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

Bones

Photo from Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7552387-bones

1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY

Jenkins, Steve. 2010. Bones. Ill. by Steve Jenkins. New York, NY: Scholastic Press. ISBN 9780545046510 

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

Steve Jenkins explores what is holding us all up on the inside. Starting from a small bone in a human hand he adds bones until there is an arm. He then compares the structure of a human arm to various other species. Then he continues with feet, legs, and the support groups of hips, ribs and spine, until he has covered the entire skeletal system. He introduces comparative vertebrate biology to young curious minds in an accessible and fun way.

3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Acclaimed children’s science author Steve Jenkins has once again used his cut paper collage to produce a book that is informative and entertaining. It is simple, clean, and straightforward in its presentation, with bones in a cream color against a dark background. He accurately portrays the skeletal systems of various vertebrates, many shown at full size. Readers can trace the location of each bone type and compare the relative sizes between different types of animals, thirty-six in all. Fold out pages add to the excitement. His writing is concise and easy to understand, explaining how these living structures help us to move and stand up. He uses the scientific names for the different bones such as humerus, pelvis, and femur, as he explains the function of each set of bones and how they all go together. He presents the concepts of symmetry, adaptation, and protection.  Humor is evident and compelling, such as when the rhinoceros is chasing the human and in the use of subtitles, such as “Head Case”, making this book a delightful read. Although geared for readers 8 to 12, children from ages 3 and up will be fascinated with this look at bones, making them think about what is holding them up inside. There are four pages in the back dedicated to trivia and more scientific facts about bones. Jenkins credits the Collection Manager of the American Museum of Natural History for consulting on the book.

4. AWARDS AND REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Fall 2010 Junior Library Guild Selection 

Starred review from School Library Journal: “From the life-sized human skull grinning out from the brick-red cover to a complete skeleton waving goodbye from a gatefold late in the book, bones are given an entertaining and fresh treatment…Humor abounds in the illustrations as well as in subheadings such as, That's a Handful, Big Foot, and Head Case. Readers will be lured in by interactive touches like What bone is this? and the Some Assembly Required spread with all 206 adult human bones unlabeled and grouped by body area… Jenkins's characteristic cut-paper collages in mottled creams and grays are perfectly suited to the topic and contrasted against solid jewel-tone, full-bleed backgrounds…With applications that range from anatomy to evolution and mathematics, this book will find a place in every collection.” 

Review from Booklist: “One of the foremost illuminators of the animal kingdom here takes a peek beneath the skin. He begins with a single human finger bone, then shows where it fits in the hand, then attaches the arm bones and sets it aside the forelimbs of a mole, spider monkey, gray whale, turtle, and fruit bat to illustrate how they all share the same basic structure…Jenkins provides concise chunks of text alongside his always impressive cut-paper collages…But the clean design of the intricate skeletons set against solid background colors is striking and provides a wonderful visual introduction to what keeps us all upright. Thoughtful back matter probes deeper into bone-related science concepts.”

5. CONNECTIONS

*Bring a skeleton into the class to allow children to see up close what bones look like. Or use a full size floor puzzle to demonstrate how the body is supported.

*Have children cut out and put together a skeleton with the printable craft from the Enchanted Learning website: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/halloween/bones/  

*Other bone books:

Ballard, Carol. Bones. ISBN 1432934295

Balestrino, Philip. The Skeleton Inside You. ISBN 0064450872

Llewellyn,Claire. The Big Book of Bones. ISBN 0872265463

Macnair, Patricia Ann. Movers & Shapers.  ISBN 0753457911

Parker, Steve. DK Eyewitness Bones. ISBN 0756607272

Simon, Seymour. Bones. ISBN 0688177212

Stewart, Melissa. Moving and Grooving: The Secrets of Muscle and Bones. ISBN 0761441662

Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Parrot

1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY

Montgomery, Sy. 2010. Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot. Photos by Nic Bishop. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. ISBN 9780618494170

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot is an amazing look at the extremely rare kakapo parrots, who only remain on the remote Codfish Island off the southern coast of New Zealand. At the beginning of the book there are only 87 kakapos left in the world. They are unusual birds, the world’s largest parrot, weighing in at nine pounds, with soft green feathers that smell of honey (due to bacteria that lives on their feathers) and facial whiskers. They live underground, are nocturnal, and cannot fly. They growl, boom, or make the “ching” sound of a cash register instead of talk. They are curious about people, a characteristic which has led to their downfall in the past. The author gives a detailed natural history of the bird who once numbered in the millions and the suffering the species has encountered in the last 700 years of its contact with humans, who through hunting and the introduction of non-native species have decimated the birds’ populations. The author explains how difficult it is to find these birds in the wild and the extraordinary efforts fourteen volunteers are making to try to prevent the extinction of this remarkable species. 

