Please post on your choice reading in this category. Remember, you are reading like a media specialist, so it is not about your personal likes and dislikes. Include in your post:
No plot summaries and no spoilers please. Failure to follow that rule will result in revocation of your authoring rights, guaranteed!!
a. Audience for whom the book is written
b. Audience to whom it will appeal (might differ from a.)
c. Particular strengths of the book
d. Particular weaknesses of the book
e. Any special considerations (artwork, curriculum links, community values, beliefs espoused, etc)
f. And, in the School Library Journal’s format: Your verdict, supported with details
No plot summaries and no spoilers please. Failure to follow that rule will result in revocation of your authoring rights, guaranteed!!
“Del Toro Moon” by Darby Karchut
ReplyDeleteA) Ages 11+
B) Great for 11-15 year-old boys and girls or higher intermediate readers and up who like adventure, a little bit of gore, a Western setting and magic. Rare book featuring Hispanic main characters in a fantasy setting.
C) The action starts in the very first chapter which will grab reader’s attention and draw them in. One of the biggest strengths of this book is the vivid variety of characters, from talking Andalusians with distinct personalities, to the family dynamics between a single dad, big brother and little brother. There is adventure and a little bit of mystery along with magical creatures so it has appeal to a wide amount of children’s likes in reading material.
D) While Matt was well-developed with the first person point of view, there are more details that would be good to know about the father and older brother. Also, some more depth of setting or deeper history of the modern-day knights and how the Del Toro family got started in the business.
E). This book is important because it represents an under-served population by having Hispanic main characters be involved in a Western fantasy story. According to the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, in 2017, out of 3700 children’s books published only 6% had a Latino main character. Studies show children identify most with characters who look like themselves and it is hard to find a book with Latino characters that is just pure fun and fantasy with no theme of immigration.
F) Full of adventure, magic, talking horses, modern-day knights, horrendous-looking, evil creatures, archaeological digs while lightly touching on the serious subjects of death of a loved one, being the odd one out, and prejudices against those we see as different, this fun, galloping adventure is a must-have for any middle school and junior high library.
Would you say this book is both a western and a fantasy? Amazon is classifying it as both being about horses and a fantasy. Interesting combination! I see the author has more information about the book available on her Website, including a teaching guide: https://www.darbykarchut.com/--1/
ReplyDeleteYes, I would call it a Western fantasy, due to the magical nature of the creatures the main characters fight. It has a touch of horror also as the descriptions of the "skinners" are pretty graphic. The Del Toro family is portrayed as modern-day knights and cowboys and it takes place in southern Colorado so the setting is very vivid. The author actually sent me a signed personalized copy of the book because I was raving on so many social media sites about the portrayal of a Hispanic family in a magical setting with no political agenda. Just one or two brief mentions of immigration or any of the typical "tired" themes of Hispanic literature.
DeleteMy Choice Book was “Game Seven”
ReplyDeleteA) As a media specialist, I believe the author wrote this book for middle and high school students, to share a unique part of Cuban and American history and culture.
B) As a media specialist, I think this book would appeal to middle and high school students, but also older elementary students who are interested in sports. I would recommend this book to any students who enjoy sport books or historical fiction. I would also recommend it to any social studies teachers who are teaching about the Cold War in relation to Cuba.
C) The book is a fast-paced adventure with an emphasis on family and sports. It presents something students are very familiar with, baseball, and provides context that few students know about, the Cuban dictatorship. Students who normally would not choose historical fiction will be attracted by the baseball theme. The author is able to tell a complicated story about family loyalty and hard decisions through baseball.
D) While the fast-paced nature of the story is engaging, the last third of the book becomes slow and the conclusion is abrupt leaving many unanswered questions. The baseball theme of the story has a satisfying ending. However the family theme of the story leaves readers in suspense.
E) This book provides a window into historical events through a popular American pastime, baseball. As a media specialist, I would use this book to collaborate with social studies teachers to explore the era of Cuban dictatorship, the Cold War, and the topic of immigration.
F. VERDICT: By combining a popular topic, baseball, with a less popular topic, Cuban dictatorship and immigration, this book will appeal to students who enjoy sports books and allow them to also explore historical fiction. Students will be able to learn about a topic that is still relevant today while enjoying a baseball story. Definitely worth adding to an elementary, middle, or high school collection.
