READ 420 Author Studies

Jerry Spinelli: Powerful Messages

2007-12-17T09:59:00.000-08:00

Want to become a famous major league baseball player and play shortstop for the New York Yankees? Jerry Spinelli had the same dream growing up as a kid in Norristown, Pennsylvania playing with his brother Bill. He was born in 1941, soon developing these dreams of aspiration as any kid does growing up. It wasn’t until the age of 16 that he wanted to become a writer. Spinelli attended a high school football game when he decided to write an article for the daily newspaper. Little did he know it would get posted the next day and that he would someday become a famous writer among young adult authors. Jerry attended John Hopkins University where he received his masters in creative writing. He wrote 20 books that have since seen published. Spinelli has won a number of awards for the books he has written including the Newberry Medal Award. I had the opportunity to read 2 of his books named Milkweed and Maniac Magee.

There are a number of similarities between these books. Both have a young boy who is lost as an orphan trying to find their place in life. ‘Maniac’ leaves his aunt and uncle to find a new start. He ends up at a town that is racially divided between black and white. Here he is faced with the challenges of adapting to his surroundings. He becomes famous from his talents and changes the way people throughout the town see things. Misha (isn’t his real name; he doesn’t know it), who is from the story Milkweed is truly an amazing character. He finds himself lost in the streets during the holocaust with only the memory of his horse and family. Even at a young age, he uses his talent of size and stealth for the benefit of the people he grew to love surrounding him. He would risk his own life just to help that of another’s. I think these books were designed to give a sense of model behavior to the extreme to children of our youth. Both of these boys had nothing, but still managed to give so much, to so many. They each had special gifts you could say. One was perfect for his environment; small, quick and sleek. The other just had miraculous talents, such as baseball and football, giving him the ability to even beat those who were years older. Maniac was not as dark of a book as Milkweed, mainly because there is the knowing that in the end, the family went to the concentration. There can be many lessons created using these 2 books. During my research, I found a number of sites that had ready-made plans for the taking. Here are a couple: milkweedplans, andManiacplans.

Jerry Spinelli and the characters he creates can be enjoyed by all people. I enjoyed his readings so much that I wasn't afraid to have my dad read them as well. He finished one and said he loved it, and if you knew my father you would understand that that was a huge compliment. I myself cannot wait to begin reading the rest of his 20, I am sure of, masterpieces.

“Each of us, in our kidhood, was a Huckleberry Finn, drifting on a current that seemed tortuously slow at times, poling for the shore to check out every slightest glimmer in the trees … the taste of Brussels sprouts … your first forward roll … cruising a mall without a parent … overnight it … making your own grilled cheese sandwich … the thousand landfalls of our adolescence .… And now we know what we did not know then: What an adventure it was!”

Critical Analysis of Avi texts

2007-12-17T00:49:00.000-08:00

Avi has written an abundant amount of books in his long career. Part of his appeal to young readers is his extremely varied range of topics covered in his novels. He has written comedies, historical fiction, fables and many more. It is very difficult to compare and contrast his books because of how different they can be. Sometimes it is like comparing apples to oranges. In the case of The Book Without Words and Don't You Know There's a War On? that problem is exactly the issue. I will begin with a short description of each of the books.

The Book Without Words
This novel is set in the medieval era and the story revolves around an alchemist, his servant and his raven. The action begins with the alchemist using a mysterious Book Without Words to create the stones of life. His servant, Sybil and his raven, Odo come into the information that their Master plans to sacrifice them in order to gain eternal life and they must make a decision as to what plan of action to take in order to survive. The story is in the format of a fable with anthropomorphic characters and a final lesson to be learned.

Don't You Know There's a War On?

This novel is set during World War II and follows the life of a young boy throughout his fifth grade year in school. When he discovers that his favorite teacher is going to be fired, Howie and his best friend, Denny, come up with a plan to save her job. It demonstrates the effect that a really good teacher can have on the lives of his/her students and the important lessons students can learn from life.

Both of these books are wonderfully written and exciting from the first page. The action continues nearly right up to the very end of the book. The books are each set in extremely distinct time periods and the era almost becomes a character in itself because of the deep description provided and the effects on the action the time has. Avi's characterizations are deep and meaningful and he does a wonderful job making the characters real to the reader. Howie and Denny and Sybil, Alfric and Odo are all experiencing a crisis in morality. In The Book Without Words the characters must confront the knowledge that their Master has placed them in a position where they must chose ending his life or losing their own. Sybil struggles with this dilemma in the fact that she wishes to find a way to save herself without betraying her Master. Howie learns of a course of action to take place that he feels is extremely unfair. He and his friend must decide whether or not Miss Gossim's job should be saved. As soon as Howie determines the reason for the firing he decides that it is unjust and he sets out to fix the situation. Both dilemmas are solved by the end of the novels, however, they are solved in very different ways. In Don't You Know There's a War On? the novel is concluded with a successful and happy Howie. However, in The Book Without Words, the action is concluded with the demise of Sybil's Master, the metamorphasis of Odo and the uncertain future of the three main characters. Each of these books seems to be teaching a few lessons one of which is the same. Both books provide the idea that even the underdog can win a battle if the cause is important enough to them. Both Sybil and Howie succeed in their causes. However, The Book Without Words mentions the importance of understanding that life is not eternal and the important aspect of life is not how long it is but the quality of the life led. Don't You Know There's a War On? highlights the importance of friendship and the lasting effect that relationships have on those involved. These books are really wonderful reads that engage the reader right from the beginning and keep your complete attention all the way to the end. They discuss topics that are important for all people young and old to think about including friendship, ethics, and mortality. These books left me wanting more and led me right to some of Avi's fantastic other titles like Midnight Magic, Crispin: The Cross of Lead and The Man Who Was Poe.

2007-12-16T23:36:00.000-08:00

Critical Analysis of Books by Mary Pope Osborne

Mary Pope Osborne’s vivid imagination inspires her to write these wonderful adventures. She gains inspiration from her surroundings and turns everyday experiences into adventures for children. The Spider Kane mysteries are a mini-series consisting of two books full of adventure, suspense, kidnappings, and the insect world. In the Spider Kane mysteries Osborne brings insects to life by giving them a human touch.

The first book “Spider Kane and the Mystery Under the May-Apple” takes you on an adventure to solve the case of a missing butterfly. Leon, a butterfly, discovers that his new girlfriend Mimi has vanished. With the advice of his ladybug friends he contacts Spider Kane, the brilliant detective of the insect world. With the help of Spider Kane, Leon and his lady bug friends discover Mimi was kidnapped and work together to solve the mystery of Mimi’s secretive past and her kidnapping.

The next adventure Osborne takes you on is called “Spider Kane and the Mystery at Jumbo Nightcrawler’s.” Here you’ll discover more than one mystery blended into one. This exciting adventure is full of twists and turns as Spider Kane’s friends are kidnapped, ant’s gold is stolen, and disguised bugs surround them. It is not up to Spider Kane and his comrade Leon to solve the case and bring their friends home safely.

These two books are very similar because for one is the continuation of the other. Osborne has done an exceptional job writing these two mysteries. They both start off with one of the main characters, Leon, in a dilemma. Once he has realized this is a huge problem Leon goes to an expert, Spider Kane. In both books you can see the problem is explained in the beginning followed by details and clues helping you solve the case. Children can really enjoy reading while trying to solve the case before Spider Kane does. Osborne leaves clever clues for the reader to follow which makes both these books very exciting. Details are cared for in both books. Having read one after the other I saw that little details were attended to. Things like colors of people dresses, jewelry, feelings and emotions were all maintained in the sequel.

Ultimately there aren’t many differences because Osborne has maintained the same formula she used for the first one. The only difference would be the second book is more complex than the first. The mystery isn’t one fold like the first book there are many components to the second mystery. Aside from it’s complexity there are no major differences between the two books. I believe their similarity is a wonderful plus point to this series. The style is maintained throughout both books allowing the second to truly be a sequel. Unlike many other authors whose books in a series differs from one another Osborne is an expert series writers and is able to maintain the similarities.

Both books are written in a exceptional manner and are a great read. They were very entertaining and engross the reader. They're definitely good mysteries that children would take the utmost joy in reading and solving. Personally I enjoyed the second book much better than the first because of the thrill and excitement posted in the second one. The first one is a bit slow and more of an introduction to the characters. Whereas the second book is a marvelously written and full of twists and turns as any mystery should be. Overall I think Osborne has done a terrific job with these books as she does with her Magic Tree House books. Her creative imagination truly does take you on a unique trail with these books.

2007-12-16T22:55:00.000-08:00

Biography of Mary Pope Osborne

Mary Pope Osborne is the creator/writer of Magic Tree house, Magic Tree House Merlin Missions, Magic Tree House Research Guides, Spider Kane Mysteries, Tales from the Odyssey and many other independent books. This popular author of the the Magic Tree House series, Mary Pope Osborne’s life is quite an adventure just like her books. By the age of fifteen she had moved seven times due to her father's military career. "Moving was never traumatic for me, but staying in one place was" said Osborne in regards to her constant moving as a child. She enjoyed moving and learning about new places. For her each move was an adventure that took her into another world. Osborne describes her childhood as being rich due to her imagination. Her and brothers would spend hours playing make believe games using their imagination. This attachment to imagination and creativity isn't something Osborne gained as an adult and children’s author rather something that developed in her as a child.

After graduating from college Osborne decided to do what she loved, travel. She spend some times living in a cave in Crete followed by her extensive travel to about 11 Asian countries. Her trip came to a sudden stop when she nearly lost her life in Katmandu. Osborne was hospitalized due to blood poising and returned to America after some treatment. After recovering from this unfortunate illness Osborne continued her journey and began experimenting with different careers. She's worked as a waitress, window dresser, medical assistant, travel consultant, bartender, acting teacher, and an editor for children's magazine. In between her career search Osborne met and married Will Osborne. The couple moved to New York City but Mary was still unsure about her career path in life. She didn’t know what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. It wasn't until one day while writing in her journal she began to write a story about a young girl in the South much like herself as a child. She began formulating an exciting story that later became her first novel called Run, Run Fast as You Can. From the day she began writing that story she’s never stopped. Writing that novel led her to realized that what she wanted to for the rest of her life was become a children’s author.

Mary Pope Osborne is one of the most popular children’s writers of our time. She explained at a conference that she had planned to write only about four books to the Magic Tree House series but when children wrote her letters asking for her to write more books and suggesting ideas for her future books she was overcome with happiness and continued her series. Today the Magic Tree House series has over 30 books. In all Osborne has written about 80 books in the past 24 years as an author.

Osborne believes in encouraging children’s creativity and imagination. She is dedicated to keeping her books such that they spark imagination amongst children. This is why her and her husband refuse to turn this series into a television show or movies. They believe Osborne’s books are a means of taking children on imaginary worlds. Using their creativity they’ve created a Magic Tree House musical which continues to spark children’s imagination and is a creative addition to the Magic Tree House family.

Osborne’s success came mostly from the Magic Tree House series but she feels she enjoyed writing the Spider Kane mysteries the most. In an attempt to overcome her fear of spiders Osborne began to research the insect and found herself standing in the middle of an idea for another series. She says she enjoyed working on these books a lot because they take you into the lives of insects who are as human as you and I are.

Her biggest support in her adventures is her husband and partner Will Osborne. She gets inspiration from everything around her. Before drafting her stories each new topic is researched intensely. Osborne claims that about 70% of her efforts go into research and writing is only about 30%. Her love for adventures, imagination and writing helps her continue her journey as an author and contributes new ideas for new books.

For more information about Mary Pope Osborne Visit her website . For additional information about how Osborne writes you can view this short clip and learn how she spends her days writing and researching. The internet has alot of information about this talanted writer including biographies, interviews , videos, etc...

Life and Times of Avi

2007-12-16T19:47:00.000-08:00

Avi is an acclaimed and prolific writer for young children. He has written over 60 books in numerous different genres for different ages and ability levels. His life began in Brooklyn, New York in 1937 along with his twin sister, Emily. He was born Edward Irving Wortis and got the name Avi from his twins' attempts at pronouncing his name. Eventually, it would become his pen name and the only name he would use. Avi's father was a doctor and his mother a social worker and the entire family was very reading and writing centered. As a young student, Avi was talented in science and terrible in writing. His teachers would write on his papers that his writing was sloppy and unedited and that he should invest more time and care in his work. In interviews, Avi has discussed this problem which was later determined to be symptoms of dyslexia and the effect that the disability had on his thoughts about writing as a child. Even though Avi dealt with such a difficult disability he still loved and appreciated reading and writing. For almost every birthday and holiday Avi would receive books which he would rapidly devour and use to improve his own writing. Avi has been quoted as saying that, "I believe reading is the key to writing. The more you read, the better your writing can be." Avi's love of reading served him well as he was a shy child without much interest in sports. When he was a high school senior he made the decision to become a writer and he has given a few different reasons for this. He says that his desire to write began because writing was important to his friends, family and school and eventually it became important to him. He also wanted to prove that he could write even with his disability. As Avi grew older his love for writing grew as well. Though he did not take many english courses in college he did continue writing and even entered playwriting contests, one of which he won. His play was published and the University of Wisconson staged a production of it, so at just twenty-two years old Avi was a published playwright and on his way to becoming a writer. Avi had intended to become a playwright in Los Angeles until his first son, Shaun was born and Avi's path changed. Avi was approached by a friend to illustrate one of her children's books. His illustrations put him in contact with a publisher for whom he compiled bedtime stories he had told his son, into a book. The book, Things That Sometimes Happen was published in 1970, fifteen years after Avi had decided to become a writer and it marked the end of his days as a playwright and the beginning of his many years as an author for young people. Throughout his career Avi has met and interacted with many other authors including Jerry Spinelli, Betty Miles, and Natalie Babbitt. He was also the basis for the character Irvy in Betty Bao Lord's book In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson. In 1991, Avi's book The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle was named a Newberry Honor Book and the next year Nothing but the Truth was named as well. In 2003, Avi's fiftieth book, Crispin: The Cross of Lead was awarded the Newberry Medal. Avi has continued writing books for young people with his most recent book The Traitor's Gate being published in May of 2007. Avi also spends his time, when he is not at home in Denver, Colorado with his family, touring schools to talk to students about reading and writing and to talk to teachers about teaching writing. Visit his website for more information about the books he has written in his career and Reading Rockets for some interview clips.

Listen and watch the world around you. Try to understand why things happen. Don't be satisfied with answers others give you. Don't assume that because everyone believes a thing it is right or wrong. Reason things out for yourself. Work to get answers on your own. Understand why you believe things. Finally, write what you honestly feel then learn from the criticism that will always come your way. ~Avi

Critical Analysis of Beverly Cleary

2007-12-16T08:53:00.000-08:00

With Beverly Cleary realizing at such a young age that there weren't many relateable and interesting books for children to read, was the start of her journey to becoming one of the most popular authors of children's books for over the past 50 years. Throughout her life she has paid close attention and observed the many different details about the children and events in her neighborhood to use as the material she writes about, normal everyday kids.

Ramona Quimby is probably one of her most well known characters. Some would describe her as impossible or mistake her for being a bad kid. She is just a normal kid that tries to be independent and is curious which sometimes gets her into trouble. Due to the fact she is not perfect, nor tries to be, I think makes her an endearing character. In this book Ramona starts 3rd grade, gets to take the bus to school for the first time, makes new friends and encounters some embarrassing moments at school. Also her family goes through some ups and downs because her father has decided to persue his dream and return to college to become an art teacher. Trying to be supportive of this, Ramona also tries to be responsible and not cause any problems.....but how could her teacher call her a nuisance?

"It's a rare thing to be hailed by audience and critics alike. In Mrs. Cleary's case, everyone seems delighted." -The New York Times (on Ramona Quimby Age 8)

Dear Mr. Henshaw is about a character named Leigh Botts in the 6th grade that writes to his favorite author, Mr. Henshaw. It starts out as a school project but the unexpected response from Mr. Henshaw ends up teaching Leigh to learn how to deal with his feelings about the absence of his father, divorcing parents, being the new kid and a lunch bag thief, by writing.

"A first-rate, poignant story...a lovely, well crafted, three dimensional work." - The New York Times

The tones of both of these books are very different. Although Ramona deals with difficult situations such as embarrassing herself in front of the school by cracking an egg on her head or feeling hurt because she overhears her teacher calling her a nuisance, it is written lightheartedly. Despite these being important situations with Ramona, it seems that in the end everything always works out and has a happy ending. Leigh deals with very serious matters that children deal more and more with everyday now. His parents are divorcing and on top of that he is starting a new school. It's not enough that he already feels like he didn't see his dad that often because he's a cross country truck driver but now it's even less because he doesn't even live there anymore. There is a lot of emotions in this book and Leigh's story doesn't have a happy ending so to speak. You read of his continuous feelings of hurt by his dad leaving and not bothering to contact Leigh very often, acting like he doesn't care. Dear Mr. Henshaw is a sad read, not like that of Ramona Quimby Age 8 but after reading I can definitely understand why it won the John Newbery Medal.

At first glance and reading the back cover of these books one might think they were written by different authors as well. However, one thing both books do have in common is the underlying theme, growing up is difficult. This topic and many others that occur throughout her books makes her books relatable and very appealing to young readers. Although these two characters encounter very different things they both deal with feelings of hurt, disappointment and the stages of growing up. These books provide two very different points of view on how children can deal with problems but it is good because that would appeal to a wide range of readers. I think it might be challenging for Dear Mr. Henshaw to appeal to girls and vice versa but the theme could invite any reader to enjoy both books.

Another similarity between these two books would be the comedic tone present. Ramona is a very entertaining character that gets herself into blunders and deals with things with a very matter of fact attitude. The following are excerpts from both books to give an example of the comedic tone present in each.

Ramona Quimby Age 8-Ramona brought what she thought was a hard boiled egg in her lunch for school.

"There were a number of ways of cracking eggs. The most popular, and the real reason for bringing an egg to school, was knocking the egg against one's head. She took a firm hold on her egg, waited until everyone at her table was watching, and whack-she found herself with a handful of crumbled shell and something cool and slimy running down her face. Her egg was raw."

