Review of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

1.  BIBLIOGRAPHY
Saenz, Benjamin Alire. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2013. ISBN 9781442366411

2.  PLOT SUMMARY
Aristotle and Dante are two 15-year-old boys living in El Paso, who feel like they don't fit in anywhere, when they meet each over the summer at the local swimming pool. Aristotle is the youngest of four children in a Mexican-American family that is still reeling from the pain of having a family member in prison and a father who emotionally disconnects after serving time in the military during war time. In comparison, Dante's home life appears all sunshine and light to Aristotle, but Dante's openness about not feeling Mexican enough, about not fitting in socially, and about needing to communicate his feelings at all times touches Aristotle deeply. The two boys become close friends and help each other survive adolescence and more importantly, they both find a place in the world where they fit perfectly. 

3.  CRITICAL ANALYSIS
I'm going to say this up front. I feel like I cheated with this book. I didn't read it. I let Lin-Manuel Miranda of the Hamilton the Musical fame read it to me on the audio book, but I loved every moment of the audio experience. It was seven discs of ups and downs in the lives of two teenage boys, who felt alone and unsatisfied with their lives. 

Aristotle is the youngest of four children. His two older sisters are married with kids of their own and the sisters annoy him with their criticisms. His older brother Bernardo he barely remembers because Bernardo was arrested and sent to prison when Aristotle was only a small boy, and much to his dismay, no one in his family talks about his brother — ever. His pictures aren't in the house, and it is an assumed family understanding that he is not to be brought up. But Aristotle feels angry about this, because he wants to know more. There are a lot of things that his family doesn't discuss, like his father's perpetual silence about his experience in the military. It was clear that his experience changed him, but Aristotle always feels like his father keeps him at arms length emotionally. Is it because of the war or is it because of Bernardo? 

Meanwhile, Dante's family shares everything. As an only child, Dante's needs are often met immediately. His father, Sam, the professor, has impressed book after book upon Dante teaching him a passion for literature, philosophy, art, and history. Dante is a walking, talking ball of questions, and when the two boys meet at the swimming pool one summer day when Dante offers to teach Aristotle how to swim, the two connect in ways they never thought they could connect to anyone. 

There are lots of emotional ups and downs in this book. Author Benjamin Alire Saenz does his best to keep the dramatic rises and falls of teen life as realistic as possible, and any slow bits are pulled together in the audio version by Miranda's efforts to inflect emotion and use subtle changes in voices for the characters. There's even a joke about how boring studying Hamilton is that makes him the perfect voice actor for this book. 

The story takes place in 1987 in El Paso, Texas, before cellphones and the Internet. The boys are walking around town freely, and their neighborhood can get a bit rough. But they stick up for each other through thick and thin, which makes the families grow close and helps them both heal in wonderful ways. 

My 11-year-old son's favorite part of listening to the book was hearing Miranda curse. In the book, Dante does a lot of swearing as a form of rebellion, but only when he talks to Aristotle. To my 11-year-old swearing is taboo and something you do with your friends or when you drop a can of soup on your toe putting away groceries. To hear Dante use the words loudly and openly just to say them as part of his everyday "older boy" vocabulary lured my son in. He was also glad when the boys stuck to each other through accidents, moving away from each other, and when facing discrimination. Aristotle's ability to fight physically scared him a bit, but in the story, it scares Aristotle, his parents and Dante a bit, too. 

The theme of the book is friendship, but it progresses into love, when the characters are both ready. The support from the boys' parents throughout their relationship is a giant safety net for both boys, one that I wish existed in all families. The boys' conversations were very advanced, but Saenz backs up their depth in thought by both boys having a strong interest in reading and figuring out how the world works and why. 

Overall, I'm glad I decided to listen to the story. The performance made it feel more compelling. I felt like I was intruding from time to time on the characters' more intimate moments. It was a story that had to be told through characters who talked a lot, sometimes too much, about what they were thinking and feeling. Dante was a perfect catalyst for seeing a side of boys that books don't often show. Boys who are perfectly willing to ask hard questions, be vulnerable and not sacrifice who they are for anyone. And to see Aristotle react to that vulnerability and protect it and cherish it was breathtaking.

Better yet, there's a sequel in the works according to the author's Twitter feed. 

