Nah. I can't say that I enjoy reading or watching anything with vampires.
However, after reading Stephenie Meyer's The Twilight Saga: Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse, I'm slightly convinced otherwise. I just so happened to really enjoy all 3 books and I'm looking forward to reading Meyer's fourth book in the series. Yes, I know there's a movie and future plans to write from Edward's (character) perspective. Actually if you want, you can read about all of that here: http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/ . I don't think that I would have given this series a second thought, however, I've read excellent reviews in the School Library Journal elsewhere. I've
also had a few students recommend the series. Even if you're not into this genre, you should check it out because Stephenie Meyer tells one great story.
Yes, so I know once again it has been awhile since I've posted something of "real" substance. Well, here goes. Over the holiday (which now seems like forever ago) I read all of David Sedaris's works. I started with
Holidays on Ice and then Naked, so forth and so on....
Perhaps it was a bit compulsive on my end. Nah. I highly recommend the latter title listed..actually both titles. Before reading his stuff, I can't remember the last time I laughed out loud so much while reading. Anyway, Sedaris doesn't disappoint. Here's a little something from You Tube that I discovered earlier today.
Meg Rosoff's work, How I Live Now, is a fictional story about fifteen-year-old girl named Daisy who is forced to move from New York City to England to live with her cousins because of the political instability in the United States. For Daisy's safety and well being her step-mother and father believe that Daisy will be better off elsewhere. In England, Daisy's cousins, Edmond, Osbert, and Piper help create a safe environment for Daisy.
Rosoff's characters are happy, carefree. and entirely content for weeks leading up to the military possession of Daisy's Aunt Penn's property. The terrorist threat creates panic and tension. No one can escape the mental and physical exhaustion of uncertainty and uncontrollable fear and anxiety. Overall, the reader will find that Rosoff delivers a suspenseful story.
The comraderie among Daisy and her cousins strengthens the characters' relationships and offers hope. The latter is especially true with how Rosoff builds the relationship between Daisy and Piper. Unfortunately, Rosoff gives the reader reason to question her choice of creating a romantic relationship between cousins.
Philip Charles Crawford writes "How I Live Now has caused a tremendous buzz in the library world, garnering acclaim for Rosoff's writing style, narrative voice, and her understated treatment of incest and anorexia. I have even heard at least one library professional refer to it as a "perfect book." For me, the book just doesn't live up to all of the hype; it is a good book with a compelling protagonist, but it's not a great book nor is it a masterpiece of juvenile literature. Rosoff's novel suffers from inconsistencies in narrative voice, stylistic and typographic gimmicks, and themes that are underdeveloped."
Activities like group discussion and free writing can benefit the reader. Subjects like friendship, terrorism, survival, and family can all be applied to group discussions about How I Live Now.
Rosoff, Meg. How I Live Now. New York: Wendy Lamb Books, 2004.
ISBN 0-5533-37605-5
Crawford, Philip Charles. "Literary Awards and the Enigma of "How I Live Now."
Knowledge Quest 34 no 2 56-8, 2005.
Lois Lowry's work, The Giver, depicts a "Utopian" hierarchical society of civilians who follow their destined life path that has been individually assigned to each civilian when he or she is twelve years old. The Council makes life decisions such as one's occupation, family unit, and strictly governs all civilians' public and private lives. These civilians are unaware of the mental and physical experiences that are innate to human beings. When the main character, Jonas, begins to witness the inconsistencies of his world unfold, he questions human existence, order, and free will. Jonas chooses to alienate himself from others to discover truth with the Giver's memories.
Lowry's ability to build a powerful story filled with philosophical questions for young adults is thought riveting with its multi-layered meanings. Readers are left with Lowry's open-ended questions that can leave the reader contemplating these questions long after reading Lowry's story. However, there are some aspects of life that Lowry clearly implies, such as the imperfect nature of human beings. Overall, Lowry's work is insightful and can impact readers of all ages.
The reviewer, Karen Ray, claims that "Even children who've never heard the word 'allegory' could be swept up in the story of young Jonas. . . . Despite occasional logical lapses, The Giver, a powerful and provocative novel, is sure to keep older children reading. And thinking."
Activities like book discussions about the content of each chapter and the relationships between characters can help the reader bettter understand the development of the story.
Lowry, Lois. The Giver. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1993.
ISBN: 0-440-23768-8
Ray, Karen. "The Giver." The New York Times Book Review 31 Oct 1993 p26 1993.
Alan Armstrong's story, Whittington, is about the relationship between Whittington, the cat, and the animals that live in the barn. The owner of the property has two children that visit the barn regularly after school. The children and the animals also build a friendship. Clearly, the story has elements of fantasy because the animals can talk to each other. Interestingly, the two children can also communicate with the animals.
