Citation:
Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief. Westminister, Maryland: Random House, 2006.
ISBN: 9780375831003
Plot Summary:
Death narrates the moving tale of Liesel, a young girl who is placed with a foster family in Germany during World War II. As a manner of coping, Liesel finds herself stealing things, the first of which being "The Gravedigger's Handbook" at her younger brother's burial. In time, Liesel learns to read and realizes the gift of literature. She steals more books from Nazi book burnings in an effort for share the gift with others. With Death as an all-seeing narrator, how will the story end?
Critical Analysis:
Zusak made a bold and interesting choice by narrating the novel with "Death". It's ironic that death should be personified-- giving life to death. Liesel is the heroine of the story and she has had tremendous loss in her life. The reader is made to feel empathy for Liesel even if they are not fully able to understand her experiences.
Review Excerpts:
Kirkus Reviews: "The writing is elegant, philosophical and moving. Even
at its length, it's a work to read slowly and savor. Beautiful and
important."
School Library Journal: "Death is not a sentimental storyteller, but he does attend to an array of satisfying details, giving Liesel’s story all the nuances of chance, folly, and fulfilled expectation that it deserves. An extraordinary narrative."
Publishers Weekly: "This hefty volume is an achievement—a challenging book in both length and subject, and best suited to sophisticated older readers."
Connections:
*Michael L. Printz Award For Excellence In Young Literature - Award Winner And Honor Books 2000
*A nonfiction companion about WWII and the Holocaust:
We Are Witnesses: Five Diaries of Teenagers who Died in the Holocaust
ISBN: 9780590844758
*Other books by Mark Zusak:
I am the Messenger
ISBN: 9780375836671
Fighting Ruben Wolfe
ISBN: 9780439241878
Sunday, August 4, 2013
"When You Reach Me" by Rebecca Stead
Citation:
Stead, Rebecca. When You Reach Me. New York: Random House, 2009.
ISBN: 9780385737425
Plot Summary:
Miranda, named after a criminal, lives in an apartment with her mother. She spends most of her evenings with her mother and her mother's boyfriend, Richard, practicing for the $20,000 Pyramid. Miranda has been getting mysterious notes that seem impossible and tell the future. She tries to make sense of their meaning and who has sent them.
Critical Analysis:
Stead has created wonderfully mixed world of reality and fantasy. Miranda's day to day activities are average and realistic. Stead employs low fantasy by bending time and space and predicting the future. The mystery of who is contacting Miranda through the notes is ongoing and keeps the reader's interest throughout the book. Miranda is a leveled character who balances her eccentric mother. The mother daughter relationship created by Stead has a "Freaky Friday" feel at times, as if there is a sort of role reversal between parent and child. The setting is an exceptionally important part of the story which is most greatly comprised by the people in Miranda's life: her family, neighbors, friends, and the "laughing man".
Review Excerpts:
School Library Journal: "This unusual, thought-provoking mystery will appeal to several types of readers."
Publishers Weekly: "Stead (First Light ) accomplishes this by making every detail count, including Miranda’s name, her hobby of knot tying and her favorite book, Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time . It’s easy to imagine readers studying Miranda’s story as many times as she’s read L’Engle’s, and spending hours pondering the provocative questions it raises."
Connections:
*Texas Lonestar Young Adult Reading List Nominees 2004-05
*Newbery Medal/Honor Books
*Check out Miranda's favorite book and draw connections:
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
ISBN: 9780312367541
Stead, Rebecca. When You Reach Me. New York: Random House, 2009.
ISBN: 9780385737425
Plot Summary:
Miranda, named after a criminal, lives in an apartment with her mother. She spends most of her evenings with her mother and her mother's boyfriend, Richard, practicing for the $20,000 Pyramid. Miranda has been getting mysterious notes that seem impossible and tell the future. She tries to make sense of their meaning and who has sent them.
Critical Analysis:
Stead has created wonderfully mixed world of reality and fantasy. Miranda's day to day activities are average and realistic. Stead employs low fantasy by bending time and space and predicting the future. The mystery of who is contacting Miranda through the notes is ongoing and keeps the reader's interest throughout the book. Miranda is a leveled character who balances her eccentric mother. The mother daughter relationship created by Stead has a "Freaky Friday" feel at times, as if there is a sort of role reversal between parent and child. The setting is an exceptionally important part of the story which is most greatly comprised by the people in Miranda's life: her family, neighbors, friends, and the "laughing man".
Review Excerpts:
School Library Journal: "This unusual, thought-provoking mystery will appeal to several types of readers."
