STAAR test Fun

Yeah, I know...my title seems like an oxymoron. But, I do what I can to make it fun...this time, for the teachers.
I wanted to do something special to for my teacher friends to ease the STAAR stress. Also, monitoring our little beans for 4 straight hours can be grueling. So, after searching online and on the great Pinterest. I decided to copycat and tweak a teacher survival it as seen here. Rather than a beginning of the year teacher's survival kit, I decided to call it the STAARVIVAL KIT!

I added little stickies with dumb notes on them, to maybe make them smile while they are pacing...bored to tears...

Anyway...just thought I'd share my STAAR fun...see? No oxymoron.

Module 15: Draw Me a Star

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Summary

This is a story of creation. It begins with an artist drawing a star and that star which moves on and asks to draw a sun and on to humans and even more of a modern scene. This could be considered a story of creation. 

APA Reference

Carle, E. (1992). Draw me a star. New York, NY: Penguin Putnam Books. 

My Impressions

I thought the pictures and stories were beautiful in Draw Me a Star. Though some may be taken back by the nudity of the humans in the middle. This is probably the main concern for it to be on the censored or challenged book list. 

Professional Review

In this large, brightly illustrated picture book, an artist draws a star, which asks him to draw a sun, which asks him to draw a tree, which asks him to draw a man and a woman . . . and so on. There are biblical overtones, with the man and woman next to the tree looking like Adam and Eve before the Fall, but within a few pages the house is built, the tulips are up, and the scene becomes modern, from houseplants to clothes. Soon, the night asks the artist to draw a moon, and the moon requests a star, bringing the text full circle. Then there’s a switch. A drawing lesson demonstrates how to make an eight-pointed star. Next, the artist’s star carries him, floating Chagall-like, across the dark, star-spangled sky. On the last page, Carle addresses a letter to his “Friends” describing how his grandmother showed him how to draw a star while reciting a nonsense rhyme, and how his trip on a shooting star inspired this book. The illustrations, in Carle’s signature style, are collages of painted, torn, and cut papers. A free-spirited, original offering. (Reviewed Sept. 15, 1992)— Carolyn Phelan
Phelan, C. (1992). Booklist. 


Library Uses
Draw Me a Star could be used to show children how fingerpainting in the illustrations can be done even by a grown up illustrator.

Module 14: For Laughing Our Louder

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Summary

A book of poems that are silly and fun for all ages. Animals play as the main character in most of the poems. 

APA Reference

Prelutsky, J. & Priceman, M. (1995). For laughing out louder. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf.

My Impressions

I read this book to my 3rd graders as well. They love poems. It has made up words and made up ideas that are sure to "tickle your funny bone" as the cover of the book states. 

Professional Review

Prelutsky and Priceman repeat the successful combination of For Laughing Out Loud (1991) with nonsense verse from many poets and bright, slapstick illustrations. Much is visceral, literally (“I’m very grateful to my skin / For keeping all my insides in” ), with lots about smells, foods, and all kinds of bodily distortions and dislocations. Some verses fade out, with forced rhyme and blah repetition; but there’s plenty of silliness in wordplay and situation to show kids that language can be fun. Lilian Moore’s “I Left My Head” is wonderfully surreal; there’s the same deadpan tone in X. J. Kennedy’s “The Vacuum Cleaner’s Swallowed Will.” The poets in this anthology relish the sounds of words (“Down in Patagonia / A walrus caught pneumonia / From playing its trombonia / While swimming all alonia.” “ ). Everyone will have a favorite to read aloud. (Reviewed January 1 & 15, 1996)— Hazel Rochman

Rochman, H. (1996). Booklist.

Library Uses

This is a great introduction to poems and how they can relate to stories with rhyme. 

Module 13: Tales from Outer Suburbia

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Summary

Tales in Outer Suburbia is just that. It is one book with many short imaginative tales. The beginning is a tale of a water buffalo in the middle of an empty lot, he doesn't talk. He only points passers by in the correct direction if they ask. Another tale is of a foreign exchange student (who is not human). He comes and is inquisitive about the small things in the country. Each tale contains an element that is out of the ordinary but riveting. 

APA Reference

Tan, S. (2008). Tales fom outer suburbia. New York, NY: Arthur A. Levine Books. 

