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Kinney, Jeff. 2007. DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: GREG HEFFLEY'S JOURNAL. New York: Amulet Books.
ISBN: 9780810993136
PLOT SUMMARY
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID chronicles the day to day experiences of middle schooler, Greg Heffley. It is printed on wide-ruled notebook paper with doodle-like illustrations on each page. As Greg himself said, "The only reason I agreed to do this at all is because I figure later on when I'm rich and famous, I'll have better things to do than answer people's stupid questions all day long. So this book is gonna come in handy."
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Greg's narration is presented in perfunctory journal entries that feature the clever ways he maneuvers through middle school society. Running for class treasurer, being chased by high school kids on Halloween, surviving a wrestling unit in P.E. are just some of the ordeals that regale the reader. "Well, I Found out today that the kind of wrestling Mr. Underwood is teaching is COMPLETELY different from the kind they do on TV...there's not even a ring with ropes around it. It's just basically a sweaty mat that smells like it's never been washed before."
Although Greg appears to be a somewhat greedy, cynical, and inconsiderate kid, Kinney manages the themes of family, friendship and loyalty and combines a twist of sarcastic humor that is appealing to young readers.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Kirkus Reviews:
"...certain to elicit both gales of giggles and winces of sympathy (not to mention recognition) from young readers."
The Horn Book Guide
"Kinney's writing and illustrations are filled with laugh-out-loud kid humor."
CONNECTIONS
*Other books by Jeff Kinney:
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: RODRICK RULES, 2008.
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: THE LAST STRAW, 2009.
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: DO IT YOURSELF BOOK, 2008.
*Other books with related themes:
FLASHCARDS OF MY LIFE: A NOVEL by Charise Mericle Harper, 2006.
MIDDLE SCHOOL IS WORSE THAN MEATLOAF: A YEAR TOLD THROUGH STUFF by Jennifer L. Holm, 2007.
Johnson, Angela. 2003/2004. THE FIRST PART LAST. Read by Khalipa Oldjohn & Kole Kristi. New York: Listening Library/Random House Audio.
ISBN: 9781400090655
PLOT SUMMARY
This Random House Audio production is a reading of Angela Johnson's THE FIRST PART LAST, first published in 2003 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. It is the story of Bobby Morris, a sixteen year old who is coping with fatherhood while finishing his last year of high school. The events that explain these circumstances are unfolded in alternating chapters titled "Then" and "Now".
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Khalipa Oldjohn's performance brings this story clearly into focus more than would a casual reading of the book. Oldjohn gives an impressively genuine voice to Bobby dealing with the turn of events. By alternating between the past and present, the listener/reader discovers more and more about Bobby, the reasons he is taking care of his infant daughter and the heartbreaking absence of the baby's mother. The conversational narration is natural and presents a unique viewpoint to a story of teenage pregnancy.
The setting of New York City is referenced accurately and the themes of family relationships, responsiblility and maturity are presented in non-stereotypical fashion.
BOOK REVIEW EXCERPTS
Booklist:
"Johnson makes poetry with the simplest words in short, spare sentences that teens will read again and again."
Kirkus Reviews:
"It's the tale of one young man and his choices, which many young readers will appreciate and enjoy."
CONNECTIONS
*Other books by Angela Johnson: HEAVEN, 1998 -- BIRD, 2004.
*This book would be a good tie-in to any discussion of the social implications of teen pregnancies on communities.
Peck, Richard. 2003. THE RIVER BETWEEN US. New York: Dial Books.
ISBN: 0803727356
PLOT SUMMARY
THE RIVER BETWEEN US is a story within a story. In 1916, a young boy and his father and little brothers take a trip from St. Louis to visit his grandparents in Grand Tower, Illinois, a small town on the eastern banks of the Mississippi River. "All I knew of Dad's people was that they'd lived through the Civil War. Imagine an age when there were still people around who'd seen U.S. Grant with their own eyes, and men who'd voted for Lincoln".
Grandmother Tilly tells the story of two events that changed the lives of her, her twin brother Noah, and their little sister Cass: the Civil War and the arrival of two mysterious young women, Delphine and Calinda, on a riverboat from New Orleans in 1861. As Grandma Tilly's story comes to a close, the young boy is surprised to learn the true identity of the travelers from New Orleans and their place in his family history.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Richard Peck composes a cast of vibrant characters and a captivating plot in this piece of historical fiction that won the Scott O'Dell Award in 2004. Tilly's voice is a mix of humor and rustic reality, "She (Cass) was only twelve and looked ten. She'd just about give up on school, the winter took so much out of her. And thin? Not much more than breath and britches."
The settings are illustrated with vivid descriptions: "To me a riverboat was a palace. The pair of flaring gold chimney stacks belched flame-colored smoke into the night. Below them the decks glowed like a gingerbread wedding cake." The plot takes engaging turns and dips, not unlike the Mississippi River itself. Mr. Peck manages to braid war and women in war, race relations, politics, family secrets, and moral attitudes into a spellbinding historical novel.
