Bibliography
Klages, Ellen. The Green Glass Sea. New York: Scholastic Inc., 2007. ISBN: 9780545036139
Plot Summary
In 1943, eleven-year-old Dewey Kerrigan lives with her scientist father in Los Alamos, New Mexico, as he works on a top secret government program, and befriends an aspiring artist who is a misfit just like her
Critical Analysis
Dewey Kerrigan’s mother is dead, her grandmother who she has been living with is no longer healthy enough to take care of her, and her father, a mathematician, is to busy working on a top secret project for the government and can’t spare the time to collect Dewey from the neighbor who is temporarily taking care of her. it’s 1943 and Dewey at 10 years old is put on a train to travel across the country to New Mexico by herself. During the trip we learn that Dewey is mechanically oriented and is designing a radio. Because of this she is disliked by the other girls in Los Alamos. She eventually becomes friends with Suze when she is sent to live with the Gordon’s when her father has to go to Washington.
This story of friendship, loss and belonging is set against the backdrop of the making of the atomic bomb. Klages adds authenticity to the stories setting with carefully chosen dialog such as calling the refrigerator and ice box and food choices like Ovaltine warmed on the stove. Authentic, historically significant characters, McKibbin, Feynman and Oppenheimer, also make appearances throughout the novel. The book would be a good companion story to those studying WWll and the atomic bomb.
Awards and Excerpts
Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, 2007 Winner United States
Quill Award - 2007 Nominee
Locus Award - 2007 Nominee
Nene Award - 2007 Nominee
Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award - 2007 Nominee
Maine Student Book Award - 2007 Nominee
School Library Journal review excerpt: “Many readers will know as little about the true nature of the project as the girls do, so the gradual revelation of facts is especially effective, while those who already know about Los Alamos's historical significance will experience the story in a different, but equally powerful, way”
Booklist review excerpt: “The novel occasionally gets mired down in detail, but the characters are exceptionally well drawn, and the compelling, unusual setting makes a great tie-in for history classes.”
Connections
Other Books by Ellen Klages:
White Sands, Red Menace, 2008. Sequel to The Green Glass Sea
Portable Childhoods, 2007
Additional reading about the Manhattan project and Los Alamos, NM:
American Prometheus, 2005 by Kai Bird
The Manhattan Project : the birth of the atomic bomb in the words of its creators, eyewitnesses, and historians, 2009 by Cynthia C Kelly.
The Ultimate Weapon : the race to develop the atomic bomb, 2007 by Ed T. Sullivan.
Bibliography
Schmidt, Gary D. Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy. New York: Clarion Books, 2004. ISBN: 0618439293
Plot Summary
In 1911, Turner Buckminster hates his new home of Phippsburg, Maine, but things improve when he meets Lizzie Bright Griffin, a girl from a poor, nearby island community founded by former slaves that the town fathers, and Turner's, want to change into a tourist spot
Critical Analysis
It’s 1912 and 13 year old Turner Buckminster and his family have just moved to Phippsburg, Maine from Boston where Turner’s father in the new minister of the First Congregational Church. Turner has a hard time fitting in. Everything is different, they even play baseball differently in Maine. Then one day Turner meets Lizzie, an African-American girl from nearby Malaga Island. Lizzie teaches him how to play Maine style baseball, how to harvest clams, and takes him out in her boat to watch the whales. Everything changes when the town elders plan to boost the town’s economy with tourism and decide that the African-American community of former slaves on Malaga Island needs to be removed. Through a series of tragic events we witness the growth of Turner from the miserable boy who first arrived into a thoughtful, compassionate young man.
This novel is based on the true story of the removal of the residents of Malaga Island and Schmidt does a good job building credible characters that touch the reader’s emotions. It is a tragic story of greed and power. There is no happily-ever-after, but I believe readers will connect with the honesty of the characters and story.
