Module 10: Draw Me a Star

Book Summary: An artist begins by drawing a star. The star then instructs the artist to draw the sun. The sun, in turn, tells the artist to draw a tree and the tree requests a drawing of a couple. The couple want a house, and the house wants a drawing of a dog. The dog would like a cat, the cat would like a bird, and the bird would like a butterfly. The butterfly would like drawings of flowers, and the flowers request a cloud. 

What results is a rainbow.

The rainbow requests the night and the night would like a moon.  The moon says it would like a star. The artist holds onto the star and travels across the night sky.

APA Reference of Book:
Carle, E. (1992). Draw me a star. New York, NY: Philomel Books.

Impressions: This book was part of our module concerning censorship. When I first saw the title on the list, I was surprised. Had this book been banned before? I flipped through the book and saw the portion, I can only assume, that had stirred up any objections: a nude man and woman. I grew up loving Eric Carle's collage-like illustrations and anyone familiar with Carle's work will note that there is an expressive quality to his work. His illustrations are not detailed and the images that may cause offense are not explicit. The main character of this book is an artist. Artists draw and paint nude people because art school and the traditions of art teach you that the body is beautiful. Thus, when the tree tells the artist in the story to draw a handsome couple, it is easy to imagine this is what the artist would conceive. 

The book is lyrical and while the imagery is somewhat simplistic, the concept behind the story of an artist's life is touching. Carle's collage illustration style also implies movement and energy, aiding the plot concerning a life's journey. The plot itself is cyclical, allowing the story to be read over and over again.  

Professional Review: "A remarkable, quintessentially simple book encompassing Creation, creativity, and the cycle of life within the eternal. Introduced on the title page as a toddler drawing the first of five lines to make a star, an artist ages until, at the end, he's an old man who takes hold of a star to travel the night sky. Meanwhile, the first star says, "Draw me the sun"; the sun says, "Draw me a tree," and so on: woman and man; house, dog, cat, bird, butterfly, flowers, cloud; a rainbow arching over the middle-aged artist's whole creation; and back to the night and the stars. Carle's trademark style--vibrant tissue collage on dramatic white--is wonderfully effective in expressing the joy of creation, while the economy with which he conveys these universal ideas gives them extraordinary power. Yet the story is disarmingly childlike, concluding with an ingenuous letter from the author with instructions for drawing an eight-point star. Thanks be to the book for asking Carle to "draw" it!" (Kirkus, 1992, https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/eric-carle/draw-me-a-star/)

Kirkus Reviews. (1992, Sept 1). [Review of the book Draw me a star, by E. Carle] Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/eric-carle/draw-me-a-star/

Library Uses: I think this book would be a good addition to recognizing challenged or banned books during Banned Books Week. Since it is a picture book and can be read quickly by a variety of ages, it would a title that could be discussed concerning censorship.  According to ALA's top 100 banned/challenged books from 2000-2009, this book was considered #61 (http://www.ala.org/bbooks/top-100-bannedchallenged-books-2000-2009)

Module 10: Drama

Book Summary: Callie is obsessed with theater and since she cannot sing or perform, she is part of the stage crew.  This does not mean that Callie is less gutsy, however, and it is obvious that she is aware of the boys that are around her. The guy Greg she likes has just broken up his girlfriend Bonnie, making Callie think she has a chance to date him. Then the school decides to host a southern themed romantic-drama musical. Bonnie becomes the female lead, much to Callie's chagrin. Greg's brother also works in the crew. When Callie befriends twin brothers, Justin becomes part of the cast, while Jesse wants so badly to sing, but is nervous. He decides to work with Callie in set design. Romantic miscommunication, misinterpretations, and gender preference are all part of the plot. Interpersonal drama while staging an actual drama for the middle school theater are all woven together. The show goes on and in the final presentation, the male lead character breaks up with Bonnie who becomes emotional and cannot finish the show. Jesse, gets into the southern belle dress and belts out the female lead's songs that he has known all along. The school is stunned and amazed. In the end, Greg wants Callie back, but she has to decide what she really wants.

APA Reference of Book:
Telgemeier, R. (2012). Drama. New York, NY: Graphix.

Impressions: This graphic novel is almost a series of vignettes centered around a theater geek in middle school. Telgemeier captures the awkwardness of middle school with aplomb. I found myself recalling my middle school years when reading this book. I felt so embroiled in reading about the dramas within Drama that I could imagine myself going through similar events in my own middle school years. I also enjoyed the cleverness of how the drama between all the friends and peers goes along with the actual production of a theatrical drama. When Callie is trying her hardest to make the prop cannon work for the stage, I could empathize with her want to make it work. I think tweens and teens will also appreciate how Callie's theater niche of set design is important to her.

