Module 15 - Forever by Judy Blume

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Book Summary:
This is a story about a 17 year old girl who is experiencing a real relationship for the first time. This book hits on several important points about sex and the risks. Katherine starts dating Michael fairly soon in the book and we are following her on her journey with waiting until she's ready to have sex and then her having sex, and then the concept of making promises that are not easy to keep. This book also deals with depression and other matters that are important, but mostly it features the struggles in a relationship, especially when the couple is young.

APA Reference of Book:
Blume, J. (1975). Forever... New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division.

Impressions: This is a book I have heard about for a long time with the topic of being challenged and banned often. I read the book fairly quickly in one sitting, and it was easy to get through. I did not like it as much as I thought I would. I felt that the events were very realistic and they made sense. I liked how the characters romanticized their relationship at such a young age and promised each other forever. Forever sounds nice and possible, but that is not something you can promise. I think it is very important that this book touched on that, she told Michael that she was making promises she could not keep, or she was going to say it in those words before she ripped up that letter. I thought it was very sad how it ended. I felt really bad for Michael, but it was all very realistic. This book left me thinking about what I expect out of relationships, and how I want that promise of forever. Forever can't be promised, but it can be hoped for. I felt sad at the end of this book. I wish it had ended differently, but it was appropriate to show that not all relationships last even if you think they will.

Professional Review:
 "YA - Katherine and Michael find each other, and it's first love for both of them. Katherine loses her virginity, finds out about contraceptives, and learns about VD with lectures inserted as needed. Actually, both kids are so kind and considerate, so understanding, so everything, that readers may wonder what's wrong with them. Finally, she realizes that first love isn't always Forever, that she is growing and accepting changes. Sniff, sniff. Obviously it's not a quality book, but that fact won't bother the many girls who will read it, identify, cry happily, and recommend it to their friends. Librarians buying for junior high schools should be aware that the sexual scenes, while not at all explicit compared to the run of adult novels, may be more than parents of young teens bargain for."

Minudru, R. (1975). [Review of the book Forever, by J. Blume]. School Library Journal, 22(3), 95. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com

Library Uses:  Featured book for banned books week.

Module 14 - Lemonade and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word

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Book Summary:
A collection of poems, each one is a single word and letters from the word make up a poem.

APA Reference of Book:
Raczka, B. (2011). Lemonade and other poems squeezed from a single word. New York, NY: Roaring Books Press. 

Impressions:
When I read the first poem I was confused. I looked at it and was trying to see if it was a shape, but I realized its the word line after line omitting letters to create new words. Each page after a poem has the poem written out which was a good choice as some of them are hard to read trying to figure out where one word ends and another begins. For instance, the 'minivan' poem was hard to tell what they were saying for me until I read the page and found out there were a lot of names. I think this was a very creative way to write and display poetry, and it is interesting, but it is not my favorite way to read poetry.

Professional Review:

Gr 3–8--Raczka credits Andrew Russ for inspiring him to try his hand at creating poems by rearranging the letters of a single word. The letters that make up each word in the 22 selections are placed directly under the matching letters of the original word, which is used as the poem's title. The resulting odd spacing of letters and words adds an element of puzzlement to the deciphering of some words and requires a certain facility with the English language, along with the capability for recognizing words whose letters are placed horizontally, vertically or diagonally; backwards or forwards; separated by one space or six, or an entire line with no punctuation included. Each poem is printed on the verso of the following page with words in correct order. A clever, catchy, and challenging collection.


PHOTO (COLOR): Lemonade (Raczka)

Scheps, S. (2011). [Review of the book Lemonade: And other poems squeezed from a single word, by B. Raczka]. School Library Journal, 57(5), 137. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com

Library Uses: Teen poetry night, for readings and original poetry as well as show unorthodox ways to create poetry and inspire teens to think outside the box.

Module 13 - Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon Hale

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Book Summary:
Similar to other Rapunzel stories, there is a girl trapped by someone who claims to be her mother. However, this story has a western theme and she isn't trapped in a tower, but there are walls separating her villa from the rest of the world. She lives in a rich environment and is well cared for, but she feels like something is missing and not right in her life, she wants to know what is happening beyond the walls to make sense of these dreams she keeps having that shake her. She scales the wall and finds an environment she did not expect, one that is very different from the place she lives. She meets her real mother and finds out her real story and

APA Reference of Book:
Hale, D. & Hale, S. (2008). Rapunzel's revenge. New York, NY: Bloomsbury Children's Books.

