Module 15 - Athletic Shorts

Book Summary

Chris Crutcher’s collection of short stories introduces readers to his characters found in his novels to further explain their lives. Crutcher writes with authenticity, where his characters are bravely dealing with conflict and pain. Bigotry, jealousy, acceptance, loneliness are all present in these stories.

Reference

Crutcher, C. (1991). Athletic shorts: Six short stories. Greenwillow Books.

Impressions:

Athletic Shorts is about athletes dealing with larger life issues and the struggles of performance and friendship.  There are six stories in the book. The book contains bad language, talks about homosexuality and challenges parents who are overbearing and bigoted. The small town setting and circumstance may seem mundane but characters like Telephone Man and Johnny Rivers are really memorable. There are no stereotypes in this book.

Professional Review:

Gr 8-12--A winning collection of stories, one of which has appeared in print before. Some of the characters from Crutcher novels pop up in these stories, often speaking in a colloquial and realistic first-person voice. As the title suggests, athletics are part of the selections; and Crutcher, as usual, is best at accurately portraying the world of high school teammates and coaches--readers can practically smell the sweat. In the first story--a monologue by a fat guy who manages to keep his dignity-the author seamlessly blends humor with more serious elements. Crutcher's fans expect almost operatic flights of emotion, and he more than delivers here. The short story format keeps the action focused and definitely packs a punch. The final entry, a gritty, no-holds-barred account of the fear surrounding AIDS, is especially effective. These Athletic Shorts will speak to YAs, touch them deeply, and introduce them to characters they'll want to know better.

Morning, T., Jones, T. E., Toth, L., & Fleishhacker, J. (1991). Athletic Shorts: Six Short Stories (Book). School Library Journal, 37(9), 278.

Library Uses:

Librarians should use this book to introduce readers to Crutcher’s larger works since many of the character in this story collection are written in novels. Librarians can assign this book to mature readers who are seeking authentic text that uses real-life presentations of teenage experiences. The notion of what it means to be a “jock” is certainly challenged here. Librarians could invite readers to create social media profiles about the characters in these stories and contemplate the kind of reactions their status updates could receive.

Module 14 - Jazz

Book Summary

Father and son, Walter and Christopher Myers, write and illustrate a wonderful book about jazz. The illustrations flow and the poetry pops, both combined to introduce readers to different styles and subgenres of jazz. Myers’ words really convey the many styles of jazz as he uses different voices, tones, rhythms.

Reference

Myers, W. D. (2006). Jazz. New York. Holiday House.

Impressions:

The book introduces readers to jazz with a wonderful rhythmic tone. I appreciated the illustrations and poetry covering a wide range of jazz styles. From drummers to piano players, and with mention of New Orleans, the book conveys a lot of emotion about the music art form. The book begins with a through overview of where jazz was born and what it meant to musical history. The book is sophisticated and remarkably beautiful.

Professional Review:

Gr 5-9-- Expanding on Blues Journey (Holiday House, 2003), this talented father and son have produced new poetry and paintings to explore a wider repertoire of jazz forms. An introduction provides historical and technical background, briefly touching on influences, improvisation, rhythm, and race. Spreads then pulsate with the bold, acrylic-and-ink figures and distorted perspectives that interpret the multiple moods and styles set forth in the text. The poems begin "Along the Nile" with a drumbeat and conclude with the heat of a Bourbon Street band. The Myerses experiment aurally and visually with the forms themselves; thus, "Stride" alternates long, fast-paced lines in a white font with two-word percussive phrases in black, calling to mind a period piano score. "Be-bop" unleashes a relentlessly rhyming patter in black, punctuated by a blue cursive font that "screams." The 15 selections also celebrate vocals, various instrumental combinations, a funeral procession, and Louis Armstrong; New Orleans as spirit and place is woven throughout. The expressionistic figures are surrounded by high-contrast colors in which the visible brushstrokes curve around their subjects, creating an aura that almost suggests sound waves. Wynton Marsalis's Jazz A B Z (Candlewick, 2005) offers an interesting comparison and complement: varied poetic forms and stylized, posterlike visuals present the lives of jazz musicians. Interaction with each inspired title informs the other and awakens interest in listening.

