May 17 will be a Happy Day

Because Freak Show comes out! Happymaking indeed.

I'm one for controversial books I've decided, and this one definitely will be. A YA novel somewhat and completely based on St. James (from what I've seen in interviews) in high school is bound to cause a tiny uprising. Well if any parents get wind of it at least.

I am quite sure that most parents wouldn't want their kids being influenced by a former Club Kid. I mean they may get interested in reading Party Monster (Disco Bloodbath was a better title) or heaven forbid try to watch the movie, and if that leads to the Shockumentary... Well seeing as how there's a quite interesting scene of James & Michael Alig (I believe) making Special K almost as an instructional video, I doubt many parents will approve.

But really people, the kids that actually will pick this book up more than likely need it. They need the assurance that they aren't freaks, and if they are then who cares.

So thus...I found this line in a review, and I'm even more excited now...My favorite line from a book I've never read...

"This is not a dress, it's an ecosystem"

I need to finish all my school work & projects so I can go hijack Party Monster back from John. Hope he's watched it; I'm about to go into a James St. James mode.

LS 5603 YA - Tale of Despereaux

Bibliography
DiCamillo, Kate. 2003. The Tale of Despereaux. Ill. by Timothy Basil Ering. Cambridge: Candlewick Press. ISBN 0763617229

Plot Summary
Despereaux is an extremely small mouse, even for mouse standards, born in a castle where the Princess Pea lives. Despereaux is quite unlike the other mice; he quickly learns that he can read, he loves music, and above all he loves the princess. Events take place that cause soup to be banned, a rat to wish for light, a peasant girl to aspire to be the princess, and a kidnapping plot to be hatched. Despereaux must find the courage to do what he feels is right, even though he is a very small mouse in a very large castle.

Critical Analysis
The Tale of Despereaux is a modern fairy tale complete with a knight in shining armor; he just happens to be a small mouse. DiCamillo tells the story using an omniscient narrator that talks to the reader periodically throughout the book. Once she even directs the reader to look up a word (perfidy) in case they do not understand it based on the events in the story. This type of narration allows DiCamillo to insert reminders and additional information into the story, but it also can bring the reader away from the fantasy at some points.

The Tale of Despereaux is written in four "books," each telling the story of a separate character. The lives of Despereaux, Chiaroscuro (a rat), Miggery Sow (a peasant girl), and the Princess Pea intertwine throughout the four tales in an interesting way that, of course, leads to a "happily ever after."

The illustrations by Timothy Basil Ering are amazingly detailed pencil sketches in hundreds of shades of gray. The sketches of Miggory Sow and her cauliflower ears, especially, bring life to the character.

The elements of fantasy are found throughout The Tale of Despereaux. The animals and humans converse with each other several times in the story. Also, the theme of good versus evil is evident in the metaphor of light and darkness. The castle is bathed in light, and the dungeon, filled with prisoners and rats, sure signs of "evil" in the story, is completely dark.

Of course there is a hero as well, and he follows the path of many before him. Despereaux takes the long trek down the stairs from the safe and secure castle into the dark and dangerous dungeon more than once. He is faced with rats that wish to eat him and ultimately with saving the Princess Pea's life in the dungeon. And as is typical in fantasy, he is even briefly helped by a protective, elder, mouse. Hovis, the threadmaster, gives Despereaux advice as well as a spool of red thread to use to lead his path back from the dungeon and needle for protection. Eventually he makes his way back upstairs to the castle, and there is a standard "happily ever after" ending.

Review Excerpts
Booklist "Forgiveness, light, love, and soup. These essential ingredients combine into a tale that is as soul stirring as it is delicious. Despereaux, a tiny mouse with huge ears, is the bane of his family's existence. He has fallen in love with the young princess who lives in the castle where he resides and, having read of knights and their ladies, vows to "honor her."...And as with the best stories, there are important messages tucked in here and there, so subtly that children who are carried away by the words won't realize they have been uplifted until much later. Ering's soft pencil illustrations reflect the story's charm."

School Library Journal "In her observations of the political machinations and follies of rodent and human societies, she reminds adult readers of George Orwell. But the unpredictable twists of plot, the fanciful characterizations, and the sweetness of tone are DiCamillo's own. This expanded fairy tale is entertaining, heartening, and, above all, great fun."