3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Naturalist and award-winning author Sy Montgomery’s writing is sympathetic to the plight of the bird as she eloquently and accurately relates their story, one she has waited five years to tell. She has once again teamed up with acclaimed photographer/illustrator Nic Bishop for their sixth book together. Through her easy-to-understand words, readers are able to learn extensive details about the birds’ biology, behavior of animals on Codfish Island, and the technology used to track the kakapo. Her presentation is engaging, never dry or overwhelming. Readers will feel as if they are there with the volunteers and scientists who with strong dedication and passion explain their work on behalf of these amazing birds. Part of the Scientists in the Field Series, Montgomery’s adventures in her ten-day excursion with the scientists and volunteers makes the lives of those scientists in the field real and accessible to readers ages 6 through adult. Her narrative is moving and inspiring, exploring the wonder of a new chick and the sadness of the passing of a patriarch. She thoroughly explains the uniqueness not only of the kakapo but of New Zealand and a number of the unusual inhabitants of the isolated island nation. Montgomery also includes author’s notes, a postscript and bibliography giving information on websites, how to support the kakapo rescue effort, and further suggested reading, along with an index of important terms to aid in research.

Dr. Nic Bishop’s finely detailed, color photographs help readers to see the bird up-close, providing otherwise impossible glimpses into the lives of these extraordinary birds. His stunning photography is matched with maps and diagrams to allow readers to have a feeling for the daily lives and location of the kakapo. There are insets on maps to ensure that readers understand the birds’ location. There are boxes of fascinating facts about the birds and New Zealand to intrigue readers. R. Wingrave’s drawings give young readers an introduction to scientific illustration. Altogether the book is visually rewarding, showing science in action, providing a glimpse into the life of the birds and those who are trying to save them.

This wonderful book introduces an amazing animal that most readers will have never heard of before, but will never forget. The captivating story of the race to save the kakapo will inspire readers, young and old, to consider their role in the world and in the lives of the animals with whom they share the planet. It is a highly recommended read.

4. AWARDS AND REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

2011 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal

2011-2012 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Master List 

Starred review from Booklist Review: “As usual, Montgomery's delight in her subject is contagious, and throughout her enthusiastic text, she nimbly blends scientific and historical facts with immediate, sensory descriptions of fieldwork. Young readers will be fascinated by the incredible measures that the passionate workers follow to help the new birds hatch, and many will share the team's heartbreak when some chicks die. Bishop's photos of the creatures and their habitat are stunning; an awe-inspiring, closing image of the world's eighty-seventh known Kakapo emerging from its shell captures the miracle of birth, for any species. Like many of the team's previous titles, this offers excellent support for units about animal conservation. Grades 4-7.” 

Starred review from School Library Journal: “Grade 5–8—Take a parrot. Color it green. Give it soft, fluffy feathers, and whiskers. Give it sumo proportions and take away its power of flight. Make it nocturnal, and have it nest underground. Aha! A kakapo! Once millions of these rather affable birds waddled all over New Zealand...Excellent photos and a readable, conversational text provide an intimate look at a concerted effort to save a drastically endangered species unfamiliar to most of the world outside Down Under.” 

Starred review from Kirkus Reviews: “Under the careful supervision of forest rangers and volunteers on an island off the New Zealand coast, the nearly extinct, flightless Kakapo parrot is the object of an intensive rescue effort described by this experienced writer-photographer team...As always, the photographer's remarkable and clearly reproduced photographs support and enhance the text. The book's careful design is unobtrusive: The progress of an opening egg sets off page numbers, and fern patterns provide a subtle decoration. Bibliography and a website encourage readers' further explorations. Wonderful.”

Starred review from The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books: "More than most books about environmentalism or endangered species, this will encourage kids to consider how hands-on action can genuinely make a difference and how scientific contributions can be made by people who never go near a test tube."
 

5. CONNECTIONS

*Watch the story of the Kakapo rescue at YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v5ViXUeofA

*Have children explore websites about the Kakapo such as:

Kakapo Recovery:  http://www.kakaporecovery.org.nz/  and their kids’ site at: http://www.kakaporecovery.org.nz/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&id=15&Itemid=244 where they can listen to the Kakapo’s voice

The Fabulous Kakapo, for more facts about the kakapo: http://www.kakapo.net/en/

*Investigate if there are any endangered animals locally using the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s website:  http://www.fws.gov/endangered/ and discuss what could be done to help them.