Lukehart, W. (2006). Jazz. School Library Journal, 52(9), 233.

Library Uses:

Librarians should really seek to read this book aloud because the poetry carries so much rhythm. This book should be used to introduce readers to jazz and could help readers seeking books about the musical style. Librarians could invite students to perform poetry from the book accompanying their performance with jazz music.

Module 13 - The Odyssey

Book Summary

Homer’s Odyssey is one of the greatest epics ever written and Gareth Hinds writes and illustrates a brilliant graphic novel modernizing the work. Monsters, magic, gods and goddesses are beautifully drawn and the story is full of action.

Reference

Hinds, G. (2010). The Odyssey: A Graphic Novel. Somerville, Massachusetts. Candlewick Press.

Impressions:

The watercolor and pastel is really great in this book. The drawings of women could flag parents but this book has plenty of depth. I would also assume some form of teaching guide will still be needed if using this book in English class. The drawings are very realistic and the book has plenty of action sequences.

Professional Review:

Gr 7 Up--Taking a world-famous epic poem and adapting it into a graphic-novel format for modern readers is certainly an enormous endeavor. But since Hinds already performed the same feat quite admirably with Beowulf (Candlewick, 2007) he has proven himself more than capable of the task. To sum up the classic story: Odysseus tries to get home after the Trojan War, but many obstacles are thrown in his way, and many people, creatures, and gods try to stop him. His men are loyal on the one hand, yet bad at following critical orders on the other, which results in even more delays. Meanwhile, his faithful wife Penelope waits for him while fending off scores of impatient suitors. Luckily for Odysseus, he does have a few supporters, including the goddess Athena. Hinds' beautiful watercolors skillfully capture the rosy-fingered dawn, the wine-dark sea, the land of the dead, and many other settings and characters that will inspire readers. This adaptation goes far above and beyond the "highlights" coverage that other versions such as Tim Mucci's The Odyssey (Sterling, 2010) provide. Hinds' work will be a welcome addition for fans of Homer's original work and for newcomers to this classic story.

Lipinski, A. (2010). The Odyssey. School Library Journal, 56(11), 145.

Library Uses:

Librarians need to extend this version to English teachers who aim to teach Homer’s Odyssey to help them understand Greek poetry. All the themes in the original text are present in this graphic novel. 

Module 12 - John Lennon: All I Want is the Truth

Book Summary

The photographic biography of John Lennon wonderfully describes Lennon’s life before, during and after The Beatles. The book is rich with photographs, but Patridge’s writing really makes this book engaging. Patridge really tells Lennon’s storied life with ease and straightforward writing.

Reference

Partridge, E. (2005). John Lennon: All I Want is the Truth: a Photographic Biography. New York. Viking.

Impressions:

The photographs in this book are extensive and introduce readers to images that even a diehard Beatles and Lennon fans may never have seen before. The writing is very straightforward and easy to read and includes some of Lennon’s own writings. A reader seeking more thoughts from Lennon may be better served reading another book with more direct quotations. The book includes his life from birth to death and ends with a section about his legacy.

Professional Review:

Gr 9 Up-- Partridge cuts through the mythology and misinformation surrounding the life of the legendary singer/songwriter and goes a long way toward revealing the complexities of his personality. She relies heavily on Lennon's own writings and the wealth of interviews he granted during his lifetime. What emerges is an unflinchingly honest portrait of a troubled, angry, and highly creative individual who was captivated by rock 'n' roll and often used it as a means of expressing his unhappiness and confusion. Partridge skillfully captures the amazing speed at which the Beatles were swept into astonishing popularity that led to an unrelenting schedule of touring, songwriting, and recording that slowed down only when touring became both too grueling and too dangerous. She doesn't shy away from the sordid details of the band's mercurial rise to fame and fortune but her nonjudgmental commentary focuses first and foremost on the music. Lennon's life after the dissolution of the Beatles is explored in depth, as are Yoko Ono's influence and the worldwide impact of his death. With an abundance of gorgeous black-and-white photos, some of them full-page or even spreads, this handsome book will be eagerly received by both Beatles fans, who are legion, and their elders, who will enjoy reliving the glory days of the Fab Four and exploring the inner workings of a creative talent.

