Module/Genre 6 Fiction, Fantasy and Young Adult
THE GIVER
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lowry, Lois. 1993. THE GIVER. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0395645662
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Lois Lowry’s futuristic tale takes readers into a world where feelings and emotions have been forbidden. The main character of this book is Jonas, a young boy who is to become a twelve, also known as a citizen in training. In this futuristic tale all of the twelve’s are given assignments in the community, which they will train for and take on as adults. At the ceremony of twelve’s Jonas thinks that he has been forgotten as his number has been skipped, only to find out that his assignment is handed out last because of its importance. Jonas is handed the rare assignment of receiver, because of his capacity to “See Beyond.” The receiver’s assignment is to hold all the pleasurable and painful memories of the past. Jonas is shocked on his first day of training, when the Giver unleashes emotions and feelings that he never knew existed. As Jonas experiences different things, he starts to believe that it is unfair that he is the only one who knows this way of life. However, the Giver urges him, that this is the way it has always been and that the people need to be protected. Jonas soon persuades the Giver to let him leave for the land of Elsewhere, so that the memories may eventually find their way back, and transform the community. Lowry has added two characters: Rosemary and Gabriel that add elements of surprise to the ending of this well-drawn out story.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
I had difficulty classifying this title to a specific genre of “Fantasy” or “Science Fiction.” Lowry’s’ book contained many different elements that made it hard to determine where exactly it fit with these similar genres. Initially, I thought the Giver would be Fantasy, because it contained several of the six basic fantasy motifs. For example, with the motif of “Other Worlds”, Jonas lived in a place where humans were not allowed to feel emotion or see color. Heroism was another motif displayed in the Giver. Towards the end of the story Jonas decides that there needs to be change in the community and devises a plan to escape, only to have it foiled by the sudden upcoming release of Gabriel (the baby from the nurturing center living with his family). After Jonas finds out what an actual release is, he decides that it is unfair and inhumane, so he decides to take Gabriel early in the morning, protecting him from the elements until they reach Elsewhere, where they will both be safe. Another element of heroism that is incorporated into this title is: “The hero is assisted by a protective figure.” Lowry presents the protected figure known as the Giver, who is Jonas’ trainer. Jonas and the Giver talk for hours on end about how the world used to be and how the world could be. The Giver protects Jonas in many ways. He protects Jonas from his parents after he finds out that his father is part of administering releases, and he also protects him form the community by aiding Jonas in his initial plan to escape.
“Science fiction differs from fantasy not in subject matter but in aim, and its unique aim is to suggest real hypotheses about mankind’s future or about the nature of the universe.” (Engdahl, 1971 p. 450.) After I read this statement in the textbook, I had to reconsider my classification of this title, because this book can be interpreted as what life may be like on Earth in the future. Although some of the community’s concepts are bit far-fetched the Giver offers explanations that are plausible. For example, when the Giver explains, we cannot all have memories because then we would all be burdened and pained. When I thought about this, it made sense, but in actuality it wouldn’t seem right. Lowry’s writing creates many instances like this that leave the reader thinking beyond everyday life and into the possibilities of the future. Readers may even find it plausible that their existence is in what Jonas would consider Elsewhere.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Publishers Weekly - 08-08-1994
Winner of the 1994 Newbery Medal, this thought-provoking novel centers on a 12-year-old boy's gradual disillusionment with an outwardly utopian futuristic society; in a starred review, PW said, ``Lowry is once again in top form... unwinding a tale fit for the most adventurous readers.''
Booklist - 04-15-1993 Starred Review
The simplicity and directness of Lowry's writing force readers to grapple with their own thoughts about this dichotomy; though it is clear what the right answer is (and, at times, the narrative lacks subtlety in insisting upon that answer), the allure of a life without pain will give even the least philosophical of readers something to ponder.
Kirkus - 02-15-1993
Wrought with admirable skill--the emptiness and menace underlying this Utopia emerge step by inexorable step: a richly provocative novel.
School Library Journal- 05-01-1993
The author makes real abstract concepts, such as the meaning of a life in which there are virtually no choices to be made and no experiences with deep feelings. This tightly plotted story and its believable characters will stay with readers for a long time.
5. CONNECTIONS
*Use this book to discuss how our feelings and emotions benefit us.
*Ask students how they feel about the concept of release, and what makes it wrong or right?
*Challenge students about what it would be like to live in a world like this, and ask if they think that this could actually occur?
*Have students write an essay on what happened to Jonas and Gabriel as they heard people singing.
JOEY PIGZA LOSES CONTROL
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Gantos, Jack. 2000. JOEY PIGZA LOSES CONTROL. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 0374399891
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Jack Gantos has written a story of a boy with ADHD, Joey Pigza, and his personal journey of acceptance with his alcoholic father and himself. Ganto’s starts Joey’s adventure quickly with him and his mother on the way to his newly sober father’s and grandmother’s house. Along the way Joey daydreams of what life would be like to be a family all together again, but his mother won’t hear of it. Joey soon finds out that his father won’t either, because he has a new girlfriend Leezy. Upon Joey’s arrival he finds that his Dad is all for moving forward in life as long as Joey listens while he does the talking. Joey’s Dad, Carter, takes it upon himself to take Joey off of his ADHA medicine. At first Joey is apprehensive, but then with a few good days under his belt, and more persuasion from his father, Joey decides that maybe he doesn’t need it after all. Joey can barley contain the excitement from telling his mother his good news, of no longer needing the patch, However, not long after, Joey starts to get that buzzing feeling inside of losing control, just as his Grandma had predicted. With mounting pressure from Joeys father to move in with him and Leezy, and more importantly to win the baseball championship, Joey longs for home. He misses his patch and most of all he misses the comfort of his mother. Ganto’s ending is a whirlwind with the championship loss, Joey on the run, and a quick getaway with grandma waving goodbye in the rearview mirror.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In Joey Pigza Loses Control, Jack Gantos has created a work of contemporary realistic fiction that can be enjoyed by readers of all ages. With an intended audience of middle readers, kids will follow Joey and his adventures with his father. Readers with ADHD will find that they can relate to Joey. They may even find themselves feeling some of the exact same emotions as Joey does throughout the book.
