Book Review: WHEN YOU REACH ME by Rebecca Stead

1.     BIBLIOGRAPHY

Stead, Rebecca. When You Reach Me. New York: Wendy Lamb Books, 2009.

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

Miranda, the heroine of When You Reach Me, finds herself corresponding with someone she hasn’t met, but who knows way too much about her…including things that haven’t happened yet. The unknown correspondent asks her to describe certain events that have happened in her life with as much detail as possible, and Miranda finds herself compelled to do so. All the while she is puzzling over the notes she receives, Miranda is also trying to decide what happened between her and her best friend to alienate themselves from each other. As the book progresses, Miranda finds all the different threads in her life starting to become entwined.

3.     CRITICAL ANALYSIS

What do a streaker, a jar of two-dollar bills, and a homeless man who sleeps with his head under a mailbox have in common? When You Reach Me is so intriguing because the threads of the story at first seem unrelated. It takes a while for the reader to start to see how they are woven together, loosely at first, but in an ever-tighter pattern until they create a final, comprehensive, and understandable, AHA! moment. The rising action is masterfully done with all parts of the story coming together in a very satisfying way.

When you Reach Me is also a masterful coming-of-age story. Miranda learns important aspects of what friendship means when her lifelong friend seems to abandon her. She learns how to put others’ needs above her own when she becomes friends with Marcus and begins to understand her Mom’s need to find another job. She starts to understand that even crazy people are people with stories that are worth knowing. And she begins to understand herself. The climax of the story is worth waiting for as each event of the story is unfolded.

This is a fascinating book that is easy to read and nicely able to satiate the need for a good book.  

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

2010 JOHN NEWBERRY MEDAL WINNER

2011 Coretta Scott King Gold Award for Illustrations

 

Starred Review, SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “This unusual, thought-provoking mystery will appeal to several types of readers.

Starred Review, BOOKLIST: “[T]he mental gymnastics required of readers are invigorating; and the characters, children, and adults are honest bits of humanity no matter in what place or time their souls rest.”

Starred Review, THE HORN BOOK MAGAZINE: “Closing revelations are startling and satisfying but quietly made, their reverberations giving plenty of impetus for the reader to go back to the beginning and catch what was missed.”

5. CONNECTIONS

*This book would make an excellent introduction to science fiction. It has just enough of a science fiction element to it to be captivating, but not so much as to overwhelm a reader new to the genre.  

*Other books about time travel for children:

L’Engle, Madeline. A WRINKLE IN TIME. ISBN: 0374386161

Juster, Norton. THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH. ISBN: 0394815009

Book Review: THE ARRIVAL by Shaun Tan

1.     BIBLIOGRAPHY

Tan, Shaun. The Arrival. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books, 2007.

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

The Arrival is a graphic novel consisting entirely of illustrated panels. The panels depict the immigration of a family from a home oppressed by darkness to a strange land marked by strange customs and strange creatures. To heighten the difficulties, the family isn’t able to immigrate together so the mother and daughter proceed first with the father following later. Once the father arrives in the new land, however, he is distraught to learn he isn’t able to find his wife and daughter. He searches and searches while gradually becoming accustomed to the newness of his life, finding a job and a place to live. When he has almost given up hope, he is able to find his family again.

3.     CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This graphic novel masterfully depicts the complete strangeness many immigrants encounter when moving to a new country. Many illustrations depict fantastic and outlandish images designed to help the reader feel how unsettling it is to find everything around him or her to be different. The images of animals, foods, occupations, and languages are masterfully done and leave the reader slightly uneasy.

Each panel is done in sepias, grays, whites, and blacks making the story reminiscent of earlier eras when people immigrated in droves. Yet there is no feel for specific countries or peoples. The characters in the novel could come from anywhere and are going to what is definitely an unfamiliar place. Even the time period is uncertain thanks to Tam’s use of surrealism. Some panels leave the reader feeling as though they have peeked into a historical occurrence. Others are very futuristic in how the buildings appear, or in the objects people have. All of this adds to the feeling of uncertainty and unfamiliarity. Even in its strangeness, though, the reader can relate to the story. The father finds comfort in a pet – a stray animal he takes in. He writes letters with recognizable stamps and the telltale symbols of airmail envelopes. He hangs his laundry to dry near the window. In short, Mr. Tan has created a very tangible interaction between the reader and the feelings of immigration.

