LIBR_264_Genre_Project

LIBR 264 - Genre Project: 

LIBR 264 - Genre Project Contemporary Realistic Fiction Zoe Luderitz, Amanda Neighbors, Lauren Sidle, Susan Thurnbeck

Zoe's Reviews: 

Zoe's Reviews Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass: 

Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass 978-0-316-05849-0, Little, Brown, 2006 Jeremy Fink is about to turn thirteen, but you wouldn't know that about him from his habits. He still has a candy obsession, eats the same peanut butter sandwich every day and barely goes outside of his apartment in New York City because even though he doesn't like to admit it, he is a little bit afraid. But Jeremy's life is about to change when a strange box arrives in the mail and he and his best friend Lizzy go on an adventure to discover the meaning of life, as the box proclaims it holds the answer to this. Wendy Mass is a wonderful writer of middle grade fiction and perfectly captures to tween mind in Jeremy's obsessions and Lizzy's adventurous spirit. Nothing is too much for her to handle and for Jeremy, nothing comes without hidden meaning and his superstitions. The questions that they have for the world are realistic and funny and show just how much there is to learn about the world when you are about to turn thirteen. The novel delves into deeper issues with grief, Jeremy's father died and he is dealing with that, plus loyalty and friendship. The book is perfect for the more sophisticated tween reader.

Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes: 

Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes 978-0-316-04307-6, Little, Brown 2010 Lanesha is a young girl living in New Orleans in 2005. Her mother died during childbirth and so she is in the care of the midwife who delivered her, Mama Ya-ya, and she learns everything she knows from Mama Ya-ya. They share the same gift of special sight that Lanesha is told she has because she was born with a caul. She sees things that others don't and when a hurricane starts to brew off the coast she sees very bad things for her and her aging Mama Ya-ya. With admirable strength and courage, 12-year-old, Lanesha and her best friend T'shon show that even being, poor, black and children in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans, they have what it takes to deal with the damage of Hurricane Katrina. Jewell Parker Rhodes writes a wonderful coming-of-age story that is entrenched in New Orleans voodoo culture that borders on magical realism. She gives hope to children who have insurmountable odds against them, but want to succeed. Even though Lanesha deals with horrendous tragedy in her life, Rhodes creates a character that we know will fight to survive. The book gives great insight into the damage that Hurricane Katrina created for so many families and fits well into course curriculum on the subject.

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han: 

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han 978-1-416-96823-8, Simon & Schuster, 2009 Belly has spent summers with Jeremiah and Conrad for as long as she can remember. Her mom and their mom are best friends and the families have been through everything together. But nothing can prepare Belly for this summer. She heads to the beach house in anticipation to see Conrad, the oldest brother, her longtime crush. The boys are amazed by how much Belly has changed since last summer and are in awe as they seem to watch her shift from little girl to woman over the summer. Jeremiah, the younger, bubbly brother takes on a protective stance. However, there is a tragic secret brewing that threatens to make this the last summer like all the others. Not just Belly growing up and seeing the world, but the family dynamics seem to change. Belly realizes that all things can't stay the same forever and that she must learn to accept hurt as a part of life and also revel in the small joys, like cannonballs in the pool with Jeremiah. Han does a wonderful job of capturing Belly's innocence that slowly transforms into a more knowing character. She brings the reader back to the summer when they began to see the world change right before their eyes. A wonderful tearjerker, the first in a series.

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli: 

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli 978-0-439-48840-2, Knopf, 2000 When "Stargirl" arrives at Mica High she causes a stir immediately. She doesn't seem to do anything conventionally and all of the students are in awe of the things that make her so different, like learning the birthdays of all the students and carrying around a ukelele to play. She becomes completely embraced for her individuality and she immediately captures the heart of Leo, who loves her for her unique approach to the world. But then everything changes and the whole school turns on Stargirl. They allow themselves to be afraid of her and judge her for not being normal. Even Leo, who loves her, tries to get her to act normal and fit in just to stop the taunting, but even he can't hold down Stargirl. Jerry Spinelli, author of MANIAC MAGEE, is the perfect author to tackle the issue of being different and unique and the struggle that goes along with that. He captures the brutality of high school, the desperation of first love, and the hard decisions that teens face in the world about being themselves or being who they think they should be.

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen: 

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen 978-0-142-50155-9, Puffin, 2004 Remy is a girl who finds little comfort in relationships. She hasn't had the best relationship model in her mother who is on husband number five. Her father died when she was a baby, a bad-boy musician, whose only legacy is the haunting #1 hit "This Lullaby" written for Remy. Her friends wonder why she isn't interested in a boyfriend and she is fine to focus on the future and other aspects of her life, but then Dexter enters the picture. Dexter is  a musician, like her father, who has floated around in life from gig to gig. Remy knows he doesn't fit into any of her criteria and yet she is falling for him anyway. They share a cynical and bruised view of the world and only begin to heal when they confide in each other. Soon Remy discovers that all her pre-conceptions about her mother, father, boys and life seem to be turned on their head. Dessen is wonderful character builder who creates the cynical, witty teen girl looking to be proven wrong. Her plots, while not entirely original, draw readers in and get them invested in their lives. She is sentimental, snarky and completely believable and from her track record that is what Dessen does best.