*Other Scientists in the Filed Series books by this author/photographer team:

Montgomery, Sy. Quest for the Tree Kangaroo: An Expedition to the Cloud Forest of New Guinea. ISBN 0618496416

Montgomery, Sy. Saving the Ghost of the Mountain. ISBN 0618916458

Montgomery, Sy. The Snake Scientist. ISBN 0756907403

Montgomery, Sy. The Tarantula Scientist. ISBN 0618147993

*Other Scientists in the Field Series books. There are a total of thirty-six books in the series:

Burns, Loree Griffin. Tracking Trash: Flotsam, Jetsam, and the Science of Ocean Motion.  ISBN 0547328605

Carson, Mary Kay. The Bat Scientists. ISBN 0547199562

Jackson, Donna M. The Wildlife Detectives: How Forensic Scientists Fight Crimes Against Nature. ISBN 0395869765

Lourie, Peter. The Manatee Scientists: Saving Vulnerable Species. ISBN 054715254X

Turner, Pamela S. Project Seahorse. ISBN 0547207131

*Other conservation and endangered animal books:

Dobson, David. Can We Save Them? Endangered Species of North America. ISBN 0881068233

Garbutt, Nick. 100 Animals to See Before They Die. ISBN 1841622362

Hoare, Ben. Eyewitness: Endangered Animals (DK Eyewitness Books).  ISBN 0756668832

Jenkins, Steve. Almost Gone. ISBN 9780060535988

Kalman, Bobbie. Endangered Tigers (Earth Endangered Animals Series).  ISBN 0778718506

Wright, Alexandra. Will We Miss Them? Endangered Species. ISBN 0881064890

The Firefly Letters: A Suffragette's Journey to Cuba

1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY

Engle, Margarita. 2010. The Firefly Letters: A Suffragette’s Journey to Cuba. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Co., LLC. ISBN 0805090826 

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

The Firefly Letters, a poignant verse novel told in first person narrative, shares the voices of four individuals to tell the stories of young lives affected by slavery in Cuba in the 1850’s. The story opens with the first memories presented by eight-year-old Cecilia, originally stolen from the Congo, who has just been traded by her father for a stolen cow. Seven years pass in a few pages and readers then hear the voice of Elena, a twelve-year-old wealthy plantation owner’s daughter, enslaved by society’s ideal of a young woman and local superstition. Her family is the owner of Cecilia, who is now fifteen, married and pregnant. Both of their lives are shaken up by the arrival of Frederika and her unusual ideas that all people are equal, who herself resisted love and marriage to preserve her own freedom. While Cecilia becomes her translator and companion, Cecilia experiences previously unknown freedom of the body and mind. Elena, whose sense of propriety is initially disturbed by Frederika, soon realizes that Cecilia has more freedom than she. Through Frederika’s teaching and example, with lessons such as the purchasing of  fireflies from locals to save them from captivity, the lives and perspectives of the girls as well as that of Beni, Cecilia’s husband, are expanded and changed, with the two girls becoming friends. Frederika instills a freedom of thought, culminating in Elena, being brave and courageous, acting on her own secret plan to sell all of the items in her hope chest to raise the money to buy the freedom for Cecilia’s unborn child. 

3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The Firefly Letters is realistic in style, full of history and political awareness, with themes of unrequited love, slavery, and superstition, starting with an initial feeling of hopelessness. Based on the true historical letters, diaries, and sketchbooks of Swedish suffragette Frederika Bremer, award-winning Cuban-American poet Margarita Engle portrays sorrow, brokenness, envy, and other emotions as effects of the different forms of slavery, due to physical and mental bondage. Engle’s prose is flowing and smooth, authentically and vividly describing the lives of the various people groups and the beautiful verdant Cuba, “a land where freedom does not grow.” Engle’s style is succinct, often completing one character through the later perspective of another character. For example, we learn that Cecilia was indeed traded for a cow through the revelations of Elena, who originally sees her as “just as a slave.” Her style allows for quick reading and the reader is rapidly drawn into the story and feelings for each of the characters. She portrays them with a full range of emotion and foibles, which makes them real and endearing. Her story provides a role model for young adult readers, ages 12 and up, to stand up for what they believe is right and for the fundamental right that all people are created equal. Engle uses the rescuing of the fireflies as a symbol for the liberation of human beings. Yet there is a bittersweet ending to Engle’s novel, as we do not know the fate of Cecilia and her baby, Elena and her family, and Frederika’s reception back in Europe as she shares the stories she had gathered. A Historical Note included by the author explains some of the story of Frederika Bremer, Sweden’s first woman novelist and an early advocate for women’s rights. The author explains that Cecilia was described in Frederika’s diaries, letters, and sketches. There is also an Author’s Note in the back of the book further explaining how she developed her characters. 