Perhaps the final link in this story is the pictures inside the front and back covers of immigrants. Were they real people? Were they not? Where were they from? Where were they going? The depiction of those immigrants is a final reminder of the many people who have left homes and even families for the promise of something better.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Starred Review, SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: Tan captures the displacement and awe with which immigrants respond to their new surroundings in this wordless graphic novel. It depicts the journey of one man, threatened by dark shapes that cast shadows on his family's life, to a new country. The only writing is in an invented alphabet, which creates the sensation immigrants must feel when they encounter a strange new language and way of life. A wide variety of ethnicities is represented in Tan's hyper-realistic style, and the sense of warmth and caring for others, regardless of race, age, or background, is present on nearly every page. Young readers will be fascinated by the strange new world the artist creates, complete with floating elevators and unusual creatures, but may not realize the depth of meaning or understand what the man's journey symbolizes. More sophisticated readers, however, will grasp the sense of strangeness and find themselves participating in the man's experiences. They will linger over the details in the beautiful sepia pictures and will likely pick up the book to pore over it again and again.”

Starred Review, BOOKLIST: “Recipient of numerous awards and nominations in Australia, The Arrival proves a beautiful, compelling piece of art, in both content and form. Tan (The Lost Thing, 2004) has previously produced a small body of off-kilter, frequently haunting stories of children trapped in surreal industrial landscapes. Here, he has distilled his themes and aesthetic into a silent, fantastical masterpiece. A lone immigrant leaves his family and journeys to a new world, both bizarre and awesome, finding struggle and dehumanizing industry but also friendship and a new life. Tan infuses this simple, universal narrative with vibrant, resonating life through confident mastery of sequential art forms and conventions. Strong visual metaphors convey personal longing, political suppression, and totalitarian control; imaginative use of panel size and shape powerfully depicts sensations and ideas as diverse as interminable waiting, awe-inspiring majesty, and forlorn memories; delicate alterations in light and color saturate the pages with a sense of time and place. Soft brushstrokes and grand Art Deco–style architecture evoke a time long ago, but the story's immediacy and fantasy elements will appeal even to readers younger than the target audience, though they may miss many of the complexities. Filled with subtlety and grandeur, the book is a unique work that not only fulfills but also expands the potential of its form.”

5. CONNECTIONS

*Graphic novels are exceptionally popular among young readers at present. The Arrival is a great way to introduce graphic novels that depict real events from history. Many graphic novels focus on fictional stories, but more and more often, graphic novels tell real stories of real people in a way that invites young readers to explore them.

*Other historical graphic novels for young adults:

Jacobson, Sid. THE 9/11 REPORT: A GRAPHIC ADAPTATION. ISBN: 0809057395.

Spiegalman, Art. MAUS I: A SURVIVOR’S TALE: MY FATHER BLEEDS HISTORY. ISBN: 0394747232

Spiegalman, Art. MAUS II: AND HERE MY TROUBLES BEGAN. ISBN: 0679729771

Book Review: SHIP BREAKER by Paolo Bacigalupi

1.     BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bacigalupi, Paolo. Ship Breaker: A Novel. New York: Little Brown and, 2010.

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

Nailer scavenges copper from the narrow, twisting ducts of abandoned ships…ships that are sometimes on the verge of sinking and ships that are always rife with danger. There is danger of getting lost in the twisting maze of ducts. There is danger of being sabotaged. There is danger of not meeting the daily quota. And there is danger of growing too big, losing your job, and starving to death. There are worse things than being a copper scavenger, though. One is facing your father when he is drunk, or high, or beating you, or trying to kill you. Another is losing your humanity in a society where the poor are treated like refuse and only the rich have much to live for. In this society, Nailer gets his lucky chance. He stumbles across Nita, unmistakably one of the elite, as she lies near death at the site of a shipwreck. Nailer has to decide if she is worth more dead or alive, and if the risk of leaving her alive is worth the prices he will have to pay for saving her.