Mr. Peck includes a note at the end of the story explaining his research.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Kirkus Reviews:
"A rich tale full of magic, mystery, and surprise."
Library Media Connection:
“Peck is at his best in this richly layered drama full of intrigue and mystery that reveals the harsh, complex realities of war.”
CONNECTIONS
*This book has many connections to history, including the American Civil War (1861), World War I (1916), and historical connections to the French/Creole in the south.
*This book would be a good subject for a map reading lesson, identifying locations mentioned in the story.
Kadohata, Cynthia. 2004. KIRA-KIRA. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.
ISBN: 0689856393
PLOT SUMMARY
Kira-kira means "glittering" in Japanese and it is the first word Katie Takeshima learned from her older sister, Lynn. The story begins in 1950's Iowa where Katie's parents own a small and failing Oriental food store. They move to southern Georgia where they both find jobs in the poultry industry and where they work long, hard hours. They struggle to earn enough money to buy a house. Lynn excels in her school work while Katie does not. Lynn becomes ill and is diagnosed with lymphoma. Katie becomes her caretaker and often has to stay home from school. She becomes so exhausted and miserable that she and Lynn argue. After Lynn's death, Katie is troubled by the failures and struggles to find the joy, the "kira-kira" of life.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Ms. Kadohata's characters are believably served up in an honest portrayal of life in 1950's America. The story is told through the voice of Katie and is marvelously written. On the day her sister died, Katie climbs onto the roof of a garage to watch the sun set, "I saw the sun again, a quarter of it, and then a slice, and then it disappeared, the last time ever that the sun would set on a day my sister had lived." But the book's realism is sometimes crass and brutal, "The factory workers weren't allowed to take unscheduled breaks, so they all wore pads in case they needed to use the bathroom. It smelled like my mother had used her pad." At first consideration, the theme of this story seems to be love of family and quiet humor, but I think these elements are overshadowed with despair and hopelessness.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
The Horn Book Guide
"Katie's shrewd descriptions of people make startlingly vivid this novel that captures both the specific experience of being Japanese American in the 1950's and the wider experience of coping with illness and loss."
Booklist
"The quiet words will speak to readers who have lost someone they love--or fear that they could."
CONNECTIONS
*Other books by this author:
WEEDFLOWER, 2006
CRACKER!: THE BEST DOG IN VIETNAM, 2007
*This book would make an excellent read aloud.
Paulsen, Gary. 1993. NIGHTJOHN. New York: Delacorte Press.
ISBN: 0385308399
PLOT SUMMARY
Sarny is a twelve year old slave whose mother was sold away when Sarny was four. She was raised by Delie, a "mammy" who raises all the young children of the slaves on the Clel Waller plantation. One day Sarny overhears Mrs. Waller complain that her husband "went out and bought another hand...over a thousand dollars." Nightjohn is brought in schackled and scarred from countless beatings. He later reveals to Sarny that he has escaped to the north before, but returns to teach other slaves to read and write. Sarny understands the danger and is drawn into both tragic and triumphant possibilities.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Gary Paulsen uses both authentic voices and disturbing exactitude to render this story of courage, prejudice, and the value of literacy and freedom. The story is told by Sarny, "There's some say I brought him with witchin', brought Nightjohn because he came to be talking to me alone but it ain't so. I knew he was coming but it wasn't witchin', just listening."
The historical context is clearly represented and Paulsen uses very vivid descriptions to portray the inhumane conditions provided and brutal torture practiced by slave owners. The book jacket flap states that the book was "meticulously researched", but there are no notes or explanations of the details of the research. Paulsen also communicates the defiance and determination of Nighjohn, who risked his life to spread the forbidden skills that would be necessary for freedom. As Susan Rogers stated in her review in School Library Journal in March 1993, "In just 92 pages of fairly large print and simple phrases, Paulsen exposes the horrors of slavery, along with pointing out the lengths some have taken to acquire the skills that most people take for granted."
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Publishers Weekly
"Among the most powerful of Paulsen's work, this impeccably researched novel sheds light on cruel truths in American history as it traces the experiences of a 12-year-old slave girl in the 1850's"
School Library Journal
"The stunning impact of this novel is similar to Toni Morrison's BELOVED. NIGHTJOHN should be required reading (and discussing) for all middle grade and high school students."
CONNECTIONS
*This book could be used in any discussion or study of slavery in the United States.
*Other books with similar themes:
YOUNG FREDERICK DOUGLASS: THE SLAVE WHO LEARNED TO READ, by Linda Walvoord Girard, 1994.
YEAR OF IMPOSSIBLE GOODBYES, by Sook Nyul Choi, 1991.
ONE MORE BORDER: THE TRUE STORY OF ONE FAMILY'S ESCAPE FROM WAR-TORN EUROPE, by William Kaplan, 1998.