Impressions:
I wonder if my impressions of this story are silly, but there are a couple of instances where I thought: that's not good to teach children! like when Jack threw scissors to Rapunzel and she caught them, I was thinking: she could have been stabbed! Of course there were a lot of dangerous situations in this book, so it may be okay to throw scissors in a dangerous situation. I mean, there's magic involved, so... other than things like that I always enjoy fantasy adaptations. I love that Jack and the Beanstalk and Rapunzel kind of collided and worked together. I feel as though everything was rather quick at some points, like with the pick axe they were rewarded 'Inga' and said it breaks unbreakable things, and then they said 'thanks' and moved along. Also, in the end, as they were trying to wrap it up I suppose. Rapunzel just mentioned to the townspeople something like 'hey Gothel's gone now so...' and there was a bit of cheering. I like how she decides to keep Rapunzel as a name she is called by even though she learned her real name, Anna. She decides to keep her past instead of run away from it even though it was negative, which is something I have issues with, so that actually left a really good impression for me. The action happened rather early in this book, they did not hesitate. It is hard for me to not compare this to Disney's Tangled. I like how this Rapunzel handled the 'prince' who came to 'save' her. Jack is similar to Flynn Ryder, and Rapunzel's tower was similar. Her hair and nails grew only because she was in that tower and the 'growth magic' Gothel had. Also, this Rapunzel being able to lasso her hair when she braids it makes more sense than Disney's. I think this was an interesting graphic novel, just not my favorite.

Professional Review:

* Rapunzel's Revenge
Shannon Hale and Dean Hale, illus. by Nathan
Hale. Bloomsbury, $14.99 (144p) paper ISBN
978-1-59990-288-3; $18.99 hc ISBN 978-1-59990-070-4

The popular author of Princess Academy teams with her husband and illustrator Hale (no relation) for a muscular retelling of the famously long-haired heroine's story, set in a fairy-tale version of the Wild West. The Hales' Rapunzel, the narrator, lives like royalty with witchy Mother Gothel, but defies orders, scaling villa walls to see what's outside--a shocking wasteland of earth-scarring mines and smoke-billowing towers. She recognizes a mine worker from a recurrent dream: it's her birth mother, from whom she was taken as punishment for her father's theft from Mother G.'s garden. Their brief reunion sets the plot in motion. Mother G. banishes Rapunzel to a forest treehouse, checking annually for repentance, which never comes. Rapunzel uses her brick-red braids first to escape, then like Indiana Jones with his whip, to knock out the villains whom she and her new sidekick, Jack (of Beanstalk fame), encounter as they navigate hostile territory to free Rapunzel's morn from peril. Illustrator Hale's detailed, candy-colored artwork demands close viewing, as it carries the action--Rapunzel's many scrapes are nearly wordless. With its can-do heroine, witty dialogue and romantic ending, this graphic novel has something for nearly everybody. Ages 10-up. (Sept.)

[Review of the book Rapunzel's Revenge, by S. Hale & D. Hale]. (2008). Publishers Weekly, 255(31), 63. Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/ 

 
Library Uses: For creative writing or a create your own graphic novel story to show an adaptation of a classic tale.

Module 12 - Bill, the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-creator of Batman by Marc Nobleman

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Book Summary:
This is a biography about Milton, Bill, Finger and his journey co-creating Batman. A lot of the ideas that makes batman great came from Bill, but he was an anonymous writer and was kept behind the scenes for most of his career. It tells the story of how Bill died, but also how he was recognized after his death. Bill did not push during his career, but fans pushed for him. He is now widely known and there is even a Bill Finger Awards to honor him and given out to those who write comics.

APA Reference of Book:
Nobleman, M. T. (2012). Bill the boy wonder: The secret co-creator of Batman. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.