Gustin, G., Jones, T. E., Toth, L., Charnizon, M., Grabarek, D., & Raben, D. (2005). John Lennon: All I Want Is the Truth. School Library Journal, 51(10), 192.

Library Uses:

Librarians who are seeking books about cultural understandings of the 1960s and 70s could use this book for historical context. The book really thrives at describing the activism of Lennon’s life post Beatles, particularly around subjects like Vietnam. This book should be included in any bibliographies about the war. 

Module 11 - Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart

Book Summary

Candace Fleming writes a compelling biography of Amelia Earhart. The whole story is here; her life as a child, accomplishments and then finally her disappearance, recovery attempts and rumors after her disappearance. Newspaper articles and advertisements help readers accurately date the time and glimpse into rich cultural history about the role of women at the time.

Reference

Fleming, C. (2011). Amelia lost: The life and disappearance of Amelia Earhart. New York: Random House.

Impressions:

The book could be read for pleasure, as the book unfolds her life story with an easy narrative and plenty of dialogue from people who knew her and Amelia’s letters and logbooks. The book is certainly worthy of reference material with plenty of primary source photographs, source notes by chapter, bibliography and index. The book’s rich depth about the character of Earhart breaks any form of stereotyping, but to keep readers engaged she uses questioning techniques to help readers follow along in mystery.

Professional Review:

Gr 4-7--Ho-hum history? Not in Fleming's apt hands. What could be a dry recitation of facts and dates is instead a gripping and suspenseful thriller. Even though readers likely know the end of the story, Fleming makes this book difficult to put down by moving between several accounts of Earhart's disappearance and her chronological life story. Quotes from primary sources are woven so seamlessly throughout that it seems as though the individuals involved are telling the story. The Art Deco-inspired book design and excellent black-and-white photographs help to transport readers back in time. Fleming has made a phenomenal woman accessible to a new generation of readers; she unapologetically shows Earhart as a real person and dispels the mythology surrounding her. Exploring more than just her famous flights, she introduces Earhart's other pursuits. Being a pilot in the early 20th century was prohibitively expensive and Earhart had to be a savvy businesswoman willing to try anything and everything to earn enough money to stay in the sky. With G.P. Putnam, a proficient publicist behind her, she not only influenced the future of popular culture, but also forged a path of opportunity for women to follow. Fame is a business, and Earhart and Putnam worked steadily to achieve it; the legend of Amelia Earhart is a testament to their hard work. This book is splendid. Hand it to everyone.

Acerro, H. (2011). Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart. School Library Journal, 57(3), 179.

Library Uses:

This is a great book to introduce readers to Earhart. Librarians should be sure to include this book in any collections about important women in history. The book has plenty of primary source documents and could be used by teachers needing examples.

Module 10 - Brothers At Bat

Book Summary

Being a baseball team requires 12 players on the field and the spirit to always stay a team through times, good and bad. This is the story of the Acerra family, and the 15 brothers who play together on a semipro team in 1938. Their story is more than just baseball, but family and being there on and off the field.

Reference

Vernick, A. (2012). Brothers at bat: The true story of an amazing all-brother baseball team. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Impressions:

I had no idea that the story of 12 brothers playing baseball together on one team was a true story. The book is really fun and teaches readers a lot about loyalty and family. The book also includes the journey this family takes as WW2 begins and ends (geography). Great illustrations with plenty to examine for historical purposes. The vintage style art is really cool.

The book has a little hyperbole with the extent of how well the boys could play baseball, but overall the book should give readers some historical context to the size of families, the context of war, and the role of women (sisters) at the time. The story is mainly about family.

