The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

1. Bibliography:

Gaiman, Neil. 2008. The Graveyard Book. New York, NY: Harper Collins. ISBN 0060530928.

2. Plot Summary:

An eighteen month old boy wanders into a graveyard after his family is murdered and is taken in by the inhabitants of the graveyard’s tombs and graves. Given the “Freedom of the Graveyard” Bod, short for Nobody, grows up in the security of the graveyard and is educated by the dead. When the murderous man Jack comes back to town to finish off the family, Bod gets help from the living and the dead and is finally able to safely leave the protection of the graveyard and explore the rest of the world.

3. Critical Analysis:

The story is told through a series of snapshots of the boy as he grows up, skipping the unimportant and focusing on key physical and emotional developments. The variety of dialect among the dead further illustrates their differences.

The graveyard setting is well developed and readers are able to navigate the headstones right along with the boy as he wanders the cemetery. Details regarding setting are provided well in advance to help make sense of situations later in the book. The inclusion of headstone engravings lends a unique quality to the graveyard atmosphere, making it more inviting.

Whether facing the Sleer, traveling through the ghoul gate or attempting to go to school, Bod is provided with opportunities to overcome obstacles. This sets the common fantasy theme of good triumphing over evil. A bittersweet ending provides the audience both sadness and hope for the future.

4. Awards and/or Review Excerpts:

· 2009 Newbery Medal winner

· From SLJ: “Gaiman has created a rich, surprising, and sometimes disturbing tale of dreams, ghouls, murderers, trickery, and family.”

· From Booklist: “This is an utterly captivating tale that is cleverly told through an entertaining cast of ghostly characters. There is plenty of darkness, but the novel’s ultimate message is strong and life affirming.”

5. Connections:

· Neil Gaiman author study using other works such as Coraline or Stardust.

· Compare to Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book to find similarities between the two stories.

6. Personal Response:

At first, the book seemed slow and uninteresting but as the chapters went along the story became more engaging. Although, the fantasy genre is not my favorite genre to read, I did enjoy the book. I was able to see some of the correlations between The Graveyard Book and The Jungle Book and after reading the author’s notes I gained a lot of insight into why Gailman wrote the book the way he did.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

1. Bibliography:
Anderson, Laurie Halse. 1999. Speak. New York, NY: Farrar Straus Giroux. ISBN 0142414735.
2. Plot Summary:
A high school freshman deals with rejection from her peers after calling the police to a summer party. While dealing with emotional trauma from the night’s events that she has kept secret, Melinda is faced with stress from her parents and the falling out with her best friend. Her only outlet is art class, but even there she is having trouble meeting the requirements of the class project. When her old friend may become the next victim of her attacker, Melinda finally admits the truth to herself and her friends and family and is able to see past the horrible incident, which helps to finish her artwork.
3. Critical Analysis:
The rape plot and the shame of living with the secret seem realistic and plausible. The secret, while not revealed until more than halfway through the book, is strongly hinted at and the inevitable revealing and resolution, though not surprising, are welcomed. The character Melinda is flawed and angry, both very relatable qualities to most teen readers. The audience is able to watch her slow transformation as the story progresses.
Friendship, rejection, isolation, shame and the need to fit in are all themes represented in this story and all resonate with teen readers. The setting is ambiguous which lends to the book and its themes being universally accepted. The addition of lists and diary like entries build a sense of style. Mood and tone are reflected in the feelings of the main character and dialogue between characters helps support the themes mentioned.
4. Awards and/or Review Excerpts:
• Michael L. Printz Honor Book
• A National Book Award finalist
• An ALA Best Book for Young Adult
• From SLJ: “This is a compelling book, with sharp, crisp writing that draws readers in, engulfing them in the story.”
5. Connections:
• After reading the novel by Anderson, students can watch the film based on the book and compare/contrast both forms.
6. Personal Response:
From the beginning of Speak I was waiting for something unnatural about the main character to be revealed. The way in which she is described seemed more like a “fantastical” ability more than a traumatic experience. I knew that she had been raped early on, mostly because on the of LC tags was “rape” and I pieced it together with her night she called the cops. The way in which the story evolved was realistic and I could at times feel her terror when encountering “it”. I would love to see the film version of the movie and compare the two.

The Arrival by Shaun Tan

1. Bibliography:

Tan, Shaun. 2006. The Arrival. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc. ISBN 0439895294.

2. Plot Summary:

This wordless graphic novel follows the immigration of a man who leaves his family behind to find a new home. While the man meets people along the way and learns their stories of arrival in the new place, the reader is shown glimpses into the strangers’ lives. Once the man is settled he sends for his wife and daughter, who arrive and help others find their way as they too immigrate to this new land.

