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Module 15: Censorship

Genre: Fantasy. The book falls under the Fantasy Fiction genre because although it has similar settings and regards humans and human emotions, the book deals with witches, demons (familiars), traveling worlds and more—beyond the mere reality we live in. The genre aptly fits because the book definitely is imaginative of our reality and goes further with the addition of prophecies, magical compasses, armored bears and more.

Summary: Orphaned Lyra Belacqua and her demon, Pan, live idly within the confines of Oxford’s Jordan College. Although willful and rebellious, Lyra’s life of normalcy is ripped open when strange things begin to happen. Children begin to go missing—one of them her own friend—taken by the Gobblers, talk of dust, particles, and alternate worlds begins to arise, and the visit of a mysterious woman to the college changes Lyra’s world. Mrs. Coulter takes Lyra away from the college, but not before she (Lyra) is given a golden compass, an alethiometer. With Mrs. Coulter, Lyra feels the affectionate connection she’s always lacked with her uncle and guardian, Lord Asriel, but after seeing that Coulter is darker and more than she seems, Lyra runs away and into the company of a disgraced armored bear, Iorek. Upon traveling north, they come to the headquarters of the Gobblers where Lyra sees the horror of children and their demons being experimentally separated. After Lyra is taken, she too is almost separated from her beloved Pan yet her mother—Mrs. Coulter finds her in time. Escaping her mother, Lyra travels with Iorek and finds herself in the company of gypsies, a traveler, witches and more.

Impression: I read this book years ago, both as a young teen, and later after college. Both times this book caught and kept my attention and interest. It’s a very dark tale because of the subject it does reflect. It has highly imaginative aspects, and the details that work together create a fascinating story about this girl who goes beyond the extraordinary. Lyra is full of will and drive to find the truth and save her friend. I loved the fantastical aspects such as witches, demons (familiars), bears, prophecies and alternative worlds. The theme that do reflect our own such as the church suppressing research beyond that which is explained in doctrine, the fear of discovering more—that is something that our own world has seen through the ages. Additionally, I love that the book does make a point in including the reality of cruelty that humans are capable of. It’s real and scary, but that’s something integral of life.

APA Citation: Pullman, Philip. (1996). The Golden Compass. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf

Professional Review:

“If Pullman's imagination dazzled in the Victorian thrillers that culminated with The Tin Princess, in this first volume of a fantasy trilogy it is nothing short of breathtaking. Here Earth is one of only five planets in the solar system, every human has a daemon (the soul embodied as an animal familiar) and, in a time similar to our late 19th century, Oxford scholars and agents of the supreme Calvinist Church are in a race to unleash the power that will enable them to cross the bridge to a parallel universe. The story line has all the hallmarks of a myth: brought up ignorant of her true identity, 11-year-old Lyra goes on a quest from East Anglia to the top of the world in search of her kidnapped playmate Roger and her imprisoned uncle, Lord Asriel. Deceptions and treacheries threaten at every turn, and she is not yet certain how to read the mysterious truth-telling instrument that is her only guide. After escaping from the charming and sinister Mrs. Coulter, she joins a group of ""gyptians"" in search of their children, who, like Roger, have been spirited away by Mrs. Coulter's henchmen, the Gobblers. Along the way Lyra is guided by friendly witches and attacked by malevolent ones, aided by an armored polar bear and a Texan balloonist, and nearly made a victim of the Gobblers' cruel experiments. As always, Pullman is a master at combining impeccable characterizations and seamless plotting, maintaining a crackling pace to create scene upon scene of almost unbearable tension. This glittering gem will leave readers of all ages eagerly awaiting the next installment of Lyra's adventures. 100,000 first printing; $250,000 ad/promo. Ages 10-up. (Apr.)”

APA Citation of Professional review: N/A. (1996, April 15th). [Review of the book The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman]. Publisher’s Weekly. Retrieved from https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-679-87924-4

Library Use: This book could be included as part of a discussion/ seminar program hosted by a library regarding challenged/banned books and censorship. Kids who’ve read this book or have seemed interested by it could come forth and discuss this book, and others, regarding their thoughts on the matter. They can express their like or dislike of the book(s), agree or disagree with the ideas that challenge the book and express their overall feelings regarding banned books.

Readlikes: The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass, La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman. Subtle Knife and Amber Spyglass are the second and third installments following The Golden Compass and they provide greater adventure and peril in Lyra’s quest that began in the first book. La Belle Sauvage is a prequel recently published by Pullman and it does include some of the characters mentioned in The Golden Compass but it’s a new adventure that any reader who followed Lyra would love to explore as well.

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Module 14: Short Stories and Poetry

Genre: Short Stories. The book is a compilation of a series of short stories, all of which are fiction in nature. They are connected by one encompassing theme, which is that of presenting figures who are in societies view dubbed the “geeks.” The stories are short, similar in theme and prove to engage in the same type of readers all throughout. The book is true to the fashion of short stories and epitomizes the genre for a teen audience.

Summary: The book is a collection that includes 29 short stories and comics done by written by different authors—a majority of which are widely popular within the teen age group. The book focuses on different stories involving the geeks of the teen world—people who are interested and committed to popular culture, TV, books, comics: Star Trek, Star Wars, Doctor Who, classic novels, Lord of the Rings, etc. Stories about love between a Jedi and a Klingon at a conference; cheerleaders learning the geek ways to communicate with their boyfriend and in the process really befriend the “geek”; the gather thing of the nerd herd for a game including all kinds of geek characters, and the meeting of an online geek crush. So many of these stories deal with the aspects associated with being geektastic—those of weirdness, isolation or separation from the cool kids, from others. While the stories explore that weirdness they also reveal the truth that the geeks are like everyone else. They have a plethora of knowledge and imaginations, but they are like us all: they love, the fear, they anger, they dream.  

APA Citation: Edited by Castellucci, Cecil &Black, Holly. (2009). Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.

Professional Review:

“Did you hear the one about the geek who grew up to write young adult fiction? Apparently that particular coming-of-age trajectory has achieved the status of a cultural meme, as Black and Castellucci demonstrate here. They have assembled nineteen of today’s most popular YA authors to tell the stories of role-playing geeks, band geeks, theater geeks, comic-book geeks, cosplay geeks, science geeks, Buffy geeks, Rocky Horror geeks, etc. Given the details included in the author bios and the fluency with [End Page 59] which the characters engage in complex dorkuments (arguments over some finer point of geek culture), it’s clear that these authors, which include M. T. Anderson, John Green, Cassandra Clare, Libba Bray, Scott Westerfeld, Cynthia and Greg Leitich Smith, Garth Nix, and David Levithan, among others, are speaking in their native tongue. However, for readers who don’t know the difference between, say, a LARP (Live Action Role-Playing Game) and an MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game) an internet connection will handy, since the authors don’t include a glossary, although interstitial comics by Black and Castellucci and illustrators Hope Larson and Bryan Lee O’Malley go some way toward mapping the geek ’verse. Though not all the stories are independently stellar, the formula of one part irony, one part justification, and two parts wish-fulfillment fantasy works pretty well across the board to highlight the important role a geeky obsession can play in getting teens through tough social and familial situations. Because of this persistent and universalizing theme, even non-geeks will find something to like here, and they may even learn to treat those weirdly dressed, oddly intense kids at the other lunch table with more respect.”

APA Citation of Professional Review: Coats, K. (2009). Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd (review). Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 63(2), 59-60. The Johns Hopkins University Press. Retrieved December 2, 2017, from Project MUSE database.

Library Use: This could be the basis of a program that would function as a small con for the nerd herd that a library could host. It could gather the “geeks” and have them create a summit and a safe haven which allows them to talk to kids with the same interests, fascinations and ideas and have no judgment be there. Like the collection of stories in the book, the program could engage in bringing together all the types of geeks and have them just be themselves.

Readalikes: 21 Proms by David Leviathan and more, Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern, and Dear Teen Me: Authors Write Letters to Their Teen Selves. All three books are readalikes Geektastic because they deal with the implications of life during teenage years. They are meant for a teen audience and are reflective of what life is like at that age. Into the Wild Nerd Yonder deals with the aspect of teens being different—the “nerd.” 21 Proms and Dear Teen Me are a collection of short stories like Geektastic thus providing variety and diversity within the great theme of the book. 

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Module 13: Graphic Novels and Series

Genre: Graphic Novel. The book aptly is termed as a graphic novel because it us predominantly graphics that are used in the storytelling. The images are clear and tell the story perfectly with the combined text and it fits the genre to perfectly.

Summary: After losing their father and husband during a snowy night which led to an accident, Emily, Navin and their mother relocate to a new home, which once belonged to their mother’s grandfather. Still reeling from grief and loss, the family struggles to adjust, but a whole new adventure begins after the children find an amulet when exploring their new home. That same night they awake to strange noises coming from the basement, after which their mother is taken captive by an octopus looking monster. Courageously the children follow the monster down through a tunnel in the basement which takes them into a different place altogether. Emily and Navin realize they are also being followed a mysterious figure who attacks them. Suddenly they are rescued by another mysterious figure, entrenched and hidden from them who takes them to their long-lost grandfather, Silas Charnon. The children arrive to Silas dying and bestowing on Emily the path of harnessing the power of the amulet she wears. With Silas’ companions with them now, the children rescue their mother and Emily goes face-to-face with the initial figure who attacked her—who turns out to be an Elf prince. Emily repels the Elf prince when she accepts the amulets power and banishes him away. With their mother reeling from her captivity, the children then begin another adventure to find out how to get their mother better and discover more about the amulets power.

Impression: I’ve never been much of a graphic novel fan and thus I am not a big reader of the genre. Saying this, I could not stop reading Aumelt. This graphic novel series is a vary popular one within the library I wok at. It’s constantly being put on hold and checked out, and our readers love them. I wanted to see what the big fuss is about and in reading the first installment I can say I understand. It’s an adventure. It deals with real feelings like grief, loneliness, fear, action, and love. The graphics are the basis of the storytelling and they do such a great job of conveying each emotion, each action sequence off the page that it’s easy for readers to immerse themselves in the story. I loved it and it’s a great first installment in what I bet is a great series of stories.

