SPEAK

Anderson, Laurie Halse. (1999). SPEAK.  New York: Penguin Group.  ISBN:  0142414735.

PLOT SUMMARY

A tragic secret is haunting Melinda Sordino. As she enters high school, all of her old friends have abandoned her, and the one new friend she thinks she has made ditches her for a clique.  Even her parents don’t seem to notice her as they throw themselves into their own professional lives. They only notice her floundering grades and bad attitude after they are alerted by the guidance counselor. Mr. Freeman, the art teacher, is the only person who seems to get Melinda, and he tries to crack her shell by allowing her to express herself in art class. Melinda must find a way to release her secret before it destroys her from the inside.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Melinda Sordino is a character that teens can relate to immediately as she opens the book with, “It is my first morning of high school. I have seven new notebooks, a skirt I hate, and a stomachache.” High school is a tumultuous time for many young adults, but for Melinda it is made all the more difficult to bare because she is also carrying a dark secret. She finds it easier to remain mute than have to share the pain and shame that is haunting her. Anderson effectively portrays Melinda’s spiral into depression through her dark thoughts, scabby lips, and refusal to speak. She also creates a convincing villain in Melinda’s attacker, Andy Evans, a character that will make readers skin crawl. The book evokes many emotions as Melinda’s desperate (yet silent) cries for help go unanswered. Mr. Freeman, the art teacher, seems to be the only adult that notices Melinda pain, and he tries to help her ease it the best way he knows how—through art. As Melinda focuses on her tree art project she slowly starts to shed the pain and find her soul once again and in doing so she becomes a heroine that teens, especially girls, will admire.

In the 10^th Anniversary Edition of this epic young adult novel, Laurie Halse Anderson shares her thoughts on the impact of Speak as well as a poem she has constructed using the e-mails and letters from readers who have been touched in some way by the novel. At the end Anderson answers questions about the novel as well as providing resources for girls who have faced the same nightmare as Melinda. These bonus features add depth to the novel by providing a glimpse into the author’s thoughts.

REVIEW EXERPTS

School Library Journal (October 01, 1999)- “This is a compelling book, with sharp, crisp writing that draws readers in, engulfing them in the story.”

Kirkus Reviews (September 15, 1999)- “The plot is gripping and the characters are powerfully drawn, but it is its raw and unvarnished look at the dynamics of the high school experience that makes this a novel that will be hard for readers to forget.”

Booklist (September 15, 1999)- “Melinda's sarcastic wit, honesty, and courage make her a memorable character whose ultimate triumph will inspire and empower readers.”

CONNECTIONS

• Have students randomly draw a topic and create an art project like Melinda had to do with a tree.
• Have students write an encouraging letter to Melinda.
• Visit Laurie Halse Anderson’s website with information about the book including a playlist of songs for the book and a video of Anderson reading the poem at the beginning of the book. Anderson also addresses the topic of censorship and explains why she believes it is important for her books to remain on library shelves. http://madwomanintheforest.com/
• Watch Anderson read a poem she composed about the response to the book here.

THE GRAVEYARD BOOK

Gaiman, Neil. (2008). THE GRAVEYARD BOOK.  New York: Harper Collins.  ISBN:  0060530936.

PLOT SUMMARY

Nobody “Bod” Owens is a normal young boy that loves his family and enjoys playing with his friends. The only difference is that all of his family and friends are dead, and he is living in a graveyard.  After his family members are murdered, Bod wonders into a graveyard and comes under the care of its inhabitants. All the while, the murderer, Jack is still hunting Bod to finish the job he started.  The people of the graveyard not only protect Bod, but they teach him tricks of the graveyard like fading and dreamwalking.  His guardian, Silas, who is neither living nor dead, provides him with an education, but Bod desires more.  He decides to go to school with the living, but he quickly regrets that decision as he is haunted by the evils of the living world.  Jack discovers Bod’s secret and he comes after him, as Bod continues to search for whom he truly is and which world he belongs to.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Gaiman has readers hooked from the first sentence, “There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife,” which is accompanied by a dark, sinister picture. The old graveyard, though it is Bod’s safe haven, also keeps readers on edge as spirits, ghouls, and other creatures are presented. Bod loves his adopted ghost parents and his guardian, Silas, but he also is curious to interact with humans and he gets a brief chance when a young girl comes to play with him in the graveyard.  Then she is taken away by her parents and Bod is lonely once more with only the dead to comfort him. Bod grows up adapting to the graveyard and respecting its inhabitants, but as he reaches adolescence he is longing for more. Like any teenager, he wants to discover who he truly is and what became of his birth family. Throughout the novel there is an underlying suspense of when the man Jack will return to find Bod, and when the moment comes, readers will not be disappointed. This Newbery award winner is a very different twist on the coming of age story. One that is sure to leave readers feeling a little uneasy at every turn.