Do you think this book would pair well with Enchanted Air (Poetry) that was discussed this semester? That one is also about Cuba.
DeleteOh my goodness, yes!!! I found so many similarities between these two books. I didn't realize what a strong "historical" theme this book would have, but both books portray the theme strongly.
Deletea. Audience for whom the book is written: middle grades
ReplyDeleteb. Audience to whom it will appeal: middle grades and up
c. Strengths: Well written-full of depth. I actually liked this book so much that I did not take notes while reading it because I did not want to stop reading. This book is set in 19th century Victorian England. The conflict between the bible (or one’s faith-which is ironically the daughter’s name) and The Origin of Species is evident. Women’s roles are well described as solely to serve their husbands. New ideas in science and evolution play an interesting role in the story line, especially since the daughter wants nothing more than to be a natural scientist, but propriety does not allow such a position. Faith, a strong, teenage, female protagonist, learns that the plant her father was so secretive about feeds off of lies and reveals secrets through the fruit it bears. Can Faith learn the truth about the events that have been happening? Her family’s livelihood rests on whether Faith can find the truth in time.
d. Weaknesses: I can honestly find no weakness in The Lie Tree. If I must come up with something, there is minor violence such as a person found dead, a person thrown in a pit, a rat bite, and a boy injured in a rabbit trap, but none of these scenes graphically describe the violence.
e. Special considerations (artwork, curriculum links, community values, beliefs espoused, etc)
Curriculum Links: The science teacher could require this book when studying The Origin of Species to show how at that time Darwin’s theories went against everything people believed in. A perfect example of historical fiction.
Awards: 2015 Costa Book of the Year (United Kingdom prestigious literary award), Booklist Top 10 Books for Youth 2016-Historical Fiction, The Kirkus Prize 2016 Nominee-Young Readers, ALA Notable Books for Children Nominee–Summer 2016-Fiction, SLJ’s Best Books of 2016-Young Adult, Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2016-Young Adult, National Public Radio’s Guide to 2016 Great Reads, Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2016-Teen, Booklist 2016 Editors’ Choice-Books for Youth-Older Readers-Fiction, ALSC Notable Children’s Books 2017-Older Readers, YALSA 2017 Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults, Los Angeles Times Book Prize 2017 Finalist-YoungAdult Literature, 2016 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Winner-Fiction, Andre Norton Award for Excellence in Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy-2016 Finalist, CILIP Carnegie Medal Shortlist for 2016, Booklist Carte Blanche- Columnist’s Choice 2016, 2017 USBBY Outstanding International Book List, Grades 9–12
f. VERDICT: This book should be in my high school library (7th-12th grade) for those students that love a good mystery as well as students who enjoy fantasy and historical books. I am putting it in my order list as I write this. “Choose a lie that others wish to believe.”
The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge
DeleteI cannot believe the amount of awards this book won! Fantastic!
Delete"The Running Dream"
ReplyDeleteWendelin Van Draanen
A. “The Running Dream” was written for students in grades 6-12.
B. I would recommend this book to any student 6th grade and up. Students with physical disabilities and those interested in track and running will be especially inspired by the story.
C. Readers follow Jessica, a junior in high school that is involved in a tragic bus accident that results in her losing her leg. Jessica is a star runner on her high school track team so she is especially disheartened when she realizes she will probably never run again. The story follows Jessica as she goes through physical therapy and gets fitted with a prosthesis. Jessica befriends Rosa, a student with cerebral palsy who encourages her to dream big and helps her get caught up on her school work. With a new perspective, Jessica realizes how overlooked Rosa and other students with disabilities are. She decides to do something big to recognize Rosa and help her to achieve a dream of her own. Readers will walk away from this book with a better understanding of the emotional and physical challenges faced by many individuals that are differently abled.
D. One concern about this book is the speed Jessica heals and reaches her goals. The timeline is a little hard to believe and may frustrate some that have been through similar experiences.
E. This title won the 2012 Schneider Family Book Award. The author mentions at the end that she met with a prosthetic expert, people that experienced amputation, and individuals with cerebral palsy and when writing the story. There are several scenes in the book that describe the physical therapy and process of getting fitted and adjusted for her prosthetic leg in detail. It is evident that the author took care to write about the experience accurately.
F. VERDICT: An excellent addition to any 6-12 collection. Students will walk away with an appreciation of the challenges differently abled individuals face, and the value in seeing past a disability to appreciate each individual.