 There are no illustrations besides the cover art, yet Engle’s rich description of Cuba and its people are more than enough to establish a firm mental image of this beautiful place filled with lives tragically and painfully impacted by the sin of slavery.

4. AWARDS  AND REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

ALSC Notable Children's Book

Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year

Capitol Choices Noteworthy Titles for Children and Teens

IRA Notable Books for a Global Society

Jane Addams Award

Pura Belpré Author Honor

Texas TAYSHAS High School Reading List

Starred Review from Kirkus Reviews: “Like the firefly light, Engle’s poetry is a gossamer thread of subtle beauty weaving together three memorable characters who together find hope and courage. Another fine volume by a master of the novel in verse.”

Review from Booklist: “Through this moving combination of historical viewpoints, Engle creates dramatic tension among the characters, especially in the story of Elena, who makes a surprising sacrifice.”

Review from Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books: “The author has a gift for imbuing seemingly effortless text with powerful emotions. . . .This uncommon story will resonate when placed in the hands of the right reader.”

 Review from Publisher’s Weekly: ““This slim, elegant volume opens the door to discussions of slavery, women’s rights, and the economic disparity between rich and poor.”

Review from School Library Journal: “This engaging title documents 50-year-old Swedish suffragette and novelist Fredrika Bremer’s three-month travels around Cuba in 1851. …The easily digestible, poetic narrative makes this a perfect choice for reluctant readers, students of the women’s movement, those interested in Cuba, and teens with biography assignments.” 

5. CONNECTIONS

*Have students investigate plantation life and Cuban customs using the Internet. Have them put together a visual project such as a glog, blog or PowerPoint, incorporating what they learned from their research and reading the book.

*Investigate fireflies, their lives, and the traditional ways people have interacted with them.

* Have students do a comparative study, investigating slavery in the United States and Cuba, looking at similarities and differences. What were some of the cultural differences between the two nations? How did the daily life of a slave in each country compare? What were the likelihoods of slaves in either country becoming free in the 1850’s? Compare how ultimately the situation was changed.                                     

*Have students write reader response journals in prose answering the question of what happened to all of the main characters. Share the alternative endings together as a class.

*Other books by Margarita Engle:

Hurricane Dancers: The First Caribbean Pirate Shipwreck. ISBN 0805092400

The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano. ISBN 0312659288

The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba’s Struggle for Freedom. ISBN 0805086749

Tropical Secrets: Holocaust Refugees in Cuba. ISBN 0805089365

Footprints on the Roof

1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY

Singer, Marilyn. 2002. Footprints on the Roof. New York, NY: Alfred A.Knopf. ISBN 0375810943

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

Footprints on the Roof  is a collection of short, lively poems about nature, ranging from underground to the far-flung reaches of outer space. Starting from home, a safe place, Marilyn Singer takes the reader on a journey of exploration, celebrating the wonders of our world. Through her poems she teaches scientific concepts and principles, such as where creatures live and showing us why we should leave only footprints on their roof, hence the title of the compilation. She teaches over a wide range of topics in nature and science, including natural disasters, weather, islands, prehistoric animals, the seasons, and ecosystems. Through her poems, she presents to readers of any age the perspective of seeing the Earth as our address and why we should appreciate its infinite worth. 

3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS 

In a fun, delightful way, award-winning author Marilyn Singer brings to bear key ideas in environmental stewardship: the Earth and our dependence on its wonders, our presence and role, and the presence of other creatures and our interdependence. Her prose moves across the page, with wide gaps between words where she wishes readers to pause and think, or to slow the reader down to emphasize and recreate the sensory experience, such as, “The flavor…subtle…bold…is stored in every grain of rice” in the poem, “Dining Out.” Her prose, flowing and smooth, carries the reader along, like a leaf on a stream, that occasionally eddies and then moves along on its way. Her prose is also imaginative, as in the personification of volcanoes as dragons. She introduces scientific words while creating vivid imagery, as in “Caves”, “Stalactites Stalagmites Rivers made of crystal Flowers made of stone.” Her clever writing is accessible, making science interesting and leaving readers wanting to learn more. With child-friendly topics, such as dinosaurs and mud, she creates eager interest with lines such as, “Sometimes I'm in the mood for mud When my toes have tasted too many sidewalks. In the park or by the river I choose ooze,” from the poem “Mud.” She presents complex scientific concepts, such as the difference in seasons between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, in a straight-forward, understandable way. Fun alliteration energizes the pages, with examples such as “I’m a fan of fens” and “harvested in Chile or in China.” Her poems provide guidance for dealing with nature, such as the desert being the place “where hope is not for fools.” Singer also includes a poem, “Patience,” where she explores the restoration and solace we can find in nature. 

