Monday, April 23, 2012
Hattie Big Sky - Book Review - TWU LS 5603 - Spring 2012
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Larson, Kirby. 2006. HATTIE BIG SKY. New York: Delacorte Press. ISBN 0-440-23941-9
2. PLOT SUMMARY
When orphaned Hattie receives a surprising letter informing her that a long-forgotten uncle has left her his homestead claim in Montana, a new life flashes before her eyes. Having been passed along from one unwilling family member to the next she leaves behind her harsh and uncaring aunt, yet mourns losing her more supportive and comforting uncle. When she arrives, however, her “proving up” appears more difficult that she realized. As she learns to live life under the big Montana sky, she becomes embroiled in the harsh realities of a country turning on its resident “alien enemies,” and anything else German in word or deed. As dachshunds become “liberty dogs” and threatening pamphlets of patriotism are left on her table, she begins to wonder what she has gotten into. While she makes friends with many of her neighbors she witnesses the depths that people will sink to in the name of patriotism. With fires burning and lives and well-being threatened, Hattie comes to see both the best and the worst of those she shares the Montana country-side with. In the end, however, courage and knowing right from wrong become the true measure of the kind of people Hattie wants to be around, and who she herself works to become.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Larson’s Newbury Award winning book stands tall on its character development. Hattie, Perille, her German husband Karl, neighbors Leafie and Rooster Jim, and the Civic League and the uncertain and at t9imes frightening Traft weave together to show the best and the worst of what can happen in homestead struggles and on the home front of wartime. Through the stories told by Hattie and experienced by her neighbors as well as through the letters Hattie gets from her school friend at war Charlie, we are shown into the world of war with the Germans and with the hard Montana country-side. The characters drive the plot of the story, that of determination, self-reliance and neighborly compassion in times of great trial.
As days turn to months Hattie tries to “prove up” her claim by laying 480 rods of fence and planting forty acres of crops. During this time she finds strength in herself and in her neighbors. She learns to stand strong against what life throws at her, as well as the often despicable acts others will do in the name of their country, based on fear and lack of understanding. This proves to be the central theme of the book. While Hattie struggles to find a middle ground between rampant patriotism and supporting those she loves and cares for, both German and American, she begins to see her own strength and how community can be built and supported.
Authenticity for this book is supported through a bibliography, further reading and a significant acknowledgement by the author of the basis of her story in the real life struggles of her own great grandmother. In addition a Reader’s Guide with questions for discussion and answers by the author allows students to better understand the validity of the story of the Montana homestead and wartime woven by the author.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Newbery Honor 2007
ALA Notable Children's Books 2007
COMMONSENSEMEDIA.COM: “This warmhearted and gritty story of early 20th century pioneering is more realistic than most novels of this genre. The bad guys are not quite as bad as they seem, things don't always work out as you might hope, people die unexpectedly of unadventurous things such as disease, and life is hard but never unremittingly bleak. The little moments of friendship and kindness shine bright, and the result is not rose-tinted, but recognizably true.”
LIBRARIANSBOOKREVIEWS.COM: This story is fantastic! I just fell in love with Hattie and I laughed and cried through everything she faced and overcame. Her determination, her strength of character and will can inspire any person to do difficult things..”
5. CONNECTIONS
*Students can create their own homestead in diorama form to better understand the fencing and crop requirements.
*Students can connect this story to their math classes by figuring the area of Hattie’s homestead, multiple ways lay 480 fence rods as well as what percentage of her homestead would be farmed if she planted her original forty acres, as well as if she planted the sixty acres that Karl helped her to plow.