Impressions:
This book was well done created like a comic book to match the person it was about. I liked the style for example on the first page where it stated his chosen name Bill was 'Secret Identity 1', and again later in the story 'Secret Identity 2'. The illustrations helped tell the story. The text told a great deal of the story, but the illustrations successfully enhanced it. Nobleman successfully transitioned between fact and opinion with his word choices. This book was very enjoyable. I enjoyed learning about this history of Batman's creation, and I think Bill Finger has a great story to tell. It seems that he was content with being in the background and letting Bob get all the credit, but credit should go where credit is deserved. Bill Finger has done amazing work and his creation remains popular to this day. It really is impressive.

Professional Review:



CHILDREN'S & TEEN


BILL THE BOY WONDER The Secret Co-Creator of Batman Nobleman, Marc Tyler Illus. by Templeton, Ty Charlesbridge(48 pp.) $17.95 $9.99 e-book Jul. 1, 2012 978-1-58089-289-6 978-1-60734-446-9 e-book


It turns out that Batman--the orphaned, shadowy, well-heeled defender of an embattled Gotham--had another embarrassment of riches: two fathers.


Spend any time with Batman in DC Comics and you will have seen it: "Created by Bob Kane." Only half true. Cartoonist Bob did come up with a prototype, but it was writer Bill Finger who fashioned Batman into the night-tripping, class-and-trash, hero-and-villain intimidator in the pointy-eared cowl whom we have come to love, the superhero without superpowers. This testament to credit due from Nobleman is seriously researched--as the six-page author's note attests--yet light on its feet, and the artwork from Templeton has all the lush, emotive brushwork one expects from Batman. But what makes this sketch of Finger so memorable is its intimacy with the characters, the way in which it coaxes out an engaging vulnerability in Finger and, by association, with Batman. "Bob's greatest talent may have been the ability to recognize other talent. His greatest flaw may have been the inability to honor that talent. Bill's greatest flaw may have been the inability to defend his talent. His greatest talent was the ability to forge legends."


Though Finger has been a known commodity to comics cognoscenti for years, this salute in his own format will make the lasting impression he deserves. (Graphic biography. 8 & up)

[Review of the book Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman by M. Nobleman]. (2012). Kirkus Reviews, 80(12), 1271. Retrieved from http://www.kirkusreviews.com

Library Uses: Graphic Novel club, talking about creators of famous superheroes and maybe working on creating a superhero of our own.

Module 11 - All the Water in the World by George Ella Lyon

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Book Summary:
This book describes where water comes from, where it goes, and where it does not. It shows a couple of different climates to contrast. Rain and then desert. It encourages the reader to keep the water clean. It shows a mom and child as if she is telling the story of her water to her kid.

APA Reference of Book:
Lyon, G. E., & Tillotson, K. (2011). All the water in the world. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Impressions: 
The illustrations in this book are very creative how they line up with the text. The text jumps around and is very eye catching. It seems like it is a poem and it is very lyrical, especially near the end of the book. I like how the book appears to be told by a mother. Often a line uses the word 'honey' and the first time I saw that '...till cool air bumps through and honey, those clouds just let it go...' I was confused thinking of the honey that bees make and was not sure of the connection. Perhaps it was lacking punctuation as the pattern of these words on this page is important. Overall, this book has a good message detailing the importance of water and how it helps the earth. I think this is a good book to share with kids.

Professional Review:

Children's Books

Picture Books

IT'S EASY READING GREEN

All the Water in the World
George Ella Lyon, illus. by Katherine Tillotson.
S&S/Atheneum/Jackson; $15.99 (40p)
ISBN 978-1-4169-7130-6

Pattern-driven digital illustrations pair with concrete verse to express water's cyclical nature: "Thirsty air/licks it from lakes/sips it from ponds/guzzles it from oceans/and this wet air/swirls up." In a bone-colored landscape in another part of the world, a child in a hut and wild animals in a barren tree await a gray storm cloud. When a torrent comes, a lullaby-like line assures: "Honey,/living things dream/of water," and a mother with long, brunette hair embraces her child, droplets from her hair coalescing into tiny animal silhouettes. A lyrical and bighearted outpouring. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)

[Review of the book All the Water in the World, by G. Lyon]. (2011). Publishers Weekly, 258(9), 54. Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/

Library Uses: Good for introducing an earth day program