Readers with divorced parents will relate to his torn feelings when thinking of his mother and his father. For example, when Joey says, “Being away from Mom made me feel different. Like there was one Joey for mom and a different Joey for Dad and that I was becoming two Joeys. Mom’s Joey didn’t want to get a tattoo but Dad’s Joey did.” Readers will also be able to sympathize with Joey’s need to please his mother and his father. An example of this is when Joey’s Dad flushes his patches down the toilet. Joey knows he should tell his mother, but at the same time Joey wants to protect his father. Kids will also find Joey’s antics familiar as he tries to get his parents back together, but they will quickly be jilted back to reality as Joey’s mother says, “Don’t go there Joey!”
Readers will also find the familiar need of parental acceptance, as Joey tries to please his father by playing baseball and bungee jumping. Ganto’s conveys this to readers as he recounts the look on Joey’s dad’s face as he struck out the opposing team: “When I trotted off the field Dad was beaming and his canoe smile was sailing the seven seas.”
Readers will gain a new awareness for those who suffer from ADHD as Gantos describes one of Joey’s episodes; “ I stood on my tiptoes and rubbed harder until the itch was on fire and I could think of nothing else, and feel nothing else and imagine nothing else but that burning spot which was just getting hotter and hotter until I finally yanked my hand away and jammed it into my pocket and stood there twisting my hips around like pipe cleaners and hating myself just like old times and suddenly I knew for certain the other Joey had started to catch up to me and I wondered what to do about it.” Passages like this will make readers sensitive to what a person’s mind goes through when dealing with this type of disorder. The reality of this book will leave a definite impact on its audience.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Publishers Weekly - 02-25-2002 Starred Review
"Like its predecessor, Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key, this high-voltage, honest novel mixes humor, pain, fear and courage with deceptive ease."
Booklist™ - 09-01-2000 Starred Review
Few children these days don't know someone wrestling with ADHD; meeting up with Joey is a fine way to gain insight into the problems "hyper" children face. But the story is more than message. Ganto's skillful pacing, sly humor, and in-depth characterization make it a truly memorable read.
Kirks - 06-15-2000 Starred Review
Carter is truly frightening, a vision of what Joey could grow up to be, did he not possess the inner honesty to acknowledge his limitations (eventually), and caring adults to help him. A tragic tale in many ways, but a triumph too.
School Library Journal™ - 09-01-2000 Starred Review
Readers will be drawn in immediately to the boy's gripping first-person narrative and be pulled pell-mell through episodes that are at once hilarious, harrowing, and ultimately heartening as Joey grows to understand himself and the people around him. The ride home isn't smooth, but it is hopeful and loving.
VOYA™ - 02-01-2001
The reader is drawn into Joey's struggle for self-control while his medication wears off and as his father's behavior becomes more erratic with the increased consumption of alcohol. Through Joey's narration, Gantos brilliantly portrays the often-manic pace of an ADHD mind, but he alleviates the tension with touches of humor. Gantos's style of writing and the subject matter make this book a great middle school read-aloud.-Ruth Cox.
5. CONNECTIONS
* This book would be an excellent introduction to the subject of ADHAD.
* This book may also spark discussion on alcoholism and how children cope with their parent’s addictions.
* Ask students to write a reaction paper about how they would have reacted in Joey’s position. Would they have told the other parent about what was going on?
*After this title, read other stories of Joey’s adventures out-loud as a class.
THE FIRST PART LAST
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Johnson, Angela. 2003. THE FIRST PART LAST. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0689849222
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Angela Johnson has written a contemporary novel about teenage pregnancy and the repercussions it brings to life. Bobby is sixteen years old, and he is not concerned with when he will be getting his license, instead Bobby must think of diapers, bottles, and a babysitter for his new baby Feather. With the sudden pregnancy complications that his girlfriend Nia endures, Bobby is left on his own with the decision of what should be done with Feather. Should he continue on with the adoption process (because it is the best choice) or should he “be a man” and take care of his baby? Bobby makes the decision to keep Feather, but sleepless nights are the least of his worries. He leaves Feather with the neighbor, Coco, ditches school and gets arrested for tagging a wall. When Bobby’s father picks him up from the police station he already knows that he has let everyone down, most of all Feather. At times Bobby just wants to forget it all, forget that he has a baby, forget what happened to Nia, and just be a kid again. Angela Johnson’s writing conveys the all too real situation that Bobby cannot escape, a realization that readers cannot deny.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The reality of Bobby’s situation is realistically captured through Angela Johnson’s writing. Her choice to write each chapter in “THEN” and “NOW” will give readers a chance to see how much Bobby’s life has been affected. For example, one minute Bobby is thinking of when he, J.L., and K-Boy pranked a teacher by turning everything upside down, and in the very next chapter he is dropping off his baby at the sitter. By the end of this powerful novel, readers will understand what Bobby meant when he said, “Nothing’s changed and everything has.”
Depending on the demographics of the audience, Johnson has definitely incorporated controversial elements into this novel, from the main plot of teen pregnancy to the subtle allusions of teen sex. Some parents and families may welcome this type of book and its subject matter while others will be guarded with a young impressionable audience. I think that readers who do choose to complete this book in its entirety will find that Johnson has chosen to address these situations with respect and good taste. For instance, when Johnson’s writing alludes to the intimate actions of Bobby and Nia she writes, “My parents won’t be home until tonight. We’ve got a long time. I pull her to me then lift her up off the floor. We step on the pizza box as we head toward her room. I’m glad we have a long time. I’m glad.”
With the rise in teen pregnancy, this book could provide a positive learning experience for readers. This glimpse inside the world of a teen parent may make readers think twice about their actions and ramifications. Readers will relate to Bobby, and they will be able to sympathize with his feelings of just wanting to be a kid. Although Bobby longs for his childhood, Johnson’s writing is sure to convey his love for Feather.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Booklist - 09-01-2003 Starred Review
There's no romanticizing. The exhaustion is real, and Bobby gets in trouble with the police and nearly messes up everything. But from the first page, readers feel the physical reality of Bobby's new world: what it's like to hold Feather on his stomach, smell her skin, touch her clenched fists, feel her shiver, and kiss the top of her curly head. Johnson makes poetry with the simplest words in short, spare sentences that teens will read again and again.