When Callie discovers one of the twin boys that become her friends is gay; it isn't a focus of the story. It appears to be more of a plot point of the confusion that ensues when teens are trying to figure out their interpersonal relationships. 

This book depicts the microcosm that becomes middle school, with all its innate drama.

Professional Review: "If you read reviews on Raina Telgemeier’s previous graphic novel, Smile, you’ll see words like “charming” and “sweet.”  Her second attempt at capturing the middle school years is no less successful, and Telgemeier sticks with what she’s good at, capturing the middle school years. Let me tell you, Telgemeier hits the drama and to-do of those tumultuous years right on the head of the nail.

Callie fell in love with the theater when her mother took her to a production of Les Miserables.  But she quickly learned that she didn’t have what it takes to be onstage, so instead Callie is more than content with being part of the crew backstage. When her middle school puts on a musical, Callie is thrilled to be in charge of set design, but the drama on stage quickly spills offstage. There are twin brothers, boys who like Callie, and boys Callie likes. There’s best-friend drama, and of course, putting on a full-scale musical production (even in middle school) is full of commotion.

The middle school I work in has put on a number of musicals, and Telgemeier really captures the frenetic pace of putting on a production.  (In reality, at this age, teachers are a bit more involved in the process, but I chalked that up to poetic license.)  There’s excitement and passion. The kids feel great about everything that they accomplished.  There are friends’ politics. Reading Drama, I felt like I was standing in the corridors of my own school.

And today’s issues aren’t ignored, though they’re not actually issues in the book, such as characters coming to terms with their sexual identity.

The comic only strengthens when you consider the artwork. Telgemeier already has a signature style, a look that marks the artwork as her own, but there were a couple of scenes that truly shine. When Callie shows Jesse her favorite theater books, the scenes are full of passion as Callie is drawn into a giant book, showing Jesse why the books are so magnificent. It moves the artwork from a level of cute and sweet to truly outstanding.

This is going to be on every upper elementary school, middle school, and even high school shelf. Readers, especially young female ones, will eat up the title" (Keller, 2012, http://blogs.slj.com/goodcomicsforkids/2012/09/17/review-drama/).

Keller, E. (2012, September 17). [Review of the book Drama, by R. Telgemeier] Retrieved from http://blogs.slj.com/goodcomicsforkids/2012/09/17/review-drama/

Library Uses: With the interest in manga and graphic novels, this graphic novel would make a good recommendation for middle grade readers and possibly high school readers that would like to remember what it was like to be in middle school again.

Module 9: The Wonder Book

Book Summary: Amy Krouse Rosenthal is well-known for her stories for children. This book is different in that it is filled with non-sensical poems and trivia that is for a broad range of ages, but would mostly appeal to kids and their parents. Nursery rhymes and songs that are familiar to families are re-told as well. Hidden visuals are also throughout.

APA Reference of Book:
Rosenthal, A.K. (2010). The wonder book. New York, NY: Harper.

Impressions: My first inclination upon reading Rosenthal's version of "This Little Piggy" was to share it with my husband. I began reading some of the silly poems to him since many were clever. In the same way that Shel Silverstein's illustrations illuminate the meaning behind his poems, Paul Schmid's illustrations add to the humorous poetry. The puns and palindromes are educational in their wordplay. 

One potential issue I could see with this book is that it does not have a distinct overall theme. However, the randomness of the poems and activities inside means that the book can be opened to any page and enjoyed without having to read it in order.

Professional Review: "An uneven collection of poems and witticisms, the very best of which evoke Shel Silverstein. Several poems are takes on old standbys, such as “It Could Be Verse”: “Eeny Meeny and Miney Moe / Caught a tiger with their tow / The tiger hollered; they wouldn’t let go / No more Eeny Meeny or Miney Moe.” Others are short and super silly: “Tinkle / Tinkle / In the sea / Don’t look under / While I pee...” Some of the most successful pieces are those in which Schmid’s black-and-white drawings are integral to the poem’s meaning. In the palindromes section, for example, “Won ton? Not now,” is illustrated with a picture of a little girl offering a won ton to a boy who is hanging upside down while being squeezed by a large snake. Even when they are not absolutely necessary to the meaning of the poems, the illustrations, dynamic and expressive, lend a degree of charm and whimsy to a serviceable, often funny, collection" (Kirkus, 2010, https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/amy-krouse-rosenthal/the-wonder-book/).