REVIEW EXERPTS

School Library Journal (October 01, 2008)- “Bod's love for his graveyard family and vice versa provide the emotional center, amid suspense, spot-on humor, and delightful scene-setting.”

Booklist (September 15, 2008)- “This is an utterly captivating tale that is cleverly told through an entertaining cast of ghostly characters.”

Voice of Youth Advocates (August 01, 2008)- “The conclusion is satisfying, but it leaves room for a sequel. Everyone who reads this book will hope fervently that the very busy author gets around to writing one soon.”

CONNECTIONS

• Have students illustrate tombstones with epitaphs describing made up characters from another time period.
• Have students predict what they think Bod will do once he has left the graveyard.

LUNCH LADY AND THE LEAGUE OF LIBRARIANS

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Krosoczka, Jarrett. (2009). LUNCH LADY AND THE LEAGUE OF LIBRARIANS.  New York: Random House.  ISBN:  0375846840.

PLOT SUMMARY

The school librarians are being especially nasty to the students and are obviously trying to hide a secret. Lunch Lady and her side kick Betty are determined to put a stop to whatever evil plan the librarians have in store. A pack of students who call themselves The Breakfast Bunch are also in on the action. Once Lunch Lady discovers the evil plot, she is able to take down the librarians with an arsenal of kitchen gadgets.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This lunch room lady with special gadgets that give her super hero powers will certainly have kids looking at their cafeteria staff in a new light. This graphic novel set in a school is a witty twist on classic comic book heroes and villains. Adults may cringe as Lunch Lady and her assistant Betty challenge the League of Librarians as they try to take out a shipment of video games (because what’s so wrong with that right?). However, the compromise lunch lady provides will please both students and adults. A must read for students that enjoy graphic novels and those reluctant readers who need a fun, easy read.

REVIEW EXERPT

School Library Journal (September 01, 2009)- “With its appealing mix of action and humor, this clever, entertaining addition to the series should have wide appeal.”

CONNECTIONS

• Have a fun day in the library where students can read and play video games like the end of  the book.
• Have students draw a comic about a school adventure.

THE STORM IN THE BARN

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Phelan, Matt  (2009).  THE STORM IN THE BARN.  Massachusetts: Candlewick.  ISBN: 0763636185.

PLOT SUMMARY

Jack is an eleven-year-old boy living in Kansas in the 1930s during the dust bowl.  His small town is desperate for rain and his family is suffering their own plight as his older sister fights for her life due to the damage done to her lungs by the dust. Jack wants to help in any way he can, but his dad makes him feel worthless everytime he tries.  To add to his troubles Jack is being bullied by older boys.  One day as he tries to escape the bullies he hides out in an abandoned barn.  In the barn he sees a suspicious puddle and decides to investigate.  He comes face to face with a mysterious figure thats face looks like rain.  Jack has to find a way to release this monster and bring life back to his town and his family.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The Storm in the Barn is a crative mix of historical fiction, fantasy, and graphic novel.  It is an excellent choice for those readers turned off by history.  The story contains very few carefully chosen words so much of the excitement is in the pictures within the comic book like frames.  Phelan uses color (and the lack of) to truly capture the setting and mood in each scene.  Much of the book is in washed out yellow and brown tones that reflect the dreary covering of dust that envelopes the town.  However, he also uses dark blues and gray to illustrate the frightening rain monster that Jack discovers in the abandoned shed.  Red is used to show the bloodbath created when the men of the town gather up all of the jack rabbits and massacre them to protect their remaining crops. 

Phelan does an excellent job of conveying the desperation and hopelessness felt by those suffering from the effects of the dust bowl.  He creates a hero in young Jack when he is able to restore the rain monster to the sky and breath hope back into the land.

REVIEW EXERPTS

School Library Journal (September 01, 2009)- “A complex but accessible and fascinating book.”

Publishers Weekly (August 17, 2009)- “The big novelty here is the Dust Bowl setting, and Phelan's art emphasizes the swirling, billowing clouds of fine grit that obscure even nearby objects.”

Booklist (August 01, 2009)- “Phelan turns every panel of this little masterpiece into a spare and melancholy window into another era, capturing an unmistakable sense of time and place…”

CONNECTIONS

• Have students write a short story using comic strips.
• Read other books set during the Dust Bowl such as Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse.
• Have students view pictures and videos about the Dust Bowl http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe30s/water_02.html

WATER STREET

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Giff, Patricia, Reilly.  (2006). WATER STREET.  New York: Yearling.  ISBN:  0440419212.