3.     CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Ship Breaker is an edgy, rough story with a razor-ed edge of slashing truth. Nailer faces things children shouldn’t face, and the setting of Ship Breaker is very harsh…too harsh for the reality that most of us live. But it is that edge of truth that draws the reader into the book and makes Nailer’s story real. It is the reality of parents who are less than perfect. It is the reality of life that means you don’t always get what you want on a silver platter. It is the reality of hope for something better than what there is. Bacigalupi plays on all these realities to create a novel that, although putting kids into relentless surroundings, draws readers into the “what ifs”, and “maybes”, and “I hopes”.

Despite the unsettled feeling the reader sometimes experiences, Bacigalupi’s writing has beautiful moments. His word choice provides strong imagery of everything from staples pinging against metal floors, to the feel of the moving water underneath a well-built boat, to the love of a surrogate mother for a mostly unloved boy. Even Bacigalupi’s descriptions of rusty ships, assassins for hire, and men ravaged by years of drug abuse are vivid, and even poignant at times. These elements of the story provide welcome relief from the otherwise desperate situations that Nailer encounters with Nita.

Ship Breaker isn’t for everyone. It has some strong language at times. The lives of the people in the story are harsh and the book reflects that. Near the end, Nailer, out of necessity, kills his own father. Although Nailer’s life is improved at the end of the story, for most of the characters, there is only a hope of something better. Perhaps it is that hope in all of us that makes this book so personal.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Starred Review, SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “A fast-paced postapocalyptic adventure set on the American Gulf Coast…Exciting and sometimes violent, this book will appeal to older fans of Scott Westerfeld's "Uglies" series (S & S) and similar action-oriented science fiction.”

Starred Review, BOOKLIST: "Bacigalupi's future earth is brilliantly imagined and its genesis anchored in contemporary issues...The characters are layered and complex, and their almost unthinkable actions and choices seem totally credible. Vivid, brutal, and thematically rich, this captivating title is sure to win teen fans for the award-winning Bacigalupi."

Starred Review, PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY: "Bacigalupi (The Windup Girl) makes a stellar YA debut with this futuristic tale of class imbalance on the Gulf Coast...Bacigalupi's cast is ethnically and morally diverse, and the book's message never overshadows the storytelling, action-packed pacing, or intricate world-building.”

5. CONNECTIONS

* One of the recent trends in young adult literature is teenagers fighting against unjust and harsh societies. Ship Breaker is one such novel and could provide an introduction to this genre.

*Other young adult novels with teenage heroes and heroines trying to free themselves from imperfect and oppressive societies:

Collins, Suzanne. THE HUNGER GAMES. ISBN: 0439023521

Condie, Ally. MATCHED. ISBN: 0525423648.

Westerfeld, Scott. THE UGLIES. ISBN: 1442419814

Book Review: THE GREEN GLASS SEA by Ellen Klages

1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY

Klages, Ellen. The Green Glass Sea. New York, NY: Puffin Books, 2008. ISBN: 0142411493

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

Set in Los Alamos, New Mexico during WWII, The Green Glass Sea explores the hidden world of scientists and their families who worked on the development of the atomic bomb. Dewey Kerrigan, an eleven-year-old, and daughter of one of the scientists, is the main character of the story. Through her eyes the reader learns what it is like to live in a world surrounded by secrets, where no one talks about what they are doing at work, where families can’t tell extended family members or friends where they live, where students can’t get into universities because they have no official address, and where the normal rhythms of life – and death ­– still continue, even though they are surrounded by barbed wire and armed guards.

3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The Green Glass Sea is definitely a coming-of-age story. It is a story of heartbreak and love, a story about being yourself and finding yourself. It is a story of friendships and friendlessness. It is a story of life. Although the setting of the story is a little dramatic – the hidden army base where the atomic bomb ­was developed – there are also many everyday, normal occurrences to temper the deathly serious location. Ellen Klages deals with all of these story elements well. The protagonist, Dewey, although a typical, geeky daughter of a scientist, is also believable and likeable. The reader finds him or herself hoping for Dewey’s happiness amidst all of the turmoil she experiences.