Kirkus Reviews. (2010, March 1). [Review of the book The wonder book, by A.K. Rosenthal] Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/amy-krouse-rosenthal/the-wonder-book/

Library Uses: For kids that enjoy silly stories, riddles, or humorous poetry books, this book would be an appropriate recommendation. I could also see this book as a fun additional to family traveling materials as the poems could be shared with all family members.

Module 9: Karma

Book Summary: Fifteen year old Maya (Jiva to her father) lives in Canada, her Hindu mother has just committed suicide and her Sikh father decides to take her to India in order to return her mother's ashes to their final resting place. Upon arriving in India, the prime minister, Indira Gandhi has just been assassinated. There are riots where Hindus and Sikhs are killing each other in the streets. Maya's father disappears within the turmoil and Maya goes on a train (pretending to be a boy) in order to get away from the violence.  She witnesses hate towards a Sikh man when he is dragged off the train by guards and burned to death. She goes into the car of a family when the eldest daughter, a doctor, discovers her on the street. She knows that she is able to communicate and is mute intentionally. She asks her brother to help her tell her story so that she can begin healing. What results is a journal of thoughts passed back and forth between the two. The boy decides to help Maya cross the desert in order for her to find her father. When Maya is united with her father, the boy disappears because he knows it would not be honorable to maintain a relationship with a teen girl, especially a girl with a Sikh father. In the end, both daughter and father return to Canada, both changed.

APA Reference of Book:
Ostlere, C. (2011). Karma: a novel in verse. New York, NY: Razorbill.

Impressions: Despite the sad tale of the political turmoil in India in 1984, this book is beautifully written in verse.  It is easy to identify with Maya (called Jiva by her Sikh father) in her coming to terms with her religious leanings and beliefs. When she witnesses a Sikh man getting burned to death, as a reader, you feel the horror she feels. When she goes voluntarily mute, you understand why she does not want to talk. Further, you feel her inner turmoil with her crisis of identity as a half-Hindu, half-Sikh teen.

Ultimately, this is a love story in a way, when a Hindu family takes her in, after finding her on the street all alone and mute.  The adopted son in the family feels for her and helps her find her father. There is a small part of heartbreak when Maya goes back home to Canada. Her father had originally promised Maya into marriage upon arriving in India, but both have been changed by circumstance. Universal themes in this story include the the idea of hope, the power of love, and willingness to help someone in need.

Professional Review: "The first thing I discovered about Karma by Cathy Ostlere (besides the fact that it was about India, which is why I wanted to read it in the first place) was that it was written in verse.  And I will admit that little tidbit almost made me skip over the book; after all, I figured a novel in verse would be difficult to read, and that I wouldn’t connect with the main character at all.  But because the book sounded so interesting, I decided to persevere, and I am incredibly glad I did; not only was this book fascinating, but all my preconceived notions were in error.

Karma is lyrical and deft, beautiful yet very easy to read.  Despite the length, the novel flowed very smoothly and it was quick.  I had no trouble understanding what was happening, nor did I have any difficulty connecting with Maya.  In fact, she was the highlight of the novel for me.

Maya is half-Sikh and half-Hindu, and as a result, the conflict that is raging all around her between the two religious groups is mirroring what is happening within her.  She doesn’t know where her loyalties lie or whom she can trust.  Even her name, the very clue to her identity, is uncertain – is she Jiya, the “official” name that her father pressed upon her, or Maya, the name her mother wanted to give her that she identifies with?  It’s so eye opening to see what Maya feels inside reflected all around her with horrible violence.

The time period is tragic yet important in India’s history, and it’s fascinating to see it through the eyes of a fifteen year old.  While that kind of violence would be horrific at any age, to see it so young really changes Maya.  She falls mute, unable to speak because she is so racked with guilt over what she’s seen.  She thinks she no longer deserves to speak – she is already carrying guilt over her mother’s death, after all.  Ostlere does an incredible job making the reader feel like they are part of the narrative, immersed in this place of horrifying violence.  The reader only wants Maya to return home, to find a place of safety, yet it’s unclear where that could be because she seems to be pushed against her will wherever she turns.

Karma was a fascinating, eye-opening coming-of-age novel, and I am so glad I gave it a chance.  I realize novels in verse don’t exactly excite most people, but I urge you to try this book.  You may not connect with it, but it’s possible you might, and you’ll be rewarded with an absolutely incredible story and a heartbreakingly real main character.  This was really an amazing book and I can’t wait to see what Cathy Ostlere does next" (Krishna, 2011, http://skrishnasbooks.com/2011/05/book-review-karma-cathy-ostlere.html).

