How They Croaked : The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous

Bragg, G. (2011). How they croaked: The awful ends of the awfully famous. NY: Walker.              

Media Type: Hardcover book

This book contains 184 pages.

Awards: Quick Picks of 2012

Summary:

From royalty, scientist, leaders, writers, and even presidents are people who have different talents or skills and one day must meet their maker. Just like normal people die, famous and even historical people die. It is understandable how people like Christopher Columbus passed away from something that could have been cured with antibiotics. Bragg's organization of information takes the reader on a journey while explaining the events that led up to their death. Bragg's detailed explanation found at the end of the chapter aids the reader in understanding some of the procedures performed on the corpse.

Response:

Overall I really enjoyed reading this book. Each chapter describes how a famous person in history died. Also, at the end of each chapter there were fun facts relating to the person or how they died. These facts were really interesting and sometimes funny to read. When I started reading this book I assumed it would be gory and not interesting but it was actually not too gory and I had fun reading it. Plus I learned a lot about important figures in history that I did not know about.

Connection to Textbook:

Chapter 3- Nonfiction can be broken down into subgenres such as informational, biographical, narrative nonfiction and expository nonfiction. This book is a very unique collection of short biographies.

Other books by the author

Teaching Tools

Author's Website

http://georgiabragg.com/

Teaching Ideas from Literary Fusions

http://www.literaryfusions.com/2014/02/12/book-review-how-they-croaked-the-awful-ends-of-the-awfully-famous-by-georgia-bragg/

Interview with Georgia Bragg

http://www.npr.org/2011/03/12/134468072/the-famous-meet-gory-ends-in-how-they-croaked

Primates : The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas

Ottaviani, J. and Wicks, M. (2013). Primates : the fearless science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas. NY: FirstSecond.

Media Type: Hardcover book

This book contains 133 pages.

Award: Great Graphic Novels for Teens of 2014

Summary:

Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas gives an introduction to three outstanding women scientist who changed the way we look at primatology, conservation, and the very thin line between the human animal divide. Ottaviani does a great job of tying the narrative story through anthropologist Louis Leakey, who helped all three women get into their fields. The story is divided into five parts. The first three parts tell the story of how Jane, Dian, and Biruté got their start and what their research looked like. The fourth section brings women together, once again, after Dr. Leakey has passed away and shows the direction each women plans to take as they continue their life's work. Ottaviani finally brings each story to a close in the Prologue.

Response:

This informational book was written as a graphic novel. I found this style very interesting because many students are becoming more and more interested in this style of book. I think it'd great that readers can enjoy what they are reading and learn valuable information along the way.

Connection to textbook:
Chapter 13- This book is a nonfiction graphic novel. Graphic novels can be fun to read while at the same time offer a wealth of information for a wide range of readers.

Other books by the author

  

Teaching Tools

Author's Website

http://www.gt-labs.com/

Author's Blog

http://www.gt-labs.com/blog/

Reading Group Guide from First Second Books

https://www.teachingbooks.net/media/pdf/macmillan/PrimatesDG.pdf

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda

Angleberger, T. (2010). The strange case of Origami Yoda. NY: Amulet Books

Media Type: Paperback book
This book has 208 pages.

Summary: 
This novel is about a group of middle school boys and a finger puppet named Origami Yoda. The cool thing about Yoda is that he can predict the future and give really good advice. This makes Dwight, a once social outcast, very popular at school since he is the one who created Yoda. Tommy, Dwight's friend, has a very important question to ask Yoda, but first he must find out whether or not Yoda's powers are real. This novel is organized into a series of case files, each written by a different member of the sixth-grade class, to help Tommy decide Yoda's credibility and whether or not he should ask Yoda the question about Sara.

Response:
This book was a refreshing, quick read. I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It's reminiscent of the Wimpy Kid books in that it has middle school aged dialogue and there are little hand-drawn pictures interspersed. In the Origami Yoda, however, the author leaves plenty of opportunity for life lessons and great discussion. One can easily see the benefit that comes from tolerating differences in each other, and learning to respect each other. Not to mention that it is just plain funny in places.

Connection to textbook:
Chapter 1- The main reason we share literature with children is for fun! In the process we also develop language acquisition. This book is wonderful to get reluctant readers excited about reading.

