Module 15- The Hunger Games

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Book Summary:

In Suzanne Collins Hunger Games, readers are introduced to Katniss Everdeen, a 16 year old girl who risks everything when she volunteers to replace her 12 year old sister in the annual Hunger Games.  These games pit 24 tributes, two from each district, against each other in a competition to the death as a reminder of the consequences for the uprising against the cruelty and tyranny of the Capitol.  Katniss is joined by Peeta Mellark, a baker’s son, as the other tribute from their district, District 12.  Katniss and Peeta journey to the Capitol to participate in the Hunger Games, meeting Haymitch Abernathy, their drunken coach and mentor who recognizes their spirit and fire and decides to sober up enough to help them survive the games.  As a lone survivor of a previous Hunger Games, Haymitch provides valuable information and advice during their grueling training and competition.  He also is instrumental in assisting them behind the scenes by lobbying patrons for various “gifts” such as medicine to be delivered during the games.  Katniss and Peeta also meet Cinna, their stylist, who not only dresses them in never before seen outfits that appear to “catch fire”, but he also presents them as a couple, united in their feelings for each other as opposed to independent competitors willing to kill each other in the games.  Finding a camouflaged and wounded Peeta, Katniss nurses him back to health while realizing that keeping the romance alive for the public may be the only way to save their lives since the Capitol has changed the rules declaring that two people from the same district may now win.  After eliminating all other competition, Katniss and Peeta are informed that the rules have changed once again and there can only be one winner.  Unable to try to kill one another, they decide to commit suicide and are spared at the last minute by another announcement that they have won the Hunger Games.  

APA Reference of Book:  
Collins , S. (2008). The hunger games. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.

Impressions:
This book is very intense and full of action from the first page.  Once I started reading this book I didn't set it down until I had finished it.  While there is a romance story intertwined with the adventure it is not the common, everyday boy meets girl and it is love at first sight.  This book will appeal to both genders due to the high amounts of action that will draw in the guys while the love story will appeal to and keep the girls interested.  While I understand some of the controversy around this book, it is a well written book with literary merit, that has teens willing and excited to read.

Professional Review:
Gr 7 Up-In a not-too-distant future, the United States of America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war, to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 12 districts. Each year, two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal intimidation of the subjugated districts, the televised games are broadcasted throughout Panem as the 14 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors, literally, with all citizens required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss's young sister, Prim, is selected as the mining district's female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart, Peeta, the son ofthe town baker who seems to have all the fighting skills of a lump of bread dough, will be pitted against bigger, stronger representatives who have trained for this their whole lives. Collins's characters are completely realistic and sympathetic as they form alliances and friendships in the face of overwhelming odds; the plot is tense, dramatic, and engrossing. This book will definitely resonate with the generation raised on reality shows like "Survivor" and "American Gladiator." Book one of a planned trilogy.

Baird, J. (2008, September). The hunger games. School Library Journal, 54(9), 176-177. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/

Library Uses:
Since the public library in my community as well as the school district, serves three small towns the library could hold a contest where each of the different towns represents a district.  At a showing of the movie The Hunger Games, teens from each town would be asked to bring a can good that will be donated to the local food bank to help fight hunger in the community.  And the district, or town with the largest amount of canned goods would win the Hunger Games, and the teens from that district that had participated in the food drive would receive coupons for a free dessert from a local restaurant.

Module 14- Mirror, Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse

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Book Summary:
In Mirror, Mirror by Marilyn Singer readers are exposed to poems about many classic fairy tales, but what is different about these books is that the poems can be read either the way they were written or in reverse, changing the last line to the first line, then the next to last line as the second line and so on and so forth until the first line is the last line in the reverse poem.  Don't worry the author has written the both versions of the poems on the pages for you to view.  The classic fairy tales of Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, The Ugly Duckling, Snow White, Jack and the Beanstalk, The Three Bears, Hansel and Gretel, Rumpelstiltskin, The Frog Prince, and Beauty and the Beast all have poems and reverse poems within this book.

APA Reference of Book:
Singer, M. (2010). Mirror, mirror: A book of reversible verse. New York, NY: Dutton Children's Books.

Impressions:
Mirror, Mirror is a fun book to read, especially out loud to hear how the poem changes between the original form and the reverse.  The illustrations are very bright and very detailed and will help younger readers to stay engaged if this book is being read to them.  This book shows how fun poetry can be and even though most people would say that they don't enjoy poetry this book will be entertaining and intriguing to most readers.  This book is a great way to expose younger readers to poetry and to give them a fun and positive first experience with this style.

Professional Review:
Gr 2-5--Marilyn Singer's innovative book (Dutton, 2012) presents poetry based on fairy tales that can be read in two ways--the lines can be read from top to bottom and from bottom to top. Crafted in a minimalistic free verse, each set of reversible poems presents the thoughts of characters from various fairy tales. Sometimes the two poems give two points of view of the same character, while other sets represent two different characters in the same fairy tale. For example, the Cinderella poems portray Cinderella's attitude before and during the ball, while the Red Riding Hood verses are written from the girl's and then the wolf's point of view. Each set of poems is illustrated with Josee Massee's stylized acrylic artwork in rich jewel tones. She skillfully incorporates the characters of the poems and the idea of mirror images into each of her illustrations. The female parts are read by the author, while the male characters are voiced by Joe Morton. Both readers skillfully use tempo, expression, and inflection to make the meaning and feeling of the poems clear. Appropriate instrumental background music has been added to each poem. A great choice for a reading/listening center at school, or just for fun.

