Book ReviewsAssignments 1-6

LSSL 5360

Sandra C. Rios

Bartoletti, S. (2005). Hitler Youth: Growing up in Hitler's

shadow. New York: Scholastic Nonfiction.

Campbell’s Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler’s Shadow is just that: about the children and teenagers that followed Hitler and the Nazi Party which formed in 1926. Many youth were mesmerized by him and eager to join. Memberships grew to more than 5 million, but soon many went against the Nazis. The White Rose Group led by Hans Scholl, fought against the Nazi’s beliefs and the atrocities brought against the Jews. They found the courage to speak out and hand out leaflets to inform the public. At the conclusion of the war, Hitler Youths were made to visit concentration camps and witness the horrors of the Holocaust. They had to live with themselves for having helped a mass murderer kill millions of people. The book concludes with an epilogue that tells what became of those young people.

Bishop, N. (2007). Spiders. New York: Scholastic

Nonfiction.

Bishop is not only an author and photographer, he also has his doctorate in biological sciences. He uses his first hand expedition experience to bring his pages to life. To write this book, he collected spiders from several states to raise, and using his observations, he documents facts about their bodies, habits, and life cycles. From beginning to end each page is filled with detailed photos of different spiders. Each one representing the text on the opposite page. This book includes numerous close-up photographs, captions, subtitles, and colorful fonts to give us closer look into the world of spiders!

Bragg, G., & Malley, K. (2011). How they croaked: The awful ends of

the awfully famous. New York: Walker &.

“How They Croaked” contains short stories

about 19 famous people from the past and how

spent their last dying days. Bragg begins with

“Warning if you don’t have the Guts for Gore,

Do Not Read this Book.” She uses gory details

along with O'Malley's ink cartoon illustrations to

describe how medical treatment used to be and

the causes that lead to their demise. She

discusses the fact that if they had what we had

today, many would’ve lived longer. She further

states, “In the 1500s if you made it to 35 years

of age, you were lucky.”

Brown, Peter. My Teacher Is a Monster!: No, I Am

Not. N.p.: n.p., n.d.

This story is about a boy named Bobby who thinks he has the worst teacher ever. In his eyes, she is a monster literally. Ms. Kirby gets upset with Bobby’s paper airplanes in class. Brown illustrates what Bobby sees: a dragon, with green skin, big teeth, and long claws. She yells, stomps and roars. Just proving to Bobby that she is a monster. Bobby sees her at the park and feels awkward. The ice-breaker, the wind blows, and Bobby catches her hat. As Bobby and Ms. Kirby talk, she seems different and “transforms” becoming more human-like. However when at school Ms. Kirby still corrects behavior and the monster comes out.

Cleary, B., & Zelinsky, P. (1983). Dear Mr.

Henshaw. New York: Morrow.

After listening to his teacher read, “Ways to Amuse a

Dog,” by Boyd Henshaw, Leigh Botts becomes his biggest

fan. His teacher asks students to write to their favorite

author, hence the title, “Dear Mr. Henshaw.” The book

is written in a series of letters and diary entries, by

Leigh Botts. His feelings evolve as the letters begin as

friendship and eventually reveal his frustrations about

his estranged dad, being the new kid, and a lunch thief

at school. Leigh is pleasantly surprised when Mr.

Henshaw replies to his letters and offers his advice.

Although Leigh doesn’t share every letter with Mr.

Henshaw, he learns that “pretending” to write to him

and keeping a diary help him cope with his situation at

home, and also become a better writer.

Collins, S. (2003). Gregor the Overlander. New York:

Scholastic.

Eleven-year-old Gregor lives in New York City with his mom, two-year-

old sister, Boots, and grandmother. It had been over two years since his

dad had disappeared. While watching Boots one day, Gregor and his

little sister fall into an opening in a wall of their apartment building's

laundry room. Here, they discover an amazing Underland world

beneath New York City filled with giant “hissing” cockroaches, bats,

spiders, and rats. He meets the violet-eyed humans known as the

Underlanders who inhabit the beautiful kingdom of Regalia. He is

rescued by the bats who are ridden by the Underlanders. Vikus, the

leader of the Underlanders, tells Gregor the prophecy that he’s the

“overland warrior” coming to rescue them from the rats. Gregor learns

that his missing father has been imprisoned by the rats for more than

two years. He and the Underlanders take on the dangerous journey to

save his father, taking on battles with the rats.