Horn Book Magazine - 07-01-2003
What elevates this scenario above melodrama is Johnson's unique storytelling strategy: she follows the arc of Bobby's consciousness in alternating short chapters labeled "then" (before Feather's birth) and "now." This allows the reader to measure how far sleep-starved single dad Bobby has fallen, psychically--and how far he's come. While this prequel to the Coretta Scott King Award-winning Heaven isn't bereft of humor (Nia's parents' home is "so neat and clean you could probably make soup in the toilet"), what resonates are the sacrifices Bobby makes for Feather's sake.
Kirkus - 06-01-2003
By narrating from a realistic first-person voice, Johnson manages to convey a story that is always complex, never preachy. The somewhat pat ending doesn't diminish the impact of this short, involving story. It's the tale of one young man and his choices, which many young readers will appreciate and enjoy.
Publishers Weekly - 06-16-2003 Starred Review
Each nuanced chapter feels like a poem in its economy and imagery; yet the characters-Bobby and the mother of his child, Nia, particularly, but also their parents and friends, and even newborn Feather-emerge fully formed.
School Library Journal - 06-01-2003 Starred Review
Scenes in which Bobby expresses his love for his daughter are breathtaking. Teens who enjoyed Margaret Bechard's Hanging on to Max (Millbrook, 2002) will love this book, too, despite very different conclusions. The attractive cover photo of a young black man cradling an infant will attract readers
VOYA- 06-01-2003
This well-written book is not like anything that I've ever read before. It goes fast and has realistic fiction, romance, and suspense all in one. Most teen pregnancy books are about what the girl goes through, but this one is written from a different, exciting angle. Both girls and boys can read it.
5. CONNECTIONS
*This book would be an excellent read-aloud to start a discussion on teen pregnancy.
*Have students talk about what it would be like to be a parent, and the emotional responsibilities that come along with it.
*Ask students if they think that Bobby’s parents were right to make him do most of the work.
*Address preventive measures: condoms and birth control.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Friday, November 2, 2007
Module/Genre 5 Historical Fiction
Module/Genre 5 Historical Fiction
THE BALLAD OF LUCY WHIPPLE
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cushman, Karen. 1996. THE BALLAD OF LUCY WHIPPLE. New York, NY: Clarion Books of Houghton Mifflin Books. ISBN 0395728061
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Karen Cushman has written a novel of young girl California Morning Whipple and her family’s move West during the California Gold rush. This story is not typical with a widowed mother and her four children moving westward from Massachusetts to the desolate mining town of Lucky Diggins to pursue “the hearts desire.” California or Lucy, as she renames herself at age 12, is the oldest of four children and hates everything about Lucky Diggins. Gone are Grandma and Granpop, the library, and the fresh tomatoes that were so abundant back home. Throughout the story Lucy plots her return to Massachusetts only to be derailed by the death of her only brother Butte and a saloon fire that takes everything they owned. Lucy’s complicated relationship with her mother comes full circle at the end of this novel when mama pursues her knew heart’s desire and Lucy pleads to let her too pursue her own. As Lucy packs up to pursue her own heart’s desire she finds that she has had it all along, her family. Lucy realizes that she can no longer find them in Massachusetts, but she will always have them in her heart.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Cushman’s writing provides readers with descriptive details that create the element of a “living past”, and it will leave them sympathizing with California and her living conditions. Upon arrival at Lucky Diggins, mama is thrilled with the promise of the land that lies before them. On the contrary, Lucy, describes the air as heavy with heat and dust burning her nose and stinging her eyes. Lucy describes the land as sunburned and barren and that, “Surely Hell was not far away.” California’s hate for the land eventually leads her to rename herself. In one of her many letters to her grandparents she explains she cannot hate California and be California.
Karen Cushman focuses on Lucy’s love for books and writing with the many letters that close the beginning chapters. Lucy has her one and only book, Ivanhoe, that she reads over and over. Finally there is a light at the end of the tunnel when her former teacher from New England sends her a box full of books. With her new collection Lucy soon becomes the makeshift Librarian of Lucky Diggins loaning her beloved books to miners and those miners loaning them to others. With Cushman’s focus on Lucy’s hobby of reading, the historical period will become a realization for readers whose own pastimes include cell phones, televisions, and computers. Lucy’s passion for reading and writing may lead young readers to a new found appreciation for their own books.
The novel takes on more dimensions with the different perspectives from characters and the relationships in Lucy’s life. One of the relationships that Lucy struggles with the most is that of her deceased father. She refers to him as Pa and always reminisces about him being the skinniest man ever, with his beard that she loved to rub against her face. As life goes on in Lucky Diggins she remembers him by always telling stories about him to her younger siblings. Lucy tells stories of when she was younger and would walk in the woods or to Oakbridge with her Pa. The day finally comes when she fears that she has forgotten him, and things get even more complicated when miners try and woo Lucy’s mother for marriage. Lucy is stubborn and steadfast that no one will ever take the place of her father. Her feelings only begin to change with the arrival of Brother Clyde Claymore, with his big hands and beliefs that even sway the non-marrying mind of her mother. The importance of Lucy’s father is also evident when she befriends a runaway slave and gives him the name of her adored father. The slave, Bernard as she calls him has a very important role in this story, because he explains how different is compared to the rest of the community of Luck Diggins. His goals are simple, not to strike it rich, but to simply be free.
Another relationship that gave shape to this novel is that of Lucy's brother Butte. Butte, the man of the household, has a conflicting relationship with his eldest sister that grows into love when he almost drowns. When Butte finally passes Lucy writes a letter making a statement that will resonate with all siblings, “Dear Gram and Grampop, Butte is dead. He is eleven years old, could do his sums, and knew fifty words for liquor. I didn’t know it but I loved him.” Readers will find it hard to believe that a young boy, during this time had to work and earn money to help the family.
All of these relationships are important because they give shape to the story and the details within the relationships give readers a glimpse into the life and times during the gold rush era. Readers will be astounded to find what life was like before television, cell phones, and Ipods.