Cardon, D. (2011, November). Mirror, mirror: A book of reversible verse. School Library Journal, 57(11), 69. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/

Library Uses:
Mirror, Mirror would be a great book to use during a story time for younger elementary students since it is such a fun book to read out loud and to listen to someone read.  I would have a poetry book display set up at the library that would include other poetry books for this age group that would be available for check out immediately following the story time and that would remain set up for a couple of weeks, until the next story time.

Module 13- The Plain Janes

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Book Summary:
After some type of disaster hits Metrocity, Jane's parents move her out of the city and into a new school.  She meets and decides to befriend three girls who just so happened to be names Jane, Jayne, and Polly Jane.  The girls soon form P.L.A.I.N., which stands for People Loving Art in Neighborhoods, and begin setting up art work throughout the community, which causes a commotion in the neighborhood.  The police become involved and the Janes are soon faced with a decision as to whether they should stop the group in light of the disturbances that are happening, but they decide that they will continue with the club.

APA Reference of Book:
Castelluci, C., & Rugg, J. (2007). The plain janes. New York, NY: DC Comics.

Impressions:
The Plain Janes is a great example that graphic novels can have literary merit and can and do contain great story lines as well as great illustrations.  This book contains great characters who are not afraid to stand up for something that they believe in as well as trying to make the community a better place.  As many people who change the norm, the girls do face some opposition. This was the first graphic novel that I have read, and I truly enjoyed it, and could easily see the appeal that this genre has for teenagers.

Professional Review:
 In Castellucci's (Boy Proof, rev. 5/05) first graphic novel, Jane's life is turned upside-down when she's injured in an explosion outside a Metro City café--an implied terrorist attack. Her parents waste no time in moving to suburbia, where arty Jane finds her "tribe" in a quiet group of rejects: Jane (a theater nut), Jayne (a science nerd), and Polly Jane (a wannabe jock). Searching for a way to draw them out, Jane forms P.L.A.I.N. (People Loving Art In Neighborhoods) and engages their help in planning "art attacks." The group's whimsical efforts range from adding bubble solution to the town fountain to organizing the entire school to simultaneously break into song--and meet with proscription and persecution from the authorities. The core of this timely novel, though, is Jane's struggle to see the beauty of the world rather than its dangers. Pulling everything together is Jane's poignant correspondence with the comatose John Doe, a young man she rescued in the aftermath of the bomb and whose sketchbook (bearing the mantra "Art Saves") she borrowed for inspiration. The layered dialogue and emotion-laden visual dose-ups suggest character depth, and the clean-lined graphic format is uniquely suited to the art attacks, Rugg's warm gray-scale scenes conveying not just detail and scope but the drama, impact, and joy of unfettered expression.

Gross, C. (2007, July/August). The plain Janes. The Horn Book Magazine, 83(4), 390. Retrieved from http://archive.hbook.com/magazine/

Library Uses:
Have an "Introduction to Graphic Novels" book talk for parents and use this book as one of the books used to show that graphic novels can and do contain great stories and to help them understand the reasons that teens are interested in this genre.

Module 12- Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Einstein

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Book Summary:

In his book, Odd Boy Out, Don Brown gives us a view of Albert Einstein’s childhood.  Einstein proved an enigma to his cultured parents, his perplexed instructors, and his intolerant peers.  His loving parents were ill-equipped to handle his behavior and temper; his instructors confused by his brilliance in science, math and music, yet his apathy in other subjects; and finally, his peers ostracize him as much for his Jewishness as for his misunderstood brilliance.  While Albert Einstein may have been viewed as a misfit and an outsider, his brilliance paved the way in changing what we know and understand about our world.

APA Reference of Book:
Brown, D. (2004). Odd boy out: Young Albert Einstein. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Impressions:
This book gives readers a glance of what childhood was like for the genius Albert Einstein.  One of the things that struck me was that Albert seemed to stick out in a negative way no matter who he was with or where he was, and this is quite the opposite that I would have expected that the child genius would have experienced.  This book shows that though we are all different and may not all fit the same mold our differences are what make us special and can be the cornerstone of brilliance and the spark that ignites changes within our world.

Professional Review:
 Gr 2-5-This well-crafted picture-book biography focuses on Einstein's hard-to-classify brilliance, which led to awesome scientific discoveries, but all too often left him a misunderstood outsider. Brown describes his subject's loving, cultured parents who were frequently nonplussed by their son's behavior and temper. He found himself the "odd boy" at school, and as the only Jewish student, was sometimes taunted by other children. He puzzled his instructors as well; though clearly gifted in science, math, and music, he was an indifferent student in most subjects. Brown's pen-and-ink and water-color illustrations, rendered in a palette of dusky mauve and earthy brown, portray a doubtful, somewhat unhappy-looking child, except for a picture in which he gazes fondly at a compass, a gift that astonishes him as he ponders its mysteries. In many scenes lie is marginalized on the sidelines, set apart by color and shading. One dramatic spread features an adult Einstein pushing his child in a carriage, looking small against a backdrop that highlights some of the scientific puzzles that so engaged him. Through eloquent narrative and illustration, Brown offers a thoughtful introduction to an enigmatic man. This book will pique the interest of readers with little or: no knowledge of Ein-stein.

Taniguchi, M. (2004, October). Odd boy out. School Library Journal, 50(10), 138-139. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/

Library Uses:
This book could be used as part of an anti-bullying campaign at the library, and could be used to show that even though some people may not fit into the norms of the society, they still have merit and deserve respect.