*Other historical fiction books for children about homesteading:
Landau, Elaine.. THE HOMESTEAD ACT. ISBN: 0-516-27902-5
Isaacs, Sally Senzell. LIFE ON A PIONEER HOMESTEAD. ISBN-10: 1-57572-313-1
One Crazy Summer- Book Review - TWU 5603- Spring 2012
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Willians-Garcia, Rita. 2010. ONE CRAZY SUMMER. New York: Amistad. ISBN 9780060760885
2. PLOT SUMMARY
When Delphine, Vonetta and Fern, a trio of sisters from New York, travel to Oakland, California to spend a month of summer with the mother who abandoned them years ago, they have no idea what a crazy summer it will be. Serving in spirit both her poetry and the Black Power movement that boils in Oakland and other cities in the 1960’s their mother Cecile is anything but maternal. Yet these young women, through their time spent in a community summer school supported by the charitable work of the local Black panthers, find a connection to their mother they never thought would exist. Fear and loss turn to acceptance and even pride as they reconnect with a woman so foreign to them they cannot even pronounce her new name, Nzila. Their connection grows, though, as their summer in Oakland leads to them new understandings of themselves and the woman who chose her pride over her children.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Williams-Garcia uses the conflicting characters of the absentee mother Cecile/Nzila and the strong but highly conservative grandmother of the girls, Big Ma to show the forces drawing on many Black-American children in the tumultuous 1960’s in America. While the older sister, Delphine, tries to balance her desire to care for her sisters with her need to confront her mother and the environment she has been thrust into, the younger sisters exhibit both the desire to fit in, Vonetta, and the desire to be true to oneself, the youngest Fern. The author gives young readers a taste of the variety of experiences that children in and around the Black Power movement of the era might have encountered, and does so convincingly.
Set in and around the city of Oakland, California, Williams-Garcia tells the tale of the three sisters as they struggle thro8ugh not only culture shock, but a battle of identity. They hear Big Ma in their mind’s eye trying to keep them on the straight and narrow as a Black woman trying to raise three young girls in a white world. When the younger girls began to act up in the airport, “Big Ma grabbed them by the first scruff of fabric she could get ahold of, bent down, and told them to ‘act right.’ There weren’t too many of ‘us’ in the waiting area, and too many of ‘them’ were staring.” Yet when they get to their birth-mother Cecile’s home in Oakland they are left to be cared for at a Panther day camp that tries to teach the girls to stand up for their rights, to protest and to try to bring change through confrontation. The entire plot unfolds in this context, and as the girls begin to accept a combination of these two identities, so too do the readers.
This is the central theme of the story, respect for oneself as well as an acceptance of how flawed individuals can be loved, can be family. While the background of the Black Panther movement, unnecessary arrests included, counts this book as historical fiction, it is above all else a story of family, and the struggles we engage in to love those in our lives most difficult to understand.
In terms of the authenticity of this particular work, very few sources are specifically sited. In an acknowledgements section at the end of the text the author specifically notes Black Panther accounts and perspectives as well as The Black Panther Intercommunal News Service. While general news articles and readings from the time period are noted no other specific sources are mentioned. The authenticity of the work could be better verified with an additional bibliography or works referenced section.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
READINGRUMPUS.COM: “Author Williams-Garcia simply understood that most folks wouldn’t be shedding any of those tears for Delphine’s mother. I'm sure Ms. Williams-Garcia knew it was Delphine and the crazy summer she grew into a young lady of strength her mother could never have that makes One Crazy Summer an award-nomination worthy title..”
KIRKUS REVIEWS: Each girl has a distinct response to her motherless state, and Williams-Garcia provides details that make each characterization crystal clear. The depiction of the time is well done, and while the girls are caught up in the difficulties of adults, their resilience is celebrated and energetically told with writing that snaps off the page..”
5. CONNECTIONS
Coretta Scott King Award Winner
National Book Award Finalist
*Students could compare and contrast, through primary source research, the differing actions and reactions of groups supporting equal rights for Black-Americans in the 1950’s and 1960’s.
*Students could attempt to locate primary source documentation such as newspaper articles and interviews that they could then compare to Williams’-Garcia’s telling of the story and determine how authentic they feel the story is based on their findings.
*Other books for high school readers about Black Power and the Civil Rights Movement:
Aretha, David. BLACK POWER. ISBN-10: 1-59935-164-1
Anderson, Michael. THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT. ISBN-10: 1-40344-179-0
The Earth Dragon Awakes - Book Review-TWU 5603-Spring 2012
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Yep, Laurence. 2006. THE EARTH DRAGON AWAKES. New York: Harper Collins Children’s Books. ISBN 9780329675981
2. PLOT SUMMARY
The everyday lives of Henry, the child of a well-to-do San Francisco family and his friend Chin, the son of Henry’s family’s “houseboy” take a tumultuous turn when the ground beneath their feet moves viciously. While they spent their days prior to the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 reading “penny dreadfuls” and dreaming of heroes like Wyatt Earp, they spent the days after seeing their families and friends become true heroes. Pulling trapped neighbors out of wrecked homes and fighting fires are only a short number of the events these two families take part in as the story of how this horrific series of events affected hundreds of thousands living in the greater San Fran area. While moments of sadness ring true, the overall message is one of hope and courage, which young readers can take to heart.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Yep has a true gift for creating genuine, down-to-earth and accessible characters for young readers in truly authentic and accurate settings. Henry and Chin, from different backgrounds, different cultures, different nations and different worlds are an unlikely set of friends whose strong desire to reunite after the quake keeps readers pushing for them. “Chin watches the column of smoke rising from the south and east. ‘Henry should be okay. His house is to the west.’ His father brushes the fuzz on the crown of Chin’s head. ‘You worry too much.’”
