Module 5: Esperanza Rising

Summary: Esperanza is a young wealthy Mexican girl who is raised on a ranch in Aguascalientes. Her parents dote on her, and she is supremely happy. Tragedy strikes early in the novel when Esperanza's father is brutally murdered by bandits, and her scheming uncle tries to force her mother to marry him. when she refuses, he burns the ranch. The only hope Esperanza and her mother have is to accompany their former servants to America, where promises of work in California have drawn many thousands of other refugees from all parts of the United States and Mexico. Unfortunately, the Dust Bowl victims and the Mexican nationals are trapped. They have no money, and there are few jobs. The owners of the land in California keep wages as low as they can by pitting starving men and women against each other. Esperanza goes through an utter transformation, from spoiled rich girl to hard-working, caring young woman who puts others before herself.

Ryan, P. M. (2002). Esperanza rising. New York, NY: Blue Sky Press.

My Impressions: Esperanza is a plucky heroine. Even though she is spoiled, I never got the feeling she was ungrateful for her lot in life. She is keenly aware of the separation between her and the other classes, and while living in penury is challenging, Esperanza is willing to learn. Is it hard? Sure. Is her life easy once she adapts? No. Esperanza is a hard-working, willing learner. There really is a small adjustment period between her leaving Mexico and her resolve to make the best of her new life. This actually speaks volumes to Esperanza's upbringing. Her parents, while loving and indulgent, instilled proper values in their daughter, which makes her adjustment to life in a migrant camp perhaps a little easier than it would be otherwise. Even so, it doesn't detract from the disparity of Esperanza's existence before and after her father's murder.

 Reviews:

"Ryan poetically conveys Esperanza's ties to the land by crafting her story to the rhythms of the seasons. Each chapter's title takes its name from the fruits Esperanza and her countrymen harvest, firs in Aguascalientes, then in California's San Joaquin Valley. Ryan fluidly juxtaposes world events...with one family's will to survive - while introducing readers to Spanish words and Mexican customs. Readers will be swept up by vivid descriptions of California dust storms or by the police crackdown on a labor strike....Ryan delivers subtle metaphors via Abuelita's pearl's of wisdom, and not until story's end will readers recognize how carefully they have been strung. Ages 9-14." - Publisher's Weekly.

Esperanza rising. (September 11, 2000). Publisher's Weekly. Retrieved on September 26, 2011, from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-439-12041-8.


"Esperanza's struggles begin amidst class unrest in post-revolutionary Mexico and intersect with labor strikes in the United States, which serve to illustrate the time period's prevailing hostility toward people of Mexican descent. In one of the more glaring injustices she witnesses, striking workers, who were born American citizens and have never set foot on Mexican soil, are loaded onto buses for deportation. Through it all, Esperanza is transformed from a sheltered aristocrat into someone who can take care of herself and others. Although her material wealth is not restored in the end, the way it is for Sara Crewe [of Frances Hodgson Burnett's A Little Princess], she is rich in family, friends, and esperanza — the Spanish word for hope." -- Horn Book

 Happermann, C. M. (2001). Esperanza Rising. Horn Book Magazine, 77(1), 96.


Uses in the Library:

A perfect book for display in Hispanic Heritage Month.

It could also be used in a book club that learns to crochet as Esperanza does as they listen to someone read the book.

Module 5: Zora and Me

Summary: Told from the perspective of Zora Neale Hurston's childhood friend, Zora and Me details a time in the lives of the girls when their town is upset by the deaths of a couple of their men. Zora claims she sees a "Gator King" whom she blames for the troubles. The others do not believe her, and Carrie finds herself in the position of having to defend her friends to the rest of the community. They risk much to discover the truth, with help from a kindly white man from the town over. They deal with racism, the idea of "passing" for white, and why people would kill someone based on skin color.

Bond, V., & Simon, T. R. (2010). Zora and me. Somerville, Mass.: Candlewick.