Susan’s Reviews: 

Susan’s Reviews 1. Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret by Judy Blume 2. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen 3. Hoot by Carl Hiaason 4. There’s a Girl in My Hammerlock by Jerry Spinelli 5. The Watson’s Go to Birmingham - 1963 by Christopher Curtis

Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret: 

Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret 11 y/o Margaret is going through many changes in a short period of time. She just moved from the city to the suburb, has to make new friends, and will be entering 6 th grade. It turns out her new neighbor Nancy is in the same grade that she is. She is invited to the “cool” club at Nancy’s house after school where she and the other girls begin to discuss changes in body issues with friends (sshhh) and and religious ones as well. She chooses a project in school that allows her the opportunity to explore different religions after she announces that she disliked religious holidays because she didn’t celebrate any. Her parents had a religious foundation but she doesn’t. They tell her that she can decide what religion she wants to follow when she becomes an adult. She goes to Methodist and Protestant churches and a Jewish Temple. Will Margaret find a religion that she can live with? Follow her as she grapples with many of these life changing issues.

Hatchet: 

Hatchet 13 y/o Brian is on a small commuter plane on his way to visit his father who lives in the Canadian wilderness. You see Brian’s parents are divorced. A divorce that Brian is still angry about. As he contemplates his current situation on the flight, he is forced into a situation where he must take control in order to survive. And survive he must as he faces real dangers and his own fears along the way. The hatchet that his mother gave him prior to leaving to spend the summer with his dad proves to be the one tool that helps propel him into survival as he faces famine, infection, disappointment and mother nature along the way. Read this Newbery Honor Award book by Gary Paulsen that leads us down a young man’s road into self discovery and a true realization of the world around him.

Hoot: 

Hoot Middle school student Roy Eberhardt has moved from Montana to Coconut Grove, Florida for what feels like the millionth time thanks to his dad’s job promotion. Roy is irritated by a bully at the new school but is experienced in how to deal with him, given his encounters with different people, locations and situations. While having his face mashed against the school bus by the bully, Roy notices a young man running quickly without shoes along the school bus. He befriends a girl named Beatrice who eventually tells him that Mullet is the boy he saw and he is her step brother. All three become friends and they sabotage a construction sight after they find out it is home to an endangered burrowing owl species. On their road to protecting the species, they find that forms were tampered with and devise a plan to stop Mother Paula’s Pancake House from being built on the habitat of this endangered species. Do they succeed? You’ll need to join Roy on this journey of self discovery, friendship, and commitment to find out by reading this Newbery Award Honor book.

There’s a Girl in my Hammerlock: 

There’s a Girl in my Hammerlock Eighth Grader Maisie has a crush on Eric and hopes that trying out for the wrestling team attracts his attention. Not understanding the full ramifications of her choice, she is confronted with many negative reactions. By law, she must be allowed to try out. She is treated like any other wrestler participating in conditioning drills to try and make the team, which she does. Only she finds out that she must fight against all the gender stereotypes. And, her brother won’t talk to her. Her best friend shuns her. Other teams choose to forfeit rather than compete against her and she gets made fun of by members of the community. Through determination and some realistic guidance from the wrestling coach and her parents, she decides on a course of action that she can live with. Given the time period this novel was written in, Title 19 supporters would be proud.

The Watson’s Go to Birmingham-1963: 

The Watson’s Go to Birmingham-1963 Some books can make you laugh; some can make you cry; some can make you angry, and some can make you happy. This Newbery Honor Medal book by Christopher Paul Curtis elicits all of these emotions. Set in the 1960’s when race relations were at an all time high, the author tells a somewhat humorous tale of a family’s day to day (mal)functions and highlights their trip from Flint, Michigan to Birmingham, Alabama.  Told through the eyes of 10 y/o Kenny, middle children will be able to identify with the role they play and the dynamics that many families experience. Many modern day Nickelodean watchers should enjoy making comparisons between the book and comedy show Everybody Hates Chris .

