Module 10 The Devil's Arithmetic

Summary: This story is about a young girl named Hannah who is not thrilled to take part in her family's Seder dinner.  All of a sudden, she finds herself traveling back in time to Poland during the 1940's.  She takes on her Hebrew name, Chaya, and is experiencing the horrific events of the Holocaust that she had heard about  from her relatives. Once she is transported back to present day, Hannah has a new found respect for her Holocaust surviving relatives.

Yolen, J. (1988). The Devil's arithmetic. New York, NY: Puffin Books.

My Impressions: I have always been fascinated by stories that depict the hardships of anything having to do with the Holocaust and the unjust treatment of the Jews.  I cannot for the life of me wrap by mind around the fact that this went on for so long and how others stood by an let it happen.  I think ever since reading Anne Frank's Diary at a young age, I have been drawn to this terrible history.  I really enjoyed the perspective that the author used in this book. She does an amazing job of letting the readers see the Holocaust through a young child's point of view.  There is just enough historical fiction and science fiction that kept me thoroughly engagedthrough out the entire book. Overall, it is a beautifully sad story.


Professional Reviews:

"The Holocaust was so monstrous a crime that the mind resists belief and the story must be made new for each individual. Yolen's book is about remembering. During a Passover Seder, 12-year-old Hannah finds herself transported from America in 1988 to Poland in 1942, where she assumes the life of young Chaya. Within days the Nazis take Chaya and her neighbors off to a concentration camp, mere components in the death factory. As days pass, Hannah's own memory of her past, and the prisoners' future, fades until she is Chaya completely. Chaya/Hannah's final sacrifice, and the return of memory, is her victory over the horror. The book's simplicity is its strength; no comment is needed because the facts speak for themselves. This brave and powerful book has much it can teach a young audience. (Ages 10-14)."

[Review of The Devil's Arithmetic]. (1988, October 14). Publisher's Weekly. Retrieved from http://www.titlewave.com/search?SID=4b32f2cb7e1e87368fe5b0b1612cbe42

Library Use: This book would be an excellent book to read when discussing the events that occurred during the Holocaust.  It would be perfect to do a compare and contrast between this book and Anne's Frank Diary.

Module 9 The Face on the Milk Carton

Summary:  Janie is just a normal teenage girl living a fairly normal life, that is until she makes a shocking discovery.  She sees her face from twelve years ago on the back of a milk carton saying that she had been kidnapped. How could this be?  This leads Janie to start questioning her life, her parents, and her past.

Cooney, C. B. (1990). The face on the milk carton. New York: Detacorte Press.

My Impressions: I thought this book was hard to relate to for me and for its targeted audience since I don't even think people buy milk in cartons anymore and they definitely don't feature pictures of missing kids this way anymore. I didn't dislike the book, but didn't love it.  I enjoyed reading about Janie falling in love with Reeve, but was disappointed with the lack of suspense. And I'm  still neutral on how the author concluded the story with her actually been kidnapped and the people who raised her never searched for Janie's real family.

Professional Review:

One brief glance at a face on a milk carton turns 15-year-old Janie's life upside-down. For there, looking out from the picture of a missing child, is the face of Janie as she was 12 years ago. Was she kidnapped by her own parents? But who are her real parents and who is she? Follow Janie as she struggles to learn the truth of her identity and regain control of her life without destroying the lives of those she loves.

 [Review of The Face on the Milk Carton]. (n.d.) Charlotte Mecklenburg Library. Retrieved from http://www.plcmc.lib.nc.us/readers_club/reviews/tresults.asp?id=1054

Library Use: I think it would be interesting to have student discuss in groups on how a teenager in present day would go about finding out if he or she had been kidnapped.  Students could then write a short mystery about it.

Module 8 The Hunger Games

Summary: Katniss lives in a post apocalyptic world that once was North America, but is now made up of 12 districts that are ruled by the Capitol.  At one point district 13 rebelled against the Capitol and lost its battle. In order for the Capitol to remind the rest of the districts of this failed attempt, every year 2 children from each district  between the ages of 12-18 are chosen to fight to the death in the annual Hunger Games. This year, Katniss Everdeen's little sister is chosen at the reaping to be the female tribute, but Katniss volunteers herself to go instead.  Now she must do everything in her power to stay alive to keep the promise she made to her little sister, even considering taking the life of the boy from her district, Peeta, that once saved her life.

Collins, S. (2008).  The hunger games.  New York, NY: Scholastic Press.

My Impressions:  I was so glad to have finally get to read The Hunger Games series.  I had heard wonderful reviews about them and knew that the movie was not too far from being released.  It is now probably one of my favorite YA books that I have ever read.  Collins did an amazing job creating an amazing heroine living in world full of sadness and despair, but also given the reader glimpse of hope that everything was going to work out.  This series sucked me right in and didn't let go until the last page of Mockingbird was read.  Even now, I still have the urge to pick up the book again and read the whole series just one more time.  If you are craving entertainment, this book meets those expectations and then some.

Professional Reviews: 
Survivor meets "The Lottery" as the author of the popular Underland Chronicles returns with what promises to be an even better series. The United States is no more, and the new Capitol, high in the Rocky Mountains, requires each district to send two teenagers, a boy and a girl, to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a reality show from which only one of the twenty-four participants will emerge victorious -- and alive. When her younger sister is chosen by lottery to represent their district, Katniss volunteers to go in her stead, while Peeta, who secretly harbors a crush on Katniss, is the boy selected to join her. A fierce, resourceful competitor who wins the respect of the other participants and the viewing public, Katniss also displays great compassion and vulnerability through her first-person narration. The plot is front and center here -- the twists and turns are addictive, particularly when the romantic subplot ups the ante -- yet the Capitol's oppression and exploitation of the districts always simmers just below the surface, waiting to be more fully explored in future volumes. Collins has written a compulsively readable blend of science fiction, survival story, unlikely romance, and social commentary.

[Review of The Hunger Games]. (2008, September). Hornbook. Retrieved from http://www.titlewave.com/search?SID=4b32f2cb7e1e87368fe5b0b1612cbe42

Library Use: Since this book and the whole series is full of excitement and suspense, it would be great to have students create book trailers for each one.

Module 7 There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom

Summary: Bradley is somewhat of a bully and is constantly telling lies.  Because of this behavior, he has a hard time fitting in.  Things begin to change for Bradley after he meets the new school counsellor, Carla. 

Sachar, L. (1987). There's a boy in the girls' bathroom. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf.

My Impresssions: I really enjoyed reading Bradley's transformation from bullying smaller children in order to make himself feel better into a maturing more responsible child.  Louis Sachar, once again, does not disappoint.  I think this is a great book for boys 3rd-6th.

Professional Review:
"An unlikely protagonist, Bradley Chalkers is a friendless, lying, insecure bully who is the oldest boy in his fifth-grade class. In this humorous novel that tells of Bradley's learning to like himself and to make friends, Sachar ably captures both middle-grade angst and joy. Bradley's triumph comes through the friendship of a new boy at school and the help of the new school counselor. Readers, like the astute counselor, can see the strengths that Bradley has, and will cheer at his minor victories and cringe at his setbacks along the way. The story is unusual, witty, and satisfying, if not always believable: a few incidents just do not work...et Bradley's need for acceptance even as he holds back from classmates who might mock or hurt him is genuine, and his eventual success will gratify readers." — David Gale

[Review of There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom]. (1987, April 1). School Library Journal.  Retrieved from www.schoollibraryjournal.com

Library Use: This book would be great for a book talk where students can discuss the story elements, compare and contrast Bradley's character from the beginning of the story to the end, cause and effect, etc...