Awards and Excerpts
John Newbery Medal, 2005 Honor Book United States
Lupine Award, 2004 Honor Book Maine
Michael L. Printz Award, 2005 Honor United States
Thumbs Up! Award, 2005 Honor Book Michigan
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award, 2005-2006 ; Nominee; Vermont
Garden State Teen Book Award, 2007 ; Nominee; Fiction Grades 6-8; New Jersey
Isinglass Teen Read Award, 2005-2006 ; Nominee; New Hampshire
Maine Student Book Award, 2005-2006 ; Nominee; Maine
Sequoyah Book Award, 2007 ; Nominee; Young Adult; Oklahoma
Virginia Readers' Choice Award, 2007-2008 ; Nominee; Middle; Virginia
Volunteer State Book Award, 2006-2007 ; Nominee; Grades 7-12 (YA); Tennessee
West Virginia Children's Book Award, 2006-2007 ; Master Booklist; West Virginia
Young Hoosier Book Award, 2006-2007 ; Nominee; Middle Grades; Indiana
School Library Journal review excerpt: “Schmidt's writing is infused with feeling and rich in imagery. With fully developed, memorable characters and a fascinating, little-known piece of history, this novel will leave a powerful impression on readers.”
Booklist review excerpt: “Schmidt weaves history into a powerful tale of friendship and coming-of-age, adding a lyrical sense of the coastal landscape. Characters are drawn without reverence in this haunting combination of fact and fiction that has a powerful and tragic climax”
Connections
Other Books by Gary D Schmidt:
Okay For Now, 2011
Trouble, 2010
The Wednesday Wars, 2007
Straw Into Gold, 2001
Gary D. Schmidt based his novel on true events. Do your own research and learn more about Phippsburg, Maine and Malaga Island.
Bibliography
Cushman, Karen. Catherine, Called Birdy. New York: HaperCollins Publishers, 1994. ISBN: 0060739428
Plot Summary
The thirteen-year-old daughter of an English country knight keeps a journal in which she records the events of her life, particularly her longing for adventures beyond the usual role of women and her efforts to avoid being married off
Critical Analysis
The story is told through the diary of Catherine, the 13 year old daughter of a medieval knight. She goes by the nickname Birdy after the pet birds she keeps in her chamber. Her father is trying to marry her off to increase his wealth but all Birdy longs for is adventure. Through several resourceful tricks she she scares off most of the suitors her father has chosen, until her compassion for a wounded animal, and her unselfishness toward a village couple, traps her into a betrothal with the older Shaggy Beard .
The book is filled with historical information about the food, religion, medical practices and herbal remedies, lack of cleanliness, and social order of medieval people. Cushman does a good job realistically portraying issues of the time such as, child marriages, death, miscarriages, and that marriages of the time were based on economics not love. At the heart of the story is Birdy’s realization that she cannot escape what the future has in store for her, but she can decide how she faces it, with courage and determination. Cushman successfully blends historical facts with entertaining characters and a realistic story.
Awards and Excerpts
ABC Children's Booksellers Choices Award, 1995 Winner Young Adults United States
American Booksellers Book Sense Book of the Year (ABBY) Award, 1996 Honor Book United States
Bay Area Book Reviewers Association Award, 1995 Winner Children's Literature United States
California Book Awards, 1994 Winner Ages 11-16 United States
Carl Sandburg Literary Arts Awards, 1994 Winner United States
Golden Kite Award, 1995 Award Book Fiction United States
International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) Honor List, 1996 Winner Text International
John Newbery Medal, 1995 Honor Book United States
Parents' Choice Award, 1994 Gold Fiction United States
Parents' Choice Award, 2003 Gold Best 25 Books in 25 Years United States
Reading Magic Award, 1994 Winner United States
West Australian Young Readers' Book Award (WAYRBA), 1998 Reading List Older Reader Australia
School Library Journal review excerpt: “A feminist far ahead of her time, she is both believable and lovable. Superb historical fiction”
Children’s Literature review excerpt: “Cushman brings the Middle Ages alive with a revealing, humorous and riveting story of a young girl.”
