Moon Over Manifest

1. Bibliography

Vanderpool, Claire. 2010. MOON OVER MANIFEST. New York: Delacorte Press. ISBN 9780385738835

2. Summary

Twelve-year-old Abilene Tucker is the daughter of a drifter who, in the summer of 1936, sends her to stay with an old friend in Manifest, Kansas, where he grew up, and where she hopes to find out some things about his past. Through the hot, dry days, Abilene searches for traces of her father in the town's history, some old letters, and a stack of newspapers from 1917. Abilene desperately wants to be with her father and will try anything to get him to Manifest.

3. Critical Analysis

The story is sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, and sometimes poignantly sad, but page after page, it is hard to put down. Ingeniously plotted and gracefully told, this father/daughter tale will resonate with any reader who’s ever wondered whether those old family stories really tell the whole truth. Prohibition and labor relations in the coal mining industry are interwoven with the current issues of 1936, particularly the ongoing Great Depression. Abilene and readers get so caught up in the past in this richly detailed, splendidly written novel that they easily make the transition between the Depression and WWI eras and long to learn more about the town that once was. Readers will love guessing how Abilene's dad fits into all the stories and townspeople's memories.

4. Awards and Review Excerpts

- AWARDS -

John Newbery Medal, 2011 Winner United States

- REVIEW EXCERPTS -

KIRKUS review: “Readers will love guessing how Abilene's dad fits into all the stories and townspeople's memories. The absolute necessity of story as a way to redemption and healing past wounds is at the heart of this beautiful debut, and readers will cherish every word up to the heartbreaking yet hopeful and deeply gratifying ending.”

THE BULLITEN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S BOOKS review: “In this debut novel, Vanderpool creates a fictional town with a fully believable history, populated with characters as notable for their warmth as their eccentricity. Each member of the sprawling cast is so robustly developed that the summary list of characters from 1918 and 1936 provided by the author is hardly needed.”

5. Connections

Have students make predictions throughout the story as to who Jinx is, how Abilene is going to get her father to come to Manifest, etc.

Explore historical parts of the story more in depth such as World War I, the Spanish influenza, Prohibition, etc.)

Write an alternative scheme that Abilene could use to get her father to come to Manifest.

Rodzina

1. Bibliography

Cushman, Karen. 2003. RODZINA. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 9780440419938

2. Summary

In 1881, a twelve-year-old Polish American girl is boarded onto an orphan train in Chicago with fears about traveling to the West and a life of unpaid slavery. The hero of this lively historical novel, Rodzina, is a mean orphan, desperate for home, and her adult mentor is both as tough and as needy as the orphan child.

3. Critical Analysis

Twelve-year-old Rodzina's account of the journey to the West makes the dramatic history immediate. Cushman masterfully weaves period details into this must-read, set in early 1880's America. Through the first-person narrative, Rodzina's voice comes through loud and pugnaciously clear. Rodzina is an engaging heroine whose matter-of-fact narrative voice is by turns curious, resentful, humorous, and sad (“I cried myself to sleep so quietly that no one could hear. Not even me”); her memories of and longing for her dead parents and brothers are particularly moving. Historical fiction and orphan fans will find this a comfortable and informative read. The story is based on fact, as Cushman points out in an author's note, giving some facts about the benevolent societies who from 1850 to 1929 sent children to (it was hoped) happier, healthier lives in the Western United States. She also sketches the "placing out" of Native American children and the sending of children to safety from Hitler in Europe. Cushman talks about the history in a lengthy final note, and she includes a bibliography of other orphan train books.

4. Awards and Review Excerpts

- AWARDS -

Society of School Librarians International Book Awards, 2003 Honor Book Language Arts-Grades K-6 Novels United States

- REVIEW EXCERPTS -

THE BULLITEN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S BOOKS review: “Historical fiction and orphan fans will find this a comfortable and informative read, while social studies teachers may find it useful as a read-aloud that touches on city life vs. rural life, westward expansion, and ethnic, class, and gender inequalities.”