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S) and AWARDS
ALA Notable Children's Book, 2013
Printz Award 
Kirkus Best Young Adult Book
Pura Belpre Award
School Library Journal Best Books of the Year, 2013
Stonewall Book Award

From Publishers Weekly
"A tender, honest exploration of identity and sexuality, and a passionate reminder that love—whether romantic or familial should be open, free, and without shame." 

From Kirkus Reviews
"Meticulous pacing and finely nuanced characters underpin the author's gift for affecting prose that illuminates the struggles within relationships."

5. CONNECTIONS
Other novels by Benjamin Alire Saenz: 

• He Forgot to Say Goodbye. ISBN 971416994343
• The Inexplicable Logic of My Life. ISBN 9780544586505
• Last Night I Sang to the Monster. ISBN 9781935955092

Other books with gay or LGBTQ characters for young adult readers:

• Last Seen Leaving by Caleb Roehrig. ISBN 9781250085634
• Openly Straight. by Bill Konigsberg. ISBN 9780545798655
• The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli. ISBN 9780062348708

When I was growing up, there weren't a lot of books that I read in high school with gay characters. There were equally few with any kind of racial diversity. It wasn't until I got to college that books like Aristotle and Dante were on my radar. I don't know if it's because they didn't exist or because my educational experiences put little emphasis on diverse books. 

As an adult and parent and educator, I understand that it is important to identify and respect people's choices about how they raise their children, but it is also inexplicable to me that groups of people in our country exist without any kind of understanding of people who have lives different from their own. Studies show that reading fiction teaches children empathy and understanding when discovering people different from themselves for the first time. It gives readers a broader window in which to view the world from and opens their minds and hearts to all of humanity. These books deserve to be in your library. Better yet, they deserve to be read. 

Take a look at your collection, is it diverse? How can you improve it? Look at the diversity of your classroom, does it reflect everyone in the room? Children need books they can relate to as well as books that push their boundaries. When was the last time you read a new book that was at the same level as your students or the children visiting your library? Is continued reading in your professional development plan? If not, it really should be. 

Summer is coming, make a list of children's books to read that may be outside of your comfort zone or different from typical canonized literature and discover a new author or series so that you can discuss and recommend books to your students and patrons more effectively. 

Review of The Crossover

1.  BIBLIOGRAPHY
Alexander, Kwame. The Crossover. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014. ISBN 9780544107717

2.  PLOT SUMMARY
Josh "Filthy McNasty" and Jordan "JB" Bell are the most skilled players on their middle school basketball team. The twins love the game, but are super competitive on their court and with each other. When JB begins a relationship with Alexis, and develops priorities other than basketball and his family, Josh does not know how to deal with the change in their relationship and acts out violently, causing Josh to lose his spot on the team and risk everything he has worked so hard for. 

3.  CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Chuck "Da Man" Bell is raising twin 12-year-old boys, Josh and Jordan, in his basketball image of greatness. They love the game and are highly competitive players on their middle school basketball team, but the boys are growing apart, as Jordan begins to focus on girls in a way that Josh can't contemplate —yet. 

In this moving free verse novel, author Kwame Alexander introduces readers to what it's like when the main focus of play in childhood shifts and changes our peer and family relationships in the most uncomfortable ways. The novel is told from Josh's perspective. In his poetry, he and his alter ego,"Filthy McNasty," are unstoppable on the basketball court. He is the only member of his team that can dunk the ball. He has the fastest, most dominant moves. Off the court, the twins' mother has reinforced that education comes first because basketball can't last forever. The family understands this fact firsthand, as Chuck's promising career was ended early due to knee injury and now, in his late 30's, Chuck is trying to live his life with his boys while balancing a scary heart condition. 

The poetry in Alexander's story is sharp, moving, and rhythmically aggressive, like Josh's moves on the court. In the poem "Conversation" Josh is direct with his father about his health issues. "In the car/ I ask Dad/ if going to the doctor/ will kill him./ He tells me/ he doesn't trust doctors,/ that my grandfather did/ and look where it got him:/ six feet under/ at forty five/" (p. 123). 

Alexander balances many coming-of-age themes including: competition, romance, team work, practice, and independence throughout the book. He also addresses common issues with being black in America, like when Chuck is pulled over for a broken taillight while taking Josh to a basketball game. His fame makes the uncomfortable stop more tolerable, but for the reader it resonates with the fear African Americans feel when they are often pulled over for driving while black. 

