Fiction, Fantasy, and Graphic Novels-Book Review #4

Fiction, Fantasy, and Graphic Novels-Book Review #4

SAVVY                                          

BY INGRID LAW        

BIBLIOGRAPHY  

Law, Ingrid. SAVVY. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers. ISBN 9780803733060

PLOT SUMMARY  

Mississippi Beaumont, also known as Mibs, is excited for her thirteenth birthday, but not for the usual reasons.  Mibs comes from a special family who come into special power or savvy on their thirteenth birthdays.  Her oldest brother, Rocket uses his electrical savvy to keep the family car running and her brother Fish accidently caused a hurricane  with his water savvy on his thirteenth birthday.  Mibs' grandfather can move mountains with his savvy while her mother does everything perfect, even her mistakes.  Mib's father is the only one in the Beaumont family without a savvy.

Mibs is excited to see what her savvy might be until her father is injured in a coma after a serious car accident two days before her birthday.  Mib's mother and her brother Rocket go to be with their father in the hospital while Mibs and her other brother stay with  the preacher's family.  When Mib's birthday arrives she is convinced that her savvy will help wake her father and decides to find a way to get to the hospital ninety miles away. Mibs' brothers and her go on an adventure as they sneak onto a bus to go see their father.  Mibs meanwhile continues to figure out what her "savvy" is and if maybe it can help her father get better.  After several adventures she finally gets to see her father and her savvy does not cure him, but it does help her communicate with him through his tattoo.  

On their journey Mibs learns more about her savvy and herself, she makes new friends, and a romance develops between her and Will Junior.  After finally getting to see her father, Mibs' savvy does help her father and helps him discover his own savvy.

CRITCAL ANALYSIS       

Throughout this novel, Mibs proves to be a highly likeable character.  Readers can identify with her desire to fit in with her family and her drive to help her father out of his coma. Mibs' journey to save her father and understand her savvy teaches her valuable lessons about family, growing up, and accepting people's differences.  The reader can relate to the characters, each character in the family is distinct from the others.

Even though the Beaumont family has special powers, the author has written their journey in such a realistic way.  The plot and the characters of Savvy are fantastical, but other elements are more realistic. Law's use of language and alliteration create a vivid and simple fantasy that is entertaining and touching.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "Though the story never lives up to the brilliance of its opening chapter, Law has a feel for characters and language that is matched by few. With its delightful premise and lively adventure, this book will please a wide variety of audiences, not just fantasy fans.

BOOKLIST: "Law's storytelling is rollicking, her language imaginative, and her entire cast of whacky, yet believable characters delightful. Readers will want more from Law; her first book is both wholly engaging and lots of fun."

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: "Law has definitely found hers. Short chapters and cliffhangers keep the pace quick, while the mix of traditional language and vernacular helps the story feel both fresh and timeless. And while road-trip novels tend to be more about the journey than the destination, the ending, like Momma's savvy, is pretty perfect.  I wasn't sure how Law was going to manage it without going all fairy-tale, but she does the story justice, making the conclusion happy and heart-rending simultaneously, resisting the urge to tie it all up with a fancy ribbon and a happily ever after."

CONNECTIONS

*Invite students to read the companion novel to Savvy by Ingrid Law:

Law, Ingrid. SCRUMBLE. ISBN 9780142419625

*Have students write about a power or savvy, they would like to have and how they would use their savvy.

*Have students read other Newbery Honor fantasy books:

Black, Holly. DOLL BONES. ISBN 9781416963981

McGraw, Eloise. THE MOORCHILD. ISBN 9781416927686

Fiction, Fantasy, and Graphic Novel-Book Review #3

Fiction, Fantasy, and Graphic Novel-Book Review #3

RAPUNZEL'S REVENGE

By Shannon and Dean Hale 

Illustrated By Nathan Hale

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Hale, Shannon and Hale, Dean. 2008. RAPUNZEL'S REVENGE. Ill. Nathan Hale. New York: Bloomsbury U.S.A. Children's Books. ISBN 9781599900704

