April 23, 2012ONE CRAZY SUMMER By: Rita Williams-Garcia
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Williams-Garcia, Rita. 2010.ONE CRAZY SUMMER. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN 9780060760885
2.SUMMARY OF PLOT: Three young girls, Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern, leave Brooklyn to spend the summer with their estranged mother in Oakland, California. During the next four weeks they are sent to a summer camp sponsored by the Black Panthers. They learn about this revolutionary time period in the black community and their mother's role as a political prisoner and freedom writer. These sisters face many challenges during their stay in Oakland, but leave knowing they finally received what they always wanted from their mother.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS: Young readers can easily identify with the story's protagonists making the characters believable. These sisters are very strong willed and seem to know where they come from when they are approached by others who question them. The history of the Black Panthers and civil rights movement during this time was presented accurately in terms that children can understand. The various places in which the sisters travel to are vividly described making each setting an integral part of the story. It's a normal routine for them to leave for the "Center" in the morning (a home for the needy, hungry and people looking for hope as well as a community) and later in the evening head home to what they called the green stucco house. There are a lot of universal themes that appear in the text such as the importance of standing up for what one believes in, the power of family love and commitment to one another, and coming to know oneself. These morals reflect the times recreated in the story while having some relevance to today's readers. ONE CRAZY SUMMER holds true to the author's own voice through a realistic portrayal of teens of color, capturing the flavor of the times and language patterns specific to the characters. All of these elements are carefully woven together to create a story line that can relate to readers today but it just so happens to be set in a historical time. The author does acknowledge sources and individuals such as poets and family members who have inspired or supported her during this process. The sources are authentic coming from Black Panther accounts and perspectives. Some stereotyping does occur (Crazy Kelvin towards the police); however, the author does a good job of balancing fact and fiction.
4. AWARDS WON: Georgia Children's Book Award
Black-Eyed Susan Book Award
West Virginia Children's Choice Book Award
Young Hoosier Book Award
Maryland Children's Book Award
Great Lakes' Great Books Award
Rhode Island Children's Book Award
National Book Award Finalist
Newbery Honor Book
Coretta Scott King Award
Review Excerpt(s): "Set in the tumultuous summer of 1968, Rita Williams-Garcia's splendid Newbery Honor-winning novel (Amistad, 2010) starts off with Delphine and her sisters visiting their mother, who abandoned them years earlier to pursue poetry. When they arrive at her house in a poor, mostly black neighborhood in Oakland, CA, their mother constantly mutters, "didn't want you to come." The sisters are soon fobbed off on the local Black Panthers' community center, where they learn that the group's primary mission is to serve the community and protect the rights of African Americans. Narrator Sisi Aisha Johnson infuses each character with a distinct personality and her tone of voice is upbeat and often humorous. This is storytelling at its finest."--- Review from School Library Journal
5. CONNECTIONS: Begin by proposing some discussion questions such as how would you describe Delphine's relationship with her sisters? What does Delphine decide about Oakland on her first night there? What does the stool in the kitchen mean to Delphine? Do the sisters find what they were looking for on their trip to Oakland? Why or why not? With extension activities students can exercise their creative abilities. They could start by being a journalist for a day and having students research the Black Panther movement. Students could also be a poet and write a poem that sheds light on a topic or makes people see something in a different way.
Related Books: TURTLE IN PARADISE By: Jennifer L. Holm
THE DREAMER By: Pam Munoz Ryan
THE APPRENTICESHIP OF LUCAS WHITAKER By: Cynthia DeFelice
April 22, 2012PENNY FROM HEAVEN By: Jennifer L. Holm
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Holm, Jennifer. 2006. PENNY FROM HEAVEN. New York, NY: Random House Children's Books. ISBN 9780375836879
2. SUMMARY OF PLOT: Set in 1953, Penny plans on spending her summer doing the things she wants to do such as listening to baseball with her Uncle Dominic, going to the pool and movies, and playing with her best friend (which is also her cousin) Frankie. Instead she ends up spending six weeks in a hospital due to a freak accident and begins to learn about herself, family, and death.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS: Holm's does a great job creating characters in which children can identify and build a bond with the story. The children and adult characters are truly believable. Everything that occurs in this story could very well have happened in real life, and the fact that the fictional element of this narrative is wrapped in a very non-fictional event makes this book all the more believable. Characters are well grounded in their Italian American heritage of their time and allows the reader to find similarities with each family. Factual details are accurately given throughout the book, in terms children can understand, which helps build knowledge about events that occurred with Italian immigrants during World War II. The plot is realistic to the time period considering it was the summer of 1945 and the war was only beginning to come to an end, which affected a lot of people, including Penny's family. The author describes the setting vividly making each place Penny went an important part of the story. A good example would be the house Penny lives in with her mom, Pop-pop, and Me-me which is described as a two-story house where her grandparents live upstairs along with penny and her mom living downstairs. Recreating such a time and place adds to the authenticity of Penny's summer in 1945. Universal themes of the power of family love and coming to know oneself shines through to reflect the principles of the times, yet bring relevance to today's readers. This narrative form of writing reflects the author's voice as well as the dialect and language patterns particular to each character in the era. All of these elements are appropriately woven together to create a story that just so happens to be set in a previous historical time. Holm's provides sources and information in the author's note about where her inspiration came from in writing this story. Authentic pictures of old posters and records that were issued by the government were also included. Yep is able to successfully bring forth a piece of American history that was hidden for years without any stereotyping.
4.AWARDS WON: Newbery Medal
American Library Association Notable Books for Children
Young Hoosier Book Award
Rhode Island Children's Book Award
Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award
Review Excerpt(s): "Gr. 5-8. Penny lives with her plain old American mother and grandparents, but she has an open invitation to visit her deceased father's Italian family, where the delicious aromas are as inviting as the boisterous relatives who welcome her. Against the backdrop of these contrasting 1950s households, the author of Newbery Honor Book Our Only May Amelia (1999) charts the summer of Penny's twelfth birthday, marked by hapless episodes as well as serious tensions arising from the estranged families' refusal to discuss her father's death. Penny is a low-key character, often taking a backseat role in escapades with high-spirited cousin Frankie. However, Holm impressively wraps pathos with comedy in this coming-of-age story, populated by a cast of vivid characters (a burping, farting grandpa; an eccentric uncle who lives in his car--not exactly normal for people in New Jersey ). Concluding with a photo-illustrated endnote explaining Holm's inspirations in family history, this languidly paced novel will appeal most to readers who appreciate gentle, episodic tales with a nostalgic flavor. Hand selling may be necessary to overcome the staid jacket illustration."--- Review from Booklist
5. CONNECTIONS: Random House Publishing (http://www.randomhouse.com/book/82065/penny-from-heaven-by-jennifer-l-holm#reader%27sguide) and the author's webpage (http://www.jenniferholm.com/04_teacher/01_overview.html) offer a wealth of information on related activities. A pre-reading activity can be the class brainstorming a list of questions focusing on changes in technology, morals, medicine, education, and family values. Ask students to then interview someone they kow who was at least 11 years old in 1953. Have students provide a written transcript of their recordings and share the most interesting answer they received with the the class. There are also thematic connections for group discussion and activities specifically related to the curriculum. For example, a science activity could be students (in pairs) investigating the history, causes, effects, and cures of polio. Then ask them to make a "Polio- Then and Now" public health brochure with the information they discovered. Display the brochures in the classroom for everyone to see.
Related Books: MACARONI BOY By: Katherine Ayres
UNDER THE BLOOD-RED SUN By: Graham Salisbury
BELLE PRATER'S BOY By: Ruth White
April 22, 2012
HIROSHIMA A Novella By Laurence Yep
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Yep, Laurence. 1995. HIROSHIMA. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc. ISBN 0590208322
2. SUMMARY OF PLOT: Author Laurence Yep describes the day of August 6, 1945 and the aftermath of the atomic bomb dropping on the city of Hiroshima. Through the eyes of mainly one young girl, Sachi (Riko is her sister and immediately dies from the bomb), she describes the shock and pain victims suffered for years on end due to war and sickness caused by radiation. Eventually doctors and other volunteers provide aide to the victims (including Sachi) and Hiroshima.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS: It is interesting that Yep would pick someone of the youth to be the voice behind the tragedy that happened the day Hiroshima was bombed. It is a smart move because readers are able to identify with Sachi as her story is told throughout the text. Everyone in the book seems realistic as they head off to work, school or have breakfast that day. The narrative stays true to a youthful point of view making this text an easy read, but keeping the topic appropriate for an older audience. This historic event is presented accurately to depict images that would truly make an impact in the readers' mind, yet simple enough for children to understand because everything grew from what the sisters went through during this tragedy. Although there are some details given about events that occurred during the war, they strengthen the plot and the readers' comprehension as to why this bombing and consequent bombings happened in other near-by areas of Japan. The setting is an integral part of the story and is vividly described to help recreate the city of Hiroshima before and after the bombing. Descriptions such as the river full of injured bodies to blooming flowers that now grow strangely due to radiation puts the reader in Hiroshima. The theme of a family's love and commitment to each other in a war-stricken world reflects the morals of the times, but is still relevant to today's readers. The author's own voice can be seen through this use of creative writing, but the dialect or language patterns particular to the characters in this setting is not shown much through the text. However, it is obvious through the details given that careful research was done to pull this story together. Author Laurence Yep is able to provide an authentic narrative by using survivors' true-life accounts of the Hiroshima bombing during World War II. He includes an afterword, cites his sources, and briefly describes any specialists and articles that helped him during his research. Yep is able to balance fact from fiction allowing the reader to be informed yet make creative connections to a historical event.
4. AWARDS WON: None specifically for HIROSHIMA
Yep has won awards for several of his other books such as the Newbery Honor Book and the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award for Fiction.
Review Excerpt(s): "Familial relationships are exquisitely rendered in this supernatural story... Yep's narrative depicts the dauntless triumph of good over evil with eerie grace and humor." --- Review from Kirkus Reviews
5. CONNECTIONS: Many different activities can be done with this book because of the format of the text and its topic. You could begin by reading chapter 1 and asking students to make predictions to what they think will happen in this book. Students can also read half way through the book to chapter five and answer comprehension questions about the day of the bombing. I also found a great website, http://quizlet.com/5290626/hiroshima-by-laurence-yep-flash-cards/, where students can study vocabulary words using interactive flashcards. A lot of comparing and contrasting with graphic organizers can be done to other resources such as DVDs or books that cover the same topic.
Related Books: HOSTAGE TO WAR: A TRUE STORY By: Tatjana Wassilijewa
FLOOD: MISSISSIPPI, 1927 By: Kathleen Duey & K. A. Bale
SWEET CLARA AND THE FREEDOM QUILT
By: Deborah Hopkinson & James E. Ransome
SADAKO AND THE THOUSAND PAPER CRANES By: Eleanor Coerr
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