My favorite portrayal of the book though comes from the way Alexander has Josh describe both his mother, who happens to be his assistant principal, and her no nonsense way of putting school, health and family before basketball, and his descriptions of Alexis, his brother's girlfriend, otherwise known as "Sweet Tea," whom he likes because she's a basketball junkie, but also hates because her relationship with Jordan has created an emotional distance between the brothers. In the poem "Things I Learn at Dinner" you can feel the apprehension Josh feels about disliking Alexis. "She knows how to do a crossover./ Her AAU team won a championship./ She's got game./ ... She smells like sugarplum. She has a sister in college. HER SISTER GOES TO DUKE" (p. 172). 

Most of the book is set either at the twins' home or at their school or on the court at local schools and the gym. Alexander focuses on what brings people to their "Tipping Point" when, as adolescents, they have difficulty regulating their emotions, and how the action they take after emotional faltering is an important part of learning how to grow up. 

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S) and AWARDS
Newbery Medal Honor Book
Coretta Scott King Honor Award, 2015
School Library Journal Best Book, Middle Grade, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Best Book
An ALA Notable Children's Book, Older Readers, 2015

From Booklist
"An accomplished author and poet, Alexander eloquently mashes up concrete poetry, hip hop, a love of jazz, and a thriving family bond." 

From Kirkus Reviews
"This novel in verse is rich in character and relationships. Most interesting is the family dynamic that informs so much of the narrative, which always reveals, never tells."

5. CONNECTIONS
Other novels by Kwame Alexander: 

• Booked. ISBN 9780544570986
• He Said, She Said. ISBN 9780062118981

Additional books by Kwame Alexander:

• Crush: Love Poems for Teenagers. ISBN 9781499364781
• Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets. ISBN 9780763680947
• The Playbook: 52 Rules to Aim, Shoot, and Score in This Game Called Life. ISBN 9780544570979

Kwame Alexander has been a lot of things in his career: a former high school English teacher, a former radio show host, a music producer, but foremost, he is a poet and a writer. According to his website, Alexander has written 24 books and his characters are often wonderfully smart, strong and represent the complexity of social issues surrounding being black in America.

The Crossover is a wonderful access point for middle grade and middle school readers to discover the power of poetry in contemporary fiction, as well as gaining insight into the American experience of diversity outside of what is typical in canonized literature. 

Alexander's books do something not a lot of other authors have done. They connect the past with the present. They link non-fiction with fiction, and they use both to inspire and tell stories without being preachy or righteous. They cradle humanity while confronting bigotry in a real and honest way. An author study on Kwame Alexander is a win-win situation for any classroom. And if you're really lucky, you may even be able to get him to visit... 

Review of Roller Girl

1.  BIBLIOGRAPHY
Jamieson, Victoria. Roller Girl. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2015. ISBN 9780803740167

2.  PLOT SUMMARY
Astrid's mother takes her and her best friend Nicole to see a roller derby bout. Astrid is excited about the athleticism, the attitude, and the creativity of the sport, but her friend Nicole, does not share her enthusiasm, and they have a falling out. Astrid spends the summer in roller derby camp learning the basics of the sport while also learning more important lessons about friendship and how to be a team player. 

3.  CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Like most tweens, when 12-year-old Astrid's mother takes her and her best friend Nicole out for "an evening of cultural enlightenment" full of "strong, positive female role models," Astrid is afraid she's in for another long night of poetry reading or opera, but instead, her mother takes the girls to roller derby, and a passion in Astrid's heart awakens. She just knows she has to play roller derby, so she signs up for a summer camp. Much to her dismay, Nicole does not share her interest and it drives a large wedge in their relationship. Nicole befriends a girl named Rachel, whose very existence makes Astrid green with jealousy. Her feelings toward Nicole turn even uglier when Rachel begins to bully Astrid.

On the rink, Astrid realizes she has a lot to learn. She's a terrible skater. She doesn't have a lot of balance, coordination, or endurance. But she is compelled to continue, particularly when she seeks out the guidance of a professional player named Rainbow Bite. Rainbow Bite becomes her mentor and the two communicate through notes left in Rainbow Bite's locker. In addition, Astrid feels not quite so alone when she befriends another novice player, Zoey. The two of them train together and even color Astrid's hair blue (much to her mother's dismay).

By the end of the summer, Astrid realizes she's made progress as a player, but that it may or may not be enough to start as the "jammer" in the last bout of the summer. Children, particularly tweens, will identify with Astrid's difficulty managing relationships with her peers while she struggles with a sport that requires her dedication and patience as well as learning to be a supportive member of a team.