Readers will be shocked by Cushman’s conclusion. With the amount of time that Lucy spent trying to leave Lucky Diggins, it is ironic that this would be the place she called home even after her family and Brother Clyde departed for the Sandwich islands. Karen Cushman leaves readers with an authors note about the California gold rush and where the idea for this story came from. Cushman explains that 90% of people came to California looking for gold, and that this story was about the other 10% of people. This story was inspired by the women and children, who came without a man and had to make their own way. Cushman states, “Lucy Whipple personifies the gold rush pioneers. She came to California to get rich and get out; yet beguiled by the land and the people, she stayed to be a Californian and enrich her new home with the experiences, culture, and expectations she brought with her.” Cushman has taken a time in history and interweaved it with imaginary people to resemble what life was like for families who headed westward in pursuit of their dreams.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Publishers Weekly - 05-18-1998
A starred review to this gold-rush novel by Newbery Medalist Cushman, calling it "a coming-of-age story rich with historical flavor." Here she also renders serious social issues through sharply etched portraits: a runaway slave who has no name of his own, a preacher with a congregation of one, a raggedy child whose arms are covered in bruises. The writing reflects her expert craftsmanship; for example, Lucy's brother Butte, dead for lack of a doctor, is eulogized thus: "He was eleven years old, could do his sums, and knew fifty words for liquor."
School Library Journal
The two main characters are 12-years-old Lucy, who uses her considerable drive toward a much longed for return to the civilized world of her native New England, and Lucy's widowed mother, Arvella, a down-to-earth pioneer with an unquenchable thirst for adventure. This is also a tale of two strong-willed women locked in a mother-daughter conflict. Cushman's forceful writing combined with a narration in which the characters live and breathe make this a first choice for libraries.
Booklist
Cushman's research shows at times, but there's joy in the daily details (bread made with flour and water, with a drop of molasses to kill the taste of weevils) and in the tall-tale exaggeration of Lucy's narrative (she lives in a space so small "I can lie in bed and stir the beans on the stove without getting up”). There's sadness, too, as when her younger brother becomes sick and dies, and there's no doctor to help. In fact, the tone is reminiscent of Chaplin's movie The Gold Rush, with its mixture of farce and pathos. Many readers will recognize their own dislocations in Lucy's reluctant adventure. In a vividly written afterword, Cushman places Lucy's personal narrative in its historical context.
Kirkus Reviews
With a story that is less a period piece than a timeless and richly comic coming-of-age story, Cushman remains on a roll.
5. CONNECTIONS
* Have students research actual gold mining towns of California.
* Have students research to find women who went westward in pursuit of gold or a new life.
* Use this book to open discussion on Slavery and actual people like Bernard Freeman’s character who lived during this period of time.
* Talk about how the United States annexed California from Mexico, who had taken it from the Spanish. This discussion could eventually lead to the question of, “Who was here first?”
* Research the Maidu Indian people and how there downfall was caused by the Gold Rush.
*Titles to pair with this:
Schroeder, Lisa Golden. CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH COOKING. ISBN 0736806032
Schanzer, Rosalyn. GOLD FEVER! TALES FROM THE CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH. ISBN 0792273036
Raabe, Emily. The Gold Rush: California or Bust! ISBN 0823964949
Gregory, Kristiana. Seeds of Hope: The Gold Rush Diary of Susanna Fairchild, California Territory, 1849. ISBN 0590511572
CLEOPATRA
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Stanley, Diane & Vennma, Peter. 1994. CLEOPATRA. Ill by Diane Stanley. New York, NY: Morrow Junior Books. ISBN 0688104134
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Diane Stanley’s Cleopatra is a narrative biography that readers will be quickly drawn into. The story like format and intricate illustrations will even keep the attention of reluctant readers. Stanley has written this book in a non-traditional view of Cleopatra. In addition to highlighting her beauty, Stanley also highlights her intelligence. Stanley writes of the 18 year old queen of Egypt and her failed marriage to her brother Ptolemy XIII, which led to a battle that would drive Cleopatra out of Egypt by the age 20. Stanley focuses on the courtship between Cleopatra and Julius Caesar, and how she cleverly won him over. Cleopatra and Julius Caesar’s relationship was short-lived, eventually ending in Caesar’s death. With the death of Julius, Cleopatra would marry yet once again this time to Mark Antony. Stanley describes this, “Cleopatra captivated Antony, just as she had Julius Caesar. This was to be the second- and last love of her life.” Although Antony was already married, he soon divorced and lived his life with Cleopatra and their three children. Antony eventually gave Cleopatra and her three children large parts of Rome, incensing his former wife’s brother, Octavian. These events would eventually lead to the battle of Actium, where Anotny would abandon his ship and men to Octavian, and retreat to Cleopatra’s fleet. With the Accidental death of her husband Anotny, Cleopatra knew that she would be Octavian’s next target. According to Plutarch, before Octavian could disgrace her in death, Cleopatra took her own life with poison at age 39.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In this title, Stanley has provided a depiction of Cleopatra that is contradictory to her ancient enemies. Stanley provides a note to readers on ancient sources, citing “Everything we know about Cleopatra was written by her enemies. It is not surprising, then, that she was portrayed as a conniving, immoral woman.” Stanley also makes the point that much of the information acquired on Cleopatra’s infamous life was written by Greek historian, Plutarch. Stanley states, “Plutarch lived a 100 years after Cleopatra, and much of what he writes may have been mere gossip or legend, and many of his sources were influenced by the propaganda put fourth by the conquering Octavian and his supporters.” These points are crucial for readers to understand, because it displays how a historical event can have conflicting accounts.
Stanley also provides readers with other tools: preface, ancient maps, epilogue, and a pronunciation guide. The preface will prove to be most useful to readers by explaining the time frame of Cleopatra’s life such as: “Many people believe that Cleopatra was one of the ancient queens of Egypt. But, in fact, she did not live in the days of Pharaohs.” Readers may even be surprised to find out that Cleopatra was Macedonian Greek and not Egyptian.
It is important to make note of how Stanley tries to depict the human side of Cleopatra. Unlike many who viewed her as frivolous with her, “Mountains of baggage, her many servants, and her lavish ways.” Stanley accomplishes this in her writing with Plutarch's account of a fishing trip Cleopatra and Antony took. The story is as follows: “Antony was catching nothing, so he secretly ordered a servant to swim under the boat and attach fish to his line. The queen soon discovered his game, and played a trick of her own.” An account like this is readers will connect with. We may not all conquer foreign lands, but we are all guilty of having fun.