Module 11- Leonardo's Horse

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Book Summary:

Leonardo’s Horse, by Jean Fritz, is the story of how Leonardo’s da Vinci’s unrealized dream of creating a bronze horse became a reality over 500 years after the destruction of his unfinished horse.  Leonardo accomplished many great things, including such works of art as The Last Supper or Mona Lisa.  However, his greatest disappointment was his failure to complete his bronze horse and it is rumored that even on his deathbed on May 2, 1519, he wept for his horse.  The story of Leonardo’s horse was almost forgotten until Charles Dent read of it in 1977.  Charlie adopted Leonardo’s dream and began working on giving Leonardo his horse as a gift from America to Italy.  However, before Charlie could complete Leonardo’s horse, Charlie became ill and died.  At this point, Nina Akamu, a talented sculptor from New York, stepped in and agreed to continue Charlie’s work on Leonardo’s horse.  On September 10, 1999, a large crowd of Italians and Americans witnessed the unveiling of Leonard’s horse in Milan, Italy.  Written on one eye of the horse is Leonardo da Vinci; on the other eye is written Charles Dent and Nina’s name appears in the curly mane of the horse.    

APA Reference of Book:
Fritz, J., & Talbott, H. (2001). Leonardo's horse. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons.

Impressions:
While I have heard many times about Leonardo da Vinci and were familiar with many of his popular works of art, I had never heard anything about his horse or the its history.  This book does an excellent job of telling the entire story of Leonardo's horse throughout not only Leonardo's life, but also the efforts of Charles Dent and Nina Akamu to bring Leonardo's horse to completion.  The illustrations and informational text provide insight into the different techniques used in the creation of this sculpture.  The book would appeal to readers of any age especially those interested in the life or works of Leonardo da Vinci.

Professional Review:

Though this starts with a brisk and spirited overview of Leonardo's life, this isn't a biography (for that, see Diane Stanley's Leonardo da Vinci, BCCB 9/96); it's an examination of one of Leonardo's projects, which took five centuries for fulfillment. Leonardo studied and planned for the creation of a huge bronze horse "three times larger than life," analyzing the technical problems ("No one had tried a single pouring of anything this large") and completing the clay model--but never achieving the actual bronze casting. Come the twentieth century, an art lover named Charlie Dent decided thatLeonardo's horse deserved completion, planning a model and creating a dome that would house the finished object; when he died of ALS just before completion, the Dome supporters brought in a talented sculptor who realized that the horse needed redesign from scratch and who completed the task in time for Leonardo's horse finally to be delivered to the people of Milan 500 years to the day of the destruction of Leonardo's original clay model. This is an unusual and surprisingly touching story of a cumulative collaboration ("On the pupil of one eye of the horse, Nina had written in tiny letters Leonardo da Vinci. On the other eye she had written Charles Dent. She had put her own name in the curly mane of the horse"), and it also raises some interesting questions for discussion (how much, for instance, is it still Leonardo's horse?). Talbott's mixedmedia art takes advantage of the book's arched shape (echoing the horse's Dome home), and it adds information as well as beauty, with diagrams and maps inserted where appropriate and a plethora of equestrian studies and models trotting through the pages. He's fair about the drawbacks in Charlie Dent's rendition, but he's also effective at capturing the spirit throughout all the horse's incarnations. For art lovers or just fans of quixotic dreams, this will be an offbeat and intriguing read. An author's note and appended information gives more detail on benefactors, the process, and the website of the organization behind the sculpture.

Stevenson, D. (2001, October). Leonardo's horse (book review). Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 55(2), 55-57. Retrieved from http://bccb.lis.illinois.edu/

Library Uses:
For older elementary students have a story time where they are read Leonardo's Horse, and then for a craft have them make their own horse using a cast and modeling clay.  Have the cast used in the craft be of a similar type as used in the book to describe how they went from clay to plaster to bronze.  They will put the clay inside of one side of the cast, place the other side on top of the bottom piece, press, and remove the top piece to reveal the horse made from clay.  They may need to trim the access clay from around the cast  of the horse if there was too much clay put into the cast.

Module 10- Tomas and the Library Lady

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Book Summary:
Tomas leaves his home in Texas with his family to travel to Iowa again where his parent work on a farm during the summer.  His grandfather and brother are also with them on this trip and during the hottest part of the day, Tomas would ask his grandfather to tell him stories.  He loved to hear his grandfather tell stories in Spanish and he believed he was the best storyteller.  One afternoon his grandfather tells Tomas that there are more stories like his in libraries and that he is old enough to go there by himself and find more stories to tell the family.  The next morning he heads to the library and he meets the librarian who helps him find books about dinosaurs and tigers.  The librarian allows Tomas to check out two of the books to bring home and share with his family.  His family listened to Tomas read them the stories from inside of his books.  Tomas loved books and looked for books anywhere that he could and would spend days in the library reading new books to himself or the librarian and teaching the librarian Spanish and his evenings reading to his family.  At the end of the summer, Tomas has to say goodbye to the library and the librarian, and thanks her for letting him read all of the books.

APA Reference of Book:
Mora, P. (1997). Tomas and the library lady. New York, Ny: Alfred K. Knopf, Inc.

Impressions:
This is a great story of how a librarian can influence the patrons that walk through the library doors on a daily basis.  What makes this story even better is that Tomas Rivera was a real person who was really influenced by a librarian in Iowa to read which greatly influenced his love of reading.  The illustrations of the book are very well done that support the text of the story without overpowering it.  It was very interesting to see the illustrations where Tomas is reading to his family and there is a dinosaur or a tiger from the book he is reading in the background of the illustration.

