I am the messenger

I am the messenger

markus zusak

 

Markus Zusak is the author of 5 books including The Book Thief. I am the messenger was nominated for a Michael L. Printz Award in 2006, a Los Angeles Times Book Award in 2006 and a Bluegrass Award in 2006. It also won 2003 Australian Children’s Book Council Book of the Year Award and the 2003 NSW Premier’s Literary Award.

 

 

I am the Messenger is a realistic fiction novel about a cab driver named Ed who begins anonymously receiving playing cards in the mail with messages written on them. Ed must figure out what the words mean and what he must do, and ends up changing the lives of many people, including his own.

 Realistic fiction can include many different subjects including "survival, the search for identity, the roles of family and peers, growing up, animals and sports. The tone of the story can range from serious and tense to humorous and even outrageous" (Vardell pg. 144). Ed finds his identity in the novel. In the beginning he is lost within himself; his father was an alcoholic, he isn't in school and really has no idea what he's doing with his life. When talking about himself he says "No real career. No respect in the community. Nothing" (Zusak pg. 14). At the end of the novel he has gained more of a sense of who he is, what he wants, and the impact he has on other people. With realistic fiction, the character's "emerging self-knowledge" is very important regarding character development (Vardell pg. 158).

The novel is both humorous and serious at different times. The conversations between Ed and his friends are usually humorous and the beginning chapter where they are being held up at a bank and are talking back to the robber is funny. However, there are serious situations. For example, Ed gets beaten up on a few times throughout the novel. He also helps a family whose father is sexually abusing the mother while the daughter is witness.

Mystery is a subgenre in contemporary realistic fiction. Mysteries "emerge as a very popular choice with children in the middle grades who are stretching their problem solving skills" (Vardell pg. 147). The mystery in this novel is compelling. The reader wonders where these playing cards are coming from and why Ed was chosen for the tasks.

Professional Reviews for I am the messenger:

• Voice of Youth Advocates: "Ed's journey into secret lives is so emotional and intellectually challenging that older readers will enjoy the trip."

• School Library Journal: "Zusak's characters, styling, and conversations are believably unpretentious, well conceived, and appropriately raw. Together, these key elements fuse into an enigmatically dark, almost film-noir atmosphere."

More about the author.
Video Interview with the author

 

Zusak, M. I am the messenger. New York: Knopf, 2002. 

ISBN 978-0-375-83099-0

$6.32 at Barnes & Noble

Work consulted: Vardell, Sylvia M. Children's Literature in Action: A Librarian's Guide. Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited, 2008. 

Author photo from randomhouse.com

The Graveyard Book

The Graveyard Book

Neil Gaiman

with illustrations by Dave McKean

 

Neil Gaiman's work has been honored with many awards internationally, including the Newbery and Carnegie Medals. His books and stories have also been honored with 4 Hugos, 2 Nebulas, 1 World Fantasy Award, 6 Locus Awards, 2 British SF Awards, 1 British Fantasy Award, 1 International Horror Guild Award and 2 Mythopoeic Awards. The Graveyard Book was nominated for the Nene Award in 2012 and the Golden Archer Award in 2013.


The Graveyard Book is a Newbery Medal winning novel about a boy named Nobody, nicknamed Bod, who is raised by ghosts in a cemetery after his family is murdered. Bod struggles internally with whether he belongs with the living or the dead, and at the same time searches for the mystery behind his family's death.

Gaiman's fantasy novel contains most of the six basic ingredients or motifs that Vardell explains helps establish the pattern or character of fantasy novels: magic, other worlds, good versus evil, heroism, character archetypes, and fantastic objects (Vardell, pg. 206). Fantasy novels also contain made up words and scientific concepts, which holds true in The Graveyard Book. Bod learns how to Fade, allowing only ghosts to see him, and Dreamwalk, where he can get inside other people's dreams. The child protagonist in fantasy novels usually is "a bit different - extremely bright, often misunderstood, possibly a loner" (Vardell, pg. 206). Bod is misunderstood when he tries to attend a public school and is different from everyone else. A girl from his school tells him "You're weird. You don't have any friends" (Gaiman, pg. 192).

Fantasy novels have plots that "often involve quests or journeys with tasks to accomplish, obstacles to overcome, and villains to vanquish" (Vardell, pg. 219). Bod solves many mysteries during his time at the graveyard, including what ghouls are and where they live, how to talk to the magical Seer, and how to find and get rid of his villain, the man who killed his family.