Other books by the author

          

Teaching Tools

Author's Website

http://origamiyoda.com/

Author's Blog

https://riddleburger.wordpress.com/

Lesson Plan from The Strange Case of Oragami Yoda

https://origamiyoda.wordpress.com/folding-instructions/

When You Reach Me

Stead, R. (2009).  When you reach me. New York: Wendy Lamb Books

Media Type: Audiobook
Narrated by Cynthia Holloway
Length: 4hrs. 19min
Released Date: July 14, 2009

Summary: 

In this novel you will meet sixth-graders Miranda, and her friend Sal.  They have a very close bond until one day for no apparent reason, so it seems Sal gets punched in the face and stomach by an unknown boy.  Sal shuts Miranda out of his life. Then the key to her apartment gets stolen and soon after she begins to find mysterious notes. As it turns out this novel deals with time travel and the notes where from Marcus, the boy who punched Sal. Marcus was trying to prevent Sal's tragic death. In the end Miranda is able to piece all the clues together and understand why everything happened. Although Marcus did die trying to save Sal he was able to live a full life and even spending it with Julia.

Response:

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was very well thought through and once I finished it, I thought back to the previous events in the story and it all connected. I was glad that I had already read "A Wrinkle in Time" because otherwise some things might of not made sense. It truly was an amazing book that I recommend to anybody that enjoys reading about time travel.

Connection to textbook:
Chapter 12- This book would fall under fantasy because it includes time travel.

Other books by the author

        

Teaching Tools

Author's Website

http://www.rebeccasteadbooks.com/

Author's Blog

http://rebeccastead.blogspot.com/

Lesson Plan from LitLovers

http://www.litlovers.com/reading-guides/15-young-adult-fiction/1136-when-you-reach-me-stead

Doll Bones

Black, H. (2013). Doll bones. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books.                             

Media Type: Paperback Book

This books has 272 pages.

Summary: 

This novel is about three friends who have faced very serious problems at home. Zachary, Alice and Poppy enjoy playing with some figurines. Until one day Zachary's father destroys all of his figurines.  His father believes that he needs to stop wasting time with make believe and fantasy stories.  To make matters worse his friends Poppy and Alice always tend to tell and share their dreams with him.  The dreams of Poppy are of the Great Queen, who is a bone-china doll who curses anyone who displeases her.  These dreams have started again, but not wanting to disobey his parents he is torn.  Zachary decides to go on a quest with Alice and Poppy and find the truth behind the Great Queen and stop this once and for all.  Along the way they encounter many adventures. At the end of the novel the three friends decide to bury the doll, but promise to keep the story alive.

Reflection:

I felt the novel was a little creepy but not too scary for younger children. This is a wonderful coming of age story. The characters are on the edge of adolescence and things are changing. They have one last big adventure before growing up. From my point of view, it was a short but lovely story. The writing is simple, but without feeling like it is dumbed down for children. The story is short but doesn't feel rushed.

Connection to textbook:
Chapter 12- This book falls under the subgenre of fantasy because it includes ghost stories.

Other books by the author

   

Teaching Tools

Author's Website

http://blackholly.com/

Author's Blog

http://blackholly.livejournal.com/

Discussion Question from Unleashing Readers

http://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=1969

ASK THE PASSENGERS

King, A.S. (2012). Ask the passengers. NY: Little Brown           

Media Type: Hardcover book

This book has 293 pages.

Summary:

This novel is about a teenager named Astrid. Like many girls, Astrid is not sure where she fits in. She doesn't fit into her dysfunctional home. Her self-absorbed mother is not someone who understands her. Her dad smokes too much pot, and her sister Ellis is favored by her mother. Astrid's mother and sister go out on bonding nights where the sister is allowed to drink, and Astrid is never invited . All Astrid knows is that she has feelings for her coworker Dee. She likes kissing her, but is not sure what to make of that. Does that make her gay?  She'd love to talk to someone about it, but there is no one in her small town to turn to, not even her best friend Kristina. Instead, Astrid turns to the teachings of the classic philosophers to learn and accept just who she really is. Astrid and her girlfriend come close to having sex, but do not because Astrid is not sure of what she wants. They even come up with a code word to signal when they are ready for the next step: abracadabra!  Astrid and her friend end up getting caught in a gay bar and that is when everything gets thrown out of proportion. In the end, Astrid accepts that she is gay and even introduces Dee as her girlfriend to her family.  Astrid also sends messages of love to passengers on the planes and they seem to actually reach them. This is a book about learning who you are, accepting who are, and finally, loving who you are. It's offers a valuable message for anyone, gay or straight.

