Babymouse: The Musical

1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY

Holm, Jennifer and Matthew Holm. 2009. Babymouse: The Musical. New York, NY: Random House Children’s Books. ISBN 978-0-375-93791-0 

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

Buoyed by the attentions of the newcomer British hedgehog Henry Higgins, Babymouse auditions for the school musical and is designated to be understudy to Felicia Furrypaws. Babymouse is quite dramatic in her attempts to act, egged on by the comments of the narrator, who at turns cheers her on or playfully teases her. A variety of actual musicals are woven into the plot, such as A Chorus Line, The Phantom of the Opera, My Fair Lady, High School Musical, Lion King, Pirates of Penzance, American Idol, Grease, Annie, and others. Babymouse has her big break when Felicia develops a hair ball, leaving Babymouse to take center stage where she tries her best and literally brings the house down.

3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS

In this delightful graphic novel, sister and brother team authors Jennifer Holm and Matthew Holm have created another adventure featuring Babymouse, the endearing, bumbling mouse who perseveres through various trials and accomplishes her goal. She has many misadventures in her attempts to do her best, but that is where the best humor and life lessons lie in this book. Babymouse is a typical student with her struggles with fitting in, playing dodgeball, auditioning for the school musical, having great dreams for herself, yet beset by humorous misfortune. She is a role model for readers aged seven to twelve who encounter similar situations in their day-to-day lives. Irrepressible Babymouse shows that diligence and patience can result in good consequences in one’s life, thereby encouraging readers to do the same, to stick with it even if they experience difficulty. Voiceovers from the narrator keep the story on track, encouraging Babymouse and occasionally teasing her, providing more humor. 

The graphics are playfully pink, black and white, lending a great deal of energy to the story. The illustrations add to the humor and enjoyment of the book as they express the emotions of the various characters, such as joy, frustration, resignation, hope, love, and trepidation. All of the incorporated musicals are drawn in their representative styles adding a variety of imaginative settings to the story. The inclusion of the wide assortment of musicals will have readers singing along to their favorite show tunes, making for a rollicking, fun reading experience. 

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Starred review from Horn Book: “Nobody puts Babymouse in the corner.”

Review from Booklist: “Cute, smart, sassy Babymouse is fun and funny.”

5. CONNECTIONS

*Have students perform Reader’s Theater over various parts of the book, especially their favorite musical parts.

*Have students read some of the other Babymouse books. There are thirteen in the series. Have students create their own Babymouse styled comic books or graphic novels. 

*Other graphic novels appealing to the elementary age group (and beyond):

Bruel, Nick. Bad Kitty. ISBN 1596430699 (is part of a series)

Holm, Jennifer and Matthew Holm. Squish. ISBN 0375843892 (is part of a series)

Kinney, Jeff. Diary of a Wimpy Kid. ISBN 0810993139 (is part of a series)

speak

1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY

Anderson, Laurie Halse. 1999. speak. New York, NY: Farrar Straus Giroux. ISBN 0-374-37152-0 

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

Melinda Sordino is a new freshman in high school, a time she would have looked forward to, before this past summer, when one party, where she and her best friend Rachel got drunk and Melinda was raped, changed her life forever. She never told anyone. Now she is alone, an outcast, her friends having shunned her and even strangers calling her names and jostling her in the hall. She cannot talk with her distant, busy, working parents. Tormented by the memory of the past summer, she attempts various ways to try to escape the memories, hiding out in a hall closet she has staked out for herself, silence, dark thoughts, chewing her lips, and art class. But it is not until she is inspired by a fellow classmate to stand up and speak that she finds the courage to take steps to protect Rachel and let others know what happened and find healing in her own life.   

3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS

In her first novel, Laurie Halse Anderson’s writing accurately depicts the pressures, boredom, and distress today’s teenagers face in making the transition from middle school to high school and beyond.  With frankness and honesty she discusses issues such as cliquishness, exclusion, loneliness, suicide, cutting, underage drinking, individuality, athleticism, truancy, parental relationships, and rape all from the perspective of a freshman girl. Her words and feelings ring true, creating a believable and likable character in Melinda, a strong, resilient girl who perseveres through fear, anxiety and depression. Most readers will find some difficult aspect of their high school experience expressed in this story, some tongue-in-cheek, others with humor, such as the popularity contests, the signing of yearbooks, the desire for a snow day or a “mental health” day, finding someone to sit with in lunch, and the wide variety of teachers and the burdens they place on the students. She fleshes out the characters of teachers, principal, students, parents, and Melinda in terms teenagers can relate to, as the story progresses through Melinda’s freshman year in high school. She accurately depicts the maelstrom of teenage moods and feelings and very eloquently provides guidance to teenagers to speak up for themselves. She also accurately describes life in Central New York, especially the grey, seemingly unending winter and the longing for spring. She uses symbolism to demonstrate the rebirth and growth of Melinda’s spirit in the spring of her freshman year, when she finally finds her voice and is able to reach out and trust an old friend and a teacher enough to finally share her story. The chapters are short and correspond to a specific issue in Melinda’s life, spanning her freshman year, showing the evolution of her thoughts and ability to trust people again. 