Professional Reviews for The Graveyard Book:

• Voice of Youth Advocates: "Everyone who reads this book will hope fervently that the very busy author gets around to writing one soon."

• School Library Journal: "Gaiman has created a rich, surprising, and sometimes disturbing tale of dreams, ghouls, murderers, trickery, and family."

More about the author.
Other books by the author.

Gaiman, N. The Graveyard Book. New York: Harper Collins, 2008. 

ISBN 978-0-06-053093-8

$8.99 at Barnes & Noble

Work cited: Vardell, Sylvia M. Children's Literature in Action: A Librarian's Guide. Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited, 2008. 

Author photo and bio from neilgaiman.com

Lunch Lady and the Field Trip Fiasco

Lunch Lady 

and the Field Trip Fiasco

Jarrett J. Krosoczka

 

Jarrett J. Krosoczka has authored twenty one published books—ten picture books, ten graphic novels and his new chapter book—Platypus Police Squad: The Frog Who Croaked. His Lunch Lady series has twice won a Children's Choice Book Award, in the Third to Fourth Grade Book of the Year category, and was nominated for a Will Eisner Comic Industry Award.

Lunch Lady and the Field Trip Fiasco is a hilarious story about the Breakfast Bunch and the Lunch Lady going on a class field trip to a museum. When the gang finds out some of the artwork is fake, they must stop the criminals while still making it back in time for the end of the museum tour.

The Lunch Lady series is a graphic novel series which are "new kinds of 'handheld books' with graphic and nonlinear formats that today's young people find especially appealing.. there is a fun connection here between fantasy fiction and graphic interpretation" (Vardell pg. 228). Krosoczka's book is definitely entertaining. Humor can be found in both the text and in the illustrations. For example, the Lunch Lady has an array of tools she uses like a Spork Phone, GPS gum & Gum-Wrapper GPS Tracker, Whisk Whackers, a Ziti Microscope and a Spatu-copter.

One evaluation criteria is that "it should be possible to identify with the main characters.. they may be strange or extraordinary, but we should still feel a kinship with the protagonist" (Vardell, pg. 218). Krosoczka has done a great job of this. Even though the Breakfast Bunch fights bad guys with the help of Lunch Lady, they are still normal and relatable kids. They get picked on while riding the school bus, they accidently knock over a museum exhibit and they forget to have their parent sign a permission slip.

More books by Krosoczka

Video Interview with Krosoczka

Krosoczka, J. J. Lunch Lady and the Field Trip Fiasco. New York: Knopf, 2011. 

ISBN 978-0-375-86730-9

$6.99 at Barnes & Noble

Work consulted: Vardell, Sylvia M. Children's Literature in Action: A Librarian's Guide. Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited, 2008. 

Author bio and picture from http://www.studiojjk.com/biography2.html

Okay For Now

Okay For Now

by Gary D. Schmidt

Gary D. Schmidt was born in New York and has written over 10 books for children and young adults. He is a two time Newbery Honor winning author for his Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy published in 2004 and The Wednesday Wars published in 2007.  Presently he is an English professor in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Schmidt earned a MA in English literature and a Ph.D. in medieval literature.



In Okay For Now Doug is an 8th grader in 1968 who is forced to move towns because of his dad's new job. Doug must face problems like being the new kid in school, his brother Chris being tagged as a robber, his father's anger that almost tears up the family, his older brother coming home from Vietnam and more. Doug becomes friends (and then more) with Lil, becomes part of a Broadway play and learns how to draw with the help of a friendly librarian & Birds of America.
 
Vardell explains that it's important for historical fiction to have "universal themes that still speak to readers of today" (pg. 191). Although Schmidt incorporates elements from Doug's time like the Vietnam war, Babe Ruth and the Apollo space missions, he still  manages to successfully add themes that readers from any generation can relate to like healing from an abusive father and brother, dealing with feeling inferior and finding self-worth.

Doug's thoughts of humans taking their first steps on the moon mixed with surviving junior high and overcoming being seen as other than 'the kid whose brother is a criminal' makes him realize that anything is possible. 

Professional Reviews for Okay For Now:

• Voice of Youth Advocates: "Schmidt writes a journal-type story with a sharp attention to detail, patterns in the story line, and an unexpected twist at the end. It is well written."

• School Library Journal: "Schmidt's masterful characterization and balance of humor and pathos make this coming-of-age novel so memorable."
• Booklist: "stealthily powerful, unexpectedly affirming story of discovering and rescuing one's best self."