APA Citation: Kibuishi, Kazu. (2008). Amulet: The Stonekeeper. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc

Professional Review:

With many a SZZT! SZRAK! FWOOM! and SKREE!, young Emily learns to use an energy-bolt-shooting amulet against an array of menaces to rescue her captured Mom in this graphic-novel series opener. When a scuttling “arachnopod” sucks down their widowed parent, Emily and younger sib Navin pursue through a door in the basement and into the alternate-Earth land of Alledia. Finding unexpected allies in rabbit-like Miskit, grumpy Cogsley and other robots created by their mysterious great-grandfather, the children weather attacks from huge, tentacled Rakers, a pointy eared elf prince with shark-like teeth and other adversaries to get her back—only to discover that she’s in a coma, poisoned. Off to Episode Two, and the distant city of Kanalis, for a cure. The mid-sized, squared-off panels are sometimes a little small to portray action sequences clearly, but the quickly paced plot is easy enough to follow, and Kibuishi is a dab hand at portraying freaky monsters. Fans of Jeff Smith’s Bone will happily fret with the good guys and hiss at the baddies. (Graphic fantasy. 10-12)

APA Citation of Professional Review: N/A. (2001, May 20th). [Review of the book Amulet: The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi]. Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/Kazu-Kibuishi-77820/the-stonekeeper/

Library Use: A fun way this book could be used in a library would be as part of a graphic novel program. The library I work at has a magna program which is attended by teens and youths who talk, watch and explore the world of magna. Amulet could be something that can be similarly used for such a program. It would be fun to have a program be dedicated to bringing more awareness regarding graphic novels and the different kids there are, and it would be a great feature to have Amulet be part of such thing.

Readlikes: Amulet: The Stonekeeper’s Curse, Amulet: The Cloud Searchers by Kazu Kibuishi, and Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke. The first two mentioned Amulet books are readalikes because they are a continuation of The Stonekeeper series. They are the second and third installment and they are the same in theme, graphics, action and form as the first book. Any reader who loved the first graphic novel would love to further delve into Emily and Navin’s adventures with the second and third books. Zita the Spacegirl is a readalike because it deals with the similar theme of alien abduction which Amulet had. Additionally, it revolves around action and adventure which any Amulet reader could appreciate.

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Module 12: Biography and Autobiography

Genre: Biography. The genre of the book is biography and rightly so since it does cover the lives of all three Bronte sisters. While brief, it is a historical account, that includes secondary and primary sources which tells about the lives of the Brontë’s. From infancy to death, all three authoresses’ lives are explained in depth for young readers.

Summary: At an early age did the Bronte children (at the time 6 children—Maria, Elizabeth, Charlotte, Branwell, Emily, and Anne) lost their mothers at an early age. Living in the moors of Haworth with their father Patrick Bronte and their Aunt Elizabeth, the children grew up surrounded by the moors, but also learning from their father, a clergyman. Patrick desired a great future for his son and thus educated him in Latin and Greek, and for his daughters he knew that they too needed to either learn a craft/career or marry to be settled, so thus he sent his two eldest, Maria and Elizabeth to the Clergy Daughters’ School to learn the profession of teaching. Later, did Charlotte and Emily follow, ad it was there that they suffered harsh treatment at the hands of the school master and their teachers there, especially young Maria who soon fell ill and died due to consumption. No long after Elizabeth too died to the same disease. As children, the four remaining Bronte children wrote in journals about their daily lives, as well as wrote stories from their imagination—which they later added to in their adulthood. The sisters would in their adulthood work in the teaching and governess professions. Additionally, they would go onto to write and publish novels under pseudonyms to make themselves be men since women struggled to be published and given recognition for their writing. Charlotte, Emily and Anne—best known as Curer, Ellis, and Acton Bell, went on to published Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and Agnes Grey among others. They received praise and criticism, before and after they revealed their real identities.  All died four remaining Bronte siblings died young, three within a year of themselves (Emily, Branwell and Anne), and all unmarried. Charlotte, the last Bronte died in 1855, a few days shy of her 39th birthday. They published some of the most memorable and important works of the 19th century and left a legacy that remains. What’s more is that they left a gap of possibility that was cut down by mortality and one could only imagine what they’d have done if they’d lived longer.

Impression: As a fan of the Brontë’s I became a fan of this book from the start. As a biography, it’s brilliant because it’s written in the form that an adult biography is written. Provided are primary and secondary sources within the text, so readers are given the very words of the Bronte’s themselves. We’re given facts and not opinions, and that stands out. As a brief history it still takes an in-depth analysis of not only the Bronte sisters’ lives, but also of their work. The book is interesting, yet it shy’s away from sounding confusing. The material given is important to include in a biography and it does the amazing ability to combine enough information about the sisters without one or the other become the dominant figure. Their lives were always interwoven with one another and the book continues that relationship in its retelling. I loved the book and I think it’d be perfect for children to use for a report, or even to read just for their own pleasure.

APA Citation: Reef, C. (2012). The Bronte Sisters: The Brief Lives of Charlotte, Emily, and Anne. New York, NY: Clarion Books

Professional Review:

The wild freedom of the imagination and the heart, and the tragedy of lives ended just as success is within view—such a powerful story is that of the Brontë children.

Reef’s gracefully plotted, carefully researched account focuses on Charlotte, whose correspondence with friends, longer life and more extensive experience outside the narrow milieu of Haworth, including her acquaintance with the novelist Elizabeth Gaskell, who became her biographer, revealed more of her personality. She describes the Brontë children’s early losses of their mother and then their two oldest siblings, conveying the imaginative, verbally rich life of children who are essentially orphaned but share both the wild countryside and the gifts of story. Brother Branwell’s tragic struggle with alcohol and opium is seen as if offstage, wounding to his sisters and his father but sad principally because he never found a way to use literature to save himself. Reef looks at the 19th-century context for women writers and the reasons that the sisters chose to publish only under pseudonyms—and includes a wonderful description of the encounter in which Anne and Charlotte revealed their identities to Charlotte’s publisher. She also includes brief, no-major-spoilers summaries of the sisters’ novels, inviting readers to connect the dots and to understand how real-life experience was transformed into fiction.

A solid and captivating look at these remarkable pioneers of modern fiction. (notes and a comprehensive bibliography) (Biography. 12-16)

APA Citation of Professional Review: N/A. (2012, April 15th). [Review of the book The Bronte Sisters: The Brief Lives of Charlotte, Emily, and Anne by Catherine Reef]. Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/catherine-reef/bronte-sisters/

Library Use: The book could be part of a nice small exhibition featured on a library display case regarding important 19th century authors and figures. It could include either a focus on English subjects, or be part of a wider theme. The display could include other biographies of important authors, historical figures. The display could focus on classic authors, male and female, published during the 19th century and besides biographies and autobiographies, the display could include the authors’ famous published works such as for the Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, and Agnes Grey.

Readalikes: One of the books that I saw recommended if a user read The Bronte Sisters was THE TROUBLE BEGINS AT 8; A Life of Mark Twain in the Wild, Wild West by Sid Fleischman since like The Bronte Sisters it explains the life of a 19th century writer, and it’s written for a similar age group. Another readalike is Jane Austen: A Life Revealed by Catherine Reef, and it’s a book life The Bronte Sisters because it deals with a peer of the sisters, Jane Austen, a fellow 19th English authoress. Additionally, the writing is similar because it is a book by the same author and meant for a slightly older age group.  The last readlike is also another book by Catherine Reef, Victoria: Portrait of Victoria which is also a book about a 19th century figure, and this one too is meant for an older audience but it regards the similar topics to do with the lives of the sisters since they lived in the same century and nation.

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Module 11: Informational (Nonfiction) books

Genre: Nonfiction. This book is an informational book and thus a nonfiction book. I agree with its categorization because despite being a picture book, it still retains the principal elements of nonfiction in providing valid, factual information, and it serves to teach an important, real life concept to readers.

Book Summary: This book explains the concept of things that float and why. We know big things and small things can float, but why or why not can they. It tells kids of big examples such as a boat with people will float, but not a penny. It explains to children to go around their home and experiment the concept using items, such as pennies, soda bottles, aluminum foil, a soap bar and more. Not only does it present a form for children o follow along in performing experiments described and shown in the book, but it also proceeds to explain valid concepts that go in depth regarding the scientific question of what does or does not float. Terms like density, cubic feet, and the action of recording experimental results is explained or shown.

Impression: I found this book just pure entertainment, and highly brilliant. It’s not only fun to read and follow along, but it simultaneously teaches children a concept that is not altogether easily explained, but it thoroughly presents it in an easy way to understand. At first glance, a reader can think the book will just be a regular picture book with some text and illustrations to match, purely made to entertain kids. This book does exactly that, but then goes above and beyond. I love that the language and syntax is organized and made for children to easily follow, especially because the subject matter, as a scientific explanation, can be somewhat dense and difficult for children to completely wrap their heads around. Secondly, it makes sure to teach the concept without leaving out the important terms and elements that make things float or not like the importance of density, what a cubic foot is and how that plays a role, why some things in certain shapes will float in comparison to the same material in another shape, etc. To boost to the brilliance of the book, it explains everything in relative terms meaning almost every experiment shown in the book can be done by the very children reading it at home. The book then becomes an experiment instructional and it’s allows to teach children using the text and illustrations used in the book. It’s a delightful book for children to learn from, and it’s a great example of an informational book.