Speak is a powerful, moving work of contemporary realistic fiction that will connect with teenage readers facing the trials of high school and hopefully encouraging those who have traumatically lost their voice to find a trusted someone with whom they can speak. 

4. AWARDS AND REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

National Book Award Finalist

Michael L. Printz Honor book

American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults

SCBWI Golden Kite Award

YALSA Popular Paperback for Young Adults

Starred review from Booklist: “Melinda's sarcastic wit, honesty, and courage make her a memorable character whose ultimate triumph will inspire and empower readers.”

Starred review from The Horn Book: “An uncannily funny book even as it plumbs the darkness, Speak will hold readers from first word to last.”

Review from Kirkus Reviews: “A frightening and sobering look at the cruelty and viciousness that pervade much of contemporary high school life, as real as today's headlines. At the end of the summer before she enters high school, Melinda attends a party at which two bad things happen to her. She gets drunk, and she is raped. Shocked and scared, she calls the police, who break up the party and send everyone home. She tells no one ...” 

Review from Publishers Weekly: “a stunning first novel," in which Ms. Anderson "uses keen observations and vivid imagery to pull readers into the head of an isolated teenager…Anderson infuses the narrative with a wit that sustains the heroine through her pain and holds readers' empathy…The book's overall gritty realism and Melinda's hard-won metamorphosis will leave readers touched and inspired.”

5. CONNECTIONS

*Listen to Laurie Halse Anderson read her poem, Listen, that was written in reaction to the tens of thousands letters and emails she has received in the ten years since the book was originally published. Find it on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ic1c_MaAMOI

The words of the poem can be found along with a discussion guide for the book at: http://www.pointofviewbooks.com/pdf/speakguide.pdf

*Watch the DVD of the movie made from the book, Speak (2005).  

*Other books by Laurie Halse Anderson:

Catalyst. ISBN 0142400017

Prom. ISBN 0142405701

Twisted. ISBN 0142411841

Wintergirls. ISBN 014241557X

*Other books about young adults dealing with transitions:

Brashares, Ann. Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants series. ISBN 0385734247

Dessen, Sarah. Just Listen. ISBN 0142410977

Dessen, Sarah. The Truth about Forever. ISBN 0142406252

Dessen, Sarah. That Summer.  ISBN 0142401722

Johnson, Angela. The First Part Last. ISBN  1442403438

When You Reach Me

1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY

Stead, Rebecca. 2009. When You Reach Me. [Unabridged Audiobook]. Narrated by Cynthia Holloway. Cambridge, MA: Listening Library. ISBN 9780739380734  

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

Twelve-year-old latch-key kid Miranda tells the story of her life, with her single mother, who is preparing for the game show, the $20,000 Pyramid, and the mystery that has unfolded around her for the last several months, paralleling her favorite book, A Wrinkle in Time. After her best friend Sal is punched and their friendship suddenly dissolves, Miranda befriends Annamarie and Colin, and they all work together at Jimmy’s sandwich shop during lunchtime. When someone takes her apartment key and starts leaving her notes about saving the life of a friend, Miranda wonders who is able to know the future. The surprising ending, with the future Marcus’ sacrifice to save Sal’s life, preventing him from being run over by a truck, makes Miranda realize that time travel is indeed possible.

3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Rebecca Stead transports readers back to the Upper West Side of 1979 New York City, accurately recalling details of life in the City, slang, and products from the times. Miranda is a believable, likable character, an independent sixth-grader, who is saddened by the loss of her best friend, Sal. She is interested in reading and curious about time travel, a topic of conversation throughout the book. Written in first person narrative, Miranda effectively shares her inner thoughts and her insights into her friends and acquaintances in an approachable and endearing fashion. Her mother promotes compassion and fair treatment, in her working for a non-profit law firm and her admonitions to Miranda to not call the “Laughing Man” “Quackers.” The book is fantasy, science fiction, and a mystery, which slowly unfolds with the arrival of each note, which accurately predicts the future. Readers aged nine through fourteen will be drawn into the story attempting to solve the mystery and be left thinking about the potential of time travel. The book consists of short chapters, titled in the style of the categories from the $20,000 Pyramid, like “Things You Realize” and “Things that are Mysterious,” making it very readable. The chapters fit together consistently, like pieces in a puzzle until the story reaches its climax. Stead weaves the various characters together into a coherent, original and creative story that explores the power of friendship and love and the mysteries of science and growing up. 