More books by Schmidt
Educator Guide: Okay For Now.
Author interview

Schmidt, Gary D. Okay For Now. New York: Clarioin Books, 2011. 

ISBN 978-0-547-15260-8

$6.99 at Barnes & Noble

Work consulted: Vardell, Sylvia M. Children's Literature in Action: A Librarian's Guide. Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited, 2008. 

Author photo from https://hmhbooks.com/schmidt/about.html

The Green Glass Sea

The Green Glass Sea

by Ellen Klages 

 

Ellen Klages is a science and historical fiction writer and earned her degree in philosophy. The Green Glass Sea is her first novel. Its sequel White Sands, Red Menace was published in 2008 and her short story Singing on a Star was published in 2010. The Green Glass Sea is the winner of the 2007 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, the winner of the 2007 Judy Lopez Memorial Award for Children's Literature and the winner of the 2007 New Mexico State Book Award. 

The Green Glass Sea tells the story of a young girl named Dewey in the early 1940s. When her grandfather dies and she must travel to her father in New Mexico, Dewey is forced to transition to a new place while facing the impacts of WWII and being an 'outsider' at school struggling to fit in.

 
Our text explains that setting is very important when it comes to historical fiction: "time and place should be explicit and vividly described, because this influences everything else" (Vardell pg. 190). Klages's work is a perfect example of this when describing the land around the Hill: "The Hill was a natural fortress, a flat mesa fissured with canyons on three sides. The land didn't slope down, it dropped off abruptly vertically, with sheer cliffs" (pg. 119) and "The land was flat and endless, bounded by craggy mountain canyons on one side and distant dusky blue ridges on the far horizons" (pg. 306). 

One thing that stuck out to me is that the first part of the book, while Dewey is traveling to New Mexico, the text is written in third person present. However, on pg 41 the story turns its focus onto Suze and the text shifts into third person past. Then when Dewey is dealing with the death of her father the texts shifts back to third person present.

Professional Reviews for The Green Glass Sea:

• Voice of Youth Adrravocates: "Poetic and real, this one will keep you reading and leave you thinking."

• School Library Journal: "Discussions of physics, mathematical function, cultural boundaries of gender and race, censorship, and the vulnerable child raised by a single parent make this exceptional story even more fascinating."
• Booklist: "Characters are exceptionally well drawn, and the compelling, unusual setting makes a great tie-in for history classes."

Ellen Klages' Webpage
Read an excerpt  
Download the audiobook

Klages, Ellen. The Green Glass Sea. New York: Viking, 2006. 

ISBN 0-670-06134-4

$8.99 at Barnes & Noble

Work cited: Vardell, Sylvia M. Children's Literature in Action: A Librarian's Guide. Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited, 2008. 

Author photo from http://ellenklages.com/

Nory Ryan's Song

Nory Ryan's Song

Patricia Reilly Giff

 

Patricia Reilly Giff has written over 60 books for young people and is a two time Newberry Honor-winning novelist for her Lily's Crossing in 1998 and Pictures of Hollis Woods in 2003. She enjoys speaking at schools, libraries, bookstores and conferences.

Nory Ryan's Song tells the story of a potato disease that strikes Ireland, and is told from Nory Ryan's point of view. Nory Ryan and her family struggle to survive when her and her neighbor's potato crops are destroyed. Her father is away fishing for the family, so the only people she has to rely on are her sisters, grandfather, little brother and her neighbors. They will do anything to survive including eating grass and leaf soup. 
 
One of the evaluation criteria is that the characters should "seem real and believable.. historical validity rests in recreating accurately the social fabric of the times and the patterns of daily life" (Vardell, pg. 190). Giff does a great job of this by making Nory Ryan and her family seem relatable enough to the child reader, but the characters also have qualities and do things that make them unique to an Irish person during the Great Hunger of 1845-1852. One example of this is that Giff incorporates the language from that time in the story and includes a short glossary. She uses the word 'madra' for dog and 'sidhe' as a creature from another world. 

The plot is another evaluation criteria. Vardell states that historical fiction for young people "should not be sugar-coated, but be presented accurately in terms that children can understand" (pg. 190). Giff also does this well because her story is definitely not sugar coated. The family's struggle is breathtakingly real, and the pain can be felt eminently when the family first realizes their crop is ruined: "Granda leaned against the wall at the edge of the field, looking up at the cliffs. He had tears in his eyes. Da wouldn't even know what had happened to us, and neither would Maggie... I didn't want to think about the potatoes, or being hungry, or the pain tapping in the back of my eyes" (Giff, pg. 52-53). 

