1. Bibliography
Kinney, Jeff. 2007. Diary of a wimpy kid. New York: Amulet Books. ISBN 9780810993136
2. Plot Summary
Greg Heffley's mom has given him a "journal, not a diary" to record his "feelings...or whatever." At first he doesn't seem too keen on the idea, but the words and drawings throughout this graphic novel tell a different story. The diary entries follow Greg through a year of middle school from Fall to Spring. He writes about everything from the first day of school, to Halloween debacles, to Christmas woes, and trying to get into the yearbook at the end of the year.
3. Analysis
Kinney's knack for tuning in to the voice of a adolescent boy struggling to be popular is dead on. This fast paced book will keep the reader laughing out loud from beginning to end. Preteens everywhere can relate to Greg's feelings of inadequacy and his quest to become more popular despite the fact that his friend, Rowley, is much lower than Greg on the popularity chart. Greg's constant self-absorbed antics at the expense of everyone else show that Greg's character may not be exemplary. He does, however, attempt to redeem himself at the end of the book. Readers will find themselves trying to urge Greg to do the right thing and stop being so selfish. These shenanigans, however, are what make this book so irresistible.
The hysterical comic illustrations sprinkled between the text add another layer of hilarity to this book. The only thing I could think the whole time I read this book was, "No wonder the boys in my class love this book so much."
4. Review Excerpts
Publishers Weekly - "Kinney ably skewers familiar aspects of junior high life, from dealing with the mysteries of what makes someone popular to the trauma of a 'wrestling unit' in gym class. His print debut should keep readers in stitches, eagerly anticipating Greg's further adventures."
School Library Journal - "...it is an excellent choice for reluctant readers, but more experienced readers will also find much to enjoy and relate to in one seventh grader's view of the everyday trials and tribulations of middle school."
VOYA - "Readers can expect lots of middle school humor and exaggeration. Kinney manages to inject enough humor in the simple drawings to make them an integral element in the book."
5. Connections
*Students can make a cartoon about their own life. They can write one small comic strip every two weeks or so and compile them into a book at the end of the year - similar to Greg's diary.
*The teacher can pick a situation from the book and the students can tell how they would've behaved or acted differently than Greg did.
*Students could do a paper bag book report with funny items from the book such as Halloween items, wrestling gear, Christmas wrapping paper, a video game, a yearbook, a piece of cheese etc.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Genre 6 - Young Adult Fiction - Jellicoe Road
1. Bibliography
Marchetta, Melina. 2006. Jellicoe Road. New York: HarperTeen. ISBN 9780061431852
2. Plot Summary
Jellicoe Road is the setting for two interwoven stories - one in the past, one in the present. Both involve disturbing deaths, lifelong friendships, and tragically flawed characters. Taylor Markham is a senior at the Jellicoe boarding school in the Australian bush. She was abandoned by her mother at the age of eleven at a gas station near Jellicoe Road. Taylor was rescued by a woman named Hannah who lives on the school grounds. Taylor lives at the Jellicoe school and as a senior becomes the leader of her school's underground community that stages yearly territory wars with the visiting Cadets and the Townies from the nearby town. Everything in Taylor's world gets turned upside down when Hannah mysteriously vanishes and the leader of the Cadets turns out to be Jonah Griggs, whom she had attempted to run away with a few years before. Bits and pieces of a story of five kids who met tragically twenty-two years ago on the same Jellicoe Road are interwoven into the main story line. At first, it is unclear what these past characters have to do with Taylor's story, but as the book progresses, it becomes clear that these two sets of characters have everything in common.
3. Analysis
The epilogue of Jellicoe Road is one that grabs the reader and lets him/her know that this story is filled with tragedy and heartbreak but also of serendipitous accounts among its characters. At first, the narrative about Taylor's life seems a bit out of place and aimless after reading the epilogue. It takes a while for the true plot of this story to form. All of the bouncing back and forth between the five kids and a tragic car accident in the past and Taylor's life at school and the territory wars in the present is confusing, and may seem a bit unbalanced. About halfway through, it is clear that the two stories are in fact linked together in a way that Taylor herself is shocked to find. The flashbacks are Hannah's manuscript that Taylor says is always out of order, but turns out to be the key to her past.
While this book is slow moving, it is worth the while. The themes of finding one's true self and love and loss are beautifully written in this sometimes devastating novel. With out giving away too much, Taylor finds out who she really is and uncovers the mystery of her early childhood and her mother's addiction. She even remembers why her mother left her at the gas station so long ago. She also discovers the origin of the territory wars and how the original warriors weren't really feuding at all, but playing a sort of game for fun. All of these revelations forever change Taylor and the relationships among all of the people on the Jellicoe Road.