Professional Review:

K-Gr 3--Here's a fun and true story to start out the baseball season. Vernick relates the history of the Acerra family's 16 children, consisting of 12 boys who formed their own semiprofessional baseball team in Long Branch, NJ, during the 1930s. Their dad was their coach and biggest fan. The team is honored in the Baseball Hall of Fame for being the all-time longest-playing all-brother team in baseball history. The author exhibits good humor by pointing out individual boys' distinguishing characteristics such as Charlie, the slow runner who "hit a ball nearly out of the park, but only made it to second." There is a retro feel to Salerno's illustrations done in black crayon, gouache, watercolor, and pastel, with digital color added. Shades of green, blue, and turquoise augment the outdoor scenes. Readers will laugh out loud as they spot one brother out the bedroom window at night running with toilet paper in hand to their three-seater outhouse. This story sends out positive vibes of a family who sticks together, yet couples the tale with sorrowful times as well. A delight not to miss.

Christolon, B. (2012). Brothers at Bat: The True Story of an Amazing All-Brother Baseball Team. School Library Journal, 58(4), 153.

Library Uses:

Brothers At Bat could be used by librarians interested in reaching students who love sports, but aren’t necessarily interested in history. The sport of baseball is considered America’s past time and could serve as a resource for students interested in the sport. The book is full of baseball phrases and would also be a great book to introduce baseball terminology to students.

Module 9 - The London Eye Mystery

Book Summary

Ted and Kate, brother and sister, take their visiting cousin Salim to the London Eye, the great Ferris wheel attraction in the city. Salim hops on board and thirty minutes later, the wheel stops and Salim is nowhere to be found. Ted is a master of statistics but has a hard time interacting or understanding people. When everyone in the book is hard to trust, Ted uses his talents to help solve the mystery.

Reference

Dowd, S. (2008). The London eye mystery. New York. Random House.

Impressions:

This book is largely about Ted, who has Asperger’s and tells his story in first person with all the idiosyncrasies that make the young boy different. Ted also has a hard time understanding idioms and phrases, especially when taken them literally. The book is also written with British English and has many alternate words in meaning. The mystery is really good and plausible and Ted’s quirks help him, rather than limit.  

Professional Review:

Gr 5-8 --Ted and Kat lose their cousin Salim at the London Eye sightseeing attraction, "the largest observation wheel ever built." Given a free ticket by a stranger, Salim enters the ride, but he never emerges. Guilty about their part in the bungled outing, the siblings trace scraps of information that illuminate the boy's disappearance. Ted, who is something of an enigma himself, narrates the story. He has a neurological cross wiring that results in an encyclopedic brain and a literal view of the world. He finds it hard to read motivations and emotions, but excels at clue tracing and deduction. Kat, his older sister, deplores his odd behaviors but relies on his analytic brain while she does the legwork. The result is a dense mystery tied together with fully fleshed out characters and a unique narrator. Good mysteries for kids are rare, and this offering does the genre proud. London Eye is the best sort, throwing out scads of clues for discerning readers to solve the mystery themselves. Add to that Ted's literal translation of our world, his distanced view of an alien landscape of human interactions, and the ways he gains a better understanding of that world through the course of the novel, and the story is even more noteworthy.

Augusta, C. (2008). The London eye mystery. School Library Journal, 54(2), 113.

Library Uses:

A librarian could really use The London Eye Mystery to teach students about idioms. The main character, ted, as Asperger’s and struggle understanding idioms and phrases. A librarian could also use the book has an introduction to London, since the book contains many facts. The book also contains slang, which could also serve as a great activity for thesaurus work.

Module 8 - Uglies

Book Summary

In a world where everybody gets to be supermodel gorgeous, Tally Youngblood is all set to have her pretty surgery on her 16^th birthday. When Shay, her friend tells her of a secret town where Tally can find the truth about becoming pretty, her future becomes unclear. In the end, special circumstances change Tally’s life forever.

Reference

Westerfeld, S. (2005). Uglies. New York. Simon Pulse.

Impressions:

The book challenged the concept of beauty, when uniformity in appearance limits independence, is at cost. Westerfeld is a little over descriptive and some of the side character stories slow the book down. The science fiction is really cool, and I think that's where Westerfeld shines. Privacy, beauty, and cosmetic surgery are all social issues addressed in the book. The book is a little long and could be reduced. I'm not necessarily eager to continue reading the series, only because these novels seem a little formulaic and the ending was sequel-driven.