Connections
This would be a great read aloud book for an elementary classroom.

They are making a movie and Tracey Ullman is the voice of Mig. This should be great...I hope.

DiCamillo also wrote The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and Because of Winn-Dixie.
http://www.katedicamillo.com
http://www.edwardtulane.com

This site has several links to information on the author, illustrator, and lesson plans.
http://eduscapes.com/newbery/04a.htm

LS 5603 YA - Looking for Alaska

Bibliographic Data
Green, John. 2005. Looking for Alaska. New York: Dutton Books. ISBN 0525475060

Plot Summary
Miles Halter is a slightly less than average teenager; he doesn't have many friends, and other than his parents he has no real ties to his home in Florida. So when he gets to boarding school in Alabama and instantly joins a group of close knit friends it seems like his life is finally going well. Nothing is ever that simple though, as Miles and his prankster friends soon discover.

Critical Analysis
Looking for Alaska has a blunt realism that takes the reader on a roller coaster of emotions along with Miles Halter in his first year at an Alabama boarding school.

The chapters are uniquely titled according to days before, the last day, and days after. After reading only a few chapters it is evident that there is something different about this book, and there is an eerie feeling that it may not be pleasant.

Some may wish to keep away from such realistic topics such as teenage smoking, drinking, sex, language, and death, but these topics are what make Looking for Alaska so easy to connect to. John Green does a wonderful job of writing teenagers that sound like teens and act like them as well.

The tragedy of Looking for Alaska may be the center point of the book (the last day), but I would rather concentrate on the amazing friendships and finding yourself in "the Great Perhaps." Miles collects famous last words in the same way others may collect seashells or autographs. He seeks them out in the pages of biographies and any other source he can find. The Great Perhaps (last words of a poet, Rabelais) is what Miles is searching for when he goes to Alabama, and I feel that he finds it. But ultimately, as most people are, he is unprepared to find what he seeks.

This is a brilliant story of love and confusion, of poetry and last words, of despair and the ultimate prank; it is the story of life as a teenager and life as an adult. And of course in books this can be controversial, so there are probably some adults that feel kids shouldn't read such harsh realistic fiction. It is true to life though. Green told a story that hits so close to home, you can't help but feel for Miles and his friends. You can't help but try to figure life out with them.

This is one of my favorite books of the year. It is simply amazing.

Review Excerpts
School Library Journal
"The language and sexual situations are aptly and realistically drawn, but sophisticated in nature. Miles's narration is alive with sweet, self-deprecating humor, and his obvious struggle to tell the story truthfully adds to his believability."

Publishers Weekly
"Readers will only hope that this is not the last word from this promising new author. "

K. L. Going (Printz Honor winner)
"John Green has written a powerful novel--one that plunges headlong into the labyrinth of life, love, and the mysteries of being human. This is a book that will touch your life."

Connections
I love author blogs and John Green's is great. There are great sections on Famous Last Words, his NPR stories, and his new book An Abundance of Katherines (on my summer reading list) as well.
http://www.sparksflyup.com

2006 Michael L. Printz Award winner (Green's book An Abundance of Katherines is a 2007 honor book as well.) More information on the Printz Award can be found here.
http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/booklistsawards/printzaward/Printz.htm

National Prevention Hotline
1-800-SUICIDE

A Bit Extra
I read this book less than a week after a friend and his wife were found dead of causes I discuss in a previous post. This was a therapeutic read for me, and I am sure that anyone, young adult or otherwise, dealing with so many questions of "why" can relate to Miles. Anyone that has ever lost a friend knows the feelings and the coping mechanisms. I don't know of anyone that wouldn't try to blame themselves for not doing more, even if there was no way to do more. This is a fictional story, sure, but the feelings are real. That is why I love this book. It helped me cry and think when I thought I couldn't cry or think anymore.

Vonnegut :(

*


Another sad day.



*

LS 5603 YA - The Giver

Bibliographic Data
Lowry, Lois. 1993. The Giver. New York: Delacorte Press. ISBN 0385732554

Plot Summary
Jonas lives in a world of sameness where all children age on the same day and the old are released with a celebration. Each household consists of no more than a father, mother, son and daughter. Children receive their bicycles at age nine, and by age twelve each child is considered an adult and assigned the job they will perform for the community. Jonas gets an unusual and special assignment when he turns twelve that changes him and his community forever.