My Impressions

Shaun Tan definitely has a different approach, or better yet an imaginative mind. His books are always original. It always leaves the mind to wonder, did something like this really happen somewhere? You really have to follow along every page to think deep about what the story is about. I generally enjoy Shaun Tan's illustrations above his writing.

Professional Review

After teaching the graphic format a thing or two about its own potential for elegance with The Arrival (2007), Tan follows up with this array of 15 extraordinary illustrated tales. But here is an achievement in diametric opposition to his silent masterpiece, as Tan combines spare words and weirdly dazzling images—in styles ranging from painting to doodles to collage—to create a unity that holds complexities of emotion seldom found in even the most mature works. The story of a water buffalo who sits in a vacant lot mysteriously pointing children “in the right direction” is whimsical but also ominous. The centerpiece, “Grandpa’s Story,” recalling a ceremonial marriage journey and the unnameable perils faced therein, captures a tone of aching melancholy and longing, but also, ultimately, a sense of deep, deep happiness. And the eerie “Stick Figures” is both a poignant and rather disturbing narrative that plays out in the washed-out daylight of suburban streets where curious, tortured creatures wait at the ends of pathways and behind bus stops. The thoughtful and engaged reader will take from these stories an experience as deep and profound as with anything he or she has ever read.
— Jesse Karp

Karp, J. (2008). Booklist.

Library Uses

Students can write a tale from their neighborhood and add an out of this world fictional character. 

Module 12: Starry Messenger

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Book Summary
Starry Messenger is told in a story format of Galileo Galilei's life as a philosopher. It begins with Galileo as a boy and his great intellect. He went to great schools and had big ideas about the earth and it's placement in the universe. Galileo went on to create what is now called a telescope to look at the stars. This is where he discovered the earth was not the center of the universe. Every page includes actual documentation from Galileo's journals and book, The Starry Messenger. The book details Galileo's trial against The Church, which disagreed with his philosophy. It is said that it was years later that The Church went back and claimed Galileo was right all along.




                     
APA Reference


Sis, P. (1996). The Starry Messenger: Galileo Galilei. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.


My Impressions


In my opinion, Starry messenger could be considered part biography and part autobiography. Though, it is classified as biography for juvenile literature, much of the book contains actual words from Galileo. I definitely believe this book is on a higher elementary reading level as far as Galileo's words. Some of my 3rd graders struggled with it because most of the text was in cursive script. The main storyline was easily read by my 3rd graders since it was in plain text. But, I believe for the reader to truly get the gist of the story they should read both texts (cursive and print). The storyline is very basic as far as the plain text, and probably wouldn't make for an extremely interesting story if it weren't for the illustrations. I found myself looking for Galileo in each illustration. Overall, I learned something new and enjoyed the book. I plan to keep it in my classroom a bit longer to see some of my other students thoughts.


Professional Review
Sis celebrates the life, ideas, and genius of Galileo in a picture book that achieves a brilliance of its own. Relating events in Galileo’s life, the book offers a sense of the world in which he lived and makes readers understand why his work was dangerous to the church and ultimately to himself. Large, beautiful drawings reflect the ideas, events, books, maps, world view, and symbolism of the times. These intricate ink drawings, idiosyncratic in concept and beautifully tinted with delicate watercolor washes, are complemented by smaller drawings and prints that illustrate a side-text of significant dates, time lines, quotations, comments, and explanations. These are printed in cursive and sometimes in serpentine or circular shapes that force the reader to turn the book around to make out the words. Without a doubt, this unusual picture book will attract an audience of adults who appreciate the art of Sis as well as the legacy of Galileo. The questions of whether children will be drawn to the book and what they will take away are more problematic, since the text and illustrations will be more rewarding for a reader who already has some knowledge of Galileo and the period. Still, those drawn to the book will find that it works on many levels, offering not just facts but intuitive visions of another world. An original. (Reviewed October 15, 1996)— Carolyn Phelan

Phelan, C. (1996). Booklist. 

Library Uses


It is most likely that this book will be used with students researching an invented, scientist, or mathematician. Though, it can be used for research in the field of the beginnings of science and our knowledge of the Earth's place and involvement in the universe.
