The artwork was done in gouache and is reminiscent of roman painting. The pages are covered in detail, from the intricate mosaic patterns to the architecture in the background. The use of rich colors will draw the reader’s eye into the page. The text is 13-pt Korinna, and it is segregated on its own space with the use of blocked mosaics and boarders. The text in this biography plays an important role because the look of it makes readers feel like they are reading a story rather than an informational book, an element that will make this title easy and enjoyable.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Publishers Weekly
Here they make a seemingly effortless leap into ancient times, masterfully relating Cleopatra's life story through words and pictures. A succinct preface places the tale in historical context, noting that much of what is known about Cleopatra is based on legend or gossip--and that most accounts of her life were penned by her enemies. Stanley includes occasional quotes from the writings of Plutarch as she ably distills complex political machinations as well as the particulars of Cleopatra's often enigmatic private life, including her banishment from Alexandria and her fateful love for first Julius Caesar and then Mark Antony.
School Library Journal
In this lively, well-crafted biography, Stanley and Vennema brush the cobwebs from the popularly held portrait of Cleopatra to reveal a vital, warm, and politically adroit ruler. Lucid writing combines with carefully selected anecdotes, often attributed to the Greek historian Plutarch, to create an engaging narrative.
Booklist
The artwork includes full-page paintings of dramatic scenes as well as impressive painted mosaics that make up the jacket art, title page, and the background for the text. The story concerns Cleopatra's life from the age of 18, when she became the queen of Egypt (51 B.C.), through her liaisons with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, and her struggle to bring back Egypt's former glory, to her death at the age of 39. One of the most impressive qualities of this beautiful book is its recognition of the problems of researching and writing history. Not only does a note introduce Plutarch as the main source, but it also discusses why Plutarch's account may not be entirely reliable.
Kirkus Reviews
In striving for accuracy, however, the authors sacrifice the romance of the story. Stanley's drawings, on the other hand, are exquisitely wrought with vivid color and fine mosaic detail. Stanley and Vennema's latest illustrated biography is a beautifully decorated, dull account of one of the most powerful women rulers of all time.
5. CONNECTIONS
*Have student research other accounts of Cleopatra and have them compare and contrast those accounts with this book.
*CRAFT- Have students take a good look at the cover of this title and explain to the technique of mosaics. With cut paper or tile let students create their own work mimicking this technique.
WORTH
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
LaFaye, A. 2004. WORTH. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN141554780.
2. PLOT SUMMARY
LaFaye has written a timely novel about a boy Nathanial Peale and his life after a tragic accident on the family farm. All Nathaniel has ever known his life with Ma working as a tinker and Pa working the Nebraska land, but all that changes when a quick storm comes and in the rush to get the crops in, Nathaniel’s leg gets injured by a spooked horse, forever changing his life. With Nathaniel unable to work Pa has no choice but to take in an orphan, John Worth, to help work the land. No one in the family is happy about this situation. Ma will not let John sleep or eat inside, and Nathaniel despises John for taking his spot next to Pa. Nathaniel struggles with his relationship with his father, because it will never be the same. With Nathaniel in school and John at home, both of the boys feel out of place, but they eventually learn to respect each others situation, especially when Nathaniel learns that John has lost his family to a fire. After a few unfortunate fights, John finally gets to eat at the table, and the boys eventually begin reading Greek myths together. In the end the boys really bond when they catch Horace Danver fence cutting, and save the town from a range war. Ultimately, Nathaniel realizes that having John, having a brother, would not be too bad.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Early on in the novel, LaFaye’s descriptive writing remains faithful to what life was like during this time. For example, Nathaniel describes his school: “The place was like root cellar dirt walls, air choked up with must, and bugs. Bugs crawled all over the place.” After reading these excerpt readers will be grateful for all that today’s schools offer them. LaFaye’s vocabulary terms like “cattle thief” and “fence cutter” will likely prompt readers into finding out more about range wars and how and why they occurred. LaFaye’s writing and language choices help historical period come to life.
Readers will personally connect with this story because of the turmoil that the two boys are dealing with. Jon Worth’s situation will make readers sympathetic right away when they hear how he is treated by the Peale family. Making him sit away from the rest of the family during church and sleep outside, and with Nathaniel reminding himself, “He might live at our place and work with pa, but like ma said, he was a farmhand not a son. Not my brother. Just a boy who did my work.” After passages like this it maybe hard for readers to connect with Nathaniel and his selfish feelings, but they will slowly feel compassion towards him, as he longs for the past relationship with his father and to do the things that he took for granted. LaFaye makes Nathaniel’s anger apparent in the chapter six when he ponders, “Why’d God have to break me up inside? Why’d he have to kill John’s parents? If he’d just left well enough, we’d each have our pa back. We’d be happy. Part of a family, not sitting here all alone in a mess of people.” The real turning point in the story occurs after a fight between the boys. Ma initially blames John only to find out that it was her son who had instigated the confrontation. After Ma and Nathaniel apologize, it is then that the walls broken down between them all as John looks at ma and reminisces about his own mother saying, “I miss her till it chokes me.” As readers progress through the novel they will get to know the two young characters and realize how ironic their circumstances are, Nathaniel in school and John working the farm, and both of them wishing to be in the others shoes.
LaFaye gives readers a writing that is filled with emotion and hope, in a plot that reminds readers that sometimes life gives us situations that we are unprepared for, but are not impossible to overcome. LaFaye concludes the story with John, no longer a nuisance to Nathaniel, but a brother, “A Brother to swap stories with, who’d learn about history from me and teach me how to do my sums. Come winter, when work around the farm grows as thin as bare trees, Pa might even let him go to school with me.”(pg144.)
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Publishers Weekly - 08-28-2006
LaFaye takes an unusual perspective on the Orphan Train, focusing on the adoptive family, in what PW called a "spare, lyrical novel."
School Library Journal
LaFaye’s gives an unsparing look at the grueling hardships of day-to-day farm life during the late 19th-century and the ongoing battle between farmers and ranchers for control of the land. A compelling and historically accurate story beautifully rendered.
Booklist
Nathaniel's angry first-person narrative is brutally honest, and, at first, he is bitterly resentful of John, an orphan who lost his family in a New York City tenement fire: "Just 'cause he lost his father didn't mean he had a right to mine." Through Nathaniel’s narrative comes a sense of the grueling daily work, the family struggle to try to hold on to the land and avoid failure. The short, spare novel doesn't need the heavy heroic parallels; it tells its own story of darkness and courage. A great choice for American history classes.
