Nation By. Terry Pratchett
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Pratchett, Terry. 2008. NATION. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 9780061433023
2. SUMMARY OF PLOT: Mau and Daphne are survivors of the 'Big Wave' (a large tsunami) and learn to survive together in a community they call "The Nation." They learn how to rebuild and start over as they come to terms with what they lost.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS: Such a story as this allows readers to identify with the main character(s) and leads to a kinship with them. Characters are credible and multidimensional individuals and grow a bit in the course of the story. This original fantasy is believable. Keeping the internal plot consistent and creative to keep the reader's interest going. The journey that Mau and Daphne go through as they come to terms with their devastation is clearly described and grows from how they believe in this fantasy world. Attention was given to the setting with enough descriptions provided to help the reader visualize their surroundings. Time and place is distinguished with details of the rising or setting sun. General universal themes of cultural interactions and taking on leadership roles are evident in this book with satisfying endings to tasks at hand. Pratchett use of language is appropriate to the characters and story. His voice creates a distinctive framework for the story, in the pacing, description, and dialogue.
4. AWARDS WON: Nominated for Michael L. Printz Award
Los Angeles Times Book Prizes
Nominated for Locus Awards
Nominated for Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature
Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards
American Library Association Notable Books for Children
Publishers Weekly Best Books of the Year
Nominated for Guardian Children's Fiction Prize
Nominated for Carnegie Medal
School Library Journal Best Books of the Year
Review Excerpt(s): "When Mau returns home from his coming-of-age quest, he finds that a tsunami has wiped out his entire people. Also on the island is a shipwreck survivor, Ermintrude, an English miss now calling herself Daphne. Daphne does not know that she, too, is one of the last of her line. At home, in an alternate 19th-century Britain, a plague has all but destroyed the royal succession. Now her father is king and desperate to find her. Together Mau and Daphne work to rebuild some form of civilization, leading a ragtag group of other survivors who make their way to their island "nation." Why It Is a Best: The author's mix of absurd humor and rollicking adventure sugarcoats his larger theme: how do you build again when everything you know-your security, your idols, and your culture-is stripped away? Why It Is for Us: At times, Pratchett stops the action to ruminate on the relationship between humans and the gods, familiar stuff for fans of his Good Omens (1990). Readers of a certain age will wonder whether he went to the Monty Python school of comedy-Gentlemen of Last Resort, cannibals from the Land of Many Fires, and regurgitating Grandfather birds abound." --- Review from Library Journal
5. CONNECTIONS: Discussion questions can be done either during or after reading the book. Feel free to incorporate some of your own questions to the ones below.
Discussion Questions
1. When Mau is at Boys Island, he finds a sign that says "MEN HELP OTHER MEN." How did this influence his behavior? (p. 13)
2. On page 33, it says, "There were marks on it. They spelled out Sweet Judy in faded white paint- but they spelled 'Sweet Judy' in vain. Mau was good at reading important things. He could read the sea, the weather, the tracks of animals, tattoos, and the night sky." What kinds of things can you read?
3. When Ermintrude changes her name to Daphne, what other changes does she make?
4. What are the differences and similarities between Mau's relationship to his gods and Daphne's to hers?
5. What is Mau's vision of his Nation?
6. What are some of the rules that Mau carries in his head? That Daphne carries in her head? What kind of rules do you carry in your head?
Related Books: LIFE AS WE KNEW IT By: Susan Beth Pfeffer
WEE FREE MEN By: Terry Pratchett
WINTERSMITH (TIFFANY ACHING) By: Terry Pratchett
TENDER MORSELS By: Margo Lanagan
THE COMPOUND By: S. A. Bodeen
May 7, 2012
When You Reach Me By: Rebecca Stead
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Stead, Rebecca. 2009.WHEN YOU REACH ME. New York, NY: Random House Audio Publishing Group. ISBN 9780739380727
2. SUMMARY OF PLOT: Set in 1979, Miranda receives mysterious notes pertaining to events that either have or will happen in the near future. She goes through a personal life journey to figure out her family, friends, and the person that continues leaving her these random notes.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS: Readers can often identify with the main character, Miranda, as we read about the experiences she goes through told from her perspective. She clearly describes her internal journey and emotional growth with each dilemma she faces. The language in the book is fresh and believable, making it seem like this is the way children really think. The story is built upon events that are plausible and true to life. However, there are some unexpected twists that readers may not expect such as the notes that becomes increasingly strange and gets left in very personal places. The conclusion to Miranda's journey seems inevitable, but not obvious, leaving the reader with a hopeful feeling. There is no obvious moralizing, which allows the reader to enjoy the story and come to conclusions on their own about the theme at hand. The setting is in New York, 1979 and is placed in a time we recognize as believable and contemporary. The author clearly acknowledges the setting of this story with accurate descriptions of how Miranda's neighborhood would be during that time frame. The story goes beyond the setting though, having universal implications for readers in many different situations. As you continue on through the book, you witness landmarks of growing up into adulthood such as the desire for an understanding of one's role with in families, friendship, and blossoming romances. Stead's style of writing is conversational, making the dialogue as natural and believable as possible. She allows Miranda to tell her story with an appropriate balance of narration and dialogue. The gender quotient is also appropriately made to where it wouldn't make a difference if the protagonist role was reversed.