KIRKUS review: “The story is undemanding and engaging, rolling along with the journey, subtly letting readers into Rodzina's memories of the home she once had and of her immigrant parents and her Polish heritage.”

5. Connections

Use as a read-aloud to explore the aspects of westward expansion, women’s rights, and slavery.

Discuss how Rodzina feels throughout the book and why she might have the personality she does due to her circumstances.

Discuss what qualities you might want in an adopted family and if you agree or disagree with Rodzina’s opinion of the families that she meets along her journey.

Follow up by reading other books and exploring the websites mentioned by Cushman at the end of the book.

Discuss city life vs. rural life, westward expansion, and ethnic, class, and gender inequalities

One Crazy Summer

1. Bibliography

Williams-Garcia, Rita. 2010. ONE CRAZY SUMMER. New York: Amistad. ISBN 9780060760885

2. Summary

In the summer of 1968, after travelling from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to spend a month with the mother they barely know, eleven-year-old Delphine and her two younger sisters arrive to a cold welcome as they discover that their mother, a dedicated poet and printer, is resentful of the intrusion of their visit and wants them to attend a nearby Black Panther summer camp.

3. Critical Analysis

Even though One Crazy Summer is set during the late 1960s, this is a story that today’s teen girls are likely to relate to on several different levels. The confusion of beginning to like boys, the complicated relationships with parents and siblings, and the innate responsibility that girls easily take for their younger brothers and sisters are all obstacles that the main character Delphine faces and overcomes. On a broader level, it gives a unique perspective of a part of history not often seen in youth literature. The Black Panther aspect is thought-provoking, adding depth to the theme of Delphine’s family situation. The natural writing makes this a smooth read from start to finish, and the characters and situations are realistic. The historical details throughout the book do not seem forced; rather, they lend authenticity to the setting, and the portrayal of the Black Panthers breaks with the harsher stereotypes. Rita Williams-Garcia’s fresh, funny novel resonates with depth and meaning that comes through the brilliant characterizations, sparkling dialogue, and a stunningly realistic recreation of a time and place in a story that concludes with a surprising, yet wholly satisfying resolution. Modern young readers will find it interesting to read about the conflicting views of the African-American community at that time. They certainly will be intrigued by the plight of these three children who are caught up in the major issues of that time, made all the more poignant by the insightful first-person narrative of this precocious young girl.

4. Awards and Review Excerpts

- AWARDS -

Coretta Scott King Book Award, 2011 Winner Author United States
John Newbery Medal, 2011 Honor Book United States
National Book Award, 2010 Finalist Young People's Literature United States
Parents' Choice Award, 2010 Gold Fiction United States
Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, 2011 Winner United States - REVIEW EXCERPTS -

CHILDREN’S LITERATURE review: “The author has probably drawn a realistic picture of life in a disjointed family; she surely has shown us that things are not always easy. The characters are so real that one can see them.”

KIRKUS review: “The depiction of the time is well done, and while the girls are caught up in the difficulties of adults, their resilience is celebrated and energetically told with writing that snaps off the page.”

5. Connections

Discuss the book from one of the character’s point of view (preferably not Delphine, the main character)

Complete a character analysis on Delphine, comparing her initial feelings of moving in with her mother for the summer and how she feels at the end of the summer.

Read other books about the Black Panther movement in the 1960’s

What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?

1. Bibliography

Jenkins, Steve & Page, Robin. 2003. WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A TAIL LIKE THIS? Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0-618-25628-8

2. Summary

What would you do with a nose like an elephant or feet like a gecko? Enter the animal world and explore how lizards squirt blood from their eyes, and crickets have ears on their knees. This book explores some strange tails, eyes, noses, ears, feet, and tails in the animal kingdom. There is a picture glossary at the back shows each animal again with an informative note elaborating on the creature's special adaptation.