My Impressions: This was a fun, imaginative way to address some of the more serious issues of the deep South in the early part of the twentieth century. The over-reaction of the children, who are outraged by the events, along with the quiet resignation of the adults, reminds me of the quotation from To Kill a Mockingbird: "They did it before and they'll do it again, and when they do it - it seems that only children cry." Carrie is perfectly happy to stay where she is, but her friend Zora knows she is going places. Zora knows she must try to make a difference.


 Reviews:

"A spirit of gentleness pervades this story, along with an air of mystery and natural magic....The authors have taken great care with historical accuracy, and the book is endorsed by the Zora Neale Hurston Trust. Zora’s reputation for tall tales and her urge to see the world are directly tied to the real Hurston’s natural storytelling ability and desire to travel. A brief biography, time line, and annotated bibliography are included." - School Library Journal


Knapp, M. (November 1, 2010). Grades 5 & up: Zora and me. School Library Journal. Media Source, Inc. Retrieved September 25, 2011, from http://www.libraryjournal.com/slj/reviewsgrade5andup/887014-316/grades_5__up.html.csp.



"Debut authors Bond and Simon do their subject proud, spinning a tale about the childhood of writer Zora Neale Hurston, who 'didn't have any trouble telling a fib or stretching a story for fun"....The maturity, wisdom, and admiration in Carrie's narration may distance some readers from her as a 10-year-old ('The bad things that happen to you in life don't define misery—what you do with them does'). Nevertheless, the authors adeptly evoke a racially fraught era and formative events—whether they're true or true enough—in Hurston's youth. Ages 10–up." - Publisher's Weekly


Zora and me. (September 27, 2010). Publisher's Weekly. Retrieved on September 25, 2011, from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-7636-4300-3.

Uses in the Library: Black History Month, in conjunction with a book by Zora Neale Hurston.

 

Module 4: The Graveyard Book

Summary: The story opens with murder. A toddler has somehow escaped the slaughter of his entire family and makes his way down the road to the graveyard, where sympathetic ghosts take him in and raise him for his parents. The ghosts understand what the child does not: that the murder of his family was really an effort to kill him. The ghosts christen him Nobody Owens, or "Bod" for short. Bod grows up happily, learning to fade away, move in and out through solid surfaces, and other ghostly activities. Bod eventually grows up, though, and must be re-assimilated into the land of the living. He tries a stint at school, which is largely unsuccessful. When his presence among the living is noticed by the society who seeks his death, Bod must travel to a dark and dangerous place to overthrow them once and for all.

Gaiman, N., & McKean, D. (2008). The graveyard book. New York: Harper Collins Children's Books.

My Impressions: This book captivated me from the opening page. I was almost desperate to see what would become of the baby who escaped his family's murder. The genius of Gaiman's writing is that he takes a scene that should be completely emotionally charged and somehow renders it impassive without detracting from its impact. Every time the book seemed to veer toward the emotional, the maudlin nature vanished, like the ghosts in the graveyard. The story of Bod's growing up with such a rag tag group of mentors harkens back to Oliver Twist and many other orphan stories, but the take is so original the reader doesn't mind the homage. The climax is suitably suspenseful, and the final confrontation with the Man Jack is eerie and triumphant, all in one. Gaiman said he was surprised this book won the Newbery, as he didn't intend to write a children's book. The book, however, is a bildungsroman that transcends both the age of its protagonist and the ages of its readers to have a broad appeal.

Reviews:

"A lavish middle-grade novel, Gaiman's first since Coraline , this gothic fantasy almost lives up to its extravagant advance billing. The opening is enthralling....When the chilling moments do come, they are as genuinely frightening as only Gaiman can make them, and redeem any shortcomings. Ages 10–up." - Publisher's Weekly

The graveyard book. (September 29, 2008). Publisher's Weekly. Retrieved September 15, 2011 from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-06-053092-1.

"Lucid, evocative prose...and dark fairy-tale motifs imbue the story with a dreamlike quality. Warmly rendered by the author, Bod's ghostly extended family is lovable anachronistic; their mundane, old-fashioned quirks add cheerful color to a genuinely creepy backdrop....Gaiman's assured plotting is as bittersweet as it is action-filled - the ending, which is also a beginning, is an unexpected tearjerker - and makes this ghost-story-cum-coming-of-age-novel as readable as it is accomplished." -- Horn Book

 Gross, C. E. (2008). [The graveyard book] [book review]. The Horn Book, 84(6).