APA Citation:  Adler, D.A., & Raff, A., (2013). Things That Float and Things That Don’t. New York, NY: Holiday House

Professional Review:

Adler shows his customary skill for explicating mathematical concepts in this smart exploration of floatation and density. Several experiments allow for a hands-on approach: Adler suggests filling a sink with water and testing whether different objects float, as well as using modeling clay to demonstrate how shape is as important a factor as density. Raff’s pastel palette and cheerful characters keep the mood light and pair well with Adler’s explanations, which are clear without being dauntingly technical. Along with Lynne Berry and Matthew Cordell’s What Floats in a Moat? (reviewed Apr. 29), readers will be well-prepared when it comes to displacement and density this fall. Ages 4–7. Author’s agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House. (Sept.)

APA Citation of Professional Review: N/A. (2013, June 24th). [Review of the book Things That Float and Things That Don’t by David Adler, Illustrated by Ann Raff]. Publishers Weekly. Retrieved from https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-8234-2862-5

Library Use: As an instructional book, this would be the perfect book to be the base of a learning program that taught the scientific method, or at least the ability for children to conduct science experiments using everyday items, safely and in a fun way. The program could include an initial story time with the book, so children could get a first look at the activities they would be doing. Next, using a kiddie pool, or even big bowls of water (options for inside or outside use of setting for the program), kids could use those water holding items and do the exact floating experiments done in the book, still using the book as a guide. They can, like in the book, write down which items did or did not float.  

Readalikes: What Floats in a Moat? By Lynne Berry, What Floats? What Sinks?: A Look at Density (Lightning Bolt Books: Exploring Physical Science by Jennifer Boothroyd, and Floating and Sinking (My Science Library) by Amy Hansen.  All three books explore the concept of things that float, just like Adler’s book. What Floats in a Moat? focuses more on being a fun picture book, while What Floats? What Sinks? and Floating and Sinking serve to be informational and explanatory like Adler’s book.

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Module 10: Historical Fiction

Genre: Historical Fiction. The book is categorized perfectly because it does tell a story that is representative of the time it is set within: Mexico’s rural danger, and California and the Depression. It gives historical background to a fictional tale.

Summary: This book is about a young girl Esperanza, who lives a life of wealth and privilege in Aguascalientes, Mexico. Her father owns a ranch called El Rancho de las Rosas, where Esperanza has learned to love her land and life. After her father is murdered by bandits, and her uncles’ greed puts in jeopardy her and her mothers’ living, Esperanza, along with her mother, former maid and her family, travel to the United States, and enter the workforce in California, in search for better lives. Throughout the journey and upon her arrival and time in California, Esperanza’s upbringing and idea that she’s a person of a station above others begins to shatter and she begins to realize that no longer is she Esperanza the girl with the pretty dresses, the exquisite dolls, a girl whose chores are done by others. No, she begins to realize she’s just like everyone around her. When her mother falls ill and begins to fade, Esperanza realizes that she herself needs to change, to work and leave behind the girl of selfish privilege and work to support herself, her mother, and to find a way to bring her abuelita from Mexico.

Impression: This was the first time I’ve ever read this book, but right before I began it, my youngest sister saw it in my bag and told me she absolutely loved this book. She originally read it in Spanish, the language of Mexico, and the initial setting of the book, and I began to be curious as to how I’d react to the book. I can say that I loved it. As a Mexican-American girl, I connected with the culture of this young girl. I understand the love of her land, her love and loyalty to her parents, the sense of loss and betrayal after her father’s death. Furthermore, I loved that one of her greatest struggles is becoming a humble human. I loved the history interwoven within her story because it’s essential to the events that happen, but the big theme of the book is humbling one’s self, finding the truth of what we all share. Every person is the same. We all want happiness, love, and to survive. There’s no difference save only the aspect of money, between the those they call “peasants” and the “rich.” One instant can be life changing, and I loved seeing Esperanza’s transformation and her coming to terms with maturing and learning her faults.

APA Citation: Ryan, P. M., (2000). Esperanza Rising. New York, NY: Scholastic Press

Professional Review:

“The author of Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride (1999) and Riding Freedom (1997) again approaches historical fiction, this time using her own grandmother as source material. In 1930, Esperanza lives a privileged life on a ranch in Aguascalientes, Mexico. But when her father dies, the post-Revolutionary culture and politics force her to leave with her mother for California. Now they are indebted to the family who previously worked for them, for securing them work on a farm in the San Joaquin valley. Esperanza balks at her new situation, but eventually becomes as accustomed to it as she was in her previous home, and comes to realize that she is still relatively privileged to be on a year-round farm with a strong community. She sees migrant workers forced from their jobs by families arriving from the Dust Bowl, and camps of strikers—many of them US citizens—deported in the “voluntary repatriation” that sent at least 450,000 Mexicans and Mexican-Americans back to Mexico in the early 1930s. Ryan’s narrative has an epic tone, characters that develop little and predictably, and a romantic patina that often undercuts the harshness of her story. But her style is engaging, her characters appealing, and her story is one that—though a deep-rooted part of the history of California, the Depression, and thus the nation—is little heard in children’s fiction. It bears telling to a wider audience.” (author’s note) (Fiction. 9-15)

APA Citation of Professional Review: N/A. (2010, May 20th). [Review of the book Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan]. Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/pam-munoz-ryan/esperanza-rising/

Library Use: The book could be a one of many books that could be part of a program regarding Hispanic Heritage month. It could be part of a book talk for youths who could not only talk about the Mexican culture presented in the book, but also about the history of California and the Depression which Esperanza’s story is interwoven with.

Readalikes: Becoming Naomi Leon by Pam Munoz Ryan, The Tequila Worm by Viola Canales, and Before We Were Free. All three of these works are reflective of Latin heritage and about the lives of Latin peoples. Becoming Naomi Leon and Before We Were Free tells the story of struggle about a young girl like Esperanza, and their journey to happiness. The Tequila Worm shares the connection of depicting Mexican culture and thinking with Esperanza Rising, and any child who enjoys journeying into the Hispanic culture will love The Tequila Worm.

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Module 9: Mystery

Genre: Mystery/Thriller. The book falls under the mystery genre, and rightly so. From beginning to end, it’s gripping and full of suspense which makes readers want more. The initial mystery is grounded at the beginning and the succeeding chapters continues to give clues as to what happened to Simon Glass. Who did the unspeakable to Simon Glass, and why? The books tone is mysterious all throughout and the mystery and plot twist provided at the end which not only brings closure to the confusion, but also provides a shocking explanation of all that’s been written beforehand.

Book Summary: After seeing the popular boy pick on the high school underdog nerd, Young and his friends, under the guidance of their friend Rob, give Simon Glass the ultimate deal: let us transform you into Prince Charming. The boys then begin the journey of transforming the underdog Glass from nerdy geek to the cool kid. Changing his hair, wardrobe and by integrate Simon into the cool posse, this begin to unravel and change amongst Young’s group. Young falls in love while he begins to realize that Rob is not all as it seems. Rob’s manipulative tendencies begin to show, and so does the real nature of Simon who despite seeming like the shy toad, contains a deeper cunning than anyone expected. All these efforts and discovering of personal details culminates on Homecoming night, when the truth about the nature of the group’s members is shown and the result is Simon Glass’ death.

Impression: This book was a testament of the genre is represented because from beginning to end, I was gripped and on the edge of my seat. From the start, it’s obvious something bad has happened, and the key players are Young, Rob, and Simon. Simon is dead, and Young is the most responsible, but what happened? That’s the mystery of the entire book, what happened between these boys? Why is Simon, the geek they took under their wing, dead? The interview excerpts from the multiple students, teachers, and parents that are related to the boys adds to the mystery of what has occurred because the reflect over the events years later. Each excerpt makes readers want to know more and are almost left with cliffhangers each time they end. Small clues and connections are left and made after each chapter, and yet readers are still left in the dark. I loved the fact that we don’t really know Simon or Rob, and even Young seems slightly mysterious. The best part of the book is that gripping last few chapters because the suspense that has built up the entire book comes to light and the plot twist at the end, which serves as the literal ending to the book had be by the throat because it’s so shocking that all along, Young was not the one to strike Simon, yet he’s the one who paid the price. Additionally, the truth about Simon, Rob and Bobster reflects something darker, and aspects of people that can be real. The book is great and it such a thrill because you could not expect the truth that is shown at the end.

APA Citation: Giles, G. (2002). Shattering Glass. Brookfield, CT: Roaring Brook Press

Professional Review:

“A grimly comic debut novel revisits the dark hell of high-school cliques. The ruling posse at BrazosVale High includes the usual suspects: rich, well-connected “Young” Steward; smooth stud “the Bobster” DeMarco; dumb jock “Coop” Cooper; and the exquisitely cool and charismatic alpha male, Rob Haynes. As a demonstration of power, Rob decides to elevate the school outcast, dweeby Simon Glass, to the heights of popularity. While Simon seems pathetically eager for any crumb of attention, he eventually reveals an agenda all his own. As Simon exposes their hidden vulnerabilities, the agents of Rob’s whims explode into shocking violence. While grownups might cavil at the ubiquitous adult cruelty and cluelessness, most teens will nod with recognition at the adolescent characters. Giles skates the fine edge of stereotyping, but manages to give his characters authentic voices; the narrator Young is particularly well realized, with his sardonic wit, his artist’s sensitivity, and his tightly wrapped rage. As much provocateur as victim, Simon subtly goads the reader into compliance with his eventual murder. Even though the denouement is known almost from the outset—Young is sent to prison for the crime—this narrative device actually heightens tension as the reader struggles against its awful inevitability. Most intriguing are the quotes heading each chapter, revealing the perspectives of the characters five years later, and which raise questions of justice, mercy, and individual responsibility. A sure-fire hit for book discussion groups, from a writer to watch.” (Fiction. YA)

APA Citation of Professional review: N/A. (n.d.). [Review of the book Shattering Glass by Gail Giles]. Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/gail-giles/shattering-glass-2/

Library Use: This book would be a great accompanying object for a program that sought to bring awareness to bullying and abuse that could/does occur in school and at home. Neglect and abuse leads to anger, manipulation and continues a cycle that can turn deadly, as shown in the book. The book provides an interesting consideration into those very heavy subjects, and the program can also include some fun material like solving a riddle or mystery, but the theme of bringing awareness to those subjects would be the main theme, and most important part of the program.

