is the tale of a clay giant formed in the image of man to protect the Jewish people of medieval Prague from destruction by their enemies. His master, the chief rabbi of Prague in the late 16th century, was a highly regarded Cabbalist (a mystic). In this telling, the golem speaks with the simplicity of a child (In many versions he is mute), and he is destroyed when the emperor guarantees the safety of the Jewish people. (Traditionally, the golem goes berserk and must be returned to the earth.) A lengthy note explains the idea of the Golem and details Jewish persecution throughout history. Wisniewski has used layers of cut paper to give depth to his illustrations, many of which have a three-dimensional appearance. A wispy layer, which begins as the vapor of creation, becomes smoke from torches carried by an angry mob of armed silhouette people and horses. The colors are browns and grays of the earth, sunrise mauve, and the pumpkin and burnt orange of fire and sunset. Skillful use of perspective enhances the Golem's immense size. While the plot is stronger than in Mark Podwal's retelling (Greenwillow, 1995), Wisniewski's text lacks the power and child appeal of McDermott's spare, well-crafted tale. Still, collections wanting another edition of the story might consider this one.”

Scheps, S., & Jones, T. (1996). Grades 3-6: Nonfiction. School Library Journal, 42(10), 142.

Library Use

I think this would be a good cross cultural mythology book. Most of the time the collections for cultural mythology focuses on African, Greek, and some Roman, but there is very little in the way of Jewish mythology.

The book could also be used to demonstrate different art styles. The illustrations are done using paper rather than pen and ink, so showing that there are different ways to be artistic could be interesting.