                       

Module 11: Living Color

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Summary

Steve Jenkins takes the colors red, blue, yellow, green, orange, purple, and pink to organize animals by their color. Each animal comes includes a picture and what makes that animal special. 

APA Reference

Jenkins, S. (2007). Living color. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company. 

My Impressions

I particularly enjoy the colorful illustrations and the fact that they are not photographs but actual paintings of animals. I believe children will enjoy the facts about the animals. I personally can not pull my 3rd graders away from non-fiction/informational books.  Something about the thrilling and out of the ordinary facts about animals and insects. 

Professional Review

It’s difficult to imagine a science topic better suited to picture-book form than this one, which offers a pageant of the most stunning, vividly hued creatures on the planet. For children somewhat older than Jenkins’ usual readership, this book opens by explaining that bright coloration goes beyond mere decoration: “If an animal is very colorful, it is likely that its brilliant skin, scales or feathers somehow help it stay alive.” Arranged by color, subsequent spreads feature a rainbow of animals rendered in Jenkins’ celebrated cut-paper style. Each picture is accompanied by a paragraph of nicely distilled information, most effective when it specifically links color to survival tactics such as camouflage, mating, or the repulsion of predators. An accessible afterword explaining more about coloration is followed by a pictorial appendix that includes approximate sizes for the book’s 66 creatures (the preceding depictions are not to scale, allowing Jenkins to lavish full attention on even the fingernail-size pygmy seahorse). From the pink fairy armadillo to the purple deep-sea dragonfish, readers will be fascinated by the panoply of critters that often seem the stuff of fairy lore, and educators will applaud the clever concept of presenting survival adaptations as a biological fashion show.
— Jennifer Mattson

Mattson, J. (2007). Booklist. 

Library Uses

Students can research the fact about the animals and com are it to other books that have the same animal or insect. 

Module 10: The Hallelujah Flight

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Summary

Banning and Allen are two men trying to fly their small plane from the west coast to the east coast. Though many think they are out of there minds, they are determined to do it. They make it across but only with the help of others along the way. Anyone who helps them with food, gas, or repairs can take part in the hallelujah flight by signing their name on the wing of the plane. 

APA Reference

Bildner, P. & Holyfield, J. (2010). The hallelujah flight. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons.

My Impressions

The Hallelujah Flight shows many aspects of the hard times in the 1930's. Banning and Allen go through trials along the flight, some trials being as bad as prejudice, where they are asked to leave the town. But, their spirits along the way are always bright and thankful, shouting words such as hallelujah! 

Professional Review

In 1932, James Banning was the first African American to complete a transcontinental flight. Told from the viewpoint of his young copilot and mechanic, Thomas Allen, this dramatic picture book relates of their historic journey, in which they flew in a small plane from Los Angeles to New York in 21 days. Unframed, double-page paintings show the pair close-up in the cramped cockpit as they fly over the Grand Canyon and head into storms, the propeller whirring, while the ground passes not too far below. Some locals help, showing “the kindness of family and friends,” but the dramatic pictures also reveal the prejudice the pilots encountered when they are refused use of washrooms and restaurants. Finally, they reach New York and receive a hero’s welcome in Harlem. Along with the drama of the pioneer flight, kids will also enjoy the irreverent fun of the Flying Hoboes in their “flying jalopy.” The story of the pilots’ bonding is as memorable as the breakthrough flight. An introductory author’s note offers cultural and historical context.

— Hazel Rochman
Rochman, H. (2010). Booklist.


Library Uses
Students can study the history of those that have traveled monumental distances across, the U.S., the world, and even into space. 

Module 9: The 39 Clues: Book One ,The Maze of Bones

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Summary

Amy and Dan are part of a family that comes with power and money. But, now that their grandmother has died, they have the option to take $1 million dollars or the 39 clues. 

APA Reference

Riordan, R. (2008). The 39 clues: The maze of bones. New York: NY, Scholastic, Inc. 

My Impressions

I've had students in the past who have loved these books. I think that is why I was drawn to read it. It took a while for me to get into it though. But, once I got into it, it was quite enjoyable. It moved much faster than the beginning. 