Jamieson does a wonderful job developing Astrid's psyche. Readers can identify with the anxious feelings that go along with trying to make your own way in the world. Specifically, Astrid struggles with lying to her mother, creative expression, hard work, physical and athletic development, emotional regulation, friendship building, feeling sorry for herself, a desire to be independent, dealing with bullies, and coping with the asynchronous development in regard to sexual maturity when Nicole and Rachel are clearly becoming more interested in spending time with boys, when Astrid is not. Any of those issues are difficult for a child, but Jamieson does a great job laying out all of the struggles over the duration of Astrid's summer camp experience, without the drama feeling like it is unnecessarily weighing the book down.

Astrid's humanity makes her an approachable character for everyone, even boys, or so says my 11-year-old son, who chose this as his favorite book of the year, and wrote a five paragraph essay about the themes of friendship and self-reliance for his language arts class.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S) and AWARDS
Newbery Medal Honor Book
Publishers Weekly Best Book
School Library Journal Best Book
Kirkus Reviews Best Book
Chicago Public Library Best Book
New York Public Library Best Book for Reading and Sharing
Texas Bluebonnet Book Winner 
An ALA Notable Children's Book, 2016

From School Library Journal
"While this graphic novel provides interesting information about the sport, at its heart is a story of friendship, exploring the tensions which test the girls' relationships as they move from childhood to adolescence. Astrid learns to be honest with herself, her mother, and her friends through a series of stressful events. The graphic novelist employs several excellent visual devices: angles to denote action and effective placement and space within panels. Jamieson's clever use of imagery is noteworthy." 

From Kirkus Reviews

"Jamieson captures this snapshot of preteen angst with a keenly decisive eye, brilliantly juxtaposing the nuances of roller derby with the twists and turns of adolescent girls' friendships. Clean, bright illustrations evince the familiar emotions and bring the pathos to life in a way that text alone could not." 

5. CONNECTIONS
Other books by Victoria Jamieson: 

• Olympig. ISBN 9780803735361
• Pest in Show. ISBN 9780803737013

Additional graphic novels with female, pre-teen protagonists:

• Chmakova, Svetlana. Awkward. ISBN 9780316381307
• Holm, Jennifer L. and Matthew Holm. Sunny Side Up. ISBN 9780545741668
• Telgemeier, Raina. Drama. ISBN 9780545436995

The last 10 years has seen an extraordinary growth in graphic novels for children ages 8-14. These books are both wonderful as a way to entice reluctant readers from picture books into longer books that require more endurance and as a phenomenal way to appeal to readers of all levels to engage with the art of illustration through more emotionally complex stories.

Graphic novels also offer children an excellent advantage to become more emotionally savvy. When a child reads words that describe emotion, they may not fully understand the impact of the description, but when the words correspond to a drawing, readers can zero in on the facial expressions of the characters. The art can also be critical for readers who process things visually, like children on the autism spectrum.

A great way to engage children is to have them try to create their own graphic story. Introduce children to india ink and brushes, art materials they might not usually use. They can draw panels and pictures and then use regular markers to color in, just like a real graphic artist. Also, plan a field trip to the roller rink. If it's possible, make a connection with your local roller derby team and see if they can come out and skate with the students. If a field trip isn't possible, be fun, wear skates to school, sport a blue wig and rainbow socks in solidarity with Astrid.

Astrid spent a summer completely outside of her comfort zone. That's a lot of what adolescence is -- not feeling comfortable while a great transformation takes place both physically and emotionally. Help children make that transition by recognizing how difficult the process can be and letting them know you are there for them.

Breaking Stalin's Nose Review

1.  BIBLIOGRAPHY
Yelchin, Eugene. Breaking Stalin's Nose. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2011. ISBN 9781250034106

2.  PLOT SUMMARY
His mother is dead, and they came to arrest his father in the night. So, 10-year-old Sasha Zaichik suddenly finds himself alone and homeless the night before he his supposed to be inducted into the Young Soviet Pioneers and be the proudest boy in Stalin's Soviet Union. Instead of panicking, he goes where he thinks he should be — school, and finds that no one and nowhere is safe in the only country he has ever known.