This book is definitely for mature readers, as it can be a bit heavy to get through. The motifs of drug abuse, child pornography, suicide, sex, and gory accidents could also be upsetting to younger readers. This book does have an audience, however. Young adult readers and adults alike will be pleasantly surprised by this complex but fulfilling cast of characters.
Audiobook Analysis
I also listened to the audiobook version of Jellicoe Road in addition to actually reading the book. It is narrated by Rebecca Macauley who is Australian. While her accent does help to make you feel like you are actually in Australia, her pace was extraordinarily slow. In addition to her long pauses after every piece of dialogue, the low, raspy tone she uses in her voice for the male characters is just distracting rather than appealing. Although her accent does bring your mind to Australia, sometimes I couldn't understand Macauley and never would've know what she was saying if I hadn't been reading along.
Another strange thing to note is that the audiobook version is only available in the original version of the book written and published in Australia called On the Jellicoe Road. The US version was changed somewhat, I assume, to be more relatable in US culture. It was very strange when I was reading and listening at the same time and the words were different. It wasn't anything major, just changing kilometers to miles and year elevens to seniors, but the changes were inconsistent as references to the metric system as well as Australian spellings and colloquialisms were sprinkled throughout the book. I would not recommend "reading" this book in audiobook version. Macauley narrates some other books by Marchetta which I have not heard, but this one is not worth 8 hours and 53 minutes of time.
4. Review Excerpts
Micheal L. Printz Award Winner
VOYA - "Marchetta...provides yet another great story. The interwoven lives of Taylor and the doomed teenagers from the past create a complex tale with some great twists that readers will not see coming. It is a great choice for more sophisticated readers and those teens who like multifaceted stories and characters."
KLIATT - "This reads like an adult novel in its complexity, asking much of the reader, who will be greatly rewarded and satisfied with the resolution that finally comes in Taylor's life."
Kirkus Reviews - "Readers may feel dizzied and disoriented, but as they puzzle out exactly how Hannah's narrative connects with Taylor's current reality, they will find themselves ensnared in the story's fascinating, intricate structure. A beautifully rendered mystery."
5. Connections
*Students may want to read other acclaimed books by Melina Marchetta:
Saving Francesca ISBN 9780375829833
Looking for Alibrandi ISBN 9780375836947
Finnikin of the Rock ISBN 9780763643614
*Students can find on a map the location of Syndey, Yass, and other Australian cities mentioned in the book. In addition, they can find out demographic information for each city.
*This book deals with some heavy topics. Students can be encouraged to keep a journal of feelings or secrets that relate to any of the subject matter explored in this novel.
Marchetta, Melina. 2006. Jellicoe Road. New York: HarperTeen. ISBN 9780061431852
2. Plot Summary
Jellicoe Road is the setting for two interwoven stories - one in the past, one in the present. Both involve disturbing deaths, lifelong friendships, and tragically flawed characters. Taylor Markham is a senior at the Jellicoe boarding school in the Australian bush. She was abandoned by her mother at the age of eleven at a gas station near Jellicoe Road. Taylor was rescued by a woman named Hannah who lives on the school grounds. Taylor lives at the Jellicoe school and as a senior becomes the leader of her school's underground community that stages yearly territory wars with the visiting Cadets and the Townies from the nearby town. Everything in Taylor's world gets turned upside down when Hannah mysteriously vanishes and the leader of the Cadets turns out to be Jonah Griggs, whom she had attempted to run away with a few years before. Bits and pieces of a story of five kids who met tragically twenty-two years ago on the same Jellicoe Road are interwoven into the main story line. At first, it is unclear what these past characters have to do with Taylor's story, but as the book progresses, it becomes clear that these two sets of characters have everything in common.
3. Analysis
The epilogue of Jellicoe Road is one that grabs the reader and lets him/her know that this story is filled with tragedy and heartbreak but also of serendipitous accounts among its characters. At first, the narrative about Taylor's life seems a bit out of place and aimless after reading the epilogue. It takes a while for the true plot of this story to form. All of the bouncing back and forth between the five kids and a tragic car accident in the past and Taylor's life at school and the territory wars in the present is confusing, and may seem a bit unbalanced. About halfway through, it is clear that the two stories are in fact linked together in a way that Taylor herself is shocked to find. The flashbacks are Hannah's manuscript that Taylor says is always out of order, but turns out to be the key to her past.