Connections
Other Books By Karen Cushman:
The Midwife's Apprentice, 1996
The Ballad of Lucy Whipple, 1998
Matilda Bone, 2000
Rodzina, 2003
Alchemy and Meggy Swann, 2010
Will Sparrow’s Road, 2012
Other books on the middle ages:
The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, 1964
Life in a Medieval Castle by Joseph and Frances Gies, 2008
Growing Up in Thirteenth Century England by Alfred Duggan, 1980
Bibliography
Kerley, Barbara. What To Do About Alice?: How Alice Roosevelt Broke the Rules, Charmed the World and Drove Her Father Teddy Crazy!. Illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham. New York: Scholastic Press, 2008. ISBN 9780439922319
Plot Summary
A brief biography in pictures and simple text of Alice Roosevelt, the daughter of Theodore Roosevelt and his first wife.
Critical Analysis
Alice had a pet snake that lived with her in the white house, she drove a car when other young girls rode in carriages, she never attended school but was very well educated, she acted as a goodwill ambassador for her father, the president, and she loved to dance all night at parties. These are just a few of the facts about Alice Roosevelt that are brought to life in this engaging story. Barbara Kerley brings the precocious Alice Roosevelt to life in this picture book biography about her life. Humorous, digital media illustrations complement the outrageous Alice’s character. Newspaper clippings and excerpts from letters help authenticate the story. Alice was a girl ahead of her time. She pushed the boundaries of expected behavior for girls. She was also genuinely interested in people and politics and this helped offset her unconventional behavior and earned her the nickname Princess Alice. I found the story very entertaining.
Awards and Excerpts
Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Excellence in Children's Literature, 2008 Winner Nonfiction United States
Cybil Award, 2008 Finalist Non-Fiction Picture Books United States
Garden State Children's Book Award, 2011 Nominee Non-Fiction New Jersey
Irma S. and James H. Black Award for Excellence in Children's Literature, 2008 Honor Book Ages 4-8 United States
Parents' Choice Award, 2008 Approved Non-fiction United States
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal, 2009 Honor Book United States
School Library Journal review excerpt “This book provides a fascinating glimpse into both a bygone era and one of its more interesting denizens as well as a surefire antidote for any child who thinks that historical figures are boring.”
BookList review excerpt “Irrepressible Alice Roosevelt gets a treatment every bit as attractive and exuberant as she was.”
Connections
Other books by Barbara Kerley:
The Extraordinary Mark Twain (according to Susy) (2010)
Those Rebels, John & Tom (2012)
Greetings From Planet Earth (2007)
Walt Whitman: Words for America (2004)
Other books on Alice Roosevelt:
Mind Your Manners, Alice Roosevelt! by Alice Kimmelman (2009)
Alice : Alice Roosevelt Longworth, From White House Princess to Washington Power Broker by Stacy A. Cordery (2007)
Bibliography
Nelson, Kadir. We Are The Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball. Illustrated by Kadir Nelson. New York: Hyperion, 2008. ISBN 978-078680832-8
Plot Summary
Using an "Everyman" player as his narrator, Kadir Nelson tells the story of Negro League baseball from its beginnings in the 1920s through the decline after Jackie Robinson crossed over to the majors in 1947.
Critical Analysis
Keeping with the baseball theme the book is broken up into innings instead of chapters.
The book is organized chronologically from the creation of the negro leagues to the their decline. The index, glossary, acknowledgements, and bibliography are included in the extra innings section. The book is told in a story format, using a narrator, to give the historical facts a more personal connection. Nelson weaves baseball, history, and the social issues of the time into a captivating story. The included quotes from real players add weight to the authenticity of the story. The highlight of this book is the wonderful, expressive, oil painted illustrations that are included on almost every page and really bring the players and story to life. Once you have read this book it is easy to see why it has earned so many awards, including the prestigious Coretta Scott King Book Award.