3. Critical Analysis

This book will interest any animal lover through its vibrant paper-cut collages jump, crawl and swim off the page. Curiosity is peaked with a double-page spread gives the reader a snippet of an animal part from five different creatures. Each creature is then revealed on the following page along with what they do with that body part. If you still want to know more just look in the back of the book for interesting facts and information about each animal. The text of the book is anatomically informative, and the white background helps emphasize the particular feature in the illustrations. The provocative questions and answers of the text are supported by attention grabbing, stunning collage illustrations that are sure to get anyone interested in animals.

4. Awards and Review Excerpts

- AWARDS -

Charlotte Zolotow Award, 2004 Highly Commended United States
Garden State Children's Book Award, 2006 Winner Non-Fiction United States
Randolph Caldecott Medal, 2004 Honor Book United States

- REVIEW EXCERPTS -

CHILDREN’S LITERATURE review: “Edges manage to capture hair, fur, feathers, carapaces, exoskeletons, and the different textures of an animal's outside with uncannily accurate depictions. This is one of those cases where collage seems just right for the subject and its many nuances. The informational aspect of the book is further enhanced with a substantive paragraph, at the book's conclusion, of information about each of the thirty animals mentioned.”

KIRKUS review: “Visual surprises abound: a field cricket's ears are actually on its legs; a horned lizard can (and does, here) squirt blood from its eyes as a defense mechanism; in an ingenious use of page design, a five-lined skink's breakable tail enters and leaves the center gutter at different points. Capped by a systematic appendix furnishing more, and often arresting, details-"A humpback whale can be 50 feet long and weigh a ton per foot"-this array of wide eyes and open mouths will definitely have viewers responding with wide eyes and open mouths of their own.”

5. Connections

Use in science to discuss adaptations

Create your own “What would you do with…” featuring different animals

Explore the uses of the 5 senses

Use to discuss similarities and differences between creatures

Read other books by Jenkins such as Slap, Squeak, and Scatter: How Animals

Communicate

We Are The Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball

1. Bibliography

Nelson, Kadir. 2008. WE ARE THE SHIP: THE STORY OF NEGRO LEAGUE BASEBALL. New York: Jump at the Sun/Disney Hyperion. ISBN 0-7868-0832-2

2. Summary

Using an "Everyman" player as his narrator, Kadir Nelson tells the story of Negro League baseball from its beginnings in the 1920s through the decline after Jackie Robinson crossed over to the majors in 1947. Each chapter presents players, teams, locations, owners, discrimination faced by the teams, and how the Negro League players’ style of play changed the game of baseball. The last chapter, “Extra Innings,” explains why the Negro Leagues ended, and its importance in baseball and American history. An index, a bibliography, and author’s note, and source notes are also included.

3. Critical Analysis

Kadir Nelson tells this story from the vantage point of an unnamed narrator; it reads like an old-timer reliving his memories of the baseball greats with his grandchildren. The “collective we” of the first person text makes the reader feel as if an old-time ballplayer were speaking directly to him. Each chapter deals with an important aspect of the Negro league player’s challenges and successes and is told with such passion that the reader feels as though they are standing on the playing field with the heat rising through their cleats. The stories and artwork are a tribute to the spirit of the Negro Leaguers, who were much more than also-rans and deserve a more prominent place on baseball’s history shelves.

Nelson’s magnificent oil paintings are often from a straight-on vantage point, as if the players took time out of the action to peer at the viewer from history, eyes leveled and challenging, before turning back to the field of play. With enormous blue skies and jam-packed grandstands backing them, these players look like the giants they are. This book will attract readers because of the full and double-page vibrant, realistic oil paintings, and immerse the reader in the compelling story being told.