Creech, S. (2001). Love that dog. New York:

HarperCollins.

“Love that Dog” is written in poetry form. Jack has to

respond to his teacher, Miss Stretchberry, over the

course of a school year. At first, his responses are

short and full of complaints. But as his teacher

responds to his poems, Jack finds himself replying

while still complaining. After reading the poem, “Love

That Boy,” he gets the idea about telling his story

about his dog, Sky. His responses throughout whole

book are short and to the point. The teacher enjoys his

poems and wants to share them with the class, and he

only agrees to it if he’s anonymous. class to see, Jack

insists on anonymity. His peers like his poems and he

acknowledges they’re his.

Curtis, C. (1995). The Watsons go to Birmingham-

-1963. New York: Delacorte Press.

Ten year old Kenneth Watson, tells about his family’s experience

during the Civil Rights Movement. Kenny is smart, but is often

picked on because of his lazy eye. Byron, the oldest and a bully only

cares about himself, and little sister, Joetta, defends him despite all

the nonsense he tells her. The story is set in Flint, Michigan where

Byron’s parents are struggling to raise him because he’s always in

trouble. The family decides to travel to Birmingham hoping his

maternal grandmother can set him straight. Here, the Watson’s

experience racial violence first hand during the bombing of the

church. Curtis refers to the actual bombing of the Sixteenth Street

Baptist Church in 1963. Kenny goes to the church to investigate and

is traumatized thinking his little sister, Joetta is a victim. It is here

where Byron’s role changes from a juvenile delinquent, to a caring

older brother who brings Kenny out of his depression.

Deedy, C., & Austin, M. (2007). Martina, the beautiful cockroach: A Cuban folktale. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree.

Martina Josefina Catalina Cucaracha, a Cuban cockroach who's well-known for her beauty. Martina is ready to be married and her Abuela offers her some advice - “un consejo,” to deliberately spill coffee on the shoes of any male who asks for her hand in marriage, This will reveal the suitor’s true colors. Martina meets the one whom she believes to be the match of her dreams. Throughout the story, the author uses Spanish words and pairs them with English translations. “Martina Josefina Catalina Cucaracha” repeated as each suitor comes to ask for her hand.

DePaola, T. (1983). The legend of the bluebonnet: An old

tale of Texas. New York: Putnam.

This tale is about an orphaned Native American girl named She-Who-Is-Alone, who only has a doll to remember her family by. The author tells of the origin of the bluebonnet, the Texas state flower. She-Who-Is-Alone sacrifices her most cherished possession so the spirits will forgive the tribe for being selfish. The people gather and sing to the Great Spirits. The morning after her sacrifice there are bluebonnets growing on the hill and rain begins to fall. According to the legend, all of her people honored her for her sacrificial act and this is how the Texas bluebonnet came to be.

Draper, S. (2010). Out of my mind. New York: Atheneum

Books for Young Readers.

Eleven year old Melody Brooks is a girl who has cerebral palsy and cannot speak who feels like she’s going “Out of My Mind.” She narrates her story by expressing the many thoughts in her head, “words have always swirled around me like snowflakes...,” “deep within me, words pile up in huge drifts,” allowing the reader to feel Melody’s pain and frustration of knowing so much, but yet not having a voice to express herself. Leading many people who don’t know her well, thinking she’s mentally handicapped as well. Melody attends regular school at Spaulding Elementary School, but is placed in the special needs class room H-5 with other students who are mentally unable to participate in regular classes. However, after a brief confrontation with Melody’s third grade teacher, slowly things begin to change for Melody at the start of fifth grade. She begins inclusion classes, and an aide named Catherine to follow her throughout the day. Melody receives a special computer, that helps her “speak” with her peers, and soon everyone sees how really smart she is. Melody’s life seems to be almost normal like her peers. She even makes it into the “Whiz Kids” team.