 Cynthia Holloway brings the text to life, managing all of the various characters, plot developments, and emotion with aplomb.

When You Reach Me seems much like a young person’s version of The Time Traveller’s Wife with its mode of time travel and its sensibilities in its expression of love, friendship, and the circle of life.

4. AWARDS AND REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Winner of the 2010 John Newbery Medal

American Library Association Notable Children's Books

Young Adult Library Services Association Best Books for Young Adults 

Starred review from School Library Journal: “Discerning readers will realize the ties between Miranda's mystery and L'Engle's plot, but will enjoy hints of fantasy and descriptions of middle school dynamics. Stead's novel is as much about character as story. Miranda's voice rings true with its faltering attempts at maturity and observation. The story builds slowly, emerging naturally from a sturdy premise. As Miranda reminisces, the time sequencing is somewhat challenging, but in an intriguing way. The setting is consistently strong. The stores and even the streets–in Miranda's neighborhood act as physical entities and impact the plot in tangible ways. This unusual, thought-provoking mystery will appeal to several types of readers.”  

Starred review from Kirkus Reviews: "…when all the sidewalk characters from Miranda's Manhattan world converge amid mind-blowing revelations and cunning details, teen readers will circle back to the beginning and say, 'Wow ... cool.'”  

Starred review from Booklist: “…the mental gymnastics required of readers are invigorating; and the characters, children, and adults are honest bits of humanity no matter in what place or time their souls rest.”

Starred review from The Horn Book: “Closing revelations are startling and satisfying but quietly made, their reverberations giving plenty of impetus for the reader to go back to the beginning and catch what was missed.” 

Starred review from Publisher’s Weekly: “It's easy to imagine readers studying Miranda's story as many times as she's read L'Engle's, and spending hours pondering the provocative questions it raises.” 

5. CONNECTIONS

*Have students develop their own word lists to play a classroom version of $20,000 Pyramid.

*Have students develop a Reader’s Theater version of the book and act it out. 

*Other books about mysteries and growing up:

Fitzhugh, Louise. Harriet the Spy. ISBN 0440416795

Juster, Norton. A Phantom Tollbooth. ISBN 0394820371

Konigsburg, E.L. From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. ISBN 1416949755

L’Engle, Madeleine. A Wrinkle in Time. ISBN 0312367546

Lowry, Lois. The Giver. ISBN 0385732554

Moon Over Manifest

Photo courtesy of Clare Vanderpool

1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY

Vanderpool, Clare. 2010. Moon Over Manifest. New York, NY: Delacourte Press. ISBN 978-0-385-90750-7 

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

In 1936, twelve-year-old Abilene Tucker jumps off the train before it reaches the station in Manifest, KS, to allow herself to see the town before it sees her. Such seasoned wariness is the result of her travels with her father, who unbeknownst to Abilene is leaving her there as he feels he is a bad jinx on her life.  She only plans to stay with the pastor for the summer until her father returns for her. She is soon drawn into a mystery, unraveled with her new friends through the stories of 1918 from a diviner named Miss Sadie, the entries in Miss Hattie’s 1918 newspaper, and Army letters written to Jinx by Ned. She discovers clues to her own past and that of her father’s, rekindling awareness in the entire town of who they are and where they came from. She learns that Manifest is a town with a past and a future, a town that has experienced loss, yet has a great capacity to love.

3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS

In her debut novel, Clare Vanderpool’s writing is fresh and real, with dialogues that are authentic to both 1918 and 1936, the two years encompassed in this story. She includes many historical details over the First World War, the Great Depression, the Spanish Flu Epidemic, and Prohibition which give the story structure but do not overwhelm the plot. The town of Manifest is multicultural and the colorful stories of the various immigrants are incorporated seamlessly into the storyline. Slang and products of each time period are mentioned giving the dialogue an authentic feel. Humor is injected into the story to keep it from getting too heavy, balancing the sorrow, making the story a delightful read for readers aged 9 to 14. Abilene is a likable, inquisitive, and hard-working character.  She tends to classify people and things as “universals”-typical of a certain type or as unique one-of-a-kind items. The interactions between Abilene and the children and adults of the book are lively and believable, with initial suspicion on both sides eventually giving way to friendship and love. Vanderpool does not gloss over difficult situations such as the actions of the Ku Klux Klan and the hardships of war. Instead she presents a realistic, vivid recreation of life in the early twentieth century. Through Abilene’s and the town’s various difficulties and mysteries, and ultimately the elucidation of the past, Vanderpool shows readers that Melville’s expression, “It is not down in any map; true places never are,” is valid not only in the past but also for today’s audience. 