While this book is slow moving, it is worth the while. The themes of finding one's true self and love and loss are beautifully written in this sometimes devastating novel. With out giving away too much, Taylor finds out who she really is and uncovers the mystery of her early childhood and her mother's addiction. She even remembers why her mother left her at the gas station so long ago. She also discovers the origin of the territory wars and how the original warriors weren't really feuding at all, but playing a sort of game for fun. All of these revelations forever change Taylor and the relationships among all of the people on the Jellicoe Road.
This book is definitely for mature readers, as it can be a bit heavy to get through. The motifs of drug abuse, child pornography, suicide, sex, and gory accidents could also be upsetting to younger readers. This book does have an audience, however. Young adult readers and adults alike will be pleasantly surprised by this complex but fulfilling cast of characters.
Audiobook Analysis
I also listened to the audiobook version of Jellicoe Road in addition to actually reading the book. It is narrated by Rebecca Macauley who is Australian. While her accent does help to make you feel like you are actually in Australia, her pace was extraordinarily slow. In addition to her long pauses after every piece of dialogue, the low, raspy tone she uses in her voice for the male characters is just distracting rather than appealing. Although her accent does bring your mind to Australia, sometimes I couldn't understand Macauley and never would've know what she was saying if I hadn't been reading along.
Another strange thing to note is that the audiobook version is only available in the original version of the book written and published in Australia called On the Jellicoe Road. The US version was changed somewhat, I assume, to be more relatable in US culture. It was very strange when I was reading and listening at the same time and the words were different. It wasn't anything major, just changing kilometers to miles and year elevens to seniors, but the changes were inconsistent as references to the metric system as well as Australian spellings and colloquialisms were sprinkled throughout the book. I would not recommend "reading" this book in audiobook version. Macauley narrates some other books by Marchetta which I have not heard, but this one is not worth 8 hours and 53 minutes of time.
4. Review Excerpts
Micheal L. Printz Award Winner
VOYA - "Marchetta...provides yet another great story. The interwoven lives of Taylor and the doomed teenagers from the past create a complex tale with some great twists that readers will not see coming. It is a great choice for more sophisticated readers and those teens who like multifaceted stories and characters."
KLIATT - "This reads like an adult novel in its complexity, asking much of the reader, who will be greatly rewarded and satisfied with the resolution that finally comes in Taylor's life."
Kirkus Reviews - "Readers may feel dizzied and disoriented, but as they puzzle out exactly how Hannah's narrative connects with Taylor's current reality, they will find themselves ensnared in the story's fascinating, intricate structure. A beautifully rendered mystery."
5. Connections
*Students may want to read other acclaimed books by Melina Marchetta:
Saving Francesca ISBN 9780375829833
Looking for Alibrandi ISBN 9780375836947
Finnikin of the Rock ISBN 9780763643614
*Students can find on a map the location of Syndey, Yass, and other Australian cities mentioned in the book. In addition, they can find out demographic information for each city.
*This book deals with some heavy topics. Students can be encouraged to keep a journal of feelings or secrets that relate to any of the subject matter explored in this novel.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Genre 6 - Young Adult Fiction - Rules
1. Bibliography
Lord, Cynthia. 2006. Rules. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 9780439443838
2. Plot Summary
Catherine is a twelve year old girl whose little brother David has autism. She makes a list of rules for David such as "No toys in the fish tank" and "A boy can take off his shirt to swim, but not his shorts." She desperately wants to have a normal life and normal friends. With her best friend Melissa out of town for the whole summer, she tries to form a friendship with the new girl Kristi who just moved in next door. Between all of the rules she has in place for David and her new found friendship with a boy named Jason whom she met at David's occupational therapy clinic, she begins to question what it is that she is really searching for.
3. Analysis
This honest story of friendship and wanting to be just "normal" will resonate with any "tween" or teenager who reads it. The longing to fit in is something everyone experiences at that age in life. Catherine is often pushed aside by her parents who tend to focus on David's needs more than hers. She feels neglected and ignored and is often put in charge of David. All of these struggles make this book very believable and relatable.
The friendship between Catherine and her new friend Jason is both unexpected and heartwarming. Jason is confined to a wheelchair and cannot speak. He uses a communication book that is filled with words that he can point to to convey what he wants to say. Catherine begins to make new illustrated cards with vibrant words for Jason's book and a friendship is born. The only problem is that Catherine won't tell Kristi the truth about Jason. Again, teenage insecurities abound and Catherine is forced to choose between losing Jason as a friend or impressing Kristi.