Falconer, I. (2000). Olivia.. New York: Atheneum

for Young Readers.

Olivia lives with mom, dad, and her little brother Ian, a dog named Perry, and a cat named Edwin. She is an energetic little pig who is good at many things: playing, jumping, and dressing up. She goes to the beach and museum where she sees her favorite painting, a ballerina, and she imagines herself on stage. After Olivia has a day of strenuous activities, she goes off to bed, dreaming of doing more things.

Gaiman, N., & McKean, D. (2008). The graveyard book.

New York: HarperCollins Pub.

The story opens with a family of three being murdered, except the toddler boy

who escapes by his own curiosity. Nobody “Bod” Owens as he was named by

the ghosts and other supernatural residents agree to raise him as one of their

own. Since Bod is still in danger, he is prohibited from leaving the graveyard

and is granted freedom in the graveyard. He is able to do things like “fade” and

“dreamwalk.’ As a young boy, Bod meets Scarlett, and then later as a teenager.

Bod, the curious boy that he is, feels he’s learned all he could in the graveyard

and needs to be educated outside the gates, especially after learning about his

family’s deaths. As he grows up, he attends school and encounters bullies. Each

chapter to introduce a different event in Bod’s life. Chapter 1-“How Nobody

came to the Graveyard,” and ending with Chapter 8-“Leavings and Partings.”

Bod is “grown up” at fifteen and fights off Jack and is beginning to lose those

special powers. It's time for him to leave home and start a life of his own. Silas

gives Bod money, clothes, and a passport that will allow him to finally explore

the world as he has always wanted to do.

Giovanni, N., & Collier, B. (2005). Rosa. New York: Henry

Holt.

Giovanni retells the story of Rosa Parks’ decision to confront the injustices she faced

during the 1950’s. This picture- book tribute to Mrs. Parks is a celebration of her

courageous action and the events that followed. The author details her events from the time she leaves her job and boards the bus, to her courageous action, and the chain of events that followed, leading up to the Civil Rights movement. Collier’s illustrations help the reader see the plot unfold: the confrontation with the driver of the bus, her hands “clutched” together, the women’s group getting together, boycott signs , Martin Luther King Jr. , and double page which highlights the bus boycott. This is truly an inspiring account of an event that shaped American history.

Hale, S., & Hale, D. (2008). Rapunzel's revenge. New

York, N.Y.: Bloomsbury.

Rapunzel’s Revenge follows the original plot, where she is taken as a child by

Mother Gothel who raises her as her own. As she gets older she begins to wonder

what might be on the other side of the villa’s high garden walls. Rapunzel’s

curious spirit will not let her be, and one day she finds a way to get over the wall

and past Mother’s guards and what she sees dismays her. There is desolation and

misery all around. Not only that, but Rapunzel meets a ragged beaten down

woman who turns out to be her real mother. Apparently the woman Rapunzel

calls mother is a witch called Gothel, who holds the people who live on the land

around her villa in her cruel magical grip. Once Rapunzel knows who she really is

she confronts Gothel who has her imprisoned in a huge magical tree far away.

Rapunzel grows into a young woman, and her red hair also grows until it is so

long that Rapunzel is able to use her braids to escape her prison. As the years

pass, her hair grows incredibly long and then she decides she’s had enough of

sitting and waiting around. Using her hair as a rope, she swings to a tree and

makes her way to the ground. From there, she runs into a thief named Jack (who

is guarding a goose), and together the two of them join forces to get back to

Mother Gothel’s mansion, to save Rapunzel’s mother. This is where her Wild West

adventure begins.

Harris, R., & Emberley, M. (1999). It's so amazing!: A book about eggs, sperm, birth, babies, and families. Cambridge, Mass.: Candlewick Press.

The author uses a “Bird” and “Bee” character to address the age old question from kids that some parents don’t like to answer, “Where do babies come from?” Emberley’s comic style approach make it more appealing to the reader and puts them more at ease on this touchy subject. The cartoon illustrations are age appropriate and help the reader follow the story. The author and illustrator begins with differentiating the male and female parts using diagrams. Followed with comic illustrations to address the growth stages sequentially: from what happens during puberty, to love, sex, pregnancy and the womb, delivery, and genetics.