Awards and Excerpts
Coretta Scott King Book Award, 2009 Honor Book Illustrator United States
Coretta Scott King Book Award, 2009 Winner Author United States
Cuffies: Children's Booksellers Choose Their Favorite (and not-so-favorite) Books of the Year, 2008 Winner Book You'd Like to see Win the Caldecott Medal United States
Cybil Award, 2008 Finalist Non-Fiction Middle Grade/Young Adult Book United States
International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) Honor List, 2010 Honour List Illustrator Canada
Judy Lopez Memorial Award for Children's Literature, 2009 Winner California United States
New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books of the Year, 2008 Winner United States
Odyssey Award, 2010 Honor United States
Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children, 2009 Honor Book United States
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal, 2009 Winner United States
School Library Journal Battle of the Kids' Books, 2009 Nominee United States
Society of Illustrators Original Art Award, 2008 Silver Medal United States
Society of Illustrators' Award, 2008 Silver Medal United States
Society of School Librarians International Book Awards, 2008 Honor Book Social Studies - Grades K-6 United States
School Library Journal review excerpt “Nelson offers an appreciative tribute to the Negro Leagues. Nelson's brilliant, almost iconic paintings vividly complement his account. The artist brings to light the character and inherent dignity of his subjects. It is an engaging tribute that should resonate with a wide audience and delight baseball fans of all ages.”
BookList review excerpt “If the story is the pitch, though, it's the artwork that blasts the book into the stands. The stories and artwork are a tribute to the spirit of the Negro Leaguers, who were much more than also-rans and deserve a more prominent place on baseball's history shelves.”
Connections
Other Books by Kadir Nelson:
Heart and Soul : The Story of America and African Americans (2011)
Change Has Come : An Artist Celebrates our American Spirit (2009)
He's Got the Whole World in his Hands (2005)
Other books on Negro League Baseball:
Stars in the Shadows: The Negro League All-Star Game of 1934 by Charles R. Smith (2012)
Shades of Glory: The Negro Leagues and the Story of African-American Baseball by Lawrence D. Hogan (2006)
A Negro League Scrapbook by Carole Boston Weatherford (2005)
The Negro Leagues, 1869-1960 by Leslie A. Heaphy (2003)
Activities and Discussion Topics:
The Negro League Baseball Museum is a national treasure. If you live nearby, visit.
If you can’t visit, explore its Web site, http://www.nlbm.com/s/index.cfm
Compare the playing style of the players in the Negro Leagues with the players in the
Majors. How was the playing style the same? How was it different?
Baseball card collecting was an important part of the Negro Leagues. Choose a player
from the leagues and create both sides of the card, include a picture of the player and
statistics available at http://www.nlbpa.com/the_athletes.html
How many Negro League players were finally elected to the National Baseball Hall of
Fame? How were they selected to the Major League Hall of Fame?
http://web.baseballhalloffame.org
Athletes should show good sportsmanship, even when things are not going well. Find
some examples where the players demonstrated good sportsmanship, even when it was
difficult.
Link to Coretta Scott King Book Awards 2009 Discussion Guide
Bibliography
Simon, Seymour. Butterflies. New York: HaperCollins Publishers, 2011. ISBN: 9780061914935
Plot Summary
Award-winning science writer Seymour Simon invites readers to explore the world of butterflies and moths with fascinating facts and stunning full-color photographs. Learn where to find butterflies and moths, how to observe them in nature, and how to plant your very own butterfly garden.
Critical Analysis
Butterflies and moths have eyes that look in all directions - up, down, forward, backward, left, and right - all at the same time. They taste with their feet and smell with their antennae. The more brightly colored butterflies and moths are often poisonous. This photo essay book is filled with interesting facts and beautiful photographs of these amazing insects. The book takes you through the 4 different life stages and the migratory patterns of butterflies and moths. Seymour explains the identifying characteristics of moths and butterflies. He also touches on some of the myths surrounding them. The book also has activity suggestions, a glossary of terms, index and additional resources for more information. The books is simple enough for elementary children but the combination of colorful photos and engaging facts will appeal to all ages.