Uses in the Library: A display of "spooky reads" for Halloween.

Module 4: The Giver

Summary: Jonas lives in a seemingly perfect world. Each person is given a profession that matches his or her personality. There are particular rituals everyone faces during their lives: the distribution of children to the family units, the first bicycles, etc. Jonas is due for his Ceremony of Twelve, in which he and all of his peers will be selected for their own professions. To Jonas' surprise, he is selected to be trained by the Receiver, the keeper of memories and knowledge. As Jonas trains with the Receiver (whom he calls "the Giver," he learns that his perfect society isn't so perfect after all. He learns of war and poverty and violence, and he learns that undesirables, such as the weak infants and the elderly, are euthanized. He also learns to see in color, to understand the beauty of the real world around him. Unable to stand the hypocrisy of his world, he snatches a baby due for "liquidation" and takes off into the wilderness to seek a better life.



Lowry, L. (2002). The giver. New York, NY: Dell Laurel Leaf.

My Impressions: I teach dystopian literature, and year after year, my students remember this book with great fondness. I was glad I had the chance to read it. The Giver is bleak, no doubt. As an adult, I could see where the treatment of the geriatrics was going before middle school students, but it did not lessen the impact of the revelation Jonas experiences. Lowry is gifted in making predictable scenes feel suspenseful, as the Ceremony of Twelve is. The reader knows from the cover, the blurbs, and from lots of clues that Jonas will be picked to be the next Receiver, but the Ceremony scene still urges us to keep reading, to continue on. As Jonas realizes that his perfect town is really a lie, the reader feels just as disillusioned and disheartened as he. We feel the weight of the burden that is being the Receiver as well as the beauty that comes with it. In this short novel, Lowry helps her readers appreciate the vast range of the human experience - the highs AND the lows.

Reviews:

"In a departure from her well-known and favorably regarded realistic works, Lois Lowry has written a fascinating, thoughtful science-fiction novel....The story is skillfully written; the air of disquiet is delicately insinuated. And the theme of balancing the values of freedom and security is beautifully presented." -- Horn Book

Flowers, A. A. (1993). The Giver. Horn Book Magazine, 69(4), 458.  Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

"Despite occasional logical lapses, The Giver, a powerful and provocative novel, is sure to keep older children reading. And thinking." -- New York Times

Karen, R. (1993). Children's books. New York Times Book Review, 26.  Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Uses in the Library:

The Giver always tops the list of challenged books, so it is perfect for a Banned Books Week display.
 

Module 3 - Officer Buckle and Gloria

Summary: Officer Buckle is serious about safety. He lectures to crowds on the importance of being safe, but his lectures tend to put people to sleep. Enter Gloria, Officer Buckle's police dog. As Buckle gives his speech, Gloria mimes each safety tip behind him on stage. The audiences cheer, and Buckle thinks he's finally broken through. When he sees a clip of himself and Gloria on the news, he feels hurt, but eventually, Buckle comes to love working with Gloria because she helps him get his message across to all the people.


Rathmann, P. (1995). Officer Buckle and Gloria. New York, NY: Putnam Juvenile.


My Impressions:  The illustrations in this book are so charming. Gloria's antics are as funny for the reader as they are for the students at the school. The story is of a sweet relationship between a police officer and his dog. Ultimately, they decide that their styles can work together and decide that sticking with your buddy is the best safety tip of all. The end papers have great illustrations of Gloria acting out more of Officer Buckle's safety tips. There are plenty of jokes for the adults to enjoy in the background while the children laugh at Gloria's re-enactments of Officer Buckle's safety tips.

Reviews:

" Rathmann's high-voltage cartoons, outlined in black ink for punchy contrast, capture her characters' every feeling, from Gloria's hammy glee and Buckle's surprised satisfaction to Gloria's shame at having tricked her partner. In a sound and sensitive conclusion, Gloria's disastrous attempt to go solo inspires Buckle's 'best safety tip yet': 'Always stick with your buddy!'" - Publisher's Weekly

Officer Buckle and Gloria. (September 25, 1995). Publisher's Weekly. Retrieved September 9, 2011 from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-399-22616-8.