PLOT SUMMARY

It is 1875 on Water Street in Brooklyn New York.  The whole city is mesmerized by the towers that will soon be the bridge connecting them to Manhattan.  Bird Mallon is a daughter of Irish immigrants who always thought she wanted to be a healer like her mother until witnessing the effects of a tragic accident left her unsure.  As she struggles to decide her destiny she finds an unlikely friend in Thomas Neary, the boy that has moved into the apartment above hers.  With his mother gone and his father stumbling in drunk each night, Thomas longs to be a member of the Mallon family.  Together Bird and Thomas spend their 8^th grade year trying to help Bird’s sister, Ann, find a more meaningful job and save Bird’s brother, Hughie, from a life of fighting and gangs.  Through it all, Thomas and Bird develop a deep friendship and Bird discovers the path she is meant to take.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Giff tells this historical story by alternating between the perspectives and Bird and Thomas.  Thomas is a gentle character that appreciates everything the Mallon does for him.  His relationship with Bird develops slowly, but she soon realizes that he is her friend and not just a pest trying to weasel his way into her family.  Giff creates a flawless setting during the late 1800s in Brooklyn describing the building of the bridge and those whose lives were lost below it, and the drive of the immigrant workers striving to provide a better life for their family in their new country.  Bird’s parents have the same hope for her as they turn over their farm savings to provide her the opportunity to attend high school.  Giff has written an endearing coming of age story that showcases a beautiful friendship and loving family.

REVIEW EXERPTS

School Library Journal (September 01, 2006)- “Giff masterfully integrates the historical material and presents a vivid picture of the immigrant struggle in the 1870s.”

Booklist (August 01, 2006)- “A poignant immigration story of friendship, work, and the meaning of home.”

CONNECTIONS

• Pair with Brooklyn Bridge by Karen Hesse, a novel about Russian-Jewish immigrants in the early 1900s.
• Have students research the casualties of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge.
• Have students write a letter to Thomas from Bird or a letter to Bird from Thomas.

WEDNESDAY WARS

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Schmidt, Gary D.  (2007).  THE WEDNESDAY WARS.  New York: Scholastic, Inc.  ISBN:  054723760X.

PLOT SUMMARY

The year is 1967 and Holling Hoodhood is convinced his 7^th grade English teacher, Mrs. Baker, hates him. To make things worse, he is stuck by himself with her every Wednesday afternoon while the rest of his classmates go to Hebrew school or Catholic mass.  At first Mrs. Baker has Holling doing menial tasks to pass the time, but she decides to make the best of their time together by introducing him to Shakespeare.  Holling is now sure that she hates him.  Why else would she submit him to this torture?  But it turns out Shakespeare is not so bad, and in fact Holling learns some life lessons from the classical writer. 

As he is reading Shakespeare at Camillo Junior High, a war is raging in Vietnam.  Holling is contstantly reminded of this as his father and sister fight about politics over the dinner table. Throughout the school year his relationship with Mrs. Baker improves and she helps him overcome some 7^th grade obstacles like making the cross country team and deciding where to take his crush on Valentines Day.  In the end Holling realizes Mrs. Baker has also helped him to form his own views on the world around him, and come out from under his father’s shadow.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Holling Hoodhood is the kind of character a reader can’t help but love.  His series of misfortunes are so far fetched, but he always approaches each one with humor and optimism.  Seventh grade at Camillo Junior High can sometimes be turbulent like when an eighth grader post pictures of Holling wearing tights with feathers from his Shakespeaere debut.  However Mrs. Baker is a strong pillar  that Holling soon learns he can rely on.  She is a strong willed teacher that has been an Olympic runner, loves Shakespeare, and has a love and respect for others. 

 As the war is waging in Veitnam much of the school, including Mrs. Baker, are worried about loved ones overseas.  Holling’s sister, Heather, is a self-proclaimed flower child and often defies her father as she tries to make him understand the instability the war is causing.  As Holling witnesses these disagreements at home he is beginning to question his own views on life and whether he truly wants to be the next Hoodhood of the family architectural firm, Hoodhood and Assoc. Holling begins to realize that Shakekspeare may have been teaching him some life lessons after all as he slowly evolves into a free-thinking, caring individual. Schmidt creates an entertaining story as Holling tries to decide what he stand for that is a perfect parallel to the Vietnam War as our nation tries to make the same decision.

REVIEW EXERPTS

School Library Journal (July 01, 2007)- “[Readers] will appreciate Holling's gentle, caring ways and will be sad to have the book end.”

Booklist (June 01, 2007) starred review-  “Schmidt, whose Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy (2005) was named both a Printz and a Newbery Honor Book, makes the implausible believable and the everyday momentous. Seamlessly, he knits together the story's themes: the cultural uproar of the '60s, the internal uproar of early adolescence, and the timeless wisdom of Shakespeare's words.”

Publishers Weekly (April 16, 2007)- “Schmidt delivers another winner here, convincingly evoking 1960s Long Island, with Walter Cronkite's nightly updates about Vietnam as the soundtrack.”

CONNECTIONS

• Let students watch footage of newscast from the Vietnam War 
• Read some of the same plays written by Shakespeare as Holling did.  If teaching younger children use the Shakespeare Can be Fun series by Lois Burdett
• Have a 60s dress up day and eat cream puffs!