Professional Review

In a bold leap forward in marketing strategy, this first book in the 39 Clues series introduces readers to what promises to be a sensational mix of reading, online gaming, card-collecting, and even a grand-prize sweepstakes. The premise of the book: Grace Cahill, matriarch of the world’s most powerful family, dies and leaves behind a challenge to her descendants. They can either inherit one million dollars, or forgo the money and receive the first of 39 clues that will lead them on an around-the-world adventure in search of, well, that’s a secret. But it’s an earth-shattering secret, and with 10 books planned for the series (each by a different author), it had better pay off in the end. Riordan, who has plotted the main arc for the series, gets the ball rolling nicely with likable brother-and-sister heroes, a cast of backstabbing relatives, and a smattering of puzzles and clues to decipher in the quest for the ultimate secret. Whether this intriguing book represents the first major event in a shifting world of publishing, or is simply a clever money- and attention-grabbing ploy remains to be seen, but it will be fascinating to see what kids make of it. (Library edition does not include game cards).

— Ian Chipman

Chipman, I. (2008). Booklist.

Library Uses

It would be interesting for the students to explore and see that occasionally you will get a book series that is not all by the same author. This series is just that. The students can do a online scavenger hunt to find the other authors and locate them in the library. 

Module 8: Alcatraz Vs. The Evil Librarians

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Summary

Alcatraz is teenaged orphan and just finding out that he has a grandparent alive in which he has inherited his clumsiness from. On his thirteenth birthday, Alcatraz had a bag of sand delivered that was supposedly his inheritance. Alcaraz goes to The Hushlands (the library) to find his answers and several obstacles stand in his way, including the librarians.  

APA Reference

Sanderson, B. (2007). Alcatraz versus the evil librarians. New York, NY: Scholastic Press. 

My Impressions
I think this book was alright. It's great for those kids who love the fantasy world. I chose this one specifically for "librarians" being in the title. I can see many kids loving the book for its humor. d 

Professional Review

Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson

Alcatraz vs. The Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson is, hands down, my favorite Sunshine State Book of the year. This book is just fun and perfect for middle grades and teen readers! The humor in it is tinged with adolescent sarcasm, and has Lemony Snickett-esque warnings and asides to the reader sprinkled throughout the story. I will definitely being looking for more books from this author, and I hope that the series will continue to be as enjoyable as this first book.


Summary: Alcatraz Smedry has spent his life shuffling from one foster home to another thanks to his uncanny ability to break things. In his latest home, he has just caught fire to the kitchen when some even more shocking and destructive events suddenly take over his life.

Alcatraz escapes a man attempting to kill him and joins forces with a crazy man who claims to be his grandfather in order to claim his inheritance, which he had both received and had stolen in the same day. Alcatraz discovers that he is one in a long, distinguished line of Smedry family members who are Oculators (a job that involves wearing some very powerful glasses) with Talents, and the family business is….well, it’s a little hard to explain.

Basically, the world as you, dear reader, know it is ruled by a vast librarian cult who controls the populace by controlling the information we have access to. Librarian-controlled lands are, appropriately enough, called the Hushlands. The Smedry family, along with other freedom fighters, is working to prevent the librarians from taking over the remaining Free Kingdoms.

Alcatraz’s inheritance, a bag of very special sand that his father has painstakingly collected over the years, must be retrieved from the librarians before they can create lenses with it – for the lenses created could have untold powers! Can Alcatraz, his grandfather, and a few other brave souls infiltrate the library and recover the sands before they can be used against the Free Kingdoms? Are dinosaurs really British? And what is up with the random repetition of “rutabaga?” And how can being late be considered a life-saving talent? Read Alcatraz vs. The Evil Librarians to find out!

Library Uses
This one would simply be good to set out in a section about librarians. I think students enjoy reading books about the person who runs the library in which the checked the book out from. 

Module 7: Umbrella Summer

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Summary

Annie's brother died in the most unexpected way. One day he came home from getting hit by a hockey puck and just a few days later he is dead from an unseen heart disorder. Annie now is doing everything in her power to stay alive. She is reading every medical book she can get her hands on, she is wearing a helmet while walking down the street. Everyone except Annie thinks she is being a little extreme, even her best friend has had enough. The house across the street from Annie is about to be occupied again by an older lady. Annie and her best friend have always wondered if the house is haunted, but now that her best friend is out of the picture, it's up to Annie to solve the mystery. In the end, Annie finds a friend, Mrs. Finch who helps her dig herself out of the I-am-going-to-die-at-any-moment phase. 