It was evident that this book was well researched. I hadn't thought about it before, but you are correct, this book and Jessica's healing happened at a convenient pace which may not be realistic, but it fit the story arc well. Loved the short chapters!
DeleteI really enjoyed reading Jessica's thoughts as she healed physically but also emotionally from the loss of her leg. This book was hard for me to put down!
DeleteMy choice book was Montana 1948 by Larry Watson
ReplyDeleteA. None of the sources I have looked at stated specifically an age range for this book, just YA-Adult
B. I would not recommend this book for anyone under ninth grade as there is extremely mature content in this book. There is vulgar language, suicide, rape, and a lot sexual innuendo.
C. In this book 12-year-old David tells the story of his family in Montana in 1948. David’s father is the town sheriff and has to arrest his brother, Frank, the town doctor, for raping Native American women he treats. David's grandfather was also once the sheriff so the family is very prominent and well-respected. When Marie Little Soldier, the housekeeper for David’s family falls ill and does not want Uncle Frank to treat her it is revealed that Frank has a reputation as a rapist of Native American women. David's father investigates and then Marie dies unexpectedly, and David reveals information that leads his father to suspect that Frank had something to do with the death. There is a huge family fall-out and some page turners that cannot be revealed! This book has mystery, action, and is a well-written account of what life could have been like in the west in 1948. It is hard to put the book down as the reader wants to find out what happens. At the same time, the reader sympathizes with what a moral dilemma the family faces.
D. There is vulgar language and some very honest sexual content. There is a rich vocabulary used that some readers will struggle to understand. Even I had to look up some words! It sometimes is too dark and descriptive such as when they talk about Frank inserting objects and his penis into the Indian women. Women are portrayed as they would have been thought of in that era and there is talk about their tits and nipples.
E. It won The Milkweed National Fiction Prize, The Mountain & Plains Bookseller Association Regional Book Award, and was named one of the best books of 1993 by Library Journal.
F. This honest, conscience searching, page turner belongs in a high school library and will appeal to those students who like action, mystery, and stories about the wild west.
WOW! Thanks for the head's up on the mature content in this book.
DeleteI chose to read the adventure story Never Say Die by Will Hobbs for adventure/westerns/sports/mysteries. The book follows Nick Thrasher, a teenager with an Inuit mother and a white father he has never met. He is very much a part of his Inuit community and culture, since that is all he has grown up knowing. Early in the book, his older half-brother from the United States, a National Geographic photographer, invites him on a dangerous boat trip down the remote Firth River, and danger and excitement ensue. The back cover of the book states that it is intended for readers aged eight to twelve. I believe it has a strong potential to appeal to older readers as well, though it is unlikely to be appropriate for children younger than eight due to its length and some very scary situations. Even for an adult, this was a quick but genuinely enjoyable and educational read. It will have special appeal for readers who like a fast-paced story and love nature and animals.
ReplyDeleteThe book’s greatest strengths are its exciting plot and well-researched setting. It is difficult to put the book down, and the thrills begin right from the first chapter. The world of Nick’s Inuit family and culture are carefully portrayed and it is obvious that the author did research to make them as accurate as possible. Real places and modern science are represented in a way that is relevant to the story and characters. Weaknesses include relatively underdeveloped characters, though the book portrays them as practical people who are too busy with the business of survival to talk much about their feelings, and some implausibly dramatic scenes. There is also one moment of frightening gore involving a bear attack that readers might like to be forewarned about. The book has great potential for tying into curriculum conversations about climate change and its effects on animals, habitats and indigenous cultures. There is also some interesting detail about animal behavior and how animal populations in the wild are tracked by scientists. It’s a plot-heavy, quick read with simple sentence structure and fairly easy vocabulary, which makes it a perfect fit for reluctant readers. VERDICT: This book is a will appeal to struggling readers and teach them about science while telling a thrilling adventure story. For these reasons, it is a must-have for any middle school library.
I have only read one other book by Will Hobbs, but I think he is GREAT! It's so good to have a good adventure story to recommend to students who are eager to read.
DeleteMy Choice book for Adventure, Westerns, Sports, Mysteries was Bellweather Rhapsody, by Kate Racculia
ReplyDeleteA-I believe that the intended audience for the book is high school and older
B-I believe that the book appeals to the audience that was intended by the author.