Professional Review:
Ages 4-8. From the immigrant slums of New York City to the fields of California, it's an elemental American experience: the uprooted child who finds a home in the library. Mora's story is based on a true incident in the life of the famous writer Tomas Rivera, the son of migrant workers who became an education leader and university president. Far from his home in Texas, the small boy is working with his family picking corn in Iowa. Inspired by the Spanish stories his grandfather (Papa Grande) tells, Tomas goes to the library to find more stories. The librarian welcomes him into the cool, quiet reading room and gives him books in English that he reads to himself and to his family. He teaches her some Spanish words. Then, as in so many migrant stories, the boy must leave the home he has found. He has a new, sad word for her, "adios. It means goodbye." Colon's beautiful scratchboard illustrations, in his textured, glowingly colored, rhythmic style, capture the warmth and the dreams that the boy finds in the world of books. The pictures are upbeat; little stress is shown; even in the fields, the kids could be playing kick ball or listening to stories. Perhaps the most moving picture is that of the child outside the library door, his face pressed against the pane. In contrast is the peaceful space he finds inside, where he is free to imagine dinosaurs and wild adventure.

Rochman, H. (1997, August). Tomas and the library lady.Booklist, 93(22), 1905. Retrieved from http://www.booklistonline.com/

Library Uses:
Have an event at the library for elemetary aged children where a member of the library staff reads them Tomas and the Library Lady, and afterward talks with them about sharing a book or story with their family.  Have a few members of the library staff available to help the children locate books that they would like to check out and share with their families at home.

Module 9- Chet Gecko

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Book Summary:
Chet Gecko is a detective in elementary school that solves any mystery that comes his way.  One day a mystery falls right into his lap when his doodling in class earns him a trip to Principal Zero's office, but it doesn't take long for Chet to realize that there is something different about Principal Zero, he is being way too nice.  Chet enlists the help of his friend Natalie, a mockingbird, to find out what is going on with Principal Zero, but what they do find out is that there are several new teachers and staff members in league with the "nice" Principal Zero.  After several attempts to get to the bottom of this mystery, Chet and Natalie finally determine that the principal and his friends are trying to turn Emerson Hicky elementary school into a school for crooks.  They then decide to visit Principal Zero's house only to discover the real Principal Zero tied up and being held hostage by the fake Principal Zero and his gang of fake teachers.  They were going to trick the PTA into approving their new plans for the school at a meeting and after Chet and Natalie are captured and tied up with the real Principal Zero only to be rescued shortly after by Poppers.  Principal Zero send Chet and Natalie to stall the PTA meeting to keep the vote from passing while he calls the cops.  Chet and Natalie arrive just in time to delay the voting and shortly after the cops along with the real Principal Zero show up and announce the real plans of the fake Principal Zero and his gang and to arrest them all.  Chet saves the day again, but for once he is glad that Principal Zero is not kind to him.

APA Reference of Book:
Hale, B. (2000). A Chet Gecko mystery: The mystery of Mr. Nice. San Diego, CA: Harcourt, Inc.

Impressions:
The Mystery of Mr. Nice was an interesting and funny story to read and would especially appeal to boys interested in mysteries of the same style as the classic Dick Tracy.  The language that was used as well as the illustrations were very reminiscent of the same styles used in the old black and white detective movies.  While Chet and the reader knew that Principal Zero was not the one being so nice to Chet and the other trouble makers, the mystery of exactly what was happening was not easily determined before Chet and Natalie made the discoveries themselves.  The illustration are done well and the use of only the black and white ink makes the book sync with the detective movies of the past.

Professional Review:
Gr. 4-6. Chet Gecko is one tough lizard, who says such things as "Surprise froze my tongue like a mayfly on a Popsicle" and "My stomach knotted and jerked, like a python swallowing a sofa." Gecko is the best lizard detective at Emerson Hicky Elementary School, a school presided over by fat cat Principal Zero, and attended by all manner of animals who act just like school kids. In this new adventure, Gecko has to determine why Principal Zero is suddenly acting strange--as in nice. Gecko feels Zero has either gone mad or been replaced by an imposter. With mockingbird sidekick Natalie Attired, Chet uses time-honored methods of detection--eavesdropping, sniffing out newcomers, and combing through garbage--to find out what's what. The swift plot, clever wisecracking, and hardboiled style make this chapter book a terrific read.

Fletcher, C. (2000, November 01). The mystery of mr. nice.Booklist, 97(5), 539. Retrieved from http://www.booklistonline.com/

Library Uses:
Invite students in the 4th through the 6th grade to come to the library for a mystery theater event where the librarian has gone missing, and the students must find and process the clues located within the library to determine where she is and what has happened to her.  One of the other library employees with be assisting them with the search and they will be dressed in a trench coat and fedora to match the clothing worn by Chet Gecko.