Krishna, S. (2011, May 18). [Review of the book Karma, by C. Ostlere] Retrieved from http://skrishnasbooks.com/2011/05/book-review-karma-cathy-ostlere.html

Library Uses: I could see recommending this book for reluctant readers because of its novel-in-verse format. While the book looks daunting, it is actually beautifully written verse and reads quickly.

Module 8: Dying to Meet You

Book Summary: Mr. Grumply is a revered children's author in search of a home for the summer in order to finish the last book in a series he began years ago. He decides he needs quiet and unhooks his telephone and communicates with his lawyer, agent, and realtor all via letters. He discovers an old house through a realtor for rent on 43 Old Cemetery Road that has been available for a long time. The owners are professors in ghostly matters and they are abroad for the summer, potentially never to come back. Mr. Grumply settles in nicely in the mansion only to discover that the owners' son, Seymour, is still living in the house with his friend Olive. Olive, as it turns out, is the original owner of the house and a ghost. Seymour and Olive make living in the house a terrible time for Mr. Grumply. When they discover that he is completely broke and fighting terrible writer's block, they decide to help him put together the final story. Mr. Grumply and Olive make amends and it appears that he will purchase the house and live there. There is one caveat though: anyone who buys the house also gets Seymour. When there is a possibility to demolish the house, the three main characters go into action to prevent it. This is the first book in a series.

APA Reference of Book:
Klise, K. (2009). Dying to meet you. Boston, MA: Harcourt/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Impressions: This book is cute and quirky. The book has a re-readable quality with its mock ads, newspaper clippings, and letters all adding clever parts to the story. There is a comedic quality to how Mr. Grumply, Seymour, and Olive all communicate within the house with letters, aside from the letters that are also sent to people outside of the house. The book is illustrated with newspaper clippings and ads that also add components to the story. The title makes it appear that there is a potential for a scary story. In reality, it is more humorous, with the wordplay throughout the book. The only odd part, in my opinion, is how Seymour's parents are portrayed as professionals that could care less about their son. Mr. Grumply and Olive clearly make up better paternal and maternal figures in the story. Since this book is the first in a series, I am curious about how it progresses in future books.

Professional Review: "Plenty of fun lurks in this ghost-story comedy when a dried-up, unsociable writer, I.B. Grumply, rents an old house already occupied by Seymour Hope, an abandoned boy, and his best friend, Olive, an active and bossy lady ghost. All told through letters, newspaper articles and other documents, the story also stars M. Sarah Klise’s whimsical line drawings, which add substance to the plot. Readers learn that Mr. Grumply’s writer’s block has continued until he’s penniless; he’ll have to open up and make friends with his new roommates if he wants to produce that next bestseller. Kate Klise fleshes out the plot with back stories on the house, Seymour’s catastrophic, absent parents and Olive’s haunting of the house. Suspense intrudes when Seymour’s parents reappear and decide to demolish it. Everywhere they look, readers will find comedy, even in the headers on the letters and character names. Of course it’s all going to come out magnificently in the end, thereby setting up the next book in the planned series. A quirky, comedic romp" (Kirkus Reviews, 2009, https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/kate-klise/dying-to-meet-you-2/)

Kirkus Reviews. (2009, March 1). [Review of the book Dying to meet you, by K. Klise] Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/kate-klise/dying-to-meet-you-2/

Library Uses: I think this book would appeal to kids that like books with visuals and letters, such as Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney or Postcards from Camp by Simms Taback. Also, the wordplay throughout the story would make this book appealing to educators.

Module 8: Pish Posh

Book Summary: Clara Frankofile is the resident snob of Pish Posh restaurant, owned and operated by her wealthy parents, including her maniacal French chef father. She is seated nightly at her own special table, sharing it with no one, and deciding if someone is a Somebody or a Nobody. Only those designated as a Somebody may stay in the restaurant and those that are considered Nobody's are kicked out. One evening, she decides that her former doctor is a Nobody. He explains as he is departing that there is a mystery in the restaurant. When Clara makes it her business to know everything that is happening at Pish Posh, she is troubled to understand what he means. The doctor ends up dying, leaving the mystery to be solved entirely by Clara. One night, a teen jewel thief hides out in one of Clara's elaborate rooms. Clara thinks she has made a friend, but discovers the girl has just stolen her pearls. She confronts and befriends her in order to discover the mystery behind the soup cook in her father's kitchen. It turns out that the soup cook is much older than anyone would have guessed.

APA Reference of Book:
Potter, E. (2006). Pish posh. New York, NY: Philomel Books.

Impressions: At the beginning of this book, it is easy to not like Clara Frankofile. As an adult reading about a child's snobbish behavior, my first hope was some sort of vindication for her behavior. Part of the story is how she dismisses her former doctor as a Nobody, only for him to tell her that there is a mystery happening under her snobbish nose. Clara does not believe him, but does find the soup cook in her father's kitchen has curious behavior. She has little interaction with her parents and they put together elaborate spaces in their mansion to keep Clara entertained. The odd secret of Clara's father concealing his true heritage (he is not of French descent after all) does not really add anything to the plot except make one believe anybody can change overnight if she or he wishes. The story is engaging enough, but the ending comes too quickly and the intrigue surrounding the mystery soup cook could have actually been more descriptive. Solving the mystery does little to quell my thought: ok, mystery solved; why is Clara still a brat? I do not think this story has to be didactic in order to give any indication of what Clara has learned in the process. However, too little is given at all at the end.

Professional Review: "Monsieur Frankofile’s upscale restaurant, Pish Posh, has a gimmick: his daughter, Clara (11), who heartlessly polices the success or failure of each diner, determining who can have a reservation. This does wonders for the restaurant’s popularity and makes Clara a menacingly powerful and mysterious figure, until she becomes aware of a magical secret involving the least of her father’s soup chefs. Behind Clara’s discoveries and her public demeanor are larger revelations entwined in highly imaginative, stuffed-to-the-gills plot elements. Her initial cold narration focuses on her routine and her strange, over-the-top living conditions. Potter’s tremendous textual power diminishes in effectiveness as Clara’s inner life becomes more complex and she starts to interact with others, because easy solutions and quick fixes speed the storyline. This disconcerting turn in storytelling weakens the first fascination with the characters, as they flatten and disintegrate when lives and story are tidied up to accommodate a too-easy ending" (Kirkus, 2006, https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/ellen-potter/pish-posh/).

Kirkus Reviews. (2006, April 1). [Review of the book Pish posh, by E. Potter] Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/ellen-potter/pish-posh/

Library Uses: I would recommend this book for middle grade kids interested in mysteries. The themes in this book are not too young in nature as to force a middle grade kid to call it "babyish" and it is not overly mature either.  

Book Trailers

For my class we created different book trailers for a specific age group.  I decided to create book trailers for middle school age kids.  I used 2 different softwares to create the trailers: Animoto and iMovie.  The new iMovie software has the option to create trailers within it.  The free Animoto software only allows videos that are 30 seconds long, forcing much shorter trailers.

Escape! The Story of the Great Houdini by: Sid Fleischman

Book cover: http://www.harpercollins.com/9780060850944/escape
Images of Harry Houdini are public domain and were found via Wikimedia Commons
Image of Sid Fleischman were found on his website: http://www.sidfleischman.com

Additional images found on Wikimedia Commons connected to the Library of Congress include the following below:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Houdini_crate.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HoudiniSubmergedCrate.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HarryHoudini1899.jpg

My Name is Mina by: David Almond

Images for this trailer were found using Flickr Creative Commons:
ASDA Notebook - Red Wiro Bound
by Michael Randall on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/dJ1KQ

Billingham at Night
by Philip Austin on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/jFmBgj

Coffee House Clarice 2
by Maxwell GS on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/7v65MN

NYC - Queens - Glendale: All in the Family House
by Wally Gobetz on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/yfDPr

Pish Posh by: Ellen Potter




Book cover image:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/523151.Pish_Posh
Additional images for this trailer were found using Flickr Creative Commons:

Day 272 - Nobody Home
by lint machine on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/5qoTfs

Detective sexy
by thefuturistics on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/6et4JQ

French Restaurant
by Doug on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/bDsG1

Image from page 70 of "Our rival, the rascal : a faithful portrayal of the conflict between the criminals of this age and the defenders of society, the police" (1897)

by Internet Archive Book Images on Flickr

https://flic.kr/p/ovWkaB

Jewel Thief
by Mark Longair on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/2UesAY

Paparazzi
by Shena Tschofen on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/bEjPKP

Pequeña detective

by etringita on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/2iuvgb

Private detective office
by John (Miś) Beauchamp on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/8ie4

Spies
by Luca Rossato on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/8X7pFx

Spying on the neighbors
by Dana Robinson on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/4oxsW4

Spying glass
by matteo77 on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/5T5m8p

Module 7: Julia Morgan Built a Castle

Book Summary: Julia Morgan was born in the United States to an engineer father. In 1895, she graduated from Berkeley with a degree in engineering as the only woman in her class. Julia goes to France to study at the famous École des Beaux-Arts, but she is denied entrance because she is a woman. After taking the entrance exams three times, she is accepted. There, she learns about applying an artistic eye to engineering. After finishing school, she creates well-known buildings, including the famous Hearst Castle in California. William Randolph Hearst, the wealthy newspaper tycoon, commissioned her to create his home, which took her 20 years to design and build because of all the changes and modifications he imposed.