Response:

Ask the Passengers was extremely touching. I honestly hadn't heard much about the book before reading, so I really didn't know what to expect going into it. I was really surprised by how touching and heart warming the book was though. This is the first of A.S. Kings books that I've read but was really glad I read this book though, I haven't read many books that I can think of dealing with the subject in this book, so it was something a little new to me. But the way it was written was beautiful, and you really can't help but to love this story.

Connection to the textbook:

Chapter 1- Books like this one can also serve as "windows" when reading for curiosity.

Chapter 3- Realistic fiction is the subgenre for this novel.

Chapter 4- YA literature mirrors concerns that adolescents face and draws upon a sense of how they develop.

Other books by the author

           

               Teaching Tools

Author's Website

http://www.as-king.com/

Author's Blog

http://www.as-king.info/

Interview with A.S. King

http://mundiemoms.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/blog-tour-ask-passengers-by-as-king.html

                  

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Alexie, S. (2007). The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian. NY:

Little Brown                        

Media Type: Hardcover book

This book has 230 pages not counting the extra material.

Summary:

Arnold (Junior) is a young Indian boy who lives in a very poor reservation called Wellpinit. From the moment he was born he faced many difficulties including brain surgery. His life was not easy for he was always picked on by other members of the tribe. He did have a friend named Rowdy who protected him. One day in geometry class Arnold gets furious about the fact that the book he's using was his mother's book 30 years ago. He throws the book and hits the teacher breaking his nose. This was a turning point in the story because the teacher goes and talks to him a few days later and tries to apologize to Arnold for all the things that he has done to Indians. He gives him advise to get out of the reservation otherwise he will die there. The next day Arnold convinces his parents to take him to the all white school 22 miles away from the reservation. The transition was not easy. His tribe saw him as a traitor, including his best friend Rowdy, and the new school had never had an Indian before. During this time Junior encounters the deaths of Eugene, his grandmother and his sister. Sadly they all trace back to alcoholism. In the end he reconciles with his friend Rowdy, after his friend realizes that Junior is a "nomad" Indian. Arnold decides that maybe he belongs to many tribes and refers to himself as multi-tribal.

Response:
This book was great. It gave me a better understanding of what life is like in an Indian reservation, and it was not a pretty picture. I felt so bad for Arnold (Junior) and all the things he had to endure. I also felt joy when things started to look better for him. Then again grief when he lost the people he loved to alcohol. This book just makes you feel so many different emotions.

Connection to textbook:
Chapter 6- First person point of view is a literary element found in this novel.
Chapter 10- The genre of this books is realistic fiction.

Other books by the author

Teaching Tools

Author's Website

http://fallsapart.com/

Video Book Trailer from Slimekids

http://www.slimekids.com/book-trailers/letter-a/the-absolutely-true-diary.html

Reading Group Guide from Little,Brown & Co

https://www.teachingbooks.net/media/pdf/LittleBrown/AbsolutelyTrueDiary_Guide.pdf

MONSTER

Myers, W.D. (1999). Monster. NY: Harper

Media Type: Paperback book

This book has 281 pages not counting the extra material.

Summary:

This novel is written in a journal format and movie script by Steven Harmon. He is a 16 year old accused of murder. Because he is having a difficult time coping with the reality of being in jail he decides to document everything as if it were a movie. Although most of the book takes place in the prison and the courtroom, some scenes are flashbacks of his life before the arrest. In the end he is found not guilty. Yet he struggles to understand what people see when they look at him, do they see a monster? He even mentions a distance that was created with his father due to the trial.

Response:
I really enjoyed this book especially because it was a quick read. It did keep me wondering if maybe he was guilty. At times it made me feel like if I was one of the jurors and I was having the case presented to me. It also made me think of just how many young African Americans are innocent yet prosecuted due to stereotypes.

Connection to textbook:
Chapter 7-This book was given many awards including the Printz award.
Chapter 10- The genre of this book is realistic fiction.