Whittington arrives at the barn looking for a place to live. Lady, the duck, and the other animals want to understand Whittington's background before allowing him to make his new home in "their" barn. Whittington shares his story and his family's story with the two children, Abby and Ben, and with the barn animals. After a while, Whittington forms a close friendship with Lady, the duck. Overall, Armstrong's story is about friendship and understanding. One example of this is when the barn animals help Ben with his reading skills.
Armstrong does not clearly connect parts of this story. For example, throughout half of the story, Armstrong's character, Whittington, is telling the story about the person he was named after. While Whittington's story is interesting, it could be more concise by being organized differently. Instead, Whittington's story is told in several settings and this adds unncessary length.
Timnah Card describes Armstrong's story by writing that "the ties between the two stories are tenuous, but readers won't mind; the retold folktale provides narrative tension through its cliffhangers, while the minor story threads played out in the barn create gentle, brief moments of loyalty and love. The prose is restrained but vibrant, its short sentences and simple ideas opening a door to eager young readers."
As mentioned above, Armstrong writes about the importance of friendship. Further discussions about the characteristics of friendship by using the examples in Armstrong's story.
Armstrong, Alan. Whittington. New York: Yearling, 2005.
ISBN 978-0-375-82865-2
Card, Timnah. "Whittington." Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 59 no1 5-6 S 2005.
Janet Taylor Lisle's work, The Art of Keeping Cool, takes place in the United States during World War II. The narrator, Robert, is a young boy who moves with his mother and sister from their farm in Ohio to Rhode Island to live with Robert's father's parents because of the war. Robert's father is serving in the Air Force and is away from home when Robert's mother decides to take the family to Rhode Island.
Robert and his cousin, Elliot, enjoy watching the military transport weapons and visiting their friend, Abel Hoffman. Hoffman is a German painter that influences and inspires Elliot to explore his artistic talent. The boys' friendship with Hoffman becomes complicated when many of the townspeople and military officers suspect Hoffman of illegal activity.
Lisle invites the reader to experience the excitement, danger, and unpredictability of the war through Robert's eyes. Not only does Robert have to adapt to change, he also deals with serious conflicts. Lisle's work explores the dynamics of human behavior in times of war and in personal relationships.
The Art of Keeping Cool is a well written, educational, and thought provoking. The reader can gain important lessons in history and interpersonal relationships. The reviewer, M.M.B., also praises Lisle's work as "A brilliantly conceived, multi-layered novel"..."Engrossing, challenging, and well paced, the novel holds up a mirror to society--for those who dare to look."
Group discussion about WWII and the psychological impact of the war are two topics that can discussed in more detail after reading this book.
Lisle, Janet Taylor. The Art of Keeping Cool. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks, 2000.
ISBN 978-0-689-83788-3
M.M.B.. "The Art of Keeping Cool." The Horn Book 76 no.6, 2000.
Linda Sue Park's work, When My Name was Keoko, is about the Japanese occupation of Korea during World War II. Park writes about the life altering changes that a Korean family experiences during this time. Under Japanese control, Koreans are not allowed to maintain their culture. The Japanese force Koreans to assimilate to Japanese traditions. For example, Sun Hee and her family must change first and last names to a name of Japanese origin.
Park portrays the experience of each family member by providing chapters that describe each character's reflection of his or her thoughts, ideas, and feelings experienced day to day. By dividing this book into chapters with different narrators, Park successfully develops each character in a way that the reader can understand the individual nature of each person's differing views and attitudes.
There are a few surprising twists to Park's story. All in all, it is the bond shared between family members that provides a source of strength and courage that helps this family survive the occupation and the war.
The reviewer, E.B., writes "This will undoubtedly attract readers introduced to the Japanese occupation by Choi's The Year of the Impossible Goodbyes; others, who may have viewed World War II soley through the lens of the United States involvement, will find the Korean narrator's perspective--in which the brave Yanks figure as little more than a curiosity--thoroughly engrossing."
A group discussion about the political turmoil and WWII will give the reader further information about the occupation prior to the war and how the outcome of WWII changed the lives of many individuals.
Park, Linda Sue. When My Name Was Keoko. New York: Clarion Books,
2002.
ISBN 0-618-13335-6
E.B.. "When My Name Was Keoko." Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 55
no.9, 2002.
Russell Freedman writes an intriguing account of Eleanor Roosevelt's personal and political life by using
primary documents and photographs. Freedman presents a complete biography of Roosevelt's life prior to her marriage to Franklin Roosevelt, as well as, her experience as First Lady. Freedman's thorough research and presentation of information allows the reader to gain a real perspective of Eleanor Roosevelt in her day to day life. For example, Freedman uses many direct quotes from Roosevelt's personal letters to capture these particular events and Roosevelt's cares and concerns regarding the statements made in her letters.
