Bibliography
Holm, Jennifer L., and Matthew Holm. Babymouse: Queen of the World!. New York: Random House, 2005. ISBN: 0375832297
Plot Summary
It's the same thing every day for Babymouse. Where is the glamour? The excitement? The adventure? Nothing ever changes, until . . . Babymouse hears about Felicia Furrypaws's exclusive slumber party. Will Babymouse get invited? Will her best friend, Wilson, forgive her if she misses their monster movie marathon? Find out in Babymouse: Queen of the World , a graphic novel with attitude!
Critical Analysis
Jennifer L Holm and Matthew Holm are the brother and sister team behind the creation of the Babymouse graphic novel series. Babymouse is a fun character. She is witty, sassy, and full of attitude. The novel is entirely printed in black, white, and pink. Babymouse has a vivid imagination and the pink pages are used to highlight the scenes that are fantasy. Some examples are when she is sucked into space and pretends to be the captain of the spaceship, when she is at castle Weaselstein, or when her fairy godweasel turns her into Mouserella with a banana carriage (they were out of pumpkins). The black and white pages are used to show her everyday life or reality. Babymouse : Queen of the World! is set in a middle school and children will relate to the common themes of trying to fit in, popularity, and friendship. It’s an easy and enjoyable read.
Awards and Excerpts
Booklist Top 10 Graphic Novels for Youth, 2006 ; Booklist; United States
Children's Catalog, Nineteenth Edition, 2006 ; H.W. Wilson; United States
Choices, 2006 ; Cooperative Children’s Book Center; United States
Core Collection: Great Graphic Novels for Younger Readers, 2006 ; American Library Association; United States
Notable Children's Books, 2006 ; ALSC American Library Association; United States
Gryphon Award, 2006 Honor Book United States
North Carolina Children's Book Award, 2008 ; Nominee; Junior Book; North Carolina
Pennsylvania Young Readers' Choice Award, 2009-2010 ; Nominee; Grades K-3; Pennsylvania
West Virginia Children's Book Award, 2007-2008 ; Nominee; West Virginia
Children’s Literature review excerpt: “Babymouse’s imaginative subplots are hilarious, as are the wonderful illustrations that give life to Babymouse and her friends and acquaintances. A delightful read for the middle elementary female reader who is looking for a quick read.”
Kirkus review excerpt: “Young readers will happily fall in line to follow Babymouse through both ordinary pratfalls and extraordinary flights of fancy.”
Connections
Other books in the Babymouse Series:
Babymouse : Burns Rubber (2010)
Babymouse : Cupcake Tycoon (2010)
Babymouse : The Musical (2009)
Babymouse : Dragonslayer (2009)
Babymouse : Skater Girl (2007)
Babymouse : Puppy Love (2007)
Babymouse : Camp Babymouse (2007)
Babymouse : Heartbreaker (2006)
Babymouse : Rockstar (2006)
Link to the teachers guide:
http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/teachers_guides/9780375857126.pdf
Visit the Babymouse website:
www.babymouse.com
Look for other graphic novel serials such as Kit Feeny, Stone Rabbit, or Lunch Lady.
Bibliography
Zusak, Markus, read by and Allan Corduner. The Book Theif. New York: Listening Library, 2006. ISBN: 9780739337271
Plot Summary
It's just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . . Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak's groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can't resist - books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau. This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.
Critical Analysis
Allan Corduner is the voice of Death, the narrator, of this World War II-era story. The richness and depth of his voice along with his european accent make him the perfect choice to bring this amazing story to life.
Death is very busy in Nazi Germany but he does have a little time to tell the story of Liesel Meminger, our book thief. The story line is realistic, the characters are complex, interesting and likable. Even Mama, who calls everyone a pig, grows on you throughout the book. Zusak doesn’t shy away from telling the hard truth of what went on during WWII: discrimination and eventual extermination of the Jews, political propaganda, children being taken away from their parents and placed in foster families due to political beliefs, how boys are expected to join Hitler’s army when they reach a certain age, starvation, thievery, suicide, standing up for what you believe is right, and the human belief in hope. All of these themes combine to create a wonderful, compelling story. I found myself cheering for Rudy, admiring Hans Hubermann, crying for everyone on Himmel street, and hoping for a better future for Max and Liesel. This was by far, the best book I have read all year. I highly recommend it.