Readalikes:  Paper Covers Rock by Jenny Hubbard, The Children and the Wolves by Adam Rapp, and Quad by C.G. Watson, Carrie Gordon Watson. All three of these books are readlikes since they revolved around the story of teenagers, like Shattering Glass. Additionally, they all deal with emotions like those showcased within Shattering Glass: Paper Cover Rock and Quad includes tales of bullying and abuse, and the implications of such things on teens, while The Children and the Wolves see the fallout of teen manipulation and a cunning that can reflect the reality of the extent and actions teens can venture into.

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Module 8: The Lightning Thief

Genre: Fantasy The book is categorized under the Fantasy genre and I agree with this categorization. The book’s plot of bringing the Greek gods and mythos to our modern-day America is fantastical and full of magic. It reflects the stories told by the ancient epics and it fits completely under the fantasy category.

Book Summary: In New York City, Percy, is attacked by his substitute teacher who turns out to be a Fury. He begins an adventure of self-discovery, finding out that he is in fact the son of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea. As a demi-god, Percy is taken by his satyr best friend, Grover to Camp Half-Blood, a place where more demi-gods reside.  From here Percy, along with Grover, and a new friend, Annabelle, go on the quest to vindicate Percy, who is suspected to have stolen Zeus’ lightning bolt. Percy and friends encounter monsters and gods, experience betrayal and traps to find the true lightning thief.

APA Reference: Riordan, R. (2005). The Lightning Thief. New York, NY: Miramax Books

Impression: I’ll be honest and say that I judged this book by its cover. I thought it was meant more for boys, but I opened the book and read the summary and cast my dice. I began reading and then could not stop. I loved this book. I knew about Greek mythology beforehand, but this new reinterpretation and recasting Mount Olympus to America. I thought it ingenious. I love how it connects to young readers. How Percy and his friends are so relatable, they can basically be anyone we know. There’s relief struggles (dyslexia, home problems, real life danger) that represents our reality in terms of the fantastical.  Rick Riordan is a great writer who make these characters relatable and the writing is humorous and full of adventure. What I love most about the book is its ability to be informative of ancient mythology and make it so interesting that young readers cannot get enough of it and gorge on it, as I did. This book is amazing and an attention grabber. I loved it and recommend it to all boys and girls who seek to be enthralled into adventure.

Professional Review: “I think that The Lightning Thief is a great book because it has plenty of adventure and jokes. It’s about two demi-gods (half god, half human) Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase. Percy is a son of Poseidon and Annabeth is a daughter of Athena. When Zeus’s thunderbolt is stolen they are chosen for a quest. Accompanied by Grover Underwood the satyr (half goat, half human), they set off to find the thunderbolt and return it to Zeus. However monsters soon start to hunt them down and as they get closer to the thunderbolt it seems that something more sinister awaits them…

A great book that blends Greek myths and the modern world together fantastically, with plenty of jokes and fun. Rick Riordan is an amazing author and this book is a must read for 8-10 year olds.”

APA Citation of Professional review: Carrot, S. (2016, March 21). [Review of the book The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan]. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2016/mar/21/percy-jackson-and-the-lightning-thief-rick-riordan-review

Library Use: This book would make an amazing introduction for teens (10-17-year old’s) to get more informed with the ancient myths. A program designed to encourage children to learn about the past tales so known within mythology. The program would have a book talk regarding The Lightning Thief which would then transcend to a roundtable talk about what else in the mythology the young readers already knew. Furthermore, the roundtable would them become a small lecture discussion which would provide the readers with more information about mythology. The program would proceed to introduce readers to mythologies of Greece, Nordic, Egyptian, Maya, etc. origin.

Readalike: Rick Riordan’s The Red Pyramid, The Tales of Apollo, The Sword of Summer. All three of these works are similar readalikes to The Lightning Thief because for one, they are all written by the same author, Riordan. Secondly, and most importantly, they are all exploring the mythologies of the world: The Red Pyramid reflects Egyptian mythology, The Tales of Apollo is Greek mythology, and The Sword of Summer deals with Norse mythology. Each book tells a tale of heroes and adventures which teenagers like Percy must meet and experience.

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Genre: Realistic Fiction. I think Clementine is perfectly categorized as being realistic fiction because it’s a book that any child and/ or parent can relate to: this story about a child who just full of spunk and thoughts, and who’s actions more than not get her into troublesome situations. She’s spunky and witty, she mischievous without intending to be so and it’s a hilariously possible story that could mirror the life of any little girl or any child out there in the real world.

Impression: I never read this book before but from page one I could tell I was going to love this book. Clementine is about the ridiculousness of childhood, the craziness that can and does happen to kids whether they intend things to happen or not. Clementine reminds me of myself to a small degree, and that’s the magic of her character: you can relate to her. The whole cutting hair situation is a well-known memory and situation to parents and people because it does happen, and boy is it hilarious to read. This book’s brilliance lies in its humor because its real-life humor thanks to the reality of them. I loved it and any and every child should have a crack at it. It’s a joy ride beginning to end.

APA Citation: Pennypacker, S., & Frazee, M. (2006). Clementine. New York, NY: Hyperion Books for Children

 Book Summary: It was not a good week for Clementine. This young girl’s life continuously seems to get her into one mess to another. Everything from cutting hair off in both to fix a problem to be like her best friend, to ending up in the principal’s office continuously, Clementine is a thoughtful and witty child. Living in a city apartment with her parents and brother, and in the same building as her friend Margaret, all Clementine tries to be is Margaret’s friend. Clementine is a tale of a girl who’s a little radical as much as she’s smart and witty. In growing up, every child will make mistakes, but this tale is a tale any child can connect with. Clementine’s inventiveness is shown in her solution to make the pigeons of the building move their residence to another side, and her empathy and good heartedness when she chops her hair off for Margaret to not be the only one with that hair do. This is the story of the brilliant and witty Clementine.

 Professional Review:

“Clementine, a 2007 Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor Book for Fiction and Poetry, is a 136-page master class in characterization. Sure, its protagonist is a spunky girl in the grand tradition of spunky girls. But just look at how much we learn about her — at how much is specific to her — beyond the usual penchant for unladylike shenanigans.

For one thing, she’s trying hard to do exactly what she’s supposed to do. She just doesn’t always know what that is. “Someone should tell you not to answer the phone in the principal’s office, if that’s a rule,” she says almost as soon as we’ve met her.

She’s trying to help, too. She cuts off Margaret’s hair to erase the damage that Margaret did in the first place. Then she cuts off her own hair to make Margaret feel better…on a day when — she forgot — Margaret’s not going to be at school. (If nothing else, she helps Marla Frazee by giving her lots of ridiculous hairdos to illustrate.)

People are constantly telling her to pay attention, but she is. It’s just that some things are more interesting to pay attention to than what her teacher is saying. Case in point: the view out the window, of the lunchroom lady kissing the janitor.

She’s an artist, and her ability to pay attention feeds her art. Not everyone would notice a woman in the park eating lentils with a toothbrush, but Clementine does, and she gets a drawing out of it.

Clementine has a strong sense of fairness, which is why she always refers to her little brother by the names of vegetables. After all, she got stuck with a fruit name.

She’s sensitive. She worries that her parents think of Spinach as the “easy one” and her as the “hard one” — and, after mishearing a conversation, that they’re going to send her away.

She loves animals, which means the actual consequences of the aforesaid conversation make her very happy indeed. (She names her new kitten Moisturizer, because she’s paid attention to all the beautiful names in the medicine cabinet.) That love for animals comes up again and again in the Clementine sequels, along with the other things we’ve learned about her. She keeps trying to help. She keeps paying attention to whatever is most interesting. And she never, ever says her little brother’s real name.

Author Sara Pennypacker has said that she won’t even begin writing a book until she would “take a bullet” for her character. You don’t take a bullet for run-of-the-mill unladylike shenanigans. But I have no trouble believing this character’s creator cares that much about her. In fact, I got that sense so strongly just from seeing her accept her BGHB Honor in 2007, that I bought the book on the spot. (If you’ve ever seen an MFA student’s to-read pile, you can imagine how unusual it was for me to buy a book that wasn’t related to an assignment.) And attended a Grub Street workshop with her a year later, where I first heard the “bullet” line. It’s stuck with me, just as Clementine has.”

 APA Citation of Professional Review: Flax, S. (2017, June 27). [Review of the book Clementine by Sara Pennypaker]. The Horn Book. Retrieved from http://www.hbook.com/2017/06/authors-illustrators/bghb-at-50-clementine-by-sara-pennypacker-illus-by-marla-frazee/

 Library Uses: This would be an amazing book for a book talk and/or story time for children between the ages of 5-10. This book is hilarious and any child between those ages can connect with Clementine and her situations and thoughts. Boys and girls alike can relate to a bad haircut, or being inventive with their ideas, with the desire to want to fit in and with being there for your best friends. This would be a fun book for them to hear because not only is the content realistic, but also the style in which it’s written. The writing style reflects the tone of how someone that age would speak, think and feel. It’s perfect to transcend from just reading to hearing it.

 Readalikes: Eloise by Kay Thompson, Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans: Eloise and Madeline are perfect readalikes because they share a similar kind of main character as is in Clementine: a little girl who’s smart, creative, and anything but dull who happens to get into mischief. Lola Levin Is Not Mean! By Monica Brown would also be a readalike because it deals with also a little girl around the age of Clementine who also deals with subjects like family, school and respective best friends. These books share the theme of being about children in the process of growing up and who are interacting with their environment and the people within their surroundings in a way that mirrors reality.

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Genre: Realistic Fiction. The book falls under the Realistic Fiction category, and adequately so, because it tells a story that can take place and actually happen. The tale has fun with the character roles, but the characters have real life attributes, can be real life people. They reflect the possibility of reality, and thus it suits the genre very much.