PLOT SUMMARY

Rapunzel's Revenge is a fantasy graphic novel in which the protagonist Rapunzel is separated from her "real" family as a little girl and taken in by the evil mother Gothel.  At age 12, Rapunzel is curious about what lies beyond the huge wall that surrounded the villa, one day she finally decides to look over the wall and see what is beyond it. She is surprised at what she sees. Beyond the wall she meets the woman who is her real mother and was punished to live in a tall, hollowed out tree above the ground. During that time Rapunzel's hair grows to incredible lengths and she eventually escapes her prison vowing to find and free her mother.  This vow takes her on an adventure where she meets Jack, Jack and Rapunzel become good friends and work together to find a way to free Rapunzel's real mother from the evil Gothel.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The authors, Shannon and Dean Hale, have changed Rapunzel from a fairytale character to an action hero.  The story begins as an original story, but is packed with action.  This modern story is set in the American West and when Rapunzel comes to know about Gothel's wickedness and that she is not her real mother, she is forced to live a lonely life.  Rapunzel finds Jack who becomes her friend .  This story portrays good over evil and at the end Rapunzel saves her mother from the evil Gothel.  Readers over age 9, both boys and girls, will enjoy this modern version of Rapunzel.  The witty, humorous dialogue and adventures make sense in the world the authors have created by mixing various fairy tales and scenes straight from an old west tall tale.

The illustrator has done a great job capturing the emotions and feelings of the characters in the story, the illustrations engage the reader and help the reader feel the emotions that each character is feeling. This amusing story with its humorous characters and magical graphics will become a favorite of young readers.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "The dialogue is witty, the story is an enticing departure from the original, and the illustrations are magically fun and expressive.  Knowing that there are more graphic novels to come from this writing team brings readers their own happily-ever-after."

BOOKLIST: "Hale's art matched the story well, yielding expressive characters and lending a wonderful sense of place to the fantasy landscape.  Rich with humor and excitement, this is an alternate version of a classic that will become a fast favorite of young readers."

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: "Illustrator Hale's detailed, candy-colored artwork demands close viewing, as it carries the action-Rapunzel's many scrapes are nearly wordless.  With its can-do heroine, witty dialogue and romantic ending, this graphic novel has something for nearly everybody."

CONNECTIONS

*Read with students the original story of Rapunzel and then use a Venn Diagram to compare the two stories.

*Invite students to choose a different fairy tale and put their own twist on it.  The can illustrate using text boxes and show the protagonist from a different point of view.

*Invite students to read other graphic novels:

Hale, Shannon and Dean. CALAMITY JACK. ISBN 9781599903736

Hoena, Blake. JACK AND THE BEANSTALK: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL. ISBN 9781434208620

Fiction, Fantasy, and Graphic Novels-Book Review #2

Fiction, Fantasy, and Graphic Novels-Book Review #2

BABYMOUSE: 
THE MUSICAL
BY JENNIFER L. HOLM & MATTHEW HOLM

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Holm, Jennifer L. & Holm, Matthew. 2009. BABYMOUSE: THE MUSICAL. New York: Random House Children's Books. ISBN 9780375843884

PLOT SUMMARY

Babymouse has big dreams and lately she has been daydreaming about fame.  A new school musical is coming up and she begins to think about that all the time.  When the new kid, Henry Higgins, showed some charm and kindness by calling her "brilliant" Baby mouse found enough courage to try out for the lead part in the musical.  She went up against the ferocious feline Felicia Furrypaws and she loses, she was chosen to be Felicia's understudy.   Will she ever get a chance to be seen on stage and gain adoring fans?  Well Babymouse practices and practices until she comes to the conclusion that it's not worth it.  Will Babymouse get to showcase her star quality in the musical? Find out how Babymouse "brings down the house."

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This is a great story musical that children will absolutely love!  The story is created like a comic book with the talk and thoughts of bubbles.  The sounds and word stretches make the story come to life.  The authors, Jennifer & Matthew Holm, do a great job with this story which will keep the reader engaged throughout the whole story.  The same colors were used throughout the story: black, pink, and white.  The illustrations are so refreshing and are highly entertaining, each page number is in hearts which is something young girls will love.  The songs that were chosen for the different scenes were a great pick!  A great choices were the hard knock life song and the remake of the Lion King, this was very cute!  Absolutely a great children's book!

There is one thing that children now might not relate to are the songs and movies that were mentioned (with the exception of the Lion King). Children may not know about some of the songs mentioned, for example Grease and Phantom of the Opera.  

Overall a great read that will definitely bring out a laugh!

REVIEW EXCERPTS

THE HORN BOOK: "The brother-sister creative team hits the mark with humor, sweetness, and characters so genuine they can pass for real kids."

BOOKLIST: "Cute, smart, sassy Babymouse is fun and funny, and this book, like its predecessors, will draw reluctant readers as well as Babymouse fans."

KIRKUS: "Emergent readers will cheer 'Babymouse!"

CONNECTIONS

*A few of the musicals mentioned in the story Babymouse The Musical are older and would need adult guidance to make connections.  Show the children video clips of some of the musicals to allow children to have knowledge of those musicals mentioned in the story.

*Encourage children to read other Babymouse books:

Holm, Jennifer & Matthew. BABYMOUSE: QUEEN OF THE WORLD!. ISBN 9780375832291

Holm, Jennifer & Matthew. BABYMOUSE: OUR HERO. ISBN 9780375832307

Holm, Jennifer & Matthew. BABYMOUSE: BEACH BABE. ISBN 9780375832314

Fiction, Fantasy, and Graphic Novels-Book Review # 1

 

Fiction, Fantasy, and Graphic Novels-Book Review # 1

Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures

By KATE DiCAMILLO

BIBLIOGRAPHY

DiCamillo, Kate. FLORA & ULYSSES: THE ILLUMINATED ADVENTURES. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. 2013. ISBN 9780763660406

PLOT SUMMARY

A young girl named Flora or Flora Belle as her infuriating mother calls her is a misunderstood girl with a lot on her mind.  She struggles with belonging not only among her peers, but also with her parents.  Flora does not have many friends and turns to her comic books for all the answers to life's questions.  The world, according to Flora is more exciting and bearable when it includes superheroes, speech bubbles above everyone's head and the excitement that her favorite comic books bring.  One day while enjoying one of her favorite comic books, Flora sees her neighbor's vacuum run around the backyard and suck up an innocent squirrel.  She decides to save the squirrel after learning how to perform CPR from her comic books.  She soon realized that this animal is no ordinary squirrel, it is a real life superhero who she names Ulysses.  This fun story will take you on an adventure and shows you what determination and love can really do.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Flora and Ulysses are two characters children will love, laugh, and identify through their adventures, especially children who are trying to find their way through a divorce. The reader will love Ulysses and hope that he will find a home and some happiness.  This storyline is different and original, but believable.  These two characters go on an entertaining journey with many obstacles to overcome along the way and they manage to overcome these obstacles while still having fun.

This story is set mainly in Flora's home and the surrounding neighborhood, It is described as an average neighborhood with many details that help the reader visualize the surroundings.  These details include the description of the vacuum cleaner and the lamp that are important parts of the story.

Along their journey together, Flora and Ulysses help each other believe in people, conquer loneliness, and hope for good things.  They become close to each other and Flora develops a better relationship with her mom.  She realizes she does have a family and friends who care about her.  This story allows many kids to relate, especially those who are experiencing divorce and loneliness.

The author makes reading this long novel easier by breaking up the chapters into short three or four page acts.  A great majority of the story is told through conversation between Flora and others which could make this a little difficult for some young readers.  The extensive vocabulary Flora uses and the style of writing is mostly appropriate for children ages 10 and older.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Newbery Award Winner 2014

BOOKLIST: "Newbery winner DiCamillo is a master storyteller, and not just because she creates characters who dance off the pages and plots, whether epic or small, that never fail to engage and delight readers.  Her biggest strength is exposing the truths that open and heal the human heart. She believes in possibilities and forgiveness and teaches her audience that the salt of life can be cut with the right measure of love."

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "While DiCamillo's work shines on paper, the excessive use of dialogue tags, and the absence of corresponding artwork, make this novel a poor choice as a read aloud."