Readers can better relate to Roosevelt's experiences because Freedman gives a visual representation of Roosevelt's life by including Roosevelt's personal letters and photos. Roosevelt writes about her childhood and about her love for education. For example, Roosevelt writes about her mentor at school, Mademoiselle Souvestre, and how she encouraged Roosevelt to grow intellectually.
Eleanor Roosevelt's personal letters also reveal Roosevelt's feelings about being a First Lady. Furthermore, Roosevelt's internal struggle to cope with loss and loneliness is clearly expressed. However, despite Roosevelt's struggles, she focused on how she could make a positive difference and was successful in doing so.
Ruth K. McDonald agrees that "The sensitivity and frankness of this volume, as well as the extensive, supporting black and white photographs, mark this as a wide-ranging, honest appraisal of this admirable, courageous women."
Collecting and sharing facts about Eleanor Roosevelt is one activity that can be turned into a fun and educational game for children and young adults. Furthermore, discussions about Roosevelt's ideas and contributions can be an inspiration to many.
Freedman, Russell. Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery. New York:
Clarion Books, 1993.
ISBN 978-0-395-84520-2
MacDonald, Ruth K.. "Eleanor Roosevelt (Book Review)." School Library Journal v. 39,
Aug 1993.
Susan Campbell Bartoletti's nonfiction work, Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow, is a narration of several German youth's personal accounts of serving in Hitler's military, as well as, accounts of German youth that supported the anti-Hitler movement. Bartoletti uses a collection of primary documents including quotes from personal letters, diaries, and photographs from this time to illustrate the experiences that impacted the lives of many. Bartoletti examines this time period from the perspective of the German people witnessing the rise and fall of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis first-hand.
Bartolleti successfully presents her research in a manner that is organized and insightful. All of the factual information and photos are relevant and help the reader connect with "real" people and "real" experiences of those that lived during this time. Bartoletti gives the reader enough information about German history, government, and culture to fully understand the "background" that also includes the issues in Germany that the people must deal with during this time. The latter makes it possible for the reader to gain much information without prior study of Germany.
Few textbooks or other nonfiction books provide the reader with a comprehensive overview of general information and primary documents. Analyzing this time in history from a German youth's perspective makes Bartoletti's book even more appealing.
In a book review published in the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, the reviewer, Hope Morrison, gives Susan Bartoletti's work much praise. "Consideration of multiple perspectives allows readers to examine the organization from various angles: converted believers, persecuted Jews, underground resisters. A clean layout and an abundance of archival photos further support the storytelling. This solid offering deserves wide readership by today's young people, and it is certain to promote extensive discussion."
The book reviewer, Hope Morrison, suggests that reading Susan Bartoletti's book, can open discussion. Discussing ideas, viewpoints, and reactions is an important component of the learning process. This is especially true for this topic because it can be analyzed from different perspectives. Other books relating to this time in history can be viewed to further an investigative approach to learning.
Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow.
New York: Scholastic, 2005.
ISBN 0-439-35379-3
Morrison, Hope. "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow." Bulletin of the Center
for Children's Books 58 n10 427 June 2005.
This nonfiction book, Dogs and Cats, is unique because Steve Jenkins divides his book into two parts and has two front covers--one for dogs and one for cats. However, the reader must flip the book to begin reading the next part. Another unique aspect to this book is that Jenkins includes his illustrations of dogs and cats, making the pages colorful. Other than the main text of this book, Jenkins adds short facts next to his smaller illustrations. By organizing information in this way, the reader can quickly browse through the book discovering more facts. Also, various methods of visual presentation of facts allows the reader to take a break from the main focus of the text in paragraphs.
Jenkins offers interesting and important information about the history of dogs and cats and their beginning interactions with humans. Jenkins also answers questions about animal behavior that many people may not be aware of. For example, dogs eat grass because it helps settle their stomachs. Another example, is that cats use their scent glands to mark their territory by rubbing their body against things.
Jenkins's visual presentation and factual information is well thought out and is arranged in a meaningful way that people of all ages can understand. This book in particular has information that dog and cat owners or future owners will want to know. I learned that all cats are born with blue eyes and that dogs cannot sweat through their skin.
In Claire E. Gross's article published in The Horn Book, Gross claims that Steve Jenkins's "Muted cut-paper illustrations effectively showcase the natural lines of muscle and bone in featured animals, conveying texture as well as color and form to create pages that are both scientifically engaging and aesthetically pleasing."
Having further discussions about the ideas presented in this book is one activity that will benefit adults and children. Encouraging others to research specific information about their favorite dog or cat breed is another way to continue active participation. Sharing research findings with each other will be fun and educational.
Jenkins, Steve. Dogs and Cats. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2007.
ISBN 978-0-618-50767-2
Claire E. Gross. "Dogs and Cats." The Horn Book 83 n3 302-3 May/June 2007.
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live life with passion said:
[this is good]wow sounds very interesting! thanks so much for sharing read more
on Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow
on How I Live Now