Clare Vanderpool includes an Author’s Note in the back explaining some of the background for the town of Manifest, which is based on the Kansas town of Frontenac, a multicultural mining town in the early part of the twentieth century. She also provides a bibliography of “Sources and Suggestions for Further Reading.”

4. AWARDS AND REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

2011 John Newbery Medal

Starred review from Booklist: “After a life of riding the rails with her father, 12-year-old Abilene can’t understand why he has sent her away to stay with Pastor Shady Howard in Manifest, Missouri, a town he left years earlier; but over the summer she pieces together his story. In 1936, Manifest is a town worn down by sadness, drought, and the Depression, but it is more welcoming to newcomers than it was in 1918, when it was a conglomeration of coal-mining immigrants who were kept apart by habit, company practice, and prejudice. Abilene quickly finds friends and uncovers a local mystery. Their summerlong “spy hunt” reveals deep-seated secrets and helps restore residents’ faith in the bright future once promised on the town’s sign. Abilene’s first-person narrative is intertwined with newspaper columns from 1917 to 1918 and stories told by a diviner, Miss Sadie, while letters home from a soldier fighting in WWI add yet another narrative layer. Vanderpool weaves humor and sorrow into a complex tale involving murders, orphans, bootlegging, and a mother in hiding. With believable dialogue, vocabulary and imagery appropriate to time and place, and well-developed characters, this rich and rewarding first novel is “like sucking on a butterscotch. Smooth and sweet.”” 

Starred review from Kirkus Reviews: “Readers will cherish every word up to the heartbreaking yet hopeful and deeply gratifying ending.”

Starred review from Publishers Weekly: “Replete with historical details and surprises, Vanderpool's debut delights, while giving insight into family and community.” 

Review from School Library Journal: “History and fiction marry beautifully in this lively debut novel. It's as if readers jump off the train in Manifest, KS, in 1936 with Abilene Tucker, 12, the feisty, likable, and perceptive narrator…The mystery about Manifest and Gideon unfolds after Abilene finds a box filled with intriguing keepsakes. It includes a letter dated 1917 to someone named Jinx from Ned Gillen that has a warning, “THE RATTLER is watching.” This starts Abilene, with the help of new friends Ruthanne and Lettie, on a search to learn the identity of the pair. The story cleverly shifts back and forth between the two eras...This thoroughly enjoyable, unique page-turner is a definite winner.” 

5. CONNECTIONS

*Have students develop PowerPoints or storyboards of the two stories of the novel and all of the characters involved in each. Research details, such as the First World War, the Orphan Trains, and the Ku Klux Klan, as needed to add to understanding of the history presented in the novel.

*Author Clare Vanderpool is interested in the effect of place on the individual. Have students reflect and develop artwork-collage, sculpture, drawings or photography of what a “true place” means to them. Share with the class or the school.

*Investigate the people and items Abilene calls “universals” and contrast them to things she sees as unique. Are there universals present today?

*Examine the presentation of prejudice and hatred in the novel through the actions of the Mining Company and the Ku Klux Klan. Contrast this with the multiculturalism of Manifest, KS. How did the different groups get along? How did their relationships change over the course of the novel?

*Other books about the First World War, the Great Depression, the Spanish influenza Epidemic, and the Ku Klux Klan:

Bartoletti, S. C. They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group. ISBN 061844033X

Brocklehurst, Ruth. The Usborne Introduction to the First World War. ISBN 0794514553

Clare, John D. First World War. ISBN 0152000879

Cooper, Michael L. Dust to Eat: Drought and Depression in the 1930’s. ISBN 0618154493

Freedman, Russell. Children of the Great Depression.  ISBN 0547480350

Hesse, Karen. Witness. ISBN 0439272009

Peters, Stephanie True. The 1918 Influenza Pandemic. ISBN 0761416366

*Other books about dealing with relocation, friendship, and family:

Curtis, C. P. (1999). Bud, not Buddy. ISBN 0385323069

DiCamillo, Kate. Because of Winn-Dixie. ISBN 0763644323

Giff, Patricia Reilly. A House of Tailors. ISBN 9781400090556

Ryan, Pam Muñoz. Esperanza Rising. ISBN 043912042X

A House of Tailors

1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY

Giff, Patricia Reilly. 2005. A House of Tailors [Unabridged] [Audible Audio Edition]. Narrated by Blair Brown. New York, NY: Random House, Inc. Listening Library. ISBN 9781400090556

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

German thirteen-year-old Dina Kirk hated to sew. Falsely accused as a spy in Breisach, Germany, her hometown, she was sent to America to live with her uncle, his wife, Barbara, and their baby, Maria, in Brooklyn. She thought America as a land of wealth with no sewing, but she quickly found out that she had arrived to a house of tailors and sewing was exactly what she had to do to contribute to the family funds. Longing to go home and working to raise the cost of return passage, her efforts save her aunt and niece from smallpox and a fire, helping their family to rebuild their lives. In the end, she finally realizes that she is home and that indeed designing dresses and hats is her passion.

3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Patricia Reilly Giff has created an endearing, believable character in Dina Kirk. Readers will relate to her struggles with fitting in, doing the right thing, and accomplishing what must be done-for her, sewing, something she is gifted at but sees as drudgery. Through Giff’s word, readers can feel the angst of having to leave home, homesickness, and the desire to go home. She accurately recreates the atmosphere of 1870, both in Germany and Brooklyn. Giff relates realistically historical details of the Franco-Prussian war, the process of immigration with its long voyage across the Atlantic and the examinations at Castle Garden, the threat of the dreaded smallpox epidemic with its forced removal of victims, and the danger of fire. The historical details scaffold the story and never overwhelm it. She relates the fine details of everyday life, clothing made by hand, ethnic food, cramped housing, and the sights, smells, and sounds of 1870 Brooklyn. Giff relates the recent immigrant’s struggles and pleasures in a new language, a new home, a new world, along with new friends and family. The story is realistic, not softened, creating an emotional story that will draw readers in. Dina shares in the first person her emotions-fear, wonder, love-and feelings for both of her families, expressing the pain of leaving home and knowing that she will never return, along with the adjustments she had to make in America. Through Dina’s experiences, Giff, therefore, presents universal difficulties in terms that readers can understand and hopefully gain insight for solving their own predicaments. 

In her Afterword, the author shared that the story was based on the life of her great-grandmother, Dina, and her family from Heidelberg. The story of smallpox was true, except that Johann was the one who cleaned the house and protected Dina and their baby. Some of the details of her life were changed for the story, but Patricia Reilly Giff hoped that the spirit of her great-grandmother Dina would be able to live on, to increase today’s readers’ awareness of themselves through reading the lives and thoughts of other people.

Blair Brown narrates the audiobook, using different voices for each of the characters, using a convincing German accent. She reads the book with expression and depth, giving additional life to all of the characters and greater emotional impact to the book overall.  

“If only…” is the statement that defines Dina’s life as she thinks about things that she has done or that have happened to her, but ultimately she is an example of the fact that sometimes circumstances work out in unanticipated, pleasant ways. She is an inspiration to young readers aged 10 and up to realize that life may not be what we expect at the moment, but with persistence and hard work, dreams can come true.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

ALSC Notable Children's Recordings

Review from School Library Journal: “This novel is rich with believable, endearing characters as well as excitement and emotion. Dina, 13, can't wait to leave Germany and begin her new life in America with Mama's rich brother and his family. She longs to finally escape the drudgery of her mother's sewing shop…As soon as she arrives at the cramped, five-story walk-up, however, she knows that she has entered a house of tailors…Gradually, Dina grows to love her new family, meets another "greenhorn" with whom she can reminisce and trade new American words, and becomes a promising hat and dressmaker. Readers get a glimpse into life in Brooklyn in the 1870s, especially the dreaded Health Department inspections during the epidemic. Sprinkled with letters from home, the story captures the universal immigrant dilemma, "we would always have a longing to go back, and a longing to stay.”

Review from Booklist: “In 1870, 13-year-old Dina is forced to flee Germany after being mistaken for a spy, and she takes her sister's place on a ship to America, where she will live with Uncle, his young wife, Barbara, and baby Marie. After arriving, Dina finds herself in Brooklyn, sleeping in a stifling closet. Worst of all, she must earn her room and board by sewing…There are many books about immigrants in the U.S; the strengths of this one are its profuse details and its cranky heroine. And a heroine Dina is, sometimes exaggeratedly so, as when she saves both Barbara and Marie from a fire. Yet, Dina is not a stock character; she's a real child, who works hard, literally and figuratively, to find her way. When she realizes that designing dresses is something she loves, readers will cheer her perseverance, and the happy ending seems well deserved."