Critical Analysis
The 1994 Newbery Award winning book The Giver, by Lois Lowry, is a brilliant example of modern science fiction for young adults. It contains several of the main components of great fantasy, but the science fiction elements create the environment and premise of the book.

There is an underlying theme of good versus evil, or embracing difference versus sameness and conformity. Jonas faces pain that only the Receiver must go through, since the rest of the community lives in a world of control and naive acceptance. As he does, the Giver assists Jonas in his journey; no one else understands or knows what these two know.

The Giver is set in a futuristic world that seems to operate logically at first, but as Jonas learns more from the Giver, his world is revealed for what it truly is. As in a large portion of science fiction, The Giver shows what could happen to a society in the future and why perfection is not always the best path to follow. Even in the Utopian society of the book there are severe problems with how people are allowed to interact. Jonas knows nothing of grandparents or birthdays, for instance. Anything that could be viewed as setting one person apart as unique in any way is destroyed or erased from memory.

As with other books that raise questions about humanity, The Giver is also a frequently challenged and even banned book. The reasons for this vary, but most that I found were because of the realizations of infanticide and euthanasia within the story. I have always thought that people want children to understand and accept death. But when a book discusses a culture where death is not know or understood the results are apparently not acceptable. Death is a given, even if you believe that an older person is just going to Elsewhere or a better place. I do not agree with banning books for any reason. Even if a specific child cannot handle a book now, they may be able to when they are more mature. Topics with fantasy and interest can be controversial much of the time.

Review Excerpts
School Library Journal “Twelve-year-old Jonas's confidence in his comfortable "normal" existence as a member of this well-ordered community is shaken when he is assigned his life's work as the Receiver. The Giver, who passes on to Jonas the burden of being the holder for the community of all memory "back and back and back," teaches him the cost of living in an environment that is "without color, pain, or past." The tension leading up to the Ceremony, in which children are promoted not to another grade but to another stage in their life, and the drama and responsibility of the sessions with The Giver are gripping. The final flight for survival is as riveting as it is inevitable.”

Publishers Weekly “Lowry's development of this civilization is so deft that her readers, like the community's citizens, will be easily seduced by the chimera of this ordered, pain-free society. Until the time that Jonah begins training for his job assignment--the rigorous and prestigious position of Receiver of Memory--he, too, is a complacent model citizen. But as his near-mystical training progresses, and he is weighed down and enriched with society's collective memories of a world as stimulating as it was flawed, Jonas grows increasingly aware of the hypocrisy that rules his world.”

Connections
Lois Lowry’s website - http://www.loislowry.com/
Her Blog - http://loislowry.typepad.com/lowry_updates/
I found this interesting tidbit while reading her blog: “…though I am more fond of the bearded man, since he was an actual man whom I knew and was fond of, and I took the photo.” So, she actually took the photo of the bearded man on the cover. Amazing.

The Newbery Award - 1994 Award Winner http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/newberymedal/newberymedal.htm

The Giver is part of a trilogy of futuristic novels that also includes Gathering Blue and Messenger. If you get the three-pack set, it comes with a great map of all three worlds drawn by Lowry.

If you like YA sci-fi, also check out Uglies, Pretties, and Specials by Scott Westerfeld and The Last Book in the Universe by Rodman Philbrick among so many others.

LS 5603 Biography - Out of Darkness The Story of Louis Braille

Bibliographic Data
Freedman, Russell. 1997. Out of Darkness The Story of Louis Braille. Ill. by Kate Kiesler. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 0395775167

Plot Summary
The story of not only how Louis Braille created the language that blind people use to read, but how he became blinded, and how he lived in a world where blind were reduced to beggars.

Critical Analysis
Although I am someone that does not particularly care for nonfiction or biographies, Out of Darkness The Story of Louis Braille, captivated me. Freedman wrote a simple yet encompassing biography of Braille’s entire life in a style that made me feel as if I was reading a fiction story. This is a perfect biography to get those uninterested in biographies to read them.

The facts of Braille’s life are fascinating, from how he was blinded all the way to his last days teaching blind children to read. He was a talented pianist, as were several blind students from The Royal Institute for Blind Youth, and always striving for a better life.