In addition to Chin and Henry their fathers, mothers and friends are richly detailed, with their eccentricities, fears, hopes and strengths portrayed in rich detail. These characters are woven into a plot that seamlessly moves back and forth between the dual fights for survival waged by the two families from such different lives in San Francisco. Yet the fires that rampage through the city after the great quake succeed in consuming both Nob Hill and Chinatown alike. No area is safe, regardless of its affluence. Yep expertly helps young readers see that when nature becomes the enemy, wealth is no protection.
Through both visual language and excellent geographic wherewithal Yep helps young readers to truly “see” the city of San Francisco at the turn of the century. The flavor of the buildings, the lives of butchers, bankers and soldiers, the green of the parks and the smell of the water churning with boats of every size and shape come to life through the author’s words.
In all this though, the theme of strength, courage and devotion to friends and family in times of crisis rings through. Young readers will feel a sense, as Henry and Chin later realize, that they are seeing the heroic in the every day. While Yep certainly has created these characters for us, their authenticity, and the reality of the struggles they endure, make us believe that others out there must have lived much as these two families did during this event.
Yep is careful to ensure that young readers feel connected to the truth of the story, most specifically in his afterward. He notes in a more expository manner statistics related to the quake and the fire that followed as well as selected readings to help students find further information. A bibliography is not included however the additional readings feel sufficient to verify to a reasonable extent the authenticity of the piece. Finally a series of photographs, credited on the t.p. verso allow readers to truly see what young people and their families would have seen during this time. It is a masterful telling and one that will surely bring students to a new level of interest in the topic.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
GOODREADS.COM: “Based on actual events and told from the alternating perspectives of two young friends, The Earth Dragon Awakes is a suspenseful novel about the 1906 San Francisco earthquake by Newbery Honor author Laurence Yep.”
KIRKUS REVIEWS: “…this is solid historical fiction full of details about the times and backed up with an afterword explaining the author’s connection and suggesting sources for further reading. It is notable especially for the attention paid to the experience of San Francisco’s Chinese immigrants, and a good choice for reluctant readers.”
5. CONNECTIONS
*Students could create their own “penny dreadful” based on the stories of true life heroes they research and read about in their local, regional or national newspapers or through online searches.
*A mapping activity would be an ideal curricular connection as students use the locations in the story to map out the series of events on historic city maps of San Francisco. These can then be overlaid on maps of the current city and students can hypothesize how a quake of this magnitude would affect the modern city today.
*Other historical fiction books for children about the San Francisco earthquake of 1906:
Sibley, Linda.. DAVID EXPERIENCES THE SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE. ISBN: 0-7569-0297-5
Kudlinski, Kathleen V. EARTHQUAKE! : A STORY OF OLD SAN FRANCISCO. Original ISBN-10: 0-14-036390-4 *From the Once Upon America historical fiction series.
Yep, Laurence. 2006. THE EARTH DRAGON AWAKES. New York: Harper Collins Children’s Books. ISBN 9780329675981
2. PLOT SUMMARY
The everyday lives of Henry, the child of a well-to-do San Francisco family and his friend Chin, the son of Henry’s family’s “houseboy” take a tumultuous turn when the ground beneath their feet moves viciously. While they spent their days prior to the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 reading “penny dreadfuls” and dreaming of heroes like Wyatt Earp, they spent the days after seeing their families and friends become true heroes. Pulling trapped neighbors out of wrecked homes and fighting fires are only a short number of the events these two families take part in as the story of how this horrific series of events affected hundreds of thousands living in the greater San Fran area. While moments of sadness ring true, the overall message is one of hope and courage, which young readers can take to heart.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Yep has a true gift for creating genuine, down-to-earth and accessible characters for young readers in truly authentic and accurate settings. Henry and Chin, from different backgrounds, different cultures, different nations and different worlds are an unlikely set of friends whose strong desire to reunite after the quake keeps readers pushing for them. “Chin watches the column of smoke rising from the south and east. ‘Henry should be okay. His house is to the west.’ His father brushes the fuzz on the crown of Chin’s head. ‘You worry too much.’”