Dear Mr. Henshaw-Leigh hasn't heard back from the author he wrote to for a school assignment and impatiently writes another one.

"De Liver

De Letter

De Sooner
De Better

De Later

De Letter

De Madder

I Getter"

- Sincerely, Leigh Botts

Both of these examples demonstrate the consistant humor Beverly Cleary uses regardless of the book. Reading both of these books, you witness Beverly Cleary's wide range of writting skills, which would contribute to the reason why she has such a huge audience. Sadly, I heard in an interview that Beverly Cleary would not be writing any more books but thankfully she has left us with many stories to read for future generations as well.

For some fun try playing a game of Dear Mr. Henshaw Jeopardy at:

http://missryan.matt-morris.com/dmh.htm

Or a trivia game on Ramona:

http://www.beverlycleary.com/characters/ramona_triviaquiz.asp

A Critical Analysis of Judy Blume

2007-12-15T16:15:00.000-08:00

Every writer seeks to produce a memorable contribution to literature. In addition to the many challenges presented throughout the
writing process, in some ways, the successful completion of a piece of literature is the smallest in a series of feats. Writers are then met with the challenges of sustaining career longevity while creating fresh, original storylines and characters with each new endeavor. Judy Blume is no exception to this challenge. What is remarkable, however, is the fluidity Blume employs when approaching a new book, with its own distinctive theme.

There are many Judy Blume books to choose from, however two that provide a strong example of this, are Judy's books: Iggie's House and the very well known and lovable, Superfudge. Superfudge, is one in a series of Judy Blume books, following the life and adventures of Peter Hatcher and his younger brother Farley Drexel Hatcher, better known as Fudge. Judy has professed in many an interview that she tends to begin a new book at the pivotal moment that something changes in the life of the central character. In Superfudge, twelve year old Peter Hatcher is introduced to a world of change when his family announces they will be moving from New York city to New Jersey while his father attempts to write a book, and that his mother is pregnant with a new baby sister. Among the changes Peter faces, are those children face with the prospect of a new school and leaving the safety of a known entity, as was Peter's life in New York city. Adding to the mix of an already terrifying situation for Peter Hatcher, are the ongoing antics of his brother, Fudge, as he struggles to acclimate to family changes and a new environment. Peter finds himself having less time to devote to his own struggles, as most of the time, he winds up having to rescue Fudge from the newest mess he has made, and explain the ins and outs of change to his little brother.

Superfudge, is an example of one of Judy Blume's most recognized abilities to see the world of a child through a child's eyes. By means of this ability, she is able to speak to the issues children face as central and of utmost importance, as well as to reflect on how the decisions sometimes deemed trivial by adults, can deeply affect the lives of children. One of the ways she achieves this, is by writing in a manner reflective of everyday speech, specifically children's speech, and setting the stage of action in each chapter around everyday 'stuff', as she does in the first scene from Superfudge:

Life was going along okay when my mother and father dropped the news. Bam! Just like that!

From there, the reactions of the central character, Peter, are much as any child's would be, instead of excitement, he responds to the news of a new baby, with complete disdain. For the the few issues that are presented in Superfudge, it is primarily a lighthearted, comedic story about adjusting to change and the upside to new beginnings in life. This comedic lightheartedness is one of the book's many strengths, and also one of its few limitations. For all the laughs the reader will get at Fudge's expense, the storyline occasionally lacks any and all direction, becoming more of a snapshot into the everyday life of a family. For many readers, this serves to be a point of interest, for others, such as myself, it allows all too much room for the reader's interest level to fizzle. Though the chapter lengths in Superfudge assist with shifting the readers interest, the overall length of the book might benefit from being shorter.

Another strength of the book is the ever encourable, Fudge. He is depicted as a fun-loving, quirky and inquisitive menace. However, for as enjoyable as the messes Fudge makes are to read, there are some instances where the wrong message could be conveyed to young readers. Blume devotes an entire chapter to Fudge's first introduction to kindergarten and and his kindergarten teacher. The title of the chapter is: Farley Drexel Meets Rat Face. From the title alone, it is clear that Fudge's first impressions of his teacher are not favorable, and in the chapter itself, Fudge acts out when placed in a foreign situation. His brother, Peter, is brought in to intervene and remedy the situation. In an effort to avoid his teacher, Fudge has perched himself above the shelves of the cubby holes in his classroom and refuses to come down until his demands are met. To accomplish the task of getting Fudge down, this chapter concludes with the transferring of Fudge to another classroom where he might have full reign, per his demands.

Fudge climbed down to the top of the cubbies, and Mr. Green reached up and lifted him the rest of the way down.

"Good-bye, Farley Drexel," Mrs. Hildebrandt said.

"Good-bye, Rat Face," Fudge said to her.

I gave him an elbow and whispered,"You don't go around calling teachers Rat Face."

"Not even if they have one?" he asked.

"Not even then." I said.

Clearly, as a reader can extrapulate through this chapter, this scene is particularly comedic in nature, but not necessarily the best of examples as to how to respect adults or behave in new social situations. Such, are examples were the book's very strengths also serve as its primary weaknesses. The book is effectively designed with the purpose to engage children in a playful read with which they can relate on an everyday level. The book does not strive to make a political statement, preach morality, or establish a code of ethics. It is quite simply a book about 'being', and Judy Blume does 'being' very well.

An interesting meeting would take place between the character, Fudge and Winnifred Barringer, the central character in Judy Blume's novel Iggie's House. In contrast to Superfudge, Iggie's House is a book about what happens when just 'being' is no longer simple, and the challenges overcome the everyday. Judy Blume successfully depicts the most ordinary, sheltered suburban neighborhood. The house on Grove Street belonged to Winnie's best friend Iggie, and was a place of refuge for Winnie, one where she could explore her own ideas and be heard as an adult. Determined to keep the legacy of Iggie's house alive, she sets her sights on welcoming and befriending the Garbers, the new family set to move in. The Garbers are the first black family to settle into an all white neighborhood, and Winnie discovers she is one of the only people eager to welcome them. Blume began writing Iggie's House in the late 1960's when racial tensions were high and cites that her own naivety on the issue was similar to that which she creates in Winnie.

In contrast to the flow of the book Superfudge, Iggie's House is a book with a resonating plot and a very distinct path down which it takes its readers. The book is a strong exploration of both sides of the racial coin, through the heartfelt experiences of children as opposed to the more prevalent issues involving adults at the time. Every neighborhood has the characteristics of Grove Street and into every neighborhood a little Mrs. Landon must fall. Mrs. Landon, better known to Winnie as Germs Incorporated, is the character Blume creates to encapsulate the role of ring master. Each neighborhood has its most vocal leader, and in this case, Mrs. Landon has always been the neighborhood's most outspoken proponent for change. However, as the book evolves, it becomes clear to the reader that the change Mrs. Landon hopes to make is one much like the sign she chooses to nail to the Garber's lawn that reads: Go back where you belong. We don't want your kind around here!

The dialogue used throughout the course of the book is an effective blend of a child's voice, as manifested through Winifred, that evolves and matures as Winifred begins to take in the various experiences she encounters through befriending the Garbers. The scene selection is also concise and effective, moving the reader through a series of events from introduction and friendship to later rifts and turmoil surrounding the choice to make a stand. Young readers can identify with the emotions Winnie experiences and through her, be guided towards peaceful and open minded resolutions. In contrast to the journey of Superfudge, Blume takes a stand in Iggie's House and emphasizes human compassion and understanding as most important.

Glenn read the sign in a hoarse and whispery voice, as if he needed to say it out loud to believe that it was real.

GO BACK WHERE YOU BELONG. WE DON'T WANT YOUR KIND AROUND HERE!!!!!

Mr. Garber grabbed the sign, yanked it out of the ground and broke it in half over his knee. Winnie felt her cheeks burning. She was shaking all over. "We're not all like that," she heard a small voice say. "We're not...we're not...we're not." She realized the voice as her own and that she was crying. She turned and fled, tears streaming down her face.

The success of this book, is its ability to bring an issue as complex as racial equality, to the forefront in a way that pertains to us all. There exists an innately universal quality to the sentiment expressed by Winnie in this scene. At one time or another, most people have encountered some type of situation in which they felt much like Winnie does here. The limited weakness the book encounters at certain turns is the loss of the storyline to the enormity of the issue of race. At various points, it becomes difficult to separate the story of a girl named Winnie and her new friends the Garbers, or to identify an alternate theme, from that of the central one taking place about race.

Despite the weighty issue at the heart of Iggie's House, the book is a welcomed departure from the typical book one has come to expect of Judy Blume. The same characteristics of comedic playfulness set against a similar theme of change and new friendships arise in Iggie's House as they do in Superfudge. Both books begin at a very pivotal juncture in a child's life---change. The central characters in both are strong willed, eclectic, and witty individuals struggling to adapt themselves to their world(s) and the other way around. Judy Blume takes her readers on two very unique journeys, each most definitely worth the trip.

Biography of Beverly Cleary

2007-12-15T15:07:00.000-08:00

Known as "A girl from Yamhill," reading about Beverly Cleary's life you might think it was one of her characters in a book. She has an interesting yet ironic story that many people can appreciate and relate to. Born in 1916, she grew up on a farm in Yamhill, Oregon. This town was so small it had no library and her mother arranged with the State Library to have books sent to them. Her mother acted as the local librarian and used a room on the second floor of the local bank as the library. When Beverly was six she moved to Portland and attended her first grammar school. However because she came from such a small farming community, she didn't have any schooling experience and found it hard to adjust to attending a classroom with 40 other students. Here she was put into a low reading circle and that is one of her reasons for writing books, to sympathize with struggling readers. She found the books available at that time didn't relate to children where she lived and often were only about English or Pioneer children. She wanted to read books about children like that in her neighborhood and everyday experiences. Once she got over her difficulty of reading by the 3rd grade, books became her passion. The book that really turned things around for her was The Dutch Twins, by Lucy Fitch Perkins. This is when she really learned to read for enjoyment but realized there still was a need for books about every day circumstances and children like those in her neighborhood.

With her dreams about becoming a writer, it was only fitting that she choose to attend college in California where many go to fulfill their dreams as well. As a young women "who was sure where she wanted to go but did not know if she could find the money to get there," she ended up attending a junior college in Ontario, California where she got her Associate of Arts degree. She continued on to graduate from the University of California at Berkeley with a Bachelor's of Arts degree in English. She then continued to pursue her dream and got a degree in librarianship at the University of Washington in Seattle. After completing this degree she got her first full time job as a librarian and ran into students that also were searching for the kind of books she was as a child. That prompted her to write her first book Henry Huggins, where the character of Ramona Quimby made a debut.

When asked in an interview what prompted her to write the character of Ramona Quimby she replied by saying it was accidental because when writing the Henry book, it occurred to her that all the children appeared to be only children, so she added a little sister. She had heard someone yelling the name Ramona out the window and that's how it started. Then she was inspired by a little girl that lived near Cleary who was considered rather impossible. Cleary has a memory of the little girl coming home from the grocery store and she has a pound of butter, which she had opened and was just eating it. Ramona appeals to many young readers because she is a normal and an imperfect everyday kid and according to Cleary doesn't learn to be a better girl.

She has won numerous awards for her books as well as received 35 state awards based directly on reader votes. She receives thousands of letters from her readers every year and that is how her Newbery Medal winner, Dear Mr. Henshaw was created. She received two letters from little boys, who didn't know one another, asking her to write about a boy whose parents were divorced and she decided to give it a try. Writing about a young boy going through his parents divorce, is another example of how Beverly Cleary writes about topics that relates to her readers and reaches such a large audience. Her books are available in over twenty countries and in fourteen different languages.

In honor on Beverly's birthday this year they choose her birthday to celebrate national D.E.A.R day.

But I HATE History!!!

2007-12-14T12:45:00.000-08:00

Do you dread discussing the Civil War in Social Studies class? Do you detest having to memorize the numerous dates, eras, and periods of various events throughout our history? Do you sit around wondering who had the hair-brained idea to name the Great Depression after the word "great", when it wasn't really great at all?! If you share in my loathing of all things "history", then have I got an author for you!

Patricia McKissack. That's her name. Plain and simply an author that will change your mind about what you think about history.

Patricia McKissack will make history come alive for you! This Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award winning author does this by writing about real historic events, but as seen through the eyes of fictional characters. This genre is called historical fiction. When reading historical fiction, we get to walk alongside the main character through any trials and tribulations they may face, which is much different than just reading about historical events and the infamous names of those who took part in them.

Patricia McKissack was born Patricia L'Ann Carwell in the southern town of Smyrna, Tennessee on August 9, 1944. Her family moved North to St. Louis, Missouri shortly after her birth, which is where she spent the early part of her growing-up years. When Patricia was twelve, she moved back to Tennessee and developed a very close friendship with a boy named Fredrick McKissack who, many years later, would become her husband. Patricia and Fredrick attended Tennessee State University in Nashville together, and married the same year that Patricia graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English in 1964. Patricia enjoyed a career as a teacher for several years before returning to St. Louis, now a mother of three, with her husband and sons to further her education at Webster University. She received her Masters in Early Childhood Literature and Media Programming in 1975. Patricia then switched careers and became an editor of children's books. She liked what she did for a living, but she wanted something more. Patricia's husband Fredrick knew this about his wife, so one day, as the two of them sat alone in their car, he asked her: "If you could do anything you wanted in this whole wide world for the rest of your life, what would you do?". Patricia answered: "Write books." And from that point on, with the help of her husband, that is exactly what she did. Patricia quit her editing job and her husband Fredrick quit his job as an engineer in order to pursue a writing partnership that has produced nearly 100 books....and counting!

Books with an African-American Focus

One of the primary reasons that Patricia desired to become an author of children's literature was because she felt that there was such a limited amount of material available to children that discussed the African American culture or their contributions to society. Both she and her husband, who grew up during the Civil Rights Era, sought "to enlighten, to change attitudes, to set goals - to build bridges with books." Though Patricia has relied on her own memories for some of the material of her books, she also thoroughly researches her books before writing them so that the material will be as authentic as possible. For example, with her book Christmas in the Big House, Christmas in the Quarters, Patricia and Fredrick McKissack traveled to Virginia for their research of a real plantation for this story that is set on an 1859 Virginia plantation. Patricia has actually seen the slave quarters that she describes in the book, and because of this, it becomes all the more "real" to the reader as well. Before writing fictional books, Patricia wrote mostly non-fiction books and biographies. She often tackled "controversial topics, such as racism", but did so in a way that invited all readers, regardless of their cultural background, to read (and to learn). And though her original goal was to produce writing that introduced children to "African and African American history and historical figures", Patricia has since branched out to writing the accounts of some Native-American tribes, as well as also writing about the Holocaust.

Patricia McKissack really is an author worth getting to know. Following this bio will be a critical analysis of two books that I have selected: Run Away Home and A Friendship for Today.

Click here to visit Patricia and Fredrick McKissack's Biography Writer's Workshop. This site will not only teach you how to research and write a biography, but will show you how to publish it!

Critical Analysis: Patricia McKissack

2007-12-14T12:43:00.000-08:00

African American families; feelings of hope and unity; racial prejudice; characters who overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles -- these are some of the themes you will find in almost any given novel by Patricia McKissack. Written primarily for audiences ages 10-14 years old, Patricia develops her characters so that readers will be able to relate to them almost as well as they might relate to a friend at school. You will root for these characters along every step of their journey, and in doing so, you will learn the true meaning of perseverance and self-pride -- attributes that all children should have in bounty.

A Tale of Two Books
The following is an analysis of two of Ms. McKissack's books: Run Away Home, published in 1997, and A Friendship for Today, published ten years later in 2007. Though each book is set in a different time period, they both center around a main character who is preteen and female. In Run Away Home, the story takes place in rural Alabama, 1888. The main themes in this book are respect for cultural differences, family unity and perseverance. McKissack pulls from her own African American and Native American ancestry to write a book that discusses the little-known relationship between these two cultures during a period in time when both cultures were being treated deplorably by the racist, Southern-white majority. In Run Away Home, we meet Sarah Crossman, who is an eleven-year old only child who adores her parents, her simple lifestyle, and her dog Buster. However, Sarah gets much more than she bargained for when she and her mother rescue a very sick runaway Apache boy whom Sarah had witnessed escaping from the train that runs through her town. What follows is a heartwarming story about how two children from very different cultures learn to respect and trust one another so deeply, despite their differences, that they become brother and sister in all ways other than blood. Though this is the human aspect of McKissack's novel, she is meanwhile teaching her readers about the important historical events that were occurring during this time period. African Americans had only recently been freed in the South, and most faced danger and death at almost every turn. The white Supremacist group, Knights of the Southern Order, was terrorizing men who attempted to vote, threatening families who were trying to better themselves financially, and burning down the homes of African Americans who tried to stand up against them. Even though this book deals with a lot of painful history, it is important that these stories still be told. McKissack addresses the issues eloquently by telling the story through the eyes of an innocent child.

In A Friendship for Today, the setting is now Kirkland, Missouri, "a town just outside of St. Louis" in 1954. The Supreme Court has just ordered that all schools be desegregated based on the landmark decision in Brown vs. Board of Education. The major themes in this book are personal character, friendship, and racial prejudice. In this novel, the main character is now twelve-year-old Rosemary Patterson. The story begins with Rosemary and her best friend J.J. having just completed the fifth grade at an all-black school that will be closing its doors forever. Of their whole class, only Rosemary and J.J. will be attending the brand new Robertson Elementary School. Though the idea of going to an all-white school next year is very scary to Rosemary, she feels a lot better because she will be doing it right alongside her best friend in the whole wide world. Then tragedy strikes, forcing Rosemary to desegregate Robertson all by herself! Patricia McKissack artfully tells the story of a young girl who has an incredible responsibility placed upon her shoulders -- to change history. Along with historical events, this book (similar to Run Away Home) deals with several relationship themes as well. Rosemary faces the imminent divorce of her parents and feels as though her father no longer loves her. Rosemary worries about betraying her best friend J.J. by developing new friendships with some of the "white girls" at school. Life has suddenly gotten difficult for a young girl to whom most things, like the A's on her report cards and beating even the fastest boys in a race, has always come easy. Readers take Rosemary's journey of hardship and self-discovery right along with her. We feel her discomfort from being assigned to a building full of people who are different from her, many of whom don't want her there at all. We feel her anger and frustration when people call Rosemary by racial slurs. We feel her pride when she displays courage in both her words and actions. This book is about protecting one's own good character by treating everyone with respect, regardless of whether or not they show the same in return.