Children's Literature
LaFaye's splendid prose evokes the searing physical pain of Nathaniel’s leg injury and John's lonely grief over his family's death in a tenement fire. The novel incorporates important themes of 19th century rural America in believable and moving ways: the range wars pitting rancher against farmer; the community's ambivalence about the need for schooling; the uncertainties of lives in which family members die suddenly and bankrupt families abandon their homesteads; and the plight of foreign immigrants seeking tolerance.
Kirkus Reviews
It's a lively story of two boys set against a backdrop of the Orphan Trains, range wars, lynchings, drownings, and sheep killings. Something for everyone.
5. CONNECTIONS
* Have students read more about orphan trains and range wars.
* Divide the class into pairs and have each individual in a pair represent Nathaniel and have the other represent John, let them continue the story to write about their next adventure together. Other options would be:
Let students reenact an excerpt from the story.
Let them journal about how they would feel in the given situation.
* Use this book as a bridge discussion to the compassion, and talk about feelings and why we feel the way we do, and how we can overcome feelings of jealousy and despair, like Nathaniel and John eventually did.
THE BALLAD OF LUCY WHIPPLE
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cushman, Karen. 1996. THE BALLAD OF LUCY WHIPPLE. New York, NY: Clarion Books of Houghton Mifflin Books. ISBN 0395728061
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Karen Cushman has written a novel of young girl California Morning Whipple and her family’s move West during the California Gold rush. This story is not typical with a widowed mother and her four children moving westward from Massachusetts to the desolate mining town of Lucky Diggins to pursue “the hearts desire.” California or Lucy, as she renames herself at age 12, is the oldest of four children and hates everything about Lucky Diggins. Gone are Grandma and Granpop, the library, and the fresh tomatoes that were so abundant back home. Throughout the story Lucy plots her return to Massachusetts only to be derailed by the death of her only brother Butte and a saloon fire that takes everything they owned. Lucy’s complicated relationship with her mother comes full circle at the end of this novel when mama pursues her knew heart’s desire and Lucy pleads to let her too pursue her own. As Lucy packs up to pursue her own heart’s desire she finds that she has had it all along, her family. Lucy realizes that she can no longer find them in Massachusetts, but she will always have them in her heart.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Cushman’s writing provides readers with descriptive details that create the element of a “living past”, and it will leave them sympathizing with California and her living conditions. Upon arrival at Lucky Diggins, mama is thrilled with the promise of the land that lies before them. On the contrary, Lucy, describes the air as heavy with heat and dust burning her nose and stinging her eyes. Lucy describes the land as sunburned and barren and that, “Surely Hell was not far away.” California’s hate for the land eventually leads her to rename herself. In one of her many letters to her grandparents she explains she cannot hate California and be California.
Karen Cushman focuses on Lucy’s love for books and writing with the many letters that close the beginning chapters. Lucy has her one and only book, Ivanhoe, that she reads over and over. Finally there is a light at the end of the tunnel when her former teacher from New England sends her a box full of books. With her new collection Lucy soon becomes the makeshift Librarian of Lucky Diggins loaning her beloved books to miners and those miners loaning them to others. With Cushman’s focus on Lucy’s hobby of reading, the historical period will become a realization for readers whose own pastimes include cell phones, televisions, and computers. Lucy’s passion for reading and writing may lead young readers to a new found appreciation for their own books.
The novel takes on more dimensions with the different perspectives from characters and the relationships in Lucy’s life. One of the relationships that Lucy struggles with the most is that of her deceased father. She refers to him as Pa and always reminisces about him being the skinniest man ever, with his beard that she loved to rub against her face. As life goes on in Lucky Diggins she remembers him by always telling stories about him to her younger siblings. Lucy tells stories of when she was younger and would walk in the woods or to Oakbridge with her Pa. The day finally comes when she fears that she has forgotten him, and things get even more complicated when miners try and woo Lucy’s mother for marriage. Lucy is stubborn and steadfast that no one will ever take the place of her father. Her feelings only begin to change with the arrival of Brother Clyde Claymore, with his big hands and beliefs that even sway the non-marrying mind of her mother. The importance of Lucy’s father is also evident when she befriends a runaway slave and gives him the name of her adored father. The slave, Bernard as she calls him has a very important role in this story, because he explains how different is compared to the rest of the community of Luck Diggins. His goals are simple, not to strike it rich, but to simply be free.
Another relationship that gave shape to this novel is that of Lucy's brother Butte. Butte, the man of the household, has a conflicting relationship with his eldest sister that grows into love when he almost drowns. When Butte finally passes Lucy writes a letter making a statement that will resonate with all siblings, “Dear Gram and Grampop, Butte is dead. He is eleven years old, could do his sums, and knew fifty words for liquor. I didn’t know it but I loved him.” Readers will find it hard to believe that a young boy, during this time had to work and earn money to help the family.
All of these relationships are important because they give shape to the story and the details within the relationships give readers a glimpse into the life and times during the gold rush era. Readers will be astounded to find what life was like before television, cell phones, and Ipods.
Readers will be shocked by Cushman’s conclusion. With the amount of time that Lucy spent trying to leave Lucky Diggins, it is ironic that this would be the place she called home even after her family and Brother Clyde departed for the Sandwich islands. Karen Cushman leaves readers with an authors note about the California gold rush and where the idea for this story came from. Cushman explains that 90% of people came to California looking for gold, and that this story was about the other 10% of people. This story was inspired by the women and children, who came without a man and had to make their own way. Cushman states, “Lucy Whipple personifies the gold rush pioneers. She came to California to get rich and get out; yet beguiled by the land and the people, she stayed to be a Californian and enrich her new home with the experiences, culture, and expectations she brought with her.” Cushman has taken a time in history and interweaved it with imaginary people to resemble what life was like for families who headed westward in pursuit of their dreams.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Publishers Weekly - 05-18-1998
A starred review to this gold-rush novel by Newbery Medalist Cushman, calling it "a coming-of-age story rich with historical flavor." Here she also renders serious social issues through sharply etched portraits: a runaway slave who has no name of his own, a preacher with a congregation of one, a raggedy child whose arms are covered in bruises. The writing reflects her expert craftsmanship; for example, Lucy's brother Butte, dead for lack of a doctor, is eulogized thus: "He was eleven years old, could do his sums, and knew fifty words for liquor."