In addition to Chin and Henry their fathers, mothers and friends are richly detailed, with their eccentricities, fears, hopes and strengths portrayed in rich detail. These characters are woven into a plot that seamlessly moves back and forth between the dual fights for survival waged by the two families from such different lives in San Francisco. Yet the fires that rampage through the city after the great quake succeed in consuming both Nob Hill and Chinatown alike. No area is safe, regardless of its affluence. Yep expertly helps young readers see that when nature becomes the enemy, wealth is no protection.
Through both visual language and excellent geographic wherewithal Yep helps young readers to truly “see” the city of San Francisco at the turn of the century. The flavor of the buildings, the lives of butchers, bankers and soldiers, the green of the parks and the smell of the water churning with boats of every size and shape come to life through the author’s words.
In all this though, the theme of strength, courage and devotion to friends and family in times of crisis rings through. Young readers will feel a sense, as Henry and Chin later realize, that they are seeing the heroic in the every day. While Yep certainly has created these characters for us, their authenticity, and the reality of the struggles they endure, make us believe that others out there must have lived much as these two families did during this event.
Yep is careful to ensure that young readers feel connected to the truth of the story, most specifically in his afterward. He notes in a more expository manner statistics related to the quake and the fire that followed as well as selected readings to help students find further information. A bibliography is not included however the additional readings feel sufficient to verify to a reasonable extent the authenticity of the piece. Finally a series of photographs, credited on the t.p. verso allow readers to truly see what young people and their families would have seen during this time. It is a masterful telling and one that will surely bring students to a new level of interest in the topic.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
GOODREADS.COM: “Based on actual events and told from the alternating perspectives of two young friends, The Earth Dragon Awakes is a suspenseful novel about the 1906 San Francisco earthquake by Newbery Honor author Laurence Yep.”
KIRKUS REVIEWS: “…this is solid historical fiction full of details about the times and backed up with an afterword explaining the author’s connection and suggesting sources for further reading. It is notable especially for the attention paid to the experience of San Francisco’s Chinese immigrants, and a good choice for reluctant readers.”
5. CONNECTIONS
*Students could create their own “penny dreadful” based on the stories of true life heroes they research and read about in their local, regional or national newspapers or through online searches.
*A mapping activity would be an ideal curricular connection as students use the locations in the story to map out the series of events on historic city maps of San Francisco. These can then be overlaid on maps of the current city and students can hypothesize how a quake of this magnitude would affect the modern city today.
*Other historical fiction books for children about the San Francisco earthquake of 1906:
Sibley, Linda.. DAVID EXPERIENCES THE SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE. ISBN: 0-7569-0297-5
Kudlinski, Kathleen V. EARTHQUAKE! : A STORY OF OLD SAN FRANCISCO. Original ISBN-10: 0-14-036390-4 *From the Once Upon America historical fiction series.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Marie Curie-Book Review- TWU LS5603 - Spring 2012
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Krull, Kathleen. 2007. MARIE CURIE. New York, NY: Puffin Books. ISBN 9780142412657
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Kathleen Krull does another stand-up job in the Giants of Science biography series with her take on the life and work of Marie Curie. In a world of science dominated by men Krull takes young readers through Marie’s early days struggling to find lab space and components to work with to the trying times where she sat by and watched her work read aloud at symposium by others. “Marie’s report ‘Rays emitted by Uranium and Thorium Compounds’ was read aloud by one of her professors. She couldn’t read it aloud because she wasn’t a member, no women were allowed.” Additionally her life with her beloved Pierre, good times and bad are also part of the tale. Through the loss of the great minds of science to radiation poisoning, Krull even brings young readers into the work of Marie Curie’s daughter who carried the torch of scientific greatness after the renowned woman’s death. In a touching and all too human tale of brilliance mixed with personal trials and tragedies, Krull makes this biography shine with huge moments that changed the world and small moments that changed only the lives of the Curie family. It is indeed a great telling and one that will grab young readers and keep them enthralled.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Krull has often been recognized for her outstanding work in non-fiction for young readers and this biography is no different. Taking pains to stay true to the sources she uses quotes from those involved and cites a nice array of works in her bibliography that are specifically chosen for further reading by her younger readers. Indexed to allow readers to seek out key information about the scientific great, the biography is written in a chronological manner that allows the reader to see the life and work of Madame Curie develop over the years. The language used is age-appropriate and very accessible to young readers. The tone is informative without being dry, enticing without being melodramatic. Overall, the piece is a definite home-run. In addition Boris Kulikov’s illustrations give readers a glimpse into what the life and times of Marie Curie may have looked like. They are not so over-bearing, though as to detract from the story. The book is organized in a way that quotes are embedded into the voicing of the work. It allows the true primary-source material to speak directly to the young readers and Krull flows from her narrative into the quotes and out again with ease. A well-organized and well-designed book, it would be a great addition to any school or home library.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
GOODREADS REVIEW: “As with her previous star-studded biographies of Leonardo da Vinci, Isaac Newton, and Sigmund Freud, all three chosen as ALA Notable Books, Kathleen Krull offers readers a fascinating portrait of this mythic giant of science who abhorred publicity. And she also places Curie’s ground-breaking discovery of two elements within the framework of science at that time.”