Professional Reviews for Nory Ryan's Song:

• Voice of Youth Advocates: "Vivid detail brings to life the fields filled with rotting crops, the merciless landlords, and the rocky landscape that offers no respite to the starving families. Readers will be drawn to Nory's spirit and admire the courage she shows while helping her family and friends. By breathing life into the events that led her great-grandparents to emigrate from Ireland, the author transports readers to a time and place few will be able to forget."

• School Library Journal: "Listeners will be drawn into her moving tale."
• Booklist: "Giff brings the landscape and the cultural particulars of the era vividly to life and creates in Nory a heroine to cheer for. A beautiful, heart-wrenching novel that makes a devastating event understandable."

Other books by Giff.
Author Video.

Giff, Patricia R. Nory Ryan's Song. New York: Scholastic, 2000. 

ISBN 0-439-32949-3

$6.99 at Barnes & Noble

Work cited: Vardell, Sylvia M. Children's Literature in Action: A Librarian's Guide. Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited, 2008. 

Author photo from http://www.rhspeakers.com/speaker/patricia-reilly-giff/

What To Do About Alice?

What To Do About Alice? :

How Alice Roosevelt Broke the Rules, Charmed the World, and Drove her Father Teddy Crazy! 

by Barbara Kerley

illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham

 

Barbara Kerley has written 13 books for children and young adults, including picture books about Mark Twain, Waterhouse Hawkins, Alice Roosevelt, Walt Whitman, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Edwin Fotheringham has done illustrations for CD and record covers, Neiman Marcus ads, magazines, fiction books and children's books. What To Do About Alice has been recognized with the following honors and awards: Sibert Honor Book, ALA Notable Book, Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book, the Irma Black Award Honor Book, the Parents Choice Award and the Washington State Scandiuzzi Children's Book Award.

What To Do About Alice? is a biography of Alice Roosevelt. The reader watches Alice grow from a small child into a married woman, while her father Teddy struggles with how to handle her colorful personality. She refuses to attend boarding school, joins an all-boys club, brings a pet snake to the White House, allows her name to be all over the press, gets a song written about her, gets a color named after her, was caught betting on a horse race, drover her own car while other women rode in carriages, and takes adventurous rendezvous over the world including Hawaii, China and Japan.

Kerley uses phrases like "eating up the world," "hungry to go places," and "voraciously," to describe Alice's desire to see and do everything she possibly could. Alice's independence shines bright through the text and I love the lines: "She watched the students of Miss Spence's boarding school walk oh-so-primly down the sidewalk. That didn't look like much fun to Alice. She wanted to own a pet monkey and wear pants." Those lines sum her up perfectly! 

The best part about this book is the hilarious illustrations. Fotheringham shows Alice jumping on the sofa, hanging upside down next to a monkey, riding a bike with her feet on the handle bars, sulking on her bed in a messy room, waving to the adorning crowd with her father next to her giving her a frustrated look, and doing the hula in Hawaii. My favorite illustration is of Alice and her step-siblings laughing and racing down the White House stairs and the text says "Alice tried to be helpful. She watched her younger brothers and sisters so her stepmother could get some rest." 

Professional Reviews for What To Do About Alice?

• Publishers Weekly: "Debut illustrator Fotheringham creates the perfect mood from the start: his stylish digital art sets a fast pace, making use of speed lines and multiple vignettes to evoke characters in perpetual motion. His compositions wittily incorporate headlines, iconic images and plenty of Alice blue, too."
• Booklist:  "invigorating look at larger-than-life Alice."

• School Library Journal: " This book provides a fascinating glimpse into both a bygone era and one of its more interesting denizens as well as a surefire antidote for any child who thinks that historical figures are boring."

Books by Barbara Kerley

Interview with Barbara Kerley 

About Edwin Fotheringham

Kerley Barbara. What to Do About Alice? : How Alice Roosevelt Broke the Rules, Charmed the World, and Drover her Father Teddy Crazy! New York: Scholastic Press, 2008. 

ISBN 0-439-92231-3

$14.52 at Barnes & Noble

Work consulted: Vardell, Sylvia M. Children's Literature in Action: A Librarian's Guide. Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited, 2008.