Module 8- The Lightning Thief

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Book Summary:  
Percy Jackson is a teenager living in New York City who dislikes school partially because of his learning disability, dyslexia, and partially because he seems to be in trouble where ever he goes.  After a trip to a local museum results in Percy being attacked, everything that Percy thinks he knows about himself is about to change.  His best friend is really a satyr, his teacher is really a centaur, and he is a demi-god, half- human and half-god, the son of one of the Greek gods.  Percy has to leave his mother and his home to attend camp Half-Blood which is a training center and school for demi-gods, and to escape the dangers that are hunting him at every turn in the world.  It is at camp Half-Blood that Percy learns that he is the son of Poseidon and that there is trouble brewing between the gods and if someone step in to stop it, there could be a war that would destroy all of the Earth.  Someone has stolen the master lightning bolt of Zeus, and Zeus believes that Poseidon is to blame.  Percy soon sets out with his best friend Grover, the satyr and Annabeth who is the daughter of Athena to find the master bolt and return it before the Summer Solstice and end all threats of war.  Their adventure takes them across the United States from New York to Los Angeles and they must face dangers such as Medusa, a casino that offer lotus blossoms which put anyone who eats them into a trance, Ares the god of war and many other obstacles that are straight out of Greek mythology.  Once they arrive in the Underwold Percy finds out that Hades does not have the master bolt and that he is also missing something, his helm of darkness, which he accuses Percy of stealing for Poseidon.  While in the Underworld the master bolt appears in Percy's backpack and the trio must escape Hades and now try to find the helm of darkness.  After finding Ares on a beach Percy learns that he had stolen the bolt and the helm from the person who had originally taken it and was hoping for a battle between the strongest of the Greek gods: Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades.  After fighting Ares and wounding him, Percy returns the helm to Hades and then returns the bolt to Zeus, meeting Zeus and his father Poseidon for the first time.  Percy tells them of the dreams he has had of Kronos and that he thinks that Kronos is planning a war on the Olympias to regain the power he once had before the Olympians.  Percy returns to Camp Half-Blood and is confronted by Luke, who turns out to be the one who stole the helm of darkness and the master bolt because he was working for Kronos.  After recovering from Luke's escape and his near death experience with a scorpion Percy return to his mother's house at the end of the summer.

APA Reference of Book:
Riordan, R. (2005). The lightning thief. New York, NY: Disney Hyperion Books.

Impressions:
This book will entice reluctant readers who may be struggling with their own learning disability such as dyslexia and/or ADHD.  It is also appealing to boys as well as girls, since there is plenty of action, fight scenes, mystery, drama, and a little bit of a love story intertwined.  Readers who love fantasy adventures will also be drawn to this book especially those who may be tired of the same old vampire or werewolf storyline that is so popular in young adult literature right now.  The readers are exposed to many different characters from within Greek mythology, so while they are reading a fictional story they are still learning about different topics of Greek mythology.  I never really enjoyed Greek mythology when we learned about it in school, but I enjoyed learning about it from within this book, and I think that this book may have readers looking up more books about Greek mythology.

Professional Review:

  Chased from his boarding school by monsters no one else sees, twelve-year-old Percy (Perseus) Jackson finds sanctuary at Camp Half-Blood, a Long Island summer camp for the hero offspring of the Greek gods. Identified as the son of Poseidon, Percy receives a mission: with two other camp residents, Annabeth and Grover, he must cross the United States to L.A. (Hades' residence in recent years) to steal or bargain back the master thunderbolt that was stolen from Zeus last Christmas. Annabeth, daughter of Athena, is a capable quester; the satyr Grover provides moral support as Percy's best friend. Together the triad bests Medusa, who runs a garden-statuary emporium; the Echidna, who rants about Australians' naming an anteater after her; Cerberus, who deep down just wants someone to play with; and finally the god Ares himself. Percy's uncertainty about his own place in the world balances nicely with his delight in finding that his dyslexia and ADHD actually have a purpose (he's hardwired with the ability to read ancient Greek and with killer battlefield reflexes). Percy is more than a youthful action hero; his ambivalence about his relationship to Poseidon--who, after all, ignored him for twelve years--and his devotion to his smart, loving mother infuse his adventures with the potential for his realistic personal growth (which the ending indicates may further develop in a sequel). Slick and savvy, this remix of classical lore will have contemporary readers hooked; make sure you get more than one copy.

Card, T. (2005, October). The lightning thief. Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 59(2), 113. Retrieved from http://bccb.lis.illinois.edu/

Library Uses:
Have a teen night at the library titled "Lotus Lounge Night" where the library will be set up with different games like the ones that Percy and his friends would have encountered while under the trance at the Las Vegas casino.  By answering question about the book the teenagers would receive green pearls that allow them to play the games within the casino.  The refreshment would be cupcakes or cookies with a lotus flower decorating the top.

Module 7- Because of Winn-Dixie

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Book Summary:  
Opal and her father, a preacher, move to Naomi, Florida and Opal is not adjusting to the move very well.  She has not made any friends and she misses her mother who has left both Opal and her father.  But one day a trip to the local Winn-Dixie grocery store turns Opal's view around.  There is a dog loose in Winn-Dixie and the employees and the manager are all trying to remove the dog from the store and have him picked up by the pound.  Opal immediately says he is her dog, named Winn-Dixie, and the manager tells her to take the dog out of the store, and Opal does as she is told and more, she takes the dog home with her.  After introducing her father to Winn-Dixie and convincing him that he needs their help, Opal is allowed to keep Winn-Dixie and both her and her father quickly become attached to their new pet.  Opal knew inside the grocery store that afternoon that Winn-Dixie was special, but she never imagined that he would be able to help her make so many new friends as fast as she did.  Winn-Dixie and his smile introduced Opal to Miss Franny, the librarian who allows Winn-Dixie to come inside of the library, Otis, the employee of the pet store where Opal volunteers to help to get some items for Winn-Dixie, and Gloria Dump, the lady who neighborhood kids claim to be a witch but who makes peanut butter sandwiches for Opal and Winn-Dixie, Dunlap and Stevie Dewberry who start off picking at Opal but soon become her friends, Amanda Wilkinson who comes across as shy and mean, and Sweetie Pie, who is younger than Opal.  Opal and Gloria soon decide to have a party at Gloria's and they invite Miss Franny, Otis, Amanda, the Dewberry boys, Sweetie Pie and Opal's father.  Shortly after the guests arrive at the party, with the exception of the Dewberry boys,everyone is being introduced and getting acquainted in Gloria's garden when they hear thunder and then it begins to rain.  Everyone scrambles to get the food and themselves inside before getting soaked by the rain, but once inside Opal notices that Winn-Dixie is not inside and in all the hustle to get everyone inside she forgot that she had to protect Winn-Dixie from his fear of thunder.  Immediately after Opal makes this realization the Dewberry boys arrive and she is forced by her father and Gloria to go and welcome them to the party before her and her father set off to look for Winn-Dixie.  During their search for Winn-Dixie, Opal and her father finally talk about Opal's mother and the two finally are able to express their emotions about her leaving to each other.  They finally call off the search and return to Gloria's house and the party and are greeted by the sound of Otis playing music before they reach the yard.  Opal could not imagine how everyone could be singing and having a good time when Winn-Dixie was gone, but come to find out he had been hiding under Gloria's bed the whole time.  Opal learns that even though her mother is gone and may never come back she is surrounded by people and a dog who love her and care about her.