KIRKUS REVIEWS: “Krull presents another top-notch scientific biography in the outstanding Giants of Science series. Readers have come to expect chatty, direct narratives that develop distinct characters and place those individuals squarely in the context of both their times and their disciplines, and this account of the noted physicist’s life delivers the goods.”
5. CONNECTIONS
*Science teachers could incorporate this and other Giants of Science biographies into units on inventors as well as on a study of the periodic table of elements and the identity of properties of matter.
*Other Marie Curie biographies
Wishinsky, Frieda. MANYA'S DREAM : A STORY OF MARIE CURIE. ISBN 1894379535
Cobb, Vicki. MARIE CURIE. ISBN 9780756638313
Krull, Kathleen. 2007. MARIE CURIE. New York, NY: Puffin Books. ISBN 9780142412657
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Kathleen Krull does another stand-up job in the Giants of Science biography series with her take on the life and work of Marie Curie. In a world of science dominated by men Krull takes young readers through Marie’s early days struggling to find lab space and components to work with to the trying times where she sat by and watched her work read aloud at symposium by others. “Marie’s report ‘Rays emitted by Uranium and Thorium Compounds’ was read aloud by one of her professors. She couldn’t read it aloud because she wasn’t a member, no women were allowed.” Additionally her life with her beloved Pierre, good times and bad are also part of the tale. Through the loss of the great minds of science to radiation poisoning, Krull even brings young readers into the work of Marie Curie’s daughter who carried the torch of scientific greatness after the renowned woman’s death. In a touching and all too human tale of brilliance mixed with personal trials and tragedies, Krull makes this biography shine with huge moments that changed the world and small moments that changed only the lives of the Curie family. It is indeed a great telling and one that will grab young readers and keep them enthralled.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Krull has often been recognized for her outstanding work in non-fiction for young readers and this biography is no different. Taking pains to stay true to the sources she uses quotes from those involved and cites a nice array of works in her bibliography that are specifically chosen for further reading by her younger readers. Indexed to allow readers to seek out key information about the scientific great, the biography is written in a chronological manner that allows the reader to see the life and work of Madame Curie develop over the years. The language used is age-appropriate and very accessible to young readers. The tone is informative without being dry, enticing without being melodramatic. Overall, the piece is a definite home-run. In addition Boris Kulikov’s illustrations give readers a glimpse into what the life and times of Marie Curie may have looked like. They are not so over-bearing, though as to detract from the story. The book is organized in a way that quotes are embedded into the voicing of the work. It allows the true primary-source material to speak directly to the young readers and Krull flows from her narrative into the quotes and out again with ease. A well-organized and well-designed book, it would be a great addition to any school or home library.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
GOODREADS REVIEW: “As with her previous star-studded biographies of Leonardo da Vinci, Isaac Newton, and Sigmund Freud, all three chosen as ALA Notable Books, Kathleen Krull offers readers a fascinating portrait of this mythic giant of science who abhorred publicity. And she also places Curie’s ground-breaking discovery of two elements within the framework of science at that time.”
KIRKUS REVIEWS: “Krull presents another top-notch scientific biography in the outstanding Giants of Science series. Readers have come to expect chatty, direct narratives that develop distinct characters and place those individuals squarely in the context of both their times and their disciplines, and this account of the noted physicist’s life delivers the goods.”
5. CONNECTIONS
*Science teachers could incorporate this and other Giants of Science biographies into units on inventors as well as on a study of the periodic table of elements and the identity of properties of matter.