Professional Review:

Gr 6 Up-- Tally Youngblood lives in a futuristic society that acculturates its citizens to believe that they are ugly until age 16 when they'll undergo an operation that will change them into pleasure-seeking "pretties." Anticipating this happy transformation, Tally meets Shay, another female ugly, who shares her enjoyment of hoverboarding and risky pranks. But Shay also disdains the false values and programmed conformity of the society and urges Tally to defect with her to the Smoke, a distant settlement of simple-living conscientious objectors. Tally declines, yet when Shay is found missing by the authorities, Tally is coerced by the cruel Dr. Cable to find her and her compatriots-or remain forever "ugly." Tally's adventuresome spirit helps her locate Shay and the Smoke. It also attracts the eye of David, the aptly named youthful rebel leader to whose attentions Tally warms. However, she knows she is living a lie, for she is a spy who wears an eye-activated locator pendant that threatens to blow the rebels' cover. Ethical concerns will provide a good source of discussion as honesty, justice, and free will are all oppressed in this well-conceived dystopia. Characterization, which flirts so openly with the importance of teen self-concept, is strong, and although lengthy, the novel is highly readable with a convincing plot that incorporates futuristic technologies and a disturbing commentary on our current public policies. Fortunately, the cliff-hanger ending promises a sequel.

Hunter, S. W., Jones, T. E., Toth, L., Charnizon, M., Grabarek, D., & Raben, D. (2005). Uglies. School    Library Journal, 51(3), 221.

Library Uses:

The Uglies series is a wonderful book club suggestion. The book centralizes around themes of identity, freedom, technology and modernization; sure to provoke thought amongst any teenage book club. Librarians that use this dystopian series as part of a book club should be able to create debate and discussion about society and class, and have students empathize or demonize characters in the book. 

Module 7 - Stargirl

Book Summary

Jerry Spinelli’s Stargirl is an interesting coming of age story about a free-spirited girl named Stargirl Calloway who comes to challenge the conventions of a lifeless high school, in a book about conformity, empathy, and love. Leo, the narrator of the book is a 16 year-old boy who falls in love with Stargirl and reflects on how Stargirl changes the school, revealing its best possibilities and ultimately its darkest transgressions in how someone different can inspire and/or be ridiculed and ostracized.

Reference

Spinelli, J. (2004). Stargirl. Laurel Leaf. New York.

Impressions:

The book could be believable to middle-school audiences, which this book intends to aim, but is highly far-fetched in the high school setting the book is written. The incredibly unbelievable plot development of a girl who somehow storms a football game, stops gameplay, climbs field goal posts; all without punishment reveals the little adult supervision in this book. 

Most readers will be intrigued by the conflict between Stargirl and the high school bullies and how Stargirl maintains her sunny disposition throughout the book, even under the cruelest mean-spirited incidents she endures.

 

Spinelli seems to use the Stargirl Calloway character to reveal the balance of all the other normal high-school characters in the book, torn with dealing with conformity and acceptance, school spirit and pride, tolerance and empathy for others.

The book is about finding one’s self in not the superficial achievements of teenage experiences in school and acquaintances, but rather a deeper, more meaningful way to look at the world, friendship and ultimately one’s self as a person.

Professional Review:

Gr 6-10-- Stargirl is eccentric, creative, and kind. She strums her ukulele while singing in the high school cafeteria. She's the embodiment of creative optimism and wears her heart upon her sleeve. She is oblivious to the adolescent affront caused by her idiosyncrasies. Then one day she hears the whispered sneers, and Stargirl is no more. Spinelli captures the magic of individualism while encouraging readers to honor differences and avoid the traps of conformity.

Follos, A. (2004). Stargirl (book). School Library Journal, 50(11), 65.

Library Uses:

Grades 7-12: Stargirl could easily be used by librarians looking to recommend books about the pressures of conformity, specifically to middle school students who deal with such pressure. The book is rich with metaphors, and foreshadowing. Nearly every chapter ends with some allusion to what’s to come in the next chapter. The book could also be used in search of fictional resources that tie in with lessons about philosophy. Stargirl, the main character is afforded some long passages about her philosophical outlook on life.

Module 6 - Skippyjon Jones