APA Reference

Graff, L. (2009). Umbrella summer. New York, NY: HarperCollins Children's Books. 

My Impressions

This was a tear jerker for me. In fact, I laughed and I cried. The sadness of Annie losing her brother is very relatable to a young child who may have lost a sibling or a friend. It shows the many sides of trying to cope with death. Everyone deals and adjusts to it differently. This is another book where a child finds a friend in an adult, much like Frindle and Dead end in Norvelt. The wisdom of Mrs. Finch seems to strike a chord with Annie. It also helps that Mrs. Finch is struggling with the loss of her husband and the two find that variable to bring them closer. 

Professional Review

Nine-year-old Annie knows that bad things can happen even if you’re careful. Her older brother Jared died even though he went to the doctor. So now she is extra careful. Annie pores over a medical encyclopedia, wears a helmet in the car, preemptively wraps her ankles for bike rides, and never roller-skates down the hill with one eye closed the way she and Jared loved to do. A fight over the funeral of her best friend’s hamster leaves Annie even more alone, but she finds an unlikely friend in the new neighbor, Mrs. Finch, who lends her Charlotte’s Web, reveals that she is a recent widow, and helps her learn to “close the umbrella” that she has put up to shield herself since Jared’s death. Annie grapples with what to do to mark Jared’s approaching birthday, and together with his best friend, Tommy, they find a fitting tribute to joyfully remember Jared. This tender book about love and loss benefits from Annie’s quirky personality, which lightens the serious tone.
— Heather Booth

Booth, H. (2009). Booklist. 

Library Uses

Umbrella Summer is an excellent book to recommend to students who have recently dealt with death. The message of the umbrella could be moving for a child who has been putting up walls in order to deal with a problem. 

Module 7: Frindle

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Summary

Nick is the mastermind of his 5th grade class. By the end of Frindle, Nick becomes the mastermind of the country. It all begins with Mrs. Granger's English class. She's known for her love for the dictionary and her two plain suits, which she wears everyday. After being told words are made up by humans and can become a word when a person says they are word, Nick's master plan to change the word pen to frindle spreads like wildfire. Even a local town businessman has begun making pens named Frindle's. But, Mrs. Granger will not allow it. It becomes like a game. Only one can win. Mrs. Granger or Nick and all the others now calling a pen a frindle. Finally, once all the hype has died down and 10 years have passed, Nick is rich and a resolution between he and Mrs. Granger have come to the surface. 

APA Reference

Clements, A. (1996). Frindle. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Edition. 

My Impressions

I read this one to my 3rd grade class this year. They now call a pen...yep...you guessed it. A frindle. I love the comparison to a chess game. It evoked a great deal of conversation with my students as some are in the chess club on campus. This book show's students that they have the potential to make changes in the world no matter what their age is. I loved the connection to college, as he had his fund available by the time he was 21 years old. Frindle shows Nick having good character even when he started a revolution in which all who take part do not always show good character. 

Professional Review

Ten-year-old Nick Allen has a reputation for devising clever, time-wasting schemes guaranteed to distract even the most conscientious teacher. His diversions backfire in Mrs. Granger’s fifth-grade class, however, resulting in Nick being assigned an extra report on how new entries are added to the dictionary. Surprisingly, the research provides Nick with his best idea ever, and he decides to coin his own new word. Mrs. Granger has a passion for vocabulary, but Nick’s (and soon the rest of the school’s) insistence on referring to pens as “frindles” annoys her greatly. The war of words escalates--resulting in after-school punishments, a home visit from the principal, national publicity, economic opportunities for local entrepreneurs, and, eventually, inclusion of frindle in the dictionary. Slightly reminiscent of Avi’s Nothing but the Truth (1991), this is a kinder, gentler story in which the two sides eventually come to a private meeting of the minds and the power of language triumphs over both. Sure to be popular with a wide range of readers, this will make a great read-aloud as well. (Reviewed Sept. 1, 1996)— Kay Weisman

Weisman, K. (1996). Booklist.

Library Uses

Students can create words or learn more about the origin of words. 