3.  CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Author Eugene Yelchin grew up in Communist Soviet Union in the 1960s before he immigrated to the United States, but his father lived in the Soviet Union during Stalin's rule and Yelchin dedicated this book to his survival. Yelchin's experiences and the experiences of his father shaped the setting, storyline and highly emotional reality of his main character, 10-year-old Sasha Zaichik, in Breaking Stalin's Nose.

Sasha and his father live in a communal apartment in Moscow. His father works for the government and Sasha attends school. When his father is arrested for being a traitor, Sasha believes there must be a mistake. As far as he knew, his father held a position of power and respect with Stalin's government, and Sasha is convinced if he approached Stalin, he would free his father. After his father is taken, another family kicks Sasha out of his room in the apartment. He runs to find comfort in his family, but Sasha's aunt and uncle are afraid that the government will arrest them if they take him in, and so Sasha is forced to sleep in the basement of his aunt's apartment building.

In the morning, he heads to school hoping that his father will have been released and will preside, as planned, over his induction into the Young Soviet Pioneers. A series of unfortunate events teach Sasha how naive he is about the state of his country, how no line exists between right and wrong, and that teachers, principals, government representatives and even children are all operating in a state of fear and paranoia that will imprison or kill a number of Soviet people during Stalin's rule. Sasha learns early that survival is paramount.

Yelchin takes readers on a two-day tour of hopelessness as Sasha's situation goes from bad to worse. His black drawings illustrate the cold unfairness of his situation. The sadness and progression into utter despair by Sasha and two of his peers may be hard for young readers to absorb, but does open the door for readers to consider what freedom really is and form a more considerate view of the perils children face all over the world due to corrupt governments and unstable political climates.

Yelchin offers the reader a number of access points including an author's note, photos and explanatory captions, as well as a question and answer section with the author.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S) and AWARDS
Newbery Medal Honor Book
Junior Library Guild Selection
Best Children's Book of 2011 by Horn Book Magazine
Best Children's Book of 2011 by The Washington Post
Top Ten Historical Fiction for Youth by Booklist, 2012
Finalist for California Book Awards, 2012
Editor's Choice by Historical Novel Society, 2011

From Publishers Weekly
"Through Sasha's fresh and optimistic voice, Yelchin powerfully renders an atmosphere of fear that forces false confessions, even among schoolchildren, and encourages neighbors and family members to betray one another without evidence. Readers will quickly pick up on the dichotomy between Sasha's ardent beliefs and the reality of life under Stalinism, and be glad for his ultimate disillusion, even as they worry for his future." 

From Wall Street Journal
"Mr. Yelchin has compressed into two days of events an entire epoch, giving young readers a glimpse of the precariousness of life in a capricious yet ever-watchful totalitarian state." 

5. CONNECTIONS
Other books by Eugene Yelchin: 

• Arcady's Goal. ISBN 9780805098440
• The Haunting of Falcon House. ISBN 9780805098457

Additional background material on Joseph Stalin and the Soviet Union:

• Archer, Jules. Man of Steel: Joseph Stalin: Russia's Ruthless Ruler. ISBN 9781634501774
• Hagen, Brenda. Joseph Stalin: Dictator of the Soviet Union. ISBN 9780756515973
• Morrell, Kathleen Berton. Russia. ISBN 9780679891185

Winston Churchill said, "Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it." Children may recognize the tactics Stalin's Soviet Union uses to give the illusion of choice for its people. This illusion is to choose to be with us or choose to be against us, which isn't much of a choice at all, but if you've grown up in the land of the free and the home of the brave, you may not have a firm understanding of what a dictatorship is.

By further studying the history of the Soviet Union and Russia and biographies about Stalin, children can build an understanding of warning signs and concerns related to authoritarian rule. Having students debate between democracy and dictatorship, so they can understand why both exist in the world will require further research and engagement from the whole class. It will also introduce concepts like checks and balances, the First Amendment, and the power of Nationalism.

Review of One Crazy Summer

1.  BIBLIOGRAPHY
Williams-Garcia, Rita. One Crazy Summer. New York: Amistad, 2010. ISBN 9780060760885

2.  PLOT SUMMARY
Three sisters travel from New York City to Oakland, California, to visit their estranged mother in 1968. The girls must learn how to navigate a new city without the help of their seemingly distant and unreliable parent, whose connections to the Black Panther party and life as a revolutionary poet during the Civil Rights Movement end up being the lifeline that tethers them to their mother. 