Books Summary: This is a story about a little girl’s adventure in putting her busy, working mother to bed. In a reversal of roles, this little girl oversees putting mommy to bed. She leads her way from working and makes sure she takes a bath, brushes her teeth, and reads her a book. The exhausting job of putting another person to bed is undertaken by this child and she executes it with fun and flare wearing her pink fluffy slippers.

APA Citation: Rosenthal, A. K., & Pham, L. (2010). Bedtime for Mommy. New York, NY: Bloomsbury

Impression: I loved this book. The idea of revering the role of child and mother in a routine that is undertaken each night is brilliant. I loved that the story can be real and children if they so wish can become the tucker-in. It’s fun and each child can connect with this story. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I think it’s a great book for tucking in a child for bedtime.

Professional Review:

“It takes a loving but firm child to get a recalcitrant Mommy to bed—at least, that's how the little heroine of this tables-turned tale sees it. Mommy pulls out every trick in the book—including asking to be read two bedtime books instead of one (in one of several jokes aimed at adults, the evening's text is Anna Karenina ). But the little girl never loses her voice of knowing authority. “Did you brush your teeth?” writes Rosenthal (Duck! Rabbit! ). “A nice long time?” The always terrific Pham (Freckleface Strawberry ) strikes just the right tone with her domestic satire (Mommy's highly physical critiques of the wardrobe choices for the next day have clearly been drawn from life). In fact, it's that very physicality—seeing an adult behaving in such recognizably childish ways (dancing with glee when the bath toys arrive) while the small girl affects a maternal persona (delivering an exhausted “Phew! ” when all is said and done)—that is most likely to strike a chord with kids. But as clever as the book is, there isn't much to invite repeated readings. Ages 3–5. (Apr.)”

Professional Review Citation: N/A. (2010, March 22). [Review of the book Bedtime for Mommy by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and LeUyen Pham]. Publisher’s Weekly. Retrieved from https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-59990-341-5

Library Use: This would be a delightful book to use for a library program for children in learning about responsibility and hygiene. The program could teach the importance about bedtime itself, and it could be done as a slumber party themed program: children in pajamas, story time with Bedtime for Mommy. The concept of responsibility would be for both children and adults because bedtime is the valuable time where you should go to bed at a reasonable time, the process of getting into bed (brushing teeth, taking a bath, getting ready for the next day), it’s important and vital to both a child and a parent.

Readalikes: Because Your Mommy Loves You by Andrew Clements and R. W. Alley this is a readalike because it shows the relationship between mother and child, and children in the process of learning what usually the adults do. It’s about learning responsibility; which Bedtime for Mommy also initiates in the topsy-turvy relationship between the child and mother. Mitchell's License by Hallie Durand and Tony Fucile because it shows a child doing things (like getting a license) which usually are abilities and duties inhabited by a childlike in Rosenthal’s book. A Bedtime for Bear by Bonny Becker and Kady MacDonald Denton is a readalike because it regards the process that occurs during bedtime, only this time it is between animals. It has an analogous situation and it comes to life with humor, just like Bedtime for Mommy.

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Genre: The book falls under the genre category of Realistic Fiction. Everything in the story follows instances that can be taken from real life occurrences and settings. A quiet, creative little girl, her smart, deformed brother, a quirky grandma and her friends. Even the abandoning mother who returns with not so good intentions. It’s marvelous story about finding family and one-self, and it can easily relate and mirror the lives of real people. Because of this, the book falls perfectly under the Realistic Fiction genre. It gives real life places, real-life type of characters and situations.

Book Summary: Growing up with her great grandmother and her little brother, Naomi Soledad Leon Outlaw feels like an outsider living in Lemon Tree, California. Of Mexican heritage, she feels not like one, but not exactly like everyone else. When her birth mother shows up on her home doorstep one day, her life becomes flipped upside down. “Skyla,” her mother says she comes to be a mother to her children but after failing to attend her children’s conference and showing more interest in Naomi over her deformed younger brother, Naomi begins to realize her mother is not what she seems. Having little memory of her father, and with the threat of her mother wishing to take her away, Naomi and her family of misfits (her brother Owen, grandmother Mary, and her neighbors) journey to Mexico in search of her father. There she discovers her voice, and shows the brilliance of her carving craft. This is the journey of her becoming and embracing Naomi Leon.

APA Citation: Ryan, P.M. Becoming Naomi Leon. 2004. New York, NY: Scholastic Press

Impression: This is one book that I read a couple years ago for a course in one of my undergraduate classes. As a girl of Hispanic/ Mexican descent and heritage, I can say that I loved reading this story so much. The story showcases the struggle of a young girl who feels like an outsider, just by her name she feels this. She struggles with her inner turmoil and this is further enhanced when her long gone mother shows up. I loved reading the journey to Mexico, and the detail in which the book and Naomi herself embraces the Mexican culture. Naomi embraces the culture and people, as much as the culture and people embrace her. That speaks volumes of accuracy about Mexico, and I loved connecting to that. For any child not of that heritage, it’s a great learning experience to be able to read about. I loved the whole concept about this child finding her voice, becoming the lion that she is and having everyone, especially herself, realize that she’s mighty. Here her roar! It’s a terrific book for any girl and boy who feels out of place, who need to journey and find their voice.

Professional Review:

Booklist September 15, 2004 “Gr. 4-7. Half-Mexican Naomi Soledad, 11, and her younger disabled brother, Owen, have been brought up by their tough, loving great-grandmother in a California trailer park, and they feel at home in the multiracial community. Then their alcoholic mom reappears after seven years with her slimy boyfriend, hoping to take Naomi (not Owen) back and collect the welfare check. Determined not to let that happen, Gram drives the trailer across the border to a barrio in Oaxaca to search for the children's dad at the city's annual Christmas arts festival. In true mythic tradition, Ryan, the author of the award-winning Esperanza Rising (2000), makes Naomi's search for her dad a search for identity, and both are exciting. Mom is demonized, but the other characters are more complex, and the quest is heartbreaking. The dense factual detail about the festival sometimes slows the story, but it's an effective tool for dramatizing Naomi's discovery of her Mexican roots and the artist inside herself.”

APA Citation of Professional Review: Rochman, H. (2004, September 15). [Review of the book Becoming Naomi Leon by Pam Munoz Ryan]. Booklist. Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/dp/0439269970?_encoding=UTF8&isInIframe=0&n=283155&ref_=dp_proddesc_0&s=books&showDetailProductDesc=1#product-description_feature_div

Library Use: The book would be perfect for a program dealing with and centered around Hispanic Heritage Month. A library could host a program for children between the ages of 7-13 in which they learn about Hispanic customs like the festival in Oaxaca. There can be a few chapters read from the book, those that involve Naomi’s time in Mexico. As an activity, children can create their own work by drawing the animal they think reflects themselves, like Naomi’s carving of her lion. The children can draw their animals and cut them, almost mimicking the carving of Naomi.

Readalikes: Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan, Any Small Goodness: A Novel of the Barrio by Tony Johnston and Raul Colon, and Nuestra California by Pam Munoz Ryan and Rafael Lopez. Echo and Nuestra California are works written by Pam Munoz Ryan who also wrote Becoming Naomi Leon and both hold different similarities to Becoming Naomi Leon which make them great readalikes. Echo also has the elements of a search for a parent, a sibling looking to protect their brother, and an attempt to keep a family from falling apart and being torn away. Nuestra California and Any Small Goodness are like Naomi Leon because they are about the California and the Mexican-American culture which is a big part of Naomi and her evolution in finding her voice, her roar.

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The Graveyard Book

Genre: Fantasy. The Graveyard Book falls into the Fantasy Fiction genre. This novel touches fantastical, even magical characters and occurrences such as ghosts, ghouls, witches, the world of the dead and so forth. It’s fictional and just as fantastical in its telling of a story about a child (Bod) who is raised by ghosts who reside within a graveyard. I agree with the books genre categorization because it fits perfectly within it.

APA Citation: Gaiman, N. (2008). The Graveyard Book. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

Book Summary: When tragedy strikes all but one of a family one night, an orphan baby boy makes his way to the neighborhood graveyard. Once there, the residing ghosts, fearing for the child’s safety from the attacker of the small child’s family, take the baby in to raise him amongst them. Thus, begins the tale of young Nobody (Bod) Owens. Bod grows up under the guidance of Silas (a mysterious man, who can go to the outside world beyond the graveyard), and his parents, the ghosts Mr. and Mrs. Owen. He also meets and befriends several other characters throughout his life, including more ghosts, witches, ghouls, werewolves, and even humans. At an early age Bod meets a human girl names Scarlett, and their friendship gives Bod human interaction. Bod’s is the story of a child belonging to two worlds and his journey living between them, but danger still looms over his life and it goes by the name Jack.

Impression: I read this book in during my undergrad for a Children’s Literature class and I instantly fell in love with it. I seem to say that or something similar for many of these blog books but I cannot find another way to express my appreciation and fondness for these books, and that goes more particularly for this one. I can say with pride that if I must be a fan girl, I’d choose to be one for Neil Gaiman. This was the first book of his I read and it hooked me and never let go. He’s amazing and that can be proven just by the first chapter of this book. I don’t think I’ve ever read such an intriguing first chapter in a teen/ young adult book ever before, but Neil Gaiman does this in The Graveyard Book. From beginning to end, I loved the story. Bod’s is a tale that begins with tragedy and when he’s saved by these supernatural beings, it’s endearing. His life is one that’s unusual and it’s interesting to see his progress and relationships with both the undead and the world of the graveyard, and the living and the human world.  