Publishers Weekly: "Stead (First Light ) accomplishes this by making every detail count, including Miranda’s name, her hobby of knot tying and her favorite book, Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time . It’s easy to imagine readers studying Miranda’s story as many times as she’s read L’Engle’s, and spending hours pondering the provocative questions it raises."
Connections:
*Texas Lonestar Young Adult Reading List Nominees 2004-05
*Newbery Medal/Honor Books
*Check out Miranda's favorite book and draw connections:
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
ISBN: 9780312367541
"BabyMouse: Queen of the World!" by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm
Citation:
Holm, Jennifer L. & Matthew Holm. BabyMouse: Queen of the World! v. 1. New York: Random House, 2005.
ISBN: 9780375932298
Plot Summary:
BabyMouse is convinced that having certain things in her life would make her happier! Forget cupcakes and monster movies! BabyMouse wants to go to the most popular girl's slumber party. Surely, spending the night at Felicia Furrypaws' house will be the cat's meow. But how will she get there? Will it be everything she hoped for? BabyMouse figures out what makes her queen of her world in this debut of the series.
Critical Analysis:
The Holms' series opener of BabyMouse is charming. BabyMouse herself is relate able to the target audience. She goes to class, has homework, likes to read and eat cupcakes! BabyMouse has a spunky imagination which takes her to space and the wild west. Readers will have a fun time following BabyMouse wherever her imagination takes her. The plot is simple and easy to follow. In the same way that the character of BabyMouse is relate able, so is her main plot issue of wanting to go to the popular girl's party. Slumber parties are a rite of passage that all young readers will understand. BabyMouse's setting mimics that of a regular young girl. She has a little brother who annoys her, parents and teachers who expect her to be on time and finish her homework and a love for cupcakes. All of these things will make BabyMouse interesting and fun for young readers.
The typical audience for this series will be young girls. Graphic novels readers are typically males, it's nice to have a fun offering for girls!
Review Excerpts
School Library Journal: "Several things are clear about Babymouse, as evidenced from the cover art–she’s adorable and she loves pink. Luckily, as further pages reveal, she is also smart, spunky, and a tad sarcastic."
BookList: "The Holms spruce up some well-trod ground with breathless pacing and clever flights of Babymouse's imagination, and their manic, pink-toned illustrations of Babymouse and her cohorts vigorously reflect the internal life of any million-ideas-a-minute middle-school student."
Connections:
*Explore the next book in the series:
BabyMouse: Our Hero
ISBN: 9780375832307
*A similar character for the younger crowd: Kevin Henke's Lilly
Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse
ISBN: 9780688128982
Lilly's Big Day
ISBN: 9780060742362
Holm, Jennifer L. & Matthew Holm. BabyMouse: Queen of the World! v. 1. New York: Random House, 2005.
ISBN: 9780375932298
Plot Summary:
BabyMouse is convinced that having certain things in her life would make her happier! Forget cupcakes and monster movies! BabyMouse wants to go to the most popular girl's slumber party. Surely, spending the night at Felicia Furrypaws' house will be the cat's meow. But how will she get there? Will it be everything she hoped for? BabyMouse figures out what makes her queen of her world in this debut of the series.
Critical Analysis:
The Holms' series opener of BabyMouse is charming. BabyMouse herself is relate able to the target audience. She goes to class, has homework, likes to read and eat cupcakes! BabyMouse has a spunky imagination which takes her to space and the wild west. Readers will have a fun time following BabyMouse wherever her imagination takes her. The plot is simple and easy to follow. In the same way that the character of BabyMouse is relate able, so is her main plot issue of wanting to go to the popular girl's party. Slumber parties are a rite of passage that all young readers will understand. BabyMouse's setting mimics that of a regular young girl. She has a little brother who annoys her, parents and teachers who expect her to be on time and finish her homework and a love for cupcakes. All of these things will make BabyMouse interesting and fun for young readers.
The typical audience for this series will be young girls. Graphic novels readers are typically males, it's nice to have a fun offering for girls!
Review Excerpts
School Library Journal: "Several things are clear about Babymouse, as evidenced from the cover art–she’s adorable and she loves pink. Luckily, as further pages reveal, she is also smart, spunky, and a tad sarcastic."
BookList: "The Holms spruce up some well-trod ground with breathless pacing and clever flights of Babymouse's imagination, and their manic, pink-toned illustrations of Babymouse and her cohorts vigorously reflect the internal life of any million-ideas-a-minute middle-school student."
Connections:
*Explore the next book in the series:
BabyMouse: Our Hero
ISBN: 9780375832307
*A similar character for the younger crowd: Kevin Henke's Lilly
Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse
ISBN: 9780688128982
Lilly's Big Day
ISBN: 9780060742362
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