Awards and Excerpts
American Booksellers Book Sense Book of the Year (ABBY) Award, 2007 Winner Children's Literature United States
Cuffies: Children's Booksellers Choose Their Favorite (and not-so-favorite) Books of the Year, 2006 Honorable Mention Best Book for Older Teens United States
Cuffies: Children's Booksellers Choose Their Favorite (and not-so-favorite) Books of the Year, 2006 Honorable Mention Favorite Book to Handsell United States
Cuffies: Children's Booksellers Choose Their Favorite (and not-so-favorite) Books of the Year, 2006 Winner Favorite Novel of the Year United States
Cuffies: Children's Booksellers Choose Their Favorite (and not-so-favorite) Books of the Year,
2006 Winner Most Memorable Character in a Lead Role United States
Cybil Award, 2006 Finalist Young Adult Fiction United States
Garden State Teen Book Award, 2009 Winner Fiction Grades 9-12 New Jersey
Heartland Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature, 2008 Nominee United States
Indigo Teen Read Award, 2010 Nominee Best All-Time Fave Canada
Michael L. Printz Award, 2007 Honor Book United States
National Jewish Book Awards, 2006 Winner Children's and Young Adult Literature United States
Parents' Choice Award, 2006 Gold Fiction United States
Quill Awards, 2006 Nominee Young Adult/Teen United States
Sydney Taylor Book Award, 2007 Winner Teen Book Award United States
Thumbs Up! Award, 2007 Honor Book Michigan
Amazon Editors' Picks: Top 10 Books, 2006 ; United States
Book Sense Children's Picks, Summer 2006 ; American Booksellers Association; Top 10; United States
Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth, 2006 ; Booklist Editor's Choice; United States
Bulletin Blue Ribbons, 2006 ; Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books; United States
Capitol Choices, 2007 ; The Capitol Choices Committee; United States
Choices, 2007 ; Cooperative Children’s Book Center; United States
Horn Book Fanfare, 2006 ; Horn Book; United States
Kirkus Best Children's Books, 2006 ; Kirkus; United States
Kirkus Book Review Stars, January 15, 2006 ; United States
Middle and Junior High School Library Catalog, Supplement to Ninth Edition, 2007 ; H.W. Wilson Company; United States
Notable Books for a Global Society, 2007 ; Special Interest Group of the International Reading Association; United States
Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, 2007 ; National Council for the Social Studies; United States
Outstanding International Books, 2007 ; USBBY/CBC; United States
Publishers Weekly Best Children's Books, 2006 ; Publishers Weekly; United States
Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, January 30, 2006 ; Cahners; United States
School Library Journal Best Books, 2006 ; Cahners; United States
School Library Journal Book Review Stars, March 2006 ; Cahners; United States
Senior High Core Collection, Seventeenth Edition, 2007 ; The H. W. Wilson Co.; United States
Senior High School Library Catalog, Sixteenth Edition, 2006 Supplement, 2006 ; H.W. Wilson Company; United States
YALSA Best Books for Young Adults, 2007 ; American Library Association; United States
YALSA Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults, 2007 ; American Library Association; United States
Tayshas High School Reading List, 2007-2008 ; Texas
School Library Journal review excerpt: “Zusak has created a work that deserves the attention of sophisticated teen and adult readers. Zusak not only creates a mesmerizing and original story but also writes with poetic syntax, causing readers to deliberate over phrases and lines, even as the action impels them forward. Death is not a sentimental storyteller, but he does attend to an array of satisfying details, giving Liesel's story all the nuances of chance, folly, and fulfilled expectation that it deserves. An extraordinary narrative.”
BookList review excerpt: “The astonishing characters, drawn without sentimentality, will grab readers. More than the overt message about the power of words, it's Liesl's confrontation with horrifying cruelty and her discovery of kindness in unexpected places that tell the heartbreaking truth.”