3. Critical Analysis:

The theme of this graphic novel is universal in the sense that readers have dealt with or listened to loved ones relay stories of immigrating to a new place. The lone character sets off to find a safe place for his family and discovers hope in a new, yet bizarre land full of others who have done so before him. Author and illustrator, Shaun Tan does a remarkable job telling a such a simple, yet emotional tale without the use of text.

The sepia toned illustrations provide insight into the main character as he travels by ship and flying contraption to a new place. The detail in the faces of all characters; human or alien-like, display a range of emotions with such beauty.

4. Awards and/or Review Excerpts:

· From SLJ: “A wide variety of ethnicities is represented in Tan's hyper-realistic style, and the sense of warmth and caring for others, regardless of race, age, or background, is present on nearly every page.”

· From Booklist: “Filled with subtlety and grandeur, the book is a unique work that not only fulfills but also expands the potential of its form.”

5. Connections:

· Use wordless graphic novels such as this or the Owly series by Andy Runton as a writing exercise for students who struggle to come up with ideas.

· Invite grandparents or other family members to come in and discuss stories of immigration in their families.

· Use as an engagement activity to introduce a unit of immigration, showing photos of Ellis Island and discussing the procedures immigrants faced when arriving in the United States.

6. Personal Response:

I was not excited about reading (well not really reading since there are not any words) this book from the very beginning. In fact, I left it until the last possible time I had to finish my assignment. I knew that it didn’t have any words and I was not looking forward to having to figure out the message the author wanted to convey. Boy, was I wrong! The message was straightforward and didn’t need language to make the reader understand the story. The idea that this book can transcend language barriers and reach so many audiences is truly awesome. The illustrations were unique and beautiful . I found myself looking over the pictures again and again, searching for the small details that exist on each page. I can’t wait to share this book with my 4^th grade teachers- I think it will make an excellent writing exercise for our 4^th grade students who are preparing for the TAKS writing test.

Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis

1. Bibliography:
Curtis, Christopher Paul. 2008. Elijah of Buxton. Narrated by Mirron Willis. New York, NY: Scholastic Press. ISBN 0739370952
2. Plot Summary:
Twelve year old Elijah is the first freeborn child in the community of Buxton, Canada. He became infamous for throwing up on Frederick Douglas during a visit to his hometown. Elijah juggles schoolwork, chores, church and fishing while learning to become “grown”. When a friend’s hard earned money is stolen and taken to America, Elijah sets off on a mission to retrieve the money. Along the way, he deals with many traumatic events and learns about the realities of slavery his parents and friends were able to escape from.
3. Critical Analysis:
Vocabulary and dialogue play an important role in forming the authenticity of Elijah of Buxton. As a “fragile” boy growing up in a slavery free Canadian community, Elijah’s first person account allows the reader a glimpse of life as a freed slave. The main characters are simple and believable. Careful attention is paid to the clothing, food and shelter to make the story accurate. Curtis’s style of writing weaves humor and drama together is seamless fashion.
4. Awards and/or Review Excerpts:
• 2008 Newbery Honor
• 2008 Coretta Scott King Author Award
• 2008 Scott O'Dell Award
• From Booklist: Many readers drawn to the book by humor will find themselves at times on the edges of their seats in suspense and, at other moments, moved to tears.
5. Connections:
• Use as part of an author study on Christopher Paul Curtis. Curtis’ books The Watsons Go to Birmingham and Bud, Not Buddy have been nominated for multiple awards and make Curtis an excellent author to study with older elementary students.
• Use a part of a unit on African Americans and their triumph over slavery. Others stories, including Julius Lester's book, To Be a Slave, the picture book Almost to Freedom by Vuanda Micheaux Nelson or other novels like Jump Ship to Freedom by James and Christopher Collier.
6. Personal Response:
I listened to this book on a Playaway device. The Playaway is similar to a MP3 player, where the book is preloaded and the reader simply plugs in headphones and pushes play. The total listening time was nine hours, which was longer than it would have taken me to read the book myself. The speed of the reading could be increased, but made the narrator, Mirron Willis, very hard to understand. The book was fantastic. A very good portrayal of the time period and the accents used by Willis made the story even more authentic. While I didn’t care for the listening experience (too slow narration, ear buds hurt my ears) I did enjoy the book.