There are several similarities and differences that can be addressed with regard to each of the described novels. Both books focus on characters who have a strong sense of who they are, which certainly helps them in overcoming the many obstacles they have to face. These characters are also very open-minded, allowing them to form strong, supportive bonds with people who they'd considered "different" from themselves, only to discover that they weren't so different after all. Also contained in both books is a strong connection to African American culture, such as through the frequent discussion of superstition -- a common theme found in African American literature, and language that reflects the distinct vernacular of the particular time and place described within each novel. Both of these novels put a strong emphasis onto character description, making it easy for readers to visualize the different players within each of the stories. There are also distinct differences between the two novels. One such difference would be that of the social class of the main character. In Run Away Home, Sarah's family is very poor; they are barely able to make ends meet and are in danger of losing their farm. After experiencing a failed crop, much of the plot involves Papa trying to save the family home from being taken over by the racist whites in town. In A Friendship for Today, however, Rosemary's family could be described as middle class. They live in a nice home; both of Rosemary's parents are self-employed and running successful businesses. There is no discussion of financial hardship within Rosemary's family throughout the book. Despite such class differences, though, many of the issues faced by each of the main characters are similar: racial discrimination, fear for safety, and injustice. Another noteable difference between the two novels is the amount of power that each of the main characters realistically has to fight against the unfair treatment they are experiencing. In Run Away Home, Sarah and her family have incredible limitations placed upon what they can say and do to speak out, because doing so might cause the family to be physically hurt or killed. In A Friendship for Today, Rosemary has a great deal more freedom to speak up for herself without fearing for her life, as the times are much different. When discussing these differences, it becomes obvious that author Patricia McKissack has put an enormous amount of effort into researching the historical materal that is the basis of her fictional novels. It is extremely important to her that she accurately reflect the true attitudes and realistic dangers for African Americans during those respective time periods.

Each of these novels will provide readers some insight into what it might have been like to live during these time periods. Much like a movie, we can live vicariously through these characters to see what they saw and feel how they felt. Only the very best authors can do that, and Patricia McKissack is certainly one of those authors! Now...let's get to reading!

* For Some Extra Fun: After reading some of Patricia McKissack's books, test your knowledge about the author herself, and about some of the material from her many novels by clicking on this link.

Critical Analysis of Lauren Child

2007-12-13T18:59:00.000-08:00

What initially drew me to Lauren Child's books was definitely her signature collage style artwork and mesmerizing illustrations. They captivated me from the moment I opened the book. Then I was introduced to the main characters, Charlie and Lola. These endearing characters create an instant connection with their readers because they are such real, funny, and lovable kids.

But Excuse Me That is My Book

Have you ever looked forward to something so much only to realize it is all sold out or no longer available? At the library, Lola just HAS to get Beetles, Bugs , and Butterflies, her most favorite book in the whole world. She looks and looks and is left to discover the unthinkable- it's not there! Lola is beside herself. How could this happen? Beetles, Bugs, and Butterflies is Lola's book and more importantly, what does she do now? In a hysterically funny and thoughtful way, Charlie helps his little sister Lola discover that there are many more wonderful books just waiting for Lola to discover at the library. After all, what are big brothers for?

Snow Is My Favorite and My Best

Can your really have to much of a good thing? In Snow Is My Favorite and My Best, Lola learns this lesson first hand, along with a little help from her big brother, Charlie. When the weatherman predicts snow, Lola absolutely cannot wait. Snow means sledding, and snow angels, and snow doggies, and hot chocolate. Snow is Lola's favorite thing. She wonders, "wouldn't it be great to have snow all the time?"

In Snow Is My Favorite and My Best you'll join Charlie and Lola in the Arctic and Antarctic as they meet some new furry friends. Charlie helps Lola discover that while snow is very fun, having it all the time might get a bit old.

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Book

This is a story about a little boy named Herb. Herb liked reading, but he Loved reading storybooks. He wasn't a very good reader, but it didn't matter because he could tell a lot from the pictures. One night, Herb couldn't find any of his picture books and the only book he managed to find was a book of fairy tales. In this book, Lauren Child takes her own creative and unique twist on the everyday fairy tale.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading each Lauren's books. They are each very similar in that, she incorporates characters that all children can really relate to. Personally, I believe that this a major component to what makes Lauren such a successful writer. She is clearly in tuned with her audience and how to reach them. Just like in the simple fairy tales we all have known and grown up with, Lauren writes about life lessons that can be found in each of her books. Whether the lesson is trying something new, or appreciating what you have, Lauren is undeniably very creative in presenting these idea's through her stories.

What sets Lauren apart from other children's writers is her illustrations. She has become famous for using many different mediums including magazine cuttings, collage material, photography, as well as traditional watercolors. Her illustrations can be considered a work of art.

Lauren Child has revamped traditional children's books. I have very much enjoyed learning about her as an author and getting to know her endearing characters. She is writer you should know!

Biography of Judy Blume

2007-12-13T14:11:00.000-08:00

"When I was growing up, I dreamed about becoming a cowgirl, a detective, a spy, a great actress or a ballerina. Not a dentist, like my father, or a homemaker, like my mother---certainly not a writer, although I always loved to read. I didn't know anything about writers. It never occurred to me that they were regular people and that I could grow up to become one, even though I loved to make up stories inside my head."

Today Judy Blume remains one of the most prolific authors of children's books in America. Her books have sold over 75 million copies and translated into twenty different languages. To her writing credit, she holds in excess of ninety awards including the prestigious Margaret A. Edwards award for Lifetime Achievement. It is, perhaps, for this reason, that people find it odd to hear Judy Blume speak of growing up to become a ballerina, and that of all things in her life, becoming a writer, was the ultimate surprise.

Born an initially shy Aquarius with a love for the color purple, Judy Blume grew up in Elizabeth town, New Jersey. As a child, Judy thought nothing of creating intricate characters and stories in her head. She confesses, however, that until the time is uniquely right, she does not introduce a single character or plot line to the page.

My characters live inside my head for a long time before I actually start to write a book about them. Then, they become so real to me I talk about them at the dinner table as if they are real. Some people consider this weird. But my family understands."

Judy went on to attend New York University. It was there that Judy met her first husband John M. Blume, and the two were married in 1959 while Judy was in her junior year of college. She graduated from New York University in 1961 with a B.S. in Education and the couple celebrated with the arrival of their first child, their daughter, Randy. The couple went on to have a son, Lawrence, before divorcing in 1975. Judy's second marraige to Thomas Kitchen a year later also resulted in divorce in 1978. She did not remarry again until 1987, when she met non-fiction writer George Cooper. The couple have three children between them, to include a step-daughter, Amanda.

It was during the years her children were old enough to attend pre-school that Judy began her early attempts at writing, and subsequently publishing. In an effort to ease her frustrations and fears over a rejection period of two years, Judy enrolled in writing courses at New York University. It was during this time, a period stretching over the course of two semesters, that Judy seemed to find her niche. She had some publishing success with magazines, wrote the early drafts of a book that would be known as Iggie's House, and at the age of twenty seven, published her first book: The One in the Middle is the Green Kangaroo. This marked the beginning of a highly successful career in writing, leading to future publications of over 21 books, an adoringly diverse fan base and a lifetime in the limelight.

To critics and readers alike, a key, contributing attribute that ensures Judy Blume's career longevity, has always been her remarkable authenticity. Whether through the voice of a main character experiencing puberty or referring to her own motivations to begin writing at twenty seven----the result has always been a candid, uncensored snapshot, of her thoughts and emotions. One such example can be seen in this excerpt of an interview with Arts Correspondent Jeffrey Brown in 2004, where Judy's powerful authenticity to say what many experience and few voice, appeared to leave him a bit surprised.

Judy: The voice in my head was the voice of a child, and the voice that came out spontaneously on paper was the voice of a child. And also I think, because at 27, when I really started to write, I felt that life was over for me. I had made my...

Jeffrey Brown: Over for you?

Judy: Over. I had made my choices. I married very young. I had my children, as we did then. And this was going to be it. I didn't know that there were any opportunities around the corner. You know, I mean, it...

Jeffrey Brown: You mean, you felt trapped.

Judy: Well, yes, I guess I did feel trapped. But I thought...looking back, that was the life that interested me, the child that I was when it seemed that everything was still possible, everything was new and exciting, everything was a first.

Jeffrey Brown: And then writing became a way to a new life?

Judy: It certainly did. What I remember when I started to write was how I couldn't wait to get up in the morning to get to my characters. And I just went from book to book to book because it...it gave me my life, again. It gave me my inner life, that connection that I had lost.

It is this connection to children, and to those issues for which she lends a voice, for which she has received widespread praise, and the merciless scrutiny of many a critic. She has been the target of many censorship efforts, aimed largely at restricting child access to books such as: Forever and Are you there God? It's Me Margaret, in which the characters deal with issues related to both puberty and sexuality.

Mark Oppenheimer, in his article for the NY Times Book Review, states his belief that the issues Blume explores in her books, can perhaps hit too close to home in the classroom, and therefore, are preferably avoided altogether. In his article, he recounts his own childhood reading experiences.

"Usually, in the world of children's literature, the same books are successful with readers, teachers and critics: think of E. B. White, Madeleine L'Engle, E. L. Konigsberg or Scott O'Dell. The committees that select the winners of the Newbery Medals are composed of librarians. Their awards are trusted, prompting teachers to assign the books to their fifth graders, who obligingly read and like them. From fourth through sixth grades, I was assigned O'Dell's ''Island of the Blue Dolphins'' three times and was made to read each volume of L'Engle's ''Time'' trilogy. No teacher ever assigned Judy Blume. "

Despite such obstacles, however, Judy Blume has managed to successfully stand the test of time. Today she lends a voice to the National Coalition Against Censorship, working to protect intellectual freedom. The span of Judy Blume's career has honored her with the title(s) of writer, activist, wife, mother, grandmother and inspiration to children everywhere.

"Dear Judy,

My mom never talks about the things young girls think most about. She doesn't know how I feel. I don't know where I stand in the world. I don't know who I am. That's why I read, to find myself." Letter from Elizabeth/Reader/Age 13

Judy Blume: "...And Elizabeth is the reason that I keep writing."

Critical Analysis of Gary Paulsen

2007-12-12T11:12:00.000-08:00

Youthful summers away from home doing chores on farms, construction work, truck driver, and two rounds of the Iditarod (the Alaskan dog sled race); provided Gary Paulsen with sufficient material to write powerful stories. Paulsen has a way of intertwining his real life experiences into his novels. Allowing the reader to experience first hand his accounts of self discovery through adventure and conflict.

Lawn Boy is Gary Paulsen’s newest book, published earlier this year. This book is about a teen boy’s needs for a new tire for his bike. He decides to use the old lawnmower that his Grandmother gave him for his birthday to start mowing lawns. Along the way he accepts the help of Arnold, a stockbroker, who takes care of the money and invests it in many things including a prizefighter named Joey Pow. This is when his summer gets interesting.

Harris and Me is also about a young boy and how he spends his summer vacation. In this novel a young boy is sent to live with his aunt and uncle on their farm. This boy has lived many places over the years, due to his parents drinking, but nothing quite like farm life. Harris and his cousin spend their days wrestling pigs, catching mice, and jumping from the barn, and if they can survive they might just make it through the summer.

One way that Paulsen is able to give the reader this first hand experience in both of these novels is that he allows the reader to become the main character. Both of these books, written 13 years apart, have a nameless main character, something unusual for Gary Paulsen and his writing. These nameless characters allows the reader to jump in and experience exactly what that character is going through. At one point during Lawn Boy, the young boy is confronted by a competing lawn care company and Gary writes in such a way that you feel uncomfortable when the situation escalates and Joe Pow confronts them. The same is true in Harris and Me when you feel the excitement when Harris and his cousin are playing war and start to wrestle the pigs. Gary creates these characters that you feel connected to because you are reading it through their point of view.

Even though these two books share commonalities among them, the characters and themes are very different. In Lawn Boy we live the life of a young suburban boy with stable parents who simply spends his time mowing lawns and becomes wealthy because of his investments. In Harris and Me we get to examine the life of a young boy who does not have very stable parents and spends the summer using his imagination to build a bond with his cousin Harris. Although both characters have lived very different lives you are still able to feel for each of them. At points in both novels you find yourself deeply drawn to each character and truly care about them. In Lawn Boy you learn how one young boy invests his money to create a more comfortable life at home. His discovery is one of business sense and the accomplishment of starting something from nothing. The same is not true in Harris and Me, where Harris’s cousin finds a sense of self and is able to form an actual connection with another person. His investment is personal and he finds something inside himself that he has never felt before. This connection is something that is missing in his life and he greatly appreciates what Harris and his family has done for him.

The other major difference that you can pick up through these two novels is the backdrop. In one novel you see how the setting creates the experience and in the other you need to use your imagination to create a life of your own. In Harris and Me you are transported to the country life of living on a farm, and watching movies in the backroom of a bar. Although Harris and his family live comfortably, they have very little experience in life outside of their little community. Lawn Boy takes place in a suburban town where the boy lives comfortable but feels the need to help his parents out by making money to help pay bills. The experiences in Lawn Boy are created by this backdrop of the suburban neighborhood and how a boy can seek adventure and conflict in unexpected places. On the other hand, Harris and Me, examines the same themes but the experiences are true for what life is like in a small farming community. There is no money to be made its about a simple life and using your imagination to create the experiences that will last a lifetime. Both of these boys will remember there completely different summers for the rest of their lives.

Gary Paulsen’s unstable childhood coupled with his sense of adventure have created a great foundation for incredible novels for young readers. As evident in Lawn Boy and Harris and Me you are able to see that sense of real life experiences intertwined with the journey of two young boys to build bonds and find their way. It took many different circumstances for Gary to find his way to writing and he shares that experience with his readers in his novels. If your looking for a wonderful rags to riches story with plenty of humor and colorful characters then Lawn Boy is for you. If you want to experience adventures as wild as boyhood imaginations and a heartwarming story then you might want to read Harris and Me. However, would we even be able to experience either of these novels if it wasn’t for a librarian offering one simple card to a boy who was seeking some warmth?

Hey, who is this peanut head little boy?

2007-12-11T11:41:00.000-08:00

Well, it is Christopher Paul Curtis,
Winner of both the Newbery Award and the Coretta Scott King Medal.

Hello, I am Christopher Paul Curtis (CPC)

2007-12-11T11:40:00.000-08:00

Hey, that peanut head little boy is not Christopher Paul Curtis (CPC)! Ok, yes it is. Here is a better picture where he has the Denzel look going.

He was born in Flint, Michigan, in 1953, the second of five children. His father, Herman E. Curtis, was a chiropodist (foot doctor), and his mother, Leslie, who attended Michigan State, was a homemaker. Due to economical and social issues, Dr. Curtis had to stop practicing medicine, and went to work at the Fisher Body plant. When CPC graduated from high school in 1971 he went to work on the assembly line with him. CPC was accepted at the University of Michigan-Flint, so it was supposed to be just a summer job, but the money was too good. He spent the next thirteen years on the assembly line, hanging eighty-pound car doors on Buicks, going to school at night and working toward his degree part time. CPC mother was so happy when he finally completed his degree, in the year of 2000.

Christopher contributes most of his success to his family, especially his wife Kaysandra. While dating, he used to write her letters about his job, family, and friends, and Kay said, “You’re good at this. You could be a writer.” So while working at Fisher Body, He, along with a coworker ,worked out a plan. Instead of them taking turns hang every other door, they decided each one would hang every door for half an hour while the other took a half-hour break. Christopher used this time to write as a way to escape the noise and boredom of the automobile factory. During this time, he married Kaysandra and they had two children, Steven and Cydney. Ok, it was delightful talking about CPC to all of you. I will provide some more history on this SUPER-DUPER creative and versatile author soon enough. I can only hope that my words do him the justice he deserves.

Kaysandra , Christopher's wife , encouraged him to quit his job at the plant and focus on writing full time. He took full advantage of this situation by approaching his writing as a job. He would wake up early in the morning and go to the children's section of the public library for creative motivation. He would spend hours upon hours reading and writing, which to him was great because he loved to write. CPC was not a prolific typist, so he reach out to his family for assistance. Steven, his son, volunteered to help by typing all his handwritten material--just another example on how Christopher's family provided the required support for him to be successful as an author.

I will discuss 2 of Christopher's books: Bud,Not Buddy, Mr. Chickee's Funny Money. These books are very different,they will provide insight on how CPC is so versatile, imaginative and capturing to readers of all ages. For a closer personal look into CPC, here are 2 interviews conducted by Tavis Smiley and Al Rooker. Enjoy! CPC and Tavis Smiley, Al Book Club

"BUD, NOT BUDDY" by Christopher Paul Curtis

2007-12-11T11:38:00.000-08:00

"Bud, not Buddy" is a book for readers of all ages. this book illustrates the journey of a young boy desperately in search of his biological father whom he has never known.Due to several crisis and unpredictable circumstances , Bud has decided to flee from is current foster home. This fictional story by CPC has a true to life touch.Christopher developed several of the characters from "Bud,not Buddy" to represent actual members of his family. CPC displayed the creativity to incorporate fiction with real life characters, who were instrumental within this particular text. These characters guide and mentor Bud through crucial obstacles which prove to be pivotal in achieving his desired outcome. As Bud embarks on a journey of hope, he is confronted with the unpleasant reality of the 1930's Great Depression. This story represents a little boy,who is desperately in search of the emotional support he believes a family provides. A little boy who refuses to assimilate to a marginalized life within orphanages,group homes and foster families that are the cornerstones to his abuse, loneliness and unhappiness. Bud's predetermined desire to find his father instills within him the strength to accept rejection as well as the devotion to forge forward to achieve emotional satisfaction.

