Sunday, December 5, 2010
ESPERANZA RISING by Pam Munoz Ryan TWU SLIS Course Requirement
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Thursday, December 2, 2010
Analysis of THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusak -class requirement
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Zusak, Markus. 2006. THE BOOK THIEF. New York : Knopf : Distributed by Random House. ISBN: 0-375-83100-2.
PLOT SUMMARY
Death relates the story of Liesel--a young German girl. Trying to make sense of the horrors of World War II, Liesel helps her family and those around her through her book-stealing and story-telling talents.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Liesel is a young German girl in Germany during World War II. Her story is told by the narrator, Death. We learn about Liesel, the book thief, and the tragedies that have defined her young life. She is taken in by a German couple after she is delivered there by her mother and after the death of her brother. The book thief's first stolen book is a book she finds at her brother's funeral. The reader can easily visualize the settings within the book because of the rich description of color, imagery, description of character feelings, and the emotion that is weaved in to the author's words. The color of the sky, the feel of the air, the visualization of the sadness on people's faces help the reader picture Liesel's world. We learn about the people that come and go from Liesel's life and the refuge that she finds in the books that she steals. The reader glimpses into the life of loss and suffering that permeated this time period. The good and bad of humanity are detailed in Liesel's experiences, but the author expertly balances the tragic with an uplifting undertone throughout the story.
REVIEW EXCERPTS/AWARDS
This book would give a unique point of view experience as an extension book to a unit on World War II for a secondary English class. It could also help bring a youthful perspective and balance to a history course's instructional lessons of World War II.
PLOT SUMMARY
Death relates the story of Liesel--a young German girl. Trying to make sense of the horrors of World War II, Liesel helps her family and those around her through her book-stealing and story-telling talents.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Liesel is a young German girl in Germany during World War II. Her story is told by the narrator, Death. We learn about Liesel, the book thief, and the tragedies that have defined her young life. She is taken in by a German couple after she is delivered there by her mother and after the death of her brother. The book thief's first stolen book is a book she finds at her brother's funeral. The reader can easily visualize the settings within the book because of the rich description of color, imagery, description of character feelings, and the emotion that is weaved in to the author's words. The color of the sky, the feel of the air, the visualization of the sadness on people's faces help the reader picture Liesel's world. We learn about the people that come and go from Liesel's life and the refuge that she finds in the books that she steals. The reader glimpses into the life of loss and suffering that permeated this time period. The good and bad of humanity are detailed in Liesel's experiences, but the author expertly balances the tragic with an uplifting undertone throughout the story.
REVIEW EXCERPTS/AWARDS
KIRKUS REVIEW-STARRED REVIEW "The writing is elegant, philosophical and moving. Even at its length, it's a work to read slowly and savor. Beautiful and important."
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL-STARRED REVIEW "Zusak not only creates a mesmerizing and original story but also writes with poetic syntax, causing readers to deliberate over phrases and lines, even as the action impels them forward....An extraordinary narrative."
CONNECTIONS
This book would give a unique point of view experience as an extension book to a unit on World War II for a secondary English class. It could also help bring a youthful perspective and balance to a history course's instructional lessons of World War II.
Analysis of LUNCH LADY AND THE LEAGUE OF LIBRARIANS by Jarrett Krosoczka -class requirement
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Krosoczka, Jarrett. 2009. LUNCH LADY AND THE LEAGUE OF LIBRARIANS. New York : Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN: 978-0-375-94684-4.
PLOT SUMMARY
This school lunch lady is a secret crime fighter. As she sets out to stop a group of librarians intent on destroying a shipment of video games, a group of students known as the Breakfast Bunch provide their help.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Dee, Hector, and Terrence are the Breakfast Brunch trio going through the routine of a normal school day. Dee is intent on winning a Read-a-thon. Hector and Terrence are eagerly waiting for the shipment of the new X-Station 5000 game system. Meanwhile, we are introduced to Mrs. Page, the less than friendly librarian focused on setting up the school book fair. We also meet the Lunch Lady and her trusty sidekick, Betty. The reader is treated to a bold yellow and black comic setting as the Lunch Lady, Betty, and the Breakfast Trio fight the evil League of Librarians. In this battle of good versus evil, we learn the motive of the librarians and a battle ensues. Readers will glide through the pages of this entertaining graphic novel and learn that there can be a balance of technological fun and reading.
REVIEW EXCERPTS/AWARDS
This book and series would be a fun recommendation for my students that enjoy reading graphic novels. The students could also use the comic strip format as inspiration to create their own comic strips. I look forward to sharing these books before the feature film is released. I will also ask for book reviews of this book to post in our classroom library as this title was not available in our school library.
PLOT SUMMARY
This school lunch lady is a secret crime fighter. As she sets out to stop a group of librarians intent on destroying a shipment of video games, a group of students known as the Breakfast Bunch provide their help.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Dee, Hector, and Terrence are the Breakfast Brunch trio going through the routine of a normal school day. Dee is intent on winning a Read-a-thon. Hector and Terrence are eagerly waiting for the shipment of the new X-Station 5000 game system. Meanwhile, we are introduced to Mrs. Page, the less than friendly librarian focused on setting up the school book fair. We also meet the Lunch Lady and her trusty sidekick, Betty. The reader is treated to a bold yellow and black comic setting as the Lunch Lady, Betty, and the Breakfast Trio fight the evil League of Librarians. In this battle of good versus evil, we learn the motive of the librarians and a battle ensues. Readers will glide through the pages of this entertaining graphic novel and learn that there can be a balance of technological fun and reading.
REVIEW EXCERPTS/AWARDS
From School Library Journal
Grade 3-5–When not serving up French fries and gravy to students, Lunch Lady escapes to her secret kitchen lair to lead the life of a crime fighter. Using an assortment of lunch-themed gadgets (created by her sidekick Betty), she is definitely a quirky superhero. Tipped off by the Breakfast Bunch (three students who discovered Lunch Lady's crime-fighting alter ego in Book 1), she attempts to foil the plans of the evil League of Librarians, who seek to destroy all video games. The black-and-white pen-and-ink illustrations have splashes of yellow in nearly every panel. The clean layout, featuring lots of open space, is well suited for the intended audience. Terrence, Hector, and Dee become more developed in this second installment in the series, especially Dee, who asserts herself as the strong-willed leader of the group. The winking references to book fairs, read-a-thon enrollment, and media specialists fit well with the story line. With its appealing mix of action and humor, this clever, entertaining addition to the series should have wide appeal.–Travis Jonker, Dorr Elementary School, MI
From the Publisher
Serving justice . . . and lunch! Lunch Lady can sniff out something rotten like no one else—and there’s definitely something rotten going on in the library. The usually friendly librarians have become cold and secretive. Even Dee can’t seem to crack a smile out of them. What darkness may lurk in the hearts of librarians? Lunch Lady is on the case! And Hector, Terrence, and Dee are along for a wild ride!CONNECTIONS
This book and series would be a fun recommendation for my students that enjoy reading graphic novels. The students could also use the comic strip format as inspiration to create their own comic strips. I look forward to sharing these books before the feature film is released. I will also ask for book reviews of this book to post in our classroom library as this title was not available in our school library.
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