School Library Journal
The two main characters are 12-years-old Lucy, who uses her considerable drive toward a much longed for return to the civilized world of her native New England, and Lucy's widowed mother, Arvella, a down-to-earth pioneer with an unquenchable thirst for adventure. This is also a tale of two strong-willed women locked in a mother-daughter conflict. Cushman's forceful writing combined with a narration in which the characters live and breathe make this a first choice for libraries.
Booklist
Cushman's research shows at times, but there's joy in the daily details (bread made with flour and water, with a drop of molasses to kill the taste of weevils) and in the tall-tale exaggeration of Lucy's narrative (she lives in a space so small "I can lie in bed and stir the beans on the stove without getting up”). There's sadness, too, as when her younger brother becomes sick and dies, and there's no doctor to help. In fact, the tone is reminiscent of Chaplin's movie The Gold Rush, with its mixture of farce and pathos. Many readers will recognize their own dislocations in Lucy's reluctant adventure. In a vividly written afterword, Cushman places Lucy's personal narrative in its historical context.
Kirkus Reviews
With a story that is less a period piece than a timeless and richly comic coming-of-age story, Cushman remains on a roll.
5. CONNECTIONS
* Have students research actual gold mining towns of California.
* Have students research to find women who went westward in pursuit of gold or a new life.
* Use this book to open discussion on Slavery and actual people like Bernard Freeman’s character who lived during this period of time.
* Talk about how the United States annexed California from Mexico, who had taken it from the Spanish. This discussion could eventually lead to the question of, “Who was here first?”
* Research the Maidu Indian people and how there downfall was caused by the Gold Rush.
*Titles to pair with this:
Schroeder, Lisa Golden. CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH COOKING. ISBN 0736806032
Schanzer, Rosalyn. GOLD FEVER! TALES FROM THE CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH. ISBN 0792273036
Raabe, Emily. The Gold Rush: California or Bust! ISBN 0823964949
Gregory, Kristiana. Seeds of Hope: The Gold Rush Diary of Susanna Fairchild, California Territory, 1849. ISBN 0590511572
CLEOPATRA
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Stanley, Diane & Vennma, Peter. 1994. CLEOPATRA. Ill by Diane Stanley. New York, NY: Morrow Junior Books. ISBN 0688104134
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Diane Stanley’s Cleopatra is a narrative biography that readers will be quickly drawn into. The story like format and intricate illustrations will even keep the attention of reluctant readers. Stanley has written this book in a non-traditional view of Cleopatra. In addition to highlighting her beauty, Stanley also highlights her intelligence. Stanley writes of the 18 year old queen of Egypt and her failed marriage to her brother Ptolemy XIII, which led to a battle that would drive Cleopatra out of Egypt by the age 20. Stanley focuses on the courtship between Cleopatra and Julius Caesar, and how she cleverly won him over. Cleopatra and Julius Caesar’s relationship was short-lived, eventually ending in Caesar’s death. With the death of Julius, Cleopatra would marry yet once again this time to Mark Antony. Stanley describes this, “Cleopatra captivated Antony, just as she had Julius Caesar. This was to be the second- and last love of her life.” Although Antony was already married, he soon divorced and lived his life with Cleopatra and their three children. Antony eventually gave Cleopatra and her three children large parts of Rome, incensing his former wife’s brother, Octavian. These events would eventually lead to the battle of Actium, where Anotny would abandon his ship and men to Octavian, and retreat to Cleopatra’s fleet. With the Accidental death of her husband Anotny, Cleopatra knew that she would be Octavian’s next target. According to Plutarch, before Octavian could disgrace her in death, Cleopatra took her own life with poison at age 39.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In this title, Stanley has provided a depiction of Cleopatra that is contradictory to her ancient enemies. Stanley provides a note to readers on ancient sources, citing “Everything we know about Cleopatra was written by her enemies. It is not surprising, then, that she was portrayed as a conniving, immoral woman.” Stanley also makes the point that much of the information acquired on Cleopatra’s infamous life was written by Greek historian, Plutarch. Stanley states, “Plutarch lived a 100 years after Cleopatra, and much of what he writes may have been mere gossip or legend, and many of his sources were influenced by the propaganda put fourth by the conquering Octavian and his supporters.” These points are crucial for readers to understand, because it displays how a historical event can have conflicting accounts.
Stanley also provides readers with other tools: preface, ancient maps, epilogue, and a pronunciation guide. The preface will prove to be most useful to readers by explaining the time frame of Cleopatra’s life such as: “Many people believe that Cleopatra was one of the ancient queens of Egypt. But, in fact, she did not live in the days of Pharaohs.” Readers may even be surprised to find out that Cleopatra was Macedonian Greek and not Egyptian.
It is important to make note of how Stanley tries to depict the human side of Cleopatra. Unlike many who viewed her as frivolous with her, “Mountains of baggage, her many servants, and her lavish ways.” Stanley accomplishes this in her writing with Plutarch's account of a fishing trip Cleopatra and Antony took. The story is as follows: “Antony was catching nothing, so he secretly ordered a servant to swim under the boat and attach fish to his line. The queen soon discovered his game, and played a trick of her own.” An account like this is readers will connect with. We may not all conquer foreign lands, but we are all guilty of having fun.
The artwork was done in gouache and is reminiscent of roman painting. The pages are covered in detail, from the intricate mosaic patterns to the architecture in the background. The use of rich colors will draw the reader’s eye into the page. The text is 13-pt Korinna, and it is segregated on its own space with the use of blocked mosaics and boarders. The text in this biography plays an important role because the look of it makes readers feel like they are reading a story rather than an informational book, an element that will make this title easy and enjoyable.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Publishers Weekly
Here they make a seemingly effortless leap into ancient times, masterfully relating Cleopatra's life story through words and pictures. A succinct preface places the tale in historical context, noting that much of what is known about Cleopatra is based on legend or gossip--and that most accounts of her life were penned by her enemies. Stanley includes occasional quotes from the writings of Plutarch as she ably distills complex political machinations as well as the particulars of Cleopatra's often enigmatic private life, including her banishment from Alexandria and her fateful love for first Julius Caesar and then Mark Antony.
School Library Journal
In this lively, well-crafted biography, Stanley and Vennema brush the cobwebs from the popularly held portrait of Cleopatra to reveal a vital, warm, and politically adroit ruler. Lucid writing combines with carefully selected anecdotes, often attributed to the Greek historian Plutarch, to create an engaging narrative.