4. AWARDS WON: Newbery Medal
Publishers Weekly Best Children's Books
Book Sense Book of the Year
IRA Children's Book Awards
Nominated for Wyoming Indian Paintbrush Book Award
Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards
Nominated for Black-Eyed Susan Book Award
Nominated for Volunteer State Book Award
Indies' Choice Book Award
Nominated for Land of Enchantment Book Award
Nominated for Great Lakes' Great Books Award
School Library Journal Best Books of the Year
Nominated for Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award
Nominated for Main Student Book Award
Massachusetts Children's Book Award
Review Excerpt(s): "Every word, every sentence, has meaning and substance... [in this] smart and mesmerizing book." --- The New York Times Book Review
"[T]een readers will circle back to the beginning and say, 'Wow... cool." --- Kirkus Reviews, Starred
5. CONNECTIONS: Because this book reaches a wide audience (grades 4-9), there are several activities ranging from simple to more in depth. As a pre-reading activity, you can ask students to define fantasy and science fiction. How might they be related? Students can go to the library on a scavenger hunt to find a science fiction novel, a work of fantasy, and a novel that combines fantasy and science fiction. Have students share the books as well as clues they used to find them. They can also explore vocabulary and use of language with this text. Although the language isn't difficult, encourage them to take note of unfamiliar words and define them using context clues. Thematic units on friendship, self-identity, family, social classes, bullying, and fear are great ways to tie in literature to group discussions.
Related Books: LIAR & SPY By: Rebecca Stead
CRISS CROSS By: Lynne Rae Perkins
FIRST LIGHT By: Rebecca Stead
THE HIGHER POWER OF LUCKY By: Susan Patron
THE HUNGER GAMES By: Suzanne Collins
May 6, 1012 Calamity Jack By: Shannon and Dean Hale
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Hale, Shannon & Dean. 2010. CALAMITY JACK. New York, NY: Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9781599900766
2. SUMMARY OF PLOT: Jack was born a criminal mastermind and as he grows up he learns how "unexpected consequences" and bad luck can get in the way. However, he realizes who he really is and gets the courage to fight his fears and his enemies in order to save the ones he loves.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS: CALAMITY JACK is a thrilling fantasy with characters, such as Jack, that readers can easily identify with. The reader can easily begin to care about what happens to the characters as they grow from such events that occur in the story. Although this story is considered fantasy, the plot is believable and logical, plus original and creative to keep the reader's interest. You can actually fathom beans that can grow a beanstalk and with a little creativity, the beanstalk can be as tall as the sky. Jack and his sidekicks (Pixie, Rapunzel, and Frederick just to name a few) seek out quests hoping to set things right in their home town of Shyport. They have several obstacles to overcome as well as the evil Blunderboar and a pack of giant ants. Impressive attention was given to the setting with enough of the author's description to help the reader see the surroundings. The details of the setting help set the time and place as days or years pass in the story. The likeable main character, Jack, reflects universal truths of good conquering evil and love is more important than power. This strengthens the theme as well as the end when there's hope and victory after such an elaborate quest. The authors keeps a clear and consistent point of view, from Jack's perspective, which helps the reader believe in this world. The Hale's also uses dialogue to create a place that comes vividly to mind through the characters of this make-believe world.
4. AWARDS WON: A Junior Library Guild Selection
A 2011 YALSA Great Graphic Novel
A Texas Maverick Graphic Novel
An SLJ Best Comic for Kids 2011
A Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year,
starred for Outstanding Merit
2011 Utah Book Award for best children's book
Shortlisted for the Lincolnshire Young People Book Award (UK)
Review Excerpt(s): "Calamity Jack follows up Rapunzel's Revenge, the 2008 graphic novel that imagined the famous damsel in distress taking matters into her own hands. Children's author Shannon Hale and her husband, Dean, and illustrator Hall offer a charming update of Jack and Beanstalk, set in a world that combines elements of fairy tales, a Gilded Age American city, and the Wild West. Jack is a young huckster until one of his schemes leads him to stumble upon a dastardly plot by the evil giant who lives in a penthouse that towers above Shyport. Teaming again with Rapunzel, and a few other allies, Jack leads readers on adventure trekking through sewers and taking to the sky. The dynamic artwork fits well with Jack and Rapunzel's quick tongues, as they flirt their way through numerous hair-raising situations."--- Review from Publishers Weekly
5. CONNECTIONS: The author's website, http://www.squeetus.com/stage/books.html, is a great resource with a list of books and other resources. Several activities can be done with this text such as students acting out an action scene to reinforce understanding of setting and character, analyzing plot, and discussion questions that increases in complexity. To start off this lesson, activate prior knowledge by reviewing the story of "Jack and the Beanstalk," particularly its main characters, their motivations and even, the giants catchphrases. You could also make connections to REPUNZEL'S REVENGE if the students are familiar with it, which may help them understand why Repunzel's hair is shorter in this story.
Related Books: RAPUNZEL'S REVENGE By: Shannon and Dean Hale
HEREVILLE: HOW MIRKA GOT HER SWORD By: Barry Deutsch
THE DREAMER By: Pam Munoz Ryan
ABBY CARNELIA'S ONE AND ONLY MAGIC POWER By: David Pogue
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