Awards and Excerpts
Booklist Book Review Stars , Oct. 15, 2011 ; American Library Association; United States
Booklist Top 10 Science and Health Books for Youth, 2011 ; American Library Association; United States
Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K–12, 2012 ; National Science Teachers Association; United States
BookList review excerpt “Simon takes on a familiar topic in children's nonfiction and makes it fresh again.“
Connections
Other Books by Seymour Simon:
Tropical Rainforests (2010)
Global Warming (2010)
Dolphins (2009)
Wolves (2009)
Other informational books on butterflies:
Inside Butterflies: Enter the Wonderful World of Butterflies and Moths by Hazel Davies (2011)
The Complete Book of North American Butterflies by Paul A. Opler (2011)
Face to Face With Butterflies by Darlyne Murawski (2010)
Design your own butterfly garden. Research what type of plants grow in your zone and create a list of plants you would like to include in your garden. Create a planting diagram. You may even want to visit your local garden center for additional ideas.
Observe the butterflies and create a scientific journal of their habits.
Many zoos have butterfly exhibits you can visit.
Bibliography
Frost, Helen. Diamond Willow. New York: Frances Foster Books, 2008. ISBN 978-0-374-31776-8
Plot Summary
The story takes place in Alaska. Willow is a 12 year old girl who is in between. She is the middle child in the family, she isn’t a little girl anymore, but she’s not grown up either. She loves to help her dad care for the sled dogs and wants more than anything to be allowed to take them on the snowy path to her grandparents house alone. When one of the dogs is hurt she sets out on an adventure, family secrets are revealed, and she also makes some discoveries about herself.
Critical Analysis
In the author’s note Frost explains that a diamond willow is a piece of willow wood that had been scarred by an injured branch that has fallen away. “the scars, and the diamonds that form around them, give the diamond willow it’s beauty, and gave me the idea for this story”
Diamond Willow is a novel beautifully written in verse. Each verse is constructed in the shape of a diamond and each diamond shape has a second verse located inside it highlighted in darker ink. I found this very clever and soon I was reading the hidden verse first as a clue to the meaning of each new verse. While each page contains its own poem they all flow together seamlessly to tell the story. This is the first time I have read a novel in verse and was very surprised with how much I enjoyed it.
Awards and Excerpts
Cybil Award, 2008 Finalist Middle Grade Novels United States
Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, 2009 Winner United States
Mitten Award, 2008 Winner Michigan United States
Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, 2009 ; Nominee; Grades 4-6; Maryland
Blue Hen Book Award, 2010 ; Nominee; Chapter Books; Delaware
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award, 2009-2010 ; Master List; Vermont
Georgia Children's Book Award, 2010-2011 ; Nominee; Grades 4-8; Georgia
Iowa Children's Choice Award, 2010-2011 ; Nominee; Iowa
Keystone to Reading Book Award, 2009-2010 ; Nominee; Intermediate; Pennsylvania
Lone Star Reading List, 2009 ; Texas
North Carolina Children's Book Award, 2010 ; Nominee; Junior Book; North Carolina
School Library Journal review excerpt “Helen Frost's book is a true work of art, using lyrical diamond-shaped poems to tell the story of 12-year-old Willow.”
Booklist review excerpt “this story in easy-to-read verse blends exciting survival adventure with a contemporary girl's discovery of family roots and secrets.”
Connections
Other books with similar themes you might enjoy:
Great Bear Lake by Erin Hunter (2009)
The Ruby Key by Holly Lisle (2008)
Other books by Helen Frost:
Keesha’s House (2003)
Spinning Through the Universe (2004)
The Braid (2006)
Monarch and Milkweed (2008)
Crossing Stones (2009)
Hidden (2011)
Step Gently Out (2012)