Professional Review:

With best-selling books for adults and children -- including ''Coraline,'' a brand-new animated movie -- Neil Gaiman has carved out a passionate following in the world of fairy tale and fantasy. Now his latest novel for children, ''The Graveyard Book,'' has won a top literary honor as well: this year's Newbery Medal for the most distinguished contribution to children's literature. After the prize was announced last month, a debate ensued among teachers, librarians and critics about whether the selection of a popular author was a departure for the Newbery, one of the most prestigious prizes in children's books -- and, if so, whether it was a welcome one. Gaiman himself seemed surprised by the honor. ''There are books that are best sellers and books that are winners,'' he said in an interview with The New York Times.

But none of this will matter to readers -- for ''The Graveyard Book,'' by turns exciting and witty, sinister and tender, shows Gaiman at the top of his form.

 The story opens with a pretty terrifying situation: a man has slaughtered a family in the middle of the night, all save a toddler who escapes unnoticed, walking out the front door and away from the mayhem. (Parents may worry about the violence, but they shouldn't. The action isn't described, and the fourth-grade class I read the book to had no problem whatsoever.)

Up the hill trots the toddler, to a graveyard full of ghosts who take him in. The tone shifts elegantly from horror to suspense to domesticity, and by the end of the first chapter Gaiman has established the graveyard as the story's center. Within its reassuringly locked gates, the boy finds a safe and cozy place to grow up. (Gaiman has said that ''The Jungle Book'' was one of his influences.)

Among the dead are teachers, workers, wealthy prigs, romantics, pragmatists and even a few children -- a village ready to raise a living child. And they do, ably led by Silas, an enigmatic character who is not really one of them, being not quite dead and not quite living. In this moonlit place, the boy -- who is given the name Nobody Owens, or Bod for short -- has adventures, makes friends (not all of them dead), and begins to learn about his past and consider his future. Along the way, he encounters hideous ghouls, a witch, middle school bullies and an otherworldly fraternal order that holds the secret to his family's murder. When he is 12 things change, and the novel's momentum and tension pick up as he learns why he's been in the graveyard all this time and what he needs to do to leave.

While ''The Graveyard Book'' will entertain people of all ages, it's especially a tale for children. Gaiman's remarkable cemetery is a place that children more than anyone would want to visit. They would certainly want to look for Silas in his chapel, maybe climb down (if they were as brave as Bod) to the oldest burial chamber, or (if they were as reckless) search for the ghoul gate. Children will appreciate Bod's occasional mistakes and bad manners, and relish his good acts and eventual great ones. The story's language and humor are sophisticated, but Gaiman respects his readers and trusts them to understand.

I read the last of ''The Graveyard Book'' to my class on a gloomy day. For close to an hour there were the sounds of only rain and story. In this novel of wonder, Neil Gaiman follows in the footsteps of long-ago storytellers, weaving a tale of unforgettable enchantment.

APA Citation: Edinger, M. (2009, February 15). Raised by Ghosts. [Review of the book The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman]. The New York Times Book Review. Retrieved from libproxy.library.unt.edu/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=LitRC&sw=w&u=txshracd2679&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA193749344&it=r&asid=e291f36b06422877380cf57c470b7416.

Library Use: This book would be great for a Halloween themed program. It could be included with other Halloween, supernatural, macabre themed-like works where children could come dressed up as one of the book’s characters. The program would have not only dressing up as a book character but also a corresponding activity of Bingo where the winner would get one of the books (such as The Graveyard Book) as a winning prize. The program would also have group book talks (one group per book) so all the children that read that given book could discuss it and even talk about similar works that they like for children to find books that could also interest them.

Readalikes: The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, Whispers in the Graveyard by Theresa Breslin, Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman. Kipling’s tale of a child raised by wolves and the wilderness is a direct ancestor piece to Gaiman’s Graveyard Book with the connection between the two children who are raised away from direct human society and in a essence, a different type of world (the wild and the in between, respectively). Gaiman’s Ocean at the End of the Lane is a readalike because it shares the same mysterious tone as The Graveyard Book much in part because of Gaiman’s defining writing style. To add to similar reaing styles would be Coraline also by Gaiman, and which is a tale about a little girl. Both stories are reading fodder for children.

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Madeline’s Rescue

Genre: Madeline’s Rescue falls under the genre categorization of Fiction, and to be more specific, I’d go as far as to deem it Realistic Fiction. The book’s place within that genre category is supported by the setting (Paris, France), characters (Madeline, Miss Clavel, the other little girls, and the dog, Genevieve), and the story (the double saving of both a child and a dog) have real world ties. These elements could in some form or another come to happen, but this story is made up.

Book summary: In a little house in Paris there lived twelve little girls and among them was little Madeline, a child unafraid. She did not frighten easily, that is until she fell off a bridge. To her rescue came a stray dog, whom the little girls and their guardian, Miss Clavel, took home with them. At home, the dog was named Genevieve and came to be beloved by all the girls and a star pupil. Then came the day when the trustees of the little house and they saw Genevieve, whom they demand should leave. Genevieve was made to leave, and this made Madeline full of fury and the other girls sad, so they all went out and searched for her to no avail. Back home, at night, Miss Clavel finds Genevieve outside, and the girls are reunited with their beloved dog once more. Fights break out to see who Genevieve will sleep with, and on the third time Miss Clavel goes to turn down the ruckus, she finds Genevieve came not alone, but with a pup for each of the little girls.

APA Citation: Bemelmans, L. (1981). Madeline’s Rescue. New York, NY: Viking Press.

Impressions: I’ve always been a fan of the Madeline books because they’re full of fun and mischief. Madeline’s Rescue is no exception and doesn’t disappoint as you turn the page. The lyrical rhyming of the book is genius because it’s one element that sets that fun tone to the story and enhances the execution of this fantastic tale. I love everything about this book: the illustrations, the story, the lyrical rhyme. I love little Madeline because despite her slight stubborn streak seen at the beginning, which is showcased in her refusal to be afraid, she’s a strong little girl with a will of iron as seen when she defends her beloved dog Genevieve. She’s passionate in her defense for those she loves and she’s a fantastic character for little girls to connect to. I honestly think Madeline is a character than any child, boy or girl, can connect to because she embodies the spirit of a child. The great thing about this book is the dual rescue of not only Madeline but also Genevieve the dog. Madeline is saved by this heroic dog, but Genevieve is saved from the streets when Miss Clavel and the little girls bring her home with them. From the start they love her dearly and that lesson of love is what prevails in the book.

Professional Review:

This is the third of a continuing series of articles celebrating the history of the Caldecott Medal, which marks its seventy-fifth anniversary this year. Librarian and children’s literature historian Kathleen T. Horning will look at one seminal but unheralded Caldecott  book of each decade — identifying trends and misconceptions, noting the changing nature of the picture book, wrestling with issues and definitions. Here she examines the 1954 winner, Ludwig Bemelmans’s Madeline’s Rescue (Viking), with particular attention to the perennial question of audience.

madeline's rescue“Who is this book for?” is a common question asked of a book that wins the Caldecott Medal. Those who ask it generally already have their own answer in mind: adults. That the Caldecott Medal winners often appeal more to adults’ aesthetic tastes than to children’s is a frequent complaint. Even the most well-informed purveyors of children’s books are often surprised to learn that the ALSC definition of “child audience” extends through age fourteen, even for the Caldecott Medal. From the beginning of the Caldecott Award, the same definition has been used: “Children are defined as persons of ages up to and including fourteen and picture books for this entire age range are to be considered.” But when it comes to art appreciation, fourteen-year-olds may have more in common with their preschool-aged siblings than with their parents, so the question remains: how does a group of fifteen adults select the most distinguished art in a book published for a child audience?

Madeline’s Rescue provides an excellent example of the challenges adults face when it comes to the question of audience for Caldecott Medal contenders. Much of the challenge in this particular case rests with the book’s creator, who never considered himself either an author or an illustrator of children’s books. Ludwig Bemelmans, in fact, went to great lengths to keep himself from being viewed as such. Artist, satirist, socialite, restaurateur, man about town — even in his lifetime, Bemelmans had to face a bitter career reality: he would be best remembered as the creator of Madeline, a literary heroine from a children’s picture book.

Bemelmans was something of a character himself. Born in Meran, Austria-Hungary (now part of Italy), in 1898, he was a poor student, failing out of or being expelled from every school he was sent to. He left school for good as a young teenager and was sent to learn the restaurant and hotel business from his uncle, Hans Bemelmans, who owned several resort hotels in the Tyrolean region of Austria. When he was sixteen, he committed an offense so egregious that he was given a choice to either attend reform school in Austria or be shipped off to America. He chose the latter.

Apparently he had learned something from his time working in his uncle’s business, because he immediately got a job at the Ritz Hotel in New York City, where he quickly worked his way up from busboy to assistant manager. He chronicled these years by sketching the staff and customers, and by writing satirical pieces set at the “Hotel Splendide.” Over the years, his humorous autobiographical essays were published regularly in the New Yorker, and Bemelmans became a celebrity in a job that allowed him to hold court at a table surrounded by people who enjoyed bantering with him.

Although he was untrained as an artist, Bemelmans loved to draw, and he would draw anywhere — on menus, on tablecloths, on walls. He dreamed of being a cartoonist, but after an unsuccessful run of his comic strip “The Thrilling Adventures of Count Bric a Brac” (canceled by the New York World due to reader complaints), he turned his focus to magazine publishing — cover art, social satire, and humorous travelogues.

In the early 1930s, a mutual friend arranged for Bemelmans to host a dinner party that included the illustrious children’s book editor at Viking Press, May Massee; and nearly every biographical account of Bemelmans describes this propitious encounter. Massee was especially impressed by the window shades in the dreary apartment: Bemelmans had painted Tyrolean mountain scenes on them to give himself a view comparable to what he remembered from his childhood. On Massee’s urging, he created his first picture book, Hansi (Viking, 1934), based on his boyhood in Austria. The book was well reviewed, leading to another contract with Viking for The Golden Basket, an illustrated novel about two English sisters staying at an inn in Bruges, Belgium. Although The Golden Basket won a Newbery Honor in 1937, it is most memorable for the first published appearance of a character who would come to define Bemelmans’s career. As the sisters tour the city with their father, they observe twelve girls with their teacher, Madame Severine. “The little girls wore dark blue dresses with white collars and cuffs, red belts, bow ties, and white straw hats with red ribbons.” Although Bemelmans includes only two illustrations depicting this encounter, they are clearly the same girls who ended up in Paris a few years later. And in case there was any doubt: “The name of the smallest girl is Madeleine. Her hair is  copper-red…” As the twelve girls walk, two by two, in their straight lines, Madeleine skips and hops at the rear, sliding her white-gloved finger along the grooves in buildings, saying,  “Boo-boo-boo.”