3.  CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In 1968, three sisters, Delphine, in fifth grade, Fern, in fourth grade, and Vonetta, in second grade, are sent from the only home they've ever known with their father and grandmother in New York City to spend the summer with their mother, Cecile, in Oakland, California.

Cecile is not a warm person. She doesn't cook. She doesn't hug. And she makes it clear that she doesn't want the girls there: "I didn't send for you. Didn't want you in the first place. Should have gone to Mexico to get rid of you when I had the chance" (26-27).

Not only was it an unwelcoming greeting to the girls, who don't really remember their mother, but it was a vital introduction that Williams-Garcia gives the reader into the realities of American life in the late 1960s with harsh reality that to end a pregnancy women had to travel to Mexico pre-Roe v. Wade to get a medical procedure.

Cecile lives in a house down the street from a Black Panther center, where the girls are able to get a free breakfast every morning and learn about social justice in a Black Panther program that was run like a day camp. The girls were taught by Sister Mukumbu about how the goal of living was to improve the situation for all subjugated people. "Revolving. Revolution. Revolutionary. Constant Turning. Making things change," she tells the class (72). Historical figures like Huey Newton and Che Guevara are taught. Williams-Garcia also makes references to other important civil rights leaders including, Dr. Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Bobby Hutton, Cassius Clay, and the Kennedys.

Oakland is a strange new world for the girls. Cecile gives them money for Chinese food every night, and Delphine grows up fast realizing that without a stable parent in place, she will need to take on the role of mother. The kids fend for themselves in the neighborhood against bullies, who don't like that little Vonetta carries a white-colored doll in their predominantly black neighborhood. Delphine's innate ability as a caretaker shines through as an affront to her mother's revolutionary lifestyle. "She probably hated my father's plain face on me. That the plain way about him was the plain way about me. I didn't know about blowing dust and clearing paths. I knew about hot-combing thick heads of hair and ironing pleated wool skirts for school" (76).

Delphine rises for the sake of her sisters, and in doing so learns from the Black Panther camp the benefits of activism, the strength of her blackness, and how to reach her mother's heart through recognizing her sacrifice and struggles with being "woke" in a time when white people in San Francisco took pictures of the three little black girls like they were animals in a zoo.

Williams-Garcia poured a lot of historical framework into One Crazy Summer, but it's the highly tenuous and authentic relationship between the girls and their mother that ties the book together. Williams-Garcia acknowledges many of her influences and role models when she wrote the book, including, Nikki Giovanni, Gwendolyn Brooks, and the Black Panther Intercommunal News Service, etc.

Children today may also realize how much less responsibility and freedom they have to wander than children growing up in earlier generations had at a much younger age. Cecile's history of homelessness and poverty shine a light on the social inequity and racism upon which America was founded and that bigotry and racial oppression that continues to thrive in our country generation after generation.

Williams-Garcia made me loves these girls. Their ability to endure discomfort and uncertainty and stand up for family and community makes One Crazy Summer a noble and thoughtful read about a critical time in American history that still resonates today with the efforts of the Black Lives Matter movement and the social justice action of the Southern Poverty Law Center and the American Civil Liberties Union. I am excited that she wrote two sequels to the book and that the girls' stories live on.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S) and AWARDS
Newbery Medal Honor Book
National Book Award Finalist for Young People's Literature
Coretta Scott King Award Winner, 2011
Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction

From School Library Journal
"Emotionally challenging and beautifully written, this book immerses readers in a time and place and raises difficult questions of cultural and ethnic identity and personal responsibility." 

From Kirkus Reviews
"The depiction of the time is well done, and while the girls are caught up in the difficulties of adults, their resilience is celebrated and energetically told with writing that snaps off the page." 

5. CONNECTIONS
Other books featuring Delphine and her family by Rita Williams-Garcia

• P.S. Be Eleven. ISBN 9780061938641
• Gone Crazy in Alabama. ISBN 9780062215895

Other historical fiction chapter books about African American life in the United States:

• Curtis, Christopher Paul. The Watsons Go to Birmingham — 1963. ISBN 9780385382946
• Draper, Sharon M. Stella by Starlight. ISBN 9781442494985
• Taylor, Mildred D. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. ISBN 9780142401125

In the book, Cecile is a powerful poet. Her emotional connection to her art teaches her children that words have meaning, particularly through poetry. Reread Cecile's poem at the end of the book, and have children try their hand writing a poem about their lives. What important words do your students have to say about their own histories and things they see going on in the world that effect them?