Slide 14: 

AMANDA’S BOOKS Freckle Juice written by Judy Blume Henry Huggins written by Beverly Cleary Hank Zipzer: Barfing in the Backseat written by Henry Winkler Diary of a Wimpy Kid written by Jeff Kinney. Bluish written by Virginia Hamilton

Slide 15: 

Freckle Juice In Freckle Juice , Andrew Marcus wanted freckles, just like his friend. He wanted freckles so badly, he was willing to drink freckle juice, a recipe consisting of grape juice, vinegar, mustard, mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt and pepper, ketchup, olive oil, and onion. Of course this didn’t work, and vowing to get back at the girl who sold it to him, he covered his face in blue freckles, since he couldn’t find a brown marker. In the end, Andrew is surprised to find out that his friend hates his freckles and wishes he was more like Andrew without freckles. While this book is a tad bit outdated, with black and white pictures, the moral remains the same, the grass is always greener on the other side. Judy Blume clearly has a gift when it comes to understanding and writing tween characters and how they interact with one another.

Slide 16: 

Henry Huggins Henry Huggins is bored with his life and summer, until a dog crashes into it, a dog he names Ribsy because he is so skinny. Getting the dog home was an adventure that included disturbing a city bus full of people and a ride in a cop car. Henry hears about a dog show and wants to enter Ribsy against all his neighborhood friends, characters found in other books of Beverly Cleary’s, including Beezus and Ramona. After winning “Most Unusual Dog” in the dog show and being the in newspaper, Ribsy’s old owner comes to claim Ribsy. They decide the only fair way to decide is for Ribsy to choose one of them. To the delight of Henry, Ribsy chooses him. Beverly Cleary has an amazing collection of characters and gives each of them such vivid characteristics they become real to the reader. I enjoyed rereading classics I remember from my childhood.

Slide 17: 

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Greg Haffley starts a journal, adamant that it isn’t a diary, of his life and times. He lives a pretty normal life with a rock-and-roll loving jerk of an older brother, and a very spoiled, annoying younger brother. Greg isn’t happy unless he is picking on someone, or bossing someone around, including disrupting the school play by throwing apples and chasing other children with worms. His best friend, Rowley Jefferson, is the butt of many of his jokes, and when their friendship is put to the test, it isn’t at all surprising that his friend chooses to hang out with someone else. In the end, he proves that even with his selfish attitude, he misses his friend and makes amends. Written in more of a graphic novel style, this book was based on a Webcomic and was a delightful read. Sometimes you want to choke Greg, because of his selfish attitude, but it is also a delightful change of pace to have a character who isn’t always doing the right thing. I enjoyed this book and will eventually have to read more of the series and maybe even watch the movies.

Slide 18: 

Bluish Bluish is a novel about a young girl named Dreenie, and her classmate, Nathalie, who is recovering from Leukemia. While Dreenie is scared of Nathalie, whom the class has nicknamed Bluish because of her blue colored skin, she overcomes it with the help of her friend Tuli, who is always pretending to be someone she isn’t. Dreenie quickly learns that Bluish’s disease isn’t scary or contagious. This book is written in a disjointed rhythm that is hard to follow at times. Once you find the rhythm of it, it becomes easier to follow, but I could see where some readers would become discouraged and stop reading before finishing.

Slide 19: 

Hank Zipzer : Barfing in the Backseat Hank Zipzer seems to find trouble wherever he goes. While excited about his upcoming family vacation to an awesome theme park, his trip is ruined by his teacher giving him a packet of homework he has to complete over vacation. His father tells him that he will not be able to go to the theme park if he doesn’t complete this packet before they arrive. He starts out with good intentions, but when he leaves his packet at their first hotel stop, he has to beg money and favors from his friend and from hotel owners along the way. Even though he is reunited with his packet, he doesn’t get it finished and is forced to spend his vacation at the crossword challenge with his dad. He finds as he sits in the crowd, how proud he is of his father for taking second place and how it wasn’t such a horrible day after all. Once they arrive back at the hotel, he finds that his sister and his friend had not had all that much fun at the theme park. I just love what Henry Winkler has done with these books. This series is laugh out loud funny from beginning to end. Hank Zipzer is a typical kid with a bratty sister, a good friend, and classmates who want him to be the class clown. With lots of fun and a good moral at the end, this is a book I would recommend to young and old alike.

Slide 20: 

Lauren’s  Reviews 1. The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron 2. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie 3. Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman 4. Shooting Kabul by N. H. Senzai 5. Phoenix Rising by Karen Hesse

Slide 21: 