Here Bemelmans was recalling his own mother’s stories of her childhood in convent schools where the girls, all dressed identically, walked in two straight lines. The character got her

name from Bemelmans’s wife, Madeleine Freund, whom he had married a few years earlier. And after their daughter, Barbara, was born in 1936, Bemelmans was inspired to write a whole story about Madeline, changing the spelling of her name to allow for easier

rhyming. According to Bemelmans, he first wrote the story that became the book Madeline on the back of a menu at Pete’s Tavern in Gramercy Park. He sketched the first illustrations in a street café in Paris.

Since May Massee had published the first four books he wrote for children (a fifth book he illustrated was written by Munro Leaf and published by Frederick A. Stokes), it was only natural that Bemelmans would take Madeline to her first. Surprisingly, Massee rejected it, saying that it was not appropriate for children. Whether she felt it was too sophisticated or too cartoonish is open to speculation; both scenarios have been widely reported. But an article that appeared in Publishers Weekly on October 22, 1938, “The Humor of Ludwig Bemelmans,” offers another possibility: “The only quarrel he ever has with May Massee, he says, arises because he usually tries to persuade her that children’s books should be three feet square, a notion that she is scarcely able to accept, considering production problems and the necessity, after all, for placing books on shelves in bookshops, libraries and homes.” It could be simply that Massee felt Madeline, with its large size and eight pages of full-color art, would be too expensive for Viking to produce.

Although Bemelmans liked to exaggerate the difficulty he had finding a publisher for Madeline — his Newsweek obituary quoted him as saying it languished in a drawer for five years before he could get anyone to take it — Simon & Schuster picked it up as soon as Viking rejected it and published it in September 1939. The book was an immediate hit. Anne T. Eaton raved about it in her New York Times review, saying that Bemelmans had put “an authentic Paris within the covers of this book” and recommending it “for children 6–8, and for readers of any age who love Paris.” Josephine Smith, in her Junior Libraries review, also remarked on the Paris scenes, concluding, “If children have a chance to see it, they will like it. So far, the adults seem to have been enjoying this story.” May Lamberton Becker, reviewing Madeline for the New York Herald Tribune, noted that “Madeline has appeared to great applause in a stylish magazine for grown-ups.”

Said “stylish magazine for grown-ups” was Life, where Madeline was excerpted in the September 4, 1939, edition, just before the book was published. In fact it became a regular practice of Bemelmans to publish his children’s books in magazines for adults (including Good Housekeeping, McCall’s, and Town and Country) prior to their appearance in book form. In a 1949 letter to May Massee cited by Bemelmans’s biographer, Jackie Fisher Eastman, he claimed this benefited the publisher by giving them free printing plates and free advertising.

No matter who the intended audience was, Madeline won a Caldecott Honor in 1940, the third year of the award’s existence, assuring it recognition and approval as a picture book for children. May Massee never went on record as to how she felt about one of “her” authors winning accolades for a book she had rejected and that was published by a rival company. We do know, however, that she published the first sequel to Madeline more than a decade later, and that in two biographical sketches she wrote of Bemelmans in 1954, after he had won the Caldecott Medal for that sequel, Madeline’s Rescue, she made no mention of the original Madeline. Oddly, in her portrait of Bemelmans for The Horn Book, she wrote mostly about his adult books (published by Viking, incidentally), quoting extensively from his most recent effort, Father, Dear Father (1953). Bemelmans, on the other hand, spoke more about Madeline than Madeline’s Rescue in his Caldecott acceptance speech. Four years later, in 1958, Massee quietly bought the rights to Madeline from Simon & Schuster and issued a Viking edition with a slightly smaller trim size than the original edition.

Every contemporary review of Madeline’s Rescue made mention of two things: the enduring popularity of Madeline and the fact that it appealed equally to children and adults. Although critics seemed to agree that the sequel was not quite as good as the original, they noted that it was destined to be just as popular with both audiences. (No one could resist those paintings of Paris.) There was no skepticism about its child appeal; Madeline had proven itself to be popular with young children who were more likely impressed by the irrepressible young heroine’s antics than they were by the watercolor paintings of Parisian landmarks. Winning the 1954 Caldecott Medal sealed Madeline’s Rescue’s fate as a children’s book.

Bemelmans didn’t seem to mind that his books were bought for and appreciated by children, as long as he won the accolades and admiration of their corresponding adults. Although he told people attending the 1954 Newbery–Caldecott banquet that he liked creating art for children because he found them to be “a vast reservoir of impressionists who did very good work themselves, who were clear-eyed and capable of enthusiasm,” elsewhere he was quoted as saying he didn’t create books for children, not consciously. And the fact that he published all of his children’s books first in magazines for adults clearly indicates that he wanted them to reach an adult audience.

Less than two weeks after the formal award celebration conferring the Caldecott Medal on Bemelmans at the Hotel Nicollet in Minneapolis, a curious paragraph appeared in the “People” section of Time magazine. It quoted Bemelmans as saying that Madeline’s Rescue was an allegory about prostitutes: “Actually, the scene is a brothel and Madeline, although I portray her as an innocent tot, is one of the girls. It is all very naughty. Madeline goes out to look for Genevieve, another girl, whom I made a dog in the book. Genevieve has become pregnant and the management of the establishment has turned her out into the street…She has her baby, which in the book is twelve puppies.” Bemelmans pointed out that part of the search for Genevieve took the girls past Oscar Wilde’s tomb, with its “melancholy” epitaph (racy for its time, no doubt), and the squib concludes with a poke at the Caldecott committee: “Then Allegorist Bemelmans proudly displayed the Caldecott Award, which the unsuspecting American Library Association had just bestowed on Madeline [sic] as the best children’s book of the year.”

Deep in the ALA Archives at the University of Illinois is a letter from May Massee to Newbery–Caldecott chair (and Children’s Library Association president) Virginia Haviland dated July 22, 1954, in which Massee assured Haviland that Bemelmans said nothing of the sort. “I never have seen anyone more outraged than Ludwig Bemelmans when he read that piece,” she wrote. “As he said, ‘If I had that kind of mind I never could have written that book.’” Massee claimed that she had to talk Bemelmans out of suing Time (“we realize that it will court its own oblivion and the sooner it is forgotten the better”) and concludes her letter with a paragraph that may have done more harm than good when it came to pacifying the Association leadership: “After the dinner, as a few of us were talking it all over, Ludwig turned to me and said, ‘You were right. It is a dedicated group. I am glad I came.’” This suggests that Bemelmans might not have appreciated the significance of winning the Caldecott Medal and that he had to be talked into coming to accept it in person. And that might easily have been regarded as a far greater slight to the children’s literature establishment than Bemelmans having his fun with Time magazine. Either way, he broke a golden rule of children’s book illustrators: never piss off the Caldecott committee. The insult to children’s librarians and, by extension, children’s literature seems to have “courted its own oblivion,” as was Massee’s wish. But in the end, the children’s librarians got the last laugh: Bemelmans today is remembered largely for his children’s books, specifically those in the Madeline series. No one reads them as allegories. And there is no question but that children are the books’ main audience.

In 1947 Bemelmans and his family took up residence at the Carlyle Hotel in New York City, where they lived for eighteen months while Bemelmans painted a mural in the hotel’s bar. Today the bar is named for him, and you can still see the mural on its walls, done in classic Bemelmans style. There you will find Madeline herself in the mural, along with Miss Clavel and the twelve little girls in two straight lines. How like Bemelmans to paint children’s book characters on the wall of a bar, a place real children rarely frequent. But today, more than sixty years later, nearly any adult in Bemelmans Bar who looks up from a martini or a glass of Chardonnay and sees Madeline on the wall will immediately recognize her as someone they first met in a book they read as…children. Cheers, Madeline! Bravo, Bemelmans!

From the May/June 2013 issue of The Horn Book Magazine. For supplemental materials on Madeline’s Rescue, click here.

APA Citation of Professional Review: Horning, K. T. (2013, May 01). [Review of the book Madeline’s Rescue by Ludwig Bemelmans]. The Horn Book. Retrieved from http://www.hbook.com/2013/05/choosing-books/horn-book-magazine/madelines-rescue-and-the-question-of-audience/

Library Use: This would be the perfect book for a Preschool story time program. The book is an absolute fun story to read. Additionally, the story features a lyrical rhythm thus adding to the fun for actual reading aloud. It’s it entertaining to read, both through its words and its actual story.  

Readalikes: Madeline by Ledwig Bemelmans, Madeline and the Cats of Rome by Ludwig Bemelmans Eloise by Kay Thompson. The first tale of Madeline was written by Bemelmans in Madeline and it would be a wonderful book to read along with Madeline’s Rescue because the more of Madeline the merrier! To add to that, another book that is a perfect readalike is the continuation of little Madeline’s endeavors in Madeline and the Cats of Rome. Why not add to the love of Madeline with more Madeline books. A book that is a readalike with no Madeline in it would be Thompson’s Eloise because Eloise is a similar character to Madeline’s in the aspect that they are small girls up to now good. They have their own respective little tales that are ready to be devoured by any little girl.

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Miss Brooks Loves Books! (and I don’t)

Genre: The books is featured in the contemporary realistic fiction genre. Everything from the setting to the characters are aspects of the book that reflect a real-world possibility in happening or something to already have happened. The story reflects a journey that a child could take and it’s setting is very modern day. Even the emotions of the characters reflect the reality of what could possibility become, and thus it’s reasonable why the books can be representative of the contemporary realistic genre.