Klages’ use of rising action is especially intriguing. Over and over again, Dewey encounters heart-wrenching events in her life. The story opens with the stroke of her grandmother, with whom Dewey lived. She is waiting for her father to pick her up, but he never comes, sending a courier in his place. Dewey had to traverse much of the continent on a train by herself. The reader learns early on that Dewey’s mother abandoned her early in her life. Later, her father dies. And through it all Dewey deals with the complications of living a secret life on a secret base. It seems almost impossible that all of these issues can be resolved, and perhaps they aren’t fully, but Dewey finds, finally, how she belongs.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

WINNER: Scott O’Dell award for historical fiction

Starred Review, THE HORNBOOK MAGAZINE: "Dewey, ten, embarks alone on a mysterious train trip from her grandmother''s home in St. Louis to New Mexico, where she will rejoin her often-absent mathematician father. It''s 1943, and Dewey''s dad is working at Los Alamos -- "the Hill" -- with hundreds of other scientists and their families. Klages evokes both the big-sky landscape of the Southwest and a community where "everything is secret" with inviting ease and the right details, focusing particularly on the society of the children who live there. Dewey seems comfortable with her own oddness (she''s small for her age, slightly lame, and loves inventing mechanical gizmos) and serves as something of an example to another girl, Suze, who has been trying desperately to fit in. Their burgeoning friendship sees them through bouts of taunting, their parents'' ceaseless attention to "the gadget," personal tragedy, and of course the test detonation early on July 16, 1945, which the two girls watch from a mesa two hundred miles away: "Dewey could see the colors and patterns of blankets and shirts that had been indistinct grays a second before, as if it were instantly morning, as if the sun had risen in the south, just this once." Cameo appearances are made by such famous names as Richard Feynman (he helps Dewey build a radio) and Robert Oppenheimer, but the story, an intense but accessible page-turner, firmly belongs to the girls and their families; history and story are drawn together with confidence."

Starred Review, PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY: “Klages makes an impressive debut with an ambitious, meticulously researched novel set during WWII. Writing from the points of view of two displaced children, she successfully recreates life at Los Alamos Camp, where scientists and mathematicians converge with their families to construct and test the first nuclear bomb.”

5. CONNECTIONS

 * This book is a wonderful introduction to the atomic bomb. It is subtle in many ways, but introduces a perspective of the war that is often overlooked. The Green Glass Sea can be one of many books used to explore the atomic bomb and the role it played in people’s lives.

*Other young adult novels that discuss people’s lives in relation to the atomic bomb include the following:

Lawton, Clive A., HIROSHIMA: THE STORY OF THE FIRST ATOM BOMB, ISBN: 0763622710

Yep, Laurence. HIROSHIMA. ISBN: 0590208330

Book Review: NORY RYAN'S SONG by Patricia Reilly Giff

1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY

Giff, Patricia Reilly. Nory Ryan's Song. New York: Dell Yearling, 2002. ISBN: 0440418291

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

Nory Ryan is a young girl living in Ireland at the onset of the potato famine in 1845. Life was difficult for famers, even at the best of times. Nory’s family raised potatoes, but the rent for the land and house was so steep her father would also leave to earn money for the family, returning for the potato harvest each year. In that fateful year, while her father was away, the famine struck the potatoes all across Ireland. With the failure of the crops, people couldn’t pay their rents and were evicted. Hundreds of others abandoned their farms as they faced starvation. Others joined backbreaking work gangs with their only payment a bowl of soup each day. In the midst of all the chaos, Nory’s family found themselves struggling to survive.

3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This book addresses not only the potato famine, but also the oppressive system of landlords that existed in Ireland after the English invaded it. Ms. Giff explores the life of these tenant farmers at a time when it was barely possible for them to survive. The landlord and his overseer act as the antagonists of the story, but the famine itself proves to be the greatest conflict. As the famine deepens, Giff tries to show the changes in the lives of the people. These historically-based events create the rising action of the story.

At some points Nory Ryan’s Song makes jumps in time. Sometimes those jumps are short, but at other times they are significant. It can be hard to follow those jumps when they happen, as there isn’t much transition between them. The reader may find him or herself having to reread parts of the story to fill in the gaps. Even then, sometimes the time lapses are so great, with such minimal transitional information, that they make it hard to understand what is happening. One such example is when the jump occurs shortly after the famine begins to a point when it had been in full effect for several months.