APA Reference of Book:

Mannis, C. D. (2006). Julia Morgan built a castle. New York, NY: Viking.

Impressions: I think the most interesting part of this story is the title because it is not entirely indicative of the content inside. I never knew that a female architect created the Hearst Castle, but learning about Julia Morgan was an interesting part about this story.  When I first saw the title on our reading list, the story was not entirely what I expected.  It is not until seeing the book did I realize that the "castle" was in fact a home for one of the world's most wealthy men.  The story and illustrations are fairly simplistic, but I felt that the author's note in the back was descriptive enough to explain the facts behind Julia's story. Overall, the story reads well even if it does jump forward over the buildings she created to discuss the Hearst Castle.  

Professional Review: 
"The daughter of an engineer and the cousin of architect Pierre LeBrun, Julia Morgan was fascinated with how buildings worked from an early age. She graduated with an engineering degree from Berkeley in 1895, the only woman in her class, then went to France where she sketched and studied and worked at gaining admission to the École des Beaux-Arts (which made her take the entrance exam three times). She came back to California and had a successful career, most famously spending more than 20 years designing and building Hearst Castle (San Simeon). She did battle with tycoon William Randolph Hearst as he changed his mind and his priorities. The text is straightforward and a little dry, betraying little of the will it must have taken for Morgan to forge the career she wanted. Hyman’s soft but brilliant colors capture light, space and structure wonderfully but are less successful with figures and faces. Still, an interesting subject for a young biography, one who is not represented anywhere else for this age reader" (Kirkus Reviews, 2006, https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/celeste-davidson-mannis/julia-morgan-built-a-castle/).

Kirkus Reviews. (2006, October 1). [Review of the book Julia Morgan built a castle, by C.D. Mannis] Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/celeste-davidson-mannis/julia-morgan-built-a-castle/

Library Uses: I would recommend this book for children, especially girls, interested in engineering or architecture. This book would also be a potential title to recommend to elementary school students working on biographies of famous women, such as during Women's History Month.

Module 7: What the World Eats

Book Summary: The book explains what families eat depending on the country where they live.  In the process of showing actual families in photographs, showing a week's worth of food in the place where they are most likely to cook food, readers get a semblance of the similarities and differences in food around the world. Each country is listed alphabetically and lists the cost of one week's worth of food in U.S. dollars. The grocery list is also shown with facts about the country. Descriptive text supports each family and includes pictures of the family grocery shopping and cooking. Some family recipes are included and throughout the text, there are field notes from the writer and photographer. There are also supplementary sections about other related topics such as showing kitchens around the world, a look at fast food, and street food. Additionally, topics such as literacy rate, fertility rate, life expectancy, and obesity in each country is assessed. Further reading ideas, sources of information, and a detailed index are included at the end of the book.

APA Reference of Book:
Menzel, P. (2008). What the world eats. Berkeley, CA: Tricycle Press.

Impressions: As I read through the introduction and read the information pertaining to each country, I found that the book describes much more than just what people in certain countries eat. In the process, I discovered the simplicity of food: to not have food is to not eat food, to not eat food is to go hungry. While the author and photographer do not express this outwardly, it is a theme that goes through the book. It is generally understood that western industrialized countries eat more food and more processed food than other countries. The less industrialized countries showcase families with sacks of ingredients such as grains and beans. Meat and fresh fruit and vegetables are tough to find for these families. 

I had seen this book before, but it wasn't until this class that I had the opportunity to read the book in-depth and reflect upon the variety of topics it tackles such as globalization, the differences between affluence and poverty, and sustainable agricultural practices. After seeing what each family eats, it was easy for me to reflect upon my own eating habits.

Note: This book is a corresponding children's book to the adult book Hungry Planet: What the World Eats by the same author and photographer.

Professional Review: 

“Seeing, at a glance, a whole week’s supply of food artfully arranged in a kitchen is an eye-opening foray into cultural differences in family diets. The sheer variety and quantity of foods is most evident in countries like the U.S., France, and Japan, and in stark contrast to a family of six in a refugee camp in Chad; the Aboubakars from the Darfur province of Sudan sit cross-legged on a rug in front of their tent with only three bags of grain and legumes, one bottle of vegetable oil, and several tiny bags of items such as salt, chili peppers, and garlic.