Book Summary: Miss Brooks is a teacher who loves books. She shares her love of readings and stories with her students by reading them classics and dressing up as the characters of those books. Yet, not all the children seem to like reading and stories. A little girl in her class doesn’t understand Miss Brooks’ love for stories and books. Book Week arrives and all the children must share their favorite book with the class. Miss Brooks sends the little girl home with many books, to hopefully see if any catch her attention and liking—and she does: a book about and ogre. Enthralled, the little girl revels in her new favorite book, and plans her costume to present to the class. The little girl’s presentation about her ogre book is a fun success. She sees that even a little ogre like her can connect with a book, and thus her love of a book opens the door to her interest in reading.

APA Citation: Bottner, B., & Emberley, M. (2010). Miss Brooks Loves Books (and I don’t). New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf.

Impressions: This book was a new read for me and I absolutely loved it. Off the bat I connected with the goofy and eccentric Miss Brooks because I too love books—and I love dressing up too! I also connected with the little girl too because at that early age I was in the same boat as her because I too wasn’t a huge fan of books. I was not enthralled with literature until much older and so at a youthful age like the little girls it’s easy to understand her attitude. The book’s funny and witty as it provides the little girls confusion and detachment from Miss Brooks’ and everyone else’s liking ad excitement over books. My favorite thing about this book is that the overall theme and lesson it shares is a simple one: there’s a book out there for everyone. Loving books is not something that manifests itself by default. Sometimes it’s a love that must grow within a person. People have different interests and sometimes that itself must be found out, but once it’s almost a sure thing that there’s a book about it. This book is about a journey, about love. I can say that it’s a favorite of mine and I wish I’d found it sooner, but rather late than never, right?

Professional Review:

School Library Journal

( February 01, 2010; 9780375946820 )

PreS-Gr 2-All children need a librarian like Miss Brooks. Her love for reading flows from every fiber of her lanky, quirky self. When not happily immersed in one of the colorful choices from the mountains of books surrounding her, she is dressed as Babar, a Chinese dragon, or a groundhog-her puppet-clad arm popping through a hole on the page. She shares stories with a diverse group of young people, and all are captivated-except for one. This first-grade narrator believes Miss Brooks is a little too enthusiastic-to the point of being "vexing." During Book Week's student presentations, the overall-clad girl with large, round spectacles and a woolen beanie finds the other kids' books "too flowery. Too furry. Too clickety. Too yippity." When her mother observes that she is as "stubborn as a wart," interest is aroused, Shrek is discovered in the pile supplied by the librarian, and the transformation begins. An ogre costume and stick-on warts for the whole class complete the conversion to bibliophile. Children will delight in Emberley's spirited watercolor and ink renderings of literary favorites from The Very Hungry Caterpillar to a Wild Thing. Bottner's deadpan humor and delicious prose combine with Emberley's droll caricatures to create a story sure to please those who celebrate books-and one that may give pause to those who don't (or who work with the latter).-Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

 (c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

 APA Citation of Professional Review: Lukehart, W. (2010, February, 01). [Review of the book Miss Brooks Loves Books by Barbara Bottner and Michael Emberley. School Library Journal. Retrieved from http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:3726/TitleDetail/DetailedView?hreciid=|31383993|46282708&mc=USA

Library Uses: This book would be great for a library program that focuses on the very thing the theme of the book is: finding a book you love. At the core of the program, the intention would be finding out what your favorite things are. The song from A Sound of Music, “My Favorite Things” kept playing in my head as I read it, and that song would be a great accompanier to this book for the program. The program would include the children not only listening to the books but also, they would participate in an activity in which they would write down a list of their favorite things. The activity would allow a librarian to think about what kind of material would best suited the child to read, or what would interest them. After giving out recommendations, and showing the children possible books/objects, they might like, the children and parents will have the choice to check the objects out.

Readalikes: Book Fiesta by Pat Mora, It’s a Book by Lane Smith (Both books are similar because they deal with child literacy, Bottner with physical books, and Smith with e-literacy. They appeal to the children because the books encourage them to read and become literate. Wild About Books by Judy Sierra because in this tale, the wild beasts are shown what reading is and the book serves to encourage its children to go wild for books, to fall in thrall with them like within Miss Brooks.

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The Story of Ferdinand

Genre: This book is featured under the genre of fiction. I completely agree with this listing because The Story of Ferdinand is targeted at children. This work is realistic in its setting, but not in its characters. I think it fits underneath the books definition quite well because while certain aspects reflect reality, setting and featuring characters are not. The characters very well represent humans and human emotions, and are used to bring home a deeper subject matter for children.

Book Summary: The tale of this book begins in Spain, where little bull named Ferdinand lives. Other little bulls live there too and they like to jump around and play together, but little Ferdinand does not join them He rather enjoys sitting under a tree and smelling the flowers around him under the shade of his favorite tree. His mother fears he’ll be lonesome, but after confronting him she realizes that he’s blissful and happy underneath that tree. Years pass by and Ferdinand grows big and strong, and yet he still loves to smell his flowers unlike the other bulls who still prefer to jump and butt with one another. There comes news that soon bulls will be chosen to fight in Madrid so when the men appear to pick out the strongest and quickest bull, all the rest are roughhousing with one another attempting to impress the men. Ferdinand does not participate and is stung by a bee when he goes to sit under his favorite tree, which makes him go crazy and alerts him to the men. They choose him and take him to fight in Madrid. The bull fighting day is full of flags and ladies, a parade with Banderilleros, Picadores, and the Matador, and Ferdinand. All the men in the ring fear Ferdinand and expect him to snort and buck and charge with his horns, but he just proceeds to sits in the ring to smell the flowers on the ladies’ hair. As much as the men try, they cannot make him fight and so they take Ferdinand home so he can be happy and smell his flowers.

APA Citation: Leaf, M., & Lawson, R. (1936). The Story of Ferdinand. New York, NY: Viking Press.

Impressions: I absolutely love this book. I never read it as a child, which is unfortunate because it’s such a lovely book. I heard about it before this class and I’ve bought it for my nephew in Spanish (which was just as good). This is a lovely tale that teaches a greater lesson to children than just being about a bull and his flowers. I love that Ferdinand was different from all the other bulls and that he had such a gentle soul who loved nothing more than to be under his favorite tree’s shade and smell the flowers. His physical appearance seem like it would, and does when he’d older, make people perceive that he’s a tough and rough creature who loves to fight or can be easily antagonized. The truth is he’s not, and he’s easily able to ignore the others pressure be to something that he’s not. Rather than fight for glory and fame, he chooses to bask in the beauty of the moment, or more likely bask in the beautiful fragrance around him. The book teaches the lesson that not everyone or anything is as it’s perceived to be, and that you should allow what makes you happy do just that while ignoring what others think you should be. I also love the impression given by his mother who initially worries for him but once communicating her worry with him and is told that he’s happy, she herself becomes content with his preferences and his true nature. That’s a support that all children desire and every parent can learn to accomplish. This book is simply yet transcends time and setting and is nothing short of exceptional. It’s perfect for all children and it’s even perfect for parents and adults. It’s not high literature, not Dicken’s or Shakespeare, but it’s still great.

 Professional  review:

School Library  Journal  ( January 01, 2011; ) 

PreS-Gr 5-These excellent videos, suitable for deaf or  hearing children, combine the quality viewers have come to expect from Weston  Woods with the American Sign Language (ASL) savvy of production company ASL  Inside. Each program presents a popular children's book and uses the familiar  format of picture-book pages translated to video, with some animation added.  Signers Missy Keast and Manny Hernandez, both known in the signing community  for their storytelling skills, appear in the foreground, translating the text  on each page into ASL. Optional English text on screen and English voiceover  make these videos completely accessible to all viewers. Additional features  include a vocabulary section, which is arranged alphabetically by English  translation and shows featured signs in isolation, and a 10-question quiz  that assesses comprehension and memory. Additional classroom activities,  flashcards, and worksheets are available online for each title. The series  will appeal to multiple audiences: deaf children can access the stories in  their native language while building English vocabulary and reading skills,  and hearing youngsters can practice their English vocabulary while learning  basic ASL.-Kathleen Kelly Macmillan, Carroll County Public Library, MD (c)  Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media  Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned  subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted

 APA reference of professional review: Macmillan, K. K. (2011, January 01). [Review of the book The Story of Ferdinand by L. Menro]. School Library Journal. Retrieved from http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:3726/TitleDetail/DetailedView?hreciid=|290679|5763212&mc=USA

Library Uses: Libraries provide a multitude number of programs and this book would be perfect to be used for one.  A book talk that lead to children stating what they’re favorite things were or what made them happy which could help lead librarians and parents to find material and objects that will interest children. This will hopefully lead to their increase in literacy and interest in reading more.

Readalikes: Corduroy by Don Freeman would be a similar read because both books have animal characters. They’re two very sweet characters who have simple desires: Corduroy wanting to find a button and be loved, and Ferdinand to just smell his flowers and be happy. Another book like this one is Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey. For one, both are recipients of the Caldecott award. Another similarity is the characters, with again the connection of animals being involved, but the core of the theme is these children (human and animal alike) just love something, which leads them on small adventures. Ferdinand loves his flowers, and he goes to a big bull fighting ring. Sal and the little bear love their blueberries, and lose themselves from their respective mothers for a while. In the end they find their home again, but these books appeal to the same age and have similar plots and themes. Another similar book is Ezra John Keats’ The Snow Day. The similarity again is that they are also Caldecott winners, but the greater attributes that ties them is that the characters are amazed and awed by nature. Ferdinand with his flowers, and the little boy with the snow. The books appeal to the same age group as well, and shares that common theme of child-like awe for the natural things in life that can bring happiness to life.

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Once a Mouse by Marcia Brown

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The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce