Rapunzel's Revenge

Hale, Shannon and Dean Hale. 2008. Ill. Nathan Hale. Rapunzel's Revenge . New York, N.Y.: Bloomsbury.

Plot summary:

Once upon a time there lived a young girl named Rapunzel in a castle with her mother. But, her mother wasn't really her mother. And, the castle wasn't all it was cracked up to be, so the young girl got bored and tried to escape. Her mother, who wasn't her mother, didn't like that her darling daughter, who isn't her daughter, tried to escape and banished her to a small room at the top of a tree and cursed her with hair that grew and grew and grew. Sounds sort of familiar, right? Wrong! This smart young girl doesn't need anyone to save her! She uses her hair as rope and the adventure begins with one more caveat: this isn't some magical fairytale castle world, it's the wild west where the hero is a horse thief, Mother Gothel puts a price on Rapunzel, and Rapunzel is determined to get rid of Mother Gothel.

Critical Review:

First and foremost, Rapunzel's Revenge is a graphic novel, one of the better ones I've read. The illustrations and incorporation of text make this novel engrossing, interesting, and, at times, hysterical because Rapunzel's Revenge takes the Rapunzel myth and turns it on its head. Hale's illustration (by the way, the illustrator is NOT related to the authors) flow through the story using detail and color effectively to convey the action and the setting. Hale makes the setting look both beautiful and desolate in turns, which reinforces that this is not the typical Rapunzel story.

Rapunzel herself is quite different. Disney's recent portrayal of Rapunzel in Tangled (which, right now, is both my daughter's and son's favorite movie), showed her to be somewhat courageous, but mostly dependent (on a man), and, in my opinion, slightly air headed. Yes, she saves her life and Flynn's, but ultimately, she needs Flynn. This Rapunzel is none of those things. She frees herself, defends herself, and doesn't need a Flynn to save her. Instead, she saves the boy this time; a boy named Jack with a goose (that lays an egg...Mother Goose anyone?) and they team up to return to Gothel's castle in order to defeat her, free Rapunzel's real mother, and end Gothel's harsh rule of the land.

The story of Rapunzel and Jack's return to Gothel is complicated by kidnappers, villains, wild dogs, and more. They also save other people and villages along the way back to Gothel, which again, reinforces how different this Rapunzel really is from the Rapunzel myth because she does the fighting instead of relying on luck and a man to fight for her.

The hardest part of this book is letting go of the typical Rapunzel and becoming part of this Rapunzel myth, but this story is so appealingly different that letting go of the blonde-haired, girly-girl princess Rapunzel doesn't take more than the first few pages. This red-haired, smart as a whip, creative, courageous Rapunzel who takes no prisoners or guff from anyone is a refreshing break from the Tangled Rapunzel. She's not a tomboy, and she's not a princess, but she is a mix of the two. This Rapunzel balances the best of female heroines.

Happily-ever-after comes at the end of the adventure. Rapunzel frees her mother, gets rid of Gothel, kisses the boy and lives happily-ever-after in this book, but what a different ride (literally) to get to the happily-ever-after.

What I loved about Rapunzel's Revenge is that after having the Disney version shoved down my throat nearly everyday for the last several months (because I am a sucker and let my children whine and cajole their way into watching the movie constantly), I found a Rapunzel I could admire and one I can show my daughter to show her that Rapunzel doesn't always need to be saved. Sometimes, Rapunzel saves herself and a lot of other people, too.

Review Excerpts:

"Starred Review. Grade 5 Up–This is the tale as you've never seen it before. After using her hair to free herself from her prison tower, this Rapunzel ignores the pompous prince and teams up with Jack (of Beanstalk fame) in an attempt to free her birth mother and an entire kingdom from the evil witch who once moonlighted as her mother. Dogged by both the witch's henchman and Jack's outlaw past, the heroes travel across the map as they right wrongs, help the oppressed, and generally try to stay alive. Rapunzel is no damsel in distress–she wields her long braids as both rope and weapon–but she happily accepts Jack's teamwork and friendship. While the witch's castle is straight out of a fairy tale, the nearby mining camps and rugged surrounding countryside are a throwback to the Wild West and make sense in the world that the authors and illustrator have crafted. The dialogue is witty, the story is an enticing departure from the original, and the illustrations are magically fun and expressive." Cara von Wrangel Kinsey, New York Public Library, School Library Journal

"This graphic novel retelling of the fairy-tale classic, set in a swashbuckling Wild West, puts action first and features some serious girl power in its spunky and strong heroine. Young Rapunzel lives a lonely life, never knowing what lies beyond the high garden walls of her mother’s royal villa until one day she climbs the wall to see what’s on the other side. When she finds that the world outside is a dark place oppressed by her mother’s greed for power and uncovers the real secret of her own birth, she is imprisoned in a magic tree tower. In her years of captivity, she learns a lot about self-reliance and care for her exceptionally long hair, and eventually she is able to escape, vowing to bring down her mother’s cruel empire. Hale’s art matches the story well, yielding expressive characters and lending a wonderful sense of place to the fantasy landscape." Tina Coleman, Booklist

Awards:

ALA Notable Children's Book (ALA)

Amelia Bloomer Project Selection (ALA)

Cybils Award (Graphic Novels)

Great Graphic Novels for Teens (YALSA)

Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults (YALSA)

Connections:

This is a book I would love to see someone do a brown paper bag book report over just to see what all they put inside the bag. I would put a crown, a lock of hair braided into a rope, a horse, a witch, and Jessie from Toy Story 2 (simply because that's the only cowgirl in our house and the red hair would fit!).

A comparison and discussion of the Rapunzel myths would be appropriate after reading this tale of Rapunzel.

The Graveyard Book

Citation note: I am not entirely sure how to cite how I "read" this book. Here is the book citation:

Gaiman, Neil. 2008. Ill. Dave McKean. The Graveyard Book . New York: Harper.

However, I listened to the book at MouseCircus, read by the author himself. The citation for the website is below:

Gaiman, Neil. "Neil Gaiman’s MouseCircus.com | The Graveyard Book Video Tour Readings." MouseCircus.com Home – The Official Neil Gaiman Website for Young Readers. http://www.mousecircus.com/videotour.aspx (accessed August 8, 2011)

Plot Summary:

On a terrible night, the man Jack slaughters an entire family with one exception: the toddler boy who slipped out the door and into a graveyard. With his family murdered and no one around to raise him but in a graveyard full of ghosts, the ghosts take the boy into their "home" (the cemetery), give him a name, Nobody "Bod" Owens, and do their best to raise him.

Critical review:

The Graveyard Book is not your typical children's tale of family, friends, hearth, and home. The book begins with the terrible murders of Bod's family at the hands of the man Jack. There goes the typical, nuclear family! Bod unwittingly escapes Jack by crawling out the front door and ends up in a graveyard where the ghosts basically adopt him. Mr. and Mrs. Owens become Bod's parents and Silas, a character who is neither living nor dead but inhabits the graveyard, serves as a bridge between the living world and the graveyard world for Bod.

Inside the graveyard, Bod learns from Silas, Mr. and Mrs. Owens, and the other inhabitants, but like any child, Bod longs to explore his world outside the graveyard. Though he is forbidden, like all children forbidden something, it becomes sweet, and Bod travels, briefly, outside the only "home" he's ever known. Along his adventure, he befriends a young girl and he meets the man that killed his family. For a brief time, Silas consents to allow Bod to attend school because, like all children, Bod has a desire to learn and understand, but that turns into a disaster because Bod really knows nothing of how the world is outside the graveyard.

The irony of this book is that the graveyard is safe for Bod. It is his home. It is not scary; it is not the stuff of horror stories even though it IS the stuff of horror stories. In it, Bod has parents, friends his own age, a community, and even a mentor. Outside the graveyard lurks the man Jack whose determination is to finish the job he started so long ago. Bod's life is under constant threat from Jack. But, Bod learns not to fear death or the unknown, even the impossible, because he is surrounded by it all everyday he lives in the graveyard. He learns ghostly talents (how to fade, for example) just as he learns his ABCs and 1, 2, 3's. The mixing of the natural with the supernatural in what should be a frightening setting is the irony: The setting is not frightening and the supernatural is the natural...for Bod, anyway.

As he grows, Bod must come to terms with the fact that he cannot continue to live, forever, in the graveyard. Once the threat posed by Jack has been dealt with, by Bod, and Bod can leave the graveyard, he still stays. It is safe, familiar, and it is where his family and home are. As much as he loves the life he has in the graveyard, another problem arises: time. As time passes and Bod grows up to a young man, he finds himself having trouble seeing the ghosts and wanting to experience life beyond his home and family, as all children are supposed to do.

While Bod's family is trapped in the graveyard, Bod is not, and in the end, Bod chooses to leave and grow up, exploring the possibilities available to him as part of the living world and not the ghostly, graveyard world. The Graveyard Book is a coming-of-age story, seemingly unconventional, yet totally conventional. The backdrop of the graveyard, instead of serving to frighten Bod, serves to enlighten Bod: the ghosts are dead; he is not, but obviously, life is finite and growing up surrounded by the dead enforces the preciousness and shortness of life. It is a carpe diem story of the best kind because the message is so understated, as all good themes should be.

Review Excerpts:

"Somewhere in contemporary Britain, "the man Jack" uses his razor-sharp knife to murder a family, but the youngest, a toddler, slips away. The boy ends up in a graveyard, where the ghostly inhabitants adopt him to keep him safe. Nobody Owens, so named because he "looks like nobody but himself," grows up among a multigenerational cast of characters from different historical periods that includes matronly Mistress Owens; ancient Roman Caius Pompeius; an opinionated young witch; a melodramatic hack poet; and Bod's beloved mentor and guardian, Silas, who is neither living nor dead and has secrets of his own. As he grows up, Bod has a series of adventures, both in and out of the graveyard, and the threat of the man Jack who continues to hunt for him is ever present. Bod's love for his graveyard family and vice versa provide the emotional center, amid suspense, spot-on humor, and delightful scene-setting." Megan Honig, New York Public Library, School Library Journal

"*Starred Review* While a highly motivated killer murders his family, a baby, ignorant of the horrific goings-on but bent on independence, pulls himself out of his crib and toddles out of the house and into the night. This is most unfortunate for the killer, since the baby was his prime target. Finding his way through the barred fence of an ancient graveyard, the baby is discovered by Mr. and Mrs. Owens, a stable and caring couple with no children of their own—and who just happen to be dead. After much debate with the graveyard’s rather opinionated denizens, it is decided that the Owenses will take in the child. Under their care and the sponsorship of the mysterious Silas, the baby is named “Nobody” and raised among the dead to protect him from the killer, who relentlessly pursues him. This is an utterly captivating tale that is cleverly told through an entertaining cast of ghostly characters. There is plenty of darkness, but the novel’s ultimate message is strong and life affirming." Holly Koelling, Booklist

Awards:

2009 Newbery Medal Winner
2009 Hugo Award for Best Novel
2009 Locus Award
2010 Carnegie Medal

Connections:

First off, this book begs to be read aloud or listened to, and there is no better source than MouseCircus for this book. Those who choose this route can listen to the author read the book and answer questions about it. Discovering this website was a delight to me because it was such a unique way of using an "audiobook."

Many readers/listeners who enjoy The Graveyard Book should also look at Gaiman's other works, particularly Coraline if they enjoyed the Gothic atmosphere of The Graveyard Book.

The Graveyard Book would make a really interesting Reader's Theater. I would love to see an upper elementary school or middle school class/group of kids do something like it with the book.

Speak

Anderson, Laurie Halse. 1999. Speak. 10th anniversary edition ed. New York City: Square Fish.

Plot Summary:

After calling the police the night of the "big" summer party, Melinda finds herself an outcast as she enters 9th grade. Everyone considers Melinda a social pariah who ruined everyone's fun. What everyone doesn't know is what happened to Melinda that night in the woods to make her call the police.

Critical Review:

Speak is the story of Melinda's first year of high school and tracks her academic progress at school through the reporting of each marking period. Once a good student with several friends, Melinda becomes quiet, actually selectively mute, and withdrawn. Melinda's former friends turn their backs on her and her new classmates make everyday a living hell for her because she's the girl who called the cops to the end of the summer party. No one knows why Melinda called the police; everyone assumes she did it to be a jerk, but the simple fact is that Melinda was slightly drunk and raped by an older classmate, but she told no one what happened.

Melinda does what many rape survivors do and keeps quiet, and the silence she imposes on herself and the struggle to keep what happened to herself begins to eat at her, especially when she's forced to see IT, as she refers to the senior who raped her. With the inability to cope with what happened to her and no one to really talk to, Melinda acts out. Her parents are self-absorbed in their jobs and don't notice until she becomes a problem for them. Melinda becomes depressed, skips classes, and toys with cutting. The only class she rarely, if ever, skips is art because in art, she can explore the feelings eating her up inside as she struggles to complete her year long project: Making a tree become art by relaying emotion through her impression of a tree. Her first attempt, using bones and a body-less Barbie, has her teacher pronounce that it shows pain. Considering the emotional pain Melinda endures everyday, it is unsurprising that pain is the emotion conveyed by her art.

Melinda's art class also gives her a chance to reconnect with a girl she had been friends with in middle school. Ivy slowly reaches out to Melinda throughout the book as they both struggle in art class (Ivy has a fear of clowns and her year old project involves clowns.).

In the end, Speak is not just about surviving rape. It is about finding your voice, which Melinda does towards the end of the book when her former best friend begins dating IT. Speak is about high school and surviving the cruelty and alienation high schoolers inflict on each other. At one point in Speak, Melinda makes the comment that becoming an adult is the reward for surviving high school and the reward better be worth it. As a high school teacher, I see examples of the cruelty kids use against each other, I remember what it was like to be in high school, and while I know surviving high school was worth becoming an adult, I worry about the experience my students have and that my own children will have. And, the experiences Melinda has make Speak. It isn't just the assault that she survives and overcomes. It's how Melinda grows from all the experiences she has. Melinda's emotions are never hidden as she goes from experience to experience. Readers truly see her pain, her anger, her amusement, her derision, her fear, and her loneliness.

Review Excerpts:

"Divided into the four marking periods of an academic year, the novel, narrated by Melinda Sordino, begins on her first day as a high school freshman. No one will sit with Melinda on the bus. At school, students call her names and harass her; her best friends from junior high scatter to different cliques and abandon her. Yet Anderson infuses the narrative with a wit that sustains the heroine through her pain and holds readers' empathy. A girl at a school pep rally offers an explanation of the heroine's pariah status when she confronts Melinda about calling the police at a summer party, resulting in several arrests. But readers do not learn why Melinda made the call until much later: a popular senior raped her that night and, because of her trauma, she barely speaks at all. Only through her work in art class, and with the support of a compassionate teacher there, does she begin to reach out to others and eventually find her voice." Publishers Weekly

"A frightening and sobering look at the cruelty and viciousness that pervade much of contemporary high school life, as real as today's headlines. At the end of the summer before she enters high school, Melinda attends a party at which two bad things happen to her. She gets drunk, and she is raped. Shocked and scared, she calls the police, who break up the party and send everyone home. She tells no one of her rape, and the other students, even her best friends, turn against her for ruining their good time. By the time school starts, she is completely alone, and utterly desolate. She withdraws more and more into herself, rarely talking, cutting classes, ignoring assignments, and becoming more estranged daily from the world around her. Few people penetrate her shell; one of them is Mr. Freeman, her art teacher, who works with her to help her express what she has so deeply repressed. " Kirkus Reviews

Awards:

ALA Best Book for Young Adults
ALA Top-10 Best Book for Young Adults
Michael L. Printz Honor Book (American Library Association)
National Book Award Finalist

Connections:

LSU has a lesson plan for teaching Speak in a 9th grade honors class that has the students do several of the activities Melinda did in school (research suffragates, choose something to depict in art, etc.)

The National Council of Teachers of English has a podcast interview with Laurie Halse Anderson in which she relates a poem she wrote on the 10th anniversary of Speak. The podcast itself is mostly about Wintergirls, another novel of survival (the main character has an eating disorder) written by Anderson.

Chains: Seeds of America

Anderson, Laurie Halse. 2008. Chains: Seeds of America. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN-13: 978-1416905868

Plot Summary:

Chains: Seeds of America. tells the story of Isabel, a slave in America in 1776, and her little sister, Ruth. Despite their owner's freeing them in her will, their owner's only living relative sells them. Their new owner and his wife take Isabel and Ruth to New York City as the American Revolution begins. Liberty by the Patriots sounds like a great idea to Isabel, but her Loyalist owners cling to the British, who also promise freedom. The American Revolution begins and sides must be chosen, but does Isabel really have a choice?

Critical Analysis:

Chains handles the American Revolution differently than any book I've ever read about it. I am not a history person, but Anderson easily sucked me into the early beginning of the American Revolution through the story of Isabel and her sister. Isabel is a strong force to be reckoned with throughout Chains. When she realizes the freedom she was promised will not happen, her focus becomes keeping her five year old sister, who suffers from "fits" (seizures) with her. For awhile, Isabel is able to keep Ruth safe, but one horrible night, Isabel's worst nightmare comes true and her new owner's wife, who believes Ruth is demon possessed, drugs Isabel, and sells Ruth. At that moment, Isabel commits to freeing herself from her Loyalist owners and finding freedom. Most books I've read about the American Revolution do not discuss the effect of the war on slaves or even how slaves played into it. Anderson skillfully weaves Isabel and slavery seamlessly into the Revolution so that it is no longer just about the British and the Colonists. It is about freedom, but what will it take to be free and who gets to be free?

This question is partially answered by the actions Isabel takes as she tries to gain her freedom. Isabel is befriended by a Patriot slave when she first arrives in New York, and she agrees to pass along any useful information against her Loyalist owners. She is promised her freedom, and when her owners devise a plot to kill Washington that she overhears, Isabel immediately turns them into the Patriots. However, she does not gain her freedom, so she turns to the British, but again, Isabel finds disappointment. It seems that freedom does not apply to her situation. The British will not free her because she is the property of Loyalists. The Patriots use her for information but also will not interfere with her owners.
Chains shows the reader that freedom, even then, was highly subjective and practically non-existent.

Anderson obviously researched the time period extensively. The details of New York City are perfect and historically accurate as is the depictions of the Patriots, Loyalists, and the British. The abuse Isabel and Ruth suffer at the cruel hands of their owners is not downplayed and again is historically accurate. While the abuse does not make for a pleasant read, it is necessary in the novel for accuracy.

Ultimately, Chains is more than history in action. Chains looks at what it was like to be a young slave in a time period where no one, really, cared about how the Revolution would affect them and freedom, for them, was an illusion. The reader knows Isabel cannot succeed in her bid for freedom; but still, you hope she finds it, and in the end, the reader and Isabel are rewarded. Isabel is a character that should be celebrated and young readers should look at her experience not as a microcosm of the American Revolution but as universal to any experience they may have where failure seems a given.

Review Excerpts:

"Set in New York City at the beginning of the American Revolution, Chains addresses the price of freedom both for a nation and for individuals. Isabel tells the story of her life as a slave. She was sold with her five-year-old sister to a cruel Loyalist family even though the girls were to be free upon the death of their former owner. She has hopes of finding a way to freedom and becomes a spy for the rebels, but soon realizes that it is difficult to trust anyone. She chooses to find someone to help her no matter which side he or she is on. With short chapters, each beginning with a historical quote, this fast-paced novel reveals the heartache and struggles of a country and slave fighting for freedom. The characters are well developed, and the situations are realistic." Denise Moore, O'Gorman Junior High School, School Library Journal

"The specifics of Isabel’s daily drudgery may slow some readers, but the catalogue of chores communicates the brutal rhythms of unrelenting toil, helping readers to imagine vividly the realities of Isabel’s life. The story’s perspective creates effective contrasts. Overwhelmed with domestic concerns, Isabel and indeed all the women in the household learn about the war from their marginalized position: they listen at doors to rooms where they are excluded, and they collect gossip from the streets. Anderson explores elemental themes of power (“She can do anything. I can do nothing,” Isabel realizes about her sadistic owner), freedom, and the sources of human strength in this searing, fascinating story." Gillian Engberg, Booklist

Awards:

2008 National Book Award finalist
2009 Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction
2009 American Library Association Notable Children's Books

Connections:

The end of the book provides an extensive explanation of parts of the Revolution that readers may be unfamiliar with and readers would highly benefit from exploring and discussing what Anderson explains perhaps before reading the book.

Chains now has a companion novel called Forge. For readers who enjoy Chains, they should explore Forge.

Chains will cause questions for readers and teachers should allow ample time for discussing the novel whether it be through set discussion questions from the teacher or a student led discussion. I am a proponent of student led discussions and would go that route in my classroom.

Lily's Crossing

Giff, Patricia Reilly. 1999. Lily's Crossing. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Book for Young Readers. ISBN-13: 978-0440414537

Plot Summary:

Lily is an 11 year old girl living with her grandmother in America during World War II. In 1944, that fateful summer, Lily and her grandmother go, as they do every summer, to Rockaway, where Lily meets Albert, a Hungarian refugee her age with a secret. That's okay because Lily has a secret, too.

Critical Analysis:

Using the beach as a backdrop, Giff immerses the reader in the world of Rockaway, New York in 1944 and World War II. Rationing is alive and well and the war affects nearly everyone Lily knows. Margaret's, Lily's best friend, brother is missing at Normandy and her family moves so that Margaret's father can help the war effort in America, and Lily's own beloved Poppy joins the army to assist with the war effort in Europe.

While in Rockaway, alone with her grandmother, Lily meets Albert, the nephew of one of her neighbors. Seemingly very different and off to a rocky start, Lily and Albert forge a bond that begins with a drowning kitten that they save. As they care for the kitten and are forced together by their families, Lily and Albert tell each other about their lives, eventually becoming best friends.

Throughout the novel, Lily struggles with a problem she recognizes: She lies constantly and her lies put Albert at risk. She tells him that she's going to take her boat and swim to the military boats constantly leaving the ports of New York and go to her father in Europe. Albert immediately seizes on the idea of returning to Europe because of guilt. He left his younger sister behind in France. Lily teaches Albert to swim, but she makes him promises not to try to get to the boats. She confesses to him her problem with lying. Still, Albert takes the boat out during a horrible storm nearly costing him, Lily, and the kitten they saved their lives.

Giff immerses the reader so skillfully into Lily's life that it is easy to identify with her and to see her, and Albert. While the problems Lily and Albert deal with are definitely adult situations, they deal with them like kids who aren't quite children but aren't yet teenagers. They experience the fear of children, but they manage to work through their problems with the problem solving skills of older children. The emotions that the characters experience are real and so true to children...Albert's longing for his family and the heart-wrenching tale he tells Lily of his parents and grandmother, Lily bringing a star off her ceiling at home to Rockaway every summer as a way of remembering her mother, who is dead, no matter where she is.

The backdrop of the beach and of the war make this book engrossing and engaging, and the ending of the book is enough to bring tears (truly!). It is the perfect, happy ending to this wonderful book.

Review Excerpts:

"Set during World War II, this tenderly written story tells of the war's impact on two children, one an American and one a Hungarian refugee. Lily Mollahan, a spirited, sensitive youngster being raised by her grandmother and Poppy, her widower father, has a comfortable routine that includes the family's annual summer migration to Gram's beach house in Rockaway, NY. Lily looks forward to summer's freedom and fishing outings with Poppy. She meets Albert, a Hungarian boy who is staying at a neighbor's house. At first, her fertile imagination convinces her that perhaps Albert is a Nazi spy, but eventually the two become good friends. The war interferes directly with Lily's life when Poppy, an engineer, is sent to Europe to help with clean-up operations. History is brought to life through Giff's well chosen details and descriptions. Both children suffer from the separation from loved ones, and both live with guilt for not having said proper good-byes. Albert even feels that he in some ways betrayed his sister Ruth, who was too ill to make the transatlantic journey. The developing friendship between Lily and Albert, and Albert's plan to swim to Europe to find Ruth, will grab readers' attention and sustain it to book's end. Despite convenient plot twists to reach a happy ending, Giff's well-drawn, believable characters and vivid prose style make this an excellent choice." Renee Steinberg, Fieldstone Middle School, School Library Journal

"In 1944, Lily's eagerly awaited summer vacation becomes a time of anxiety when her widower father, Poppy, announces that he's off to Europe with the US Army Corps of Engineers. Lily's lonely in Rockaway with both her father and her summer friend, Margaret, gone, until she meets an orphan from Budapest living temporarily with her grandmother's neighbor. At first she responds coldly to Albert, but is soon drawn to him by his awkward dignity and his tragic tale of dead parents and ill sister, Ruth, left behind in France. As they care for an abandoned kitten together and wistfully watch ships passing on the horizon, a solid friendship develops, and by the time they part, Lily and Albert have helped each other through difficult times." Kirkus Reviews

Awards:

1998 Newbery Honor Book
1998 Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards
1998 ALA Notable Books for Children Award

Connections:

Lily's Crossing could be used at the beginning of the school year (or the end) to explore summer vacation.

An interesting lesson for fourth graders has them working in teams to produce a newspaper for Rockaway that involves researching the time period.

Lily's Crossing can supplement and enhance social studies lessons about World War II for older elementary school students.

The Wednesday Wars

Schmidt, Gary D. 2007. The Wednesday Wars. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN-13: 978-0547237602

Plot Summary:

In 1968, Holling Hoodhood is a 7th grader convinced that his English teacher, Mrs. Baker, comes to hate him on the very first day of school. He's not Jewish, nor is he Catholic, which means on Wednesday afternoons, his teacher is stuck with him (or is he stuck with his teacher?) while half of his class goes to Catholic school and the other half goes to Jewish school. To make Wednesday afternoons pass by, Mrs. Baker assigns Holling various works of Shakespeare, which cements Holling's belief that Mrs. Baker despises him. While the war wages in Vietnam and the country begins to rebel against the status quo, Holling learns Shakespeare knew something about life and learns there is more to Mrs. Baker, as a person, than just sentence diagramming.

Critical Analysis:

The Wednesday Wars is a funny, coming-of-age story set during the Vietnam War. Holling Hoodhood is an anomaly in his 7th grade class. He name does not end in "berg" or "zog" or "stein" nor does it end in "elli" or "ini" or "o." So, from the moment Mrs. Baker calls the roll on the first day of class she knows Holling will not attend religious classes on Wednesday afternoons. He will need a place to stay and that place is in her classroom. The look in her eyes at that moment convinces Holling that she immediately hates him and Holling is put on guard for retribution, which comes in the form of Shakespeare after a disastrous attempt to feed Mrs. Baker's rats and the accidental destroying of Mrs. Baker's cream puffs.

Shakespeare's plays provide a link for Holling between what is going on in his home and in the world to what is going on for him at school. Through Shakespeare's plays, Holling learns the importance of being who you are, who you want to be, and not doing what everyone expects of you. He sees his family members in some Shakespeare's characters. Holling's mother is spineless, his father is apathetic, his sister is a budding flower child, and he is the somewhat unwilling heir apparent to his father's architecture firm. His father and sister argue, sometimes fiercely, about the events in Vietnam and the opposition in the country as Walter Cronkite narrates the nightly news.

Also, Holling is enchanted with the curses he learns and uses them, liberally, while at school, and just like at most schools, the only person (or people) that really get his curses is his English teacher, who as the year goes on, Holling comes to see she doesn't hate him. They have interesting discussions over The Tempest, Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, Julius Caesar, and The Merchant of Venice.

Mrs. Baker's push for Holling to learn Shakespeare puts him in an awkward position when he's cast as Ariel for the community play. Holling prays no one from his school will find out, but of course, Mrs. Baker encourages everyone to attend. Holling's brief foray into acting occurs on a singularly important night in his life: Mickey Mantle is appearing at a local sporting goods store (owned by Mrs. Baker's brother-in-law) and he is Holling's idol. But when Holling comes into the store, late, wearing his fairy costume, Mantle takes one look at him, makes a comment about not giving his autograph to fairies, and leaves, breaking Holling's heart on a night where he has already suffered from his father's apathy towards his only son. His parents skip their son's acting debut and then his father forgets to pick him up afterwards leaving him on his own to make it to see Mickey Mantle.

The only character in the book that seems too good to be true, at times, is Mrs. Baker, and for me, the way she intervened and had two of the Yankee players come to Holling's school to play ball with him after his disappointment in Mantle is one of those times. The other is when she appeals to the Yankees to use another architecture firm in town to repair and rebuild Yankee Stadium so that another student of hers father has a job. However, I identified with her sometimes snarky and smart-aleck teacher humor. She reminded me of me as a teacher because I've often rolled my eyes at something my students have said or made a smart comment I probably should have kept to myself.

Thematically, the book explores the importance of friendship, the effects of betrayal, love, family, education, prejudice, and tolerance of differences. The use of humor throughout the novel makes the characters real, identifiable, and enjoyable. There are moments in the novel that elicit laughter (the rats in the ceiling, anyone? Or, Doug's brother's list of a ways to get a teacher to hate you?) and there are moments that make the reader smile, not because something is funny, but because something is right (Holling meeting the Yankees and running the bases at Yankee Stadium or standing up to his father after Holling's sister runs away and calls home, crying, ready to come home but needs help and their father refuses or Mrs. Baker's husband found safely in Vietnam and coming home).

The Wednesday Wars does everything right. It is funny, it is serious, it is realistic. We all went to school with a Holling (or were Holling!), and we all had (or I hope we did) that teacher that tried their best to make a difference in our lives. It is a memorable coming of age novel that all middle schoolers should have the opportunity to read.

Review Excerpts:

"Still, while “The Wednesday Wars” was one of my favorite books of the year, it wasn’t written for me. Sometimes books that speak to adults miss the mark for their intended audience. To see if the novel would resonate as deeply with a child, I gave it to an avid but discriminating 10-year-old reader. His laughter, followed by repeated outbursts of “Listen to this!,” answered my question. Best of all, he asked if I had a copy of “The Tempest” he could borrow." Tanya Lee Stone, Sunday Book Review, The New York Times

"Schmidt...seamlessly knits together the story's themes: the cultural uproar of the '60s, the internal uproar of early adolescence, and the timeless wisdom of Shakespeare's words. Holling's unwavering, distinctive voice offers a gentle, hopeful, moving story of a boy who, with the right help, learns to stretch beyond the limitations of his family, his violent times, and his fear, as he leaps into his future with his eyes and his heart wide open." Engberg, Gillian, Booklist.

Awards:

2008 Newbery Honor Book
2008 ALA Notable Children's Book
2008 ALA Best Book for Young Adults
2007 Booklist Editors' Choice
2007 Book Sense Award Finalist

Connections:

The Wednesday Wars would enhance any unit over the late 1960s. It discusses nearly every world important event of that time period.

In a classroom, students should have the opportunity to explore the Shakespeare plays mentioned throughout the novel.

Using discussion questions found on the internet could enhance any exploration of the novel.

Lincoln Tells a Joke

Krull, Kathleen and Paul Brewer. Ill. Stacy Innerst. 2010. Lincoln Tells a Joke: How Laughter Saved the President (and the country). Boston, Mass.: Harcourt Children's Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Plot Summary:

Lincoln Tells a Joke: How Laughter Saved the President (and the country) is a unique biography of Abraham Lincoln and how his sense of humor and laughter helped him survive some of the more difficult aspects of his life. From joking about his height, losing elections and his mother, and even joking about the difference between him and his wife, readers are presented with a different look at president most known in history for the Civil War, the Emancipation Proclamation, his monument, and his face on the penny. As Kathleen Krull and Paul Brewer show readers through this biography, though, one of Lincoln's most memorable, yet least known, aspects was his sense of humor and ability to laugh.

Critical Summary:

Throughout Lincoln Tells a Joke: How Laughter Saved the President (and the country) readers learn, or are reminded of, some fairly commonly known facts about President Lincoln. He was born in a log cabin; his mother died when he was nine; he was a voracious learner but couldn't attend school; he was a lawyer; he married Mary Todd; and, he became the 16th President of the United States. These facts are dry, but Kathleen Krull takes these dry facts and makes them fascinating through her irreverent tone, exploration of Lincoln's sense of humor, use of jokes attributed to him, and incorporation of lesser known facts (Lincoln kept a scrapbook of favorite words! As an English teacher, I love this and didn't know this!), and combined with Stacey Innerst's illustrations, the book becomes an engaging (not boring) biography of Lincoln.

The biography is organized in chronological order through Lincoln's life, beginning with his birth in the log cabin to his assassination, but the true connection in this book is Lincoln's humor and use of language. No matter where readers begin reading Lincoln Tells a Joke: How Laughter Saved the President (and the country), they will learn about President Lincoln through his sense of humor. Lincoln's sense of humor, in the darkest times for him, makes him more human and approachable for readers today who are so often just taught the historical Lincoln, the great speaker who managed to save the United States and was so unexpectedly and horrible assassinated. This biography makes Lincoln more understandable, even contemporary as a comedian, for young readers who only know him from history books.

Not only does the biography take the reader through Lincoln's life, but it also teaches readers about Lincoln's sense of humor and his love of language. Learning is emphasized. For young readers, this serves a dual purpose: Not only do they learn about one of the most famous presidents in US history, but they are also exposed to the idea of constant learning and the importance of reading. Readers learn that Lincoln loved to read and write so much that "he would stand on a tree stump and read aloud" to his friends, that "he wrote his first nonsense poem at age eleven" (Abraham Lincoln/ His hand and pen/ He will be good but/ God knows when), and that "at age seven [Lincoln] learned to write [words]" and "kept a scrapbook of his favorite words." Many young children will relate to Lincoln through this information, because those who are outgoing and enjoy performing will connect to Lincoln by learning this about him.

In our society that sometimes downplays the importance of learning, of education, and of language, this biography of Lincoln shows young readers the importance of them. It is a funny, engaging, and unique look at Lincoln's life that is enhanced through Innerst's illustrations. According to the cover information, the illustrations in the book are acrylics done on illustration board. The illustrations add to the humor of the biography and pair well with the text. One of the layouts shows the White House on one side and a picture window with Lincoln in the background. Lincoln is rocked back in a rocking chair with his mouth open in obvious laughter, but surrounding the illustration of the White House and the window is the word "Ha" in various fonts. The information on these pages concerns Lincoln's election to the White House and how negatively the "proper folks" viewed him because of his sense of humor. The illustration that stands out the most to me, though, is the double layout of a serious Lincoln sitting at a desk, a pen in his hand, obviously writing something. The text on the page discusses Lincoln's gift of language "and how it can inspire people." The background of the page looks like parchment, and scrawled across it are some of Lincoln's most famous words: "Four score and seven years ago our fathers..." It is truly a breathtaking illustration when combined with the facts on the page and the reminder of Lincoln's gift for words.

At the end of the biography, the authors provide a bibliography of sources. The only issue in authenticity arises with the jokes attributed to Lincoln throughout the book. The authors state: "Lincoln's jokes in this book are from collections complied by a variety of people, often after his death. Some of his clever remarks were passed on by eyewitnesses; some are second-hand, third-hand, or further removed." Still, whether the quotes are Lincoln's words or not, it does not diminish the fact that this is a Lincoln readers don't often see, and the facts are historically accurate.

Review Excerpts:

"The legends that endure about Lincoln are many: his log-cabin childhood, his honesty, his eloquence. What is less-often discussed is how he used humor to diffuse tense political situations, disarm critics, and undo the stresses of running the country. His love of words in general, and jokes and humor more specifically, helped him throughout his life when things were difficult, uncomfortable, and downright dire, as they often were during the Civil War. Krull is an expert at teasing out the fun, quirky sides of her subjects and sharing them in a way that is both genuine and engaging." School Library Journal, Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA

"Krull and her husband, Brewer, begin this unique portrait of Lincoln by cataloguing the reasons he had to be depressed (“His childhood was harsh. He looked homely and he knew it”). Subsequent pages proceed to tell Lincoln's story through the lens of his antidote for these disappointments: humor. Whether finding it in joke books or by making fun of his ungainly frame and snobby in-laws (“ 'One d is enough for God, but the Todds need two,' he wrote”), this chronological biography shows how the president used his sophisticated wit and penchant for wordplay to salve hardships and soothe foes." Publishers Weekly

Awards:

2011 ALSC Notable Children’s Books – Nominated Title
2010 Cybils Nominations: Non-Fiction/Informational Picture Books

Connections:

After reading Lincoln Tells a Joke: How Laughter Saved the President (and the country) a great idea would be for children to make a collage. Children could make a powerful and informative collage using pictures of Lincoln, the US, etc. and words or phrases from Lincoln's speeches and letters.

The biography could supplement elementary (or even middle or high school) textbook information about President Lincoln. Social studies teachers could use it or English teachers could use it if they study Lincoln's speeches. (I use Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address with my AP students, and I am seriously considering just showing some of the illustrations from this book on my projector to lighten the mood as we read through and annotate his address.)

Teach with Picture Books has a great lesson plan to use with the book and connects it to persuasive writing. This lesson could be modified to fit most grade levels.