Bud,Not Buddy "Synopsis"

It's 1936, in Flint, Michigan. Ten-year-old Bud may be a homeless boy on the run, but he is determined to find his long lost father, no matter where it might lead him. His mother never told him who his father was, but she left a clue: posters of Herman E. Calloway and his famous band, the Dusky Devastators of the Depression! Bud's got an idea that those posters along with a few mysteriously labeled rocks will lead to his father. Once he decides to hit the road and find this mystery man, nothing can stop him.There are, of course, many set-backs on the way and many people who lend a hand. At the mission where Bud is too late for the evening meal, another homeless family pretends that he's with them. A very kind man who turns out to be a labor union organizer finds Bud hiding at the side of the road near a racial intolerant village and takes Bud home to his own family before transporting him to Grand Rapids to his supposed father. Bud's irrepressible good nature, his innocence and his survival skills make him memorable. His literal interpretation of language, his belief system which includes vampires, tokens and ritual behavior all serve to allow us to see the world through the eyes of a ten year old.

The setting in the 30s, the height of the Great Depression, and the small tastes of racism that Christopher weaves in so skillfully make this book stand head and shoulders above the rest. This book is a direct representation of the main reason CPC became an author. He states " While growing up, I loved to read ,but could not find any books about me ." I believe CPC makes a strong connection to his own cultural background, but also connects with children of different social economical level and ethnic make up with this piece of literature. This is supported by the fact that he received a Coretta Scott King Award and John Newbery Medal for his work on "Bud, not Buddy."

MR. CHICKEE'S FUNNY MONEY

2007-12-11T10:39:00.000-08:00

Mr. Chickee's Funny Money is book by CPC written to captivate a younger audience. This particular piece of literature is composed with a tremendous level of imagination to engage as well as inspire young readers. While this book proved to be an easy read, as an adult reader, I felt severely disconnected to the main theme and characters. It was not until I deliberately and consciously burgeon my mind, and read from a child's perspective, that I felt a connection with the characters in this book. Steven is a curious, intelligent little boy who is the main persona in this fictional story. Every Saturday morning Steven accompanies Mr. Chickee, his blind, elderly neighbor to the grocery store to assist him with his shopping. Usually Steven is rewarded with Vernor's Ginger ale and a bag of potato chips, but one day he receives an envelope that contains a most unusual piece of currency --- a quadrillion-dollar bill with a picture of the singer James Brown on it. So the main theme revolves around Steven trying to verify the legitimacy of this quadrillion-dollar bill. Mr. Chickee instructs Steven not tell anyone about the contents of the envelope. Steven, seeks the help of his buddy Russell, and Zoopy (Russell's huge, bear-like dog) who, along with Steven are the only members of Flint's Future Detectives. Steven and Russell are determined to find out if the bill is real. Steven's dad thinks the money is an advertising gimmick, but Steven's mother wants a second opinion, which is how Steven gets entangled with Agent Fondoo from the U.S. Treasury Department.

This piece of literature contains several real life themes that are important for young readers to learn about. Through a vivid and creative imagination children will be exposed to the importance of trust, accountability and reliability when building healthy relationships. Also, Steven is challenged to deal with emotional loss when personal relationships are no longer in existence in his life.

Ok LETS COMPARE

Now that I have provided a synopsis of both "BUD, NOT BUDDY"and "MR. CHICKEE'S FUNNY MONEY", lets explore their differences and similarities.

The main characters in both these books are young African American boys. Steven and Bud both are around 10 years old, residing in Flint, Michigan. Although they experienced childhood life about 40 years apart, both of these boys display curious tendencies along with adventures spirits. Here is where their similarities end.Steven comes from a very supportive family environment. He lives a comfortable middle class life surrounded by parents who provide safety, to go along with much needed attention that Steven requires. Bud, on the other hand, has absolutely no biological family the speak of. His mother has passed away and he does not know who his father is. So, unlike Steven, he can't rely on anyone to provide the essential emotional support a 10 year old child needs. Bud is moved from orphanage to foster homes experiencing both physical and mental abuse. This is an excellent example of the immense creativity that CPC illustrates in his literature work. By creating characters that depict such opposite characteristics, but also several similarities CPC demonstrates is creative versatility.

As hungry readers, consuming the text in these particular books, I can assure you that all appetites will be satisfied although in different forms. By this, I mean that the language CPC choose to use in "Bud, Not Buddy" is significantly different than that of "Mr. Chickee's Funny Money". When reading "Bud, Not Buddy" one is drawn in by the hardship and struggles that confront this young boy.One can feel the pain of a lost soul with no allowable comfort zone.Readers feel the abuse and neglect Bud has to endure throughout the book. these conditions are inflicted on him by the adults who are suppose to provide shelter, love as well as compassion. In "Mr. Chickee's Funny Money"the text is childish, funny and happy. It is also engaging, but on a different level than "Bud, Not Buddy." The words just seem to jump out at you as if you were a child all over again. Just a little example for the child inside of you: SHLISHY-SPLASHY TEARS,BA-WEEP!BA-WEEP!, LUB-DUB!LUB-DUB! and my favorite PLEEZTAMEECHEW. I have to mention that even writing these words brought a smile to my face, so imagine when reading them for the first time the impact they will have.

From both of these books a child or adult can enhance their social and personal knowledge."Bud,Not Buddy"consist of a story which society as a whole can personally relate to.We all have trials and tribulations to face in our life journey. There are missing elements to all our lives that we would love to fill. We are immersed with pleasure upon reading of Bud's resilience and strength to overcome the struggles that plague is childhood. Every word we absorb gives Bud the courage to conquer the next set of obstacles he encounters. While in "Mr. Chickee's Funny Money" we are transported to our childhood to relive precious moments spent with our best-est friend (hey, do not forget about that dog that was always by your side, no matter what).The lessons in this book are about friendship, imagination and the freedom to dream.

Christopher Paul Curtis can be described has a culturally aware, versatile and sensitive author, but that would sell him short. In these 2 books he taps into several important social issue that are present within our current society. He explores the importance of having a solid family structure along with the healthy development of friendship through trust. He also references history , racism and social mobility to remind us of the past, so we continue to forge forward and demand social justice, and strive for an ever evolving society. Allow yourself to take a joy ride through the many books of CPC.

READING IS FUNDAMENTAL

2007-12-11T09:38:00.000-08:00

Find out more about books written by Christopher Paul Curtis and his literature awards. Click to enter the world of children's literature through the eyes of a passionate, sensitive and creative award winning author.

Biography of Lauren Child

2007-12-11T09:36:00.000-08:00

Lauren Child is the most exciting children's writer/illustrator to emerge in recent years. She recently won the Kate Greenaway Medal for her book I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato, another of her books Beware of the Storybook Wolves was also shortlisted for the award. In her short career as a children's illustrator Lauren has also been the winner of the Smarties Award 2000 Bronze Medal and was Highly Commended for the 1999 Kate Greenaway Medal. She is the author of the Clarice Bean series of books and has also illustrated the Definitely Daisy series by Jenny Oldfeld.

Lauren attended two art schools where she says she didn't learn much and has also worked for the artist Damien Hirst, famous for his animals suspended in formaldehyde, for three years mixing colours and working on his spot paintings. Prior to having her first book published Lauren also had a business with a friend called Chandeliers for the People, making exotic lampshades.

Her humorous illustrations contain many different mediums including magazine cuttings, collage, material and photography as well as traditional watercolours. The narrative in her books take a witty look at everyday situations, I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato is a story about Lola, a fussy eater, and her brother Charlie. To get a glimpse of these two lovable characters visit Lauren's official webiste http://www.milkmonitor.com/.

Lauren has two books coming out in September, the first, My Dream Bed which is published by Hodder is a novelty book featuring pop-ups and flaps, is aimed at pre-school children. The second is the next in the Clarice Bean Series, What Planet Are You From, Clarice Bean? which is published by Orchard. To view a full interview with Lauren check out http://www.jubileebooks.co.uk/jubilee/magazine/authors/lauren_child/lauren_child_interview.asp
Lauren lives and works in London for the design agency Big Fish. http://magicpencil.britishcouncil.org/artists/child/

Madonna's The English Roses or The Cliquey Roses?

2007-12-10T20:03:00.000-08:00

Madonna who was inspired to write children's books after the birth of her children and her continuous faith in Kabblah. The English Roses Book Series has a whimsical, autobiography type writing style. Madonna has written a total of 6 children books with the theme of The English Roses.

In all of her English Roses books Madonna deals with issues that many tweens may encounter. I wanted to explore Madonna's Books because I was fascinated that my favorite 80's singer had transformed herself into a children's author. I have to say there are probably better books and author's out in the world that portray such tween issues and dilemmas with better solutions. But, her choice of subjects are very real and down earth. Unfortunately, when I was reading about the clique of the roses I was slightly disappointed. The girls in The English Roses are portrayed in the illustrations as all beautiful, thin and popular. It seems to me that there is always a rosy ending for this group of girls. I do not think that Madonna portrays the real world of growing up as an 11 year old. Eleven year old girls are not all beautiful, or popular nor are endings always rosy.

The two chapter books that I read in her series were; The English Roses, Good-bye Grace and The English Roses;The New Girl, both have many similarities. Both books have all 5 girls that are considered The English Roses, I to would it a clique. The characters that are constant in both books are Nicole the brainiac, Grace the jock, Binah the serious one, Amy the fashionista, and Charlotte the posh one. All of the girls are 11 years of age and are in the 6Th grade. Both books are based in England. The girls are best friends and do everything together. Miss Fluffernutter, a teacher in the books, is always mentioned and is sort of silly, unique, and extravagant. According to The English Roses she is the coolest ever.

The English Roses; Good-Bye Grace? Grace who is considered the jock of the clique because she loves soccer. Grace is faced with some communication problems with her parents. We know as parents and kids that we have all experienced this. Her parents are very busy but they always make time for Grace. She notices changes in her house, it looks cleaner. Her mother who never worried prior was fussing over the clutter. There are fresh flowers around and cookies baking in the oven. Grace's parents are constantly going to Paris for meetings. Basically, Grace figures out that her parents are planning to move and sell their house where Grace has been growing up. Dilemma one. What would she do if she moved? She would loose her friends, soccer team and a new boy she met on the field. Dilemma two, she doesn't feel comfortable asking her parents what is going on for fear they will tell her they are moving. The English Roses start playing detective and figure out together that Grace's parents are planning to move. Grace is devastated, sad and scared. Basically with the help of a cranky and impatient fairy godmother, the other English Roses figure out that they could still be The English Roses even if Grace moves to Paris. They can write, email, go on weekend visits and more. After they discuss this with Grace and they all figure out that friendship can last even miles away, Grace gets the nerve to confront her parents. She doesn't move after all and everyone lives happily ever after. Moral of the story... if you have good friends, your friendship will last no matter how close or far apart you are. Communication between parents and children is essential.

The English Roses; The New Girl. Have you ever been the new kid? I have my whole life. I sort of liked this book maybe because I could relate to the tween issue from my own years of adolescence. Nicole, the brainiac of The English Roses has met a friend in the states while her family was there on vacation for the summer. She spent 3 months hanging out with Leslie. Leslie is a cool American Girl who's father is a film director. Leslie is also 11, but looks, dresses and acts like she is 15 or 16. Nicole and Leslie kept in touch by email when vacation was over. Nicole was having a bad day when she opened an email from Leslie who said she would be moving to England for 3 months while her father directed a film. Nicole was thrilled. Once Leslie arrived, it was evident she did not fit in with the "Roses". Nicole started spending all of her time with Leslie and the Roses were not happy. Dilemma one, Nicole was not being a good friend. Dilemma two, Leslie and The other Roses were jealous and envious of each other's friendships with Nicole. Moral of the story, appreciate your friends, all of them equally. The English Roses and Leslie all became friends and they lived happily ever after.

Moral of my Critical Review, I love that Madonna feels compelled to focus on social dilemmas for young girls. Because of her celebrity status, her advice might be well received, but I don't think her books are super captivating. I also commend her on the fact that all of Madonna's proceeds from "The English Roses" series will be donated to Raising Malawi (http://www.raisingmalawi.org/), an orphan-care initiative. But, I don't think her books are super captivating. I do however love the illustrations, whimsical feel and colors in her the books. My biggest complaint about the books are, Madonna does not give recognition to the illustrator on the cover of her books it seems a bit pretentious. I do not like that all of the girls in the books are beautiful, skinny and popular. I do not think this portrays a very good self image for young girls, that may not have these same attributes. Overall the books were OK. Not medal winners but I think if I was 11 years old the colors, design and the overall theme would interest me. I also thought it was kind of cool that The English Roses has a website. Kids can sign up to discuss concerns about dilemmas they may have. You can download pictures, get your horoscope and play some games. Overall I think the The English Roses seemed more like The Cliquey Roses to me. Madonna in my opinion should stick with her fabulous music and then we could all live happily ever after.

Critical Analysis of Sharon Creech's Novels: The Wanderer and Granny Torrelli Makes Soup

2007-12-10T17:12:00.000-08:00

Sharon Creech's novels The Wanderer and Granny Torrelli Makes Soup have many similarities. Both novels contain a great deal of voice. In The Wanderer the entire story is told through either Sophie or Cody's journal, often quoting specific parts of conversations, stories or experiences. In this novel, a hidden story about children, specifically young teenagers, and their struggle to find their own identity is woven into the boat journey to Bompie's house in England. This theme can also be found in Granny Torrelli Makes Soup when Rosie faces the reality of changing friendship, both new and old, and the impact that has on her self-concept and identity. In this novel, Granny shares long stories and personal experiences with Rosie and her friend Bailey, comprising the majority of the novel. In both novels the main characters, Sophie and Rosie, embark on their own personal journey of self discovery and sense of belonging.

Family plays a huge role in both novels, specifically grandparents. Both novels contain a great deal of stories and lessons of acceptance and personal value taught by a grandparent. In Sophie's case these are taught to her in a journal Bompie gives her; while Rosie's lessons come from weekly visits with Granny and are often exposed during meal preparation. In both grandparent's cases loss is highlighted. Bompie is ill and alone in England after the passing of his wife and Granny is alone still dealing with a lost love, Pardo.

Both novels include very vivid imagery. Scenes are painted with descriptive words. Imagery is divided into many chapters as both novels contain a great number of chapters. Chapters are condensed, yet quite powerful.

Another similarity between The Wanderer and Granny Torrelli Makes Soup rests in the characteristics of each novel's characters. It is obvious to see the characters in The Wanderer have courage - why else would they set sail from Connecticut to England? This, of course, is also demonstrated with Sophie's parents who recently adopted her and have let her go on this journey. Bompie is also a pillar of strength and courage by returning to his "home" alone and at an old age. Courage; however, is a little more subtle in Granny Torrelli Makes Soup. In this novel Rosie demonstrates courage by standing behind her friend, Bailey, who is blind. Bailey displays courage by being a happy and loving kid despite his disability. Granny shows her courage through her many stories of leaving her love and coming to the United States. Finally Bailey's mom, Carmelita, is definitely an unsung hero in her ability not only to love Bailey unconditionally but also continue on after her husband left.

A final similarity happens to be my favorite, the many personality sides of the main characters; Sophie and Rosie. Sophie,as described by her father, has three sides to her personality. She has her dreamy and romantic side, a logical side and an impulsive and hardheaded side. Rosie, on the other hand, can be described as a tiger, fox and ice queen. After thinking about these characters' three-sided personalities, I can definitely relate though I lack the ability to accurately pinpoint my three sides.

As much as these two novels have in common, they also contain many differences. The first rests in the main plot. In The Wanderer the plot is centered around the sailing journey to Bompie's house and the stops along the way. In Granny Torrelli Makes Soup the plot revolves around Granny's weekly visits and the meal preparation.

Family and friendships differ in the two novels. Although grandparents are important in both , a grandfather is Sophie's inspiration and a grandmother is Rosie's. In The Wanderer Sophie is adopted and has to earn her family's acceptance (cousins especially), while Rosie is born into her family. The friendships or relationships that develop in The Wanderer start off distant with Sophie having to prove herself and take a lot of crap from Brian especially. This eventually comes full circle and ends with permanent bonds being formed. In Granny Torrelli Makes Soup the novel starts with close-knit friendships which become somewhat distant and eventually return to being close again. As I have already mentioned, Sophie is adopted and her adoptive parents truly want her and have accepted her as their own. Bailey's blindness has put a strain on his parent's marriage, ultimately resulting in his father leaving as leaving was easier for him than dealing with his son's disability. Finally in Granny Torrelli Makes Soup friendship is challenged when others are brought in, while in The Wanderer friendship grows stronger when others are brought in.

Another contrast, though strikingly obvious, is there are no physical disabilities to note in The Wanderer while Bailey's blindness is an important aspect in Granny Torrelli Makes Soup.

My final contrast is the closest to my heart . . . the way lessons are taught in each of the novels and the effects that has on relationships. In Rosie's case, she secretly learns Braille. Although her intention is to surprise Bailey, his reaction proves to be unfavorable and offers a challenge to their friendship. Sophie and her family members all have to teach the others a lesson while sailing. This initially seems to be a challenge but quickly turns to a method of bonding. Each family member shares something with the others that offer a glimpse into each person. Unlike Rosie's experience, these lessons bring each person closer and leads to acceptance.

I am not sure how to encapsulate all of my thoughts into a few paragraphs. These two novels are absolutely wonderful and I encourage everyone to read and teach them. I love how they contain real thoughts teenagers have, meanwhile lending hand to a much larger lesson than originally thought. These novels can be taught on many different levels and should be explored as their lessons are invaluable. One thing that I find difficult to get used to is the great number of chapters! This is of particular concern in The Wanderer, where it is a bigger struggle for me to stay focused. This book also challenges me because the real action of the book does not come into play until halfway through.