Holm, J., Holm, M., & Krosoczka, J. (2014). Comics Squad: Recess! Random House New York.

This book is compiled of a short collection of eight detailed comic

book stories from children’s favorite authors all into one great

chapter book. It contains many popular characters, such as “Baby

mouse” and “Lunch Lady.” These comics are connected by a

common setting school, and one theme: recess, hence the title

“Comics Squad Recess!” The authors cleverly “mashed up” the

characters within each comic and their adventures at school and

recess. As you flip through the pages the author keeps within the

same two color-scheme: orange and black, giving it a sense of

unity. Young readers familiar with these comic characters are likely

to pick up and enjoy this book and are sure to look forward to the

next adventures.

Klassen, J. (2012). This is not my hat. Somerville,

Mass.: Candlewick Press.

This story about a small fish who steals a hat from a very big fish, and thinks he’s gotten away with it.The reader follows his journey to an area filled with seaweed, where he'll be safe from the big fish. As the small fish tells the audience how unconcerned he is, the illustrations show the big fish waking up and pursuing him, making the fate of the small fish quite clear. The author uses a dark background to show the bottom of the ocean. The illustrations give that collage feel of cut and paste. The seaweed are big, tall and close together. Which makes it a good hiding spot for the little fish.

Landy, D. (2008). Skullduggery Pleasant: Playing with

fire. HarperCollins Children's Books: London

Stephanie’s uncle Gordon Edgley, leaves her his mansion.

Spending a night alone in the mansion, Stephanie is attacked by a

strange man around midnight who is after a key. When she

refuses to let him inside and to give him the "key." Mr.

Skulduggery Pleasant, who is a skeleton, disguised with a hat and

scarf, arrives to save her and uses a fireball that he produces with

the click of his fingers, but he is immune to the fire. As the struggle

ensues, Skulduggery’s disguise falls and reveals his true image, a

skeleton. Stephanie and Skulduggery join forces to fend off the

bad guys, beat down vampires and the undead while trying to

figure out her uncle’s mysterious death. They learn that her uncle

had discovered an ancient weapon used by the first sorcerers, the

Sceptre of the Ancients, which he seals in a maze beneath the

house Stephanie inherited. The "key" is in really an old brooch left

by her uncle to his other brother's wife. Readers will enjoy this

story mixed with adventure, magic, and humor.

Lord, Cynthia. Rules. New York: Scholastic, 2006.

Twelve year old Catherine struggles to find a sense of normalcy in her life. Her story begins with “Rules,” which her autistic brother David needs to have in order to help make things easier for him to understand. Catherine is hopeful about a new friendship with a neighbor moving in next door, but gets frustrated by a classmate named Ryan who picks on her brother. Although Catherine loves her brother, she is also frustrated with him. Catherine accompanies her mother to David’s therapy OT sessions, and finds her “down-time” from David at the shops, restaurants, and surf located surrounding the OT office. Here, Catherine meets Jason, who is on a wheel-chair and can only communicate with cards. Through her artwork, she and Jason, develop a friendship. This is where Catherine shows him what “running” feels like. She races him (in his wheelchair) around the parking lot to give him a chance to feel the sensation of running.

McDonnell, P., Schulz, J., & Little, B. (2011).

Me... Jane. New York: Little, Brown.

McDonnell uses simple cartoon style illustrations to tell about Jane’s and Jubilee’s outside adventures . As Jane writes down all her observations, her true passion is revealed: living in Africa and helping animals. One day she finds that her dream has come true. The story ends with another photograph of Jane in Africa with an actual chimpanzee followed by short biographical background of Jane and a special message from Jane herself. McDonnell uses Jane’s notes to make this a true story.

Munsch, R., & Martchenko, M. (2006). The paperbag

princess. Lindfield, N.S.W.: Scholastic Australia.

When we read fairy tales with a Prince and

Princess, the hero is usually your Prince who

rescues the princess, and ends happily ever

after. In this story, Munsch reverses the roles.

The Prince is carried away by a dragon. Despite

his smug attitude on the first page, the

Princess becomes the heroin and sets off to get

her Prince back. She confronts the dragon and

rescues her Prince, but is rejected by him

because she is dirty. His opinion of her didn’t

matter to her, and as we see at the end she

decides to live happily ever after on her own

and that’s ok.

Nelson, K. (2008). We are the ship: The story of Negro

League baseball. New York: Jump at the Sun/Hyperion

Books for Children.

Nelson tells the story of the men in the Negro Baseball Leagues who faced discrimination, segregation, and poor treatment. Despite these obstacles, they remained determined to form their own leagues. Using an "Everyman" player as his narrator, Nelson tells the story of Negro League baseball from its beginnings in the 1920s through its decline after Jackie Robinson crossed over to majors in 1947. Each inning opens with a quote from a former player and then narrates his story and shares his experiences.

Ottaviani, J., & Wicks, M. (n.d.). Primates: The fearless

science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Birute

Galdikas.

Ottaviani highlights the lives of three

primatologists: Jane Goodall (chimps), Dian

Fossey (gorillas), and Biruté Galdikas

(orangutans), who were all students of Louis

Leakey. The author uses colorful and

detailed cartoon drawings that correlate

closely with the text to tell their story.

Although the author comments at the end,

that some of the story is fiction, he states

that he and Wicks did some research on the

three women and the primates to note his

facts. The story is told in comic book format

which appeals to readers of all ages.

Pastis, Stephan. Timmy Failure, Now Look What

You’ve Done. Somerville, Mass.: Candlewick,

2014.

Pastis uses cartoon-style illustrations along with the

text to tell the story of Timmy Failure, a normal kid

who says he’s the “founder, president, and CEO of

the greatest detective agency in town, probably the

state. Perhaps the nation.” Living at his aunt’s house

with his single mom and his sidekick Total (a “polar

bear”), Timmy spends his days solving crimes for the

other kids in his class. Timmy’s sure that he will

become successful and famous. The only one

standing in his way is Corina, Corina, AKA as

“Wedgie.” This comic accompanied by a lot of

pictures, will make this appealing to readers who

enjoy this type of genre.

Paterson, Katherine, and Donna Diamond. Bridge

to Terabithia. New York, NY: Crowell, 1977.

Paterson’s Bridge to Terabithia tells the story of an innocent friendship that develops between Jess and Leslie. At first their friendship is distant, but understood. Eventually, their friendship grows and continues to evolve throughout the story. They build a secret fantasyland across the creek in the woods, called Terabithia, where they play all the time. There they forget the rest of the world, and it is there that they map out a plan of revenge on the school bully. Leslie also introduces Jess to the world of imagination and creativity. It is here where Jess develops his art while Leslie tells her stories. Jess gets home from a trip to the museum and finds out Leslie drowned in the creek that morning trying to swing into Terabithia on the rope. He is devastated and doesn’t see how he is to go on without her. Eventually he realizes that he can only keep Leslie's memory by continuing the fantasy of Terabithia. He brings his little sister May Belle there and makes her its new queen, assuring that a part of Leslie will live on as well.

Schlitz, L., & Byrd, R. (2007). Good masters! Sweet

Ladies! : Voices from a medieval village. Cambridge,

Mass.: Candlewick Press.

Schlitz, divides this book into seventeen short plays: monologues and

dialogues, along with Byrds pen-and- ink drawings to highlight the

character on each page. The plays tell about each character from different

social standing and gives an account of the happenings in their daily lives.

Alice the shepherdess, whose mother died and is raised by sheep, calling

them sister and mother, and there is Taggot, the blacksmith’s daughter

who feels dejected due to her size and says she’s ugly. The author uses the

dialect from that time, including notes on some pages tell to help the

reader understand what certain words from that era mean, such as

“Maying,” “farthing,” “friants.” In between the plays, the author includes

sections called, “A Little Background” beginning with a quote and

illustration on the opposite page then telling facts about such things as the

Three-field system, the Medieval Pilgrimage, The Crusades, Falconry, Jews

in Medieval Society, and Towns and Freedom.

Selznick, B. (2011). Wonderstruck. New York:

Scholastic.