5. CONNECTIONS

*Encourage children to write a short story about one of their ancestors. Other creative ideas would be to create a scrapbook page or Glog if photographs are available. If not, have children draw pictures of how they believed the story might have looked like. Research could also be done on the computer to find pictures and more information on their ancestors’ country of origin.

*Have students gather ideas about the struggles that Dina had to face in coming to a new country. How might they handle such difficulties? Have teams of students brain-storm for solutions to the dilemmas they imagine a recent immigrant would have to overcome. Have students think how they might help a recent immigrant or even a new classmate make the adjustments necessary to fit in? 

*Other books for children about immigration:

Freedman, Russell. Immigrant Kids. ISBN 0140375945  

Levine, Ellen. If Your Name was Changed at Ellis Island. ISBN 0590438298

Woodruff, Elvira. The Memory Coat. ISBN 0590677179 

*Other books about dealing with relocation, friendship, and family:

DiCamillo, Kate. Because of Winn-Dixie. ISBN 0763644323

Hobbs, Will. Take Me to the River. ISBN 0060741449

Lowry, Lois. Number the Stars. ISBN 0547577095

Vanderpool, Clare. Moon Over Manifest. ISBN 0385738838

The Green Glass Sea

Photo from Goodreads

1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY

Klages, Ellen. The Green Glass Sea. New York, NY: Viking. ISBN 0670061344

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

Almost 11-year-old Dewey Kerrigan goes to live with her father, a Harvard mathematics professor working on the “gadget,” the secret Manhattan Project, in Los Alamos, New Mexico, a city not officially on the map. Not fitting in with the cliquish girls there due to her intelligence and propensity toward invention, Dewey finds a friend in Suze Gordon, but only after circumstances force them together, causing them to reconcile their differences and become friends. Set against the backdrop of the testing of the first atomic bomb, tragedy once again leaves Dewey unmoored, but she finds a family in the Gordons.

3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Ellen Klages uses abundant slang and cultural references of 1940’s songs and products like Ovaltine and Lucky Strikes. Words like fink, nifty, swell, snafu, fubar, and “$64 question” are liberally sprinkled throughout the text giving her dialogue an authentic 1940’s feel. She weaves historical details seamlessly into the story, such as the Negro porter tipping his red cap and the MP’s patrolling “the Hill,” without stereotyping. References to the many famous scientists, such as Enrico Fermi, Hans Bethe, Robert Oppenheimer, and Richard Feynman support the book’s premise, although none play a major part in the story. Vivid descriptions of the landscape, buildings, and climate give readers aged ten and up the sensation of being on “the Hill” where everything is a secret. Dewey is a likable, believable eleven-year-old who struggles with loss, bullying, and a disability as well as issues common to her age group, such as awkwardness and feeling unprepared for the changes in her life. She is an inspiration and role model to girls and boys alike that being intelligent and different is not a bad thing. The adjustments and accommodations Dewey and Suze have to make, resulting in their mutual acceptance and friendship, rings true. Klages introduces science and math concepts such as pi, the Greek alphabet, and some dialogue in Spanish demonstrating that it is not only okay to be intelligent, but also very interesting. She introduces in understandable terms the implications of atomic weapons and the characters discuss whether or not they should be used on civilians. She accurately portrays 1940’s family life and social mores, creating a story that is as authentic as it is touching. 

Ellen Klages includes an Author’s Note and bibliography for further reading along with Acknowledgements where she explains how she procured vintage period material and her research resources.

The Green Glass Sea explores loss, friendship, family, and the ethics of war, transporting readers to Los Alamos, NM in the 1940’s to show readers that some of our human struggles are timeless and we can learn much from the lives and trials of others.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

2007 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction

2007 Judy Lopez Memorial Award for Children's Literature

2007 New Mexico State Book Award (YA) 

Starred review from Publishers Weekly: “Klages makes an impressive debut with an ambitious, meticulously researched novel set during WWII. Writing from the points of view of two displaced children, she successfully recreates life at Los Alamos Camp, where scientists and mathematicians converge with their families to construct and test the first nuclear bomb…The two outcasts reluctantly come together when Dewey temporarily moves in with Suze's family. Although the girls do not get along at first…they gradually learn to rely on each other for comfort, support and companionship. Details about the era-popular music, pastimes and products-add authenticity to the story as do brief appearances of some historic figures including Robert Oppenheimer....the author provides much insight into the controversies surrounding the making of the bomb and brings to life the tensions of war experienced by adults and children alike.” 