These two novels have exposed me to a unique form of writing and one I think students will enjoy. The extensive dialogue offers more than a simple narrator perspective and delves into thoughts and interpersonal workings through stories within stories. I feel students can gain a great deal from both novels. Each have significant lessons that challenge all kids at one point or another. The manner in which the lessons come to play can offer great classroom discussions and encouragement for students; male and female. I encourage all teachers, current and future, to teach Creech!

For more information on teaching Sharon Creech, check out these web sites.

http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/creech.htm

http://www.teachingbooks.net/content/Creech_qu.pdf

http://www.webenglishteacher.com/creech.html

http://www.sharoncreech.com/teach/teach.asp

Write to Sharon:

Sharon Creech c/o HarperCollins Children's Books

Author Mail

1350 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY 10019

Critical Analysis of Julius Lester's Novels : To Be A Slave and Day of Tears

2007-12-10T10:56:00.000-08:00

I have always been interested in slavery and finding out what really happened during this time. When I came across Julius Lester's novels, To Be A Slave and Day of Tears, I began reading them instantly. The way Julius writes shows the reader what really happened during these tragic times. The way Julius Lester writes is creative, real and detailed. Both of the novels had many similarities and differences. I had a few dislikes about one of the books, but mostly likes. I invite you to read my critical analysis of the two novels.

Both novels had several similarities. They were both set in the same era of slavery, both books dealt with the issue of slaves and what it was like for them and they both were based on factual events. To Be A Slave was based on the actual writings of slaves describing there experiences of being brought to America, as well as what it was like for them being enslaved. Day of Tears was a novel based on the largest slave auction that ever took place in Savannah, Georgia in 1859. Both novels were also written in exotic ways. Day of Tears was written as a novel in dialogue, while To Be A Slave was written as just excerpts from real peoples lives, there is no set story.Even though the two novels were written so differently, they both contained such descriptive writing and use of language. Both were written in the way a person of that era would talk. Both novels had such strong details in them and really gave you a clear picture of what was happening in the book.

Although the novels being discussed had many similarities, they were also very different. Even though both of the novels were written in an out of the ordinary manner, each one was written different, one as a dialogue, the other as excerpts from real life. Day of Tears was an actual story with characters and a plot, while To Be A Slave was a documentation of several peoples lives. There were no individual characters in this book. Another major difference was the use of illustrations. In Day of Tears, the book was strictly a novel , To Be A Slave, however, there were illustrations to accent the book. Julius Lester's book, To Be A Slave received the Newberry Honor Award, while Day of Tears did not. I personally feel it should be the opposite. I would have to say that the books were more similar than different.

I personally enjoyed Day of Tears much more than To Be A Slave. I found the excerpts of peoples lives interesting in To Be A Slave, but it got repetitive after a while and I lost interest in the book. This was a major dislike for me. Some might say this is odd due to the nature of information in the book but I think for me, it was just too much. Another way to put it, it got boring. As for Day of Tears, I could not put this book down. I finished it in two hours. The story was so well written I felt as if I knew each and every character personally. Julius described each character and scene so well I felt a real connection with the story. When I first began reading, I thought I was going to be very confused due to the book being written in dialogue, but I followed along perfectly and had no problems understanding what I was reading. I can honestly say there is nothing I did not like about this book. It was so intelligently written, and really keeps you on enthralled the whole story. I highly recommend both books if you are interested in slavery and the history of it. I also recommend them if you are not, due to the fact I think they will spark an interest for you.

Both books give you great detail and a sense of what happened during this sad time in our nations history. However, if you are looking for more of a "story" read, choose Day of Tears, if you are interested in just plain facts and actual examples, your best bet is to go with To Be A Slave.

After reading these two books , putting together a biography on Julius Lester, making lessons plans and constructing a poster exhibit for students on the books , I feel very knowledgeable on the subject of slavery and Julius Lester. I learned that there is more than one way to write a novel about the same subject and still have it come across strong and detailed. This was shown through the novel in dialogue and the other with examples that real people had. I learned that I enjoyed reading on the subject of slavery and putting together projects for my future students. I think Julius Lester is a very strong author and a man of many trades. I feel what he writes serves a purpose and informs people. I encourage everyone to read at least one of his books, if not more, to get a better understanding of what it was like for slaves and African Americans during the time of slavery.

Critical Analysis of Tears of a Tiger and Forged by Fire

2007-12-09T13:53:00.001-08:00

Tears of a Tiger is a compelling story about a group of teenagers at Hazelwood High School. They are popular, smart kids whose lives change with just one night. While driving around after a basketball game, star player and captain Robbie Washington and his best friend and co-captain Andy Jackson and two of their friends, BJ and Tyrone experience tragedy when Robbie is killed in a car accident. The boys were drinking and driving. All the boys were able to get out of the car alive, but Robbie was pinned in the car when it exploded, burning him to death. Andy was driving the car at the time of the accident. Despite therapy and support from his friends, he never could shake the guilt. His thoughts were filled with memories of Robbie, his heart broke for Robbie’s family and he couldn’t stand to face them. Andy insisted that no one could ever forgive him for what he had done because he couldn’t seem to forgive himself. He was ashamed at school sometimes and at night he had nightmares. Often Andy would dream that Robbie would talk to him and say that he was cold and lonely in the cemetery…in his mind, Robbie would ask Andy to join him in heaven because he was bored and didn’t have anyone to play basketball with. Andy lost his grasp on reality and couldn’t clear his conscious. Andy committed suicide and ended his pain but left the people who cared about him to mourn the loss of the tiger who cried.

This book addresses some really heavy issues. Family support and the lack thereof, suicide, and underage drinking, teen relationships, the importance of communication and school life are some of the problems these kids deal with in the book.

Tears, opens with a news article from the Hazelwood newspaper describing what happened on that dreadful night. From then on, Sharon uses some really creative literary techniques to convey this story. She uses poetry written as homework assignments by the teens, newspaper clippings from the local paper, essays and traditional style to tell the story of Andy, Gerald, Robbie, Keisha, BJ, Rhonda, Monty and the rest involved with this twisting story. I found this to be an interesting technique that really worked. Instead of using only traditional voice, this book allows readers to get the point-of-view of several people involved and it made for an easy read. I almost felt like I could change into different roles while reading this novel. While reading the newspaper clippings, I felt like a parent, a concerned community member, a journalist. When I read the essay by the kids, I felt like a friend, a fellow student, a teacher. Reading the poetry sections gave me the artistic feeling of an artist in touch with emotion, a poet, a person who found a unique way to express my thoughts. Finally, the traditional parts made me feel like a reader. I think that is what Sharon Draper wanted her readers to do while reading Tears of a Tiger. She wanted people to switch into different roles and really get into multiple characters so that they could experience this tale from different sides.

While reading this book, my heart went out to Andy. It was obvious that his parents were able to provide comfort through material possessions, but he was crying out for the warmth and love of his parents. It was made known to readers that Robbie Washington, was smart, popular and had a promising future in academics and basketball ahead of him. Andy on the other hand, was not a natural basketball player. He was good, but he had to work harder at it than his best friend. Andy’s grades weren’t that great either. He was an average student who could have had better grades if he had put a little more effort into it. Andy was close with Robbie’s family. He often spent time at their house, Robbie’s mother and father attended every basketball game and was really involved with their son’s life. Andy’s parents never came to his games and only talked about school with him when they lectured him for doing bad. All along Andy was screaming out for help. It is signs like these that often go unnoticed with young people. Because Andy already had feelings of doubt and was affected by the lack of love from his parents, dealing with the death of his best friend was simply unbearable. That’s why this book is a good read for pre-teens and teenagers. To Andy, things seemed bad, really, really bad, but that does not have to mean that it is the end. This book hopefully encourages young readers not to be afraid to talk to someone when things seem damaged beyond repair.

Through Andy’s eyes, the only thing constant in his life was his girlfriend Keisha. She was the only one who he let see how depressed he was. Months after the accident he stopped going to the therapist but couldn’t shake the nightmares and guilt. His parents never noticed the seriousness of his condition. When the heavy weight of his depression started to wear on Keisha, she broke up with him. After that, things spiraled fast.

After Andy’s suicide, Sharon Draper tells how the people around him were affected by this tragic event through a poetry assignment in school. Usually, an author would simply write something like “after Andy’s death, the student’s wrote poetry to express how they felt about what he did…” but Sharon actually used several pages of the book to present to readers the actual poetry written in the words of each of Andy’s friends and his little brother Monty.

Tears of a Tiger has an interesting title too. Before I read and while I was reading the book, I was wondering how the connection will be revealed. The most obvious connection is shown through Andy and his school. He played basketball for the Hazelwood High School Tigers. Tiger is the school mascot. The tears are representative of the pain Andy feels over his guilt. I also think that the reference refers to the school itself. Andy isn’t the only one who feels pain from the events that took place. His friends, teachers and staff at his school were also affected by the loss of Robbie, then Andy. We see the other connection of the title Tears of a Tiger through an encounter between, Andy and his little brother Monty. Monty is so much younger than Andy, he looked up to his big brother. Little kids are often very smart and pick up on things that adults sometimes overlook. Monty could see that his brother’s heart was aching. He was there when Andy would wake up in the middle of the night screaming and sweating from nightmares about Robbie. Monty could feel that something was wrong with his big brother. One day while drawing a picture, Monty drew a tiger crying. Andy saw his brother’s picture and told his brother that tigers don’t cry because tigers are strong. After talking for a while, Andy told Monty that it was okay and he could draw whatever he wanted to and if he wanted to draw a tiger with tears that was okay. The book ends with a letter from Monty to Andy saying goodbye.

Forged by Fire is the second book in the Hazelwood High trilogy by Sharon Draper. This is a compassionate story that will leave you feeling like you’ve experienced firsthand what the characters in the book have gone through. The story starts with Gerald Nickelby. In the first book, he was a tall, handsome teen basketball star at Hazelwood High School; this book takes readers back to when Gerald was a three-year-old toddler and we journey with him through the pain, secrets and trials of his life.

Gerald’s mother was addicted to drugs; she’d leave him by himself for days in dirty diapers with no food to eat. She was also abusive toward him, burning him with lighters, leaving him in dirty diapers for days and not feeding him regularly. One day, Monique (his mother), left her baby all alone for a few hours. While playing with a lighter, one of the only things he had to play with besides a GI Joe man, he sat the house on fire by accident. That fire sent him into a whirlwind that became his life’s story.

The only relative that Gerald had who cared about him was his Aunt Queen. She had tried to take him away from his mother before she went to jail for child neglect and child endangerment but was unsuccessful. The only person willing to take him, Aunt Queen had to fight to get her nephew. She ensued on a small battle because she was in a wheelchair. She won the fight and forged ahead with her sweet Gerald. Gerald’s life was filled with love and happiness for many years. Aunt Queen warmed his spirit with thoughts of hot food and a warm bed. He loved living with Aunt Queen and had learned to block out memories of Monique.

One day, Aunt Queen told Gerald that his mother would be visiting him. He found out that she’d been out of jail for a year and wanted to come see him on his birthday. Gerald didn’t want to see her but she came anyway. Monique wasn’t alone; she came with a sister Angel whom he never knew he had and a stepfather Jordan who would become the antagonist in the book. The stress of that visit, put strain on Aunt Queen and she died of a heart attack.

After living with his Aunt Queen in a stable, loving household, Gerald finds himself stripped away from all that was familiar to him. He is forced to move into a small apartment with Monique, Jordan and his sister Angel. The book journeys through the lives of Angel and Gerald who become very close. Jordan sexually abuses Angel, beats Monique and hits on Gerald. Gerald becomes the protector of Angel and when he can’t protect himself anymore, he makes a decision to face Jordan once and for all.

After surviving years of physical abuse and Angel being sexually abused by her dad, one of his best friends dying in a car crash, another committing suicide, Gerald finally gets the courage to face his stepfather Jordan for the last time. While trying to molest Angel, the house catches fire (a familiar scene from the beginning of the book) and Jordan and Gerald go to battle. Gerald, now a teenager, is trying to defend himself and end all his pain. Jordan being the coward he is, tried to escape the fire in the house and leave his kids to burn to death but ended up collapsing and died. Gerald and Angel survive the fire and a whole lot more.

This powerful novel allows children to read about child abuse, the effects of drugs, low self-esteem and the trials of kids and teens in an appropriate manner. Sharon Draper is careful not to cross uncomfortable boundaries with the age range for this book. She never actually says that Angel is “sexually abused” in those words, but readers know what is going on. Forged by Fire is sure to have students talking and eager to further explore many of the themes in this book. Like Tears of a Tiger, this selection is recommended for students in sixth through ninth grades.

Comparison and Contrast of Tears and Forged

There are some significant differences between the two books. Much of the distinction appears in the storytelling aspect of both books. Tears of a Tiger uses various literary techniques like poetry, essays and newspaper articles to convey the message. Forged by Fire uses more visual effects through traditional writing techniques. The story is written plainly, just as it is. I liked this difference though. The essays and such were appropriate for Tears but would not have worked in Forged.

Another noticeable difference between the two books was the lack of chapter titles in Forged by Fire. I missed not having titles for the chapters because I rely on those to set the mood for whatever I’m about to read. Tears of a Tiger had chapter titles that encompassed what the following chapter would be about. It helped me to visually prepare for what I was about to read.

In comparison, both books had a great connection between the book title and the story. Both book titles directly related to the storyline. Forged by Fire’s story line was set into place and ended due to Fire. Tears of a Tiger was a metaphor for Andy and his pain. I liked the connection that was drawn by Sharon Draper.

Another similarity is that both stories utilized the younger siblings to tap into reader’s sympathetic side. In Forged it was Angel who suffered a great deal due to her stepfather’s abuse. Gerald was her protector. In Tears, although Monty became sort of his own protector, there was a great connection between him and his big brother Andy.

Both books had strong family themes. Both books used words in a clever manner to create imagery and clearly tell the story. The formula for both books was the same in that they opened with tragedy, both went through a whirlwind of solutions then pain again, then the characters found peace in the conclusion.

Both of these books are wonderful pieces of work by Sharon Draper. Tears of a Tiger and Forged by Fire have sparked my interest in this author. I plan to read the final book in the trilogy as well as other pieces of work by Sharon.

Critical analysis of Carmen Browne Series

2007-12-07T18:29:00.000-08:00

The Carmen Browne Series, written by Stephanie Perry Moore, is a wonderful set of books targeting the preteen age demographic. Stephanie Perry Moore writes children books with a Christian theme. The series that we’ve examined for this analysis has a four part installment. The two particular books that we will examine are the third and fourth installment in the series, Golden Spirit and Perfect Joy.

The events of these books take place with the course of a few months, from Mother’s Day through Thanksgiving. The message of these books is one of inspiration and encouragement for younger people. The inspirational message that appears is throughout the book is intermingled with family and personal issues that Carmen Browne and her family are having at the time. These books don’t deal with any overtly adult subjects at all. They are all approached from the standpoint of Carmen, a twelve year old middle school student. There are any issues associated with sex, drugs, alcohol or any other overtly adult issues.

The Carmen Browne Series deals with the life of a preteen named Carmen Browne. She is the middle child of a football coach and a freelance artist. She has a younger sister and an adopted older brother. These two books address Carmen’s life over her summer break from school and her first semester of middle school in the fall. The series addresses the normal adjustment issues that a young lady would have internally and externally. Life changes so quickly and as you age it is necessary to adjust your response to certain situations. These are just a couple of the lessons that Carmen has to learn in this series.

In Golden Spirit, Carmen is on her summer vacation from school. This book covers her entire vacation, good and not so good. The wonderful thing about this series is that it always ends on a prosperous note. Golden Spirit examines her relationship with her family and the family lives of her three closest friends. In Perfect Joy, Carmen is dealing with the struggles of adjusting to a new school. She also has to maneuver around issues within her friendships. Things just aren’t like they used to be in primary school. There is jealousy between the friends and a few lies told as well. Carmen must address this new test of her friendships and character.

There are two adult issues in the books that I must address. I can appreciate that they were handled from a child’s perspective. The adults in the book were used as more of a counselor and guide rather than an instigator of the situation. In Golden Spirit, the subject of domestic violence was addressed. One night during the early summer a neighbor of Carmen’s was rushed to the hospital as a result domestic violence. Later in the summer while at her aunt’s house she and her younger sister found themselves in the middle of a domestic dispute between her aunt and uncle. Her parents played an integral role in her understanding what domestic abuse is and what her response should be. In Perfect Joy, the adult situation was sickness. Her mother found a lump that she had examined. When her parents told Carmen what was going on, naturally she was afraid. The lump wasn’t cancerous, but waiting for the results of the exam was murder. Again her parents played the role of encourager. They helped her to understand what was going on, the severity, and what she could do to help.

The three most common elements of these books are family strength, sibling rivalry and prayer. Throughout this series, we see these strong parents. The Browne family isn’t perfect, but they are strong. It was so refreshing to read a cultural book that placed the parents in a positive light. Carmen’s parents were what parents should be. They were loving, encouraging and yet authoritative. They were the rock within Carmen’s life. It should be that way. These books were written for children, but I wouldn’t mind giving this book to a few adults as well. There some adults that could take parenting lessons from The Browne’s.

Sibling rivalry is present throughout both books. Carmen finds herself dealing with being a role model for her younger sister and yet accepting her brother as a role model for her. As a preteen, she must also adjust to handling situations differently than she did as a small child. She has the new found responsibility of dealing with life as a preteen and not a baby. Her siblings don’t make it easy for her at all. They are all struggling with their roles in the family as they grow and mature.

Prayer is the last recurring them within the book. The book is actually marketed as Christian children fiction. Carmen finds herself praying throughout both books. She also has to put her faith to work. She uses her faith and the power of prayer as the answer to many of her issues. Every time she encounters a new issue, her mother encourages her to pray. They pray as a family. There are open prayers throughout both books. What a joy to see children talk to God.