*Other Marie Curie biographies
Wishinsky, Frieda. MANYA'S DREAM : A STORY OF MARIE CURIE. ISBN 1894379535
Cobb, Vicki. MARIE CURIE. ISBN 9780756638313
Blizzard! - Book Review - TWU LS5603-Spring 2012
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Murphy, Jim. 2000. BLIZZARD!. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc. ISBN 0590673106
2. PLOT SUMMARY
The New England Great Blizzard of 1888 takes center stage in Jim Murphy’s profoundly accessible Blizzard! While imbued with excerpts from newspaper and eye-witness accounts as well as primary-source images, the telling reads like an intriguing story, with the lives of the inhabitants taking center stage. Saddening and surprising at times, Murphy takes young readers through harrowing accounts of the almost animalistic behaviors of the storm fronts that collided to hunt down and bury the north-eastern United States. The slow onset of the storm, the frightening life of tenement dwellers and the sad loss of life for many of those who braved then storm and broken by moments of heroism, determination, and even amusement, such as the tale of the hundreds of individuals who attempted to cross the frozen river under the Brooklyn Bridge only to end up riding down the currents on huge chunks of ice. As they were later rescued, the humor of the particular series of events comes forth. Murphy works hard to make this tale one that young readers will find engaging and draw them in to read more of his work.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Murphy works hard to ensure that his work is based on solid primary-source evidence as noted throughout the text and in well-documented chapter on notes on sources and related materials. While certain license is taken in terms of the emotional responses that those caught in the terrible storm may have faced, the author worked diligently to let the voices of those souls speak for themselves whenever possible.
Written in a very novel-like style Murphy’s Blizzard is easy to read and in a style that younger readers will be able to readily grasp. The organization is chronological in nature though at times Murphy moves not only through time but space as well, to inform readers of events happening concurrently in various locations in the affected area. Overall the story is written in such a manner that the informative nature of the book is perfectly blended with the narrative style often employed by the author in other works.
The design of the book has the feeling of reading an older newspaper. All images and even the text are in a sepia tone and its seems to make the book feel more warm and enticing, a nice juxtaposition from the chilling information contained within. Relying heavily on photographs and artist’s sketches from the period, the book has a good mix of text and images, with block quotes dispersed throughout in a larger font. The overall feel of the entire work is one that is meant to inform, not frighten, but it does so in a conversational and engaging manner.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
GOODREADS REVIEW: “Newbery Honor Book author Jim Murphy orchestrates with fact, science, technology, and sociology the testimony of survivors and victims to tell the harrowing story of the phenomenal blizzard that crippled New York City in March, 1888.”
BARNES AND NOBLE REVIEW: “Newbery Honor Book author Jim Murphy orchestrates with fact, science, technology, and sociology the testimony of survivors and victims to tell the harrowing story of the phenomenal blizzard that crippled New York City in March, 1888.”
5. CONNECTIONS
*Teachers in science and geography courses could use this text as a tie-in to multiple instructional units on severe weather phenomenon.
*Teachers in history courses could use Murphy’s work as a jumping-off point for the development of technological advancements in response to natural disasters throughout history.
*Other books about the weather events in history:
Latham, Donna. HURRICANE! : THE 1900 GALVESTON NIGHT OF TERROR. ISBN 9781597160711
Lusted, Marcia Amidon. THE 2004 INDIAN OCEAN TSUNAMI. ISBN 9781604530476
Murphy, Jim. 2000. BLIZZARD!. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc. ISBN 0590673106
2. PLOT SUMMARY
The New England Great Blizzard of 1888 takes center stage in Jim Murphy’s profoundly accessible Blizzard! While imbued with excerpts from newspaper and eye-witness accounts as well as primary-source images, the telling reads like an intriguing story, with the lives of the inhabitants taking center stage. Saddening and surprising at times, Murphy takes young readers through harrowing accounts of the almost animalistic behaviors of the storm fronts that collided to hunt down and bury the north-eastern United States. The slow onset of the storm, the frightening life of tenement dwellers and the sad loss of life for many of those who braved then storm and broken by moments of heroism, determination, and even amusement, such as the tale of the hundreds of individuals who attempted to cross the frozen river under the Brooklyn Bridge only to end up riding down the currents on huge chunks of ice. As they were later rescued, the humor of the particular series of events comes forth. Murphy works hard to make this tale one that young readers will find engaging and draw them in to read more of his work.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Murphy works hard to ensure that his work is based on solid primary-source evidence as noted throughout the text and in well-documented chapter on notes on sources and related materials. While certain license is taken in terms of the emotional responses that those caught in the terrible storm may have faced, the author worked diligently to let the voices of those souls speak for themselves whenever possible.