C-The main strength of the book are in the story’s diverse characters and setting. The character driven plot reflects the comparison online to other Agatha Christie novels. There are many diverse and uniquely written characters that are all somewhat related to each other. The mystery of the novel is also twisted by the character’s flaws and memories which are not to be completed trusted. The setting of the mystery is the hotel in which the novel is based. The description of the setting sets the stage for a perfect YA mystery. It is creepy in some ways but just sad in other ways as an old, past its prime hotel could be.
D-A weakness of the book is its list of characters and side characters and their narration of the story. At times, it felt while reading that the voice of the alternating narrators was unclear who was narrating. Since there were so many points of view in the narration, it could be easy to be confused if a reader was new to the mystery genre.
E- A special consideration is that there are references to Agatha Christie and the Shining. Also since the mystery took place during a music festival for high Schoolers, it may automatically turn off non-musical readers. There are many references to different composers and music arrangements. As a school media specialist, I would try to have some of these pieces available for readers to listen to and a pile of Agatha Christie or similar books to pass to readers that enjoyed the book.
F-VERDICT-Bellweather Rhapsody is a great mystery for high school readers that would like to explore a mystery. It isn’t typically frightening but does have some intriguing twists that make you want to reread the book as soon as you finish it! Since so many YA mysteries tend to the scary, this is a great twisty addition to the shelves.
Shannon, you make a good point about this book's genre. It is mystery and at times suspenseful, but not in a scary/creepy sort of way. Students who like mysteries, but not horror, would definitely enjoy this book!
DeleteYou mention the multiple characters and connections to Agatha Christie. She often would have a "cast of characters" of sorts at the beginning of her novels.
DeleteI hadn't thought about it, but I agree with you: this book may not appeal to those who are not into music.
“Bellweather Rhapsody” by Kate Racculia
ReplyDeleteA) This book was written for high school students.
B) Bellweather Rhapsody would appeal to 8th grade students through high school; especially mystery lovers and music students.
C) The plot keeps the reader guessing what is going on. The ending of the book winds everything up nicely.
D) Bellweather Rhapsody can be slow moving at times. The teacher, Mrs. Wilson, is odd and shows teachers and the value schools give to students’ safety in a negative light.
E) ALA Alex Award Winner. Lends itself to discussions regarding mental health and homosexuality.
F) VERDICT: Bellweather Rhapsody is a mystery that keeps the reader guessing. It has some feeling of a ghost story at times as well as a “who-done-it.” The middle of the story does drag at times, but the ending picks up and gets more exciting. It does get wrapped up nicely at the end of the book. If you’re looking for a good book to add to your mystery collection, it is a good one but it’s not a must-have book if your mystery section is already fully stocked.
This book was slow at points, which made me think that only hard core mystery fans would keep with one. But if you are a hard-core mystery fan, this one is a modern gem!
DeleteCan you see how this book could have a curriculum tie-in since it addresses climate change?
ReplyDeleteMy Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George. An oldie but a goodie!
ReplyDeleteA: Written for younger adult readers, grades 4th/5th-9th grade.
B: Audience who it would appeal to: younger boys, kids who are outdoorsy, kids who value their independence.
C: Strengths: Sam is extremely adventurous and independent, resiliant, and resourceful. He learns to live off the land and spends a year fending for himself and finding companionship from a few human and animal friends, learning from them. The story ignited my curiosity and childhood mind. The story is easy to read and follow and could appeal to struggling readers.
D: Weaknesses possible that the story is a bit naive, even for a highly adventurous story as this.
E: Special considerations: My Side of the Mountain would be a fun read aloud for a survival type class, or with readers who love being outdoors. Maybe for readers who do NOT think they like being outdoors but who are still kids and should go outdoors! Written in the late fifties, this book was often challenged for it’s possible “suggestions” that children would want to run away from home.
F: Verdict: even though this is an older title, this book is still relevant for adventurous, young, independent minds. Sam learns that even though he is seaking his independance, he still yearns for companionship and friendships from the animal and human friends he meets.
This was Valerie's post by the way. It entered me as unknown again for some reason?
DeleteI'll have to check this one out as well! There is a new genre of books called cli-fi. I'm not sure who "started" it, but I heard about it last summer at a climate education workshop I attended. An interesting way for readers to be exposed to a very important type of science facing our future. Great post, thanks!
ReplyDelete