Penny From Heaven by Jennifer Holm

1. Bibliography:

Holm, Jennifer. 2006. Penny From Heaven. New York, NY: Random House Books for Young Readers. ISBN 037583687X

2. Plot Summary:

Penny tries to deal with growing up in post WWII America, where fear of polio is rampant and American citizens are still weary of all people of Italian decent. Because her father is dead, her grandparents live with Penny and her mother and refuse to get along with Penny’s father’s Italian family. Dividing her time between two very different families, Penny discovers new things about herself and her father’s death. But when a tragic event happens, both families must come together and face the truth about what happened to her father.

3. Critical Analysis:

The characters in Penny From Heaven are eccentric, conniving, sometimes rude, but always full of love; making each family member unique and believable. Whether Uncle Dominc is driving around town in his slippers or Grandpa is talking to his dead cousin through the radio, the audience is able to feel Penny’s admiration for each of her relatives. The references to polio scares and old, Italian neighborhoods create a vivid setting for the story. Holm’s well researched information and personal family history are woven together, presenting a wonderfully accurate and touching story. The mystery behind her father’s death remains pivotal throughout the book, the only tie binding both families together and provides a touching conclusion.

4. Awards and/or Review Excerpts:

· From Library School Journal: “Penny and her world are clearly drawn and eminently believable, made up of seamlessly interwoven details from everyday life.”

· From Booklist: “Holm impressively wraps pathos with comedy in this coming-of-age story, populated by a cast of vivid characters.”

5. Connections:

· A comparison of Holm’s other works, Baby Mouse for example, would be interesting for students to see how authors can write many different genres and do it well.

· Reading other works of historical fiction around the time of WWII to compare life during that era. Books to possibly include are Janet Taylor’s The Art of Keeping Cool and Lily’s Crossing by Patrica Reilly Giff.

6. Personal Response:

I come from an Italian background, more diluted than Penny’s but some aspects are still there, and so this book was interesting to read because there are some similarities between her family and mine. Both are large, with varying degrees of eccentric relatives and both call pasta or spaghetti “gravy”. The author notes in the back of the book provide background information and make Holm seem very credible with her depictions of Penny and the era in which she lived.

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

1. Bibliography:
Choldenko, Gennifer. 2004. Al Capone Does My Shirts. New York, NY: Putnam Juevenille. ISBN 0399238611
2. Plot Summary:
A twelve year old boy comes to live on Alcatraz Island when his father gets a job as an electrician at the famous prison. While adjusting to life on the island, Moose makes a few friends, and tries to keep himself and his autistic sister, Natalie, out of trouble. Interacting with prisoners is a huge violation but when his sister is rejected from a special needs school, Moose seeks help from one of the prison’s most infamous criminals, Al Capone.
3. Critical Analysis:
Al Capone Does My Shirts is an authentic look at the lives of the children of Alcatraz guards during the 1930s. The use of ink wells in school, mentions of “charm school” and several references to the building of the Golden Gate bridge allow the reader frequent reminders of the era in which these characters lived. The accuracy of the island is delivered well through both the opening photograph and Choldenko’s words. The characters are flawed and realistic, making them extremely likeable, even at their worst.
4. Awards and/or Review Excerpts:
• 2004 Newbery Honor
• From SLJ: “The story, told with humor and skill, will fascinate readers with an interest in what it was like for the children of prison guards and other workers to actually grow up on Alcatraz Island.”
• From Booklist: “With its unique setting and well-developed characters, this warm, engaging coming-of-age story has plenty of appeal”
5. Connections:
• Read Choldenko’s Al Capone Shines My Shoes to compare/contrast story elements.
• Use a part of a unit regarding Alcatraz. Books such as The Children of Alcatraz: Growing Up on the Rock (2006) by Claire Rudolf Murphy and Mysteries Unwrapped: The Secrets of Alcatraz(2008) by Susan Sloate would make excellent additions to this topic of study.
6. Personal Response:
Having been to Alcatraz a few times in my life, I found this story exciting because I had been to some of the places while touring the island. I’ve taken rides on the ferry to get there and back. As a reader I appreciated the effort Choldenko takes in creating vivid images of what the island looked like. For those who have never been, the text, as well as the map provided, allow the audience to get a feel for life on Alcatraz Island.
The characters of Moose, Natalie and Piper seemed the most developed and real. The depiction of Autism was handled with care and accurately described actions that at the time were not able to be diagnosed. I enjoyed this book and can’t wait to share it with some of the boys at my school. I think some of them will get a kick out of the criminals. Also, I plan to read my copy of Al Capone Shines My Shoes once it is delivered with my book order in a few weeks.