Meilo So’s lively India ink illustrations complement each poem with energy, movement, and the feeling of Japanese silkscreen. Moments of whimsy created by details such as the teapot as a cloud add to the enjoyment of this book. Pictures, such as those showing the animals in their burrows underground, the house perched on the Earth, and the juxtaposition of a boy in winter clothes on one side of the globe while a girl eats an ice cream cone on the other side, all help readers to visualize and understand the scientific concepts presented.  

Overall, Footprints on the Roof  is a very enjoyable introduction to the wonders of our home, planet Earth, and a gentle lesson in the responsibility of mankind to appreciate and preserve its beauty, written in an accessible form for all readers.

5. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

From Booklist : “Gr. 5-10. Trees are go-betweens / listening to the stories / of both earth and sky." The poems in Singer's latest collection are deeply earnest celebrations of the natural world. Some selections are immediate, with sounds and images that will capture young readers: "I choose / ooze," Singer says of mud. Many other poems are filled with an older person's sense of insignificance--the fear and awe of nature's power to create and destroy--and some readers may find the lines lean too heavily on an adult's reverent vocabulary: "This is trees' work / and they do it with such uncomplaining grace." Best are the poems that show connections--that nature is everywhere: the taste of the earth and rain in food, for example. So's fluid, childlike watercolors might suggest an elementary audience, but middle-school and teen writers will probably enjoy this book the most.”

From School Library Journal: “Grade 1-4-In this celebratory collection, Singer's images are fresh and accessible and her wordplay never seems forced. In "Burrows," she observes, "Where what you see is nothing- what counts is what you smell or hear or feel I try to tread softly: a quiet giant leaving only footprints on the roof." In "Dormant Dragons," she writes, "Volcanoes there are that sleep the sleep of dragons With cool heads and hot bellies-." So's India-ink illustrations on rice paper capture the heart of each poem. Singer and So have created a work of minimalist art, in which harmony is achieved between text and image with no extraneous words or strokes. A welcome addition to nature-poetry collections.”

5. CONNECTIONS

*Go on a nature walk with students, collecting nature items, such as stones, twigs, and pinecones (none alive, please). Using the items as prompts, have the students write poems about nature and our place in it. Create display posters or boards of poems attaching nature items and display them.

*Explore nature guides to find out more about nature. Have students create poem pictures about a particular aspect of nature that fascinates them.

*Other books of poetry about nature by Marilyn Singer:

Singer, Marilyn. Central Heating: Poems About Fire and Warmth. ISBN 0375829121

Singer, Marilyn. Fireflies at Midnight. ISBN 0689824920

Singer, Marilyn. How to Cross a Pond: Poems about Winter. ISBN 037582376X

Singer, Marilyn. Quiet Summer Night. ISBN 0618120440 

*Other books of poetry about nature:

Alarcon, Francisco X. and Maya Christina Gonzalez. Laughing Tomatoes: And Other Spring Poems / Jitomates Risuenos: Y Otros Poemas de Primavera. ISBN 0892391995

Brenner, Barbara. The Earth is Painted Green: A Garden of Poems.  ISBN 0590451359

Christian, Peggy. If You Find a Rock. ISBN 0152063544

Florian, Douglas. Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems. ISBN 0152053727

George, Kristine O’Connell. Old Elm Tree Speaks. ISBN 0618752420

George, Kristine O'Connell. Hummingbird Nest. ISBN 0152023256

Yolen, Jane and Jason Stemple. Color Me a Rhyme: Nature Poems for Young People. ISBN  1590781724

*Nature guide books:

Boring, Mel, Diane Burns, and Leslie Dendy. Fun with Nature. ISBN 1559717025

Evert, Laura. More Fun with Nature. IBSN 1559717953

Kahl, Jonathan D.W. National Audubon Society First Field Guide: Weather. ISBN 0590054881

Milord, Susan. The Kids’ Nature Book: 365 Indoor/Outdoor Activities. ISBN