Freedman beautifully crafted a story of the many steps Braille went through to turn a complex military code into the Braille we know of today so that it does not seem as if the reader is just reading a chronology of these steps. The rejection and difficulties that Braille faced while trying to create Braille are not downplayed; rather these events become a strong base of the story.

The sketches Kiesler drew of Braille, his fellow students, and the machines that created his language are an asset to the book. It is especially helpful to have the diagram of the stylus used to create Braille along with the description in the book to understand how complex writing was for the blind at that time.


Review Excerpts
Kirkus Reviews “Blinded at age three by a freak accident, Braille was sent to the Royal Institute for Blind Youth in Paris at the age of ten. His first lessons were in ``embossing,'' where raised impressions were ``read'' by tracing their outlines with a finger. This slow, cumbersome process was sanctioned by the French government, but a retired artillery captain's speech on sonography--a military code based on dots and dashes punched into strips of cardboard--inspired Braille to develop his own system of dots based on the letters of the alphabet. Readers know the ending, but the somber story of this gifted, generous boy is a compelling one. Rigidly rendered black-and-white illustrations make the setting of the story real; useful diagrams of Braille's alphabet and the slate and stylus used to write are included. With warmth and care, Freedman deftly delineates a life.”

School Library Journal “Freedman's gift for making his subjects both accessible and intriguing comes through wonderfully in this book.”

Connections
Connections could easily be made to readings about Helen Keller, who also was born able to see (and hear) but lost these abilities due to illness as a toddler. Keller benefited from the Braille language later in life as others still do today.

Classrooms where blind children are included could use Out of Darkness as an introduction to Braille for the sighted students.

Rolling on the floor laughing...

Okay, so this isn't a book related blog. Not exactly, although I did read Looking for Alaska by John Green last week (review later). It's a great, or horrible depending on your take on things, book to read when you're sick and supposed to be at a funeral. Needless to say a sad book full of questions was a bit to close to home for me, but I cried a lot and that always helps.

So I got home from a friend and coworkers funeral about an hour ago. Yes, I also just said I had a funeral to go to last week. Apparently it was a, well I can't see it as a murder suicide exactly, accident suicide more likely, at least to me.

Alan's wife, Barbara, made the most amazing cookies ever. Seriously, holidays (and random days) when I'd get to work and Alan would say, "Barbara made cookies. Help yourself; they're in the back." Those were the best days. I never got to meet her, that I recall, but had numerous chats on the phone with her. Usually Alan was out for a smoke break (I told him I'd help him quit many times, but oh well.) and she was just calling to talk about whatever. She was the type of person that when you talked to her you heard the laugh in her voice even if you didn't see her smile. And she had to be amazing to put up with Alan.

Don't get me wrong, I loved working with Alan; he was a great guy, but... eccentric. And so goofy. We would get into crazy modes, usually brought on by a lack of sleep on my part, where our dry and odd senses of humor would have us laughing uncontrollably all night. And to tell you the truth, I doubt if we even knew what we were laughing about many times. Or rather if I did, I am sure he had more of a clue. Sometimes Alan would say things so over my head I just had to pretend to understand for fear he'd try to explain and I'd get even more confused. Usually this involved baseball (which I know very little about), music (I at least had a clue), or old movies (sometimes I was right there & other times...).

Alan was an educator. He loved to teach people about things, of course working at a camera store and teaching people about cameras is a bit different. There is a lot of technology and science working there that most people just don't get. So I would usually come in and tell the customers what I understood of what he'd said in terms that were more simply stated. And I learned a lot, but mostly I could tell customers "This one's better, if you want a real explanation of why, you'll have to ask Alan."

Then there were the stories about Megan. She is an amazing dancer, and he proudly would brag about her accomplishments at her studio. We watched videos of recitals at work so many times that I (only working one or two days a week) had them memorized. And what I feel was surely his favorite story of Megan, because I heard it too many times to count, and every time he was full of amazement... I want to say she was two, maybe one, and they were walking in a park. She noticed a tree and wanted to feel it, so he walked her over and she felt the rough bark. He was just mesmerized by the curiosity and learning of his little girl. I can't tell the story well, and it may not sound like anything, but it was. It was a moment in his life. It was a moment in hers.