Module 6: Thunder-Boomer!

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Summary

The book Thunder-Boomer! is about a a young family who encounters a thunderstorm. The family immediately begin seeking shelter all the while the reader is able to hear the sounds from different forms of onomonopia. For example, the sounds of the storm are heard on the roof and outside in the form of words such as, "Zzzzt!, C-r-a-a-a-ck!, and Swish-wack!" Finally, after the whole family are safe inside the storm clears out. The family reemerges to the outdoors to everything back to normal except a new family pet, which in turn receives the name Thunder-Boomer. 

APA Reference
Crum, S. (2009). Thunder-boomer! New York, NY: Clarion Books.

My Impressions
My favorite parts of Thunder-Boomer! are the animals in the illustrations. The wide variety of animals on the farm include a dog,  a kitten, and a chicken surprisingly comes into the house during the storm, balks and all. Kids will love the page in which dad's underwear go flying out into the storm. Honestly, the illustrations alone make the book. The rain, flying debris, and worried expressions on the character add to the realistic moment in the heat of a storm.

Professional Review

One hot day, a farmer plows while his wife, children, and dog sit beside the pond. When a thunderstorm threatens, they hurry home, gather the laundry in off the line, bring a pet chicken into the house, and settle in to watch the lightning flash and feel the thunder shake the house. Hail threatens the corn and the metal roofs, but soon the storm ends. Going out to assess the damage, they find a wet kitten shivering near the shed and decide to give him a home. The evocative text and expressive illustrations work well together here, creating a strong sense of the storm sweeping across the land and an even stronger sense of how this good-natured family handles challenges and surprises. Opening the story in eight wordless pictures before the text begins, Thompson uses watercolor, gouache, pastel, crayon, and collage to create scenes charged with energy and human interest. This fine-tuned, occasionally funny picture book re-creates the satisfying drama of a summer storm.

— Carolyn Phelan

Phelan, C.(2009). Booklist. 

Library Uses
Thunder-Boomer! is a great opportunity to show students how to use onomonopia in their on individual writing. 

Module 5: Ship Breaker

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Summary

Nailer, the main character in Ship Breaker lives in what we would call the future. This is a time where oil is scarce and everyone wants it. In fact, this is Nailer's job. He goes into old oil tankers and searches for pockets of oil that can be retrieved and given to his leader. Nailer later is left after a hurricane hits the area and has to make a choice to rescue a survivor or take the treasure for his own. 

APA Reference

Bacigalupi, P. (2009). Ship Breaker. New York, NY: Hachette Book Group.

My Impressions

I don't understand what makes this book a young adult book other than the characters are young adults. There are lots of mature ideas, not bad ideas or not suitable for young adults necessarily. But, even though I greatly enjoyed the book I don't see a young adult loving it as much as me. Futuristic books are a hit these days, such as The Hunger Games Trilogy. It's definitely a good read, and I would recommend this!

Professional Review

This YA debut by Bacigalupi, a rising star in adult science fiction, presents a dystopian future like so many YA sf novels. What is uncommon, though, is that although Bacigalupi’s future earth is brilliantly imagined and its genesis anchored in contemporary issues, it is secondary to the memorable characters. In a world in which society has stratified, fossil fuels have been consumed, and the seas have risen and drowned coastal cities, Nailer, 17, scavenges beached tankers for scrap metals on the Gulf Coast. Every day, he tries to “make quota” and avoid his violent, drug-addicted father. After he discovers a modern clipper ship washed up on the beach, Nailer thinks his fortune is made, but then he discovers a survivor trapped in the wreckage—the “swank” daughter of a shipping-company owner. Should he slit the girl’s throat and sell her for parts or take a chance and help her? Clearly respecting his audience, Bacigalupi skillfully integrates his world building into the compelling narrative, threading the backstory into the pulsing action. The characters are layered and complex, and their almost unthinkable actions and choices seem totally credible. Vivid, brutal, and thematically rich, this captivating title is sure to win teen fans for the award-winning Bacigalupi.
— Lynn Rutan

Rutan, L. (2010). Booklist.

Library Uses

This book would be good for researching the use of oil and its use as a natural resource. Why is it so important that we have it? Why would it be so valuable if we were to run low on it.