For additional resources and historical information on black history in the United States, be sure to explore museums in your area. Museums are a great place to see about forming connections related to historical exhibits. For example, in Austin, where I live, we are home to the Lyndon B. Johnson presidential library, which has many exhibits and additional information on the Civil Rights movement. In addition, the Smithsonian and the U.S. Library of Congress have a number of materials and exhibits online, if field trips are not an affordable option for your school or library program budgets.

Review of Lily's Crossing

1.  BIBLIOGRAPHY
Giff, Patricia Reilly. Lily's Crossing. New York: Delacorte Press, 1997. ISBN 0385321422

2.  PLOT SUMMARY
Lily and her grandmother travel to their summer cottage while Lily's father, an engineer, is headed overseas to help the Allies in World War II. Lily spends her holiday in what feels like the same quiet summer town she has always known while the rest of the world is in utter turmoil. 

3.  CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The year is 1944 and Lily is in fifth grade. She feels stifled by her traditional Catholic school upbringing and cannot wait until summer arrives. Every summer her family heads to Rockaway Beach on the Atlantic to her grandmother's summer home to enjoy ocean breezes, fishing and swimming. But this year is decidedly different for Lily. World War II has made her best friend's family relocate from Rockaway Beach to a war town. Her father, an engineer, is headed overseas to help the war effort, and Albert, a young refugee boy from Europe, moves in with her neighbors.

Giff says in her "Dear Reader" letter at the end of the book that Lily's summer town of Rockaway Beach was inspired by her own summers on the Atlantic. She captures the emotional effect of the war on the small town community, as people pull down blackout shades at night in case German pilots cross the Atlantic and attack America, the bakery hangs "Loose Lips Sink Ships" signs to discourage talking about possible tactical maneuvers, and even Lily feels the need to scold her mailman when he engages her in conversation about what her father might be working on overseas with the military.

With her father absent, and her mother deceased, Lily lives with her grandmother, who she has a love/hate relationship with. Lily has a hard time seeing her Gram as anything other than a disciplinarian. "Lily couldn't picture it, couldn't picture Gram skinny, and swimming all the way across Jamaica Bay... she had a braid to her waist, and she was a seal in the water" (47).

In the true tradition of the time, Lily focuses on simpler things in life. She plays outside all day, visits the library, sneaks into picture shows, and listens to the radio with her Grandmother. Giff portrays Lily accurately as a pre-teen girl, with her purse and lipstick, who hates to practice the piano, returns library books late, and buys day-old cookies at the bakery out of politeness to appease the owner's desperation over the lack of supplies, like butter and sugar, during war time to run her business.

But Lily also has a problem with lying. She recognizes it as a personality flaw, and also part of her affection for creative writing, but she cannot seem to keep her stories contained. Her lies to Albert about someday sneaking onto a boat headed to Europe to find her father inspire him to attempt to return to Europe to find the family he was forced to leave behind. After all, if Lily could do it, couldn't he? Her lies compel the story's climax and risks the life of her only friend, who has already lost so much.

Lily is a highly relatable little girl. Giff portrays her as being very self-aware of her flaws and, therefore, she is very easy for readers to identify with. Stuck between childhood and impending adolescence, Lily is looking for her place in a world that is ripping itself apart. Giff handles the hometown concerns of war with care and tenderness and without being too scary for middle grade readers.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S) and AWARDS
Newbery Honor Award, 1998
ALA Notable Children's Book, 1998
Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book

From School Library Journal
"History is brought to life through Giff's well-chosen details and descriptions...Giff's well-drawn believable characters and vivid prose style make this an excellent choice." 

From Publishers Weekly
"Exceptional characterizations and a robust story line turn this WWII homefront novel into far more than a period piece." 