Starred review from The Horn Book: “Dewey, ten, embarks alone on a mysterious train trip from her grandmother's home in St. Louis to New Mexico, where she will rejoin her often-absent mathematician father. It's 1943, and Dewey's dad is working at Los Alamos -- "the Hill" -- with hundreds of other scientists and their families. Klages evokes both the big-sky landscape of the Southwest and a community where "everything is secret" with inviting ease and the right details, focusing particularly on the society of the children who live there. Dewey seems comfortable with her own oddness (she's small for her age, slightly lame, and loves inventing mechanical gizmos) and serves as something of an example to another girl, Suze, who has been trying desperately to fit in. Their burgeoning friendship sees them through bouts of taunting, their parents' ceaseless attention to "the gadget," personal tragedy, and of course the test detonation early on July 16, 1945…Cameo appearances are made by such famous names as Richard Feynman (he helps Dewey build a radio) and Robert Oppenheimer, but the story, an intense but accessible page-turner, firmly belongs to the girls and their families; history and story are drawn together with confidence.” 

Review from School Library Journal: “Two girls spend a year in Los Alamos as their parents work on the secret gadget that will end World War II. Dewey is a mechanically minded 10-year-old who gets along fine with the scientists at the site, but is teased by girls her own age. When her mathematician father is called away, she moves in with Suze, who initially detests her new roommate. The two draw closer, though, and their growing friendship is neatly set against the tenseness of the Los Alamos compound as the project nears completion. Clear prose brings readers right into the unusual atmosphere of the secretive scientific community, seen through the eyes of the kids and their families. Dewey is an especially engaging character, plunging on with her mechanical projects and ignoring any questions about gender roles. Occasional shifts into first person highlight the protagonist's most emotional moments, including her journey to the site.... After the atomic bomb test succeeds, ethical concerns of both youngsters and adults intensify as the characters learn how it is ultimately used. Many readers will know as little about the true nature of the project as the girls do, so the gradual revelation of facts is especially effective, while those who already know about Los Alamos's historical significance will experience the story in a different, but equally powerful, way.” 

Review from Booklist: “In November of 1943, 10-year-old budding inventor Dewey Kerrigan sets off on a cross-country train ride to be with her father, who is engaged in “war work.”… and what Dewey knows only as "the gadget"…in Los Alamos....The characters are exceptionally well drawn, and the compelling, unusual setting makes a great tie-in for history classes.”

5. CONNECTIONS

*Have students research the Manhattan Project, the scientists who worked on it, and its effects on world history. An interesting series of books for older readers (high school) about the effects on Hiroshima is the Barefoot Gen graphic novel series by Keiji Nakazawa, starting with Vol. 1 ISBN 0867196025

*Have students create collages like the ones Suze creates in the novel.

*Have students research the process of invention and have them develop their own ideas for inventions.

*Other books about inventive children:

Selznick, Brian. The Invention of Hugo Cabret. ISBN 0439813786

Snicket, Lemony. The Complete Wreck: Series of Unfortunate Events-Books 1-13. ISBN 0061119067

*Other books for children dealing with loss and adjustment:

Burnett, Frances Hodgson. A Little Princess. ISBN 1613820526

Giff, Patricia Reilly. A House of Tailors. ISBN 0440238005

Hesse, Karen. Aleutian Sparrow. ISBN 1416903275

*Other books about inventing:

Casey, Susan. Kids Inventing: A Handbook for Young Inventors. ISBN 0471660868

 Jones, Charlotte and John Obrien. Mistakes That Worked: 40 Familiar Inventions and How They Came to Be. ISBN 0385320434

Wulffson, Don L. The Kid Who Invented the Popsicle: And Other Surprising Stories about Inventions. ISBN 9780141302041

*Other books about women inventors:

Karnes, Francis, Suzanne H. Bean, and Rose Mary Wallner. Girls and Young Women Inventing: Twenty True Stories about Inventors Plus How You Can Be One Yourself. ISBN 091579389X

Thimmesh, Catherine. Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women.  ISBN 0618195637

The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary

1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY

Fleming, Candace. 2008. The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary. New York, NY: Schwartz& Wade Books. ISBN 978-0-375-93618-0

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

Acclaimed author Candace Fleming has brought together her love of storytelling and history to bring the lives of Abraham and Mary Lincoln to life in a unique, spectacular way. Starting from Abraham’s and then Mary’s childhood, the scrapbook chronicles their lives as youth and then as a married couple, ending with Mary’s death. Filled with details about their social and private lives, as well as the effects of politics and the Civil War, this book makes history personal and highly readable.