Module 5: The Blacker the Berry

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Summary

The Blacker the Berry is a book of poems related to different types of berries and how they can be compared to different shades of skin. Each poem features a berry and a shade of skin. The Blacker the Berry has won The Coretta Scott King Award.

APA Reference

Thomas, J.C., & Cooper, F. (2008). The blacker the berry. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.

My Impressions

The poems in The Blacker the Berry seem to cover every berry possible as well as every shade of African-American skin tone. I can see where this book could be loved by those who have different colors of skins tones. Children can be so cruel these days, and this would be a great way to show the diverse populations among our nation. In fact, when I set this book aside during our library time to check it out later, one of my students saw it and snagged it before I could. 

Professional Review
Black comes in all shades from dark to light, and each is rich and beautiful in this collection of simple, joyful poems and glowing portraits that show African American diversity and connections. In the title poem, a smiling girl says, “Because I am dark, the moon and stars shine brighter.” Other pages have fun with terms, such as skin deep andnight shade. A grandma turns “Coffee will make you black” from a warning into something great. A boy is proud to be raspberry black as he reads his great-great-grandmother’s journal about her love for her Seminole Indian husband. A girl says she is “cranberry red” from her father’s Irish ancestry. In the final, joyful double-page spread, the kids celebrate their individual identities and laugh together. Many families will want to talk about this and their own family roots: “We count who we are / And add to all who came before us.” — Hazel Rochman


Rochman, H. (2008). Booklist.
http://www.booklistonline.com/The-Blacker-the-Berry-Joyce-Carol-Thomas/pid=2497065

Library Uses
The Blacker the Berry would be an excellent choice during Black History month to read to students. A discussion as to why we celebrate it could also evolve from the conversations. Students could then write there own poem related to their own skin tone.

Module 4: Dead End in Norvlet

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Summary

Dead End in Norvelt revolves around a young buy, Jack Gantos. He lives with his family in the town of Norvelt. Jack has found himself grounded for the entire summer as he shot his father's Japanese war gun without permission and also cut down his mother's corn field at his father's request. Jack's mother was always up to finding something for him to do. Norvelt was full of elderly people one in particular, Miss Volker. Miss Volker has a horrible case of arthritis and is in charge of writing the towns obituaries. Therefor, Jack's mom see's him fit to help her out. In the end, Jack learns a lot about the town of Norvelt and even has Miss Volker cure Jack of his nose bleeds. Jack learns how to be a man from his elderly friend. 

APA Reference

Gantos, Jack ( 2011). Dead end in Norvlet. HArrisonburg, VA: D&M Publishers, Inc. 

My Impressions

I enjoyed this book. I love books that show children with good character. Yes, sometimes Jack would break the rules, but he was always respectful to the adults in his life. Even on Jack's birthday he could have disappointed in not getting much for his birthday, but he didn't. He appreciated that his parents wanted to show him how to be a better person. The time period was not usual in most books a kid reads these days. It takes place after the war when times are tough. Jack always finds a way to get by. 

Professional Review

Looks like a bummer of a summer for 11-year-old Jack (with a same-name protagonist, it’s tempting to assume that at least some of this novel comes from the author’s life). After discharging his father’s WWII-souvenir Japanese rifle and cutting down his mom’s fledgling cornfield, he gets grounded for the rest of his life or the rest of the summer of 1962, whichever comes first. Jack gets brief reprieves to help an old neighbor write obituaries for the falling-like-flies original residents of Norvelt, a dwindling coal-mining town. Jack makes a tremendously entertaining tour guide and foil for the town’s eccentric citizens, and his warmhearted but lightly antagonistic relationship with his folks makes for some memorable one-upmanship. Gantos, as always, deliver bushels of food for thought and plenty of outright guffaws, though the story gets stuck in neutral for much of the midsection. When things pick up again near the end of the summer, surprise twists and even a quick-dissolve murder mystery arrive to pay off patient readers. Those with a nose for history will be especially pleased.

— Ian Chipman

Chipman, I. (2011). Booklist. 

Library Uses

This book reminds me some of another popular book released in 2011, Okay for Now. I think students could make a comparison with Okay for Now and Dead End in Norvelt. Both are about a boy finding himself in a small town.