Readers will see a fascinating snapshot of other marked differences in food consumption. For example, the photos reveal that non-Western families such as those in China, Ecuador, Guatemala, and India dine on much larger proportions of fruits and vegetables than those in Great Britain and Greenland. It’s interesting to note the amount of packaged and processed foodstuffs consumed in industrialized and emerging countries versus the colorful piles of fresh greens, citrus fruits, tomatoes, and bulging sacks of potatoes and rice in developing nations” (Bolleber, 2008, https://www.forewordreviews.com/reviews/what-the-world-eats/).

Bolleber, L. (2008, June 16). [Review of the book What the world eats, by P. Menzel] Retrieved from https://www.forewordreviews.com/reviews/what-the-world-eats/

Library Uses: I feel that this book would be better appreciated by older elementary students and older. Food is becoming an important topic in terms of healthy eating choices, the availability of food, and learning about more sustainable practices. This book takes a glimpse at the different food options and preferences for a variety of countries. I would recommend this book for teachers helping students learn about sustainable agricultural practices.  I would also recommend this to families wanting to discuss the importance of food and introduce the idea of how people can easily go hungry around the world.

Module 6: Apples to Oregon

Book Summary: Told from the perspective of a young girl named Delicious, a family leaves Iowa for Oregon. However, the girl's daddy decides to take a wagon's worth of plants and trees. An adventure ensues westward with the large wagon of apples, peaches, pears, plums, grapes, and cherries. The much smaller wagon in the back holds the family. Daddy sings lullabies to his plants and trees at night, he loves them that much. Crossing rivers, storms, drought all make the trek that much harder. Before the frost hits, the family makes it to Oregon in time to plant the trees just outside Portland. 

APA Reference of Book:

Hopkinson, D. (2003). Apples to Oregon: being the (slightly) true narrative of how a brave pioneer father brought apples, peaches, pears, plums, grapes, and cherries (and children) across the plains. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Impressions: The illustrations in this story provide much of the humor and impression of a tall tale. The large family squishes into a tiny wagon behind the much larger wagon holding the plants and trees. Towards the end, the little girl narrating the story, shoos away Jack Frost from the plants. The family leaves no hardship untouched through all the different kinds of weather. When a hail storm hits, the family takes off their clothes to protect the plants with everyone remaining in their underwear. The author's note explains that this story is a fictionalized account of the Luelling family and their traveling nursery to Oregon. The family established a nursery, with a friend, in the town of Milwaukie (south of Portland) that exists to this day. While this story may be a tall tale, it is a lively story explaining the surprising origins of fruit trees and plants in Oregon, which make up the majority of the state's economy.

Professional Review: "The subtitle (“Being the [Slightly] True Narrative of How a Brave Pioneer Father Brought Apples, Peaches, Pears, Plums, Grapes, and Cherries [and Children] Across the Plains”) sets the tone and describes the plot, but the flavor is in the folksy telling of this clever tall tale that humorously portrays a family’s trek west from Iowa to Oregon to plant their father’s fruit trees. His oldest daughter, Delicious, regales readers with her accounts of the many hazards and risks the family faces (eight children and mama) as they rescue Daddy’s darlings, the young trees, from drowning in a river crossing, being pounded by hailstones, withering by drought, and then freezing by Jack Frost. Carpenter’s illustrations paint hilarious touches, such as the scene where they use their clothing to protect the plants from hail, including Daddy’s underwear. Endpaper maps trace their journey and the author’s note states that the story is loosely based on a real pioneer, Henderson Luelling. The pun-filled text and puckish pictures by the team that created Fannie in the Kitchen (2001) spin a pip of a yarn that is just downright delicious" (Kirkus, 2004, https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/deborah-hopkinson/apples-to-oregon/).

Kirkus Reviews. (2004, August 15). [Review of the book Apples to Oregon, by D. Hopkinson] Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/deborah-hopkinson/apples-to-oregon/

Library Uses: I would recommend this title for the homeschool families that come into the library.  Oftentimes, many of them have a portion of curriculum devoted to agriculture or studies about plants. This historical fiction tale could act as an introduction to how fruit trees and plants made their way to Oregon. Homeschool students could debunk some of the myths presented in the story with research.

Module 6: Hattie Big Sky

Book Summary: Hattie has been shuffled around from family member to family member. She hardly knows her current relatives. When she receives a letter from her late uncle, sent by his wishes upon his death, she finds out that she has inherited all his land in Montana. Without a second thought, she decides to go prove up on her uncle's land. The Mueller's next door and other townsfolk around the small town of Vida, Montana, become her family as she works to prove on the claim.  Blizzards, failing crops, grumpy farm animals, and a house that is falling apart all make the job that much harder. Meanwhile, Hattie still writes to her childhood friend, Charlie, who is fighting in the war overseas.  A neighbor, with property close to hers, tries to take her land at various points, but Hattie is determined to make good on her claim.