Written in a very novel-like style Murphy’s Blizzard is easy to read and in a style that younger readers will be able to readily grasp. The organization is chronological in nature though at times Murphy moves not only through time but space as well, to inform readers of events happening concurrently in various locations in the affected area. Overall the story is written in such a manner that the informative nature of the book is perfectly blended with the narrative style often employed by the author in other works.
The design of the book has the feeling of reading an older newspaper. All images and even the text are in a sepia tone and its seems to make the book feel more warm and enticing, a nice juxtaposition from the chilling information contained within. Relying heavily on photographs and artist’s sketches from the period, the book has a good mix of text and images, with block quotes dispersed throughout in a larger font. The overall feel of the entire work is one that is meant to inform, not frighten, but it does so in a conversational and engaging manner.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
GOODREADS REVIEW: “Newbery Honor Book author Jim Murphy orchestrates with fact, science, technology, and sociology the testimony of survivors and victims to tell the harrowing story of the phenomenal blizzard that crippled New York City in March, 1888.”
BARNES AND NOBLE REVIEW: “Newbery Honor Book author Jim Murphy orchestrates with fact, science, technology, and sociology the testimony of survivors and victims to tell the harrowing story of the phenomenal blizzard that crippled New York City in March, 1888.”
5. CONNECTIONS
*Teachers in science and geography courses could use this text as a tie-in to multiple instructional units on severe weather phenomenon.
*Teachers in history courses could use Murphy’s work as a jumping-off point for the development of technological advancements in response to natural disasters throughout history.
*Other books about the weather events in history:
Latham, Donna. HURRICANE! : THE 1900 GALVESTON NIGHT OF TERROR. ISBN 9781597160711
Lusted, Marcia Amidon. THE 2004 INDIAN OCEAN TSUNAMI. ISBN 9781604530476
They Called Themselves the K.K.K. - Book Review-TWU LS 5603-Spring 2012
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. 2010. THEY CALLED THEMSELVES THE KKK: THE BIRTH OF AN AMERICAN TERRORIST GROUP. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. ISBN 9780618440337
2. PLOT SUMMARY
While young readers may have been introduced through lessons on the Civil Rights protests and activities of the 1950’s and 1960’s to the entity known as the Ku Klux Klan, this work takes a more unique approach to introducing readers to the birth of the organization itself. Setting the stage in the Reconstruction-Era Southern United States, the inception of this group as a social club where a few former confederates and confederate-sympathizers met to lament the loss of their way of life is the beginning of this tale. Bartoletti continues through the growth of the organization into its early acts of fear-mongering and beyond into its spread as a multi-state organization with local, regional and district chapters. Interspersed with quotes from both KKK members and the terrorized Black Americans that were the victims of the group’s attacks, the social commentary helps move the story along. From the moment when six Tennessee Confederate officers decided to, “let us get up a club,” through the 1905 book and film, The Clansman, the early years of this sad element of American history are explained to young readers in as appropriate a way as possible.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Through a long list of credible sources including slave narratives, court records, newspaper stories and primary source images such as lithographs and sketches, the accuracy of this piece appears high. An extensive list of quote sources, as well as a well presented bibliography for verification and research purposes support the thoroughness of Bartoletti’s work as well as giving a good starting off point for student research.
While many informational non-fiction works for young readers are written in a manner that allows for non-sequential reading and reference, They Called Themselves the KKK is written in a way that really lends itself to being read as a story, from beginning to end. Elements such as a timeline, quote attributions and an index allow the book to be used as a resource and looked at out of sequence however the full effect is best obtained when reading the book from cover to cover.
Both the design and style of this book allow it to be read much more in the manner of a non-fiction book. While relying exclusively on black and white images in the manner of primary resources, pull-out quotes, differences in font and style type and a tone that suggests much more of a newspaper story than a history textbook, the work is accessible to young readers because it seeks to make the events approachable, yet still realistic and compelling. Bartoletti makes a point to inform readers that in certain quotes language of the time period is seen and the author chose not to change it for fear of negating the impact and validity of the work. With this warning in advance, young readers and the adults supporting them can be armed to work through the more difficult elements of language and content the book covers.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
GOODREADS REVIEW: “Documentation is superb, and even the source notes are fascinating. An exemplar of history writing and a must for libraries and classrooms.”