CONNECTIONS

*Writing activity: If you were creating a superhero, what animal would you choose? Create your own superhero animal using Ulysses as a guide.  Include the following:

-a superpower

-a special name

-how that character hides his or her superhero self

-friends

-enemies

*Flora uses extensive vocabulary in the story, have children search for unfamiliar words in the story and find the meaning and examples of the words.

Historical Fiction-Book Review #4

 Historical Fiction-Book Review #4 

THE WAR THAT SAVED MY LIFE

BY KIMBERLY BRUBAKER BRADLEY

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bradley, Kimberly. 2015. THE WAR THAT SAVED MY LIFE. New York, NY: Puffin Books. ISBN 9780147510488

PLOT SUMMARY

Ada lives in London in a tiny apartment with her mother and brother Jamie.  Ada has never been allowed outside because her mother is ashamed by her clubbed foot, which makes it nearly impossible for her to walk.  Her mother is abusive to both Ada and her brother, but targets Ada in particular.  Ada is often hit, beaten and even locked in a moldy, cockroach infested cabinet. Ada dreams about someday walking and making her mother proud.

One day Jamie comes home and tells Ada that all the children are being evacuated to the country to be safe from the German bombs.  This gives Ada the motivation to walk, but only very short distances because it causes her great pain.  The day of the evacuations Jamie and Ada sneak out in the early hours of the morning and are taken on a long trip to the country with the other children.  They are eventually taken in by Susan Smith who is practically forced to take them into her home.  Susan lives alone and treats Jamie and Ada well, giving them everything they need including emotional support.  Ada is relieved to be away from her mother, she becomes physically stronger, but she is still troubled emotionally.  She has a difficult time accepting any kindness and material things from Susan, she often has a very difficult time dealing with this and seeks comfort in Susan's pony which she becomes very attached to.  As the war progresses her biggest fear is becoming too attached and having to go back home one day with her abusive mother.  The day comes when she is forced to go back with her mother, Susan is the person they wish to be with and who will fight to get them back.  She gives them the love and unconditional support their biological mother never did, Susan is the mother they wished for their whole life.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Bradley write about a ten year girl who has never left her apartment because of her clubbed foot and her abusive mother who will not allow her to leave the apartment, she is ashamed of her daughter and does not want anyone to see her.  Ada's mother is very abusive and Bradley transports us to Ada's world of abusive, verbal and physical abuse.  The punishment Ada has to deal with are horrific and we are taken there through the detail of the punishment.  We feel the abuse, the beatings, the smell of the moldy sink cabinet filled with cockroaches.  Ada's feelings of disappointment keep the reader engaged throughout the whole story.

  It is a very moving and touching story of survival and learning how to accept the good things that come your way even if you feel you do not deserve them.  The characters are well developed, I admire Ada's devotion to her brother and her ability to survive a horrible childhood.  Many parts of the book are sad, but it is a very uplifting story.

Although this is a historical fiction book as it is set during World War II, it really is not about the war but more about a child overcoming incredible obstacles and surviving abuse.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

A Newbery Honor Book

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: "Bradley celebrates Ada's discovery of the world outside her dismal flat, movingly tracing her growing trust of strangers and her growing affection for Miss Smith. Proving that her courage and compassion carr far more power than her disability, Ada earns self-respect, emerges a hero, and learns the meaning of home."

KIRKUS: "Set against a backdrop of war and sacrifice, Ada's personal fight for freedom and ultimate triumph are cause for celebration."

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "Readers will ache for her as she misreads cues and pushes Susan away even though she yearns to be unfolded in a hug. There is much to like here--Ada's engaging voice, the vivid setting, the humor, the heartbreak, but most of all the tenacious will to survive exhibited by Ada and the villagers who grow to love and accept her."

CONNECTIONS
*Encourage, research and create discussion about World War II and why it was common to send children away,
*Have students draw their mental images of what the country was like for Ada with Susan and draw what their mental images are of London and Ada's old apartment.
*Encourage student to read other books written by the great author Kimberly Brubaker Bradley:
FOR FREEDOM: THE STORY OF A FRENCH SPY. ISBN 9780440418313
THE WAR I FINALLY WON. ISBN 9780525429203
THE PRESIDENT'S DAUGHTER. ISBN 9780440419952