This book paints an authentic portrait of teenage struggles of fitting in and just being normal. The fact that two of the main characters are disabled on some way shows readers that all people are different and valuable no matter their differences. Lord doesn't sugar coat the disabilities, but presents them in a frank manner. David's sweet way of communicating with his sister using words from Frog and Toad and Jason's secret wishes to run and sometimes not to live will show readers and honest look at what people who have disabilities struggle with daily.
4. Review Excerpts
Newbery Honor Book
Schneider Family Book Award Winner
The Horn Book - "The emotions in this fast-paced novel ring true."
School Library Journal - "Set in coastal Maine, this sensitive story is about being different, feeling different, and finding acceptance. A lovely, warm read, and a great discussion starter."
Booklist - "The details of autistic behavior are handled well, as are depictions of relationships: Catherine experiences some of the same unease with Jason that others do in the presence of her brother. In the end, Jason helps Catherine see that her rules may really be excuses, opening the way for her to look at things differently. A heartwarming first novel."
5. Connections
*This book is a great way to start a conversation about people with disabilities and how to relate to them. Sometimes fear keeps people from getting to know someone with a disability. The teacher could suggest doing a class project with a severe and profound special education class at the school. The students can get to know the special education students and form relationships like those presented in Rules. See this website about the Spartan Sparkles cheerleaders and The Sparkle Effect for inspiration: http://www.spartansparkles.com/
*Students can be encouraged to write about or discuss their own insecurities openly in order to see that everyone is in the same boat.
*A book or list of class rules similar to Catherine's list can be compiled. Any and all suggestions should be accepted and it can be ongoing throughout the year.
Lord, Cynthia. 2006. Rules. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 9780439443838
2. Plot Summary
Catherine is a twelve year old girl whose little brother David has autism. She makes a list of rules for David such as "No toys in the fish tank" and "A boy can take off his shirt to swim, but not his shorts." She desperately wants to have a normal life and normal friends. With her best friend Melissa out of town for the whole summer, she tries to form a friendship with the new girl Kristi who just moved in next door. Between all of the rules she has in place for David and her new found friendship with a boy named Jason whom she met at David's occupational therapy clinic, she begins to question what it is that she is really searching for.
3. Analysis
This honest story of friendship and wanting to be just "normal" will resonate with any "tween" or teenager who reads it. The longing to fit in is something everyone experiences at that age in life. Catherine is often pushed aside by her parents who tend to focus on David's needs more than hers. She feels neglected and ignored and is often put in charge of David. All of these struggles make this book very believable and relatable.
The friendship between Catherine and her new friend Jason is both unexpected and heartwarming. Jason is confined to a wheelchair and cannot speak. He uses a communication book that is filled with words that he can point to to convey what he wants to say. Catherine begins to make new illustrated cards with vibrant words for Jason's book and a friendship is born. The only problem is that Catherine won't tell Kristi the truth about Jason. Again, teenage insecurities abound and Catherine is forced to choose between losing Jason as a friend or impressing Kristi.
This book paints an authentic portrait of teenage struggles of fitting in and just being normal. The fact that two of the main characters are disabled on some way shows readers that all people are different and valuable no matter their differences. Lord doesn't sugar coat the disabilities, but presents them in a frank manner. David's sweet way of communicating with his sister using words from Frog and Toad and Jason's secret wishes to run and sometimes not to live will show readers and honest look at what people who have disabilities struggle with daily.
4. Review Excerpts
Newbery Honor Book
Schneider Family Book Award Winner
The Horn Book - "The emotions in this fast-paced novel ring true."
School Library Journal - "Set in coastal Maine, this sensitive story is about being different, feeling different, and finding acceptance. A lovely, warm read, and a great discussion starter."
Booklist - "The details of autistic behavior are handled well, as are depictions of relationships: Catherine experiences some of the same unease with Jason that others do in the presence of her brother. In the end, Jason helps Catherine see that her rules may really be excuses, opening the way for her to look at things differently. A heartwarming first novel."
5. Connections
*This book is a great way to start a conversation about people with disabilities and how to relate to them. Sometimes fear keeps people from getting to know someone with a disability. The teacher could suggest doing a class project with a severe and profound special education class at the school. The students can get to know the special education students and form relationships like those presented in Rules. See this website about the Spartan Sparkles cheerleaders and The Sparkle Effect for inspiration: http://www.spartansparkles.com/
*Students can be encouraged to write about or discuss their own insecurities openly in order to see that everyone is in the same boat.
*A book or list of class rules similar to Catherine's list can be compiled. Any and all suggestions should be accepted and it can be ongoing throughout the year.
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