KIRKUS REVIEWS: “This is the story of how a secret terrorist group took root in America’s democracy. Filled with chilling and vivid personal accounts unearthed from oral histories, congressional documents, and other primary sources, this is a book to read and remember.”
5. CONNECTIONS
*Tie ins to an instructional unit based on the Slave Narratives as well as work during Black History month and any lessons related to Reconstruction and the Civil Rights movement are all appropriate.
*Have students engage in a Reader’s Theater created in an age appropriate manner for your particular students based on Marcia Cebulska's play Now Let Me Fly or use the author’s youth versions of her play to perform at a celebratory event. http://nowletmefly.com/downloads/index.php
*Other books about the Civil War and Reconstruction:
Asim, Jabarri. THE ROAD TO FREEDOM: A STORY OF RECONSTRUCTION. ISBN 9780769634326
Murphy, Jim. THE BOYS WAR: CONFEDERATE AND UNION SOLDIERS TALK ABOUT THE CIVIL WAR. ISBN 9780780722224
Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. 2010. THEY CALLED THEMSELVES THE KKK: THE BIRTH OF AN AMERICAN TERRORIST GROUP. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. ISBN 9780618440337
2. PLOT SUMMARY
While young readers may have been introduced through lessons on the Civil Rights protests and activities of the 1950’s and 1960’s to the entity known as the Ku Klux Klan, this work takes a more unique approach to introducing readers to the birth of the organization itself. Setting the stage in the Reconstruction-Era Southern United States, the inception of this group as a social club where a few former confederates and confederate-sympathizers met to lament the loss of their way of life is the beginning of this tale. Bartoletti continues through the growth of the organization into its early acts of fear-mongering and beyond into its spread as a multi-state organization with local, regional and district chapters. Interspersed with quotes from both KKK members and the terrorized Black Americans that were the victims of the group’s attacks, the social commentary helps move the story along. From the moment when six Tennessee Confederate officers decided to, “let us get up a club,” through the 1905 book and film, The Clansman, the early years of this sad element of American history are explained to young readers in as appropriate a way as possible.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Through a long list of credible sources including slave narratives, court records, newspaper stories and primary source images such as lithographs and sketches, the accuracy of this piece appears high. An extensive list of quote sources, as well as a well presented bibliography for verification and research purposes support the thoroughness of Bartoletti’s work as well as giving a good starting off point for student research.
While many informational non-fiction works for young readers are written in a manner that allows for non-sequential reading and reference, They Called Themselves the KKK is written in a way that really lends itself to being read as a story, from beginning to end. Elements such as a timeline, quote attributions and an index allow the book to be used as a resource and looked at out of sequence however the full effect is best obtained when reading the book from cover to cover.
Both the design and style of this book allow it to be read much more in the manner of a non-fiction book. While relying exclusively on black and white images in the manner of primary resources, pull-out quotes, differences in font and style type and a tone that suggests much more of a newspaper story than a history textbook, the work is accessible to young readers because it seeks to make the events approachable, yet still realistic and compelling. Bartoletti makes a point to inform readers that in certain quotes language of the time period is seen and the author chose not to change it for fear of negating the impact and validity of the work. With this warning in advance, young readers and the adults supporting them can be armed to work through the more difficult elements of language and content the book covers.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
GOODREADS REVIEW: “Documentation is superb, and even the source notes are fascinating. An exemplar of history writing and a must for libraries and classrooms.”
KIRKUS REVIEWS: “This is the story of how a secret terrorist group took root in America’s democracy. Filled with chilling and vivid personal accounts unearthed from oral histories, congressional documents, and other primary sources, this is a book to read and remember.”
5. CONNECTIONS
*Tie ins to an instructional unit based on the Slave Narratives as well as work during Black History month and any lessons related to Reconstruction and the Civil Rights movement are all appropriate.
*Have students engage in a Reader’s Theater created in an age appropriate manner for your particular students based on Marcia Cebulska's play Now Let Me Fly or use the author’s youth versions of her play to perform at a celebratory event. http://nowletmefly.com/downloads/index.php
*Other books about the Civil War and Reconstruction:
Asim, Jabarri. THE ROAD TO FREEDOM: A STORY OF RECONSTRUCTION. ISBN 9780769634326
Murphy, Jim. THE BOYS WAR: CONFEDERATE AND UNION SOLDIERS TALK ABOUT THE CIVIL WAR. ISBN 9780780722224
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