When You Reach Me
Bibliographic Data:
Rebecca Stead. When You Reach Me. New York: Yearling. 2009.
ISBN 978-0-385-73742-5
Summary:
Twelve-year-old Miranda has a lot of issues. She is trying to help her mom win a television game show, dealing with the loss of her friendship with Sal and trying to make sense of mysterious notes that keep appearing. She has no idea who the notes are from and how the person writing seems to know things that have not happened yet.
Critical Analysis:
Stead does not let the reader know anything until she is ready to revel it with this puzzle of a story. The reader knows that Miranda is on a quest, but is not sure of what exactly that quest involves. Stead still manages to get the reader to root for Miranda's success. The reader develops a relationship with Miranda through her struggles with friends to which every young adult can relate. The jumping from present events, to past events, from Miranda thinking about the letters, to events happening, makes listening to the book on tape a little difficult. The twist and turns are much more manageable when reading the text, when other distractions can be avoided. Students identify with Miranda's confusion about the letters. When reading aloud to my third grade class, they understood as much as Miranda did throughout the story. It was not until the very end, when Miranda figured it out, that my students understood who the Laughing Man was or what Marcus had to do with the situation.
BOOKLIST review: "The ’70s New York setting is an honest reverberation of the era; the mental gymnastics required of readers are invigorating; and the characters, children and adults, are honest bits of humanity no matter in what place or time their souls rest."
Awards and Honors
Newbery Medal Winner: 2010
Booklist Editors’ Choice: Books for Youth, 2009
Notable Children's Books: 2010
Best Books for Young Adults: 2010
Connections:
Students pretend this book is being made into a movie. Students make a movie poster to advertise the movie.
Students make a book trailer about this book.
Students create drawing of a time travel machine, with labels and directions on how to operate the machine.
Writing prompts:
Do you believe time travel is possible or will be possible in the future? Why or why not?
Do you think Marcus did the right thing by going back in time to save Sal? Why or why not?
What would you do if you won $10,000?
If you could be on any game show which one would you be on and why?
Ship Breaker
Bibliographic Data:
Paolo Bacigalupi. Ship Breaker. New York: Scholastic Nonfiction. 2005.
ISBN 0-439-35379-3
Summary:
Nailer works the light crew scavenging cooper wiring from grounded oil tankers, but dreams of more. He is faced with a chance to buy his freedom when he and his friend Pima find a clipper ship wrecked on the beach after a hurricane. Everything is complicated when they discover there is a girl on board the ship. Nailer must decide to save the girl or strip the boat and buy his freedom.
Critical Analysis:
Bacigalupi brings the world of fantasy to life through his writing. Readers are sucked into this dirty and rough world. They feel a connection to Nailer and the other teenagers. As they read, they can picture this world and the characters in their minds. Teenagers feel trapped in a world between worlds. They are not grownups but they are also not children. Teenagers have little control over the elements in their lives, just like the characters in this story. Teenagers wonder what will they become, will they end up like their parents or make something different of their lives. Readers can feel the emotions of Nailer as he struggles with his father and the fear that he will end up just like him one day. Bacigalupi also goes deeper with a message about creating our own destiny and rebelling against the class system. He portrays characters who have to depend on primal instincts to simply survive from one day to the next.
BOOKLIST review: "Vivid, brutal, and thematically rich, this captivating title is sure to win teen fans for the award-winning Bacigalupi."
Awards and Honors
Printz Award Winner: 2011
Notable Children's Books: 2011
Best Fiction for Young Adults: 2011
Connections:
Students draw Nailer and one other character from the story using details provided in the story.
Students write a letter to Nailer telling him whether he should save the girl or not and why.
Students create a Venn diagram comparing themselves to one of the characters.
Students write a journal entry as if they are one of the characters during the story.
Students write about whether or not they think Nailer made the right decision.
The Odyssey
Bibliographic Data:
Gareth Hinds. The Odyssey. Somerville: Candlewick Press. 2010.
ISBN 978-0-7636-4266-2
Summary:
This graphic novel follows the events of Homer's epic poem. It follows Odysseus's battle to return home after Trojan War. He has to endure problem after problem with Gods, nymphs and witches. His everlasting love of his wife is the only thing that keeps him going through the years of torture.
Critical Analysis:
The Odyssey is a difficult poem to read and understand. This graphic novel makes sense of the twists and turns Homer takes the reader through. Greek Gods and Goddesses are bigger than life and deserve the almost comic book style. Hinds clever decision to put the tale into a graphic novel is very fitting. Odysseus acts almost Super Hero like in his struggles. Although there is minimal detail in the writing itself, due to the graphic novel style, the mythical places and characters are brought to life through the detailed drawings. The reader is transported to another time and place while reading. The same is true for the emotions of the characters. The reader feels the pain in the tortured faces of Odysseus and his family. The reader goes on the long journey with Odysseus wanting to see if he can over come the Gods and men against him on his quest to return home. The idea of following the Gods is protrayed throughout the story. So many people gave supplies and food to Odysseus, because they believe "all beggar's are sent by Zeus."
BOOKLIST review: "A grand example of Hinds’ ability to combine historical adventure with human understanding."
Awards and Honors
Great Graphic Novels for Teens: 2011
Connections:
Students research one God or Goddess mentioned in the story, then create an information poster about that God or Goddess. Students could also use Gloster instead on paper poster.
Students letter a letter to Odysseus as if they were one of the people living in Ithaca, Telemachus or Penelope.
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