APA Reference of Book:
DiCamillo, K. (2000). Because of Winn-Dixie. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

Impressions:  
This book has a great story that will connect with most readers as most people have had to face some type of loss or feeling of abandonment in their life, but will hold a special attraction to animal lovers.  Opal believes that she and her father are helping Winn-Dixie by taking in the stray, but by the end of the story the reader is able to see how much Opal and her father needed Winn-Dixie to help them as well.  Opal would have never met many of the people who attended her party at the end of the book if it wasn't for Winn-Dixie.  Opal and her father may have never been able to share their feeling about Opal's mother if they would have never have had to go looking for Winn-Dixie.  All of the characters within this book are affected by this amazing dog coming into their lives, and without him their lives would have continued much in the way that they had been, leaving many new friends unmade and many happy memories undiscovered.  This book allows readers to see the impact that each one of us has on others around us, and how rescued animals actually end up being the rescuers in many cases.

Professional Review:

 "My name is India Opal Buloni, and last summer my daddy, the preacher, sent me to the store for a box of macaroni-and-cheese, some white rice, and two tomatoes and I came back with a dog." There you have it: main characters and conflict, all in the first sentence. But there's a lot more to this book. Opal has a singular voice with a simple, infallibly Southern inflection; her daddy is one of the nicest and quirkiest preachers to grace children's literature; and Winn-Dixie, named after the grocery store from which Opal rescued him, is an ugly dog with a smile that makes friends and also makes him sneeze, not to mention a pathological fear of thunderstorms. In addition, readers will meet an elderly librarian whose stories inject the small town Florida setting with a past; a "witchy" neighbor who has hung a tree with beer and whiskey bottles, each representing a mistake she's made in her life; a mentally challenged musician whose street-singing once led him to jail and who now plays for the residents of a pet store, including Gertrude the parrot, whose favorite word is "Dog!" The one person we don't meet is Opal's mother, who abandoned her family long ago. It is the pain of her absence that propels Opal into friendships with all the characters whom Winn-Dixie eventually brings together, lessening the loneliness of each. By turns funny and moving, vivid from trailer park to pet store, this will propel readers into a satisfying circle of companionship.

Hearne, B. (2000, June). Because of Winn-Dixie (book review). Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 53(10), 354-356. Retrieved from http://bccb.lis.illinois.edu/

Library Uses:
"The Library has Gone to the Dogs" display that include this book, Because of Winn-Dixie, as well as other books with dogs such as any of the Marley books, or Marmaduke books and also include nonfiction books about dogs.

Module 7- Hatchet

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Book Summary:  
Hatchet is a book about a boy named Brian who is traveling by a plane to visit his father after his parents get divorced.  Brian is the only passenger with the pilot as the only other person on the plane.  The pilot suffers a heart attack over the Canadian wilderness and dies, leaving Brian to try to navigate and/or land the plane by himself.  Brian attempts to use the radio to connect with someone who could help him navigate or land the plane or at least let someone know that the pilot has died and that he needs help.  He is able to connect with someone by radio, but he is unable to make a clear communication with them due to poor reception.  The plane eventually runs out of gas and Brian is able to steer the plane into a lake instead of landing in the trees of the forest.  He escapes the plane and the water of the lake with nothing except what he has on his body, which he thinks is only his clothes until he remembers the hatchet his mother gave him is still in his belt.  He knows he must find food and shelter, and soon finds berries and finds a cave for shelter.  He faces many different perils such as a bear, and a porcupine who attacks him in his cave, but he also accomplishes great feats such as making a fire, and catching fish using a spear made from a tree branch.  He thinks about his family and the recent divorce while facing the solitude of the wilderness and the reader learns that his mother was seeing another man, which was the cause of the separation.  Brian reaches his lowest point when a plane flies overhead but he is unable to signal them and he has to watch the plane fly off away from him, not knowing how long it will be before he sees another plane, if ever.  Having a plane that close and having to watch it leave is devastating to Brian and he actually succumbs to the emotions that have been pressing on him since his parents divorce and he cries and falls into a state of depression.  It doesn't take long before he is able to pull himself out of this dark hole and he becomes determined to be stronger and tougher than he was before and to not lose hope like that again.  As time passes he begins working on improvements to his shelter and also makes a bow and arrow for hunting animals such as rabbits.  He still is having to face the dangers of living in the wild and soon has experiences with a skunk, a moose and a tornado.  While the tornado is a devastating event most of the time, it actually moved the plane that Brian crashed in what seems like ages ago to where part of it is visible.  Brian decides to return to the plane to retrieve what items he can from inside, and with the help of his hatchet he brings the pilot's bag up to the surface.  Within the bag he finds a rifle, compass, sleeping bag, cooking tools and other basic first aid and survival tools, as well as an emergency transmitter.  A plane soon appears after Brian turns the transmitter on and off a few times and assumes that it is broken.  The plane had picked up the transmitter and lands and Brian is finally rescued.  Brian returns home and though he is forever changed by his time in the Canadian Wilderness, everything else about his life and his family remains the same.  