Throughout the book, Giff uses local dialect smattered throughout her dialogue. This helps add authenticity to the story. She also weaves local superstitions and customs into the lives of the characters. Patch, Nory’s young brother, wears dresses in order to confuse the sidhe, who like to steal young boys. Pigs live in the house with the people. Most people can’t read. These tidbits make the story believable.

Overall, the story of Nory Ryan is authentic. It depicts the lives of the farmers in general well. However, the potato famine itself is woven into the story, but so subtly that it can be hard to follow.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

BOOKLIST: “From the first scene on a cliff's edge, the characters in Giff's latest novel balance perilously between survival and loss…The finely paced novel balances the physical and emotional horrors of famine--described in visceral detail--with Nory's courage and intelligence, the love she has for her family, and her close friendship with Sean, a local boy. No notes are provided, so children with some basic historical background will glean the most from the story. But Giff brings the landscape and the cultural particulars of the era vividly to life and creates in Nory a heroine to cheer for. A beautiful, heart-wrenching novel that makes a devastating event understandable.”

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “… woven with poignant memories and realistic conversations that vividly re-create this tragic period in Ireland's history…The fast pace might occasionally force readers to pause and assimilate the details she shares, and to seek out more information…Today's readers will appreciate this compelling story with a wonderful female protagonist who is spirited and resourceful, and has a song in her heart.”

5. CONNECTIONS

* This book would be an interesting one to include in a study of why people immigrated to the United States.

*Other books that depict immigration to the United States include the following:

Lawler, Veronica. I WAS DREAMING TO COME TO AMERICA: MEMORIES FROM THE ELLIS ISLAND ORAL HISTORY PROJECT. ISBN: 0140556222.

Yaccarino, Dan. ALL THE WAY TO AMERICA: THE STORY OF A BIG ITALIAN FAMILY AND A LITTLE SHOVEL. ISBN: 0375866426.

Yep, Laurence. THE JOURNAL OF WONG MING-CHUNG: A CHINESE MINER, CALIFORNIA, 1852 (MY NAME IS AMERICA). ISBN: 0590386077.

Book Review: OUR ONLY MAY AMELIA by Jennifer L. Holm

1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY

Holm, Jennifer L. Our Only May Amelia. New York: HarperTrophy, 2000. ISBN: 0064408566

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

What would it be like to grow up in the backwoods of Washington State when you were the only girl in a family of eight children? May Amelia could tell you. She’s the only girl that’s ever been born on the Nasal River, where her family lives. For that matter, she’s the only girl who’s ever been born in the whole area! It shouldn’t be a surprise, then, to find that May Amelia doesn’t always act like a lady. She likes to climb trees. She likes to row the boat up and down the river. She likes to fish. She DOESN’T like cooking dinner and doing the housework, though. Her father despairs of her ever growing into a proper young lady, but then her little sister is born. May Amelia loves her baby sister, and since her mother is ailing after childbirth, it falls to May Amelia to care for Baby Amy. Everyone is a little surprised (even May Amelia) at how well she does, and how much she enjoys, taking care of Amy. Baby Amy is happy and chubby and thriving. But one morning Baby Amy won’t wake up. Is it May Amelia’s fault? How will she cope with death of her Baby Amy?

3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Our Only May Amelia is one of those books that is gut-wrenching in parts, tear-jerking in others, but ultimately heart-warming. It is definitely a coming-of-age story, but not just for May Amelia. Many of the characters a reader would expect to be flat turn out to be more dynamic than is typical in a single book. May’s father learns to standup to his domineering mother. Her cousin learns what family means. Her brother figures out responsibility. But of course the greatest change is in May Amelia. She learns about love, and pain, and hurt, and hate, and forgiveness. She learns to cope. She learns to grow. She learns to accept. Holm has woven the fun-loving tomboy theme into a beautiful story that is hard to put down.

For older readers, May Amelia is somewhat redolent of Caddie Woodlawn, another tomboy-of-a-daughter in colonial times. May Amelia, however, has more depth to her character, perhaps because she is older and thus dealing with different issues. Caddie averts a tragic slaughter of her friends, the Indians, but May Amelia averts the tragedy of a torn home and broken family. Caddie learns almost overnight that part of growing up includes learning to behave as a young woman. May Amelia takes many months of pain and anger before she can face growing up. All of these factors create a memorable book for readers of diverse backgrounds.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

AWARDS: Newberry Honor Book, 2000

BOOKLIST: May Amelia, age 12, lives with her stern Finnish father, pregnant mother, and seven brothers in the state of Washington in the late 1800s. She records the details of her life in a diary using the present tense and a folksy speech pattern: "I go about fixing dinner real quiet-like so they can talk and tell secrets." Aside from quarrels with her adoptive brother Kaarlo, May lives a relatively bucolic life until the arrival of her shrewish grandmother, who finds fault with everything May says and does. The author bases her story on her aunt's real diary, so the everyday details of life among Finnish immigrants add a nice specificity to the background, and May is appealingly vivacious. However, the lack of quotation marks, the overuse of certain expressions (among them, "indeed"), the length, and sometimes slow pacing may make this a secondary purchase. Susan Dove Lempke

PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY: Twelve-year-old tomboy May Amelia Jackson, the youngest of seven children and the only girl in a Finnish immigrant family, lives in the wilderness along the Nasel River: "I have so many brothers, more than any girl should have. My secret birthday wish is to get a sister." Holm's uncanny ability to give each of the siblings­, and a wide range of adults, a distinctive character while maintaining May Amelia's spunky narrative voice, gives the novel its immediacy and potency... The sometimes gruesome realities of the Jacksons' lives are tempered by May's strength of character and her bond to her favorite brother, Wilbert. Readers will fall in love with May Amelia's spirited nature; when she saves her brothers from a cougar, she tells them, "I reckon it's a Darn Good Thing I'm not a Proper Young Lady or you'd be a cougar's supper right about now." This novel is not to be missed.

5. CONNECTIONS

* Our Only May Amelia would make a great addition to a unit of study about early settlers in America. May Amelia lives on a river. How does that affect her life as a settler? How is it different from settlers living on farms? In heavily wooded areas? What are reasons why settlers chose the areas they chose to build their lives? How did that affect them and their families?

*Other books that depict early settlers in the United States include the following:

Alvarez, Julia. Return to Sender. New York: Yearling, 2010. ISBN: 0375851232.

Brink, Carol Ryrie. Caddie Woodlawn. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks, 2006. ISBN: 1416940286.

Speare, Elizabeth George. The Sign of the Beaver. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1983.  ISBN: 0395338905.

Speare, Elizabeth George. The Witch of Blackbird Pond. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1958. ISBN: 0395071143.

Book Review: LAFAYETTE AND THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION by Russell Freedman

1.     BIBLIOGRAPHY

Freedman, Russell. Lafayette and the American Revolution. New York: Holiday House, 2010. ISBN: 0823421821.

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

The American Revolution is typically thought of in terms of the American settlers versus the British Crown, but there were many more people involved than that! One such person was Gilbert de Lafayette, a very wealthy French marquis, who early on threw his hat, his heart, and his soul into supporting the colonists in their quest for freedom. Although very young, only nineteen, when he decided to join the Revolution, the Marquis de Lafayette never looked back. As an officer directly under the command of George Washington, Lafayette formed many attachments to colonists, but especially to Washington himself. That bond eventually led to Lafayette’s command of many troops. He fought in, and led troops in fighting, many battles, and there was none more ecstatic to hear of Britain’s surrender than the young Frenchman.

3.     CRITICAL ANALYSIS

“On the morning of March 13, 1777, a stranger appeared in the village of Chaillot…” Lafayette and the American Revolution was a fascinating glimpse into this era of American history, but also into the diverse nations and supporters. Too often, non-fiction has a reputation of being dry and a touch staid, but Freedman’s book was nothing of the kind. His writing told a story that was easy to follow and so engaging that the reader will want to finish the book in one sitting. Freedman’s ability to tell a story is what makes this book so successful.

The pictures and portraits in this book are as intriguing as the text. Freedman made careful choices, ensuring that the pictures compliment the text perfectly. Some are woodcuts with the pictures etched into a wooden surface. Others are illustrations from famous artists of the period. Yet others are oil paintings. Some are also renderings of artists who weren’t actually alive at the time of the Revolution. Regardless of the medium of illustration, each is an important piece in the story of Lafayette.