The Higher Power of Lucky Lucky Trimble is one of the 43 residents of Hardpan, California; a run-down town on the edge of the Mojave Desert.  She is 10 years old and recently lost her mother in a freak accident.  She is now a ward of Brigitte, the French ex-wife of Lucky’s absent, disinterested father.  Lucky hangs out with a quirky bunch: including her dog HMS Beagle (named after Charles Darwin’s boat), her best friend Lincoln Clinton Carter Kennedy, who is a master-knot tier and hopes to be president someday, 5 year old Miles whose mom is in jail but he thinks she’s on vacation, and Short Sammy, a recovering addict who lives in an old water tank.  Lucky is spunky and resilient, a budding scientist and one of the only residents of Hardpan with a paying job; she cleans up after all the different “anonymous” meetings which are held at the local visitor’s center.  After eavesdropping on many meetings, Lucky decides that she, too, needs to find her “Higher Power.”  When Lucky becomes afraid Brigitte is going to abandon her to go back to France, she decides that she has hit rock bottom, and puts a dangerous plan into action.  It is in this final adventure that Lucky learns a lot about herself.  Susan Patron masterfully breathes life and realism in all of the characters in this book.  Lucky will remind young readers of Ramona, Junie B. or Gooney Bird Greene.  She is brave, clever, relatable and a good role model; she makes mistakes but then learns from them and tries to make things right.  The simple and wispy illustrations by Matt Phelan contribute to the feelings evoked by the desert setting.  Newberry Medal winner for 2007.

Slide 22: 

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Life for 14 year old Arnold “Junior” Spirit isn’t easy, and it’s about to get even harder.  He decides to leave his Spokane Indian Reservation’s school to attend an all-white high school 22 miles from his home.  This is viewed as rejecting his tribe, and he suffers even more harassment than usual because of this.  His best friend Rowdy, who has always protected him, feels hurt by this betrayal, and rejects Junior’s friendship.  As the only Native American at Reardan High (except for the school mascot) Junior sticks out.  He ultimately manages to make friends, get a girlfriend and join the basketball team.  Junior faces many heartbreaking obstacles throughout the year, but through humor and cartooning, he manages to survive his challenges and become a better, stronger person in the process.  Readers will be confronted with many difficult issues in this novel; racism, alcoholism, poverty, death, and child abuse.  Reluctant readers will be drawn in by the cartoons and various fonts interspersed throughout the text.  Illustrator Ellen Forney does an incredible job adding to and illuminating ideas from the text in her illustrations.  National Book Award winner in 2007 for “Young People’s Literature.”

Slide 23: 

Seedfolks In a polluted vacant lot in Cleveland, Kim, a young Vietnamese girl secretly plants some lima beans in memory of her father. Suspiciously watching Kim’s activities in the lot is Ana; an elderly woman who has lived in the neighborhood for decades. She assumes Ana is up to no good, but once she discovers the truth she makes sure that Kim’s seeds survive. Thus begins the inspiring story of how a a neighborhood creates a community garden. Each of the 13 chapters are narrated from a different character’s perspective, and although all the neighbors are very different from each other, each makes an essential contribution to the creation of the garden. Leona spends a few days dealing with the city bureaucracy but finally finds a way to get all of the trash removed from the lot. Sam holds a contest to solve the problem of how to get water to the plants. Curtis finds a way to protect the vegetables in the garden from looters. Fleischman seamlessly weaves the characters together, and shows how people can work together to create something beautiful and in the process overcome social, economic and language barriers.

Slide 24: 

Shooting Kabul In early 2001, 11-year-old Fadi and his family flee Afghansitan to come to the California Bay Area.  Tragically, is the chaos that ensues while the Taliban pursue their escape party, Fadi lets go of his little sister’s hand, and she is left behind.  Fadi’s family makes the difficult decision to continue on their journey, knowing others will look for Mariam and hoping she’ll be returned to them.  Each member in Fadi’s family feels responsible for losing Mariam, but Fadi feels the most guilt and shame, and feels compelled to make up for his mistake of letting her go.  As he struggles to adapt to his new life and school in California, he finds refuge in a photography club.  He learns of a contest that has the prize of a photo shoot in India, which is close to the Pakistani refugee camps that Fadi’s family think Mariam has ended up in.  While he’s planning his winning photograph, the attacks of 9/11 take place.  This book is an honest and depiction of what life was like for the Afghan community directly after 9/11.  Readers who are probably too young to remember the emotions and reactions of that time will learn a lot from reading this novel.  While there is a happy ending, readers will be surprised about how it comes about.  The end of the book has a glossary of terms used in the book, which offers the reader even more information about the afghan culture and language.

Slide 25: 

Phoenix Rising When a nuclear plant in New England has a devastating leak, 13-year-old Nyle and her grandmother try to continue life as usual on their Vermont farm.  But they have to wear masks outside, hope the wind continues to blow favorably, and test their soil and animal products for radiation.  When they take in a mother and her gravely ill 15 year old son, Nyle is forced to confront her fear of intimacy.   Her mother and grandfather have recently died, and her father left after her mother died.  Nyle doesn’t want to get close to anyone else.  Nyle and her grandmother also have to hide their guests because of the fear in the community of radiation sickness.  In this coming of age story, readers will be confronted by many issues: friendship, first love, and death.  Readers will be able to understand what life has been like for the Japanese victims of the recent nuclear disaster at the Fukushima power plant.