One section of each book catches my attention. In Golden Spirit, it was date night. Carmen’s father decided to take all three of his children on their own date night. Carmen’s parent periodically had a date night together. It was the kids turn. Carmen was the last child to get her night. It was so special to her. She dressed up in her best outfit. Her father rang the door bell and her mother told Carmen to open the door. Carmen was amazed to see her father there dressed to kill for their date together. He took her to an elegant restaurant for dinner. Over the evening, he had the opportunity to impart some parental advice upon his middle child. Later in the evening they went to a concert featuring her favorite artists. It was really the highlight of her summer. In perfect joy, the section that I hold dear was when she made up with all her friends. Her friends and Carmen hadn’t had the best of semesters. Jealousy crept into their friendship. Carmen became the popular girl from the very start of middle school and her friends weren’t excited for her at all. As a result of her new found popularity and interest in boys, her grades dropped. When the quarter ended and her parents saw the grades, it was a new day for Carmen. Her priorities were put back in place for her. She realized that she could be happy within herself. She also learned that friends and popularity don’t make you who you are. It wasn’t until she got herself together that her friendships worked out.

The Carmen Browne series is a wonderful series that can be enjoyed by any age group.

The Biography of Julius Lester

2007-12-03T09:04:00.000-08:00

JULIUS LESTER

Talk about a man of many trades. Julius Lester does it all. Since 1968 Julius has published 35 books - 7 non-fiction, 1 book of poetry, 2 novels, and 25 children's books. He has also recorded two albums of original songs, had his photography work displayed in the Smithsonian Institution and has been a professor at a reputable university. Mr. Lester has accomplished so much and is still at it. I encourage you to read this biography and learn about a man with a passion for writing and history.

Julius Bernard Lester was born on January 27, 1939 in St. Louis, Missouri to W.D., a Methodist minister, and Julia Lester. From 1941 to 1954 Julius lived in Kansas City, Kansas, then moving to Nashville, Tennessee from 1954 to 1961. In 1960, Julius received a B. A. in English from Fisk University.

In 1961, Julius moved to New York City, where he had a hit radio talk show from 1966 to 1973. He also had the opportunity to host a television talk show from 1969 to 1971 as well. This man never stopped!

Julius has been married 3 times and has five children. I guess the saying "If at first you don't succeed, try , try again," comes to mind here! He currently resides with his wife in a small town in western Massachusetts.

Julius taught for two years at the New School for Social Research in New York. After this he joined the faculty of the University of Massachusetts where he became a professor in the Judaic and Near Eastern Studies Department, as well as an adjunct professor of History. He retired in 2003 . Mr. Lester received all three of the Universities most prestigious faculty awards : The Distinguished Teachers Award, the Faculty Fellowship Award for Distinguished Research and Scholarship, and the Chancellor's Medal, the university's highest honer. Julius was also selected Massachusetts State Professor of the year in 1988. To be such a decorated writer is a great accomplishment and I believe all of this shows throughout his writing.

Julius Lester has been honored with several awards for the work he has done. Among the awards his writings have received include; the Newberry Honor Medal, the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award, National Book Award Finalist, National Jewish Book Award Finalist, National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist and the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award. He also has several titles that have appeared on the New York Times Outstanding Book list and American Library Association Notable Book list.

Julius became a writer because the only way for him to find out things he wanted to know, was to write about them. I think this is a great way to get inspired. What better way to learn and educate others on a subject than researching and writing about it yourself. One book in particular, To Be A Slave, was written because Lester wanted to know what it was like to have been a slave and he could not find a book that really told him the answers he was looking for. I think he wrote this book because he wanted to show the world what it was really like to have been in slavery. There is no other way to touch someone, than by giving them real life examples. All of the scenarios in this book are factual. I know it was sometimes hard for me to keep reading because the issues were so painful and real.

Another one of his novels, Day of Tears, he draws his inspiration from a real life event. In this novel he chose an actual event in history and portrayed it his way. I think it means more because it is based off true events. Plus I think he wanted to show how terrible it was to be owned in slavery. You were never safe and you never had a guaranteed place on your plantation.

His ideas for writing books come from his inquiring mind and what it must feel like to be someone else. His motto is : Writing comes as much from the heart as it does the head. He enjoys writing, but notes that it is very hard work. When working on a book he spends about 3 hours a day and about 3 pages in that 3 hours. I salute Mr. Julius because I know that after one hour of writing I am ready to call it quits for good!

Once again, a man of many trades. With all of his talents and knowledge, it is no wonder Julius Lester is such a decorated writer. Check out some of his photography on is website http://www.profotos.com/juliuslester/. Also on his website you will find a frequently asked questions section that is very interesting. If you are really interested in Julius Lester, you should visit his own personal blog http://acommonplacejbl.blogspot.com/. I highly recommend that you browse these websites and pick up one of Mr. Lester's books today, I could not put them down!

Sharin' Sharon Creech's Biography

2007-12-02T12:37:00.000-08:00

Sharon Creech is a children’s writer with a unique approach to writing novels. Her novels have stories within stories and incorporate a great deal of voice, often driving home at least one of the major themes or ideas if not more. Her two novels, The Wanderer and Granny Torrelli Makes Soup explore issues children often have difficulty dealing with, in an enlightening and round-about manner.

She was born in South Euclid, Ohio and is one of five children. A wealth of biographical information can be found on Sharon’s web page. Like the majority of us, she was unsure of what she wanted to be when she grew up. Later on in her school life she recognized her strengths and focused on literature and writing classes. She taught high school writing and English. She quickly acquired a great deal of knowledge on writing techniques and soon began writing her own books. She however, began writing books for adults and after two were published switched to writing for a younger audience.

Several of Creech’s novels have earned awards and honors. Absolutely Normal Chaos has earned: 100 Best Books for Reading and Sharing 1995 (NY Public Library) and YALSA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults 2001. Bloomability has earned: IRA/CBC Children’s Choices 1999, Parenting Magazine Reading Magic Award 1998 and Chicago Public Library Best Books 1998. Love That Dog earned the: Christopher Award, Mitten Award (Michigan) and Claudia Lewis Poetry Award. Creech has received a Newbery Medal for her novel Walk Two Moons, which ironically was her first book to be published in the United States. She, according to her website, is still in shock over this. This novel has also earned the: United Kingdom Reading Association Award 1995, Children’s Book Award 1995, Literaturhaus Award 1997 and Young Adult Sequoyah Award 1997. She has also won a Newbery Honor Award for her novel The Wanderer; which has also earned: ALA Notable Book 2001, Christopher Award 2001, Bulletin Blue Ribbon 2000, SLJ Best Books 2000, ALA Books for Youth Editors’ Choice 2000, Parent’s Choice Award 2000 and Child Magazine Best of the Year 2000.

There are many reviews on Sharon Creech's works. Click here to read reviews on Creech's novel The Wanderer. You can find reviews on Granny Torrelli Makes Soup by clicking here. I encourage you to visit these sites, they provide great feedback on her works.

Her family and trips (vacations) have inspired her writing, specifically her novels. It is interesting to note her inspiration for Granny Torrelli Makes Soup came when Sharon’s daughter was expecting her first child and memories Sharon had of her own grandmother. Many of her memories revolved around food and the many hidden lessons in meal preparation that move beyond recipes. The Wanderer had two separate motifs of inspiration. One consisted of Creech’s daughter taking a journey across the ocean (yes, ultimately to England) and the journal she kept along the way and the experience forever ingrained in her heart. The other inspiration came from the somber experience Sharon had when she lived in Europe and traveled back and forth to visit, and ultimately bury, her dying mother. The twelve trips left her longing to be home, the same sentiment the characters in The Wanderer felt. After reading these two novels as well as Love That Dog is is easy to see her family, life and thoughts inspire her writing. I love how she has a profound talent for exploring thoughts and feelings she has had or currently has and turns it into a captivating novel! For more information on Creech's motivation, visit this web site.

Creech’s novels do contain humor but cannot be considered a purely entertainment read as Judy Blume or Beverly Cleary’s novels can. Creech’s novels delve into thought processes all children have, meanwhile exploring complex issues children face. Sharon's novel The Wanderer can be compared to V.M. Caldwell's novel, The Ocean Within. Like Sophie in The Wanderer, Caldwell's novel also contains a young girl who has recently been adopted and is preparing for a visit to her new grandmother's house by the sea with several cousins. This character, like Sophie, is struggling to find her own identity as well as her place within her new family. Sharon has a great talent for intertwining lessons within lessons – just when you grasp the first theme or plot aspect, the reader is plunged into another lesson. She has a profound talent for using voice in a manner that keeps the reader interested and, at the same time, explores thoughts the reader has.

Sharon Creech is an author who should be read and taught.

Critical Analysis of Kate DiCamillo

2007-11-27T17:49:00.000-08:00

Kate DiCamillo has taken the world by storm with her children's books that have become instant classics. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and The Tale of Despereaux are two of her recent novels. Children seem to love these books because they deal with emotions that children have, in a way that doesn't sugarcoat the bad and redeems with good.

Once you read Kate's books, you will realize that there is no formula to her stories. They are told about main characters of various types, some who are sympathetic, and others who are not so much. In The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, the main character is a china rabbit named Edward Tulane. Although Abilene, who owned him, loved him immensely, Edward does not love anyone except himself. Edward is described as being full of himself and disinterested in others. In The Tale of Despereaux, on the other hand, the main character is a tiny mouse named Despereaux. Although his family doesn't care much for him because he doesn't conform to what a mouse should be, the reader is left with a picture of a likeable underdog. You have to feel sorry for a mouse whose own mother would name him Despereaux.

There are many of the same themes found throughout both books. They include love and having a heart, fear, hope, despair, transformation, loss, separation, and being a disappointment to others. I think these themes are what make these books so popular with young readers. Who hasn't, at times, felt like a disappointment to others? Or felt the pain of loss or separation from loved ones? Although they are dealt with in very different ways, these are universal emotions that connect us all as humans.

Let's look at the positive themes first. Hope, love, and having a heart are among the strongest themes in both books, and yet they are presented from uniquely. Despereaux, as a mouse, falls instantly in love with the human princess. His heart swells, and he feels great joy in being around her. He feels that she loves him, too, when she smiles at him and touches his head. Despereaux's love for the Princess Pea is "wonderful, powerful, and ridiculous." This love gives him hope when he is thrown in the dungeon. He cannot imagine that love won't save him. Edward, on the other hand, is incapable of love. While Abilene loves him, he is indifferent to her. But as the story progresses, he begins to feel love for the new people that come into his life, and with that development of his heart he begins to feel hope, even when his life seems the darkest. While Despereaux has a heart from the beginning, Edward is on a journey to develop one, and learn what it means to love someone other than himself.

Loss, separation, and despair are themes that are also found in both books. For Edward, he is on a journey of loss and separation. He is first owned by Abilene, but then he falls overboard and is lost from her. He is eventually found by a fisherman who takes him home to his wife, Nellie. Nellie's daughter Lolly throws him in the dump. He is found by a dog, Lucy, and her hobo owner, Bull. He is thrown off a train where Bull and Lucy are sleeping. He is found by an old woman who makes him into a scarecrow. He is taken by a young boy named Bryce who takes him home to his sister, Sarah Ruth. When Sarah Ruth dies, Bryce takes him to Memphis, where his china head is broken. Bryce takes him to a dollmaker to have him fixed, but Bryce can't pay the dollmaker, so he puts Edward up for sale. He is eventually purchased by a woman and her daughter, and the woman turns out to be a grown-up Abilene. He only begins to feel loss and separation when he is taken from Nellie. By the time he is in the dollshop he is filled with despair, and he doesn't think he will ever love again, until Abilene buys him for her daughter. It takes the journey to develop these feelings in Edward. It is like the old saying, "You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone." On the other hand, because Despereaux doesn't need to learn how to love, he feels loss and separation as soon as he is sent to the dungeon. His thoughts of the princess are what keep him from despair.

Both of these books deal with a transformation of the main character. Despereaux is a very small mouse and an unlikely hero. But his love for the princess and his quest to save her transforms him into a brave "knight in shining armor." Edward is a self-centered, aloof rabbit at the beginning of the story, but by the end of the story he wants to be loved again so desperately that he is afraid to hope for it.

These stories are written in very different styles. Edward's story is a standard third-person narrative and is presented in a serious tone. Despereaux has an omniscient narrator who addresses the reader directly. I really enjoyed this narration style as it made me feel very involved in the story. Despereaux is also written with a great deal of humor. Although both books have beautiful illustrations that add much to the story, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane has several color illustrations that I think are stunning. The depth and texture of these pictures really makes the story come alive.

Many teachers read these books out loud to the class. I had the opportunity to hear Kate speak about her writing on December 2, and she was asked why they work so well for this. She said that she reads her writing out loud, and sometimes even records it and plays it back to listen to how the words sound together. She compares her writing to music. I also wondered whether boys would enjoy The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane as much as girls do. I asked Kate and her publisher, and they said that boys do seem to enjoy the story, as long as they don't have to carry the book around with the bunny on the cover. I suggested maybe they need a boy's cover for the book.

Kate's books are very popular both with children and with teachers. At first glance, it wouldn't seem like these books would be popular with kids. These books are not like Harry Potter, or some other books that kids like. As I read these books, and researched Kate, I began to understand their popularity. The characters deal with universal emotions that allow the reader to really connect with them. Students can be encourage to make connections and explore common themes as they learn to become proficient readers. I learned a lot about use of voice and techniques of writing that seem to make these books resonate with students. Because of Kate's unique style of writing as though the words are music, the stories lend themselves to classroom use. I encourage you, as future teachers, to give Kate's books a try.

Kate DiCamillo

2007-11-17T11:42:00.000-08:00

What do a very small mouse with large ears and a china rabbit have in common? Despereaux is the unlikely mouse hero of The Tale of Despereaux and Edward Tulane is the china rabbit featured in The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. They are both creations of the children's fiction author, Kate DiCamillo. You can read about Kate at her website, http://www.katedicamillo.com/.

Kate has tried her hand at three different types of children's literature. She has written early chapter books featuring a pig named Mercy Watson. She has also written stories for upper elementary and middle school students, including Because of Winn-Dixie. Because of Winn-Dixie was Kate's first novel, and it was a Newbery Honor Book. It has also been made into a movie. Next was The Tiger Rising, which was a National Book Award finalist. The Tale of Desperaux followed, and it won the Newbery Medal. It, too, is being made into a movie. Her latest novel is The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, featuring the unlikely main character Edward Tulane, who is a china rabbit. The story in some ways reminded me of Flat Stanley. Kate's final (for now) book is a picture book called Great Joy.

While Kate's writing can be light-hearted, as in the Mercy Watson series, her books often include a touch of cruelty and darkness. She says she wants children to know that the world is beautiful, but that it can also be hard. Children see cruelty every day when they get on the school bus, so they can't always be protected. She writes about powerful emotions that kids can connect with.

Why does Kate write children's literature? Because she has failed at every other career option. She has always been a reader, and she considered herself to be a writer, but didn't commit to doing the work of writing until 11 years ago, when she was 29. She decided to write children's fiction when she worked in a book warehouse picking children's books to fill orders. She began reading the books as she was picking them, and fell in love with them. Being a dedicated reader as a child, she was also influenced by such classics as Winnie-the-Pooh, Alice in Wonderland, and Pinocchio.

Where does she get her ideas? She says that the ideas are all around. She eavesdrops and pays attention to the things happening around her. She likes to write about things she has seen, not necessarily things she knows. She makes herself write two pages a day, five days a week. Eventually the stories come to her, sometimes even in dreams.

I think Kate is a very unique author because she writes in different styles geared towards different audiences. Regardless of who reads her works, they all seem to be enthusiastic fans of these unique characters. But just be careful if you are out on the street and a blond, curly-haired woman seems to be paying an unusual amount of attention to you. You just might show up in her next novel!

Biography of Sharon Draper

2007-11-17T11:29:00.000-08:00

Sharon Draper

Award-Winning Author and Educator

Sharon Draper is the winner of numerous awards including the Coretta Scott King Literary Award, National Teacher of the Year Award and is a New York Times bestselling author, just to name a few of her accolades. A native of Ohio, she began her career as a National Board Certified educator and happened into the writer's world after being challenged by her students to enter a writing contest for Ebony Magazine of which she won. After her achievement, Sharon wrote her first novel Tears of a Tiger in 1994. Things didn't just magically happen for her after that. Eventually the book picked up, gained lots of popularity amongst teachers and students and the demand of more from Sharon took off.

Sharon's first book turned into a trilogy (The Hazelwood High Trilogy). Kids felt like they went to school with the characters in these books and could really relate to the issues dealt with in at least one of the stories. In an interview, Sharon said "I think I understand kids' mindset." This is how she gets inspiration to write her books. If you read the interview I linked, Sharon talks about how understanding the way teens think and who they are, she is able to write for them and about them. In another interview, Sharon admits that she likes historic authors like Charles Dickens, but he wrote for his contemporaries 150 years ago. Mrs. Draper writes because she understands that kids today would rather read about people like them NOW. She wants young people to learn to read and says that "reading shouldn't be painful, it should be painless."

This beautiful author is like the R. Kelly of the literary world, (she doesn't limit herself to just one genre or demographic). Sharon has written fictional novels for pre-teens and young adults about drinking and driving, child abuse, suicide and surviving life's trials, she's written poetry books for children and adults, her newest book is about slavery and she has even written books for teachers. As an accomplished public speaker, Sharon travels all over the world speaking to people about the importance of education and literacy .

Through her website, schools and organizations can request a visit from Sharon. Since she's retired from teaching herself, she is more than happy to come to schools for a day. Sharon will spend time reading her books to groups, and will sometimes teach an English lesson to small classes. She likes to speak with teachers as well and give them tips to survial.

Sharon Mills Draper is an accomplished writer, speaker and educator. Her books will have you hooked and you won't want to put them down. Since reading the first two books in her first trilogy, I am eager to read the last one, plus the wide collection of Sharon Draper books. Mrs. Draper enjoys the rare spare time she has with her husband, four children and her dog Honey.

Patricia Reilly Giff

2007-11-17T11:26:00.000-08:00

“I always start each day by writing.

That’s like breathing to me.”