Some of the most interesting parts of the story describe Lafayette’s unbridled passion. This character trait is perhaps what makes Lafayette so endearing to readers, and Freedman captures it flawlessly. Lafayette defied his father-in-law, left his young wife, risked his fortune, evaded the King of France, and demanded command of troops. As an untried dandy from France, few were eager to have him join their ranks, but with the passage of time, he proved himself over and over again. Thanks to Freedman, those moments are alive and poignant.

This narrative is masterfully done.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Robert F. Sibert Honor Book

Starred Review, BOOKLIST: “In this solidly researched and smoothly written biography, Freedman creates a vivid portrait of Lafayette as he matures from an impetuous young man and inexperienced solider to a leader capable of wisdom as well as valor…Handsomely designed with a spacious format and good use of color, the book includes many clearly reproduced paintings and prints. A time line, source notes, and a selected bibliography of sources are appended in this look at one of our Revolution’s most intriguing heroes.”

 

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “This study of the marquis de Lafayette, emphasizing his service in the Revolutionary War, is a gorgeously illustrated, beautifully laid out production in an oversized format. Each spread contains at least one painting, drawing, or photograph, often in color. Freedman is a skillful, compelling writer and includes many interesting details and quotations…”

5. CONNECTIONS

*Used in conjunction with a unit on the American Revolution, this book would compliment general information about the war very well.

*Other non-fiction books that depict events of the American Revolution:

Murphy, Jim. THE CROSSING: HOW GEORGE WASHINGTON SAVEDTHE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. ISBN: 0439691869.

Sheinkin, Steve. THE NOTORIOUS BENEDICT ARNOLD: A TRUE STORY OF ADVENTURE, HEROISM, & TREACHERY. ISBN: 1596434864.

Book Review: KAKAPO RESCUE: SAVING THE WORLD'S STRANGEST PARROT by Sy Montgomery with photographs by Nic Bishop

1.     BIBLIOGRAPHY

Montgomery, Sy, and Nic Bishop. Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Parrot. Boston [Mass.: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2010. ISBN: 0618494170.

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

On a remote New Zealand island covered in rugged vegetation and even more rugged terrain live the rarest parrots in existence…the kakapo. The kakapo hang on the brink of extinction with so few left that each has a name and a detailed file about it. There are so few, less than 100 at the time of the book’s printing, that entire teams of scientists and volunteers work literally around the clock to ensure their survival. The kakapos’ food is carefully monitored, their mating habits tracked, their eggs incubated and their hatchlings raised by hand. Kakapo Rescue tells the unique story of the fight to save these endangered birds, with stunning photography capturing each defining moment in their lives and the lives of the people who struggle to help them.

3.     CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot is well written with vivid photographs illustrating the text. Montgomery and Bishop actually traveled to Codfish Island where, for ten days, they lived among the birds and volunteers. Their direct experiences give an authenticity to their book that also makes it impossible to ignore.

The story of the kakapo is told in several short, manageable chapters, with each chapter illustrating a different aspect of the efforts to rescue the birds. For example, chapter four describes the elation of Lisa laying an egg and taking exceptional care of it. The volunteers watch the egg and Lisa via tiny cameras, strategically placed. The chick, when it hatches, thrives under Lisa’s care. In the fight against extinction, each egg laid is cause for celebration, and each egg that hatches is a gala event.

Chapter six however, finds Lisa’s chick dead. An autopsy of its tiny body shows a sharp-edged seed tore open its stomach. The mourning of the people is tangible as Montgomery and Bishop capture the moments in words and pictures.

By the end of the book, the reader will care deeply about a parrot he or she had never heard of prior to his or her reading of the book. The reader will comb the pages of facts at the end of the book, trying to learn how many parrots still live. He or she will go to the kakapo rescue website and learn that since the book’s publication the numbers of kakapo have swelled to almost 130. And the reader will rejoice.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Robert F. Sibert Medal Book

Starred Review, BOOKLIST: “Montgomery’s delight in her subject is contagious, and throughout her enthusiastic text, she nimbly blends scientific and historical facts with immediate, sensory descriptions of fieldwork. Young readers will be fascinated.”