APA Reference of Book:
Paulsen, G. (1987). Hatchet. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.

Impressions: 
This book made me instantly think about all of the survival type shows that are on television that so many people, especially guys, seem to really like, and I wondered how many of the fans of those shows had even heard of this book.  This story line is exciting from the first line of the book and there is action and danger at almost every turn of the page.  In fact, the dangers and events that Brian faces makes Bear Grylls's adventures look like a simple nature hike through different terrains.  The dangers in the book are realistic to what one could expect if lost in this setting which makes this story, even though it is fictional, seem very intense and pulls the reader into Brian's struggles.  This is a book many different types of readers would enjoy, but it would appeal especially to boys and men who enjoy more realistic fiction or even nonfiction works, especially those who enjoy watching the survival type shows.

Professional Review:

 Gr 8-12 Brian Robeson, 13, is the only passenger on a small plane flying him to visit his father in the Canadian wilderness when the pilot has a heart attack and dies. The plane drifts off course and finally crashes into a small lake. Miraculously Brian is able to swim free of the plane, arriving on a sandy tree-lined shore with only his clothing, a tattered windbreaker, and the hatchet his mother had given him as a present. The novel chronicles in gritty detail Brian's mistakes, setbacks, and small triumphs as, with the help of the hatchet, he manages to survive the 54 days alone in the wilderness.  Paulsen effectively shows readers how Brian learns patience to watch, listen, and think before he acts as he attempts to build a fire, to fish and hunt, and to make his home under a rock overhang safe and comfortable. An epilogue discussing the lasting effects of Brian's stay in the wilderness and his dim chance of survival had winter come upon him before rescue adds credibility to the story. Paulsen tells a fine adventure story, but the sub-plot concerning Brian's preoccupation with his parents' divorce seems a bit forced and detracts from the book. As he did in Dogsong (Bradbury, 1985), Paulsen emphasizes character growth through a careful balancing of specific details of survival with the protagonist's thoughts and emotions.

Chatton, B. (1987, December). Hatchet (book review).School Library Journal, 34, 103. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/

Library Uses:
This would be a great book to have a comparison of a television show with a book suggestion within the library.  A display with one of the survival shows listed with Hatchet listed as a book that they would like.  "Like 'Man vs. Wild'? Then you'll love Hatchet" as a display or poster.

Module 6- Duck for President

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Book Summary:
Duck for President begins with duck working on Farmer Brown's farm, and his chores include taking out the trash, mowing the lawn, and grinding coffee beans.  He soon decides that he is tired of his chores and that he should take Farmer Brown's place and run the farm, so he holds the farms first election.  After establishing the voter registration rules, Duck wins the election and is officially in charge of the farm, but he soon learns that running a farm is also hard work and decides he wants to run for governor instead.  He completed his campaign throughout the state and on election day duck won the election and was officially Governor.  Running a state is hard work, so Duck begins his campaign for President and after the votes were counted, Duck was the new President.  After running the country for a while, Duck decides that being President is hard work and no fun at all, so he checks the help-wanted ad and see a position for a duck to grind coffee beans and mow the lawn, so Duck returned to the farm to work on his autobiography.

APA Reference of Book:
Cronin, D. (2004). Duck for president. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Impressions:
Duck for President is a great book that teaches children a little bit about the campaign and voting processes.  While there is not a lot of detail involved, it is a great introduction and can set the stage for children to have a positive outlook on voting.  I read this book to my three year old little boy and he enjoyed it very much.  The repetition that was used with the wording made it easier for him to follow along that the same things were happening but it was for different jobs, or he knew that they would find more tickets somewhere when they demanded a recount.  He loves animals, so the fact that the main character in this case was a duck made it much more fun for him than if it has been a person running for President. There are many children in this age group that would also be interested in this book because of the animals.

Professional Review:

As previous adventures (Click, Clack, Moo, BCCB 9/00, Giggle, Giggle, Quack, 6/02) have shown, Farmer Brown's barnyard is filled with political animals. It's therefore not surprising that Duck, rebelling against his contribution to labor, decides that an election for the leadership of the farm should be held; nor is it hugely surprising, given the livestock-heavy electorate, that Duck trounces Farmer Brown in the election. Finding that running a farm is no fun at all, Duck decides to expand his ambitions and makes a gubernatorial run, successfully winning over the incumbent. Running a state's not much better, though, so he then campaigns for the White House, edging out the incumbent there; unsurprisingly, running a country proves to be just as tedious as the previous positions, so Duck hands over the reins to the Veep and heads back to the farm. This has even more adult-aimed jokes than previous versions (lots of evocations of specific campaigns in the text and classic images in the art), and in light of the 2000-esque jokes about recounts, it's a tad ironic (or pointed?) that the book relies on narrow popular-vote margins to get Duck into office. There's still plenty of humor for the pre-voting audience, however, such as lazy Duck's winning of all the elections and regretting it soon after and the regular request for a recount (always made by Duck's opponent, always resolved by the finding of ballots stuck to somebody or other, and always performed to the opponent's detriment). Lewin's thick lines have a homey irregularity in keeping with the slightly skewed reality of the world they limn, with washes of color (often election-year red, white, and blue) decorating the pages like bunting; Duck himself isn't all that charismatic a figure as a candidate (a compromise choice, perhaps?), but he hits his real dramatic stride when he's mournfully overworked. This will be a natural to liven up units on the democratic process or even to introduce classroom elections--or just as a read aloud antidote to the election-year plethora of paid political announcements.