Selznick opens the book with pictures and then text. He

tells two independent stories set fifty years apart: Ben’s

told in words, Rose’s in pictures. Ben and Rose secretly

wish their lives were different. After losing his mother

and having to live with his aunt and uncle, Ben longs for

the father he has never known. Rose tells her story

through a scrapbook she keeps of an actress who she

keeps tabs of. The plot unfolds as Ben discovers a

puzzling clue about his dad in his mother’s room and he

sets off to find him. On the other hand, Rose reads a

headline in the newspaper that sets her on her journey to

find this actress. The story end with a pleasant twist

where their two worlds collide.

Sendak, M. (1963). Where the wild things are.

New York: Harper & Row.

This story is about a boy named Max, who mischievous and is sent to his room without supper. To deal with his anger, Max ‘s mind takes him into another world, the jungle. He goes through many adventures with “wild things.” Although they are “wild,” Max is able to control the creatures. They even made him king. He too sends them to bed without supper. He realizes he misses home and tells them it’s time to go. The wild things want him to stay. Upon his return, there waiting for him was his supper.

Singer, M., & Masse, J. (2010). Mirror mirror: A book of

reversible verse. New York, N.Y.: Dutton Children's Books.

This book has a fantastic twist to the classic fairytales we know. These reverse poems are a cleverly written as they share the perspectives of two different characters. Two sides to the story. Each reverse poem has its own illustration on the opposite page. The illustrations’ color, lines, and shapes are added with great detail, thus “mirroring” its poem. The overall composition of the book , grabs our attention as we turn the pages anticipating the next fairytale adventure.

Smith, L. (2010). It's a book. New York: Roaring

Brook Press.

Smith starts the book off with a monkey reading a book when suddenly; a donkey comes by and asks the monkey what he has in his hands. The monkey tells the donkey that he is reading a book. But the donkey mistakes the book for a computer and keeps on asking the monkey throughout this story about whether or not the book can text, tweet, scroll or have wi-fi, while the monkey constantly tells the donkey that the book does not have all that. Smith brings to light the debate on books vs. the technological age.

Sweet, M., & Newborn, R. (2011). Balloons over Broadway: The true

story of the puppeteer of Macy's Parade. Boston, MA: Houghton

Mifflin Books for Children.

This picture book biography tells about the

toy collector and master puppeteer, Tony

Sarg, who is the face behind the Macy’s

Day Parade helium balloons. The book

begins with information about Tony Sarg's

toy collection and his photograph. The

illustrations compliment the progression of

how Tony’s idea evolved and became a

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day tradition that we

all enjoy today.

Urban, L. (2007). A crooked kind of perfect.

Orlando: Harcourt.

A Crooked Kind Of Perfect’s is told through the eyes of soon to be 11 year old, named Zoe Elias. Zoe dreams of one day playing the piano in Carnegie Hall. Her dad who is known to fall for “deals of a lifetime,” buys her the Perfectone D-60 (an organ) instead of a piano. After parting ways with her best friend Emma, a surprising friendship surfaces between Zoe and the school’s bully, Wheeler Diggs. He follows her home to have more of her dad’s cookies, and takes an interest to baking. Miss Persons, her zany organ teacher, enters Zoe enters the annual Perform-O-Rama organ competition. Despite dealing with and introvert dad, who takes “Living Room University” lessons, and a workaholic Mom, Zoe’s consistency and passion for music, inspires her dad to continue with baking, helps her classmate fill that family void, and brings her Mom to realize the importance of family.

Wiesner, D. (2001). The three pigs. New York:

Clarion Books.

The three pigs has been retold countless times with the same plot. Wiesner adds his own personal twist to this classic tale. After being “blown away” by the wolf the pigs set off on their own adventures into various stories. The author begins the story with 2-D cartoon characters and then adds 3-D qualities to the story as the pigs travel through the stories, they become more realistic than the wolf and other characters in the story. The pigs fly on a paper airplane into other classic stories we know. The pigs encounter “floating page frames” of stories and land into other stories. Eventually bringing a dragon with them to intimidate the wolf, thus changing their destiny.

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