4. Awards and Review Excerpts

- AWARDS -

Coretta Scott King Award, 2009 Honor Book Illustrator

Coretta Scott King Award, 2009 Winner Author

Cybil Award, 2008 Finalist Non-Fiction Middle Grade/Young Adult Book United States
International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) Honor List, 2010 Honour List Illustrator Canada
Judy Lopez Memorial Award for Children's Literature, 2009 Winner California United States
New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books of the Year, 2008 Winner United States
Odyssey Award, 2010 Honor United States
Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children, 2009 Honor Book United States
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal, 2009 Winner United States
School Library Journal Battle of the (Kids') Books, 2009 Nominee United States
Society of Illustrators' Award, 2008 Silver Medal United States
Society of School Librarians International Book Awards, 2008 Honor Book Social Studies - Grades K-6 United States

- REVIEW EXCERPTS -

CHILDREN’S LITERATURE review: “The narrative showcases the pride and comradery of the Negro Leagues, celebrates triumphing on one’s own terms and embracing adversity, even as it clearly shows the “us” and “them” mentality bred by segregation. If the story is the pitch, though, it’s the artwork that blasts the book into the stands.”

KIRKUS review: “Along with being absolutely riveted by the art, readers will come away with a good picture of the Negro Leaguers' distinctive style of play, as well as an idea of how their excellence challenged the racial attitudes of both their sport and their times.”

5. Connections

Have students read other books about Negro league baseball and write a summary paper about it.

Have a discussion about how the students’ think the players in the Negro league felt (both positive and negative feelings) and why they might have felt that way.

Use when learning about segregation.

The Extraordinary Mark Twain

A. Bibliography

Kerley, Barbra. 2010. THE EXTRAORDINARY MARK TWAIN (ACCORDNIG TO SUSY). Ill. by Edwin Fotheringham. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 978-0-545-12508-6

2. Summary

According to his daughter Susy, Mark Twain was not the person the general public thought he was. After learning that Twain’s thirteen-year-old daughter had written her own description of him in her diary, Kerley has drawn on that to produce an account of Twain’s life and personality. Excerpts from Susy's actual diary appear inside separate mini-book inserted throughout book. The book includes bibliographical references and index.

3. Critical Analysis

Two texts run though this unusual book. The first is Kerley’s account of Samuel Clemens’ 13-year-old daughter, Susy, who decides to write her father’s biography in her journal. The second is a series of excerpts from that actual biography, neatly printed in script-like font with Susy’s misspellings intact. These entries appear on smaller, folded pages, each marked “JOURNAL,” that are tipped into the gutters of this large-format picture book’s double-page spreads.

Kerley's conversational, quotation-rich narration effectively complements Susy's insights, and the result is an affectionate portrait of Twain as writer and family man. Twain enthusiasts will be especially captivated by its fullness, as he's not revealed as the author of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn until mid-book.

Fotheringham's dynamically composed, digitally created full-bled illustrations, both inventive and appealing, effectively recall the 19th-century setting, and big, swirling lines reflect the flourishes of an ink pen. A favorite spread shows the grand Connecticut house as a cross-section, with Twain going about his routine in every room, even taking a bath! This book is a heartwarming tribute to both the writing life in general and the well-loved humorist.

A final bonus is a one page guide to students on “Writing an Extraordinary Biography (According to Barbara Kerley*),” which is available at the author’s website.

4. Awards and Review Excerpts

- AWARDS -

Kirkus Best Children’s Books ; 2010

Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Books; 2010

School Library Journal Best Books; 2010

Washington Post Best Kid’s Books; 2010

- REVIEW EXCERPTS -

BOOKLIST review: “Kerley manages to bring Susy and her famous father to life using plenty of household anecdotes. With a restrained palette and a fine sense of line, Fotheringham’s stylized, digital illustrations are wonderfully freewheeling, sometimes comical, and as eccentric as Susy’s subject.”

CHILDREN’S LITERATURE review: “Through text and journal inserts (which, we are reminded, Suzy keeps hidden under her pillow), readers get unique glimpses of Mark Twain’s life from his young daughter’s point of view. Susy gives readers both Twain’s good qualities (e.g., her Papa’s and mother’s initial meeting) and others not so good (e.g., Twain’s description of some visitors as “mentally dead”). These juxtapositions illustrate the simplicity and humanity of the often-idolized American canonical author.”

5. Connections

Read other books by Kerley such as What to do About Alice? And compare the styles of the biographies.

Have students create an “Extraordinary Biography” about someone they know using Kerley’s guide.

Create a summary about Mark Twain based on the book.