The life of two time Newbery Award author Patricia Reilly Giff began in Brooklyn, New York on April 26, 1935. As a child, her favorite books included: Little Women, The Secret Garden, The Black Stallion, the Sue Barton Books, and the Nancy Drew series. She was so intent on reading that her sister had to grab books out of her hands to get her attention. Later on in her life Giff found her children having to do the same thing! She earned her B.A. from Marymount College and upon the suggestion of the dean she became a teacher. Her career as an educator lasted for 20years during which she earned an M.A. from St. John’s University then went on to receive a Professional Diploma in Reading and a Doctorate of Humane Letters from Hofstra University.

One day Giff announced to her husband that she was going to write a book. Her husband began quickly working on combining two closets in their apartment into a cramped workspace. This was the beginning of over 60 books and still writing. Her career as an educator gave way to her becoming an author. Pictures of Hollis Woods and Lily’s Crossing won the Newbery Honor. Lily’s Crossing also received the Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book award. Nory Ryan’s Song was the recipient of both an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and an ALA Notable Book. Other books she has written include:

Giff and her husband live in Weston, Connecticut. They have two sons Jim and Bill and one daughter Ali whose names often appear in her books. In 1990 Giff along with her husband and her children opened a children’s book store The Dinosaur’s Paw which was named after one of her Kids of the Polk Street School novels. The store is located in Fairfield , Connecticut.

Critical Analysis

In Pictures of Hollis Woods, Hollis is a girl who was abandoned at birth. She was named after the area in which she was found. And, yes, it is a real place in Queens, New York. All Hollis has ever wanted is to be part of a family. She has been in the foster care system for her entire life and has been shuffled from home to home. One summer Hollis spends her time with a family at their vacation home. She has grown comfortable with the Regans, enjoys spending time with their son Steven and savors each day she spends with them. Toward the end of the summer the family approaches Hollis telling her that they want to make her a part of their family. Hollis has finally gotten what she has wanted her entire life. Then what went wrong? Hollis is at her special place on the lake doing what she loves to do and lives to do, draw. Time stands still for her and she is late getting back to the Regan’s home. Steven takes the old truck without his father’s permission searching for Hollis so that she is back in time. While Steven and Hollis are driving back to the lake house Steven looses control of the truck. The truck flips and rolls down an embankment several times. Hollis sustains minor injuries but Steven is more seriously hurt. Feeling she is to blame for the accident she runs away from the Regan’s back to her social worker. After several visits from Mr. Regan urging Hollis to return to the family she still refuses. Hollis is then placed with Josie who is a retired art teacher. Josie, who had had many foster children in the past, now lives alone. Hollis relates very well with Josie due to their common background, art and Josie’s laid back yet caring nature. During her short while with Josie, Hollis begins to notice that Josie is getting more and more forgetful. One day, after school, as Hollis arrives back at Josie’s home she notices that her social worker is paying a visit. The social worker then breaks the news to Hollis that she no longer can remain with Josie due to her decreasing mental awareness. Hollis decides that she and Josie need to leave that night. Where do Hollis and Josie wind up? Hollis takes Josie to the Regan’s lake house. After several days and Hollis noticing that unusual things are showing up at the house she finally discovers Steven had been helping them. They call the Regan’s who in turn contact the social worker. They all come together and celebrate at the lake house. Finally there is a happy ending. Hollis gets the family she has always dreamed of and Josie gets the help she now requires.

In Nory Ryan’s Song, the reader travels to a different place and time:

Ireland during the Great Hunger. Throughout this grueling period of time, the

English taxed the Irish on land these families already own. Here, Nory Ryan,

in her teen years, is left as the main caregiver for her family. Her mother has

died, her father is working in Galway in order to provide for his family,

and her older sister gets married and leaves for a better place as Nory often refers to it; Smith Street… Brooklyn… New York… America. During her efforts to remain in the Ryan family home and keep a bit of food on the table she is befriended by Anna . Anna, who is a herbal practitioner, does have a little money and a cow which allows her to have some of life’s basic needs. Nory begins to spend more and more time with Anna who, without Nory realizing, is training her to take over her healing practice. With life becoming bleaker, Nory’s grandfather, older brother and sister decide to leave the town in order to find work. This leaves Nory with her baby brother, Patch, to remain at home. With day to day living becoming increasingly difficult, Nory makes the heartbreaking decision to send her baby brother with neighbors on a ship to America. Nory remains with Anna as they try to plan how they will find what the need to stay alive. One evening as they sat in front of a fading fire a knock on the door is heard. When Nory opened the door there stood a man overcome with exhaustion. Faintly you could here him utter the words Nory Ryan. Nory introduced herself and he handed her an envelope which she slowly opened. There she found two tickets to America one for her and one for Patch. Nory thought, “Patch is already gone.” Then she looked at Anna. Surely Anna would go with her but they both looked at each other and knew. Anna would remain in Ireland but Nory would venture to America.

The characters Hollis Woods and Nory Ryan depict some of the same personality traits. They are determined, caring and self sufficient young women who rose out of the depths of despair to live the life they have always hoped for. The theme of family is present in both books. Hollis Woods who has been orphaned at birth has always wished she could be part of a real family. She finds her first family home with the Regans and then again with Josie. Both these situations give Hollis a feeling of wholeness and oneness. Nory on the other hand has a family but little by little looses them. Her mother has died, her father in another city working, her older sister moving to America, her grandfather with her other brother and sister leave the family home in search of work and lastly sending her little brother off to America. Ultimately, they reunite becoming the family they once were. Under the umbrella of family, I would like to include the issue of abandonment which has resulted from the lack of family in both Pictures of Hollis Woods and Nory Ryan’s Song. These characters were tough enough to pull through many adverse situations. Hunger is another subject that is entwined in both books. While Hollis was living with Josie they had a limited amount of money to spend each month and when the end of the month approaches it is very difficult to make ends meet therefore food was scarce. The ability to stretch their resources was a challenge each month. In Ireland, we find Nory going down to the shore trying to find anything that washed up that might be edible or she is scaling cliffs in order to find bird eggs to eat. Giff gives a voice to everyday people who face struggles on a daily basis and it is easy for us to relate to her characters and the hardships they face. Friendship is another topic that is strong in both stories especially friendships with older people. The relationship between Josie and Hollis is heartwarming. Hollis has an affinity towards Josie from the very start and instead of Josie taking care of Hollis the opposite occurs. Hollis id given the opportunity to care for someone else. Josie truly depended on her and she was not going to let Josie down. During her life people had disappointed her but she will not disappoint Josie. Turning to Nory Ryan’s Song, the relationship that began as a very awkward and intimidating one evolved into a strong attachment. Nory depended on Anna for a great number of day to day decisions since she had no other adult figures in her life at the time. Anna did count on Nory to assist her with tasks as she was molding Nory to take on her healing practice. Anna did realize what a gifted and determined young woman Nory was. It was a difficult decision for Nory to leave Anna to rejoin her family and eventually go to America. She was willing to remain with Anna but Anna persuaded her to go. It took a great deal of strength on both sides to remain true to their decisions.

Both of these stories exhibited young women with an enormous amount of dedication and determination. They both had a desire and worked diligently to attain the outcome they only once wished for. Even though these novels were set in very different times and places the similarities were very clear. Giff pulls from her own family history and well as the lives of those she has come in contact with. It is very obvious that she is very in touch with the lives of ordinary people. I look forward to reading more of her work.

Other Books by Patricia Reilly Giff

Biography & Critical Analysis of Walter Dean Myers

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WALTER DEAN MYERS

This 5 time Coretta Scott King Award winner came from humble beginnings. Born in West Virginia in 1937, he was left motherless at the age of three but was in no way an orphan. His father entrusted him to the care of his God parents, the Deans, who raised him in the cultural Mecca of that time, HARLEM. His beloved city, Harlem, appears to have had a profound impact on him. He weaves stories of characters from Harlem up and down the pages of his books like rich tapestries on a wall. He seems to have captured the pulse of Harlem and is able to articulate it on a page which allows the reader to see the rich colors, tastes, smells and voices of the community.

His love of writing actually developed out of necessity. As a young child, he had a speech impediment which prevented him from pronouncing certain types of words. When he was asked to read out loud in class he would freeze up from nervousness. At the age of 9, his teacher suggested that he write his own poems consisting only of words he could pronounce so that he could read them out loud. His love of writing started there and blossomed into a career spanning 40 years and includes over 70 published Children's and Young Adult books.

He has also received critical acclaim in the literary community as the recipient of 5 Coretta Scott King Awards, 2 Newberry Medals, 1 Caldecott Medal, the 1994 SLJ/YALSA Margaret A. Edwards Award for Outstanding Literature for Young Adults and was the first recipient of the Michael J. Printz Award.

His career as a full time author wasn't a 1st, 2nd, or even 3rd career move. His winding career path lead him through the Army, Post Office, Department of Labor, and other destinations before stopping at the wonderful world of Children's and Young Adult Literature. Of this winding career path he says, "...because I didn't have much in the way of formal education, most of my jobs sucked. I was working as a messenger when I made the decision to seriously turn to writing. What was available to me at that time, were cheap magazines (Yes, I wrote for the National Enquirer), sports magazines, and as a result of a contest, books for young people." The contest he is speaking of actually resulted in the publishing of his first book, Where Does the Day Go, in 1969. So at the age of 32 he embarked on a journey as a professional author.

When asked what draws him to Young Adult Literature he says, "The young adult and middle grade periods of my life were so vivid and, in looking back, so influential in how I would live the rest of my life, that I am drawn to it over and over again."

His Young Adult books often deals with authentic, complex, sobering and sometimes painful themes which are reflective of ebb and flow of the lives of young adults. In discussing his feelings on Young Adult Literature he says, "The special place of the young adult novel should be in its ability to address the needs of the reader to understand his or her relationships with the world, each other, and with adults. The young adult novel often allows the reader to directly identify with a protagonist of similar interests and development."

Not all of his books deal with sobering themes. He also has quite a sense of humor, which is showcased in Smiffy Blue: Ace Crime Detective: The Case of the Missing Ruby and Other Stories and The Righteous Revenge of Artemis Bonner.

Smiffy Blue is a detective who solves crimes by following the most off-the-wall clues imaginable. Myers inspirations for writing Smiffy Blue came from stories he would tell his son. He would make the stories progressively sillier and challenge his son to guess how the story would end.

The Righteous Revenge of Artemis Bonner is historical fiction. Artemis and his trusty side kick, Frolic, embark on a journey across the United States to avenge the death of his slain uncle Ugly and find his treasure before Catfish Grimes, who killed his uncle Ugly, gets to it first. When asked about branching out into other genres such as historical fiction he says, "My stories are an extension of my life. I've always been a person who wanted to explore every facet of life and different ways of expressing the human experience.

"I'm surprised to actually be able to make money doing this thing I love."

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Walter Dean Myers is a virtual literary chameleon. He has written picture books, poetry, short stories, novels, formula fiction, historical fiction, and biographies. He has an inept ability to write in the voice of a young adult about issues as sobering as teen homicide and as silly as the secret formula to un-pop popcorn. When I began reading his books I wondered if he has a sense of humor. I also wondered if all of his novels focus on young adults at emotional and societal crossroads. Shortly after questioning the breadth of his work I happened upon, Smiffy Blue: Ace Crime Detective and The Righteous Revenge of Artemis Bonner.

These books are hilarious. Both books center around African American, male, dynamic duos who are on journeys to solve an unanswered mystery. Smiffy Blue has his uncleaver side kick, Jeremy Joe and Artemis Bonner has his trusty but inexperienced tag-a-long, Frolic. In both cases the second half of the duo (Jeremy Joe and Frolic) serve as a sort of comic foil to the main characters. They also appear less experienced and need the main characters to survive.

On their journeys they both encounter characters with unique names. Their names either rhyme or reveal something about them. For example, Smiffy Blue and Jeremy Joe work with Inspector Hector, Dr. Seymore Orless, Stash McCash, Penny Stamp and Nick Nasty. Artemis and Frolic encounter such characters as Catfish Grimes, Uncle Ugly, and Lucy Featherdip.

Myers also uses unique language which adds to the humor and “down home” feeling of the books. In The Righteous Revenge of Artemis Bonner he uses colloquial language. For example, when Artemis had done some work at a tannery he came out smelling awful. He got on a stage coach to get to his next destination and had the following conversation with the stage coach driver,

" You always stink like that?" the driver asked me. "Only when I am about to shoot somebody...does the smell come upon me." "You smell like you fixing to shoot the whole United State Army," he said.

The humor comes out in the use of "fixing to shoot," and gives me a familiar connection with the way the older members of my family speak.

In Smiffy Blue: Ace Crime Detective Myers uses a plethora of rhyming words. Each time Smiffy Blue finds a clue, he and his trusted side-kick, Jeremy Joe have the following exchange:

"Smiffy blue has found a clue!" cried Jeremy Joe. "I have indeed found a clue!" said Smiffy Blue.

They are men on missions but that is about where the similarities end. The books represent two different genres. Smiffy Blue is Formula Fiction (series). Within the book there are 4 separate capers to solve. There is also a predictable storyline. Smiffy receives a call from inspector Hector, he and Jeremy Joe go to the scene of the crime, follow a list of increasingly silly clues, and some how solve the crime. The righteous Revenge of Artemis Bonner is a Historical Fiction Novel. Artemis has the same objective throughout the book. He is on a journey to avenge the death of his uncle Ugly by killing Catfish Grimes and finding his uncle's treasure.

The settings also separate the books. Artemis is on an adventure in 1882 which takes him to real places, such as the OK Corral in Tombstone Arizona. He also meets real historical figures such as Wyatt Earp. In contrast, Smiffy Blue solves crimes in the fictional, Doober City and encounters all fictional characters.

Unlike Smiffy Blue, Artemis doesn't always win. Artemis gets beat up multiple times, gets sick, is often outwitted and has to work to earn money to complete his mission. On the other hand, Smiffy Blue is always triumphant and his day consists of solving a crime and going home satisfied.

I felt that Smiffy Blue: Ace Crime Detective is for younger audiences who want to be entertained and enjoy formula fiction. I personally had a hard time reading the book. Although it is only 74 pages and the words are in big print, it took me longer to read it because it was so silly. When I started reading the book, I thought he was going to seriously solve a crime. I would read a sentence over and over again trying to make sense of it. I finally realized, it is not supposed to make since. The point of the book is that Smiffy Blue solves crimes just by coincidence because his reasoning doesn't logically lead to the answer.

I was, however, taken in by the illustrations. I absolutely love the way the characters are portrayed. The characters look like the hopped out of the T.V. show, Good Times, and right into the book. Each one of the characters is dressed to the Nines. The men where polyester, checker-board print pants, trench coats and derbies. The woman wear cute minis skirts, foxy coats, and their hair is always salon ready!

The use of language in Smiffy Blue: Ace Crime Detective is actually poetic. Reading the words quietly does not do the book justice. He has built a lot of comical rhymes into the book but you can't hear the comedy unless you read it out loud. A teacher would entertain a class and teach them about rhyme patterns by reading this book out loud to his or her class.

I really enjoyed The Righteous Revenge of Artemis Bonner. You wouldn't really know that Artemis is an inexperienced 15 year old by listening to him. He is a child who speaks with the intelligence of a well mannered adult. He sounds like a mature man with high regard for good morals and proper decorum. However, on the inside he is a kid. A very brave kid, but nonetheless, a kid. I think this would be appealing to adolescent readers because they often feel that they are smarter than adult. Artemis feels the same way, which is half of the reason he is outwitted so often.

I also liked the way Myers fused history and geography into the book. The book is set in 1882 in the Wild West. Artemis traveled across North American and into Alaska chasing Catfish Grimes. Reading this book really made me want to look up dates, historical figures, and geography facts so that I could really experience his journey with him. This is a great book to use in conjunction with a social studies unit on the Wild West.

Smiffy Blue and Artemis Bonner were men on missions. Their missions took them to vastly different places and they achieved their objectives in totally different ways but they both will provide a thrill for young readers. Both books are extremely useful for Independent, Read Aloud, or Shared reading. As I noted earlier, they can also be useful in conjunction with other subject matter.

It has been a wonderful journey learning about the life and works of Walter Dean Myers. Studying the works of Walter Dean Myers has helped me to understand that as an educator there is a plethora of novels, short stories, poems and biographies which I can use in conjunction with other subjects to broaden my students learning and help them develop critical literacy. On a personal note, studying his life was hope inspiring because I learned about someone who changed careers at the age of 32 and made a career out of what he loves to do!

So there you have it, two wonderful books for young adult readers!

Stephanie Perry Moore Bio

2007-11-17T11:14:00.000-08:00

Stephanie Perry Moore is a christian fiction author that has written several series of books for children and teenagers. Some of the series that she has written are the Payton Skyy series, the Laurel Shadrach series and, the series we are studying, the Carmen Browne series. Each of the series are focused of seperate age groups. The Carmen Browne series is focused on the preteen age group.

Stephanie Perry Moore is from the southern region of the country. She was born in Charleston, South Carolina, but was raised in Virginia. Her upper education was received in Alabama. Stephanie currently lives in Georgia with her husband and two children. Her husband just happens to be Derrick Moore, a former NFL player.

Stephanie started writing as a child. She used to write television episodes for the Cosby Show. None of them were ever sent to Bill Cosby, but it fostered her love for writing. As a christian, she found herself looking for christian books that she could identify with culturally. She didn't find any and that was her motivation to become a christian writer. She felt that it was necessary to identify with the characters that you are reading about.

Stephanie didn't find her journey to be very easy. It took her seven years to get published. Many publishers didn't find it very appealing to promote youth christian fiction. Once she broke into the business, things flourished from there. She has 14 titles in print. In addition to the youth books, she has two adult books, Flame and A Lova' Like No Otha'. She has a website, http://www.stephanieperrymoore.com/.

Critical Analysis of Books by Richard Peck

2007-11-14T20:40:00.000-08:00

Richard Peck was inspired by Mark Twain and his writings, which partly led Peck to become a writer. Peck was most impressed with the way Mark Twain could write poetry. Even though Peck does not write poetry, he has adapted some principles learned through Twain's work. In the books, Fair Weather and A Long Way From Chicago, Peck has provided young adults the opportunity to learn about historical events during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s taking place in the Midwest.