APA Reference of Book:

Larson, K. (2006). Hattie big sky. New York, NY: Delacorte Press.

Impressions: This is ultimately a story about finding "home".  The story also depicts the hardships of homesteading and proving up on claims on land.  The descriptions of the hard work involved were incredibly visceral and my heart fell each time Hattie encountered another tragedy or issue. Her outlook, however, is incredibly positive regardless and the Muellers, a family next door, become essential to the plot. The mother, Perilee, and her German husband are ostracized. It was surprising to me, as a reader, that anti-German opinion infiltrated small towns even when hardworking people, regardless of national origin, were proving up on their claims. While this story is considered historical fiction, there are some topics that are still pertinent for contemporary readers including bullying and tragedy. Hattie navigates these issues seemingly with ease, and readers get a glimpse at how her values influence the outcomes. 

Professional Review: “Several hardships and even a tragedy strike Hattie, but she begins to realize that she doesn't need the land itself. It is friends who help her through the tough times and give her hope. Readers who grew up on Laura Ingalls Wilder will love HATTIE BIG SKY, though Hattie also will draw new fans to this inspiring, powerful tale” (Alessio, 2006, http://www.teenreads.com/reviews/hattie-big-sky).

Alessio, A. (2006, September 26). [Review of the book Hattie big sky, by K. Larson] Retrieved from http://www.teenreads.com/reviews/hattie-big-sky

Library Uses: I imagine this story would serve well in Reader's Advisory. Teens that read Caddie Woodlawn or Laura Ingalls Wilder books would enjoy this story. This title would also be a good jumping off point for historical research: concerning homesteading in the Montana territory and opinions about Germans during World War I in the United States.

Module 5: The Diviners

Book Summary: Evie O'Neill has the ability to learn about people by touching something that person owns. By using her power at a party, she starts a scandal in her small town of Ohio and is sent to live with her uncle in New York. Her uncle Will is the curator of the Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult. She keeps her supernatural power from her uncle, fearing that it will only bring her trouble. When a local girl is found murdered with strange symbols on her body, the police ask Will for help to understand if there was a purpose to the murders. Something or someone evil is searching for its next victims in a purposeful manner. When more people are found murdered with missing body parts and more symbols, the situation becomes more dire. Evie, her uncle, his assistant, and a pick pocket collaborate to get the bottom of the murders before the next victim is killed.

APA Reference of Book:

Bray, L. (2012). The diviners. New York, NY: Little Brown.

Impressions: This book is incredibly complex. There are many sub-layers to the plot and after finishing it, I am not entirely sure I had it all sorted out. At first it is a story about Evie O'Neill that has used her "party trick," a supernatural power, to create a scandal in her hometown in Ohio. When she is sent off to live with her uncle, she keeps her power from him, but it later ends up helping in solving the mystery of the murders. The story takes place in 1926, where Prohibition, speakeasys, pickpockets, and an interest in the occult are prevalent. While reading this story, I began to see some similarities to Dan Brown's book Angels & Demons. The main similarity is how a religious viewpoint influences horrific murders. In The Diviners, however, the religious group in question believes that the apocalypse is coming and that the Beast will return. There are some sub-plots to the story, including two boys that have gifts: one is able to heal people and the other can read cards without seeing them. A neighbor of theirs is a blind man who may or may not have significance in understanding what exactly is the "Beast". Their other neighbor may be involved in some kind of secret group and it is not explained how she knows Evie's uncle Will. The book is long, but even then, it does not close plot points. In fact, it appears to open up more plot opportunities for future books. 

Professional Review: 
"One of the interesting things Bray does is that, while this is Evie's story, it is told from multiple viewpoints. Because of this, from the start the reader has more information than Evie or any of the other characters. The characters don't reveal all their secrets right away, not to each other, and not to Evie, and not even to the reader. Just when I thought I had more puzzle pieces than Evie so knew what was happening, something else was added. I was reminded (in a good way) of Stephen King. At times, I was waiting for Evie to catch up to what I knew, or wondering when she'd work something out, but just as often I was surprised by what had happened or where things were going" (Burns, 2012, http://blogs.slj.com/teacozy/2012/09/17/review-the-diviners/)

Burns, E. (2012, September 17). [Review of the book The diviners, by L. Bray] Retrieved from http://blogs.slj.com/teacozy/2012/09/17/review-the-diviners/

Library Uses: I think this story would be a good book club title for both teens and adults. The complex plot, historical plot points, and supernatural elements could lead to much discussion.