 "Filled with both slapstick and subtle humor, Rathmann's Caldecott Medal-winning artwork makes this a fun read for all ages." -- Book Links

 Lempke, S. (2004). Officer Buckle and Gloria (Book). Book Links, 13(4), 40.

Uses in the Library:

This is a great book for Community Helpers week to read to young students about some of the other great things that police officers do.  

Module 3 - The Lion and the Mouse

Summary:This is a wordless re-telling of Aesop's fable of the Lion and the Mouse. Pinkney uses no words, other than onomatopoeia to represent the animal sounds and the scratching of the mouse's teeth against the poachers' ropes.

Pinkney, J. (2009). Lion and the mouse. New York, NY: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.


My Impressions: The illustrations in this book are simply wonderful. The story, set on the African Savannah, highlights not only the interactions between the title characters, but also the idea of family. The mouse, upon release from the lion, rushes back to her nest. After she returns the favor and saves the lion's life, she returns to her babies again. The animals are realistic while being slightly anthropomorphic. Their expressions are spot on, and the warmth of the Savannah comes through the warm tones of the watercolor paintings.

Reviews:

" Pinkney enriches this classic tale of friendship with another universal theme—family—affectingly illustrated in several scenes as well as in the back endpapers, which show the lion walking with his mate and cubs as the mouse and her brood ride on his back. Pinkney's artist's note explains that he set the book in Africa's Serengeti, 'with its wide horizon and abundant wildlife so awesome yet fragile—not unlike the two sides of each of the heroes'....Pinkney has no need for words; his art speaks eloquently for itself. Ages 3–6. (Sept.)" - Publisher's Weekly

The lion and the mouse. (July 27, 2009). Publisher's Weekly. Retrieved September 8, 2011 from    http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-316-01356-7

"[Pinkney's] newest book has a singular ability to do something most artists do not even hope to try for. It is appealing to both die-hard Pinkney fans and the folks who could take him or leave him. Everybody likes this book. It's actually a little weird, but who are we to argue? The Lion and the Mouse takes a classic Aesop tale and spins it into wordless picture book gold. A must have, and a must purchase." -- School Library Journal

Bird, E. (July 20, 2009). Review of the day: The lion and the mouse by Jerry Pinkney. School Library Journal. Retrieved September 8, 2011 from http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/afuse8production/2009/07/20/review-of-the-day-the-lion-and-the-mouse-by-jerry-pinkney/

Uses in the Library:

This book could be used as an example to get kids to re-interpret and draw their own version of one of Aesop's fables. 







 

Module 2: Harriet the Spy

Summary: Harriet M. Welsch wants to be a writer. She is never found without her notebooks, and she spends her afternoon "spying" on her neighbors, really for character study more than anything else. Sport, her best friend, is a boy whose dad is an absent-minded writer. Sport has to do all the cooking and cleaning in his house. Harriet's parents are socialites who are more interested in their superficial status than their own daughter. Harriet is essentially raised by her nanny, Ole Golly, who is no-nonsense but who understands Harriet. She is Harriet's only grounding force in the book.

Harriet is brutally honest in her observations she keeps in her notebook, as all writers should be. Her life seems fine, until two traumatic events happen: Ole Golly takes off and gets married, and Harriet's notebook is found by her classmates. Harriet must face their wrath and learn how to navigate the social world without her moral compass. She ultimately comes to understand that little white lies to spare your friends' feelings are far better than complete honesty all of the time.

Fitzhugh, L. (2001). Harriet the spy. New York, NY: Yearling.

My Impression: I really wanted to like this book. I was a precocious child myself, and one who would rather wear jeans than dresses. I understand Harriet. However, as an adult and a parent, I could not enjoy this book. I don't mind reading about characters with absent, frivolous parents. I don't mind reading about characters who are raised by nannies. I don't mind reading about characters in conflict with their peers. What I do mind is how mean-spirited much of the book was. Harriet is brutal in her observations. Her friends' responses to finding her writing is over-the-top, and even Harriet's making good on the issue involves spreading gossip and nasty rumors (even if they're true) about her friends' parents. The classmates only let up on Harriet when they can point the finger and laugh at someone else.