The book, Fair Weather, takes place during Chicago’s World Columbian Exposition. Some may find this book more interesting than The Devil in the White City because of Peck’s compelling descriptions of Chicago’s World Fair instead of an overload of facts. Here’s a glimpse of Peck’s voluptuous literature as he encapsulates the World’s Fair in the voice of Rosie Beckett:

“As we turned up into the sky, you didn’t notice the straining and the clanking of that terrible wheel anymore. The great exposition began to fan out below us, and all the pavilions were like frosted wedding cakes. It was the White City on blue lagoons against the endless lake. Golden statues caught the last of the setting sun. Then like sudden morning the electric lights came on. If I could show you anything, I would show you that. The searchlight turned, and everything was washed in light like there could never be darkness again. Just at that moment when the fair was a field of diamonds beneath my feet, the fair and all the world belonged to me” (Fair Weather, p.131-132).

In Fair Weather, the Beckett Family lives in Southern Illinois and one day Mrs. Beckett’s sister, Euterpe, sends the family tickets to the World’s Fair. The parents must stay behind and tend to the farm to keep supporting the family, but the children, Rosie and LeRoy, and their grandfather, Si Fuller, go to visit Aunt Euterpe in Chicago. The children are very apprehensive at first because they think Chicago is a dangerous town where people get shot. But once they visit and learn more about the city and what Chicago has to offer, there is no turning back!

The book, A Long Way from Chicago, takes place a bit later during the Great Depression. The Dowdel children, Joey and Mary Alice, are sent to visit their grandmother who lives somewhere south of Chicago and north of St. Louis. The children visit their grandmother every summer for eight years. At first they are very annoyed with their grandmother’s behavior and think she is “older than dirt.” She likes to walk a fine line with the law and definitely expresses her opinion in a sneaky but mean way at times. But as each summer passes by that Joey and Mary Alice spend with their grandmother, they see more clearly a clever and more kind-hearted woman who deeply loves her grandchildren. As a side note, some reviewers have seen similarities between this book and Gary Paulsen's Harris and Me: A Summer Remembered. One reviewer states, "They both involve eccentric relatives, are episodic in nature and laugh out loud funny." Click here to learn more about Paulsen.

Here’s an excerpt from A Long Way from Chicago to illustrate Peck’s figurative language and Grandma Dowdel’s blunt nature, in the voice of Grandma Dowdel.

“It happened back in 1871. And it all come to pass because of the Great Fire of Chicago. The town of Decatur was sending a special train full of volunteers up to fight that fire…Somehow, the train full of firefighters got on the same track as a Wabash freight train. They met head on. … Killed a brakeman on the freight train and both engineers. Oh, you never saw such a mess. I was only a babe in arms, but I remember it well. My maw walked the tracks down there and held me up to see it. They’d pried the locomotives apart and taken out the dead. But it was a sight to behold. They said the dead bodies looked like they’d been fed through a sausage grinder” (A Long Way from Chicago, p.86).

Both books depict life and historical events in or around the Chicagoland area. What is interesting in both books is that neither residence, The Beckett family or Grandma Dowdel, have a specific address. The Beckett family lives in rural Christian County, IL and Grandma Dowdel lives somewhere south of Chicago and north of St. Louis. Perhaps Peck's grand plan here was to illustrate the simplisity of life compared to the hectic nature of living in a big city like Chicago. What is also interesting is that neither set of parents in both stories are a major part of the plot. The children in both books are sent off to visit relatives. In Fair Weather, the children visit their Aunt in Chicago for one summer to see Chicago’s World Fair. In the other book, A Long Way from Chicago, the children ride the train south of Chicago to visit their Grandmother for eight summers during the Great Depression.

Interestingly, Peck presents a prominent older figure in both his books, most likely to instill tradition and understanding of past time to the next of kin and their next of kin. Peck suggests that the aged figure is for “suburban readers living in age-segregated subdivisions” and for “readers in cement cities where the old fear the streets.” We learn about Buffalo Bill and Grandpa fighting in the war together while reading Fair Weather. But in A Long Way From Chicago, we learn all about Grandma's idiosyncrasies while living in rural Illinois from 1929-1935. She likes to make up her own rules and toys with the law. Grandma Dowdel is capable of anything, but over time we find out she is most capable of displaying love to her grandchildren.

Richard Peck is a phenomenal writer and captivates his audience through his words and visual imagery. His books are narrated through the voice of one of the children in each book. Peck provides graphics throughout the book, Fair Weather, most likely because he depicts events at Chicago’s World Columbian Exposition. In the book, A Long Way from Chicago, each chapter covers one summer in time and Peck illustrates the life of people in a rural southern town of Chicago in more descriptive words to challenge your imagination instead of using graphics.

These stories helped me put in perspective what life was like in the late 1800's and early 1900’s; I think students will also reap the same benefit. However, although I am not a historian and Peck did not grow up in the time frame, I do wonder how accurate the depiction of life, climate, and relationships were. Perhaps, just like all historians, the references of events are usually up for interpretation.

Overall, I was mesmerized by Peck’s visual imagery of “the olden days” and enjoyed learning about history in a captivating, fun atmosphere he portrayed in his books. I think these are great books for students to read and learn from. Teachers can incorporate history while also teaching language arts techniques and characteristics of a novel, includeing setting, conflict and foreshadowing. Students will dive into the world of an imaginative family but in doing so, they will have the opportunity to learn about true historical events. Richard Peck captivates his audience and targets his books for young adults. What a great way to learn about history!

Richard Peck

2007-11-14T20:07:00.000-08:00

Richard Peck was born and raised in Decatur, IL by his mother (Illinois Wesleyan graduate) and father (education ended at 6th grade). Peck graduated with an English degree from DePauw University. He was drafted by the US Army in 1956 and after his return, he completed a master's degree from Southern Illinois University. Richard Peck is author of children and young adult books, including Fair Weather and A Long Way from Chicago, and many, MANY more.

Richard Peck has earned many honors for his young adult books. He earned a Newbery Honor for A Long Way from Chicago, and then for its sequel, A Year Down Yonder, Peck won the Newbery Medal. In 2002, Peck was awarded a National Humanities Medal by President Bush. What a great honor!

I chose to read the aforementioned books, Fair Weather and A Long Way from Chicago, where Richard Peck takes real historical events, set in the Chicagoland area, and adds a fictional family life to them. Being from the Chicagoland area, I was gravitated toward his books. Peck's books give children the opportunity to learn about history in a fun and exciting way! If you and your family are from the Chicagoland area and want to learn about the World's Columbian Exposition without having to read The Devil in the White City, I encourage you to read Fair Weather.

Unfortunately, Richard Peck does not have a personal website because he has refrained from using modern technology. He does not have a computer and uses a typewriter for his manuscripts. Therefore, much of what we know about Peck is either written in his autobiography, Anonymously Yours, or posted online from others.

Richard Peck was a world traveler and a teacher. He met many people during his travels and some of these people appear as characters in his books. Peck is one that encourages non-conformity and encourages writers to get to know people who do not conform. Peck's ultimate goal in writing is to enrich the lives of his readers. He is known as being graceful, witty and charming. In his autobiography, he puts his dedication of enlarging lives in these words:

"I read because one life isn't enough, and in the page of a book I can be anybody; I read because the words that build the story become mine, to build my life; I read not for happy endings but for new beginnings; I'm just beginning myself, and I wouldn't mind a map; I read because I have friends who don't, and young though they are, they're beginning to run out of material; I read because every journey begins at the library, and it's time for me to start packing; I read because one of these days I'm going to get out of this town, and I'm going to go everywhere and meet everybody, and I want to be ready."

Find out what books changed Peck's life.

A Library Card Changed My Life - Gary Paulsen

2007-11-10T11:28:00.000-08:00

Would you ever believe that an author with over 30 years of experience and 175 books under their belt would have ever worked for the circus? Well Gary Paulsen has worked many odd jobs such as circus entertainer and herding cattle before he picked up the trade of writing.

During Gary’s childhood he saw very little of his father, who served in the military during World War II, nor his mother, who worked in the Chicago Ammunition factory. They spent a lot of time overseas when Gary was very young and after a three year stint in the Philippines where his father was stationed they moved back to the United States. Gary never stayed in the same school for more then five months, “I was an ‘Army brat,’ and it was a miserable life,” Gary said. During several summers he was sent to live with relatives working jobs such as newspaper delivery to support him-self. Many of his novels have this common theme of a young teen spending their summer away from home. Arguments at home and his father’s drinking forced Gary to run away from home at the age of 15.

No matter how hard his childhood was, Gary still can point to the situation that changed his current path. He was walking past the public library when he decided to step inside to warm him-self. The librarian offered a library card which he gladly accepted, and began roaring through the books she suggested, mostly science fiction and westerns. “When she handed me that card, she handed me the world,” Gary recounts.

Another life changing event occurred when he decided to take on the life of his father. Gary enlisted in the Army in 1959 and ended his service in 1962. After his service in the Army, Gary worked jobs around the country. One of his last jobs was as a magazine editor in California. This is where he first learned the trade of writing, working on his own work during his free time. He quit that job, moved to Minnesota where he was born, and shortly after published his first novel.
Mr. Paulsen's best known work, one that I remember reading when I was in school, is Hatchet. Hatchet, along with Dogsong and The Winter Room, have all been named Newbery Honor Books. His newest book, Lawn Boy, is about a young boy who gets an old lawnmower from his Grandmother and starts to mow lawns during one summer break. Through twists and turns along the way, one young boy transforms a single lawnmower into a lawn care company.

Gary Paulsen is not only an award winning author but has competed in the Iditarod in 1983 and 1985. His best finish was his first race in 1983 in which he finished in 41st, and is looking to compete again in 2008. With all of these adventures it is no surprise that many of his books have an outdoor setting. He often uses the coming of age story in his writing, where a teen masters the art of survival in isolation as a rite of passage. These teenage characters arrive at an understanding of themselves and their world through experiences in nature.

Through an interview Gary Paulsen was asked to describe his motivation, he said, "There is no motivation, it’s just what I do. It's my nature. The stories are like a river that’s going by all the time, and I just 'bucket in' and up comes a story. It's a cliche, but it’s like that." Paulsen continues to write because he has a basic belief in young people and that he believes that his writing will help encourage people to care about the world around them. Gary once said, "I know if there is any hope at all for the human race, it has to come from young people." His own experiences when he was young, traveling the country and running away from home instilled in Gary a sense of adventure, which is evident in his works.
Never intending to be one of those make it up as you go writers, Gary has lived many of the tales that are told through his novels. Success has not spoiled him though. He has won several awards including ALA Best Book, Parents Choice Award and the Newberry Honor Book. His most recent book, Lawn Boy, published earlier this year is even up for three awards in 2008. Gary never sought out to write 100 books and win awards. Instead he has chosen to write about the precious human struggle to survive, drawing upon his own life for examples.

To better understand a little more about how Gary became a writer and how that one librarian changed his life, watch the video below.

AUTHOR STUDY MADONNA

2007-11-10T11:27:00.004-08:00

MADONNA Do you remember the 80's? That was Madonna then... and this is Madonna now... a children's' author? It is true, Madonna has made yet another transformation in her life.

In 2003, Madonna released her first of nine children's storybooks, The English Roses. It was on New York Times bestseller list as #1 for 18 weeks and was simultaneously released in over one hundred countries and 30 languages. It holds the world record as the fastest-selling children's picture book in history.

The English Roses book is one of the two picture books that are based around 5 girls that are inseparable friends and grow up in England. Each girls has their own personalities and interest yet they do everything together. The stories also include a pumpernickel loving, rough around the edges, fairy god mother that pops in every once in a while to add a whimsical touch to the stories and help teach the girls a lesson. Madonna has also incorporated these friends into 4 short chapter book series; The English Roses,Good Bye Grace, The English Roses, The New Girl, The English Roses, Friends for Life, and The English Roses, A Rose by Another Name. The English Rose book series explore feelings of envy, jealousy, friendship, love, and other emotions that young tweens may feel growing up. Within the books is a constant clique of a group of 11-year-old girls in contemporary England, and there are autobiographical elements to the theme. The audience for these books seemed to be geared towards 11 years to 13 year old children. I found that The English Rose series seemed more geared towards the female audience but her other picture books seem to address any audience including adults.

Along with the two English Roses picture books, Madonna has written four other picture books including; Mr.Peabody's Apple, Losta de Casha, Yakov and the Seven Thieves, and The Adventures of ABDI. Each book has a message or a lesson to be learned. They touch on subjects like rumors, greed, selfishness, sickness, and how to obtain happiness. The illustrations in all of these books are wonderful. Each books has a different illustrator but all the books including the chapter books are produced and published by Callaway.

What could inspire the "Material Girl" Madonna to become a children's author? It is not because she is known as a Pop star Diva who has sold more than two hundred million albums worldwide with a over 25 Top Ten singles. Madonna's inspiration is not because she has starred in 18 movies, including my favorite Desperately Seeking Susan, and in various Broadway shows. Her inspiration in not because according to the Guiness Book of World Records 2007, Madonna is the highest earning female singer of all times.

One such inspiration came from the loss of her mother who died when she was young, which she told London's Times that because of this as a child she "felt very awkward and out of place in school. Not popular, not attractive, not special in any way and I was longing for love and approval from someone." Another inspiration for becoming a children's author stems from becoming a mother and having 2 of her own children and the son that she has adopted. Madonna states having children opened her eyes on responsibility and selfishness. Motherhood has taught her to be aware of choices she makes. Lastly, her inspirations come from her strong believe in Kabbalah. Her faith in Kabbalah has taught her to send messages of sharing not for the sake of getting but for giving. Her giving has carried onto all of Madonna's children books. Proceeds for her books will go to the Los Angeles-based Spirituality for Kids Foundation.

Madonna has her own website which you can view her autobiography, videos (even some of the great ones from the "80's" my personal favorites), awards and even merchandise. But what I thought was cool for The English Roses books, they have their own website. The website has games, advice for tween issues, recipes, pictures to download, screen savers and it is called MyEnglishRoses.net

Critical Analysis of Books by John Green (1st Draft)

2007-11-10T11:27:00.003-08:00

John Green is not J.D. Salinger, the author of Catcher in the Rye, a best selling "problem novel" for teens that debuted in the 1950s. Nor is he Judy Blume, the author of Forever, and various other hot and sexy teen romance novels from the 1970s. Yet, like these two authors, Green has managed to tap into the passions and interests of a generation of adolescent readers. He has done so by filling his novels with humor, sexual energy, heart-wrenching conflicts and emotions, and deep philosophical ideas that do not beat the reader over the head, but rather lie quietly waiting for readers willing to take the extra effort to look deeper for them.

Humor and sexual energy are two clear staples of Green's work. In Looking for Alaska, a novel that has been compared to Catcher in the Rye, a teenager named Miles goes to boarding school and makes two friends, Alaska and the Colonel; Alaska and the Colonel are not only witty and sarcastic in relation to their peers and teachers, but also very mature in their sexual knowledge and experiences. A lot of the enjoyment of the novel comes from observing Miles, Alaska, and the Colonel verbally interact with one another, and upset the academic and behavioral expectations of their teachers and peers. Similarly, in An Abundance of Catherine's, Green presents a trio of friends--Colin, Hassan, and Lindsey--who are smart, witty, and sarcastic-- though not in quite as an extreme way as in Looking for Alaska. In this novel, as in Looking for Alaska, the main character, Colin, is sexually attracted to the female sidekick, Lindsey. However, unlike Miles in Looking for Alaska, Colin's desires are not instantaneous nor constantly diverted and manipulated. Instead, he comes to realize his affections for Lindsey after a long (perhaps even tortorous) period of obsession with other women.

19As my biography of John Green reveals, he is a very unique writer.

Similarities

Both books have a lot of humor.

Both books involve a journey

Differences

Abundance is a journey to Tennessee, and learning about relationships

Alaska involves more of an internal journey at a prep school setting in Alabama.

John Green, Young Adult Author Extraordinaire

2007-09-06T10:16:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone! For my author study, I am going to focus on the young adult author John Green. He writes books that are best suited to students in grades 8 and up, mainly because he does not shy away from difficult subjects and language that captures the reality of how many teens speak today when they are with their friends.

Just about everything that you need to know about John is available via his website at sparksflyup.com.

John's best known work is a novel called Looking for Alaska. It won the Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in Young Adult literature, was a finalist for the L.A. Times Book Prize, and received many other accolades, which are discussed at some length here.

His new novel is called An Abundance of Katherines. Katherines was a Michael L. Printz Honor Book and was also a finalist for the L.A. Times Book Prize. It is a great piece of fiction, very humerous and deep and suspenseful. Above all, it is very quirky, much like John himself and all of his fiction thus far.

To get a better perspective on John's quirkiness, check out the video below. Its part of a larger video blogging project that John has been doing with his brother Hank all this past year. The name of the project is Brotherhood 2.0.

As you can see from this video, John is still pretty young. He just turned 30 this past week, actually. So the above two books are his only novels. But he has an extensive background already in writing for journals and various newspapers, for National Public Radio, and now on the web via his blog.

Its hard to say what motivates John to write his novels. This is a question that he would, by instinct, avoid answering with any seriousness. John likes to keep coy about his emotions and thoughts, and let readers draw their own conclusions.

My sense is that John is simply a very talented writer with a great deal of sensitivity to the world, to language, and especially human relationships. It is interesting that for a while he was a student chaplain in a children's hospital; he is very interested in questions related to religion and spirituality, and I think he writes to explore these questions and find answers. He also clearly enjoys taking "nerds" (like himself, I think he would say) and putting them in situations where they are challenged, sometimes beyond their capabilities. I suspect he has always identified with people who feel on the margin or fringe of society and school, and his books appear to be an effort to let these people know that their feelings and preoccupations are good things, though not all that there is in the world.

Or, perhaps, John just watched too much Pee Wee Herman as a young child.

In any case, John Green's literature draws me in with its humor and seriousness, and with its clear desire to play with words and ideas, and celebrate the capacity of people to overcome their fears and learn to love themselves and others. This is why I read John Green, and I hope you will too.