Connections
Other Books by Markus Zusak:
I Am the Messenger (2006)
Getting the Girl (2003)
The first chapter of the book is available at Random House: http://www.randomhouse.com/book/196153/the-book-thief-by-markus-zusak/9780375831003/?view=excerpt
Links to discussion guides on The Book Theif:
http://www.bookbrowse.com/reading_guides/detail/index.cfm?book_number=1755
http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/teachers_guides/9780375842207.pdf
If you liked The Book Thief, try these:
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein (2012)
How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff (2006)
Bibliography
Stead, Rebecca, read by Cynthia Holloway. When You Reach Me. New York: Listening Library, 2009. ISBN: 9780739380727
Plot Summary
Four mysterious letters change Miranda’s world forever. By sixth grade, Miranda and her best friend, Sal, know how to navigate their New York City neighborhood. They know where it’s safe to go, like the local grocery store, and they know whom to avoid, like the crazy guy on the corner. But things start to unravel. Sal gets punched by a new kid for what seems like no reason, and he shuts Miranda out of his life. The apartment key that Miranda’s mom keeps hidden for emergencies is stolen. And then Miranda finds a mysterious note scrawled on a tiny slip of paper. The notes keep coming, and Miranda slowly realizes that whoever is leaving them knows all about her, including things that have not even happened yet. Each message brings her closer to believing that only she can prevent a tragic death.
Critical Analysis
One of the themes of this low fantasy, science fiction, and mystery book is time travel. The setting of the book, New York City in the late 1970’s, draws attention to time right from the beginning of the story. Another clue that time is important is that Miranda’s favorite book is A Wrinkle in Time. The main character is Miranda, a sixth grader, and the story is told from her point of view. The story has many little mysteries and puzzles to figure out and the first person narration allows the reader access to Miranda’s thoughts. Friendship is another theme that weaves itself through the book; Miranda’s strained friendship with her childhood friend Sal, her growing friendship with Julia and Annemarie, and the guilt she feels over her new friendship with Marcus.
Cynthia Holloway, a narrator of more than thirty audiobooks, does an excellent job portraying the voice of Miranda. There are many threads to this book; time travel, friendship, single parent family dynamic, social class differences, epilepsy, future goals, and dreams. Rebecca Stead does a great job of tying all the threads into one cohesive tapestry of a very engaging story.
Awards and Excerpts
Andre Norton Award, 2009 Finalist United States
Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Excellence in Children's Literature, 2010 Winner Fiction and Poetry United States
Cuffies: Children's Booksellers Choose Their Favorite (and not-so-favorite) Books of the Year, 2009 Winner Book You Couldn't Shut Up About United States
Cuffies: Children's Booksellers Choose Their Favorite (and not-so-favorite) Books of the Year, 2009 Winner Favorite Book to Handsell United States
Cuffies: Children's Booksellers Choose Their Favorite (and not-so-favorite) Books of the Year, 2009 Winner Favorite Middle Grade Novel of the Year United States
Golden Duck Award for Excellence in Children's Science Fiction Literature, 2010 Finalist
Eleanor Cameron Award for Middle Grades United States
Great Lakes Great Books Award, 2010-2011 Honor Book Grades 6-8 Michigan
Indies Choice Book Award, 2010 Winner Middle Reader United States
IRA Children's and Young Adult's Book Award, 2010 Winner Young Adult-Fiction International
John Newbery Medal, 2010 Winner United States
National Parenting Publications Award, 2009 Gold Books for Ages 9 & Up United States
Parents' Choice Award, 2009 Gold Fiction United States
School Library Journal Battle of the Kids' Books, 2010 Nominee United States
Waterstone's Children's Book Prize, 2011 Shortlist United Kingdom
Booklist Editors’ Choice: Books for Youth, 2009 ; American Library Association; United States
Booklist Top 10 Crime Fiction for Youth, 2010 ; American Library Association; United States
New York Times Notable Children's Books , 2009 ; United States
Notable Children's Books, 2010 ; ALSC American Library Association; United States
YALSA Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults, 2010 ; American Library Association; United States
School Library Journal review excerpt: “Rebecca Stead's novel pivots around the day Sal gets punched by an unknown classmate and shifts the order of the universe. She skillfully weaves written notes into each scene and repeats clues when necessary. The climax is full of drama and suspense. This story about the intricacies of friendship will be a hit with students.”
BookList review excerpt: “The '70s New York setting is an honest reverberation of the era; the mental gymnastics required of readers are invigorating; and the characters, children and adults, are honest bits of humanity no matter in what place or time their souls rest. Just as Miranda rereads L'Engle, children will return to this.”
Connections
Other books by Rebecca Stead:
First Light (2007)
Liar & Spy (2012)
A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’Engle (1962)
Play one of the various versions of the Pyramid board games:
Link to the Educators Readers Guide:
http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/teachers_guides/9780375850868.pdf