Harriet suffers no disciplinary consequences for her actions. The only suffering she does is being temporarily ostracized by her class, many of whom she looked at with disdain before the notebook incident. Her parents stay unconnected to her, ineffectual and lenient, like she is a doll to play with occasionally. The only time they really seem to care deeply for her is the night Harriet goes out with Ole Golly and her beau. When they return late, Harriet's parents rage against the "lower class" people and fire Ole Golly on the spot. Eventually, they calm down and let Ole Golly stay until she leaves to marry. One might think that this incident might change their ways, but no. At the end of the book, Harriet's parents announce they are going to live in Paris for three months without Harriet. They are just going to leave her in the hands of their cook, who doesn't like Harriet at all. With parents like those as role models, it's no wonder that Harriet is so mean-spirited about others.


Reviews:

"Harriet M. Welsch's watershed brand of cantankerousness, considered outrageous and unattractive in the sixties when her story was first published, still has a contemporary authenticity to it. Rebellion is, after all, rebellion, and the brand of privileged neglect that Harriet experiences has not yet gone out of fashion." -- Horn Book

 Beavin, K. (1999). Harriet the Spy. Horn Book Magazine, 75(6), 762. 

"As a milestone of the "new realism" in U.S. children's literature, Harriet the Spy changes the rules. Harriet does not feel fictional, and that is her power and her allure. In previous so-called realist books such as Five Little Peppers and How They Grew and Little Women, the parents are glowingly idealized and the children irritatingly "good." Fitzhugh does not shy away from the fact that home life can be less than perfect." -- Ms.

Dodds, K. (1996). Harriet the Spy: A hero for the '90s. Ms, 7(1), 80.

Uses in the Library

 This book could be used as a starter for a writing club. The students could be encouraged to keep a journal like Harriet's (although maybe not as brutally honest about their classmates!).

Module 2: The Big Red Barn

Summary: The simple story of a day in the life of the animals on a farm is told through basic rhyme and endearing illustrations. The book covers from dawn until the "moon sails high/in the deep night sky."


Brown, M. W., & Bond, F. (1992). Big red barn. New York, NY: HarperFestival.

My Impression: The sleepy language of this book makes it good bedtime reading. The pace and the rhythm slow down as the day progresses. Perhaps too simple for young school children, this book works well with toddlers, who are learning the names and sounds of the various animals found on a farm. This is a book I've read many times to my own children, and the text almost invites you to read the last couple of pages in a hushed voice. There is something comforting about the simplicity of Brown's text, and Bond's pictures are sweet and realistic, without being too complicated.

Reviews:

"Brown's simple story comes to life with Bond's new illustrations. Originally published in 1956, this is the story of a wide variety of animals who live in the big red barn. The rhymed text tells of the animals from sunrise to dark. The large illustrations are somewhat stylized, but still have a strong sense of detail and reality. The bright colors will attract young readers. The short text on each page is superimposed on the picture, but always in a way that is easy to read. children will enjoy studying each of the pages as the day progresses from early morning to night. Some readers will discover that there is a butterfly on almost every page. Even if the original edition is available, this one is having. -- School Library Journal

 Younce, E.(1989). Big Red Barn (Book). School Library Journal, 35(10), 84.


"A very peaceful ending makes this an informational book suitable for bedtime reading." -- The Reading Teacher

DeGroff, L. (1990). Informational books: Topics and structures. Reading Teacher, 43(7), 496-501.



Uses in the Library:

This is a great book for story time with toddlers. They love to hear the different sounds the animals make, and the text is short and simple enough to keep their attention.

Another use might be to use during Western Day festivities in the spring. In my district, we hold a Western Day during the opening of the Rodeo season. Students are encouraged to dress as cowboys and cowgirls. In this largely suburban community, few realize what life on a farm is really like.