Other books by the author

         

Teaching Tools

Author's Website

http://walterdeanmyers.net/

Author's Blog

http://walterdeanmyers.net/category/journal/

Reading Group Guide by Harper Collins Children's

http://files.harpercollins.com/PDF/ReadingGuides/0064407314.pdf

Gabi: A Girl in Pieces

Quintero, I. (2014). Gabi:A girl in pieces. TX: Cinco Puntos

Media Type: Audiobooks

Narrated by Kyla Garcia

Length: 7 hrs. 58 min

Release Date: December, 16, 2014

Summary:
Gabi tells the story of her last year in high school in her diary. Gabi has to cope with her weight throughout the novel. Her mom is constantly telling her that she needs to lose weight if she wants to one day get married. Her best friend Cindy becomes pregnant after having sex just once. Her other best friend Sebastian gets kicked out of his house after coming out of the closet about being gay. To top it off her father is a drug addict and is gone most of the time. He ends up over dosing on meth and dying. Gabi does find love despite her weight. She also finds that poetry helps her cope with many of the problems that she is facing.

Response:
This novel incorporates many of the challenges that young adults face. Form teen pregnancy, to being gay, to being raped, to having a parent who is an addict. Also having to deal with being over weight in a society that idolizes girls who are skinny. I was also able to relate with this novel from the perspective of a girl who comes from a Mexican-American family. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this novel, for some reason it reminded me of "The House on Mango Street" by Sandra Cisneros.

Connection to Textbook:
Chapter 1- Books like this one can be used to share different cultures with children. This novel might serve as a mirror for some and a window for other readers.
Chapter 6- First person point of view is a literary device used in this novel.

Awards for this book

Winner of the William C. Morris Award for YA Debut Novel School Library Journal Best Books of 2014 Booklist Best Books of 2014 Amelia Bloomer List, part of the American Library Association, Social Responsibilities Round Table’s Feminist Task Force 2015 YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, Top 10 Selection 2015 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults 2015 Tomás Rivera Book Award, Works for Older Children 2015 Paterson Prize for Books for Young People, Grades 7-12 2015 Capitol Choices: Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens 2014 California Book Award Gold Medal Winner, Young Adult Fiction Teaching Tools Author's Website https://laisabelquintero.com/ Common Core Guide from Cinco Puntos https://www.teachingbooks.net/media/pdf/CincoPuntos/Gabi_TG.pdf Interview of Isabel Quintero by YALSA http://www.yalsa.ala.org/thehub/2015/01/26/morris-award-finalist-interview-isabel-quintero/

SPEAK

Anderson, L.H. (1999). Speak. NY: Penguin        

                  

Media Type: Paperback book -Platinum Edition

The platinum version has 198 pages not counting the bonus material.

Summary:

Melinda has a terrible secret that won't let her speak. The summer before entering high school she attended a party and was raped. The worst part is that when she runs for help and calls 911 she can't speak. Others at the party realize that she called the cops and blame her for ruining the party. Her first year of high school is miserable. She has no friends and people look at her weird because she doesn't fit in. Her parents don't understand her behavior and why her grades are so low this year. She even creates a retreat in an old janitor closet where she goes when she can't face the world. As the year progresses she begins to see that it was not her fault and that she needs to stop IT from hurting other girls. She finally tells her ex-bestfriend Rachel about what happened at the party. Rachel doesn't believe her and thinks that she is just jealous because she's is dating Andy (IT). When Andy realizes that Melinda is spreading "rumors" about him he finds her in the janitor's closet and locks the door. He tries to rape her once again but this time she is able to scream and students come to her rescue. In the end Melinda is relieved that she finally spoke, yet she understand that what happened to her will be part of her forever. However she is not going to let it kill her, and she knows she can grow and move on from this experience.

Response:

This novel really struck a chord for me because I have two young daughters. I can't imagine what I would do if something like this happened to either one. I hope that they would come to me and tell me right away so that they do not suffer the way Melinda did. It also made me realize that there must be so many other cases just like hers that we never hear about. Many times victims of rape don't speak because of fear. This novel is not only important for young adults to read but it could also be beneficial for parents.   

Connection to textbook:

Chapter 10- this novel falls under the category of realistic fiction. This novel deals with rape and how a young girls struggles with the situation.

Other books by the author

Teaching Tools

Author's Website

http://madwomanintheforest.com/

Author's Blog

http://madwomanintheforest.com/blog/

Discussion Questions from Penguin Group

http://www.penguin.com/static/images/yr/pdf/tl-guide-speak.pdf