Booklist
The artwork includes full-page paintings of dramatic scenes as well as impressive painted mosaics that make up the jacket art, title page, and the background for the text. The story concerns Cleopatra's life from the age of 18, when she became the queen of Egypt (51 B.C.), through her liaisons with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, and her struggle to bring back Egypt's former glory, to her death at the age of 39. One of the most impressive qualities of this beautiful book is its recognition of the problems of researching and writing history. Not only does a note introduce Plutarch as the main source, but it also discusses why Plutarch's account may not be entirely reliable.
Kirkus Reviews
In striving for accuracy, however, the authors sacrifice the romance of the story. Stanley's drawings, on the other hand, are exquisitely wrought with vivid color and fine mosaic detail. Stanley and Vennema's latest illustrated biography is a beautifully decorated, dull account of one of the most powerful women rulers of all time.
5. CONNECTIONS
*Have student research other accounts of Cleopatra and have them compare and contrast those accounts with this book.
*CRAFT- Have students take a good look at the cover of this title and explain to the technique of mosaics. With cut paper or tile let students create their own work mimicking this technique.
WORTH
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
LaFaye, A. 2004. WORTH. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN141554780.
2. PLOT SUMMARY
LaFaye has written a timely novel about a boy Nathanial Peale and his life after a tragic accident on the family farm. All Nathaniel has ever known his life with Ma working as a tinker and Pa working the Nebraska land, but all that changes when a quick storm comes and in the rush to get the crops in, Nathaniel’s leg gets injured by a spooked horse, forever changing his life. With Nathaniel unable to work Pa has no choice but to take in an orphan, John Worth, to help work the land. No one in the family is happy about this situation. Ma will not let John sleep or eat inside, and Nathaniel despises John for taking his spot next to Pa. Nathaniel struggles with his relationship with his father, because it will never be the same. With Nathaniel in school and John at home, both of the boys feel out of place, but they eventually learn to respect each others situation, especially when Nathaniel learns that John has lost his family to a fire. After a few unfortunate fights, John finally gets to eat at the table, and the boys eventually begin reading Greek myths together. In the end the boys really bond when they catch Horace Danver fence cutting, and save the town from a range war. Ultimately, Nathaniel realizes that having John, having a brother, would not be too bad.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Early on in the novel, LaFaye’s descriptive writing remains faithful to what life was like during this time. For example, Nathaniel describes his school: “The place was like root cellar dirt walls, air choked up with must, and bugs. Bugs crawled all over the place.” After reading these excerpt readers will be grateful for all that today’s schools offer them. LaFaye’s vocabulary terms like “cattle thief” and “fence cutter” will likely prompt readers into finding out more about range wars and how and why they occurred. LaFaye’s writing and language choices help historical period come to life.
Readers will personally connect with this story because of the turmoil that the two boys are dealing with. Jon Worth’s situation will make readers sympathetic right away when they hear how he is treated by the Peale family. Making him sit away from the rest of the family during church and sleep outside, and with Nathaniel reminding himself, “He might live at our place and work with pa, but like ma said, he was a farmhand not a son. Not my brother. Just a boy who did my work.” After passages like this it maybe hard for readers to connect with Nathaniel and his selfish feelings, but they will slowly feel compassion towards him, as he longs for the past relationship with his father and to do the things that he took for granted. LaFaye makes Nathaniel’s anger apparent in the chapter six when he ponders, “Why’d God have to break me up inside? Why’d he have to kill John’s parents? If he’d just left well enough, we’d each have our pa back. We’d be happy. Part of a family, not sitting here all alone in a mess of people.” The real turning point in the story occurs after a fight between the boys. Ma initially blames John only to find out that it was her son who had instigated the confrontation. After Ma and Nathaniel apologize, it is then that the walls broken down between them all as John looks at ma and reminisces about his own mother saying, “I miss her till it chokes me.” As readers progress through the novel they will get to know the two young characters and realize how ironic their circumstances are, Nathaniel in school and John working the farm, and both of them wishing to be in the others shoes.
LaFaye gives readers a writing that is filled with emotion and hope, in a plot that reminds readers that sometimes life gives us situations that we are unprepared for, but are not impossible to overcome. LaFaye concludes the story with John, no longer a nuisance to Nathaniel, but a brother, “A Brother to swap stories with, who’d learn about history from me and teach me how to do my sums. Come winter, when work around the farm grows as thin as bare trees, Pa might even let him go to school with me.”(pg144.)
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Publishers Weekly - 08-28-2006
LaFaye takes an unusual perspective on the Orphan Train, focusing on the adoptive family, in what PW called a "spare, lyrical novel."
School Library Journal
LaFaye’s gives an unsparing look at the grueling hardships of day-to-day farm life during the late 19th-century and the ongoing battle between farmers and ranchers for control of the land. A compelling and historically accurate story beautifully rendered.
Booklist
Nathaniel's angry first-person narrative is brutally honest, and, at first, he is bitterly resentful of John, an orphan who lost his family in a New York City tenement fire: "Just 'cause he lost his father didn't mean he had a right to mine." Through Nathaniel’s narrative comes a sense of the grueling daily work, the family struggle to try to hold on to the land and avoid failure. The short, spare novel doesn't need the heavy heroic parallels; it tells its own story of darkness and courage. A great choice for American history classes.
Children's Literature
LaFaye's splendid prose evokes the searing physical pain of Nathaniel’s leg injury and John's lonely grief over his family's death in a tenement fire. The novel incorporates important themes of 19th century rural America in believable and moving ways: the range wars pitting rancher against farmer; the community's ambivalence about the need for schooling; the uncertainties of lives in which family members die suddenly and bankrupt families abandon their homesteads; and the plight of foreign immigrants seeking tolerance.
Kirkus Reviews
It's a lively story of two boys set against a backdrop of the Orphan Trains, range wars, lynchings, drownings, and sheep killings. Something for everyone.
5. CONNECTIONS
* Have students read more about orphan trains and range wars.
* Divide the class into pairs and have each individual in a pair represent Nathaniel and have the other represent John, let them continue the story to write about their next adventure together. Other options would be:
Let students reenact an excerpt from the story.
Let them journal about how they would feel in the given situation.
* Use this book as a bridge discussion to the compassion, and talk about feelings and why we feel the way we do, and how we can overcome feelings of jealousy and despair, like Nathaniel and John eventually did.
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