 

Starred Review, KIRKUS: “Under the careful supervision of forest rangers and volunteers on an island off the New Zealand coast, the nearly extinct, flightless Kakapo parrot is the object of an intensive rescue effort described by this experienced writer-photographer team...As always, the photographer's remarkable and clearly reproduced photographs support and enhance the text. The book's careful design is unobtrusive: The progress of an opening egg sets off page numbers, and fern patterns provide a subtle decoration. Bibliography and a website encourage readers' further explorations. Wonderful.”

Starred Review, SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “Take a parrot. Color it green. Give it soft, fluffy feathers, and whiskers. Give it sumo proportions and take away its power of flight. Make it nocturnal, and have it nest underground. Aha! A kakapo!...Excellent photos and a readable, conversational text provide an intimate look at a concerted effort to save a drastically endangered species unfamiliar to most of the world outside Down Under. Readers who enjoyed this author/photographer team’s The Tarantula Scientist (2007) or Quest for the Tree Kangaroo (2006, both Houghton) will gobble up this tribute to ecological science in action.”

5. CONNECTIONS

*Kakapo Rescue will make a fantastic introduction to a study of endangered species and fragile ecosystems.

*Other books about endangered species:

Dobson, David. CAN WE SAVE THEM? ENDANGERED SPECIES OF NORTH AMERICA. ISBN: 0881068225.

Jenkins, Steve. ALMOST GONE: THE WORLD’S RAREST ANIMALS. ISBN: 0060536004.

Mackey, Richard. THE ATLAS OF ENDANGERED SPECIES: REVISED AND UPDATED. ISBN: 0520258622.

Book Review: BIGGEST, STRONGEST, FASTEST by Steve Jenkins

1.     BIBLIOGRAPHY

Jenkins, Steve. Biggest, Strongest, Fastest. New York: Ticknor & Fields Books for Young Readers, 1995. ISBN: 0395861365

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

Which animal is the biggest? Which is the slowest? Which animal gives the strongest electric shock? Steve Jenkins takes young readers through an exploration of animals that are the biggest, strongest, fastest, etc. With simple text, textured collage illustrations, and a short fact for each animal, this book will be a fun one for young readers to explore.

3.     CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Written for young readers, Jenkins presents facts about each animal simply and concisely. One sentence is all he needs to convey the main thought for each animal he introduces. However, to compliment that sentence, in smaller print, usually tucked into the corner of the page, there are also another two or three sentences that describe the main idea with slightly more detail. There is also a small picture that shows the scale of the animal in the illustration compared to items familiar to a child. The largest animal, a bird spider, is shown in comparison to a human, adult hand, for example. The strongest animal, an ant, is depicted holding five ants above his head, while the human holds only one human above his head. These small insets are just as interesting as the main sentences.

Jenkins does his own illustrations for this book. His collages have interesting texture themselves and are set against backgrounds with a contrasting texture. The soft colors and obvious texture make the pictures interesting to look at. They are also the main focus of each page and invite the reader to explore them leisurely and in detail. The hair on the spider is particularly interesting to look at.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Caldecott Honor Book

Starred Review, BOOKLIST:
"Here's proof that power isn't just about size and that science can be a lot of fun."

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “Large, clear print; fascinating facts; and beautiful, detailed, cut-paper collages make this excellent title a delight. One main fact is presented per spread about each of 14 animals… Two more relevant facts are given in smaller print. Silhouette drawings show comparative sizes… The realistic, inventive, textured illustrations, mostly double spreads, flow smoothly from page to page. A helpful chart at the end contains further information about each creature, such as diet and habitat. An all-round superlative effort.”

5. CONNECTIONS

*Steve Jenkins writes a series of books, all focused on similar subjects. A study of this series would make a fun introduction to different facets of animal life that are not often introduced to small children.

*Similar books by Steve Jenkins:

Jenkins, Steve. ACTUAL SIZE. ISBN: 0547512910.

Jenkins, Steve. JUST A SECOND. ISBN: 0618708960.

Jenkins, Steve. WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN SOMETHING WANTS TO EAT YOU?. ISBN: 0618152431.

Jenkins, Steve. WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A TAIL LIKE THIS?. ISBN: 0618256288.