Stevenson, D. (2004, May). Duck for president. Bulletin of the center for children's books, 57(9), 367-369. http://bccb.lis.illinois.edu/

Library Uses:
Duck for President would be great to use during a story time event for preschool or elementary age children.  After reading the book, the children would receive a red, white, and blue Fourth of July play hat similar to the ones that can be bought from oriental trading, and would have their first voting experience to determine one of the biggest decisions at that age, what should we have for snack?  The children will get to vote on whether they would like one snack or the other such as blue kool-aid or red kool-aid, or cookies decorated with flags or cookies decorated with stars.  The children will be given a ballot with a red box  and a blue box for them to circle with their crayon which one they are voting for and will get to drop it in the decorated ballot box.  Then they will get another voting slip with a star and a flag for them to circle with their crayon which decoration they would like to have on their cookie.  After everyone has voted the results will be tallied and the snacks that the majority chose will be passed out.  After snacks, each child will also receive an "I voted" sticker to wear home with their hat.

Module 5- Bud, Not Buddy

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Book Summary:  
Bud has been living in and out of orphanages and foster care homes after the death of his mother.  He has never met his father and the only clue to who his father may be is a flyer that his mother had of a jazz band, Herman E. Calloway and the Dusky Devastators.  After being locked in a shed at a foster home for false accusations made by the foster parent's biological son Bud decides that he is done with foster homes and orphanages, and it is time to set out looking for his father.  He sets out with his suitcase that contains all of his possessions: a picture of his mother, stones his mother kept and treasured, the blue flyer with the information about who Bud believes is his father, and a blanket.  He attempts to jump onto a train to make the trip out of Flint, but after the authorities try to sneak the train out early Bud is not able to make it onto the train and is forced to return to Flint to the mission to get something to eat.  Since he was not able to make it onto the train he decides to try walking the 120 miles to Grand Rapids, Michigan.  He sets off and soon finds himself outside of Flint and in the country, in the dark, where there are all sorts of strange noises.  He decides that he may need to hide from passing cars, but Lefty Lewis sees him while driving and stops the car to help Bud.  Bud attempts to steal Mr. Lewis's car, but doesn't make if far before the car stalls and Mr. Lewis is able to catch up to Bud, and is able to convince him to roll down the car window so they can talk.  After Bud is satisfied that Mr. Lewis is not a vampire the two set off back to Flint to a hospital to deliver blood that he is transporting.  During this time Bud tells Mr. Lewis that his mother is dead and that is father is Herman E. Calloway and Bud is surprised to learn that Mr. Lewis knows of his father.  After delivering the blood and resting for the night, Mr. Lewis brings Bud to Grands Rapids and to the club where Herman E. Calloway is practicing with his band.  Bud announces that he is looking for his father, Herman E. Calloway, and the band begin asking him questions about his mother, family, and life to try to determine what is going on.  Mr. Calloway denies that he is Bud's father, but he allows the band member Jimmy to continue talking to Bud to determine exactly what is going on.  As the band and Bud go to lunch at a restaurant  Bud is introduced to Miss Thomas, the band's singer.  She begins asking question of Bud and after learning of the treatment he received at the orphanages and foster homes she decides to bring him back to "Grand Calloway Station", Mr. Calloway's home.  Mr. Calloway wants to take Bud back to the orphanage in Flint, but Miss Thomas believes that Bud is telling the truth.  After working with the band and traveling with them, Bud finally learns the significance of his mother's stones and both he and Mr. Calloway soon learn that they are related, but not in the way that Bud originally believed.  Mr. Calloway is his grandfather not his father, Bud's mother was Mr. Calloway's daughter who had run away from home after a fight with her father.  Everyone in the band is devastated by the news of Bud's mother's death, but they begin to fully accept Bud as part of their family.

APA Reference of Book:
Curtis , C. (1999). Bud, not Buddy. New York, NY: Delacorte Press.

Impressions:
This book is a great way for students to get a deeper understanding of the Great Depression and how this time affected everyone and African Americans in particular.  This story transforms the facts that students learn from the pages of a history book into a personal account of how the life of a boy was affected by this time.  Bud has to face many things that most children do not have to face, and he shows courage throughout the many different situations that he is faced with.  Readers of any race will be able to learn from Bud and his courage and determination that are shown throughout this book, and will enjoy a great story line that ends with a twist.

Professional Review:

Christopher Paul Curtis's Newbery Medal-winning Bud, Not Buddy (Delacorte, $15.95, 245 pp., age ten and up) is another novel radiant with charm, as embodied in a narrator just ready to exit childhood. The ten-year-old African-American Bud Caldwell is in flight from his Depression-era orphanage and latest abusive foster home. He sets out by foot from Flint, Michigan, in search of his father, who he believes is the legendary band leader Herman Calloway. With his goofy coping strategies, delayed epiphanies, and sweet impulses, Bud seems an utterly authentic boy. Because Curtis has created a perfectly rendered character rather than a sociological fact, he conveys, without a drop of the dreary or the maudlin, the loneliness, fear, and grief with which Bud has lived since his mother's death. Curtis also masterfully unfolds a portrait of the black working class in the Depression. And he beautifully captures the divide between young children and concerned adults, which sometimes, by great effort and grace, is bridged.

Donnelly, D. (2000, April 07). Hey! harry potter has cousins!. Commonweal, 127(7), Retrieved from http://www.cweal.org/

Library Uses:
For Black History month, February, have a display table to display this book as well as other winners of the Coretta Scott King Award for African American authors and illustrators.  Include information about the Award and the requirements of the award in the display, and have this set up in main area of the library close to the young adult section, but not strictly within the young adult section.