So I am writing this because I need to get my feelings out. So maybe Megan can see how much her parents impacted so many lives in such positive ways, however small or large of an impact. unfortunately our store closed in January, so I haven't seen Alan since then. We had a family there, and many of us were at the funeral today. I finally got to meet his daughter, a 16 year old with so much courage and strength, as well as his sister and a brother.

Finally, to all my friends, if you're depressed, sad, upset, anything and need to talk - call me. I don't care when it is, just talk to someone, please. Work it out some other way. I hate funerals.

I'll never hear "Merry, Merry" again before Christmas, and I'll never get those xylophone lessons either. Of course I'll probably never get a xylophone, but now if I do, I have no teacher.

We'll miss you Alan

LS 5603 Historical Fiction - Watsons Go To Birmingham

Bibliographic Information
Curtis, Christopher Paul. 1995. The Watsons Go To Birmingham – 1963. New York: Delacorte Press. ISBN 0385321759

Plot Summary
In Flint, Michigan, the Watsons may be considered “weird,” but in 1963 a young black family is safer in Michigan than Birmingham, Alabama. The story of a ten year old named Kenny and his family is fun, uplifting, and humorous until a visit to the grandmother’s house in Birmingham turns tragic. This is a story of the United States past that is told in a way that can get through to the children and young adults of today in a way that no history book ever could.

Critical Analysis
The Watsons Go To Birmingham – 1963, tells the story of a young family and what happens when their northern life is traded for one in the south during the 1960’s and desegregation. Most children of today do not understand what it really feels like to live with fear because of racism and hate. Reading about the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s in a history book could never give a clear picture of the feelings of children like themselves. That is why books like The Watsons Go To Birmingham – 1963 are so important as more than just entertainment, but education.

Curtis tells the story of the “Weird Watsons” in a way that transports the reader to Michigan over forty years ago. I could see a mother from the south being overly concerned, possibly not so severely, about the freezing temperatures even today. But once the trip to Alabama is planned the times come into play in a dramatic fashion.

The dad buys a TT AB-700 Ultra-Glide for the car, and since some children today may not even know what a record player is, they may not understand the significance. Of course, I found it hilarious that anyone would attempt to put a record player in a car at all, but it was the 60’s.

Curtis uses Kenny Watson as a young narrator to the story, which gives it power for other children to see what these events could have been like to them. When the church is bombed in Birmingham and Kenny walks around in a daze searching for his sister, it is written so well I felt like I was there in a daze with him. And the aftermath of the situation, although upsetting, shows how families can be bonded after tragic events, even if the event does not directly affect them.

The Epilogue to The Watsons Go To Birmingham – 1963, gives information on the civil rights movement as well as details of an actual church bombing in Birmingham. Curtis makes a point to connect the children that were killed in this bombing (This book also has a page dedicated to the memory of these four children in the beginning.) to the characters as well as people readers know. He does a good job of bridging the past to why we need to remember it through the book.

Review Excerpts
Booklist “In a voice that's both smart and naive, strong and scared, fourth-grader Kenny Watson tells about his African American family in Flint, Michigan, in 1963. We get to know his strict, loving parents and his tough older brother, who gets into so much trouble his parents decide to take him back "home" to Birmingham, Alabama, where maybe his strong grandmother will teach him some sense. Several of the family stories are a bit self-conscious (we keep being told we're going to laugh as Dad puts on a show and acts the fool), but the relationships aren't idealized. Racism and the civil rights movement are like a soft rumble in the background, especially as the Watsons drive south. Then Kenny's cute little sister is in a Birmingham church when a bomb goes off. She escapes (Curtis doesn't exploit the horror), but we're with Kenny as he dreads that she's part of the rubble. In this compelling first novel, form and content are one: in the last few chapters, the affectionate situation comedy is suddenly transformed, and we see how racist terror can invade the shelter of home.”

Connections
Several lesson plans are available online to give teachers a starting place for teaching The Watsons Go To Birmingham – 1963 in the classroom. This book could be used in English as well as history classes; one lesson plan can be found at Christopher Paul Curtis’ website as well. http://www.randomhouse.com/features/christopherpaulcurtis/index.htm

1996 Coretta Scott King Honor Book
1996 Newbery Honor Book