5. CONNECTIONS
Other historical fiction books by Patricia Reilly Giff:

• Maggie's Door. ISBN 9780440415817
• Nora Ryan's Song. ISBN 9780440418290
• Water Street. ISBN 9780440419211

Other historical fiction books about World War II for children ages 10+:

• Farrell, Mary Cronk. Irena's Children: A Young Reader's Edition. ISBN 9781481449915
• Park, Linda Sue. When My Name Was Keoko. ISBN 9780547722399
• Wolk, Lauren. Wolf Hollow. ISBN 9781101994825

Oftentimes American children focus on their own country's influence on World War II, forgetting that it is a world war and that it affected children globally. Reading historical fiction can create a bridge based on empathy for children of other cultures who were also impacted by the war. In addition, helping children to see a scope of emotions outside of their own time can inspire thoughtfulness about where the world is headed and what kind of caring adult they may want to grow up to become. Though adults might not want to admit it, between age 10 and 12, children often get a real sense of how unsafe their world actually is. Fiction books about anxiety, fear, loss and personal growth can help children cope with those emotions as they are undoubtably what makes us human. How does one continue with life after they survive a Concentration Camp? How does one deal with being an orphan? How did all of this pain and separation of families start with hate for those who are different from ourselves, and what can be done to prevent such atrocity in the future? How can these stories be related to current world events?

The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus Review by Dana G. Williams

1.  BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bryant, Jen. The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus. Grand Rapids, Mich: Eerdmans Books for Young People, 2014. ISBN 9780802853851

2.  PLOT SUMMARY
An informational picture book on the extraordinary life of Peter Mark Roget who had the spirit of a scientific explorer and loved to classify the words he learned from his life experiences into an organized thesaurus for all.  

3.  CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Author Jen Bryant's collaboration with illustrator Melissa Sweet is a beautiful picture book on the life of and important contributions that Peter Mark Roget made in science, medicine, and informational organization. The book is a chronological account of Roget's life, and Bryant's clear and fluid writing makes it perfect for younger elementary aged students. Not only that but Roget's lifelong love of learning presents as a wonderful role model for children and adults alike. Bryant's research into his life reveals a smart, loving man with a desire to find "the right word."

Sweet's use of illustrations feel like a scrapbook and welcome young readers into Roget's life almost as an image-based timeline. Her artistry makes his classification system, extraordinary life experiences, and love for words stand out.

I have to admit that I never gave much thought to how the thesaurus came to be, and I've been using one since fourth grade. But I was surprised to learn how Roget's Thesaurus wasn't his great life achievement, instead it was a book created as a the result of his lifelong commitment to education and his accolades and successes in the fields of science and medicine. For example, Bryant's timeline of important dates and happenings in Roget's life is presented with other important world events. Her extra notes and sources teach readers how Roget wrote for Encyclopedia Brittanica and also wrote the first scientific paper on optical illusion. The extra access points will appeal to readers who want to know more than what the prose conveys. The bibliography, suggested readings, and sources back up Bryant's research, while the notes by the author and illustrator give important background into how and why the artists created this award-winning book.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S) and AWARDS
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal
Caldecott Honor Book 2015
CLSC Young Reader's Selection for 2015
Kirkus Prize Finalist 2014
NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book 2015
School Library Journal Best Books 2014
Texas Bluebonnet Master List 2015-2016
ABC Best Books Catalog
Horn Book Magazine Best Books of 2014
Junior Library Guild Selection
SCBWI Golden Kite Award for Illustration

From Horn Book
"Bryant's linear telling follows Peter closely, expressing his curiosity, sensitivity, and populist spirit in language that is both decorous and warm." 

From Kirkus Review
"Bryant's prose is bright and well-tuned for young readers. She goes gently, omitting Roget's darkest traumas...Exemplary back matter includes chronology, author's and illustrator's notes, selected bibliography, suggested reading, quotation sources, and a photograph of one of Roget's manuscript pages." 

5. CONNECTIONS
Other books by Jen Bryant:

• A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams. ISBN 9780802853028
• Six Dots: A Story of Young Louis Braille. ISBN 9780449813379
• A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippen. ISBN 9780375867125

Other books for early elementary school students to discover the power of lists and organizing information:

• Ash, Russell. Fantastic Book of 1001 Lists. ISBN 9780789434128
• Foresman, Scott. Roget's Children's Thesaurus. ISBN 9780673651372
• Thermes, Jennifer. Charles Darwin's Around-the-World Adventure. ISBN 9781419721205

By kindergarten, children start to learn that written words have power whether it's writing grocery lists or hall passes or birthday wish lists. In the case of Roget, he used his lists to collect and organize words because he loved them. In Darwin's case, he needs to record the scientific information he collected and his observations while traveling the world.

With younger elementary students creating a class list of favorite foods, chores to do, and books that they've read can show them how to create and organize mini databases on paper. In addition, older students who are independent writers might be interested in creating their own book of lists or putting together a vocabulary journal based on words they learn at school, in their every day lives, or from the books they are reading.