3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Candace Fleming displays her passion for telling a good story and for history. She combines her skill in research and writing to produce a wonderful book about the Lincolns, the likes of which have not been produced before. The book is typeset in Old Times American, based on typefaces from the 1800’s to give it an authentic old time feel. Fleming gives a detailed timeline of Abraham and Mary’s lives at the beginning of the book, each one’s events indicated by a different typeset. Being historically accurate, Fleming purposefully uses the names Abraham, as she states that he despised the name Abe, and Mary Lincoln, as she never used her maiden name of Todd once she was married. The scrapbook style with its short entries enables quick reading and browsing. Although entries are brief and concise, the details provided are astounding, such as excerpts from their love letters, the details of White House meals, and advice given to a “difficult daughter-in-law,” altogether providing an intimate look into the lives of the Lincolns. Well placed black-and-white photographs, political cartoons, maps, and facsimiles of letters and newspapers add immensely to the words, allowing the reader to visualize the person or place being discussed, providing a frame of reference. The choice of unique, one-of-a-kind illustrations is as amazing as the entries, with examples such as the earliest known photograph of Willie, a political cartoon of Lincoln and the Presidential election of 1860,  drawings for “Abraham’s Best Pair of Boots” and the  hanging of the those suspected in the murder of Abraham. There are illustrations or photographs on every page, making the book highly readable and making the history of the 1800’s accessible and understandable to today’s readers, especially those aged 10 and up. As a reflection of the highly personal nature of the entries, there is an extensive Notes section, providing the citation for every quote in the book and a detailed Index to aid in student research. Fleming also provides a bibliography of books for further reading and websites for further research into the lives of the Lincolns. The author devotes two pages to explaining her research process and how she found source material. Her acknowledgements thank a number of Lincoln scholars for their assistance in her research. In all, her engaging examination of the lives of Abraham and Mary Lincoln takes biographies to a whole new level.

4. AWARDS AND REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Boston Globe Horn Book Award for Nonfiction 2009
Flora Stieglitz Straus Award for Nonfiction 2009, Bank Street School of Education
Kirkus Reviews Best Book for Young Adults
Los Angeles Times Literary Book Prize 2009, Finalist
NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book

Starred review from School Library Journal: “Using her signature scrapbook approach, Fleming lays out the answer in a biography that gives equal emphasis to Abraham and Mary Lincoln for an insightful portrait of their lives. Her scholarship over five years pays off with a rich account that is personal and concrete... Presented in period typefaces, the boxed bits of text, sidebars, and numerous running heads and subheads add detail. From portraits to pets, the book contains a wide variety of graphics, including written and visual primary documents that enrich every spread. Notes, resources, and source notes are exemplary. It's hard to imagine a more engaging or well-told biography of the Lincolns.”   

Starred review from Booklist: “Fleming offers another standout biographical title, this time twining accounts of two lives—Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln—into one fascinating whole. On spreads that combine well-chosen visuals with blocks of headlined text, Fleming gives a full, birth-to-death view of the “inextricably bound” Lincolns. Once again, Fleming humanizes her subjects and offers a broader perspective on their times with cleverly juxtaposed facts, anecdotes, and images... Fleming’s writing, filled with quotes and personal details, is just as lively as the assortment of images, and an extensive time line, suggested resources, and source notes round out the text. Starting with her personal introduction, this exemplary resource will prompt readers to consider how an individual’s life story, and a country’s history, are constructed.” 

Starred Review from Kirkus Reviews: “The scrapbook technique . . . remains fresh and lively, a great way to provide a huge amount of information in a format that invites both browsing and in-depth study." 

Starred Review from Horn Book Magazine: “Fleming is able to compare and contrast the president with his first lady, giving us not only greater insight into each of them but also a fuller picture of the world in which they lived."

5. CONNECTIONS

*Have kids prepare a scrapbook of their own lives, modeled after the book.

*Have kids select one particular item from the book, such as an aspect of: family life, the Lincoln family, the White House, period clothing or food, political cartoons, or the Civil War, and investigate it further, creating a poster, report, or PowerPoint over the area of interest.

*Other books about the Lincolns:

Denenberg, Barry. Lincoln Shot!: A President’s Life Remembered. ISBN 9780312370138

Freedman, Russell. Lincoln: A Photobiography. ISBN 0395518482

Holzer, Frank. Father Abraham: Lincoln and His Sons. ISBN 9781590783030

Jones, Lynda. Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker: The Unlikely Friendship of Elizabeth Keckley and Mary Todd Lincoln. ISBN 1426303777

Kunhardt III, Philip. Lincoln Life-Size. ISBN 0307270815